Effect of Spraying Nutritional Solution (Tecnokel Amino Mix) and Ascorbic Acid on the Growth and Flowering of Freesias (Freesia Hybrida)

(Jamal Ahmed Abbass, Mushtaq Talib Hammadi Al-Zurfi, Ammer Ghanem Shliba and Alaa Naeem Muosa)

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Abstract

Due to the significance of freesia bulbs, which due to their ornamental flowers are expedient for commercial picking in many countries producing cut flowers, this work was completed to study the influence of spraying a nutritional solution (Tecnokel Amino Mix) and ascorbic acid on growth indicators and flowering of freesias. An experiment was conducted in a lath house belonging to the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kufa, Iraq during the 2017–2018 growing season. A randomised complete block design (RCBD) was implemented in triplicate using two factors. The first was a nutritional solution in three concentrations (0, 3, and 6ml. per litre) and the second was an ascorbic acid in three concentrations (0, 50, and 100mg. per litre). Consequently, the findings showed that spraying the nutritional solution at 6 ml. per litre with the ascorbic acid at 100 mg. per litre significantly increased the total number of leaves, chlorophyll content of each leaf, number of inflorescences per plant, and the number of florets per inflorescence compared to the control plants that provided the lowest mean value. Furthermore, the results showed that spraying the nutritional solution at 6ml. per litre and ascorbic acid at 50 mg. per litre significantly augmented shoot dry weight, soluble leaf carbohydrate, floret diameter, and vase life, while reducing the number of days required for the first floret to open compared to the control plants that provided the lowest mean value. It is concluded that spraying nutrient solution (Tecnokel Amino Mix) and ascorbic acid improved plant growth parameters, enhanced vase life, and reduced the number days it took to open the first freesia bulb floret.

KEYWORDS
Amino acid, floriculture bulbs, growth promoters

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References

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