Azizollah Khandan-Mirkohi; Farzaneh Kazemi; Mesbah Babalar; Rouhangiz Naderi
Abstract
To evaluate the effect of limited application of nitrogen (N) on the height control of geranium(Pelargonium hortorum) and improving its quality performance, an experiment was conducted based on acomplete randomized block design with three replications in the greenhouse environment through theyears 2011-2012. ...
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To evaluate the effect of limited application of nitrogen (N) on the height control of geranium(Pelargonium hortorum) and improving its quality performance, an experiment was conducted based on acomplete randomized block design with three replications in the greenhouse environment through theyears 2011-2012. Geranium seedlings were cultivated in the pots filled with peat-based substrate (peat, 80vol. percent + sandy loam field soil 20 vol. percent). For the limited application of N, four differentnutrient solutions with the same macro and micro elements, except N levels of 2.5, two, 1.5 and one mMwere applied. The rate of ammonium to nitrate nitrogen for all treatments was kept as 20 to 80 percent.The traits such as plant height, number and length of shoots, number of florescence and number offlowers in the florescence, pedicle length and leaf number, leaf area, chlorophyll, antocianins, fresh anddry weight of shoot and root were measured at the end of the experiment. Limitation of N applicationfrom 2.5 mM to 1.5 mM in the nutrient solution, although reduced the length of shoot, but did not affectnegatively the quality of plants. Farther decreasing of N level to 1 mM, negatively influenced the allquality and quantity parameters of the plant and may not be introduced for production of geranium.