An Evaluation of Effects of Calcium Nitrate and IBA on Quality and Quantity of Two Cultivars of Lily cut Flower

This experiment was carried out in the Agricultural Faculty of Guilan University. The Factorial experiment was performed based on a completely randomized design of three replications. The experimental factors comprised of: lillium cultivars, Navona (Asiatic) and Fangio (LA), four levels of calcium nitrate (0, 1, 1.5 and 2 mM) in combination with three levels of IBA (500, 750 and 1000 ppm). The results indicated that calcium content, significantly affected all sections of the plants at the level of 5%(α=%5) except for the adventitious roots in crown. The longest vase life, wet and dry weights of plants as well as leaf area were observed at 2 mM calcium nitrate level treatment. The most adventitious roots per plants were observed in 1000 ppm of IBA treatment. The lowest leaf necrosis, ethylene production in flower, floret drop and cell leakage of leaf, stem and flower observed at the 2 mM calcium nitrate and at 1000 ppm IBA. However, interaction of calcium nitrate and varieties indicated that threshold of good nutrition in the two varieties varies. Overall, it is indicated that, the best growth in Navona and Fangio occur in 1.5 and 2 mM of calcium nitrate application, respectively. The results finally showed that one of the methods of decreasing leaf necrosis while increasing vase life in lily cut flower is the use of calcium nitrate, accompanied with somehow promotion of adventitious roots.