The use of kelpak to improve the vegetative growth of loquat (Eriobotya Japonicas L.)‎ seedling

Abstract EN

This investigation aimed to improve the vegetative growth of the seedlings by studying the effectiveness of concentration and method of application of seaweed concentrate SWC Kelpak which stimulate growth, on loquat seedlings grown at the lathhouse of Agriculture Research Centre, Ainkawa, Erbil, Iraq, during April to August 2010.

Soil and foliar application of Kelpak at concentrations ( 0, 1:200, 1:250, 1:300), were investigated on vegetative growth of the loquat seedlings, as factorial experiment in completely randomized design Results indicated that most treatments led to improve vegetative growth of seedling as compared with control, sprayed with Kelpak at the concentration (1: 250) highest values of these characters were observed in seedling which caused a significant increase of seedling height (29.47cm), increase of diameter of main stem (2.12cm), number of leaves.

seedling-1 (13.85), plant leaf area (713.500cm2.p-1), percentage of chlorophyll (55%), leaf.

weight (14.81g), dry weight of leaves (6.07g) as compared with the control.

As a method of Kelpak application, the foliar application was the effective method comparing with the soil application, since the highest values of these characters were observed in plants sprayed with Kelpak at the concentration (1:250) as foliar application compared with the same concentration as a soil application and control.

Significant differences in means between treatment combinations Kelpak concentration and method of application were observed in the vegetative growth contributing characters, the heighest increase of seedling height (34.80 cm) was observed in treatment (1:250 Kelpak as foliar application), the lowest value (13.93 cm) was found in (control).

The maximum effective increase in diameter of main stem (2.70 cm) was found in treatment (1:250 Kelpak as foliar application which was statistically identical to the treatment (1:300 Kelpak as foliar application), the lowest value (1.03 cm) was found in control.