Effect of shading levels, salicylic acid, and nano-fertilizer on the growth performance of Dichondra repens plants
Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Engineering Sciences, University of Duhok, Kurdistan region, Iraq. Corresponding e-mail: niroosh.hasan@uod.ac
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i01.25
Full text PDF An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of shading levels, salicylic acid, and nano-fertilizer concentrations on the growth performance of the Dichondra repens plant under Dohuk Governorate conditions. This experiment was carried out in a field with 0% shading and in a lath house with 50% shading from March 15, 2024, to September 15, 2024, during the spring season. The experiment was laid out using a factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three factors: shade levels (0% and 50% shade), salicylic acid concentrations (0, 100, and 200 mg L-1), and foliar sprays with different concentrations of nano-fertilizer (0, 5, and 10 mg L-1). The results indicated that the Dichondra plants grown under 0% shading achieved significantly higher values for plant density, mowing frequency, total phosphorus, total potassium percentage, cumulative dry weight, root dry weight, and total carbohydrates. Plants sprayed with salicylic acid at 200 mg L-1 showed a significant increase in most parameters. The use of nano-fertilizers at a concentration of 5 mg L-1 resulted in significant improvements in plant density, leaf area, mowing frequency, root dry weight, total phosphorus percentage, total potassium percentage, cumulative dry weight, and total chlorophyll.
