Journal of Ornamental Plants
Volume:1 Issue: 1, Winter 2011

In order to evaluate the possibility use of palm waste cellulose as a substitute substrate for growing pot plants, an experiment was conducted in completely randomized block design with 6 replication and six treatments on Aglaonema sp. The treatments were 5 levels including 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 palm celluloid wastes mixed with different rates of some amendments such as peat, coconut coir, perlite, vermiculite, rice husk and sugarcane waste compost. The trial was conducted in a research greenhouse at certain environmental condition during 14 month. Before experiment, the chemical and physical properties of organic substrates were measured. To determine superior media the vegetative indexes were measured and data statistically analyzed. Results showed that the palm celluloid wastes had significant impact on the growth and total dry weight of plants that grown in mixing media in comparison with peat and peat- perlite potting media. Also peat and coir had not significant differences in most growth indices but palmcelluloid wastes had greater increase in plant dry weight if it used as a 50-50 v/v percent mixing amendment in all treatments. Data indicated that palm celluloid wastes can be used as a media individually; and also as an amendment for other media such as sugarcane compost.

This experiment was designed to characterize the effects of size and concentration of an Iranian clinoptilolite zeolite on the growth of Ficus benjamina (starlight) in peat base media. Ficus benjamina was stock rooted and grown in a peat consisting perlite (2:1 v/v) (P: Pe), zeolite (10, 20, 30 and 40 v/v %, two sizes 0.5-3 mm and 3-8 mm) instead of peat in P: Pe (2:1 v/v) media. Ficus benjamina was grown in the substituted media for 10 month under fiberglass cover greenhouse, with 4 pots for each treatment. The controlconsisted of P: Pe alone without zeolite. The results showed that the substitution of 10-30 v/v % zeolites in control did not result in significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) in shoot and leaf fresh weight, shoot and leaf dry weight, shoot dry weight, leaf dry weight in comparison to control. Instead, substitution of 10-40 v/v % zeolites instead of peat significantly increased media electrical conductivity (EC). There were no positive correlations between Ficus benjamina growth and the amounts of mineral-N in pottingmixtures or concentration of nitrogen in leaves of plant. Zeolite particle size significantly increased the pH in comparison with the control. With Regard to the high relative price of peat with respect to natural zeolite, zeolite substitution in an amount of 10-30 vol. % is economically preferred.

Crisis due to global warming and its associated damaging consequences, including salinity, it is essential to develop plant resistance to salinity level. In this study, an experiment was conducted using different levels of salinity (0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2% sodium chloride) had on Rosa hybrida, as the most important cut flowers in the world. Results showed that by increasing of salinity, sodium increased in the tissues and root dry/fresh weight declined. Salinity stress influenced significantly shoot growth and declined it. It seems this cultivar is resistant to salinity. However, further studies must be done to clarify the amount of resistance this cultivar against salinity in comparison to other cultivars.

Gerbera one of 10 important cut flowers in the world and Iran. One of the most problems is low-life after harvest and neck bending. Producers want to increase longevity of these flowers with using chemical solutions. With the aim of achieving the best chemical treatments to increase flower vase life gerbera Goodtimming, nano silver (5 mg l-1), humic acid (50 mg l-1), gibberellic acid (2.5 mg l-1) and Lactobacillus plantarum 110 CFU m l−1 and Lactococcus lactis 110 CFU ml−1 with sucrose (4%) compared with controls. This study in carried out with 6 replications. Cut flowers recutted to 35 ± 2 cm, and then tested in different solutions for 20 days. The results showed that silver nanoparticles (5 mg l-1) + sucrose 4% + gibberellic acid 2.5 mg l-1 with the 19.5 days vase life compared with controls (17.67days) had the highest durability. Distilled water + sucrose 4% with 5.98 mm stem diameter was better than control (5.49 mm) (P≤0.01), while humic acid 50 mg l-1 + sucrose 4% + gibberellic acid 2.5 mg l-1 had lowest average daily stem diameter (5.44 mm), respectively. Highest water uptake observed in silver nanoparticles 5 mg l-1 + sucrose 4% + gibberellic acid 2.5 mg l-1 treatment (8.78 ml g-¹ F.W.). Silver nanoparticles 5 mg l-1 + sucrose 4% + gibberellic acid 2.5 mg l-1 had highest fresh weight per day (24.89 g) and dry weight (4.96 g), respectively.

An effort carried out to find out the smaller size of cuttings for propagation of Morus alba in Experimental area, Department of Forestry, Range Management and Wildlife, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 2005. Different size of cuttings i.e. 5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm and 20 cm were planted in polythene tubes of 9 cm x 18 cm. The attempt was also made to compare the performance of cuttings outdoor and indoor at polythene low tunnel. Root length, number of root branches, root diameter and root fresh and dry weight were found maximum in 5 cm cuttings while minimum in 10 cmcuttings. Root growth was found maximum in outdoor as compared to under polythene sheet.

A study was conducted in 2010 to investigate the effects of crude oil contaminatedsoil on biomass accumulation in Jatropha curcas seedlings in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria. Oil levels used were 0.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 and 10.0% w/w. The trial was arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications and monitored for 12 weeks after transplanting. Results showed that contamination of soil with crude oil significantly reduced (P≤0.05) biomass accumulation when compared with seedlings grown in the uncontaminated subplots. A negative interaction was observed between the soil crude oil level and weight gained in J. curcas seedlings. For instance, while the fresh weight of seedlings grown in 0.0% w/w of oil was 3.0g, as low as 2.1g was recorded for seedling exposed to 10.0g w/w of the oil. This study has demonstrated that crude oil contamination of soil has a significant effect of reducing the biomass accumulation in the seedlings of Jatropha crucas.

This research had conducted to investigate light intensity effects on the lucky bamboo growth in Islamic Azad University, Abhar Branch. The experiment arranged as a complete randomized block design with five treatments (0.75, 1.14, 1.89, 2.29 and 4.09 μmol m-2 s-1) in ten replications. Results showed that 1.89 μmol m-2 s-1 had significant differences than other treatments. The higher level of root number, shoot length and total weight of plants were obtained under 1.89 μmol m-2 s-1. Number of shoot, shoot length and number of leaves per shoot were different in different nodes and were highest in uppermost node.