Nihad T.A. AL-JANABI, and Mushtaq T.H. AL-ZURFI
SUMMARY
The latest study focused on snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.) plants during the fall season of 2021–2022 in a greenhouse at the Agricultural Division, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq. The study aimed to determine the response of snapdragon plants to foliar application of arginine (0, 20, 40, and 60 mg L-1) and nano-iron (0, 30, 60, and 90 mg L-1). The experiment comprised a randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement and three replications. The arginine (60 mg L-1) foliar spray led to a significant enhancement in the flower and physiological traits, i.e., flower carrier length (19.62 cm), age of the flowering inflorescence (25.01 days), leaf content of carbohydrates (12.75 mg g.-1) and iron (48.93 mg kg-1), and flower content for anthocyanin dye (21.40 mg 100 g-1) compared with the lowest values of the control treatment viz., 13.88 cm, 16.70 days, 11.25 mg g-1, 15.22 mg kg-1, and 9.82 mg 100 g-1, respectively. The nano-iron (90 mg L-1) also significantly improved the flower and physiological traits, i.e., the flower carrier length (18.06 cm), age of the flowering inflorescence (22.75 days), leaf content for carbohydrates (12.16 mg g-1); iron (38.08 mg kg-1), and flower content for anthocyanin dye (16.72 mg 100 g-1) compared with the control, i.e., 15.79 cm, 20.02 days, 11.71 mg g-1, 29.61 mg kg-1, and 13.05 mg 100 g-1, respectively. The interaction of arginine (60 mg L-1) and nano-iron (90 mg L-1) provided a positive effect of their individual application for flower and physiological traits (22.55 cm, 27.93 days, 12.93 mg g-1, 50.04 mg kg-1 ,and 23.06 mg100 g-1) compared with the control (12.84 cm, 15.43 days, 10.84 mg g-1, 13.0 mg kg-1 ,and5.13 mg 100 g-1), respectively.
Keywords: Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.), arginine, nano-iron
Key findings: The single and dual interaction foliar application of arginine (60 mg L-1) and nano-iron (90 mg L-1) significantly improved the flower and physiological traits of snapdragon (A. majus L.) plants, followed by the individual application of arginine (60 mg L-1) and nano-iron (90 mg L-1).
Date of publication: October 2022
DOI: http://doi.org/10.54910/sabrao2022.54.4.23