Search Results

Photoperiodic lighting from lamps with a moderate ratio of red [R (600–700 nm)] to far-red [FR (700–800 nm)] light effectively promotes flowering of long-day plants (LDPs). Because of spectral controllability, long life span, and energy efficiency, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have emerged as an alternative to conventional light sources, such as incandescent (INC) and high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. We conducted a coordinated trial with five commercial greenhouse growers to investigate the efficacy of R + white (W) + FR LEDs, with an R:FR of 0.82, to regulate flowering of daylength-sensitive ornamental crops. The trial was also performed in two replicate greenhouses at Michigan State University (MSU). Ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum), calibrachoa (Calibrachoa ×hybrida), dahlia (Dahlia ×hybrida), dianthus (Dianthus chinensis), petunia (Petunia ×hybrida), snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), and verbena (Verbena ×hybrida) were grown under natural short days (SDs) with 4-hour night-interruption (NI) lighting provided by the R + W + FR LEDs or conventional lamps typically used by each grower. Two companies used HPS lamps, whereas the other sites used INC lamps. In addition, a natural SD treatment, a truncated 9-hour SD treatment, or a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) NI treatment was provided at three different sites. With few exceptions, time to flower and flowering percentage of the bedding plant crops tested were similar under the R + W + FR LEDs to that under the conventional lamps at all sites. At MSU, ageratum, dianthus, petunia, snapdragon, and verbena flowered earlier under NI lighting treatments than under 9-hour SDs. In addition, plant height and visible flower bud or inflorescence number at flowering were similar under the R + W + FR LEDs and INC lamps for most crops. Therefore, we conclude that the R + W + FR LEDs are as effective as lamps traditionally used in greenhouses at controlling flowering of photoperiodic plants.

Inflorescences of some moth orchid (Phalaenopsis and Doritaenopsis) hybrids can become very tall, which can pose shipping challenges for commercial producers and be unwieldy for consumers. We determined the efficacy of paclobutrazol as a foliar spray to inhibit inflorescence elongation of these genera and intergeneric hybrids. A single application of 15, 30, or 45 mg·L⁻¹ palcobutrazol at a volume of 0.2 L·m⁻² was applied to Doritaenopsis Miss Saigon, Doritaenopsis Andrew, and Phalaenopsis ‘Smart Thing’ grown at 23 °C to induce flowering. Applications were made after inflorescence emergence but before flower initiation (inflorescences were 1 to 2 cm long) or after flower initiation (inflorescences were 10 to 18 cm long). None of the paclobutrazol applications inhibited total inflorescence elongation of ‘Smart Thing’ or Miss Saigon. However, paclobutrazol inhibited inflorescence elongation from treatment until first flowering of Andrew by 19% to 23% when plants were treated with 15 or 45 mg·L⁻¹ before flower initiation and 30 or 45 mg·L⁻¹ after flower initiation. One or more concentrations of paclobutrazol applied after flower initiation reduced the length of the internode between the first and second flower on all three orchid clones. Paclobutrazol delayed flowering only on Miss Saigon (by 2 days) and only when applied after flower initiation. Paclobutrazol application did not affect the number of inflorescences or flowers, diameter of the first flower, number of new leaves formed, or increase in leaf span. Growers are advised to perform small-scale trials with paclobutrazol solutions starting at 30 to 45 mg·L⁻¹ within 1 week of inflorescence emergence, although higher concentrations may be appropriate for the most vigorous varieties. Furthermore, a late spray application can cause unwanted crowding of the flowers.

An increasingly popular technique for applying plant growth regulators (PGRs) to floriculture crops is to dip or soak the root medium of a transplant in a chemical solution before transplanting. This PGR application method, termed a “liner dip,” can be an effective height-control strategy for greenhouse crop production. However, few studies have quantified how bedding plant species respond to different chemicals and application rates. Argyranthemum (Argyranthemum ×hybrida ‘Sunlight’), calibrachoa (Calibrachoa ×hybrida ‘Callie Dark Blue’), petunia (Petunia ×hybrida ‘Cascadias Vivid Red’), scaevola (Scaevola albida ‘Jacob's White’), and verbena (Verbena ×hybrida ‘Rapunzel Red’) liners were dipped in paclobutrazol at 4, 8, or 16 mg·L⁻¹ or in uniconazole at 2, 4, or 8 mg·L⁻¹ for 30 seconds and subsequently transplanted into 4.5-inch-diameter round pots. At 28 days after transplant, all rates of paclobutrazol and uniconazole inhibited subsequent stem elongation by 21% to 67% in calibrachoa, petunia, scaevola, and verbena. In argyranthemum, stems were 33% to 42% shorter in plants treated with paclobutrazol at 8 or 16 mg·L⁻¹ or uniconazole at all rates. In some species, the liner dip delayed flowering and reduced flower number compared with that of nontreated plants. This pretransplant PGR application technique can be useful on vigorous ornamental species when grown together in the same container with less aggressive species without a PGR application.

When the natural daylength is short, commercial growers of ornamental long-day plants (LDP) often provide low-intensity lighting to more rapidly and uniformly induce flowering. Incandescent (INC) lamps have been traditionally used for photoperiodic lighting because their spectrum, rich in red [R (600 to 700 nm)] and far-red [FR (700 to 800 nm)] light, is effective and they are inexpensive to purchase and install. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are much more energy efficient, can emit wavelengths of light that specifically regulate flowering, and last at least 20 times longer. We investigated the efficacy of two new commercial LED products developed for flowering applications on the LDP ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum), calibrachoa (Calibrachoa ×hybrida), two cultivars of dianthus (Dianthus chinensis), and two cultivars of petunia (Petunia ×hybrida). Plants were grown under a 9-hour short day without or with a 4-hour night interruption (NI) delivered by one of three lamp types: INC lamps (R:FR = 0.59), LED lamps with R and white (W) diodes [R + W (R:FR = 53.35)], and LED lamps with R, W, and FR diodes [R + W + FR (R:FR = 0.67)]. The experiment was performed twice, both at a constant 20 °C, but the photosynthetic daily light integral (DLI) during the second replicate (Rep. II) was twice that in the first (Rep. I). In all crops and in both experimental replicates, time to flower, flower or inflorescence and node number, and plant height were similar under the R + W + FR LEDs and the INC lamps. However, in Rep. I, both petunia cultivars developed more nodes and flowering was delayed under the R + W LEDs compared with the INC or R + W + FR LEDs. In Rep. II, petunia flowering time and node number were similar under the three NI treatments. Plant height of both dianthus cultivars was generally shorter under the NI treatment without FR light (R + W LEDs). These results indicate that when the DLI is low (e.g., ≤6 mol·m⁻²·d⁻¹), FR light is required in NI lighting for the most rapid flowering of some but not all LDP; under a higher DLI, the flowering response to FR light in NI lighting is apparently diminished.

In 1996 and 1997, eight cultivars of cold-treated field-grown Astilbe were grown in a 20 °C green-house with short days (SDs = 9-h natural days) or long days (LDs = 9-h natural days with night interruption with incandescent lamps from 2200 to 0200 hr) to determine how photoperiod influences flowering. Cultivars studied were Astilbe × arendsii Arends `Bridal Veil', `Cattleya', `Fanal', and `Spinell'; A. chinensis Franch. `Superba'; A. japonica A. Gray `Deutschland' and `Peach Blossom'; and A. thunbergii Miq. `Ostrich Plume'. Flowering percentage was highest (≥90%) for `Cattleya', `Deutschland', `Fanal', `Ostrich Plume', and `Peach Blossom', regardless of photoperiod. Photoperiod did not affect the time to visible inflorescence or flower number for any cultivar studied. The time from visible inflorescence to first flower took 27 to 36 days, irrespective of photoperiod. Time to flower varied by cultivar; `Deutschland' was the earliest to flower (31 to 41 days) and `Superba' was the last to flower (51 to 70 days). `Fanal' and `Ostrich Plume' flowered slightly but significantly faster (by 1 to 6 days) under LDs than SDs. For five cultivars, the inflorescence was taller under LDs than SDs. All cultivars reached visible inflorescence and flower significantly faster (by 1 to 15 days) in 1997 than in 1996.

Electric lamps are widely used to supplement sunlight (supplemental lighting) and daylength extension (photoperiodic lighting) for the production of horticultural crops in greenhouses and controlled environments. Recent advances in light-emitting diode (LED) technology now provide the horticultural industry with multiple lighting options. However, growers are unable to compare technologies and LED options because of insufficient data on lamp performance metrics. Here, we propose a standardized product label that facilitates the comparison of lamps across manufacturers. This label includes the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) efficacy, PAR conversion efficiency, photon flux density output in key wave bands, as well as the phytochrome photostationary state (PSS), red/far red ratio, and graphs of the normalized photon flux density across the 300–900 nm wave band and a horizontal distribution of the light output.