| heal.abstract |
It has been already reported that the triazoles, paclobutrazol (50 and 100 mg/L) and triapenthenol (175 and 350 mg/L) contribute to the production of compact Lantana camara subsp. camara (lantana) plants with noticeably improved ornamental value due to increased flowering. The present work examined the effects of applied paclobutrazol and triapenthenol (plus control) on leaf mineral content (K, Ca, P, Fe, Cu, Zn) of lantana under the different shading levels of 0% (high light) and 66% to aid knowledge of the mineral nutritional requirements for this plant. Results showed that triazole concentration and shading level had significant effect on K, Ca, P, and Fe content, on a dry weight basis, while in most cases there were not any significant interactions. K content increased significantly in plants treated with 350 mg/L triapenthenol compared to other concentrations as did Ca with paclobutrazol (50, 100 mg/L) when compared to the control under high light. P and Fe increased significantly in plants treated with paclobutrazol compared to control. K, P and Fe increased while Ca decreased significantly as shading increased from 0% to 66%. Assimilation of mineral elements (K, Ca, P and Fe) on a leaf area basis (AE) decreased up to 23% compared to control. In most cases, % AE decrease was lower than the respective % decrease of leaf dry weight and leaf area. Therefore, it could be suggested that the mineral fertilization of paclobutrazol and triapenthenol treated lantana plants could possibly be reduced to the same extent of the AE decrease in order to reduce production costs and environmental contamination. |
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