Scientific Society for Flowers and Ornamental PlantsScientific Journal of Flowers and Ornamental Plants2356-78643320160901EFFECT OF CHEMICAL, BIO FERTILIZATION AND COMPOST TEA SPRAYING ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF ZANTEDESCHIA BULBS147166513110.21608/sjfop.2016.5131ENAzza A.GhaziMicrobiology Dept., Soils, Water and Environ. Research Inst., ARC, EgyptEman A.AttiaOrnamental Plants and Landscape Gardening Res. Dept., Hort. Res. Inst., ARC, EgyptJournal Article20160901<span>A pot experiment was carried out during two successive seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 in a split design to determine if compost tea spraying and <em>Enterobacter cloacae</em> KX034162 inoculation under phosphorus fertilization levels influence plant development, rhizome weight and chemical constituents of <em>Zantedeschia aethiopica </em>plants. The study showed that generally <em>E.</em> <em>cloacae</em> KX034162 inoculation had a positive effect on growth, flowering and chemical constituents under the different phosphorus (p) fertilization levels. <em>E. cloacae</em> KX034162 inoculation under 50% P-rate of recommended dose combined with compost tea spraying resulted in a significant increase in plant height, number of leaves per clump, leaf area, shoot and rhizome fresh weight, rhizome dry weight, stalk length and diameter, inflorescence height and diameter, flowering spike fresh weight, N, P and K concentration in shoot, flowering period and flower date and increased activity of dehydrogenase in soil. While, total inflorescence clump<sup>-1</sup> and vase life (days) were increased by inoculation with<em> E. cloacae</em> KX034162 under 75% P-rate of the recommended dose combined with compost tea spraying<em>.</em></span>https://sjfop.journals.ekb.eg/article_5131_6aaff505a9b1f2422b17a901ec6dd5ac.pdfScientific Society for Flowers and Ornamental PlantsScientific Journal of Flowers and Ornamental Plants2356-78643320160901EVALUATION THE EFFECT OF PRESERVATIVE SOLUTIONS AND STORAGE CONDITIONS ON SHELF LIFE OF SUNFLOWER INFLORESCENCES167176513210.21608/sjfop.2016.5132ENOla A.AminOrnamental Plants and Landscape Gardening Res. Dept., Hort. Res. Inst., ARC, EgyptJournal Article20160901Two separated experiments were conducted at the Postharvest Lab of Ornamental Plants and Landscape Gardening Res. Dept., Hort. Res. Inst., Giza, Egypt during 2012 and 2013 seasons to study the response of the fresh inflorescences/heads of sunflower (<em>Helianthus annuus</em> L. cv. Sunrich Orange) either to some preservative solutions under the ambient conditions, viz. distilled water (control), sucrose at 10, 20 and 30 g/l levels, glucose at 3, 8 and 15 g/l levels, chelated calcium at 20, 30 and 50 g/l levels and glucerol at 20 and 50 g/l levels in the first experiment or to the main 3 important factors of transportation, storage system (wet or dry), cool storage temperature (0 or 5 °C) and storage period (5 or 7 days) in the second one. The previous 3 factors were combined factorially to obtain the different interactions among them. The flowering stalks after wet or dry storage were held in graduated cylinders filled with about 350 ml of deionized water under the room temperature till the end of shelf life.<br /> The obtained results of the first experiment indicated that all preservative solutions improved the means of water uptake, the percent of change in flower head fresh weight, flower head diameter, vase life and total soluble sugars content in petals with various significant levels as compared to control means in both seasons. However, the superiority was for holding in 50 g/l chelated- Ca solution, that gave in the two seasons the utmost high values over the other solutions in most parameters mentioned before. The second position was occupied by preserving the flowering stems in 30 g/l sucrose solution, which improved means of some characters to values closely near to those of the super treatment. So, for elongating the vase life and keeping quality of sunflower cv. Sunrich Orange heads, it is recommended to holding them either in 50 g/l chelated Ca or in 30 g/l sucrose one.<br /> In the second experiment, the results have shown that dry storage system recorded better results than wet storage one, especially in water uptake and flower head diameter traits. Storing the flowering stems at 0 °C raised water uptake and vase life means to be more than those of storage at 5 °C in the two seasons, while storage at 5 °C caused only a higher increment in flower head diameter. In general, storage for 7 days scored higher means of water uptake, the percent of change in flower head fresh weight, flower head diameter and vase life than storage for 5 days in both seasons. Regarding the total soluble sugars content in the petals, it was not affected markedly by storage system, temperature and period with few exceptions in the two seasons. On the other hand, effect of interaction treatments on the previous stated parameters was fluctuated, where dry storage at 0 °C for 7 days recorded the highest means of water uptake and vase life, while dry storage at 5 °C for 7 days gave only the widest diameter of flower head. The wet storage at either 0 or 5 °C for 7 days scored the highest content of total soluble sugars, while the wet storage at 0 °C for 5 days registered the highest percent of change in flower head fresh weight. Hence, it can be advice to store the cut heads of sunflower cv. Sunrich Orange, dry at 0 °C for 5 or 7 days at long-space transportation without noticeable reduction in their vase life and quality.<br /> <strong> </strong><br /> https://sjfop.journals.ekb.eg/article_5132_7fc9ad1186313475b260b5366c4446d8.pdfScientific Society for Flowers and Ornamental PlantsScientific Journal of Flowers and Ornamental Plants2356-78643320160901MITIGATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADVERSE EFFECT BY ACCELERATING FENNEL GROWTH AND FLOWERING177191513310.21608/sjfop.2016.5133ENSalwa S.S.Awad AllaDepartment of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Agricultural Research Center, Dokii, EgyptSoad M.M.SalemDepartment of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Agricultural Research Center, Dokii, EgyptJournal Article20160901The present experiment was conducted during 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons in the Farm of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Department in El Kanater El Khairia, Egypt to study the effect of ascorbic acid (AA) and citric acid (CA) individually and in combination on <em>Foeniculum vulgare var. vulgare</em> plants, in order to alleiviate climate change adverse effect by induce early flowering and to stimulate the growth and yield. Ascorbic acid and citric acid were sprayed at two rates 100 and 200 ppm.<br /> The following results were recorded: In general, Indian fennel plants were significantly responded to ascorbic and citric acid. Ascorbic acid at 100 and 200 ppm and citric acid at 200ppm increased the vegetative growth (plant height and number of branches/plant), number of umbels/plant, fruit yield/plant and essential oil production. Ascorbic and Citric acid each of them at 100 and 200 ppm decreased the time to flowering, this means that, the antioxidant ascorbic and citric acid stimulating fennel growth, shortening the juvenility stage and induce early flowering. The treated plants by the combination of ascorbic and citric acid at 200ppm gave the highest vegetative growth (plant height and number of branches/plant), number of umbels/plant, fruit yield/plant, essential oil production and accelerating flowering by 27 days in the 1<sup>st</sup> season and 22 day in the 2<sup>nd</sup> one in comparison with control. Ascorbic acid at 200 ppm plus CA at 200 ppm gave the highest anethole content and the lowest fenchone. Ascorbic acid at 200ppm with CA at 200 ppm produced the least time to flowering. The application of the combination of ascorbic and citric acid at the highest rate 200ppm had a promotion effect in growth traits and inducing early flowering, therefore accelerating fruiting of fennel plants before the sharp fluctuations of climate that occurred in the spring which in turn had a bad effect in fruiting of umbelliferous plants.<br /> <strong> </strong><br /> https://sjfop.journals.ekb.eg/article_5133_7ead8a341d33b2483c6c7ab813e98848.pdfScientific Society for Flowers and Ornamental PlantsScientific Journal of Flowers and Ornamental Plants2356-78643320160901EFFECT OF BENZOIC ACID AND MYCORRHIZA ON MENTHA VIRIDS PLANTS GROWN UNDER DIFFERENT IRRIGATION LEVELS193213513410.21608/sjfop.2016.5134ENSalwa S.S.Awad AllaHorticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza, EgyptMohamed M.I.AfifiDept. of Microbiology, Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, ARC, Giza, EgyptJournal Article20160901The response of spearmint plants growth, volatile oil production and volatile oil constituents to benzoic acid (BZA) treatments and inoculation by mycorrhizal fungi under different irrigation levels was studied. Three levels of soil moisture 30%, 60% and 100% field capacity (FC) were used. BZA was applied at three rates 0, 150 and 300 ppm, while Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were used at 1g/1kg soil. Results showed that benzoic acid (300ppm) or mycorrhizal fungi were capable to alleviate the deteriorative effect of drought stress. The plants which irrigated with 100% FC and treated by AMF or BZA at 300 ppm recorded an improvement in growth characters in term of plant height, fresh and dry weights and volatile oil yield. Meanwhile, the highest volatile oil percentage during the two seasons were recorded at 60% FC with mycorrhizal fungi followed by benzoic acid at 300 ppm treatment. It was noticed that, the vegetative growth, oil production and oil yield increased when the plants were treated by mycorrhizal fungi or BZA at 300 ppm and irrigated at 60% FC compared to those plants irrigated by 100% FC and untreated. Proline content was increased in plants under drought stress (30% FC) and untreated. The lowest values of proline content were found in the plants irrigated by 100% FC and treated by either benzoic acid or mycorrhizal fungi. Also, data showed that, dehydrogenase enzyme activity was the best under the highest level of field capacity (100% FC) with inoculation by mycorrhizal fungi. On the other hand; catalase enzyme activity was superior under the lowest level of FC (30%). AMF colonization infection on roots of spearmint plants increased with high level of FC (100%). AMF spores recorded significant increases under different levels of field capacity after harvesting period particular with mycorrhizal treatment followed by BZA (300ppm) treatment. It is of interest to mention that treating spearmint plants with benzoic acid and mycorrhiza induce mitigation effect on the harmful effect of stress condition.<br /> <strong> </strong><br /> https://sjfop.journals.ekb.eg/article_5134_0c918a9407dd61ccdbf9bb28b5284c5a.pdf