Effect of Foliar Spraying and Drench Application of Urea on Transpiration and Water Use Efficiency in Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis) Under Water-Deficit Condition

Mousavirad, Seyedeh Homa; Rezaei Nejad, A; Mousavi-Fard, Sadegh; Mumivand, Hassan

doi:10.22059/ijhs.2025.386235.2233

Effect of Foliar Spraying and Drench Application of Urea on Transpiration and Water Use Efficiency in Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis) Under Water-Deficit Condition

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Document Type : Full Paper

Authors

Seyedeh Homa Mousavirad ¹

A Rezaei Nejad ¹

Sadegh Mousavi-Fard ²

Hassan Mumivand ¹

¹ Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran

² Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord

10.22059/ijhs.2025.386235.2233

Abstract

This study aimed to enhance water use management at the ornamental and medicinal plant, pot marigold (Calendula officinalis), response to urea nitrogen fertilizer under water deficit stress conditions at the Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University. The experiment was carried out using a factorial design in a completely randomized framework with three replications. Factors included water deficit stress was at three levels: 80% (control), 50% (mild stress), and 20% (severe stress) of available water and urea fertilizer was tested at five concentrations: 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg/L, applied as both foliar sprays and drench treatments. The results demonstrated that water deficit stress reduced chlorophyll concentration, leaf area, leaf number, transpiration rate, photosynthesis rate, flower number, flower diameter, and flower longevity, while increasing water use efficiency. Further urea application significantly improved chlorophyll concentration, leaf area, leaf number, transpiration rate, photosynthesis rate, WUE (25.96%), flower diameter, flower longevity under all irrigation levels while the effect of urea on flower number was insignificant at any irrigation level. Generally, the findings highlighted that urea application, particularly at a concentration of 300 mg/L, by mitigating the negative effects of water deficit stress on transpiration and increasing photosynthesis and ultimately increasing plant biomass production enhanced water use efficiency, regardless of the application method.

Keywords

Marigold

limited irrigation

urea

transpiration

water use efficiency

Subjects