Articles
Effect of different mulching materials on growth, flowering, bulb yields and soft rot incidence of calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica)
Article number
1255_19
Pages
119 – 126
Language
English
Abstract
The effects of various mulching materials on soil temperature, growth, flowering, bulb yields and incidence of soft rot of calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica Wedding March) were determined in greenhouse conditions of Korea.
Mulching materials included wood chip (WC), rice hull charcoal (RHC) and perlite, with each material covered to the depth of 3 cm.
No mulching control was also added to the treatments.
The highest leaf number was recorded in RHC (12.2), followed by perlite treatment (11.5). Leaf length was greatest in RHC (142.9 cm), and floral stem length was highest in the perlite mulching (112.2 cm), which was longer than control by 7.3 cm.
The fresh weight of cut flower was highest in perlite and WC treatments (210.4 and 201.9 g, respectively), while 176.9 g in the RHC treatment, compared to 144.4 g in the control.
The yield of cut flowers, as expressed flower number plant‑1, was highest in RHC (5.1), which was about 38% higher than the control (3.7). Increment in the soil temperature was delayed by the mulching treatments: soil temperature in the control approached >20°C starting from the end of April and increased to higher than 25°C in mid-May, while in the mulching treatments about 20°C of soil temperature was achieved in mid-May.
The incidence of calla lily soft rot became obvious starting from May, which corresponded to the time when soil temperature substantially increased: the incidence rate was highest in the control (29.4%), while lowest in RHC (11.1%), followed by 14.3 and 15.4% in WC and perlite, respectively.
Bulb yield was significantly promoted by RHC and perlite mulches (270.5 and 247.0 kg 10 a‑1, respectively) compared to the control and WC (199.0 and 211.5 kg 10 a‑1, respectively). Therefore it is concluded that RHC mulching promoted the yield of both cut flowers and bulbs of calla lily, while soft rot incidence was considerably declined.
Mulching materials included wood chip (WC), rice hull charcoal (RHC) and perlite, with each material covered to the depth of 3 cm.
No mulching control was also added to the treatments.
The highest leaf number was recorded in RHC (12.2), followed by perlite treatment (11.5). Leaf length was greatest in RHC (142.9 cm), and floral stem length was highest in the perlite mulching (112.2 cm), which was longer than control by 7.3 cm.
The fresh weight of cut flower was highest in perlite and WC treatments (210.4 and 201.9 g, respectively), while 176.9 g in the RHC treatment, compared to 144.4 g in the control.
The yield of cut flowers, as expressed flower number plant‑1, was highest in RHC (5.1), which was about 38% higher than the control (3.7). Increment in the soil temperature was delayed by the mulching treatments: soil temperature in the control approached >20°C starting from the end of April and increased to higher than 25°C in mid-May, while in the mulching treatments about 20°C of soil temperature was achieved in mid-May.
The incidence of calla lily soft rot became obvious starting from May, which corresponded to the time when soil temperature substantially increased: the incidence rate was highest in the control (29.4%), while lowest in RHC (11.1%), followed by 14.3 and 15.4% in WC and perlite, respectively.
Bulb yield was significantly promoted by RHC and perlite mulches (270.5 and 247.0 kg 10 a‑1, respectively) compared to the control and WC (199.0 and 211.5 kg 10 a‑1, respectively). Therefore it is concluded that RHC mulching promoted the yield of both cut flowers and bulbs of calla lily, while soft rot incidence was considerably declined.
Authors
J.J. Lee, S.Y. Jin, D.C. Cheong, J.M. Kim, S.H. Guak
Keywords
calla lily soft rot, flower and bulb productivity, soil mulching materials, white calla
Groups involved
- Division Temperate Tree Fruits
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Division Tropical and Subtropical Fruit and Nuts
- Division Ornamental Plants
- Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers
- Commission Banana
- Division Horticulture for Development
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Plant Genetic Resources, Breeding and Biotechnology
- Commission Cultivar Registration
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Postharvest and Quality Assurance
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Temperate Tree Nuts
- Commission Agroecology and Organic Farming Systems
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