Leaf Mold and Cocopeat based Improvements in Morpho-Biochemical and Photosynthetic Attributes of Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.)

Great attention to plant research is required to enhance growth performance and yield of small potted plants. Various growing media increased plant productivity while use of soil is going to be limited because of low fertility and numerous soil-borne diseases. Present pot experiment aimed to evaluate the performance of morpho-physiological and biochemical attributes in snapdragon cultivated under cocopeat (CP), pumice (P), leaf mold (LM) and their combination with silt (S), whereas silt alone was considered as control treatment. The results showed that LM and its combination with silt improved plant morphological attributes such as plant height (12%), leaf area (37.4%), spike length (54.9%), stem diameter (39.2%), number of florets spike-1 (38.6%), whereas, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight and soluble protein contents was improved by 24.1%, 17.7% and 59.2%, respectively, compared with control. Antioxidative enzyme activities such as POX and SOD, total phenolic capacity, antioxidant capacity, relative chlorophyll content and linear electron flow was enhanced by 27.2%, 296%, 47.1%, 64.9%, 27.4%, and 136.7%, respectively, in treatment containing combination of all growing media with equal ratio compared with control. Whereas quantum yield of photosystem-II, non-photochemical quenching and efficiency of photosystem-II was enhanced by 11.8%, 39.7%, and 7.9%, respectively, under combine CP+S growing media. This study opined that the application of LM and CP are great sources of macronutrients. Therefore, exploitation of these growing media and their combination with soil proves more operative cultivation media for producing high quality snapdragon while encouraging sustainable floricultural practices.