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Zantesdeschia has been grown for cut-flower production for many years, but more recently it has been grown as a containerized plant. Problems with height control and disease, however, have limited Zantesdeschia production in warmer climates. Our objectives were to evaluate paclobutrazol and uniconazole on control of plant growth of three Zantesdeschia species and evaluate four preplant treatments for preventing Erwinia infection on rhizomes. Paclobutrazol at 1 mg a.i. gave the best control of flower height, foliage height, and plant width. After 20 d in a postharvest chamber, plants drenched with paclobuturazol at 2 mg a.i. and uniconazole at 6 mg a.i. were still suitable plants, plants drenched at 3 and 4 mg a.i. paclobutrazol remained short, and plants drenched at 2 and 4 mg a.i.uniconazole became tall and weak, with flower stems breaking over. Rhizomes were dipped in dimethylbenzyl ammonium chlorides, sodium hypochlorite, 4% formaldehyde, or streptomycin. Streptomycin provided the best control against Erwinia infection followed by formaldehyde. Dimethylbenzyl ammonium chlorides and sodium chloride provided the poorest protection.
Dimethyl ammonium chloride (DAC, `Triathlon'), sodium hypochlorite, formaldehyde, and streptomycin (`Agri-mycin 17') were used as dips to treat Zantedeschia rehmannii superba Engl., Zantedeschia elliotiana ×maculata (Hook.) Engl., and Zantedeschia albomaculata (W.Wats.) Baill. rhizomes to control Erwinia soft rot. A 30 min 200 ppm (mg·L−1) streptomycin dip provided the best control of Erwinia soft rot for all three Zantedeschia species and a 1-hour 10% formaldehyde dip provided the second best control of inoculated rhizomes. Rhizomes inoculated with Erwinia required more days to emerge. Chemical treatments did not affect days to emergence or final plant growth.