Articles
Phosphorus-restriction as a potential technique to control Impatiens stem elongation
Article number
1104_2
Pages
9 – 14
Language
English
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of nutrition during propagation and after transplant on the growth and flowering of Impatiens × hybrida LSQUOSunPatiens Compact LilacRSQUO. Specifically, the possibility of using phosphorus (P) restriction as a tool to manage stem elongation was explored.
Unrooted cuttings were propagated with or without a complete fertilizer delivered through the mist system.
The rooted cuttings were then transplanted into a growing medium with or without an incorporated starter charge of a water soluble fertilizer.
After transplant, plants were irrigated with fertilizer solutions containing normal levels of all the essential nutrients except phosphorus which was applied at the rate of 0, 3, 6 or 12 ppm.
The lack of fertilization during propagation resulted in flowering being delayed by six days, but had no effect on total flower number.
The lack of a starter charge in the growing media at transplant reduced final plant height and delayed flowering.
Small differences in growth and flowering were observed when P fertigation was reduced from 12 to 6 ppm P. Differences were more prominent as P decreased from 6 to 3 ppm, while the largest effect on growth and flowering occurred when P was reduced from 3 to 0 ppm.
These results suggest that P-restriction can be effective for reducing stem elongation, but this technique might be difficult to implement commercially because of the relatively narrow range of P concentrations at which the desired reduction in plant height can be achieved.
Unrooted cuttings were propagated with or without a complete fertilizer delivered through the mist system.
The rooted cuttings were then transplanted into a growing medium with or without an incorporated starter charge of a water soluble fertilizer.
After transplant, plants were irrigated with fertilizer solutions containing normal levels of all the essential nutrients except phosphorus which was applied at the rate of 0, 3, 6 or 12 ppm.
The lack of fertilization during propagation resulted in flowering being delayed by six days, but had no effect on total flower number.
The lack of a starter charge in the growing media at transplant reduced final plant height and delayed flowering.
Small differences in growth and flowering were observed when P fertigation was reduced from 12 to 6 ppm P. Differences were more prominent as P decreased from 6 to 3 ppm, while the largest effect on growth and flowering occurred when P was reduced from 3 to 0 ppm.
These results suggest that P-restriction can be effective for reducing stem elongation, but this technique might be difficult to implement commercially because of the relatively narrow range of P concentrations at which the desired reduction in plant height can be achieved.
Authors
A. Justice, J.E. Faust
Keywords
flowering, growth control, growth regulation
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