Two field trials were carried out during 2011 and 2012 seasons at the Experimental Farm, Horticulture Dept., of Agric Fac., Benha Univ., to evaluate the effect of some amino acid treatments i. e. tryptophan and glutamic acid each at 200 ppm and some micro-nutrients treatments i. e. Fe, Zn and Mn each at 150 ppm as well as their combinations on growth, total caffeic acid derivatives and total alkamides as well as chemical constituents of Echinacea purpurea plants. Results showed that different applied treatments of amino acid and/or micro-nutrients treatments led to significant increase of the studied growth parameters i.e. plant height, number of branches, fresh and dry weights of herb/plant, number of flowering heads/plant, fresh and dry weights of flowering heads/plant as compared with control plants in both seasons. However, the tallest plant, the highest number of flowering heads as well as their fresh and dry weights were recorded by 200ppm tryptophan-sprayed plants combined with Zn at 150ppm, whereas the highest number of branches and suckers/plant were scored by the combined treatment between glutamic acid at 200ppm and Fe at 150ppm in both seasons. Moreover, the heaviest fresh and dry weights of herb/plant were registered by 200ppm glutamic acid treatment combined with Zn at 150ppm in both seasons. In addition, the obtained vigrous growth of Echinacea purpurea plants with different treatments was accompanied by pronounced increase in leaves total free amino acids, Fe, Zn and Mn contents of treated plants in both seasons. Furthermore, total caffeic acid derivatives and total alkamides were increased by spraying all treatments of amino acids and micro-nutrients as well as their combinations, especially the combined treatment between glutamic acid at 200ppm and Fe or Zn each at 150ppm.
Consequently, it is preferable to spray Echinacea purpurea plants with tryptophan or glutamic acid each at 200 ppm as well as Fe or Zn each at 150 ppm and their combinations for enhancing the growth and chemical constituents of this plant.
|
