Effect of nitrogen form ratio on pansy growth and nutrition and the palatability to white‐tailed deer

Abstract

Pansies are one of the most popular annual bedding plants in the United States. Growth and uptake of essential nutrients as influenced by N‐form ratio was evaluated in pansy as well as what role pansy nutrition plays in the protection of pansy against feeding damage by white‐tailed deer provided by selected repellents. Plants were grown under three N‐form ratios: 100:0, 50:50, and 0:100NO₃:NH₄. Dry weight was highest for pansy treated with 100:0 and lowest for plants treated with 0:100 NO₃:NH₄ Mean quality ratings were 4.07 for pansies grown with 100:0,1.80 for pansies grown with 50:50, and 0.78 for pansies grown with 0:100. Potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn) content was lower in plants treated with 0:100 than in those treated with 100:0. Ammonium may have competed with these cations for uptake. Boron (B), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), and aluminum (Al) content was highest in plants treated with N‐NH₄. There was no significant difference shown in nutrient levels caused by repellent treatments. Feeding damage was shown to be affected by N‐form ratio only on Day 3 of the study. Of the three repellent treatments [Deer and Rabbit Repellent (Thiram), Deer Away purrescent egg spray, and no spray], Thiram provided the greatest protection to pansies over the study period.