PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES, GROWTH AND FLOWERING RESPONSES OF CURCUMA ALISMATIFOLIA ‘CHIANGMAI PINK’ TO SHADING

The plant growth and flower development of Curcuma alismatifolia was strongly affected by the different levels of shading.
Decreasing light intensity produced taller plants with longer flower stalk whereas increasing the light intensity produces more compact plants with shorter flower stalks.
Cultivating Curcuma alismatifolia as a potted plant can be best achieved with 0% shade and 30% shade where the plant height is at a suitable range of 39.08 cm and 58.39 cm.
However, data obtained showed that the optimum shade level for potted plant production of Curcuma alismatifolia is best at 30% shade as days for shoot to emerge were shortened, buds were noticeable earliest and flowering was the fastest as compared to control (0% shade). Flower last longer at 43 d as compared to 50% shade and 70% shade.
For commercial production of this species as a new flowering cut flower, shading at 70% is highly recommended.
This is because at this shade level, flower stalk length of this species is long and it exhibits good characteristic for a cut flower.

XXVII International Horticultural Congress – IHC2006: International Symposium on Asian Plants with Unique Horticultural Potential

T.L. Abdullah, M.F. Ramlan, F.L.S. Chin

Curcuma alismatifolia, shading, net photosynthesis, light response curve, growth and flowering

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.769.67