Growth of ornamental plants irrigated with nutrient or polyethylene glycol solutions of different osmotic potentials
1980
West, D.W. | Merrigan, I.F. | Taylor, J.A. | Collins, G.M. (Horticutural Research Inst., Ferntree Gully, Vic. (Australia))
Six ornamental species (Petunia hybrida, Callistephus hortensis, Coleus blumei, Celosia pyramidalis, Antirrhinum majus and Tagetes erecta) were grown in solutions containing high concentrations of polyethylene glycol (MW 4000) or of Nitrogen; Phosphorus: Potassium. At equal osmotic potentials, top dry weight, leaf area and leaf elongation rate were all reduced more by polyethylene glycol than by NPK. Polyethylene glycol also produced some leaf damage which did not occur with NPK solutions. Osmotic potentials of -600 kPa due to NPK reduced growth of the six species by at least 25 per cent compared with growth of control plants (at -20 kPa). Tolerance ranking to high fertilizer in the irrigation solution increased from Snapdragon (most sensitive), Marigold, Coleus, Aster, Celosia and Petunia (most tolerant)
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