Document Type : Research paper

Authors

Department of Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different silicon supplements and postharvest treatments on growth and yield of gerbera in a greenhouse experiment. Silicon supplements were including potassium silicate at three concentrations (0, 140 and 200 mg L−1), sodium silicate at three concentrations (0, 50 and 100 mg L−1) and rice hull ash (RHA) at three concentrations (0, 50 and 100 mg L−1). Also, postharvest treatments were including sucrose, salicylic acid (200 and 400 mg L−1), methyl jasmonate (15 and 25 mg L−1) and distilled water (as control). The application of potassium silicate, RHA and sodium silicate led to decrease in dry weight of flower. Shoot length and diameter were substantially higher in 140 mg L−1 potassium silicate than those in control treatment. The maximum inflorescence diameter was observed in rice husk ash (50 mg L−1). Capitulum diameter was far greater in sodium silicate at 50 mg L−1 compared to other treatments. Vase life of gerbera flower was greater in 400 mg L−1 salicylic acid and 15 mg L−1 methyl jasmonate than in control treatment. The maximum inflorescence diameter was observed in 400 mg L−1 salicylic acid. This study confirmed that the studied sources of Si, salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate increased marketable quality of cut gerbera flowers.

Keywords

Abad, M., P. Noguera, R. Puchades, A. Maquieira and V. Noguera. 2002. Physico-chemical and chemical properties of some coconut dusts for use as a peat substitute for containerized ornamental plants. Biores. Technol. 82:241-245.
Ahmad, I., T. Ahmad, A. Guifam and M. Saleem. 2012. Growth and flowering of gerbera as influenced by various horticultural substrates. Pakistan J. Bot. 44:291-299.
Alaey, M., M. Babalar, R. Naderi and M. Kafi. 2011. Effect of pre- and postharvest salicylic acid treatment on physio-chemical attributes in relation to vase-life of rose cut flowers. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 61:91-94.
An, F.C. and Z. Mou. 2011. Salicylic acid and its function in plant immunity. J. Integrative Plant Biol. 53:412-428.
Dueitts, S., J. Howell and S.E. Newman. 1993. Rice hulls as vermiculite substitute in peat-based media for growing greenhouse bedding plants. In: Proceedings of SNA Research Conference 38(2):81-85.
Ehret, D.L., J.G. Menzies and T. Helmer. 2005. Production and quality of greenhouse roses in re-circulating nutrient systems. Scientia Hort. 106:103-113.
Epstein, E. 1994. The anomaly of silicon in plant biology. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 91:11-17.
Gunes, A., A. Inal, M. Alpaslan, F. Eraslan, E. Guneri and N. Cicek. 2007. Salicylic acid induced changes on some physiological parameters symptomatic for oxidative s tress and mineral nutrition in maize (Zea mays L.) grown under salinity. J. Plant Physiol. 164:728-736.
Hasanuzzaman, M. and M. Fujita. 2011. Exogenous silicon treatment alleviates salinity-induced damage in Brassica napus L. seedlings by up-regulating the antioxidant defense and methylglyoxal detoxification system. Plant Biology, American Society of Plant Biology (abstr.).
Hayat, S., Q. Fariduddin, B. Ali and A. Ahmad. 2005. Effect of salicylic acid on growth and enzyme activities of wheat seedlings. Acta Agron. Hungari 53:433-437.
Hayat, Q., S.H. Hayat, M. Irfan and A. Ahmad. 2010. Effect of exogenous salicylic acid under changing environment: A review. Environ. Exper. Bot. 68:14-25.
Horibe, T., S.H. Yamaki and K. Yamada. 2013. Effects of auxin and methyl jasmonate on cut rose petal growth through activation of acid invertase. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 86:195-200.
Hossain, M.A., S. Munemasa, M. Uraji, Y. Nakamura, I.C. Mori and Y. Murata. 2011. Involvement of endogenous Abscisic acid in methyl jasmonate-induced stomatal closure in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. 156:430-438
Kamenidou, S., J.C. Cavins and S. Marek. 2008. Silicon supplements affect horticultural traits of greenhouse-produced ornamental sunflowers. HortScience 43:236-239.
Kamenidou, S., T.J. Cavins and S. Marek. 2010. Silicon supplements affect floricultural quality traits and elemental nutrient concentrations of greenhouse produced gerbera. Scientia Hort. 123: 390-394.
Kanwar, J.K. and S. Kumar. 2009. In vitro propagation of Gerbera-A review. Hort. Sci. 35:35-44.
Karimi, H.R. 2008. The effect of compost produced from pistachio and rice wastes on micronutrients and physiological parameters of Epipremnum aureum in greenhouse condition. OALib PrePrints 3:1-8.
Laiche, A.J., J. Nash and V.E. Nash. 1990. Evaluation of rice hulls and lightweight clay aggregates as components of container- plant growth media. J. Environ Hort. 8: 14-18.
Lee, B.S., J.H. Lee, S.G. Park, S.J. Chung and B.S. Seo. 1999. Effects of container and substrate on plant growth and fruit quality of the hydroponically grown cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Chosaengnakhap) plants. Acta Hort. 483:155-160.
Loutfy, N., M.A. El-Tayeb, A.M. Hassanen, M.F.M Moustafa, Y. Sakuma and M. Inouhe. 2012. Changes in the water status and osmotic solute contents in response to drought and salicylic acid treatments in four different cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum). J. Plant Res. 125:173-184.
Ma, J.F. and E. Takahashi E. 2002. Soil, fertilizer and plant Silicon research in Japan. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Miura, K., J. Lee, T. Miura and P.M. Hasegawa. 2010. Controls cell growth and plant development in Arabidopsis through salicylic acid. Plant Cell Physiol. 51:103-113.
Mori, I.C., R. Pinontoan, T. Kawano and S. Muto. 2001. Involvement of superoxide generation in salicylic acid-induced stomatal closure in Vicia faba. Plant Cell Physiol. 42:1383-1388.
DE OLIVEIRA, S. F., S. D., MELLO, K., MINAMI. 2012. Influence of calcium and silicon fertirrigation in the quality of cut gerbera. Revista Brasileira de Horticultura Ornamental 18 (2):163-170.
Priyadharshini, J. and T.H. Seran. 2009. Paddy husk ash as a source of potassium for growth and yield of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.). J. Agr. Sci. 4:67-76.
Rajjou, L., M. Belghazi, R. Huguet, C. Robin, A. Moreau, C. Job and D. Job. 2006. Proteomic investigation of the effect of salicylic acid on Arabidopsis seed germination and establishment of early defense mechanisms. Plant Physiol. 141:910-923.
Savvas, D., G. Manos, A. Kotsiras and S. Souvaliotis. 2002. Effects of silicon and nutrient-induced salinity on yield, flower quality and nutrient uptake of gerbera grown in a closed hydroponic system. J. Appl. Bot. 76:153-158.
Tizio, R. 1996. Jasmonic acid and their derivatives as plant growth regulators. Biocell 20:1-10.
Voogt, W. and C. Sonneveld. 2001. Silicon in horticultural crops grown in soilless culture. In: Datnoff, L.E., G.H. Snyder, G.H. Korndorfer, Eds. Silicon in Agriculture. Elsevier, Amsterdam pp. 115-131.
Wasternack, C. and B. Hause B. 2002. Jasmonates and octadecanoids – signals in plant stress response and development. In: Moldav K, ed. Prog. Nucl. Acid Res. Mole. Biol. 72:65-221.