YIELD AND QUALITY OF ROSE ‘MADELON’ AS AFFECTED BY FOUR IRRIGATION AND THREE SHADING REGIMES

Rose development under four irrigation regimes was investigated with particular emphasis on the effect of applied water stress on the quantity and quality of roses produced.
The total number of flowers, stem length, fresh and dry weight and vase life of the marketable flowers were recorded under four seasons.
Soil moisture deficit (SMD) and leaf stomatal resistance (LSR) were highly correlated under the four irrigation and the three shading levels.
LSR was very low and little affected by increases in SMD up to -50kPa, but above this level the sensitivity of LSR to increasing SMD was very clear.
When irrigation regimes based on different degrees of water stress were applied over a period of a year, no significant reductions were observed in the number of flowers produced.
However, under mild to moderate water stress (SMD up to – 100kPa and corresponding LSR up to 45 sec/cm) flower stem length was reduced.
Stem length of the flowering shoots was increased with increasing shade levels during Spring and Summer.

International Symposium on Water Quality & Quantity-Greenhouse

D. Chimonidou-Pavlidou

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1998.458.11