Enhancing the Aesthetic and Health Standards of Croton Plants (Codiaeum variegatum) through Integrated Fertilization with Natural Stimulants and Mineral Nutrients | ||||
Journal of Plant Production | ||||
Article 1, Volume 14, Issue 12, December 2023, Page 569-580 PDF (836.1 K) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/jpp.2023.246928.1283 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
Hekmat Y. Massoud1; Boushra A. Mohamed2; Fatema Ibrahim ![]() | ||||
1Vegetable and Floriculture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Egypt | ||||
2Horticultural Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre, Giza, Egypt | ||||
Abstract | ||||
The study aimed to pinpoint the most efficacious natural stimulant in conjunction with mineral fertilization (N, P, K) and provide actionable guidelines for enhancing the health and overall ornamental excellence of croton plants. The experiment involved eighteen treatments, encompassed all possible combinations of two levels of NPK fertilization (0.0 and 2.0 g pot-1) and some different foliar applications of stimulants [Control, yeast extract (5.0 and 10.0 g L-1), seaweed extract (1.0 and 2.0 cm3 L-1), garlic extract (5.0 and 10.0 cm3 L-1) as well as black tea extract (5.0 and 10.0 cm3 L-1)]. The obtained results indicate that mineral fertilization recorded highest values of plant height (cm), No. of leaves plant-1, leaf area (cm2 plant-1), concentration of N, P, K as well as chlorophyll a & b compared to the control group. However leaf total phenol content, carotene and anthocyanin pigments were decreased. The black tea extract at rate of 10.0 cm3 L-1 was the superior natural stimulant for obtaining the maximum values of all aforementioned traits expect the chlorophyll a & b. Generally, the combination of NPK fertilization and black tea extract at 10.0 cm3 L-1 resulted in the best performance. It could be recommended that growers can potentially enhance the health and ornamental excellence of croton plants, leading to more vibrant and attractive ornamental displays. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Yeast; seaweed; garlic; black tea; croton | ||||
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