IMPROVING GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS AND VASE LIFE OF DENDRANTHEMA GRANDIFLORUM ‘FLYER’ USING HUMIC AND FULVIC ACIDS AS BIOSTIMULANTS SUBSTANCES

Abstract

A greenhouse experiment was conducted during two consecutive seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 at the Nursery of Ornamental plants, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Egypt, to compare the ability of humic and fulvic acids solely at different concentrations (500,1000,1500 mg/l), besides the control on improving some vegetative, flowering parameters and chemical constituents of mums (Dendranthema grandiflorum ‘Flyer’). The obtained results cleared that fulvic acid at concentrations of 1500 and 1000 mg/l or humic acid at 1500 mg/l were the most effective treatments for improving the vegetative parameters (plant height, branches number, plant spread, roots/shoots ratio, fresh and dry weights of plant, and leaf area), flowering parameters (days required period for appearing the first inflorescence and 50% of inflorescences, duration of flowering stage and the vase life, inflorescences number/plant, inflorescence diameter). Furthermore, drenching fulvic acid at 1500 and 1000 mg/l or humic acid at 1500 mg/l, promoted the photosynthesis pigments (total chlorophylls and carotenoids), in addition to the percentages of total carbohydrates, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in the leaves. Finally, it could be recommended to use fulvic acid at 1000 mg/l or humic acid at 1500 mg/l twice monthly (six times during the flowers production process) as a soil drench before the irrigation process for obtaining the ideal growth characteristics of this important pot and cut flower plant

Keywords

• dendranthema
• chrysanthemum
• mums plant
• humic acid and fulvic acid