Articles
THE RESPONSE OF ‘SUNDROP’ APRICOT SEEDLINGS TO SOILLESS CULTURE SYSTEM AND EXOGENOUS CYTOKININ APPLICATION
The objectives of these experiments were to study the adaptation of ‘Sundrop’ apricot seedlings to aeroponic and hydroponic growing systems, and to estimate what level of BAP would be appropriate for the main experiment.
Uniform seedlings with 70 cm height were used for the preliminary studies.
Seedlings grown under aeroponic system over 4 weeks more than 50% of the plants died and the remaining seedlings produced only small amounts of new roots and showed no increase in their shoot lengths.
Seedlings were transferred to a hydroponic system with 3 different levels of BAP (5, 10, and 25 ppm) applied in the flowing nutrient solution.
After 4 weeks, visual examination showed the high concentration of BAP (25 ppm) had caused root damage and resulted in death of the plants.
No visible root damage was observed with 5 ppm treatment.
Seedlings given 5 ppm BAP had also produced new shoots, but those treated with 10 ppm BAP had not increased their shoot length.
These studies revealed that the emergence of new roots in seedling apricot plants was slow at the time of transplanting into an aeroponic system, and suggested they were not able to supply the plants transpiration demand, so that more than 50% failed to acclimatize to the system.
The stage of growth and size of apricot plants, together with careful environmental control are key factors for the establishment of plants under soilless culture systems.