EFFECT OF SOME BIOSTIMULATING SUBSTANCES ON ZONAL GERANIUM GROWTH AND FLOWERING UNDER IRRIGATION WATER SALINITY

Abdou, Mahmoud AbdelHady Hassan; Hassan, E. E.; Ibrahim, A. M.; Abdel-Rahim, A. F.A.

doi:10.21608/sjfop.2021.381297

EFFECT OF SOME BIOSTIMULATING SUBSTANCES ON ZONAL GERANIUM GROWTH AND FLOWERING UNDER IRRIGATION WATER SALINITY

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

¹ Horticulture Dept., Fac. of Agric., Minia Univ. Egypt

² Central Laboratory of Organic Agriculture, Agricultural Research Center, Egypt

³ Experiment & Research Center, Minia University, Egypt

10.21608/sjfop.2021.381297

Abstract

This pots investigation was carried out during the two successive growing seasons of 2019 and 2020 at the Nursery of Ornamental plants, Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, to examine the response of pink zonal geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum L.H. Bailey) plants, grown in sandy calcareous soil, to four levels of salinity and three treatments of biostimulants (seaweed extract, amino acid and control) as well as their interaction in terms of different vegetative growth parameters, root characters, flowering aspects and some chemical composition. The results pointed out that vegetative growth traits (plant height, number of branches and number of leaves/plant), root growth parameters (root fresh and dry weights), flowering aspects (number of inflorescences/plant and diameter of inflorescence) as well as photosynthetic pigments, N, P and K % were significantly decreased as a result to irrigation with saline water with the highest reductions were obtained with 0.75%. At the same time, salinity treatments increased Na, Ca and Cl % and proline content (mg/g f.w.). In addition, application of plants with any of the biostimulants (seaweed extract or amino acid, each at 200 ppm) led to a significant increase in all previous characteristics of vegetative growth, root growth, flowering aspects and some chemical composition (N, P, K and Ca %) compared to control. Therefore, biostimulant treatments decreased both Na and Cl % as well as proline content (mg/g f.w.). The combination treatments of tap water with amino acid (200 ppm) were superior than other interaction treatments for all studied parameters except in K %.

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