<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><article>
  <title>Optimizing growth and flowering in petunia hybrida through biochar enhanced potting media</title>

      <doi>https://doi.org/10.21276/AATCCReview.2025.13.04.349</doi>
  
  <authors>
          <author>
        <name>Meghana S</name>
                  <orcid>https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4298-2186</orcid>
              </author>
          <author>
        <name>Shivam T. Bhatt</name>
                  <orcid>https://orcid.org/register</orcid>
              </author>
          <author>
        <name> B. M. Tandel</name>
                  <orcid>https://orcid.org/register</orcid>
              </author>
          <author>
        <name> G. D. Patel</name>
                  <orcid>https://orcid.org/register</orcid>
              </author>
          <author>
        <name>H. M. Patel</name>
                  <orcid>https://orcid.org/register</orcid>
              </author>
          <author>
        <name>A. P. Chaudhary</name>
                  <orcid>https://orcid.org/register</orcid>
              </author>
          <author>
        <name>Dipal S. Bhatt</name>
                  <orcid>https://orcid.org/register</orcid>
              </author>
          <author>
        <name>Alka singh</name>
                  <orcid>https://orcid.org/register</orcid>
              </author>
      </authors>

      <abstract><![CDATA[<p>This study, investigates the effect of biochar based potting media on growth and flowering of Petunia hybrida conducted from November 2024 to February 2025 at ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Gujarat, India. Evaluated the impact of seven potting media on the growth and flowering of Petunia hybrida. Seven treatments included T1 (Sand + Vermicompost + Biochar 1:1:0.1 v/v/v), T2 (Sand + Vermicompost + Biochar 1:1:0.2 v/v/v), T3 (Sand + Vermicompost + Biochar 1:1:0.3 v/v/v), T4 (Cocopeat + Biochar 1:0.1 v/v), T5 (Cocopeat + Biochar 1:0.2 v/v), T6 (Cocopeat + Biochar 1:0.3 v/v), T7 (Cocopeat + Vermicompost 2:1 v/v).  At 90 days, plants grown in Cocopeat + Biochar 1:0.3 v/v (T6) achieved maximum plant height (25.31 cm), number of leaves/plant (765.68), fresh weight of shoot (120.20 g/g/plant) and dry weight of shoot (12.25 g/g/plant), fresh weight of leaf (70.16 g/g/plant), dry weight of leaf (11.69 g/g/plant). Root measurements in T6 were also notable, with fresh weight (7.63 g/g/plant), dry weight (1.52 g/g/plant), longest root length (60.33 cm), root diameter (0.98 mm), and root count (30.53). While the maximum flower bud diameter (5.91 mm) and flower diameter (5.78 cm) were observed in T6. Additionally, T6 yielded the total leaf area (46.37 cm²), net assimilation rate (0.53 x 10-3 g m⁻² day⁻¹), and relative growth rate (1.935 x 10-2 g g⁻¹ day⁻¹). This treatment also showed the lowest root-shoot ratio (0.154), indicating its effectiveness for robust plant growth. This study demonstrates that biochar-based potting media, especially cocopeat + biochar (1:0.3 v/v), significantly enhance growth and flowering in Petunia hybrida.</p>
]]></abstract>
  
  <body><![CDATA[<div class="aatcc-article-container"><div class="aatcc-category-label">Original Research Article</div><div class="aatcc-meta-box"><div class="aatcc-authors-wrap"><span class="aatcc-author-item">Meghana S<sup>1</sup><a href="https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4298-2186" target="_blank">
                    <img decoding="async" src="https://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16.png" class="aatcc-orcid-icon">
                </a></span> <span class="aatcc-author-item">Shivam T. Bhatt<sup>2</sup><a href="https://orcid.org/register" target="_blank">
                    <img decoding="async" src="https://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16.png" class="aatcc-orcid-icon">
                </a></span> <span class="aatcc-author-item"> B. M. Tandel<sup>3</sup><a href="https://orcid.org/register" target="_blank">
                    <img decoding="async" src="https://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16.png" class="aatcc-orcid-icon">
                </a></span> <span class="aatcc-author-item"> G. D. Patel<sup>4</sup><a href="https://orcid.org/register" target="_blank">
                    <img decoding="async" src="https://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16.png" class="aatcc-orcid-icon">
                </a></span> <span class="aatcc-author-item">H. M. Patel<sup>5</sup><a href="https://orcid.org/register" target="_blank">
                    <img decoding="async" src="https://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16.png" class="aatcc-orcid-icon">
                </a></span> <span class="aatcc-author-item">A. P. Chaudhary<sup>6</sup><a href="https://orcid.org/register" target="_blank">
                    <img decoding="async" src="https://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16.png" class="aatcc-orcid-icon">
                </a></span> <span class="aatcc-author-item">Dipal S. Bhatt<sup>7</sup><a href="https://orcid.org/register" target="_blank">
                    <img decoding="async" src="https://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16.png" class="aatcc-orcid-icon">
                </a></span> <span class="aatcc-author-item">Alka singh<sup>8</sup><a href="https://orcid.org/register" target="_blank">
                    <img decoding="async" src="https://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16.png" class="aatcc-orcid-icon">
                </a></span></div><div class="aatcc-affiliations-wrap"><div class="aatcc-affiliation-item">
                        <sup>1</sup> Department of Horticulture, Research scholar, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat 396450, India
                    </div><div class="aatcc-affiliation-item">
                        <sup>2</sup> Department of Floriculture, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat 396450, India
                    </div><div class="aatcc-affiliation-item">
                        <sup>3</sup> Department of Fruit Science, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat 396 450, India 
                    </div><div class="aatcc-affiliation-item">
                        <sup>4</sup>  Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India
                    </div><div class="aatcc-affiliation-item">
                        <sup>5</sup> Department of soil science and Agril. Chemistry, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat 396450, India 
                    </div><div class="aatcc-affiliation-item">
                        <sup>6</sup> Department of Agril. statistics, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat 396 450, India
                    </div><div class="aatcc-affiliation-item">
                        <sup>7</sup> Department of Floriculture, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat 396 450, India
                    </div><div class="aatcc-affiliation-item">
                        <sup>8</sup> ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat 396 450, India
                    </div></div><div class="aatcc-doi-wrap">
            <a class="aatcc-doi-btn" href="https://doi.org/10.21276/AATCCReview.2025.13.04.349" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.21276/AATCCReview.2025.13.04.349</a>
        </div><div class="aatcc-abstract-section">
                <h3>Abstract</h3>
                <div class="aatcc-abstract-text"><p>This study, investigates the effect of biochar based potting media on growth and flowering of Petunia hybrida conducted from November 2024 to February 2025 at ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Gujarat, India. Evaluated the impact of seven potting media on the growth and flowering of Petunia hybrida. Seven treatments included T1 (Sand + Vermicompost + Biochar 1:1:0.1 v/v/v), T2 (Sand + Vermicompost + Biochar 1:1:0.2 v/v/v), T3 (Sand + Vermicompost + Biochar 1:1:0.3 v/v/v), T4 (Cocopeat + Biochar 1:0.1 v/v), T5 (Cocopeat + Biochar 1:0.2 v/v), T6 (Cocopeat + Biochar 1:0.3 v/v), T7 (Cocopeat + Vermicompost 2:1 v/v).  At 90 days, plants grown in Cocopeat + Biochar 1:0.3 v/v (T6) achieved maximum plant height (25.31 cm), number of leaves/plant (765.68), fresh weight of shoot (120.20 g/g/plant) and dry weight of shoot (12.25 g/g/plant), fresh weight of leaf (70.16 g/g/plant), dry weight of leaf (11.69 g/g/plant). Root measurements in T6 were also notable, with fresh weight (7.63 g/g/plant), dry weight (1.52 g/g/plant), longest root length (60.33 cm), root diameter (0.98 mm), and root count (30.53). While the maximum flower bud diameter (5.91 mm) and flower diameter (5.78 cm) were observed in T6. Additionally, T6 yielded the total leaf area (46.37 cm²), net assimilation rate (0.53 x 10-3 g m⁻² day⁻¹), and relative growth rate (1.935 x 10-2 g g⁻¹ day⁻¹). This treatment also showed the lowest root-shoot ratio (0.154), indicating its effectiveness for robust plant growth. This study demonstrates that biochar-based potting media, especially cocopeat + biochar (1:0.3 v/v), significantly enhance growth and flowering in Petunia hybrida.</p>
</div>
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