Kirkuk University Discusses Effect of Biofertilizer and Growth Media on Damask Roses

The College of Agriculture discussed a Master's thesis titled:
"Effect of Azotobacter Biofertilizer and Growth Media on Growth and Flowering of Damask Roses (Rosa damascena)."

Thesis Overview

• Researcher: Zainab Abbas Fadhil

• Objective:
  Develop a nursery-based Damask rose production system using:

  1. Complete reliance on biofertilizers (avoiding chemical fertilizers' economic/environmental issues)

  2. Alternative growth media (replacing costly substrates with willow tree sawdust)

  3. Optimization of:

     • Azotobacter biofertilizer concentration

     • Sawdust decomposition impact on plant traits

     • Ideal Azotobacter-growth media combination

Methodology

• Tested various concentrations of Azotobacter biofertilizer

• Evaluated growth media mixtures containing:

  • Standard nursery soil

  • Willow sawdust (10% ratio)

• Measured growth parameters, flowering quality, and nutrient uptake

Key Findings

The optimal treatment combination achieved:

1. Highest values in all studied traits with:

   • 24g/pot of Azotobacter biofertilizer

   • 10% willow sawdust mixed with nursery soil

2. Significant improvement in:

   • Plant height and biomass

   • Flower yield and quality

   • Nutrient absorption efficiency

3. Demonstrated viable replacement for chemical fertilizers and expensive growth substrates

Significance

Proves sustainable rose cultivation through:

• Effective waste valorization (willow sawdust)

• Reduced production costs by ≈40%

• Elimination of chemical fertilizer dependency

• Closed-loop nutrient cycling via bacterial decomposition