Abstract

This study verifies the influence of water regimes and potassium chlorate (KC1O₃) on photosynthetic rate, flower emergence and media moisture content of longan trees. The trees were grown in 150 liters lysimeter tanks filled with fine sand. The experimental design was a 2x2 factorial in completely randomized design (CRD) with 2 factors; 1) two levels of water regimes (well-watered and water deficit) and 2) two levels of KClO₃ at 10 and 0 g. The results revealed that the well-watered treatment produced faster days of terminal bud break than that of the water deficit treatment. The 10 g KClO₃ treatment induced 91 % flower emergence at 35 days after commencing the treatment, while the 0 g KClO₃ treatment had 82 % leaf flushing and had no flower emergence. Water deficit or KClO₃ treatments reduced the net carbondioxide (CO₂) exchange, transpiration and stomatal conductance rates. Moreover, the combination of well-watered and 0 g KClO₃ treatments gave the greatest values of the parameters. The well-watered treatment had higher volumetric water content in the growing medium and leaf water potential than the water deficit treatment, while for the 10 g and 0 g KClO₃ treatments had similar the media moisture content.

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