Influence of irrigation levels, in presence of potassium silicate sprays treatments on growth, flowering and chemical constituents of marigold (tageteserectal. )‎ plant

Abstract EN

Field experiment was conducted at the nursery and Experimental farm of El-Qanater ElKhayria Horticultural Research Station, Qalubiya Governorate, Egypt, In cooperation with the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, during the two growing successive seasons of 2017 and 2018.

This work aimed to investigate the response of Marigold Tageteserecta L.

seedlings grown under irrigation regime levels to foliar spray of different concentrations of potassium silica on vegetative growth, rooting, flowers yield and chemical constituents.

Results illustrated that, the highest irrigation levelI₁(percentage of Available Soil Moisture Depletion "ASMD" was 25% ), gave the maximum values of vegetative, flowering, roots parameters and chemical constituents in both seasons.

Therefore, potassium silicate Si₄ (4.0mlL^-1) as foliar spray scored the highest values of parameters mentionedabove.

Further more, the highest values of these parameters were observed when plants were sprayed with 4mlL^-1potassium silicate and grown under irrigation condition I₁ (25 % ASMD), while these values were minimum in Marigold at I₃ (75 % ASMD) and sprayed with potassium silicate treatment (0.0% ) in 1^st an 2^ndseasons.

Conclusively, it could be concluded that foliar application of potassium silicate (0.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mlL^-1) may be an effective strategy in reducing drought stress treatments (25, 50 and 75 % ASMD) effects with superior for at 4 mlL^-1 which enhanced all parameters were studied Marigold (Tageteserecta L.

) plant.

Therefore, application of K₂SiO₃ sprays is recommended for improving growth and chemical composition of Marigold under water-stress conditions, highest irrigation rate (25% ASMD.

) has the lowest economic water productivity and potassium silicate sprays could alleviate water stress.