Assess Effect of Foliar Application of Seaweed Extract and Amino Acids on Morpho-physiological Characteristics of Gerbera jamesonii Var. Stanza Cut Flowers

BACKGROUND: Biofertilizers, like amino acids, are used to reduce drought stress damage to plants and improve physiological factors, thereby increasing plant yield in arid and semi-arid regions. Seaweed extract has a beneficial effect on plant growth due to its growth hormones and elements such as iron, copper, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, manganese and nickel, vitamins and amino acids. OBJECTIVES: Current research was conducted to investigate the effect of foliar application of seaweed and amino acids and their interaction on the morphophysiological characteristics of cut flowers of Gerbera cultivar Stanza and determine the relationship between the use of these two substances on the quantity and quality of morphological and physiological characteristics of this plant. METHODS: This study was done via factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications along 2015 year. The treatments included amino acids (A1: Control, A2: 1, A3: 1.5 and A4: 2 gr.L-1) and seaweed extract (S1: Control, S2: 0.25, S3: 0.5 and S4: 1 gr.L-1). RESULT: According to the results of the present study, it can be said that amino acid treatment at concentrations of 1.5 and 2 gr.L-1, as a suitable pre-harvest treatment, has the highest production in amount of flower diameter, flowering stem diameter, flowering stem length, anthocyanin, chlorophyll b, carotenoids and leaf greenness. Seaweed extract treatment at concentrations of 0.25 and 1 gr.L-1, as a suitable pre-harvest treatment, had the highest amount of flower diameter, flowering stem diameter, anthocyanin, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids and leaf greenness. CONCLUSION: Also, the simultaneous use of 2 gr.L-1 amino acid along with 1 gr.L-1 seaweed extract, had the highest amount of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids and leaf greenness and it can be advised to producers. In general, the results of this study indicate that seaweed and amino acid biofertilizers can improve the quantity, quality and post-harvest life of gerbera flowers by increasing nutrient uptake and the presence of plant hormones.