Aeroponic cultivation of chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium): Influence of electrical conductivity on morphological, physiological and yield traits

The present study investigates the influence of different electrical conductivity (EC) levels (0.5 EC and 1 EC) on the morphological, physiological and yield parameters of chrysanthemum grown under an aeroponic system. Significant differences were observed in plant height (V2 - 37.34 cm), stem diameter (V1 - 1.92 cm), number of leaves, internodal length, root length (V2 - 44.31 cm), root fresh and dry weight (V5 - 10.15 g), fresh and dry weight of the plant (V2 - 140.61 g), leaf area, transpiration rate, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, total chlorophyll content and biochemical parameters such as soluble protein content (V5 - 67.29 mg g-1), catalase activity (V5- 38.81 μg H2O g-1 min-1) and peroxidase activity. Flowering characteristics, including number of flowers per plant (V4 - 56.94 number), flower diameter (V3 - 6.62 cm), vase life and weight of cut stem (V3 - 5.53 g), were also significantly affected. The results indicate that the aeroponic system with optimized EC levels enhances growth and flowering performance in chrysanthemum.