Effects of Soil Types and Application of Three Major Nutrient Elements on the Growth and Flowering of Pot-mum
Year: 1979
Type: article
Abstract: The present experiment was set up in factorial design to determine the effects of soil types combined with differential supplies of three major nutrient elements on the growth and flowering of potted chrysanthemums. The fertilizer treatments consisted of three levels of nitrogen fertilization, i. e., 100, 250, and 400ppm, which was applied as urea solution, and potash, i. e., 200, 400, and 600ppm, which was applied as potassium sulfate solution, in the presence of 1 or 3g/pot of phosphorus applied as mixed phosphates (1 fused phosphate : 1 double superphosphate). Each of these treatments was combined further with two types of soils, i. e., alluvial and volcanic ash soils. The results obtained are as follows :1) Potted chrysanthemums grown on alluvial soil markedly exceeded those grown on volcanic ash soil in such attributes as size and weight of single leaves, leaf number per lateral shoot, and weight of inflorescences per stock.2) High rate of nitrogen (400ppm) applied at early stages of plant development tended to suppress vegetative growth though during anthesis it produced rather increased amounts of leaves and inflorescences per stock. High rate of nitrogen application also promoted the flowering of potted chrysanthemums. Application of increased phosphorus resulted in an increased amount of plant growth. The high rate of potassium applied at early stages of development exerted some inhibitory effects on plant growth, whereas during anthesis potassium applied at the rate of 400ppm caused a maximum growth. These results indicate that regarding nitrogen and potassium rather low rates of fertilization at early stages, followed by high rates at middle and later stages of development, are recommended for potted chrysanthemum culture.3) Effects of differential supplies of three fertilizer elements on plant growth depended closely upon the soil type used. That is, on the alluvial soil the inhibitory effects of early, high-rate nitrogen application were noticeably alleviated and its later, high-rate application produced more stimulated plant growth as compared to that produced on the volcanic ash soil. Increased phosphorus affected the plant growth more favorably on volcanic ash soil than on alluvial soil, whereas effects of increased potassium on growth were more marked on the latter than on the former soil. High rates of phosphorus fertilization virtually overcame the delay of flowering that was caused by the adverse effect of volcanic ash soil.4) Every major nutrient element affected the growth of potted chrysanthemums synergistically with other elements, though a maximum interaction was effected in the combination of nitrogen with phosphorus.5) It is concluded that properly balanced fertility should be maintained for every distinctive stage of plant development along with the soil type employed.
DOI: 10.2503/jjshs.48.336
Authors: Takeshi HOSOYA, Kazuo KITAMURA, Tadashi ISHIGAMI
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2319532486