Nutrient disorders of Dianthus ‘Bouquet Purple’

The study involved growing 'Bouquet Purple' pinks (Dianthus sp.) in a silica-sand culture to intentionally induce and photograph symptoms related to nutritional disorders. These plants were initially provided with a complete modified Hoagland's all-nitrate solution. To induce nutrient-deficient conditions, specific nutrients were omitted one by one from the complete nutrient formula. Additionally, a boron (B) toxicity condition was created by increasing the concentration of boron in the nutrient formula tenfold.

Throughout the experiment, the researchers closely monitored the plants on a daily basis, documenting the sequential development of symptoms as they appeared. The study revealed that deficiency symptoms were observed in all treatments. Notably, deficiencies in nitrogen (N), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), and sulfur (S) were the first to manifest in the pinks. Interestingly, the study also found that there were unique symptom patterns for plants that were deficient in potassium (K), boron (B), copper (Cu), and molybdenum (Mo). This emphasizes the importance of tailoring the characterization of nutrient disorders to specific floriculture crops, highlighting the need for a species-specific approach in understanding and managing nutrient deficiencies in such plants.