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Green roof Petunia, Ageratum, and Mentha responses to water stress, seaweeds, and trinexapac-ethyl treatments

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Abstract

The availability of sufficient irrigation water and the development of drought-tolerant species are challenging factors in the design and maintenance of green roofs in modern cities. Green roof plants of Petunia hybrid Headliner® Red Star, Ageratum hybrid Artist® blue, and Mentha spicata L. grown in a simulated green roof pot system under controlled greenhouse conditions. The plants were watered every 2 or 6 days (2DWI/6DWI) for 8 weeks accompanied by either a 6-day treatment of seaweed extracts of Ascophyllum nodosum as a soil drench or foliar spray, or two concentrations of trinexapac-ethyl (TE) biweekly sprays. Following treatments, leaf number, leaf area, dry weights, plant height, stomatal conductanse, photosynthetic and transpiration rates and leaf water potential and relative water content were determined in two seasons during 2016 and 2017. The prolonged irrigation intervals reduced plant growth as revealed by morphological and physiological parameters. The application of SWE as drench treatment improved Petunia and Ageratum plant vegetative growth, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic and transpiration rates and leaf water potential and relative water content during prolonged irrigation intervals. TE increased the vegetative growth as well as the physiological performance of Ageratum plants. However, neither SWE nor TE treatments improved the performance of Mentha plants under prolonged irrigation intervals. It was suggested that improved photosynthetic rates were stimulated by enhanced stomatal conductance leading to improved leaf water potential as well as increased relative water content during prolonged irrigation conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Floriculture, Ornamental Horticulture and Garden Design, Faculty of Agriculture (El-Shatby), Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

    Hosam O. Elansary

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  1. Hosam O. Elansary
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Correspondence to Hosam O. Elansary.

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The project was supported by the Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University in 2016–2017.

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Communicated by M. J. Reigosa.

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Elansary, H.O. Green roof Petunia, Ageratum, and Mentha responses to water stress, seaweeds, and trinexapac-ethyl treatments. Acta Physiol Plant 39, 145 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-017-2444-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-017-2444-3

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