EFFECT OF PLANTING MEDIA AND BORON SPRAY ON GROWTH

Abstract

This study was conducted in Agricultural College/ Dohuk University during the period 1st Sep 2004 and 30th Jun 2005. The objective was to improve the growth of maidenhair plant (Adiantum tenerum 'Scutum Roseum) by selecting a suitable and available media and boron nutrition requirement. Two kinds of media were used, loamy soil : manure, and loamy soil : peat moss (2:1 by volume) and boron foliar application (boric acid) in concentrations (0, 30, 60, 90,120) mg / L. Results showed in vegetative dry weight, root dry weight, leaf length, leaves number for plants growing in peat moss media increased by 25%, 9%, 16%, 28% consecutively comparing with those grown in manure media. While chemical content cannot effected by this factor except nitrogen 4.02% which increased significantly in plants growing in animals manure media. Spray plants with the medium concentration of boron 60 mg/L give highest values which a superiority significant for most of vegetative and chemical characters when comparing with the others and reached 5.71 g, 0.548 g, 44.30 cm, 4.20%, 0.535% for vegetative dry weight, root dry weight, leaf length, nitrogen, and phosphorus consecutively except leaves number when spread with 30 mg/L and boron content 0.140% when spray with highest concentration 120mg/L. Interactions between the two factors have significantly effected all vegetative and chemical characters and highest values obtained when plant grown in peat moss media and sprayed with 60 mg/L and reached 6.08 g, 0.550 g, 47.40 cm, for vegetative dry weight, root dry weight, leaf length, consecutively except leaves number when plant grown in the same media and spread with 30 mg/L while nitrogen and phosphorus gave higher concentration when plants grown in animals manure and sprayed with 60 mg/L as well as boron content 0.153% when spray with highest concentration 120 mg/L. and grown in peat moss media .