EFFECT OF FERTILIZATION WITH POTASSIUM AND BIOFERTILIZATION WITH YEAST ON THE TOLERANCE OF HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA L. PLANTS TO IRRIGATION WITH SALINE WATER

The present work was conducted during two successive seasons of 1999 and
2000 at the Agricultural Research Slation otking Abdulaziz Univ. at Hoda AI-Sham
area. Saudi Arabia to sludy the effect of using five levels of potassium (0.0, 18.0,36.0,
54.0 and 72.0 kg Klfed) andlor three concentrations of yeast (0.0, 0.2 alld 0.4%) on
plant height, number of branches and fruits per plant. fresh and dry weights of leaves,
stem, roots, sepals and fruits, anthocyanines and navones 01 Hibiscus sabdarjffa L
plants irrigated with saline groundwater {EC. 2.44 dSm'\ Soil application of K and
spraying yeast were done three times at 45,90 and 135 days from sowing.
Results showed that using K and yeast was very effective in enhancing all
growth criteria, anthocyanine and navones compared to untreated and Irrigated with
saline water plants. The promotion on the studied parameters was associated with
increasing K levels from 0.0 to 72.0 kg/fed and Yeast concentrations from 0.0 to 0.4%
.Meaningless increase of the investigated characters was observed between the
higher two doses of K and the higher two concentrations of yeast.
One can slate thai supplying Hibiscus sltbdarjffa plants grown under saline
conditions with K al54 kg/fed incorporated with spraying 0.2% yeast three times was
necessary for alleviating the adverse effects of watei salinUy on growth traits and
chemical constituents.