Abstract
This research was conducted to investigate the effect of poultry litter (PL) on vegetative growth and flower characteristics of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.). The experiment was carried out as a completely randomizeddesign with nine treatments (each treatment with 4replications): 29.0 (T1), 31.5 (T2), 34.0 (T3), 36.5 (T4), 39.0(T5), 41.5 (T6), 44.0 (T7), 46.5 (T8) and 49.0 g (T9) PL in the soil mixture per pot (equivalent to 116, 126, 136, 146,156, 166, 176, 186 and 196 g m–2 in field) along with control. Results indicated that PL increased the height of flowering stem at T4, T5, T6 and T7; flower diameter at T8; diameter of flowering stem at T7; fresh weight of flowering stem at T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8; fresh and dry weight of bulblet at T4 and shoot at T2; chlorophyll content at T3, T4, T5 and T6; bulblet diameter at T6; number of floret per inflorescence at T6 and T9; number of bulblet at T4; but had no effect on the length of flower, leaf area and root fresh and dry weight. Overall, adding PL had positive effect on tuberose growth and flowering and is recommended for using in the soil mixture of tuberose. To our knowledge this is the first report on using PL in the soil mixture of tuberose. Further investigations are needed to clarify how PL works on this bulbous plant.
Highlights
Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.), as an ornamental bulbous plant native to Mexico, is one of the most important cut flowers in tropical and subtropical areas
Results of present study indicated that soils amended with poultry litter (PL) had a positive effect on vegetative growth and flowering of tuberose
These two characters are the main factor in quality of cut flowers, and we found that application of PL could improve them
Summary
Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.), as an ornamental bulbous plant native to Mexico, is one of the most important cut flowers in tropical and subtropical areas. Animal manures contain all the essential micro (Br, Cl, Cu, Mn, Fe, Zn and Ni) and macro elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S) required for plant growth (USDA, 1979; Barker and Pilbeam, 2006). Application of up to 60 tons of dry weight manure per hectare increased yield in corn that decreased with further increase of manure (USDA, 1979). Abou-Hussein et al (2003) reported that potato tuber yield and specific gravity increased with combined application of cattle manure and chicken litter. Animal manure can be a plentiful source of organic soil amendments but proper management is imperative to prevent adverse environmental effects that can result from application of manure to soil. Poultry wastes contain higher concentrations of N, Ca, and P than wastes from other farm animals (Stephenson et al, 1990). Laboratory and field work has indicated that P may become increasingly available to plants grown in composted PL-amended soil (Preusch et al, 2002; Preusch and Tworkoski, 2003)
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