Effect of fertilizer application on nutritional concentrations and flower quality of Phalaenopsis hybrid

Abstract

Seedlings of Phalaenopsis hybrid, 5-month old, were planted using sphagnum moss as potting media. One month after planting, plants were used in two experiments. The first experiment was focused on the effect of three levels of nitrogen concentration, N100, N150 and N200 mg L-1, combined with two levels of phosphorus concentration, P50 and P100 mg L-1, one flower quality and N and P concentration in leaf. It was shown that plants supplied with N200 gave better results in terms of flower stalk length, inflorescence length and number of flowers per stem than those of N100 but it was not significantly different from N150. Plants supplied with P100 gave better stem length and early flowering than those of P50. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in leaves increased when application of these two elements increased. However, potassium concentration in leaves was not significantly different among treatments. The second experiment was conducted using different levels of liquid fertilizer, T1 using tap water, T2 using 21N-21P2O5- 21K2O every 2 days and T3 using 21N-21P2O5-21K2O every 7 days. It was found that T2 and T3 gave better results in terms of leaf area and leaf dry weight than those of T1. Nitrogen concentration in leaf of T2 was greater than that of T3 whereas concentrations of other elements, P, K, Mg, Fe, Mn and Zn, were not significantly different among treatments. However, calcium concentration in leaf of T1 was greater than T2 and T3. Plants given T2 and T3 showed no difference and they were better than those of T1.