This experiment was carried out under field conditions at the Experimental Farm and the laboratory of Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Egypt, during the two successive seasons of 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, to investigate the effect of some growth
stimulants i.e., salicylic and Gibberellic acids each at 0.0,100 and 200ppm, and Benzyl adenine at
0.0,50 and 100ppm) on growth, flowering and postharvest quality of aster (Symphyotrichum novibelgii L.) cv. Purple Monarch. Different applied concentrations of SA, GA3 and BA statistically affected vegetative growth parameters i.e., plant height (cm), fresh and dry weights of vegetative herb/plant (g) and the number of main branches/plant. Also, flowering growth parameters i.e., number of inflorescence stalks/plant, length of inflorescence stalk, fresh weight of inflorescence stalk and dry weight of inflorescence stalk, postharvest parameters vase life, floret opening percentage and change percentage in fresh weight of cut inflorescence stalk were also positively affected. In addition, water relations characters i.e., water uptake, water loss and water balance as well as the chemical composition parameters i.e.,leaf total carbohydrates N, P and K content, total sugars percentage, total chlorophylls, total indoles and total phenols were also significantly responded with superior to the high rates, particularly using the treatments of GA3 at 200 or BA 100 ppm in both seasons. Regardless control, the lowest means values of all abovementioned parameters of aster was registered by spray the plant of SA at 100 ppm in the first and the second season in most cases. Generally, from the aforementioned results, it could be recommended that to obtain the best vegetative, flowering, postharvest and chemical composition characteristics with high quality of Symphyotrichum novibelgii L.; plants should be sprayed with GA3 at 200 ppm or BA at 100 ppm
|