Actisil application affects growth, flowering, and biochemical parameters in petunia in vitro and greenhouse

Abstract Mineral nutrients are necessary for the growth and development of plants. Previous studies have concentrated mainly on silicon-accumulating plants, while less work has been conducted non-accumulating plants such as Petunia × atkinsiana D. Don. In this study, we investigated responses morphological (plant height, root length, fresh dry weight, no. flowers) biochemical (proline, malondialdehyde MDA, catalase CAT activity, total chlorophylls, carotenoids, polyphenol, NO 3 ) traits petunia to external application commercial silicon solution (Hydroplus™ Actisil) after 5 weeks in vitro culture 6 under greenhouse condition. Actisil was supplemented into MS medium (in vitro) at concentrations 0 (control), 50, 100, 200, 500 mg L ?1 , or supplied via irrigations a concentration (control) 200 one, two, three applications conditions. The addition decreased plant height (22–41% control) length (53–70% control). contrast, greenhouse-grown irrigation increased (145% control (176% Petunias treated with had greener leaves compared control. This also confirmed by higher chlorophyll. Conversely, proline, polyphenol activities may indicate that provokes stress response treatment found positively affect flowering petunia.