EFFECT OF NPK FERTLIZATION, TRACE ELEMENTS AND GIBBERELLIC ACID ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT OF Hedera helix, L. PLANTS.

H. M. El-Bagoury, A. A. Nasr and A. A. El-Tantawy

Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Egypt.

ABSTRACT

The objective of this investigation was to study the effect of NPK fertilization (1000 or 2000 ppm at the formula of 2:1:1 with or without trace element) in addition to gibberellic acid (GA₃) on vegetative growth and chlorophyll content of English Ivy plants. The results indicated that NPK fertilization at the rate of 1000 ppm with trace elements (Fe, Zn, and Mn 50 ppm)/ 2 weeks gave the best results. This treatment significantly increased the average plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves/ plant, fresh weight of foliage (stems and leaves), and leaf chlorophyll content. Also, NPK fertilization at the rate of 1000 ppm without trace elements/ 2 weeks increased the vegetative growth followed by NPK fertilization at the rate of 2000 ppm with trace elements/ 4 weeks, whereas, NPK at the rate of 2000 ppm without trace elements/ 4 weeks improved the vegetative growth as compared with the untreated plants.

Spraying the plants with GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm / one month or 250 ppm/ 2 months encouraged the vegetative growth as compared to the untreated plants; GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm/ one month was the most effective treatment.

The interaction between NPK fertilization with or without trace elements and GA₃ showed that (NPK at 1000 ppm and trace elements at 50 ppm/ 2 weeks) treatment × GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm/ one month could be recommended for English Ivy plants.

Keywords:Hedera helix, gibberellic acid, chlorophyll, NPK fertilizers.

INTRODUCTON

English Ivy ( Hedera helix, L.)Fam. Araliaceae is used as indoor and outdoor plant, many investigators studied the effect of NPK fertilization on the vegetative growth and chlorophyll content of foliage plants. Wazir et al. (2004) on Schefflera actinophylla; Jimenez and Lao (2005) on Dieffnbachia amoena cv. Tropic Snow; and Segura et al. (2005) on Dieffenbachia maculata cv. Camille. They reported that NPK fertilization improved the vegetative growth and increased the growth parameters such as plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, and fresh weight of foliage as well as chlorophyll content.

Other researchers studied the effect of trace elements (Fe, Zn, and Mn) combined with NPK fertilization on the growth of foliage plants. Said (1997) on croton;  El – Deeb (1999) on Aspelinium and Philodendron; and Mosquera – Losada et al. (2002) on Hedera helix. They found that trace elements had a considerable effect on the vegetative growth.

Also, the effect of GA₃ was investigated by Henny (1999) on Syngonum podophyllum cv. White Butterfly; Mogollon and Ojeda (2005) on Spathiphyllum sp.; and Srinivasa (2005) on Anthurium. They found that spraying GA₃ on foliage plants promoted the vegetative growth.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This experiment was carried out in the glasshouse of the nursery of Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, during the two successive seasons of 2006 and 2007. On January 1^st, rooted cuttings of Hedera helix were planted in 20 cm plastic pots filled with sand and peat moss (1 : 1 v/ v), and the plants were covered with thin clean polyethylene plastic sheets during winter months. On February 1^st, plants were fertilized with the following treatments : (1) Control, (2) NPK at the formula of 2 : 1 : 1 at the rate of 1000 ppm (one g./ Liter)/ 2 weeks, (3) NPK at the formula of 2 : 1 : 1 at the rate of 1000 ppm (one g./ Liter) with trace element (Fe, Zn, and Mn) at the rate of 50 ppm (0.05 g./ Liter)/ 2 weeks, (4)  NPK at the rate of 2000 ppm       (2 g./ Liter)/ 4 weeks, (5) NPK at the rate of 2000 ppm (2 g./ Liter) with the above mentioned concentration of trace element/ 4 weeks. Each fertilization treatment was divided into 3 sub treatments: (1) GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm (0.125 g./ Liter)/ one month; (2) GA₃ at the rate of 250 ppm (0.250 g./ Liter)/   2 months; (3) untreated plants.

Ammonium sulphate (20% N), calcium super phosphate (15% P₂O₅), and potassium sulphate (48% K₂O) were used as sources of N, P, and K, respectively. The statistical layout of this experiment was factorial experimental design as NPK levels with or without trace elements represented the main factor, and GA₃ levels represented the sub main factors. The experiment contained 180 potted plants. Each NPK treatment included 36 plants at three levels of GA₃ which replicated three times (4 plants/ replicate). On September 1^st the following data were recorded: plant height (cm), stem diameter (mm.), number of leaves/ plant, fresh weight of foliage (stems and leaves) g./ plant. The data were statistically analyzed using New L.S.D. test according to Steel and Torrie (1980). Leaf chlorophyll content was determined according the method described by Saric et al. (1967).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Plant height:

Data presented in Table (1) show that, NPK fertilization significantly increased the average plant height of Hedera helix.  In the first season, the average results ranged from 72.9 to 105.1 cm, as compared to 52.6 cm in the control. NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm combined with trace elements (Fe, Zn, and Mn) at the rate of 50 ppm/ 2 weeks gave the best result (105.1 cm), followed by NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm without trace elements/ 2 weeks which resulted in (100.1 cm). Also, NPK at the rate of 2000 ppm + trace element/ 4 weeks significantly increased the average plant height resulting in 76.4 cm, followed by NPK at the rate of 2000 ppm  without trace elements/ 4 weeks (72.9 cm). Similar results were obtained in the second season, as the average plant height varied from 73.7 to 107.8 cm compared to 50.7 cm, and these results were in agreement with those obtained by Segura et al. (2005) on Dieffenbachia maculata.

Spraying GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm/ one month significantly increased the average plant height resulting in 86.7 and 87.7 cm in the first and second season, respectively, as comparing to 74.7 and 75.2 cm in the untreated plants. Whereas, GA₃ at the rate of 250 ppm/ 2 months significantly increased the average plant height resulting in 82.9 and 83.6 cm in both seasons, respectively. These results were in the harmony with those obtained by Srinivasa (2005) on Anthurium plant.

Table 1. Effect of NPK fertilization, trace elements, and GA₃ on plant height (cm) of Hedera helix, L. at (2006 and 2007) seasons.

The interaction between NPK fertilization and GA₃ treatments show that in the first season, the highest value (111.2 cm) was obtained from the plants fertilized with NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm combined with trace elements / 2 weeks and sprayed with GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm / one month. Meanwhile the lowest value (46.8 cm) was obtained from the untreated plants. Similar results were obtained in the second season.

Stem diameter:

Data presented in Table (2) show that, NPK fertilization at the rate of 1000 ppm with trace elements (50 ppm) / 2 weeks produced the thickest stems 5.08 and 4.94 mm. in the first and second seasons, respectively, compared with 3.17 and 3.71 mm. in the control plants. Also, NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm without trace elements / 2 weeks significantly increased the average stem diameter resulting in 4.62 and 4.89 mm. in both seasons, respectively. Whereas, the differences between NPK at the rate of 2000 ppm / 4 weeks and the control were insignificant, adding trace elements to NPK at the rate of 2000 ppm / 4 weeks significantly increased the average stem diameter in both seasons.

Regarding the effect of GA₃ on the stem diameter of English Ivy, the results show that GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm/ one month significantly increased stem diameter resulting in 4.67 and 5.04 mm. in the first and second seasons, respectively, as comparing to 3.72 and 3.98 mm. in the untreated plants. Whereas, the difference between GA₃ at the rate of 250 ppm/ 2 months and the untreated plants, was in significant in the second season but it was significant in the first one.

The interaction between fertilization and GA₃ show that the highest values were obtained with NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm combined with trace elements/ 2 weeks; this treatment recorded 5.25 and 5.45 mm. in the first and second seasons, respectively, as compared with 2.77 and 3.11 mm. in the untreated plants.

Number of leaves:

Data presented in Table (3) show that, fertilization with NPK significantly increased the average number of leaves/ plant; NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm combined with trace elements (50 ppm) / 2 weeks produced the greatest number of leaves 48.2 and 50.2/ plant in the first and second seasons, respectively, as comparing to 22.4 and 19.8 in the control plants. NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm without trace elements gave large number of leaves/ plant 44.4 and 43.5 in both seasons, respectively, followed by NPK at the rate of 2000 ppm with trace elements/ 4 weeks resulting in 38.6 in the first season; also, the difference between NPK at the rate of 2000 ppm without trace elements and the control was significant resulting in 34.2 and 36.1 in both seasons, respectively.

Table 2. Effect of NPK fertilization, trace elements, and GA₃ on stem diameter (mm.) of Hedera helix, L at (2006 and 2007) seasons.                

Table 3. Effect of NPK fertilization, trace elements, and GA₃ on number of leaves/plant of Hedera helix, L. at (2006 and 2007) seasons.

Regarding the effect of GA₃ on average number of leaves/ plant, the results show that GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm/ one month significantly increased the average number of leaves/ plant resulting in 39.6 and 39.5 in the first and second season, respectively, compared with 35.7 and 34.7 in the untreated plants. Meanwhile, the differences between GA₃ at the rate of 250 ppm / 2 months and the untreated plants were insignificant in both seasons.

NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm combined with trace element (50 ppm)/ 2 weeks × GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm/ one month resulted in the greatest number of leaves (50.3 and 52.6) in both seasons, respectively, compared with the untreated plants which produced the lowest values 21.3 and 18.6 leaves / plant.

Foliage fresh weight:

Data presented in Table (4) show that the average fresh weight of foliage varied from 46.8 to 65.2 g./ plant in the first season, and from 44.4 to 61.9 g./ plant in the second one. NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm combined with trace element / 2 weeks produced the heaviest foliage fresh weight resulting in 65.2 and 61.9 g. / plant in both seasons, respectively, followed by the same treatment without trace elements resulting in 61.4 and 58.0 g. in both seasons. It was observed that there was no significant difference between NPK at the rate of 2000 ppm with trace elements / 4 weeks and the same NPK treatment without trace element / 4 weeks, although these treatments significantly increased the average fresh weight, as comparing to the control.

GA₃ had a slight effect on foliage fresh weight of Hedera helix plants, compared with the other characters of vegetative growth, i.e. plant height and number of leaves/ plant. The lower level of GA₃ (125 ppm)/ one month produced the highest values 54.1 and 53.3 g./ plant in the first and second season, respectively, as comparing to 49.7 and 47.1 g./ plant in the untreated plants. Whereas the higher level of GA₃ (250 ppm)/ 2 months slightly increased the average fresh weight and its difference was insignificant in the first season but it was significant in the second one.

Table 4 : Effect of NPK fertilization, trace elements, and GA₃ on foliage fresh weight (g. / plant) of Hedera helix, L. at (2006 and 2007) seasons.

The data of interaction confirmed the above mentioned results, since NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm combined with trace element (50 ppm)/ 2 weeks x GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm / one month produced the highest value 67.7 and 65.5 g./ plant in the first and second season, respectively, whereas the untreated plants produced the lowest values 36.1 and 37.9 g./ plant in both seasons.

Total chlorophyll content:

Data presented in Table (5) show that, in the first season NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm combined with trace elements Fe, Zn, and Mn (50 ppm) / 2 weeks produced the highest  total  chlorophyll  content  (3.88 mg. /g. F.W.), as comparing to 2.13 mg. /g. F.W. in the control plants; this treatment was followed by NPK at the rate of 2000 ppm combined with trace elements / 4 weeks resulting in 2.98 mg. /g. F.W. . Also, NPK fertilization without trace elements slightly increased total chlorophyll content, NPK at the rate of 1000 ppm / 2 weeks recorded 2.44 mg. /g. F.W., whereas 2000 ppm of NPK / 4 weeks resulted in 2.23 mg. /g. F.W. Similar trend was observed in the second season, since the average chlorophyll content ranged from 2.16 to 3.93 mg. /g. F.W. compared with 2.08 mg. /g. F.W. in the control. It was observed also that trace element played an active role in chlorophyll synthesis.

Table 5: Effect of NPK fertilization, trace elements, and GA₃ on leaf chlorophyll content (mg./g. F. W.) of Hedera helix, L. at (2006 and 2007) seasons.

GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm seemed to be an effective factor in chlorophyll synthesis, this treatment produced the highest total chlorophyll value 2.88 and 2.97 mg./ g. F.W. in the first and second seasons, respectively, as comparing to 2.48 and 2.51 mg./ g. F.W. in the untreated plants. Slight increases in total chlorophyll content (0.36 and 0.24 mg./ g. F.W.) were recorded with GA₃ at the rate of 250 ppm as comparing to the control in both seasons, respectively.

Regarding the interaction between fertilization and GA₃, the results show that the highest values were obtained with NPK at the rate of 1000 or 2000 ppm of NPK combined with trace elements and sprayed with GA₃ at the rate of 125 ppm, as compared with the untreated plants.

REFERENCES

El–Deeb, E. E. A. (1999) : Effect of mineral nutrition, planting   media and light on some foliage plants.  M.Sc.  Thesis,  Faculty  of    Agriculture, Cairo University, Egypt

Henny,  R. J.  ;   Norman,  D.  J.  and  Kane,  M. E.   ( 1999 ). Gibberellic    acid  -   induced    flowering    of   Syngonium   podophyllum   Schott    'White Butterfly'. Hort Science, 34 (4): 676-677

Jimenez, S. and Lao, M. T. (2005): Influence of nitrogen form on the quality of Dieffenbachia amoena 'Tropic Snow. Hort Science, 40 (2) : 386 - 390.

Mosquera  -  Losada,   M.   R. ;   Lopez – Diaz,   M.  L.; Iglesias- Rego, R.;Fernandez-Nunez,E. ;Fernandez-Gomez,S.; Jardon-Bouzas, B. and Rigueiro - Rodriguez, A. (2002). Micronutrient content of main natural herbs, shrubs and forage trees in NW Spain. Multi-function-   grasslands:-quality-forages, animal products and landscapes-   Proceedings of the 19^th  General Meeting of  the European   Grassland   Federation,   La-Rochelle,-France, 88-89.

Mogollon  M. , N. J. and  Ojeda   M. , M. G. ( 2005 ). Effect of  gibberellic acid and brassinosteroids on the vegetative and reproductive growth of Spathiphyllum sp. 'Petite'.Proceedings   of   the   Interamerican Society   for  Tropical Horticulture, 48: 169-172

Said, R.M.S. ( 1997 ). Effect of some chemical fertilization on croton plant.  M. Sc. Thesis, Fac. of Agric., Cairo Univ., Egypt.

Saric,  M. R. ;  Kastrori ,  R.;  Guric,  T.;  Cupina  and  Ceric, I. (1967).Univerzit  et  U  Novon  Sadu,  Praktikum iz Fiziologize Biljaka – Beograd, Haucna Anjiga, pp. 215.

Segura,   M. L.; Rodriguez, J. M. ;Jimenez, S. and Lopez, J.; Carrasco, I.  (2005 ).  Dieffenbachia  growth  responses  and  N   leaching  from    container  -  grown   plants   fertilized   by   several   methods.Acta    Horticulturae, 697: 387-391

Srinivasa, -V   (2005).  Influence  of  GA3  on  growth  and flowering in    Anthurium cv. Mauritius Red. Crop-Research-Hisar., 30 (2): 279-282.

 Steel, R. G. D. and  Torrie,  S.  H.  (1980). Principals and Procedures Statistics. 2^nd edition, Mc Grow Hill, Inc.

Wazir,-M-G; Noorul-Amin; Imtiaz-Khan; and Khan,-M-I (2004). Effects of different potting mixtures and nitrogen sources on the performance of  Brassaia  seedlings. II. Sarhad Journal of  Agriculture,  20 (1):25-31.re

تأثیر التسمید المتکامل (نیتروجین– فسفور – بوتاسیوم) والعناصر الصغرى والجبرالین على النمو الخضری ومحتوى الأوراق من الکلوروفیل فی نباتات الهیدرا

حمدی محمد على الباجورى,     أمل عبده نصر,     أحمد عبد الله الطنطاوی

قسم بساتین الزینة -  کلیة الزراعة - جامعة القاهرة- مصر.

أجرى هذا البحث داخل الصوبة الزجاجیة بمشتل قسم بساتین الزینة بکلیة الزراعة – جامعة القاهرة, خلال موسمین متتالیین (2006 و 2007), حیث تم زراعة العقل المجذرة فی أول ینایر فی أصص بلاستیک قطر 20 سم مملوءة بالرمل والبیت بنسبة 1 : 1  وتم تسمید النباتات فی أول فبرایر من کل موسم بالسماد المتکامل (ن – فو – بو) بالمعادلة السمادیة (2 : 1 : 1) واستخدم سماد سلفات النشادر والسوبر فوسفات وسلفات البوتاسیوم کمصادر لهذه العناصر على الترتیب وکانت المعاملات کما یلی:   1000 جزء فی الملیون من السماد المتکامل / أسبوعین – 1000 جزء فی الملیون من السماد المتکامل مضاف إلیه عناصر صغرى (حدید – زنک – منجنیز) بترکیز 50 جزء فی الملیون / أسبوعین – 2000 جزء فی الملیون من السماد المتکامل / 4 أسابیع – 2000 جزء فی الملیون من السماد المتکامل مضاف إلیه عناصر صغرى (حدید – زنک – منجنیز) بترکیز 50 جزء فی الملیون / أربعة أسابیع – نباتات المقارنة, واشتملت کل معاملة سمادیة على 36 نبات تم تقسیمها إلى ثلاثة تحت معاملات کما یلی: الرش بالجبرالین بترکیز 125 جزء فی الملیون / شهر – الرش بالجبرالین بترکیز 250 جزء فی الملیون / شهرین – نباتات غیر معاملة بالجبرالین.

وتم أخذ البیانات فی أول سبتمبر من کل موسم وفیما یلی ملخصا لأهم النتائج المتحصل علیها:

أدى التسمید بالعناصر الثلاثة (ن – فو – بو ) بترکیز 1000 جزء فی الملیون مضافا إلیه العناصر الصغرى (50 جزء فی الملیون)/ أسبوعین إلى زیادة معنویة ملحوظة فی النمو الخضری حیث أعطت أعلى القیم من حیث ارتفاع النبات وقطر الساق وعدد الأوراق والوزن الطازج للمجموع الخضری (أوراق + سیقان) بالإضافة إلى زیادة محتوى الأوراق من الکلوروفیل , کما أدت نفس المعاملة بدون العناصر الصغرى إلى زیادة معنویة فی النمو الخضری.

أدى التسمید بالعناصر الثلاثة (النیتروجین – الفسفور – البوتاسیوم) بترکیز 2000 جزء فی الملیون مضاف إلیه العناصر الصغرى (50 جزء فی الملیون) / أربعة أسابیع إلى تشجیع النمو الخضری ولکن بدرجة أقل من المعاملتین السابقتین, کما أدت نفس المعاملة بدون العناصر الصغرى إلى زیادة معنویة فی النمو الخضری.

کان للتسمید بالعناصر الصغرى دور فی زیادة النمو الخضری وخاصة مع الترکیز الأقل من السماد المتکامل (1000 جزء فی الملیون) / أسبوعین , وکذلک أدى التسمید بالعناصر الصغرى إلى زیادة محتوى الأوراق من الکلوروفیل سواء مع ترکیز 1000 أو 2000 جزء فی الملیون من السماد المتکامل.

أدى الرش بالجبرالین بترکیز 125 جزء فی الملیون / شهر إلى تحسین النمو الخضری وزیادة محتوى الکلوروفیل فی الأوراق بالمقارنة بالنباتات الغیر معاملة والترکیز الأعلى من الجبرالین.

أکدت نتائج التفاعل ما بین التسمید و الرش بالجبرالین النتائج السابقة حیث أن أفضل نمو خضری تم الحصول علیه من النباتات المسمدة بالسماد المتکامل بترکیز 1000 جزء فی الملیون المضاف إلیه عناصر صغرى بترکیز 50 جزء فی الملیون / أسبوعین والتی تم رشها بالجبرالین بترکیز 125 جزء فی الملیون / شهر وهذه المعاملة یمکن التوصیة بها للحصول على النمو الخضری الأمثل فی نباتات الهیدرا.