OBSERVATIONS ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND MORPHOLOGY OF VARIOUS COSTUS SPECIOSUS ´VARIEGATUS´ VARIANTS

Stem cuttings and rhizomes of Costus speciosus ‘Variegatus’ were irradiated at various doses using a gamma cell with a ⁶⁰Co source.
Irradiated explants were subsequently planted in sand beds and the variants were selected after one month of planting.
Eight variants were obtained from irradiated rhizomes and another six from irradiated stem cuttings.
They were propagated in polybags under 70% netting.
Besides producing various leaf colors and shapes, these plants also showed different growth performances from each other.
The variants with green leaves as well as those with a large portion of green color in their leaves were found to grow more vigorously than the variants with white leaves or those with a large portion of white color in their leaves.
Besides, variants with a uniform white color or with a large portion of white color on their leaves were more prone to a ‘burn’ effect especially at the leaf apex areas.
These variants were not able to survive after the subsequent replanting and eventually died.
In contrast, plants with totally green or large areas of green colour on their leaves were very healthy and did not show any ‘burn’ effect.

International Symposium on Greenhouses, Environmental Controls and In-house Mechanization for Crop Production in the Tropics and Sub-Tropics

S. Salleh, S. Shamsudin, Z. Ahmad, M.N. Basiran

Costus speciosus ´Variegatus´, variants, gamma irradiation, rhizomes, transplanting, stem cuttings

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2006.710.43