Azizollah Khandan Mirkohi; Seyyedeh Razieh Waeez Mousavi; Ahmad Khalighi; Rouhangiz Naderi
Abstract
Introduction: Cultivation of ornamental plants in terrariums is common, but the use of flowering plants in such environment is difficult and rarely seen. Common geranium (Pelargonium hortorum L.H.) is the most well-known potted and garden plant in the top of 25 popular world's market rankings. Today, ...
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Introduction: Cultivation of ornamental plants in terrariums is common, but the use of flowering plants in such environment is difficult and rarely seen. Common geranium (Pelargonium hortorum L.H.) is the most well-known potted and garden plant in the top of 25 popular world's market rankings. Today, one of the main goals of commercial producers is the production of the uniform plants in terms of morphological traits such as uniformity in the height that needs some management. To achieve this objective plant genetic potential, managing the growth and environmental factors, restrictions on root environment, water and nutrition to a level that does not affect the quality as well as application of chemical plant growth retardants (PGRs) could be considered. Paclobutrazol (PBZ) commercially known as Bonzi and chlromequat chloride (CCC) known as cycocel are commonly used to control the height of some pot plants. Additionally, Benzyladenine (BA) as a synthetic cytokinin can influence the growth characters of plants. This experiment conducted to evaluate the effect of paclobutrazol, cycocel and benzyladenine on the growth and flowering of geranium as a flowering terrarium plant.
Materials and Methods: The effect of PBZ, CCC and BA evaluated as a factorial experiment based on CRD on the growth and flowering of geranium (Pelargonium hortorum L.H. Bailey ‘Horizon’) as terrarium plant. At first, geranium seeds planted in tray cells as plugs filled by sieved black peat to below 2 mm in early autumn, Oct. 2015. Seedlings were grown in a greenhouse conditions with an average day/night temperatures of 25/20 ± 2 °C, nourished with 1:2 ratio diluted Hoagland nutrient solution as irrigation demand, until 2-4 leaves stage then transferred into terrarium containers (with 20 cm of middle diameter and 15 cm of height). Inside container relative air humidity was about 75±5% and growing environment light intensity (PPF) was about 500 µmole m-2S-1. Irrigation and nutrition also applied at seedling stage in terrarium. Terrarium glass container totally filled to a quarter of volume considering a drainage layer of gravel, activated charcoal, a layer of substrate barrier (plastic net), potting soil containing of 20 vol.% sieved field loam soil, 10 vol.% of fine perlite and 70 vol.% of sieved black peat. PBZ at the levels of 0, 25 and 50 ppm and CCC at the levels of 0, 1000 and 2000 ppm applied one month after transplanting (Feb. 2015) and BA treatment for flowering management applied at the levels of 0, 50 and 100 ppm four months after transplanting (May 2016). Growth and flowering characters evaluated thoroughly while root and shoot fresh and dry weight, photosynthetic pigments of chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanin index assessed at the end of the experiment.
Results and Discussion: Both growth retardants PBZ and CCC led to a significant reduction in plant height in high concentrations. Thus, the effect of PGRs on plant height was significant, while the effect of BA and its interactions by PGRs on this trait was not considerable. Effective treatments on this trait were PBZ in concentration of 50 ppm and then CCC in 2000 ppm. In particular, the use of these concentrations without BA treatment led to the shortest plants. Comparison of plants cultivated in the pot and terrarium conditions showed that the growth conditions had a considerable and significant impact on plant height and growth. Stem diameter, number of leaves and leaf area significantly reduced by PBZ compared to the control, but CCC did not show a significant effect on these traits. Smaller stem diameter occurred through 25 ppm of PBZ together with 50 ppm of BA. Application of PBZ especially at 25 ppm resulted in a significantly reduced number of plant leaves and leaf area compared to the control and application of CCC. Application of CCC at the level of 2000 ppm combined with BA of 50 ppm caused to a significant increase of leaf area compared to the control. Results on the number of lateral branches showed that application of PGRs had no effect on this character, while restriction of growth in terrarium conditions led to decrease in the number of lateral branches. Number of lateral branches raised by application of BA and CCC, while less number of branches observed with PBZ treatments especially at the level of 25 ppm. Chlorophyll and anthocyanin content of leaves decreased by both retardants. Days to flowering shortened by PBZ treatment of 50 ppm and slightly by CCC treatment of 1000 ppm in terrarium conditions. In general, flowering process accelerated via these treatments, while PBZ of 25 ppm and CCC of 2000 ppm delayed the flowering of plants compared to the control. The acceleration effect of 50 ppm PBZ was superior to the effect of 1000 ppm of CCC. The effect of BA on flowering time was insignificant despite of initial prospect. Finally, the photosynthetic pigments, leaf area and stem diameter increased because of BA, while flowering characters not influenced by means of BA. In general, 50 ppm of PBZ and without BA treatment was able to improve production characters of geranium plants in terrarium conditions.
Conclusions: The goal of this research was managing the growth and flowering of geranium in the restricted terrarium conditions by PGRs. It was found that treatment of plants by 50 ppm of PBZ could properly control the plant height and whereas positively accelerated flowering without and negative side effects on the plant performance. It seems that a good hormonal balance performed by this concentration of PBZ compared to CCC and BA. Early flowering is a positive quality trait for the most flowering ornamental plants. However, BA application itself and in interaction with CCC could enhance the photosynthetic pigment contents and thus improved the growth characters but it could not influence flowering traits even though delayed the flowering, significantly. Restriction of the root area via planting in terrarium could considerably limit the vegetative growth characters and delayed the flowering compared to the potted plants.
Nasrin Majidian; Rohangiz Naderi; Ahmad Khalighi; Majid Majidian
Abstract
Abstract
In order to study of two hormones effects of gibberellin and benzyl adenine on (Zantedeschia aethiopica cv.childsiana) pot plant characteristics, non dormant rhizomes dipped preplanting in gibberellin solution with concentrations including (0, 100, 200 and 500 ppm) and sprayed in two weeks ...
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Abstract
In order to study of two hormones effects of gibberellin and benzyl adenine on (Zantedeschia aethiopica cv.childsiana) pot plant characteristics, non dormant rhizomes dipped preplanting in gibberellin solution with concentrations including (0, 100, 200 and 500 ppm) and sprayed in two weeks once to flowering time with benzyl adenine solutions including (0, 100, 200 and 500 ppm). Interaction effect between these two factors was significant on number days from planting to emergencing in 1% Probability level. The max number days from planting to emergencing, occured in control treatment during 24 days, and also min of that, by application of 500 ppm gibberellin solution and 100 ppm benzyl adenine solution. Interaction effect between two hormones on chlorophyll content was significant in 5% Probability level. maximum of chlorophyll content related to application of 500 ppm gibberellin and 500 ppm benzyl adenine and min of that, was seen in control treatment. Interaction effect between was used hormones was significant on plant leaf number. Maximum leaf number was produced in application of 0 ppm gibberellin and 500 ppm benzyl adenine, also min of leaf number produced when we use 500 ppm gibberellin solution and 0 ppm benzyl adenine. The comparison of means of interaction effects between different levels on rhizome weight increasing after flowering showed that application of these hormones resulted that less increasing in rhizome weight after flowering. Respectively, with increasing of hormone concentrations, resulted decreased, rhizome weight increasing rather than control treatment.
Keywords: Calla lily, Pot plant, Gibberellin, Benzyl adenine, Chlorophyll, Leaf number
Fatemeh Nakhaei; Ahmad Khalighi; Mohammad Ali Naseri; Parviz Aberoumand
Abstract
Abstract
Chemical components of Narcissus (Narcissus tazetta L.) essential oil investigated under farming and natural habitat conditions in South Khorasan province. The essential oil was obtained using solvent extraction method. After purification, the oil was analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. 12 ...
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Abstract
Chemical components of Narcissus (Narcissus tazetta L.) essential oil investigated under farming and natural habitat conditions in South Khorasan province. The essential oil was obtained using solvent extraction method. After purification, the oil was analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. 12 compnents making 82/82% of total oil in farm sample and 13 components making 63/86% of total oil in natural habitat sample were identified. The main constituents were dodecane (%25/30) in farm sample and (28/29%) in natural habitat, Tetradecane (25/80%) in farming sample, (35/05%) in natural habitat sample.
The type and amount of components, specially those with little amount showed differences in two conditions.
Keywords: Dodecane, Essential oil, GC, GC/MS, Narcissus, Tetradecane
