Effect of Water Deficit on Flowering and Growth Characteristics of Zinnia elegans

Water resources have been decreasing in recent years due to global warming, thereby requiring more studies to determine the effect of limited water on plants. This study aimed to determine the effect of different irrigation levels on the flowering and growth characteristics of zinnia plant (Zinnia elegans). The research was carried out in the Plant Production Research Center of the Faculty of Agriculture at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey. For the study, zinnia plants were grown in pots under field conditions and 4 different irrigation treatments were created where 100% (I-100 / control), 75% (I-75), 50% (I-50) and 25% (I-25) decreasing moisture was applied and the soil moisture was monitored by sensors. Data were subjected to variance and PCB-Biplot analyses. Results showed significant differences among irrigation treatments according to measured traits. At the end of the study, irrigation water amount and plant water consumption values were found to be 28.1-142.8 mm and 33.9-144.4 mm, respectively. Water stress was found to have a negative effect on the growth and agronomic characteristics of zinnia. However, it was observed that the quality of flowers is not affected even if plant growth is negatively affected by a 25% water shortage.