FLORAL CHARACTERS OF GERBERA (Gerbera jamesonii) AS AFFECTED BY FOLIAR APPLICATION OF HUMIC ACID AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE

Abstract

This study was conducted in lath house, Horticultural Department, College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad- Jadriya, Iraq during the spring and fall seasons of 2015 to investigate the influence of foliar application of humic acid and calcium chloride on “Yanara” gerbera cultivar. This study included two factors; humic acid spray (H) and calcium chloride spray (Ca). The first factor was represented by four levels which were; 0 (H0), 5 (H5), 7.5 (H7.5) and 10 ml.l-1 (H10) and four levels of calcium chloride; 0 (Ca0), 50 (Ca50), 100 (Ca100) and 150 mg.l-1 (Ca150). Data were recorded during spring and fall seasons. The experimental results showed that spraying plants with humic acid at 10 ml.l-1 and calcium chloride at 150 mg.l-1 (H10Ca150) gave the highest values of flower number/plant (3.60 and 6.87), flower diameter (8.71 and 11.33 cm), vase life (11.90 and 11.34 day) for both seasons, respectively. The lowest values of these parameters were recorded with control treatment (H0Ca0). It could be concluded that spraying plants with humic acid at H10 and calcium chloride at Ca150 had improved flower characteristics in gerbera plant cv. Yanara.