Journal Of Applied Horticulture ISSN: 0972-1045



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Mohamed M. ElFouly, A.A. ElSayed, A.A. Fawzy, B.M. Mansour, A. Bosila and Hassan A. Hamouda

Fertilization Technology Department, National Research Centre, Cairo-Dokki-Egypt and Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo-Egypt.

Key words: Ficus hawaii, N use efficiency, N forms, nutrient film technique, nutrient uptake

Journal of Applied Horticulture, 2009, volume 11, issue 2, pages 113-118.

Abstract: Nutrient film technique was designed and used to grow Ficus hawii using different nitrogen sources, nitrate (calcium and potassium nitrate (N), urea (U) and ammonium nitrate (AN) in the same dose. Aim of the study was to investigate the most proper form of nitrogen, which gives the highest vegetative growth and nutrients uptake in the early growth of the plants. Results show that in general, AN gave the highest vegetative growth parameters expressed as plant height, number of branches plant-1, leaves plant-1, leaf area, fresh and dry weight. AN favoured apical growth, while U favoured lateral growth. Shoot/root ratio was highest in the AN treatment. Nutrients uptakes by the whole plant was much higher in the case of AN then U and N. Nitrogen use efficiency was highest in AN followed by U (more or less similar) and lowest in case of N.



Journal of Applied Horticulture