Role of Magnesium Spray and Soil NPK and Potassium Silicates Application in Growth and Flowering Characteristics in Rose Plants

Abstract

Abstract This study examined effects of mineral fertilizers NPK, potassium silicate, and magnesium (Disper Mg) spraying on various vegetative growth characteristics and flowering of a one-year-old Wiener Charme rose cultivar. It was carried out in a lath house, Dept. of Hort. and Landscape, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, Univ. Baghdad, Al-Jadriya during spring and autumn 2022 growing seasons. study experiment’s factors included three amounts of magnesium fertilizer treatments; 0 (M0), 7.5(M7.5), and 15 g.L-1(M15) were sprayed, addition of two levels of NPK mineral fertilizers without addition (C0) and 5 g.transplant-1 (C100), as well as three levels of potassium silicate; without addition (S0), adding at 200 mg.L-1 (S200) plus 300 mg addition.L-1 (S300). A total of 216 plants were employed in factorial experiment in an RCBD since treatments were replicated three times (with four plants in each experimental unit). The experimental results showed that, magnesium spray especially spraying at 15 g.L-1 excelled in leaf dry weight of 34.40 and 32.82 %, leaf magnesium content of 0.277 and 0.294 mg.kg-1, leaf chlorophyll content of 27.74 and 30.46 mg.100g-1, flower diameter of 7.14 and 8.25 cm and floral stem diameter of 4.63 and 5.78 mm for spring and autumn seasons, respectively. Chemical fertilizers at 5 g.L-1(C100) significantly increased in leaf dry weight of 34.28 and 32.80 %, leaf chlorophyll content of 26.07 and 28.01 mg.100g-1, flower diameter of 7.11 and 8.02 cm and floral stem diameter of 4.49 and 5.54 mm, for spring and autumn seasons, respectively. Results also showed that potassium silicate application, showed significant effect especially adding at 300 mg.L-1 in leaf dry weight of 34.06 and 32.26 %, leaf magnesium content of 0.274 and 0.286 mg.kg-1, leaf chlorophyll content of 27.65 and 30.92 mg.100g-1, flower diameter of 7.24 and 8.23 cm and floral stem diameter of 4.39 and 5.89 mm for spring and autumn seasons, respectively. Twice and triple interactions between study factors significantly affected in all studied traits.