AECHMEA (BROMELIACEAE) PRODUCTION IN A MILD-WINTER CLIMATE: IMPLICATIONS ON LEAF QUALITY

Bromeliad growers are getting necrotic spots in the foliage of diverse Aechmea cultivars, mainly under mild-winter climate conditions, which are often characterized by high air humidity during the night in the summer period.
Some spineless Aechmea hybrids are very sensitive in this respect (Londers, 2001). Not only genetic background, but also greenhouse climate takes part in the occurrence of the leaf damage studied.
In this paper, growth conditions under both a shade house and a closed greenhouse construction are compared, by analyzing different climate parameters during 24 h patterns.
This paper focuses mainly on humidity patterns, as the authors consider leaf turgor pressure build up under high air humidity as an initial condition for the studied leaf damage occurrence (Londers et al., 2003). Based on the results, we recommend that if bromeliads are grown under closed greenhouse conditions one has to take proper measures to lower greenhouse humidity during the night period.

VII International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates: Production, Pest Management and Global Competition

E. Londers, J. Ceusters, C. Godts, I. Vervaeke, M.P. De Proft, R. Deroose, P. Deroose

Climate registration, greenhouse type, humidity, leaf necrosis

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.659.100