Morphological, Physiological, anatomical, biochemical, and molecular responses of Aglaonema commutatum ‘Silver Queen’ to foliar application of whey extract

Abstract Aglaonema commutatum ‘Silver Queen’ is a common ornamental foliage plant valued for its adaptability and aesthetic appearance. This study investigated the effects of whey extract applied as a foliar spray at different concentrations and application intervals on growth, anatomy, photosynthetic performance, biochemical constituents, and genetic variability of Aglaonema silver plants. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions using three whey concentrations (250, 500, and 750 cm 3 /L) applied at one-, two-, and three-week intervals. Growth traits, anatomical characteristics, photosynthetic parameters, soluble proteins, soluble sugars, phenolics, flavonoids, and molecular markers were evaluated. The results demonstrated significant improvements in vegetative growth, root development, chlorophyll content, and leaf anatomy in response to whey application. The treatment of 500 cm 3 /L whey applied every three weeks produced the most favourable responses in several growth, anatomical, and photosynthetic traits, whereas 750 cm 3 /L whey applied every three weeks resulted in the highest accumulation of soluble proteins, soluble sugars, phenolics, and flavonoids. RAPD analysis revealed detectable polymorphism among treatments, indicating treatment-associated genetic variability. The findings suggest that whey extract can serve as an environmentally friendly bio stimulant for enhancing the physiological and biochemical performance of Aglaonema silver plants.