Effect of giberellic acid and stimufol fertilizer on growth and flowering of Hemerocallis aurantiaca plant [electronic resource].

Includes references.

A two-year trial was carried out at the Experimental Farm of Horticulture and the Laboratory of Agricultural Botany Dept., Fac. of Agric., Benha Dniv., during 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 seasons, to study the effect of sixteen treatments represented the combination between four concentrations of GA3 (0.0, 50, 100 and 200 ppm.) and four levels of Stimufol fertilizer (0.0, 2, 4 and 6 g/L) on the vegetative growth, flowering, anatomical measurements and chemical composition of Hemerocallis aurantiaca plant. GA₃ treatments positively affected vegetative growth parameters (number of leaves/ clump, fresh and dry weights of leaves/clump and number of offshoots/clump), flowering growth parameters (number of days from planting to start flowering, number of flowers/clump, length and diameter of flower stalk, fresh and dry weights of flower, duration of flower on plant and flower vase life) and chemical composition parameters (leaf total carbohydrates, N, P and K contents) with superiority to the medium and high rates. Also, all levels of Stimufol fertilizer significantly improved all the aforementioned parameters, especially the medium and high levels. Additionally, most the combinations of GA₃ concentrations and Stimufol fertilizer levels enhanced all the studied parameters; particularly the combinations of GA₃ at 100 or 200 ppm with Stimufol fertilizer at 4 or 6 g/L in both seasons. As for the anatomical studies; several alternations were existed with different applied treatments. Most of the combinations between GA₃ concentrations and levels of Stimufol fertilizer showed the highest values in transfer sections of leaf blade and flower stalk compared with the control. The most effective treatment was GA₃ at 200 ppm provided with Stimufol fertilizer at 6 g/L. Conclusively, it is preferable to spray Hemerocallis aurantiaca plant three times at three weeks interval with GA₃ at 200 ppm supplemented with Stimufol at 6 g/L to obtain the best vegetative and flowering characteristics with high quality.

Summary in Arabic.

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