Impact of Silicon on Vegetative Growth and Flower Production in Jasmine (Jasminum sambac L.)

Abstract

Background and Objective: Jasmine (Jasminum sambac L.) is an economically important ornamental crop valued for its highly fragrant flowers. Although silicon (Si) is not considered an essential plant nutrient, it has been reported to enhance growth, stress tolerance and yield in several horticultural crops. However, information on the specific effects of silicon on jasmine growth and yield is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different silicon concentrations on the vegetative growth and flower yield of jasmine plants.

Materials and Methods: A field experiment was conducted using one-year-old jasmine plants with heights ranging from 35 to 90 cm. Six silicon treatments (25, 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 mg L^–¹), along with an untreated control, were evaluated. Silicon was applied three times at 15-day intervals. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five replicates per treatment and each block consisted of 35 plants. Vegetative growth parameters, including plant height, number of leaves, number of branches and stem diameter, were recorded during the vegetative growth stage. Data were subjected to statistical analysis using Statistix 8.1.

Results: All measured growth attributes exhibited highly significant responses to silicon application. Silicon-treated plants showed marked improvements in vegetative growth parameters compared with the control. In addition, flower yield was significantly enhanced by silicon application, indicating a positive dose-dependent response within the tested range.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that silicon application significantly improves vegetative growth and flower yield in jasmine. Although silicon is not an essential nutrient, its supplementation proved beneficial for the growth and yield development of Jasminum sambac, suggesting its potential use as an effective growth-enhancing input in jasmine cultivation.