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- Author or Editor: Susan M. Stieve* x
- HortScience x
Seeds of herbaceous ornamental accessions conserved by the USDA National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) are traditionally produced in summer field cages with honey bees (Apis mellifera) when pollinators are required. Efficient methods to produce high-quality seed in greenhouses may allow for year-round seed production. Flower quantities and effects of pollinators on number and weight of seed produced were studied in field cages and greenhouses at the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center in 2003 in a randomized complete-block experiment. Honey bees, bumblebees (Bombus impatiens), or blue bottle flies (Diptera calliphoridae) were used as pollinators. Field cages and greenhouse compartments with no pollinator were controls. Cultivars used were Antirrhinum majus `Gum Drop', Coreopsis tinctoria `Plains Bicolor', Dianthus chinensis `Carnation' (NPGS accession NSL 15527), Rudbeckia hirta `Indian Summer', and Tagetes patula `Jaguar'. Seeds were harvested, cleaned, weighed, and 100-seed weights calculated. On average Antirrhinum, Dianthus, Rudbeckia and Tagetes produced more flowers in greenhouses, Coreopsis produced more flowers in the field. Coreopsis and Rudbeckia produced more seed per flower on average with field pollination by honey bees, Antirrhinum and Dianthus produced most with bumblebees in the field, and Tagetes produced most with blue bottle flies in the greenhouse. Each genus had similar 100-seed weights on average in all treatments. Results show pollinators other than honey bees are useful for herbaceous ornamental seed production and that seed production in greenhouses may be an alternative method for seed production of herbaceous ornamentals.
Storage of quality herbaceous ornamental seeds is a primary concern of the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center, a USDA National Plant Germplasm System genebank. In Autumn 2005, 30 accessions, including 10 genera of herbaceous ornamentals, were evaluated for initial seed weight and viability using four replications of 50 seeds except for Begonia, which consisted of two replications of 500 seeds due to extremely small seed size. Seed lots were then recleaned using an Oregon Seed Blower; Begonia were cleaned using the rolling paper method where good, round seeds roll off vibrating paper held at an angle and shrunken seed do not. Heavy and light fractions of all seeds were saved, 50-seed weight calculated, and viability tested. Seed cleaning was assisted by Faxitron X-ray technology to identify the quantity of seeds with embryos in each treatment. Seed cleaning statistically increased the weight for 19 accessions including Actea, Antirrhinum, Oenothera, Penstemon, Ranunculus, Rudbeckia, and Talinum, where the heaviest seed were in the heavy fraction of recleaned seed. Seed weight for some Begonia and Tagetes accessions was statistically increased, while weight of no Petunia accessions was increased. Viability was calculated as the percentage of normal and dormant seeds. Seed cleaning statistically increased the viability of 10 accessions including Actea, Oenothera, Petunia, Ranunculus, and Talinum; seed lot viability was statistically increased for some accessions of Antirrhinum, Penstemon, Rudbeckia; no accessions of Begonia or Tagetes had improved viability. Results suggest that recleaning seed lots to improve seed weight and viability may be effective, but differences between genera as well as species within genera exist.
Selecting for increased postharvest longevity through use of natural variation is being investigated in Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon) in order to decrease postharvest chemical treatments for cut flowers. The postharvest longevity of eighteen white commercial inbreds was evaluated. Twelve stems of each inbred were cut to 40 cm and placed in distilled water. Stems were discarded when 50% of spike florets wilted or browned. Postharvest longevity ranged from 3.0 (Inbred 1) to 16.3 (Inbred 18) days. Crossing Inbred 18 × Inbred 1 yields commercially used Hybrid 1 (6.6 days postharvest). The F2 population averaged 9.1 days postharvest (range 1 to 21 days). F3 plants indicate short life postharvest may be conferred by a recessive gene in this germplasm. Populations for generation means analysis as well as hybrids between short, medium and long-lived inbreds were generated and evaluated for postharvest longevity.
Eighteen commercially used white Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon) inbreds, a hybrid of Inbred 1 × Inbred 18 (Hybrid 1) and an F2 population (F2) of Hybrid 1 were evaluated for stomatal size and density and transpiration rate to determine their affect on postharvest longevity. Stems of each genotype were cut to 40 cm, placed in distilled water and discarded when 50% of florets wilted or browned. Postharvest longevity of inbreds ranged from 3.7 to 12.9 days; Hybrid 1 and the F2 averaged 3.0 and 9.1 days postharvest, respectively. Leaf impressions showed less than 3% of stomata were found on the adaxial leaf surface. Inbred abaxial stomatal densities ranged from 128.2 to 300.7 stomata mm-2; Hybrid 1 and the F2 averaged 155 and 197 stomata mm-2, respectively. Transpiration measurments on leaves of stems 24 hr after cutting were made with a LI-COR 1600 Steady State Porometer. Statistical analysis showed inbreds were significantly different based on postharvest longevity, stomatal size and density and transpiration of cut stems.