The effect of potassium silicate and mycorrhiza on the growth of chinese carnation (dianthus chinensis) under limited irrigation conditions

This study was conducted to determine the vegetative and generative development of the popular seasonal ornamental plant, Chinese carnation (Dianthus chinensis), under water stress conditions. The experiment was carried out over the course of one year (2024–2025) as a pot trial in the research and application greenhouses of Malatya Turgut Özal University, Battalgazi Vocational School of Higher Education. The research was designed as a controlled pot experiment, evaluating five different treatment groups: control (no application), 50% of ET with fertilizer, 100% of ET with fertilizer, 50% fo ET with mycorrhiza, and 100% of ET with mycorrhiza. In 2024, a total of 51 seedlings at the same growth stage were planted in pots. The experimental setup followed a randomized block design with five replications of homogeneous plants. Irrigation treatments were randomly assigned to blocks, and fertilizer applications were randomized within the blocks.Two different irrigation regimes were applied, and water stress was imposed at four-day intervals. To enhance plant resistance to water stress, potassium silicate and mycorrhizal fertilizers were applied once before the onset of stress. The control group received full irrigation without any fertilizer or water stress. Phenological data, such as flowering periods, were recorded throughout the experiment. At the end of the experiment, all morphological measurements were recorded. The parameters measured included plant height, branch diameter, number of shoots, number of leaves, leaf length, number of flowers and buds, flower diameter, fresh and dry weight, and stem diameter. The data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance and the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test. Findings indicated that the 100% fertilizer and 100% mycorrhiza applications yielded the highest values in terms of plant growth and biomass production. In particular, the 100% fertilizer application significantly increased plant height, leaf length, fresh weight, and dry weight. The 100% mycorrhiza application were seemed to perfome better in terms of leaf number and crown diameter. In contrast, the 50% dose applications, especially of mycorrhiza, were insufficient and limited plant development. The control group showed high performance in some quality parameters (such as flower diameter and bud number), highlighting the influence of natural soil microbiota. In conclusion, full-dose fertilizer and mycorrhiza applications demonstrated supportive effects on plant growth under water stress conditions. Therefore, in regions at risk of drought, the combined and balanced use of such applications is recommended. KEYWORDS: Water stress, mycorrhiza, fertilizer, plant growth, biomass, morphological traits