DETERMINING THE MOST SUITABLE GROWING MEDIUM AND IRRIGATION WATER AMOUNT NEEDED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SOME FOLIAGE ORNAMENTAL PLANTS

Abstract

Two separate factorial experiments arranged in a completely randomized design replicated thrice were conducted in a plastic house at the Tropical Farm of Kom Ombo district, Aswan Governorate, during 2021 and 2022 seasons to study the effect of growing mixture included sand (S) alone as a control, S + loam, S + farmyard manure (FYM) compost and S + River Nile weed (RNW) compost (each mixture was tested either at 1:1 or 2:1 volumetric ratio), water amounts of 200, 300 and 400 ml/plant (pot) and their interactions on vegetative and root growth, chemical composition, dry matter production and water use efficiency of two foliage pot-plants, common handling in Egypt, named Dracaena marginata Lam. ‘Bicolor’ and Schefflera actinophylla (Endl.) Harms. The results showed that mean values of various vegetative and root growth characters of both plant species were significantly improved due to planting in the different growing mixtures used in the study with the dominance of planting in S + FYM compost (1:1, v/v) medium which gave the highest means of all investigated parameters in the two seasons. Planting in S + loam (1:1, v/v) and in S + RNW compost (1:1, v/v) mixture occupied the 2nd and 3rd rank, respectively, whereas planting in the sand amended with either loam or RNW compost at a ratio of (2:1, v/v) attained the least improvement. Increasing the amount of irrigation water from 200 ml to either 300 or 400 ml/plant significantly raised values of different growth traits to maximum, with non-significant differences between these two levels in most cases during both seasons. So, increasing water volume from 300 ml to 400 ml did not cause any extra improvement in growth parameters. Hence, combining between planting in S + FYM compost (1:1, v/v) growing medium and irrigation with either 300 or 400 ml water/plant recorded the maximum means of growth parameters over all the other combinations in the two seasons. A similar trend was also obtained concerning concentrations of chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, N, P and K in the leaves of the two studied plants. Likewise, production of dry matter was maximized by planting in S + FYM compost (1:1, v/v) mixture, elevating irrigation water quantity to either 300 or 400 ml/plant and their interactions. Thus, the best water use efficiency (WUE) was achieved also by the interactions previously stated. From these findings, it can be advised to plant both Dracaena marginata ‘Bicolor’ and Schefflera actinophylla plant species in the sand fortified with FYM compost at equal volumetric ratio and irrigated them with only 300 ml of water/plant, once every other day during the active growing season to get the best growth performance and picturesque foliage pot-plants.

Keywords

• dracaena marginata
• schefflera actinophylla
• water amounts
• sand
• farmyard manure
• river nile weed
• compost