EFFECT OF LOW INTENSITY LIGHTING DURING ROOTING ON PROPAGATION PERFORMANCES AND FLOWER PRODUCTION OF ALSTROEMERIA PLANTS OF DIFFERENT AGE TREATED AT LOW TEMPERATURE

After 2 or 7 weeks from start of rooting plants of Alstroemeria King Cardinal and Yellow King were treated for 5 weeks at 10°C at different light intensities (2 or 110 mmol x m^-2 x sec^-1) or maintained for the same period in a greenhouse (untreated plants). On 15 September planting was accomplished.
The plants were grown in a greenhouse until 30 June of the following year.
Data on rooting, growth of rooted plants and on flowering during cultivation were recorded. 90–100 percent of 7-week plants rooted.
Among the 2-week plants the percentage of rooting was the highest on untreated plants (87.9–100 %), the lowest on cold treated plants lighted at low intensity (25.8–29.1 %). Growth of shoots and roots was higher on 7-week than on 2-week plants.
Cold treated high lighted plants showed a growth similar to or higher than low lighted ones.
Growth of untreated plants was always high.
Cut flower production was not affected by different treatments in King Cardinal, in Yellow King all the cold treated plants showed better results than untreated ones.
On both cultivars stem grade was positively influenced by the cold treatment, irrespectively of the different modalities of it.
Flowering was late on untreated plants of both cultivars.
High intensity lighting advanced (King Cardinal) or delayed (Yellow King) a little the start of flowering of cold treated plants.
A protocol for the plant management suitable to achieve early flowering with repeated one-year production cycles is suggested.

XXV International Horticultural Congress, Part 6: Culture Techniques with Special Emphasis on Environmental Implications Physiological Processes in Plants

C. Cervelli, C. Mascarello, E. Farina

Alstroemeria, chilling, cold treatment, flowering, light intensity, plant management, plants age, propagation, rooting, temperature

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2000.516.12