الفهرس 
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Abstract
Three separated experiments were conducted during the two successive seasons of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 in an open field of private commercial nursery in Damanhour, EL-Behira governate, Egypt. The first experiment dealt with Bellis perennis, L. (Local cultivar), the second one dealt with Calendula officinalis, L. (Local cultivar), while the third one dealt with Tagetes patula, L. (cultivar Nana).
Well-developed seeds of the three plants mentioned before (Local cultivars) were sown in wooden trays and loamy soil containing 1 sand: 2 clay was used. After 5 weeks, the seedlings were individually transplanted to 20 cms. diameter plastic pots containing the same soil mentioned befor. Fourty seven-days-old uniform plants of Bellis perennis, L., Clendula officinalis, L. and Tgeters patula plants “cultivar Nana” were perparated for treatments. The overage height of each species was 5, 15 and 15 cms., respectively.
Pure sodium chloride (NaCl) was used to prepare the salinity concentrations. Four concentrations were used for each species. For for Bellis perennis, L., the concentrations were 304 (S0, tap water), 600(S1), 900(S2) and 1200 (S3) ppm of NaCl. For Calendula officinalis, L. and Tagetes patula, L., 304(S0, tap water), 1800(S1), 2100(S2) and 2400 ppm (S3) of NaCl.
Pure proline substance was used to prepare two concentrations of 2 and 4 ppm of proline. Potassium humate (purity of 80 %) was utilized to get two concentrations of 100 and 150 ppm potassium humate.
The concentrations of sodium chloride and potassium humate were applied as a soil drench, while proline solutions were applied as a foliar spray. The value drench was 80 ml per plant for concentrations of sodium chloride and potassium humate. The spraying volumes of proline solutions were 9 ml. per plant of Bellis perennis, L., 11 ml. per plant of Calendula officinalis, L. and 15 ml. per plant of Tagetes patula, L.
The plants of each species were divided into three equal groups. The first group was treated with NaCl solutions with three days interval. The second group was treated with NaCl solutions and on the same day proline solutions were sprayed until the point of runoff. The treatment with proline was conducted directly after application of salinity. The treatments were repeated every three days. The third group of plants was treated with potassium humate solutions and after three days the plants were treated with saline water and so on.
After 38 weeks in the first season and 39 weeks in the second season, the experiments were terminated.
The pots of each species were randomly assigned in a sunny place under natural day length according to the experimental layout of split plots with three replicates. The salinity water concentrations (4 concentrations) represented the main plots, while the two chemicals concentrations, namely proline (2 concentrations) and potassium humate (2 concentrations) resembled the sub-plots. The number of treatments per each replicate was (4×2×2) 16 treatments. Six plants were utilized for each treatment per replicate.
The results obtained for the three species can be summarized as follows:
A- Vegetative growth:
The plant height, number of internodes, internodes length, number of branches, leaf area, leaf relative water content, specific leaf weight and shoot fresh and dry weight were studied. It was noticed that the concentrations of 600, 900 and 1200 ppm NaCl for Bellis perennis, L., and those of 1800, 2100 and 2400 ppm for Calendula officinalis, L. and Tagetes patula, L. were able to significantly reduce the foregoing characters as compared with the tap water (304 ppm NaCl), except the concentration of 1800 ppm NaCl did not significantly change the internode length in Calendula officinalis, L. comparing with the tap water and the same effect was noticed at 1800 ppm NaCl in Tagetes patula, L.for the shoot fresh and dry weights.
The two concentrations of 2 and 4 ppm proline were significantly able to increase the vegetative characters mentioned before as compared with the control except the specific leaf weight, where proline did not significantly affect it as compared with the control in Bellis perennis plants during the second season and concentration of 2 ppm proline exhibited the same effect in the first season.
Potassium humate concentrations of 100 and 150 ppm. Significantly increased the vegetative characters mentioned before as compared with the control, but the concentration of 100 ppm did not significantly affect the specific leaf weight compared with the control in the second season.
B- Root growth:
Root length and fresh and dry weight were studied and the results showed that the concentrations of 600, 900 and 1200 ppm NaCl for Bellis perennis, L., and those of 1800, 2100 and 2400 ppm for Calendula officinalis, L. and Tagetes patula, L. significantly decreased the foregoing characters as compared with the tap water (304 ppm NaCl), except the concentration of 1800 ppm NaCl did not significantly affect the root fresh weight during the two seasons and the root dry weight during the first season comparing with the tap water in Tagetes patula, L. plants.
The two concentrations of 2 and 4 ppm proline were significantly increased the root characters as compared with the control in the three species, except Tagetes patula plants where the concentration of 2 ppm proline did not significantly change the root fresh weight during the first season.
Potassium humate concentrations of 100 and 150 ppm. Significantly increased the root characters mentioned before as compared with the control, but the concentration of 100 ppm did not significantly affect the root fresh weight of Calendula officinalis in the first season and root fresh weight of Tagetes patula in the second season compared with the control.
C- Flowering growth:
It was noticed that the concentrations of 600, 900 and 1200 ppm NaCl for Bellis perennis, L., and those of 1800, 2100 and 2400 ppm for Calendula officinalis, L. and Tagetes patula, L. were able to significantly accelerated the flowering as compared with the tap water (304 ppm NaCl), except the concentration of 600 ppm NaCl for Bellis perennis and that of 1800 ppm NaCl for Tagetes patula which did not significantly differed from the tap water in the first season.
The two concentrations of (2 and 4 ppm) proline and potassium humate concentrations of (100 and 150 ppm) significantly delayed the flowering as compared with the control with the exception of 2 ppm proline which did not affect the flowering date in Calendula officinalis as compared with the control in the first season.
The number of inflorescences, inflorescence diameter, longevity of inflorescences on the plant, flowering duration and inflorescence fresh and dry weights were also studied in the three species. The salinity concentrations mentioned before significantly decreased these characters as compared with the tap water, except the concentration of 1800 ppm NaCl did not affect the inflorescence diameter in Calendula officinalis during the first season and that of 600 ppm NaCl exhibited the same effect in Bellis perennis during the first season considering the flowering duration. The concentrations of (2 and 4 ppm) proline significantly increased the flowering characters mentioned before as compared with the control in the three species, except the concentration of 2 ppm proline which did not significantly affect the longevity of inflorescences in Bellis perennis during both seasons and exhibited the same effect on the inflorescence fresh weight of Calendula officinalis in the first season. Also, The two concentrations of potassium humate (100 and 150 ppm) Significantly increased the flowering traits mentioned before as compared with the control, except the concentration of 100 ppm did not significantly affect inflorescence diameter of Bellis perennis and Tagetes patula during both seasons.
D- Chemical analysis:
1- Leaf chlorophyll “a” and “b”, carotenoides and total soluble carbohydrate contents were determined in the three plant species and it was found that salinity concentrations of 600, 900 and 1200 ppm NaCl for Bellis perennis, L., and those of 1800, 2100 and 2400 ppm for Calendula officinalis, L. and Tagetes patula, L. significantly able to decreased the mentioned contents as compared with the tap water (304 ppm NaCl). The concentrations of proline (2 and 4 ppm) and Potassium humate concentrations of (100 and 150 ppm) significantly increased the contents mentioned before as compared with the control.
2- Leaf proline content was measured in the used plants and it was found that the salinity concentrations mentioned before significantly increased the leaf proline contents as compared with the tap water (304 ppm NaCl), except the concentration of 1800 ppm NaCl did not significantly change the leaf proline contents in Calendula officinalis during the first season. Proline concentrations of 2 and 4 ppm significantly increased the contents of leaf proline in plants as compared with the control. The concentrations of 100 and 150 ppm potassium humate significantly reduced the leaf proline contents in plants as compared with the control.
3- The leaf contents of N, P, K, Ca and Mg were Significantly decreased as a result of the salinity concentrations of 600, 900 and 1200 ppm NaCl for Bellis perennis, L., and those of 1800, 2100 and 2400 ppm for Calendula officinalis, L. and Tagetes patula, L. as compared with the tap water (304 ppm NaCl), except the concentration of 1800 ppm NaCl did not significantly affect the leaf P content in Calendula officinalis during the first season. Proline concentrations of 2 and 4 ppm and potassium humate concentrations of 100 and 150 ppm significantly increased the contents of leaf elements mentioned before as compared with the control, except the concentration of 2 ppm of proline which did not significantly affect the leaf contents of P and K in Calendula officinalis and Bellis perennis, respectively, during the first season.
4- The leaf contents of Na and Cl were significantly increased as a result of the effect of salinity concentrations mentioned before as compared with the tap water. The two concentrations of (2 and 4 ppm) proline and potassium humate concentrations of (100 and 150 ppm) significantly decreased the leaf contents of Na and Cl as compared with the control, except the concentration of 2 ppm proline which did not significantly affect the leaf content of Cl in Calendula officinalis and Tagetes patula during the second and first seasons, respectively. Also, the concentration of 100 ppm potassium humate did not significantly change the leaf content of Cl in Bellis perennis during the second first season.
5- The leaf total phenolic contents was measured in Bellis perennis plants and the salinity concentrations of 600, 900 and 1200 ppm NaCl significantly increased them as compared with the tap water (304 ppm NaCl). Also, proline concentrations of 2 and 4 ppm and potassium humate concentrations of 100 and 150 ppm significantly increased the leaf total phenolic contents as compared with the control.
6- The inflorescences carotenoids content in Calendula officinalis plants was determined and it was found that the salinity concentrations of 1800, 2100 and 2400 ppm NaCl significantly decreased it as compared with the tap water (304 ppm NaCl). Proline concentration of 4 ppm and potassium humate concentrations of 100 and 150 ppm significantly increased the carotenoids contents in inflorescences of Calendula officinalis as compared with the control. The concentration of 2 ppm proline did not significantly affect the inflorescences carotenoids content in Calendula officinalis as compared with the control in both seasons.
7- The oil content of Tagetes patula plants was determined and the results indicated that the tap water (304 ppm NaCl) treatment significantly had the highest oil content in both seasons followed by the concentration of 1800 ppm NaCl in the second season. The other salinity concentrations completely inhibited the formation of oil in both seasons. The significant highest oil contents were found at the concentrations of 4 ppm of proline and at that of150 ppm potassium humate followed by the control in the first season. During the second season, the highest oil contents were found at the control and at the concentration of of150 ppm potassium humate followed by the concentration of of 4 ppm of proline and insignificant differences were detected between them. The concentrations of 2 ppm and 100 potassium humate completely inhibited the oil formation in both seasons.
It was found that the effect of interaction between salinity and proline or potassium humate on all characters was significant in both seasons.