EFFECT OF FOLIAR APPLICATIONOF ANTI SALINITY SUBSTANCES ON GERANIUM (Pelargonium graveolens) PLANTS UNDER SALT STRESS

L. S. Gadallah^1*, M. A. EL-Mewafy El-Ghadban¹, A. Sh. Soliman², H. R.A. Mehasen¹ and M. S. Abbas²

¹Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Dept., Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt.

² Natural Resources Department, Faculty of African Postgraduate Studies, Cairo University, Egypt.

^* Corresponding Author’s email: samylamis@ymail.com

ABSTRACT

Salinity limits crop metabolic activities, hampers plant growth and synthesis of secondary metabolites affecting the osmotic potential in the root zone of plants. The present investigation was carried out to improve the aromatic oil of geranium plants productivity using saline water at alternative irrigations with good quality water. The field experiment was carried out using saline water (3.125, 4.69, 6.25dSm^-1 and tap water), moringa extract (2.5, 5 and 10 gL^-1), ascorbic acid (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 gL^-1) and proline (25, 50 and 100 mgL^-1) as a foliar application. The obtained data illustrated that, the yields of essential oil per hectare were maximum when tap water combined with10gL^-1of moringa extract. The results showed that Moring extract as foliar application at 10 g L^-1improved that the plant growth following 0.3 g L^-1.It can be concluded that the utilization of moringa extracts as foliar spray to avoid the salt stress, following vitamin C protected well cells and elongated the roots. The present results are very useful for a farmer in the newly reclaimed areas who face the limited saline irrigation water resources because moringa extracts have a positive effect on vegetative growth and chemical contents of economic plant.

Key words: Geranium, water salinity, moringa extracts, ascorbic acid and proline.

https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2020.3.0085                                                                             Published online March 25, 2020.