How far Tagetes erecta can tolerate different salinity levels by using magnetic iron?

Authors

  • Reem M. Said Botanical Garden Res. Dept., Hort. Res. Inst., ARC, Giza, Egypt.

Keywords:

Marigold, Tagetes erecta L., magnetite, saline water, vegetative and root growth, flowering, chemical composition

Abstract

An experiment was carried out in Hort. Res. Inst., ARC, Giza, Egypt during the 2020 and 2021 seasons under nursery full sun, to investigate the role of magnetic iron (Fe3O4) at rates of 0, 2, 3, and 4 g/plant in lowering the harmful effect of saline water (NaCl + CaCl2) at concentrations of 0, 1000, 2000, and 3000 ppm on growth, flowering, and chemical characteristics for marigold plants. Interactions between saline water and Fe3O4 treatments were also investigated. The results demonstrated that, with a few exceptions in both seasons, the mean values of vegetative and root development characteristics (plant height, stem diameter, the number of leaves/plant, root length and aerial parts, and root fresh and dry weights) were identical and gradually decreased with increasing salinity, but gradually increased when the rate of Fe3O4 was raised. The interaction treatments had a significant impact on the previous growth traits, with varying degrees of significance, but the most significant effect was for combining irrigation with fresh water and drenching the soil mixture with 4 g Fe3O4/plant, which produced the highest values in general among all the other combinations in the two seasons. Flowering characteristics (flower diameter, flower fresh and dry weights, and flower number per plant), as well as leaf pigment, N, P, and K content, followed a similar pattern, although Na, Cl, and proline leaf content followed the opposite trend.. Thus, under salty water stress, immersion of the soil mixture with Fe3O4 (4g/plant) might be advised to improve the development, blooming, and quality of marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) seedlings.

Published

15.06.2022