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This study investigated the effects of concentration and application time of uniconazole as a spray for single- or double-pinched ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum L. `Holiday Cheer'). Concentrations from 5.0 to 15.0 mg·liter-1 gave adequate height control, except that 15.0 mg·liter-1 reduced height excessively when applied 8, but not 10, weeks after sowing. Increasing uniconazole concentration increased red fruit percentage when applied at 10, but not 8, weeks after sowing. These results indicate that the later application was beneficial and may lessen the overdosing problem associated with triazole growth regulators. Chemical name used: (E)-(S)-1-(4-chlrophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-pent-1-ene-3-oll(uniconazole).
One and two foliar spray and single-drench applications of uniconazole were applied to Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf.) Shinn (lisianthus) `Yodel Blue' to determine optimal concentrations for potted plant height control. A single uniconazole spray at 10.0 mg·liter-1 applied 2 weeks after pinching, two uniconazole applications at 5.0 mg·liter -1 applied 2 and 3 weeks after pinching, or a drench at 1.60 mg a.i. per pot applied 2 weeks after pinching gave equally good height control. At these concentrations, uniconazole was similar in its effect on plant height to daminozide foliar sprays at 7500 and 2500 mg·liter-l applied once and twice, respectively. Drenching with uniconazole at 1.60 mg a.i. per pot did not increase days to flower (DTF), whereas foliar spray applications did. Drenching did not reduce flower size, but increased flower number at time of harvest. Chemical names used: α-cyclopropyl-α-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-pyrimidinemethanol (ancymidol); butanedioic acid mono(2,2-dimethylhydrazide) (daminozide);(E)-(S)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-pent-1-ene-3-01 (uniconazole).
Manually and chemically pinched plants of 18 cultivars of Impatiens hybrids (Kientzler New Guinea impatiens) were compared to control plants to determine the effect of shoot apex removal on flowering, plant size, and branching characteristics. Either pinching treatment delayed flowering by ≈3 days compared with nonpinched controls. Pinching had no effect on plant height or fresh or dry weight. Plant diameter and form changes due to pinching depended on cultivar. Total branch count was increased by chemical but not manual pinching although both pinching methods affected mode of branching. The 18 cultivars of Kientzler New Guinea impatiens were best grown as 0.4-liter potted plants without the aid of pinching.
A study was conducted to characterize the morphological and physiological responses of four herbaceous perennial species subjected to two subsequent drought cycles. Lantana camara L. `New Gold' (lantana), Lobelia cardinalis L. (cardinal flower), Salvia farinacea Benth. `Henry Duelberg' (mealy sage), and Scaevola aemula R. Br. `New Wonder' (fan flower) were subjected to two consecutive 10-day drought cycles. Growth response, leaf gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured during the experiment. The morphology of L. cardinalis and L. camara was not affected by drought, while S. farinacea had reductions in plant height and leaf area and S. aemula had reductions in dry weight. Overall, plant growth and development continued even when substrate water content was reduced to 0.13 mm3·mm-3, which indicated a level of substrate water below container capacity was sufficient for greenhouse production of these species. The drought treatments had little effect on the photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) of Photosystem II. An increase in minimal fluorescence (Fo) was observed in S. aemula on the last day of the second cycle. Drought treatment caused increased leaf-level water use efficiency (WUE) at the end of the first cycle in L. cardinalis and S. aemula, but not in L. camara and S. farinacea. Plants of L. camara, S. farinacea, and S. aemula that had received drought during both cycles became more water use efficient by the end of the second cycle, but L. cardinalis did not.
Single and multiple sprays of uniconazole at 0, 5, 10, or 20 mg·liter-1 were compared with daminozide sprays at 2500 mg·liter-1 applied twice for height control of Dendranthema × grandiflorum (Ramat.) Kitamura (Chrysanthemum × morifolium Ramat.) `Puritan' and `Favor'. A single uniconazole spray at 20 mg·liter-1 applied 2 weeks after pinching or two uniconazole applications at 10 mg·liter-1 applied 2 and 4 weeks after pinching were as effective as daminozide for reducing height. Drenches of uniconazole at 0, 0.025, 0.05, or 0.10 mg a.i./pot were compared with ancymidol drenches at 0.45 mg a.i./pot for controlling height of `Bright Golden Anne'. Although ancymidol was more effective, a 0.10-mg uniconazole drench adequately reduced height.
Manually pinched plants of 18 cultivars of Impatiens hybrids (Keintzler New Guinea impatiens) were compared to control plants to determine the effect of apical meristem removal on flowering, growth and branching. Pinching delayed days to anthesis (first flower) of all cultivars, however, further delay in days to marketability (5 flowers open) was dependent upon cultivar. Plant area and fresh and dry weight were not affected by pinching plants of any cultivar. Cultivar influenced response to pinching treatments for plant height and plant width. Secondary branch number was increased by approximately 3 branches for all cultivars when plants were pinched. There were interactions between cultivar and treatment for primary, tertiary, and total branch number. Measured improvements in plant form determined two cultivars, Sylvine and Thecla, should be pinched. Chemically pinching these two cultivars with dikegulac at 780 mg·liter-1 was comparable to manually pinching plants.
The objective was to determine the effect of substrate moisture content (SMC) during poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) greenhouse production on plant quality, postproduction longevity, and economic value. Two experiments were conducted, one in 2016 with ‘Freedom Red’ and the other in 2017 with ‘Christmas Eve Red’. Treatments included two SMC levels (20% or 40%) applied in four timing of application combinations. Total production (TP) time was 14 (2016) or 12 (2017) weeks in which vegetative production (VP) occurred from week 33 (2016) or 35 (2017) to week 39 and reproductive production (RP) continued from week 40 to 47. The four timing of application treatments were 40/40 = TP at 40% SMC; 20/40 = VP at 20% + RP at 40%; 40/20 = VP at 40% + RP at 20%; 20/20 = TP at 20% SMC. After simulated shipping in the dark, plants were evaluated in a simulated retail environment with two packaging treatments: no sleeve covering or plastic perforated plant sleeves covering container and plant. At the end of greenhouse production, plants grown in 20% SMC during RP (20/20 and 40/20) had shorter bract internode length, stem length, and smaller growth index (GI), decreased shoot and root dry weight (DW), and bract and leaf surface area compared with those in 40% SMC during RP (40/40 and 20/40). Photosynthetic rate was higher when plants were watered at 40% SMC regardless of production stage compared with those in 20% SMC. Leaf thickness, petiole thickness, total bract and leaf number were unaffected by SMC treatments. Plants in 20% SMC during RP (20/20 or 40/20) had earlier bract coloring despite days to anthesis being the same for all SMC treatments. Compared with 40/40, 40/20, and 20/20 could save 44.2% or 43.6%, respectively, irrigation and fertilizer usage, and 39.1% and 47.8%, respectively, labor time. During postharvest, ethylene concentration was unaffected by packaging method. Sleeved plants, regardless of SMC treatment, received lower light intensity in the middle of the plant canopy, causing plants to have lower total leaf number due to abscission and SPAD reading at the end of postproduction. The 40/40 treatment abscised more bracts during five weeks (in 2016) of postproduction and with no sleeve had higher number of bracts with bract edge burn (BEB). In summary, reducing SMC to 20% during TP or RP reduced water usage during production and produced more compact plants with increased postproduction quality.
Retail environments are rarely optimal for ornamental plants, and wilting caused by water stress is a major cause of postproduction shrinkage. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of two levels of substrate moisture content (SMC) applied during greenhouse production on angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia) ‘Angelface Blue’ and heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens) ‘Simply Scentsational’ growth and physiological parameters and subsequent postproduction quality during simulated retail conditions. At the end of production, angelonia total plant shoot dry weight (DW) was reduced with 20% SMC compared with 40% SMC, and plants grown with 20% SMC had higher shoot coloring percentage, reduced internode length, and required less irrigation labor–related costs compared with 40% SMC. Heliotrope grown at 20% SMC produced the same size plant as 40% SMC, but had a higher shoot coloring percentage at the end of production and postproduction, indicating lower SMC resulted in higher visual quality compared with 40% SMC. For both species, 20% SMC increased plant visual quality compared with 40% SMC and reduced irrigation water input throughout production, resulting in reduced production costs and increased floral crop economic value.
The objective was to distinguish between series of cultivars of Pelargonium xhortorum (zonal geranium), Pelargonium hybrids (seed geranium), and Pelargonium peltatum (ivy leaf geranium) using DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF) demonstrating the utility of DAF for patent protection to prevent infringement of inventor's rights. Leaf tissue of 10 plants of each cultivar of seedling geranium was bulked for DNA extraction, and cutting and ivy geranium cultivars were bulks of five plants of each cultivar. Isolated DNA from different cultivars of a series were bulked together in their respective series. Seedling geranium series included Dynamo, Glamour, Multibloom, Orbit, Pinto, and Ringo 2000. Cutting geranium series included Designer and Showcase. Ivy geraniums were from the Guillou group. Amplification was with one of two octamer primers, followed by reamplifying with one of four different mini hairpin primers. Gels were visually scored for presence or absence of bands. The four primers generated 336 bands. The average number of bands (_1000 bp) per primer was 40. Twenty percent of bands were polymorphic and distinguished between each series of cultivars. Genetic relationships were evaluated by SAHN cluster analysis based on the distance estimator of Dice using the NTSYS-pc program (Numerical taxonomy and multivariate analysis system, version 1.8). Series were grouped according to species. Seedling geraniums were in one large group, the two cutting geraniums were grouped together and the ivy leaf geraniums were a separate branch.