Articles
CULTURE METHOD AND GROWING MEDIUM AFFECT GROWTH AND FLOWER QUALITY OF SEVERAL GERBERA CULTIVARS
Article number
548_44
Pages
385 – 392
Language
English
Abstract
Gerbera plantlets produced in vitro were transferred to greenhouse and grown for one year.
The plants were grown with two different culture methods: Substrate culture (closed system) and soil culture.
In substrate culture, the plants were transferred to the culture beds filled with four kinds of growing medium: Rockwool, cocopeat, perlite, and vermiculite.
PTG (Proefstation voor tuinbouw onder glas te Naaldwijk) solution for Gerberas (Sonneveld and Straver, 1992) was supplied for 5 min at one-hour intervals.
The nutrient solution contained NO3-N, NH4-N, P, K, Ca, and MG at 15.0, 1.25, 1.75, 7.0, 4.5, and 1.25 mmol·l-1 as macronutrients.
Micronutrients were composed of Fe, Mn, Zn, B, Cu, and Mo at 25.0, 10.0, 4.0, 25.0, 0.75, and 0.5 µ mol·l-1. EC and pH of the nutrient solution were daily monitored and adjusted to 2.2 mS·cm-1 and 6.0, respectively.
Plants in both culture methods were grown in a greenhouse in which air temperatures were maintained at 28±5°C/24±3°C (day/night). The first flower stalk formation in substrate culture was observed 50days after transplanting, while it was observed after 63 days of soil culture in both Ensophy and Estel.
Number of flowers per plant, flower height, flower weight, and flower diameter were also far better in substrate culture than in soil culture in both cultivars.
Rockwool leaded to better results in number of flowers per plant, plant height, plant weight, and flower diameter in ‘Ensophy’, while no significant differences were observed among growing media in ‘Estel’. Relatively smaller number of flowers per plant were produced in cocopeat in both ‘Ensophy’ and ‘Estel’. Ensophy showed black spots on the petals under high air temperatures in summer time, while other cultivars showed no such symptoms.
The plants were grown with two different culture methods: Substrate culture (closed system) and soil culture.
In substrate culture, the plants were transferred to the culture beds filled with four kinds of growing medium: Rockwool, cocopeat, perlite, and vermiculite.
PTG (Proefstation voor tuinbouw onder glas te Naaldwijk) solution for Gerberas (Sonneveld and Straver, 1992) was supplied for 5 min at one-hour intervals.
The nutrient solution contained NO3-N, NH4-N, P, K, Ca, and MG at 15.0, 1.25, 1.75, 7.0, 4.5, and 1.25 mmol·l-1 as macronutrients.
Micronutrients were composed of Fe, Mn, Zn, B, Cu, and Mo at 25.0, 10.0, 4.0, 25.0, 0.75, and 0.5 µ mol·l-1. EC and pH of the nutrient solution were daily monitored and adjusted to 2.2 mS·cm-1 and 6.0, respectively.
Plants in both culture methods were grown in a greenhouse in which air temperatures were maintained at 28±5°C/24±3°C (day/night). The first flower stalk formation in substrate culture was observed 50days after transplanting, while it was observed after 63 days of soil culture in both Ensophy and Estel.
Number of flowers per plant, flower height, flower weight, and flower diameter were also far better in substrate culture than in soil culture in both cultivars.
Rockwool leaded to better results in number of flowers per plant, plant height, plant weight, and flower diameter in ‘Ensophy’, while no significant differences were observed among growing media in ‘Estel’. Relatively smaller number of flowers per plant were produced in cocopeat in both ‘Ensophy’ and ‘Estel’. Ensophy showed black spots on the petals under high air temperatures in summer time, while other cultivars showed no such symptoms.
Authors
E.J. Hahn, M.W. Jeon, K.Y. Paek
Keywords
cocopeat, nutrient solution, perlite, rockwool, soil culture, substrate culture, vermiculite
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