Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXIV, Issue 2
Written by Andrii MELNYK, Tetiana MELNYK, Oksana SURGAN, Volodymyr TOKMANS, Jones AKUAKU
This study investigates the influence of weather conditions and rates (3.0 g m-2 , 6.0 g m-2 , 9.0 g m-2 ) of complex mineral fertilizer (Nitroamophos - N16P16K16) on growth, flowering, plant height, and number and diameter of inflorescences of five China aster (Callistephus chinensis L. Nees) cultivars ('Olenka', 'Leleka', Litnia Nich', 'Tsarivna' and 'Yabluneva') during a three-year (2015-2017) study in the Northeastern Forest-steppe of Ukraine. Differences in plant height, number and diameter of inflorescences of cultivars were influenced by variations in weather conditions of the research area, cultivar characteristics, as well as the rate of mineral fertilizer. The increase in the amount of precipitation during the growing season contributed to the growth of the vegetative mass, but negatively affected the formation of the number of inflorescences. The largest inflorescence diameter was formed in the wet condition of 2016 for most cultivars. Unlike weather conditions, mineral fertilizer had considerable effect on the diameter of inflorescence. The most valuable morphological and decorative features were formed for the application of 6.0 g m-2 complex mineral fertilizer. Further increase in rate of fertilizer was not appropriate.
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