Franksred red maple (Acer rubrum `Franksred') trees were sampled from nursery fields in 2003 and 2004 to determine the cause of a common foliar chlorosis. Plots in 21 and 39 different nurseries were identified in 2003 and 2004, respectively. A single plot from each nursery was sampled in June of each year, whereas two to four plots per nursery were sampled in September. Each plot consisted of 20 consecutive trees in a single row. From each plot, a foliar tissue sample was analyzed for the complete range of essential nutrients. Plant height, stem diameter, leaf chlorophyll content, and a subjective plant quality rating were also recorded. From each plot, a soil sample was collected and analyzed for pH, EC, organic matter, and a range of essential nutrients. The foliar chlorosis was determined to be incited by manganese (Mn) deficiency. Tissue Mn was highly correlated with soil pH. Chlorotic plants were smaller with less stem diameter than nonchlorotic plants. Sufficiency ranges for tissue and soil tests were determined and are provided for red maple nursery production.
Leaf yellowing of excised Easter lily leaves was significantly delayed by application of gibberellic acids ≥250 mg·liter-1 or benzyladenine ≥50 mg·liter-1. Rapid development of foliar chlorosis following cold storage was delayed significantly by applying 500 mg·liter-1 of GA3 or BA before storage. Poststorage treatments were less effective. Development of chlorosis was associated with rapid loss of fresh weight and was not related to the aperture of the stomates (diffusive resistance). Respiration rates of leaves treated with growth regulators were significantly lower than those of the controls.'
Abstract
Unrooted cuttings of ‘Warneckii’ Dracaena were propagated in various media under mist or surface irrigated 3 times weekly. Cuttings propagated in German peat had more foliar chlorosis than cuttings in bark or calcined clay. Cuttings not receiving mist had slightly more chlorosis than cuttings under mist Foliar chlorosis was positively correlated (r = 0.95) with fluoride content
Yellowing of excised Easter lily leaves was significantly delayed by foliar application of gibberellic acids (GA3) ≥ 250 mg·1-1 or benzyladenine (BA) ≥ 50 mg·1-1. Rapid development of foliar chlorosis following cold storage was delayed significantly by applying 500 mg·1-1 of GA3 or BA before storage. Post-storage treatments were less effective. Development of chlorosis was associated with rapid loss of fresh weight and was not related to the aperture of the stomates. Respiration rate of leaves treated with growth regulators were significantly lower than that of the controls. Differences in the rate of carbohydrate depletion may explain the striking effects of growth regulators on the development of foliar chlorosis.
The effects of Promalin® [PROM; 100 mg·L–1 each of GA4+7 and benzyladenine (BA)] sprays on leaf chlorosis and plant height during greenhouse production of ancymidol-treated (two 0.5-mg drenches per plant) Easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum Thunb. `Nellie White') were investigated. Spraying with PROM at early stages of growth [36 or 55 days after planting (DAP)] completely prevented leaf chlorosis until the puffy bud stage, and plants developed less severe postharvest leaf chlorosis after cold storage at 4 °C for 2 weeks. When PROM was sprayed on plants in which leaf chlorosis had already begun (80 DAP), further leaf chlorosis was prevented during the remaining greenhouse phase and during the postharvest phase. PROM caused significant stem elongation (23% to 52% taller than controls) when applied 36 or 55 DAP, but not when applied at 80 DAP or later. The development of flower buds was not affected by PROM treatments. Although PROM sprays applied at 55 DAP or later increased postharvest flower longevity, earlier applications did not. Chemical names used: N-(phenylmethyl)-1H-purine 6-amine (benzyladenine, BA); α-cyclopropyl-α-(p-methoxyphenyl)-5-pyrimidinemethanol (ancymidol).
The effects of the duration of cold storage, as well as the concentration, timing, and means of application of a solution containing 25 mg·L-1 each of benzyladenine (BA) and gibberellins (GA4+7) on the postharvest quality of cut Asiatic and Oriental lilies (Lilium sp.) were evaluated. Depending on the cultivar, lower leaves began to turn yellow between 1 and 2 weeks after placing non-cold-stored stems in a 20 °C room illuminated 12 h·d-1 with 8 μmol·m-2·s-1 from cool-white fluorescent lamps. Leaf yellowing continued to progress upward until the end of the vase life. Cold storage (3.3 °C) worsened the leaf disorder, particularly, on the Oriental lily `Stargazer'. The longer the duration of cold storage, the earlier the development of leaf yellowing and the higher the percentage of leaves that were chlorotic. In addition, cold storage induced bud blasting, inhibited flowers from fully opening, and reduced the longevity and fresh weight of open flowers and the vase life of cut stems. Spraying leaves with a solution containing 25 mg·L-1 each of BA and GA4+7 significantly reduced cold-storage-induced leaf yellowing, bud blasting, and vase life of three of the four cultivars tested. The development of leaf yellowing declined with increasing concentration of BA+GA4+7. The susceptibility of `Stargazer' to cold-storage-induced leaf yellowing and bud blasting can be counteracted by a concentration of growth regulators higher than that which was effective for the other cultivars. Timing of the BA+GA4+7 application was not critical, as there were no differences in leaf yellowing or bud development when the solution was sprayed before or after the cold storage. Addition of BA+GA4+7 (0.5 or 2.5 mg·L-1 of each) to the preservative solution or a pulsed treatment in solutions containing 25 mg·L-1 each of BA and GA4+7 for 4 hours prevented leaf yellowing, but increased bud blasting. For practical applications, growth regulators can be sprayed prior to or after cold storage in order to improve the postharvest leaf and flower quality of cut lilies.
The development of greenhouse leaf yellowing in Easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum Thunb.) was significantly reduced by the application of growth regulator solutions containing gibberellins 4 and 7 (GA4+7) or benzyladenine (BA). Solutions containing BA alone significantly reduced leaf yellowing on plants caused by close spacing but were less effective than GA4+7. Application of BA alone, however, was not effective against root rot-induced leaf yellowing. When plants were treated with GA4+7 or BA + GA4+7 around the visible bud stage, nearly all of the leaves remained green until the end of the growing season. These growth regulators, however, increased the final height of the plants by 8–10 cm. The developmental rate and size of the flower buds, as well as the length of the pedicels were not affected by the growth regulator treatments. Thus application of these growth regulators greatly improved the quality of the leaves without compromising the quality and timing of the flowers. Chemical name used: N-(phenylmethyl)-1H-purine-6-amine (benzyladenine, BA).
Postproduction leaf yellowing of Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum Thunb.) can be prevented by using growth regulators. Solutions containing benzyladenine (BA) reduced the percentage of yellow leaves in cold-stored plants, but solutions containing gibberellic acid (GA3) were not effective. Treatment with commercial products containing GA4+7 (Provide) or GA4+7 and BA (Promalin) nearly completely prevented the development of leaf yellowing. Concentrations as low as 25 mg·L-1 were effective. Leaf yellowing was prevented by growth regulators only on leaves that had been treated, indicating that the growth regulators were not mobilized in the plants. Growth regulator solutions halted further development of leaf yellowing when applied to plants that already had some chlorotic basal leaves. This result suggests that growth regulators need not be applied preventively. Treatment can be delayed until chlorotic lower leaves are first seen on plants. The striking effects of growth regulators in preventing leaf yellowing did not affect the development and opening of flower buds.
Individual 'Stargazer' flowers lasted about 4.5 to 5 days and weighed ≈14 g. Addition of 2% sugar into the vase solution neither affected the longevity nor the size of the flowers but significantly enhanced anthocyanin content and, thus, the intensity of petal color. Defoliation of Oriental lilies, the common practice of retail florists, did not affect the opening, longevity, and size of the open flowers, but did result in lighter-color petals when placed in a solution without sugar. Addition of sugar to the vase solution counteracted the adverse effects of defoliation on petal color. Sugar in the vase solution did not overcome the increased bud blasting and the reduced longevity and size of flowers induced by cold storage. However, it enabled more flowers to open fully, which, without sugar, remained only partially open. Excised bud experiments revealed that bud size of 6.1 cm and 7.0 cm were critical for opening of non-cold-stored and cold-stored buds, respectively. Unlike other cut flower species in which flowers for long-term storage or long-distance transport are harvested at a tighter-bud stage than those intended for the local market, in 'Stargazer', harvesting of stems where the smallest bud is >7.0 cm would be critical in reducing cold-storage-induced bud blasting.
Senescence of excised Easter lily leaves is typically marked by a rise in respiration without a concomitant production of ethylene. Treating excised leaves with 500 mg·L-1 of gibberellic acid (GA3) or benzyladenine (BA) significantly delayed the onset of leaf yellowing, lowered the respiration rates by one-third to one-half, and markedly delayed the respiratory rise. Similar effects on respiration were detected in leaves treated with BA or GA3 before a 4-week period of cold storage and in leaves treated after chlorosis had initiated. Results of this study indicate that excised Easter lily leaves respond to the growth regulators with a significant decrease in respiration rate.