Effect of Different Levels and Methods of Phosphorus Fertilizer Application on Growth and Development of Two Stock (Matthiola incana L.) Cultivars

Despite the well known roles of phosphorus in plant nutrition, plant responses to this nutrient element have not yet been found out. Therefore, in this study different levels and forms of phosphorus fertilizer applied on two white and red cultivars of stock flower under greenhouse conditions and some growth and development indices were evaluated. The experimental conducted was completely randomized design with four replications. Treatments included the control (without P application), granular superphosphate fertilizer at four levels (0, 50, 100 and 200 mg.kg-1 of soil), liquid phosphate fertilizer at four levels (0, 50, 100 and 200 mg kg-1 soil) and bio-fertilizer phosphate (Barvar2), 100 g in 2000 ml of water. The results showed that there were significant differences at 5% among treatments for most of traits. Many parameters such as the number of flowering stems, inflorescent length, number of flowers in inflorescence, number of petals in flower, flowering stem length, leaf number and stem diameter were recorded higher in 200 mg P/kg soil (liquid form) compared to the control and other treatments. Regarding these traits, 200 mg granular and then bio-fertilizer were the next best treatments, respectively. Phosphorus levels of 50 and 100 mg/kg soil were resulted in lower amount of yield and quality parameters. Although the two cultivars were relatively similar, but white cultivar showed higher amounts of measured traits.