scholarly journals Copper-treated Plug Flats Influence Root Growth and Flowering of Bedding Plants

HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 941-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.M. Armitage ◽  
P.M. Gross

A copper hydroxide formulation (0%, 3.5%, 7%, 11% Cu) was applied to plug trays before sowing seeds of Impatiens ×hybrida L. `Accent Red', Pelargonium ×hortorum Bailey `Scarlet Elite', and Petunia ×hybrida Hort.Vilm.-Andr. `Ultra White' to investigate the influence of the formulations on ease of transplant, root growth, and shoot growth. These factors also were investigated in Cu-treated seedling plugs held past optimal transplanting stage. Root spiraling and seedling height at transplant were reduced for all taxa grown in Cu-treated trays, regardless of concentration, compared to seedlings from nontreated trays. Root weight and shoot weight responses to Cu treatments at transplant and at flowering varied among taxa. Mature heights of all taxa were unaffected by Cu treatment; however, flowering date was delayed for impatiens and geraniums transplanted at optimal time from Cu-treated trays. In general, petunias displayed little response to Cu treatment. Root spiraling was reduced and plugs were removed more easily from Cu-treated than from control trays stored for 2 weeks in the greenhouse, but flowering time was delayed for 12 days for impatiens and petunias and 21 days for geraniums, regardless of Cu concentration.

HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 744c-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian P. Gibbons ◽  
Timothy J. Smalley ◽  
Allan M. Armitage

Three biostimulants, Grow-plex (Menefee Mining Corp., Dallas), Roots 2 (LISA Product Corp., Independence, Mo.), and Root n' Shoot (Natural Organic Products International, Mount Dora, Fla.) were applied to transplanted plugs of Salvia splendens `Empire Red' and Begonia semperflorens `Varsity Pink' and `Varsity Brite Scarlet'. Root n' Shoot drench (0.78%) solutions at transplant increased root weight, but a 1.56% solution decreased root weight of Salvia, although shoot growth was unaffected. Root n' Shoot decreased shoot growth of Begonia, but did not affect root growth. Roots 2 treatments (0.25% or 2.00%) increased shoot weight of Salvia, but did not affect the root growth of Salvia or the root or shoot growth of Begonia. Spraying Grow-plex (0.78% or 1.56%) to runoff at transplanting and 2 weeks after transplanting did not affect root or shoot growth of Salvia or Begonia.


1992 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 1169 ◽  
Author(s):  
LD Osborne ◽  
AD Robson

The duration of inhibition of zinc uptake by chlorsulfuron was examined in wheat plants in a glasshouse experiment. Chlorsulfuron decreased shoot weight, root weight and zinc uptake. Plants that were treated with chlorsulfuron and adequately supplied with zinc partially recovered from root and shoot growth inhibition by 6 weeks and zinc uptake was recovering by 8 weeks. Plants that were seriously zinc deficient did not recover. In this experiment, potential grain yield was only reduced by chlorsulfuron when zinc supplies were inadequate. It is suggested that the recovery of plants from zinc deficiency may be the result of two processes; hydrolysis of chlorsulfuron with time removing constraints to root growth and functioning, and the release of root exudates from zinc deficient plants effective at mobilizing zinc from soil. In the field, chlorsulfuron is only likely to induce zinc deficiency and reduce yield in wheat where supplies of this trace element are marginal for growth.


1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 453 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Pinkerton ◽  
JR Simpson

The root and shoot growth of four tropical and two temperate summer-growing legumes were assessed when plants were grown in deep profiles of an acidic soil modified by additions of calcium carbonate. Species tested over three harvests were Desmodium intortum, Glycine wightii, Stylosanthes humilis (Townsville stylo), Macvoptilium atvopuvpureum (Siratro), Trifolium repens and Medicago sativa (lucerne). There were large and more immediate effects on root growth, particularly on fine root length, than on shoot growth. The species differed in their root responses to lime, the tropical species in general being more tolerant of subsoil acidity than the temperate species. There were marked differences between species in their responses when expressed as the ratio of fine root length to total shoot weight. The ratio of root weight to shoot weight showed much less variation with lime rate, and it is suggested that the ratio of fine root length to shoot weight is the better indicator of tolerance to subsoil acidity. S. humilis showed little response to lime at any time, and was notable for its length of fine root. Siratro grew well at first but later there was little increase in shoot weight or in length of fine root, although tap root weight increased greatly. Roots of D. intorturn, T. repens and lucerne were slow to penetrate beyond 55 cm depth. At later harvests the root lengths of these species and of G. wightii were highly responsive to lime. Agronomic implications of the results are discussed.


HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 701c-701
Author(s):  
Brian P. Gibbons ◽  
Timothy J. Smalley ◽  
Allan M. Armitage

Three biostmulants, Grow-plex (Menefee Mining Corp., Dallas, Texas), Roots 2 (LISA Product Corp., Independence, Mo.), and Root n' Shoot (Natural Organic Products International, Mount Dora, Fla.) were applied to transplanted plugs of Salvia splendens `Empire Red' and Begonia semperflorens-cultorum `Varsity Pink' and `Varsity Brite Scarlet'. Root n' Shoot drench (0.78%) solutions at transplant increased root weight, but a 1.56% solution decreased root weight of salvia; however, shoot growth was unaffected. Root n' Shoot decreased shoot growth of begonia, but did not affect root growth of begonia. Roots 2 treatments (0.25% or 2.00%) increased shoot weight of salvia, but did not affect salvia root growth or root or shoot growth of begonia. Spraying Grow-plex (0.78% or 1.56%) to runoff at transplanting and 2 weeks after transplanting did not affect root or shoot growth of salvia or begonia.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-141
Author(s):  
Bruce R. Roberts ◽  
Chris Wolverton ◽  
Samantha West

The efficacy of treating soilless substrate with a commercial humectant was tested as a means of suppressing drought stress in 4-week-old container-grown Zinnia elegans Jacq. ‘Thumbelina’. The humectant was applied as a substrate amendment at concentrations of 0.0, 0.8, 1.6 and 3.2% by volume prior to withholding irrigation. An untreated, well-watered control was also included. The substrate of treated plants was allowed to dry until the foliage wilted, at which time the plants were harvested and the following measurements taken: number of days to wilt (DTW), xylem water potential (ψx), shoot growth (shoot dry weight, leaf area) and root growth (length, diameter, surface area, volume, dry weight). For drought-stressed plants grown in humectant-treated substrate at concentrations of 1.6 and 3.2%, DTW increased 25 and 33%, respectively. A linear decrease in ψx was observed as the concentration of humectant increased from 0.0 to 3.2%. Linear trends were also noted for both volumetric moisture content (positive) and evapotranspiration (negative) as the concentration of humectant increased. For non-irrigated, untreated plants, stress inhibited shoot growth more than root growth, resulting in a lower root:shoot ratio. For non-irrigated, humectant-treated plants, the length of fine, water-absorbing roots increased linearly as humectant concentration increased from 0.0 to 3.2%. Using humectant-amended substrates may be a management option for mitigating the symptoms of drought stress during the production of container-grown bedding plants such as Z. elegans.


1990 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 451 ◽  
Author(s):  
FW Smith ◽  
WA Jackson ◽  
PJV Berg

Partitioning and net transfer of phosphorus between shoots and roots in the tropical forage legume Stylosanthes hamata cv. Verano during the development of phosphorus deficiency has been studied. Plants were stressed by either growing them in dilute flowing culture on continuously maintained external phosphorus concentrations that were inadequate for maximal growth, or by transferring plants of varying phosphorus status to phosphorus-free media. An external phosphorus concentration of 1 �M P was found to be just adequate for maximal growth of S. hamata. Phosphorus stress caused rapid and substantial increases in root weight percentage. It is proposed that this represents an important adaptive mechanism for maximising phosphorus uptake by S. hamata growing in phosphorus-deficient soils. Roots contained the minimum proportion of the plant's phosphorus content when root phosphorus concentrations were 8-10 �mol P g-1 root, and shoot phosphorus concentrations were 16-20 �mol P g-1 shoot. When tissue concentrations were less than these values, plants suffered from phosphorus stress and phosphorus was either preferentially retained by the roots or rapidly transferred from shoots to roots, reducing the growth rates of shoots, but permitting root growth to continue. Upon reducing the external phosphorus supply to plants whose root phosphorus concentrations exceeded 8 to 10 �mol P g-1 root, excess phosphorus was rapidly transferred from the root to the shoot to maintain shoot growth rates. The mobility of phospborus within the plant, and the apparent lack of any delay in transferring phosphorus from shoots to roots as phosphorus stress developed, represent another adaptive feature that is likely to be important to the successful growth of S. hamata in low phosphorus soils. When the phosphorus supply was limited, the plant's resources were directed toward maintaining root growth. Even extremely phosphorus deficient plants, in which shoot growth had ceased, maintained linear rates of root growth. These linear rates were related to the total phosphorus content of the plant. In the latter stages of phosphorus deprivation, linear rates of root growth were maintained by remobilisation of phosphorus from the older parts of the root system to sustain the phosphorus supply to the root meristems.


1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 685-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydha Salihu ◽  
Jeffrey F. Derr ◽  
Kriton K. Hatzios

Hydroponics and sand culture studies evaluated the effects of isoxaben rate (0.84, 1.69, and 3.39 kg/ha) and application type (root only, shoot only, and root plus shoot) on the growth of ajuga, wintercreeper, and dwarf burning bush. Similar responses were exhibited by the three species tested in both hydroponics and sand culture studies. Based on shoot weight reductions, dwarf burning bush was one to three times more sensitive than wintercreeper, which was the most tolerant of the three species, and ajuga was five to 20 times more sensitive than wintercreeper. Isoxaben applied to the root system at all three rates injured ajuga root tips and foliage and reduced root weight by approximately 40% and shoot weight by 20 to 30%. Isoxaben applications to ajuga foliage damaged the roots and leaves and caused over 30% reductions in shoot and root weights at the highest rate tested. Isoxaben applied to dwarf burning bush roots caused less than 20% shoot injury, reduced root weight by 8 to 18%, and reduced shoot weight by less than 10%. Application to dwarf burning bush foliage caused 20 to 30% injury, but only slight reductions in root and shoot weights were observed. No visible injury was observed in wintercreeper from any isoxaben application. However, root treatment reduced wintercreeper root weight by approximately 15%, and shoot treatment reduced shoot weight by 6 to 10% at the highest isoxaben rate tested. Application of isoxaben to both roots and foliage of wintercreeper resulted in similar reductions in shoot and root weights compared to root or shoot exposure alone. Shoot application to wintercreeper affected root growth, and root treatment reduced shoot growth.


1996 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward F. Gilman ◽  
Thomas H. Yeager ◽  
Diane Weigle

Abstract Dwarf burford holly (Ilex cornuta ‘Burfordii Nana’) fertilized with 22.1 g N/container/yr of nitrogen during production in the nursery generated more new shoot weight but less root weight after transplanting to a landscape than those receiving 14.8 g N/container/yr. Slicing the root ball at planting, compared to not slicing, resulted in comparable regenerated root weight but reduced new shoot number, new shoot dry weight and new shoot:regenerated root dry weight ratio when irrigation was not applied daily after transplanting. Although irrigation frequency did not impact total weight of regenerated roots into landscape soil, more roots grew from the bottom half of the root ball when plants were irrigated periodically after planting than when plants received daily irrigation. Plants irrigated other than daily produced fewer shoots and less shoot weight than those receiving irrigation daily after transplanting. When plants were without irrigation for 4 or 6 days in the first week after transplanting, those planted without the nursery container on the root ball were more stressed (more negative xylem potential) than those planted with the container still on the root ball. However, two weeks later, plants without the nursery container were less stressed due to root growth into landscape soil.


HortScience ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 1064e-1064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward F. Gilman ◽  
Michael E. Kane

Shoot and root growth were measured on Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis L.) Var. `Torulosa', `Sylvestris', `Pfitzeriana' and `Hetzii' 1, 2 and 3 years after planting into a simulated landscape from 10-liter black plastic containers. Mean diameter of the root system increased quadratically averaging 1, 2 m/year; whereas, mean branch spread increased at 0, 33 m/year, Three years after planting, root spread was 2, 75 times branch spread and roots covered an area 5.5 times that covered by the branches. Percentage of total root length located within the dripline of the plants remained fairly constant (71-77%) during the first 3 years following planting. Root length density per unit area increased over time but decreased with distance from the trunk. In the first 2 years after planting shoot weight increased faster than root `weight. However, during the third year after planting, the root system increased in mass and size at a faster rate than the shoots. Root length was correlated with root weight within root-diameter classes, Root spread and root area were correlated with trunk area, branch spread and crown area.


Weed Science ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 468-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Hartzler ◽  
Richard S. Fawcett ◽  
Henry G. Taber

Glasshouse experiments were conducted to determine the effects of trifluralin on root growth and mineral relations of corn seedlings. Root weight to shoot weight ratios of corn seedlings were positively correlated to concentrations of trifluralin in soil. Root length to shoot weight ratios, however, were inversely related to trifluralin concentrations. Phosphorous and potassium concentrations in shoot tissue were reduced 60 and 35%, respectively, by 0.25 mg trifluralin kg−1soil. Growth inhibition due to trifluralin was partially overcome by supplementing soil with nutrients.


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