scholarly journals Effects of Depolymerized Gellan with Different Molecular Weights on the Growth of Four Bedding Plant Species

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Piotr Salachna

New solutions allowing for the shortening of the growing cycle and improvements in plant quality are constantly sought in order to improve the efficiency of bedding plant production under covers. Biodegradable polysaccharides and their derivatives have become increasingly popular in horticulture as plant growth promoters. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of depolymerized gellan of different molecular weights (MW 56 kDa and 77 kDa) on the growth and physiological parameters of ornamental bedding plants Rudbeckia hirta L., Salvia splendens Sellow ex J.A. Schultes, Scabiosa atropurpurea L., and Tithonia rotundifolia (Mill.) S.F. Blake. The results showed that the application of depolymerized gellan accelerated flowering and stimulated the growth of all assessed species, regardless of MW. The plants treated with depolymerized gellan grew higher and had greater fresh weight of their above-ground parts, higher leaf relative chlorophyll content (SPAD; soil and plant analysis development), and higher stomatal conductance (gs). The use of 56 kDa gellan fraction resulted in the formation of inflorescences with the greatest fresh weight in S. atropurpurea. Leaves of R. hirta treated with this fraction showed the highest values of SPAD and gs. This study demonstrated that gellan derivatives of low MW may be used for the production of innovative plant biostimulants.

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 523b-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin James ◽  
Marc van Iersel

The quantity and quality of available water in the Southeastern United States continues to decline as demands on limited resources increase. Growers will soon be forced to comply with legal limitations on water consumption and limits on nutrient runoff from their operations. A lack of information on standard growing practices using alternative irrigation systems such as ebb and flow is hindering their acceptance and implementation. We are currently conducting a series of experiments to establish basic growing guidelines for the use of ebb and flow in the greenhouse in bedding plant production. In the third of these experiments, Petunia × hybrida Hort. Vilm.-Andr. `Blue Frost' and Begonia × hiemalis Fotsch. `Ambassador Scarlet' were grown for 5 weeks on ebb and flow tables with fertigation solutions (225 ppm N) containing three different levels of phosphorus (0, 50, and 100 ppm). Three soilless media were also used, which varied in their percentage content of vermiculite, perlite, pine bark and coconut coir. For both the begonias and petunias dry mass of the shoot was greatest in plants grown with higher levels of phosphorus. In comparison to plants grown with 0 ppm phosphorous, petunias and begonias grown with 50 or 100 ppm P were 44% and 25% greater in mass, respectively. However, begonias had 38% more flowers when fertigated with the higher levels of phosphorous while petunias flowered earlier with 0 ppm P fertigation solution. The electrical conductivity of the media did not change significantly over the course of the growing period, but the pH dropped by an average of 1 over the same time interval.


2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-171
Author(s):  
Richard O. Kelly ◽  
Zhanao Deng ◽  
Brent K. Harbaugh

Florida is one of the top wholesale producers of bedding plants, and in 2003 was ranked fourth in the United States in annual bedding plant production and fifth in potted pansy (Viola ×wittrockiana) and viola (V. cornuta) production. Evaluation of viola cultivars is vital for continued growth of the industry. We evaluated 66 viola cultivars in replicated class tests at the University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center at Bradenton from 2000-04 and determined the best-of-class for use in future trials to compare against new entries in the same class. In this report, we provide objective plant measurements of vegetative and floral characteristics as well as subjective performance ratings. Viola cultivars were grouped into classes based on growth habit (standard vs. creeping), flower color, and flower color pattern, and the best cultivar in each class was determined. Cultivars with an outstanding overall performance rating (combined foliage, flower, arthropod feeding symptom, and disease symptom ratings ≥5.5 out of a 7 high scale) for best-of-class selections were: (standard black class) `Sorbet Black Delight'; (standard cream class) `Velour Cream Splash'; (standard mix class) `Babyface Mixture'; (standard orange with purple, red-violet cap class) `Penny Orange Jump-Up'; [standard purple (dark), blue-violet with dark eye and light cap class] `Angel Violet Blotch'; (standard white class) `Penny White'; [standard white face with purple (dark), red-violet cap class] `Skippy White With Violet Wing'; (standard yellow class) `Jewel Lemon Yellow'; (standard yellow with blotch class) `Babyface Yellow'; [standard yellow/white face with purple (dark), blue-violet cap class] `Penny Classic Jump-Up'. Solitary cultivar entries (without comparison) with outstanding performance were: `Angel Frosted Yellow Blotch', `Angel Violet Duet', `Babyface White', `Eryln Purple Yellow', `Four Seasons Yellow With Pink Wing', `Gem Antique Apricot', `Gem Antique Pink', `Gem Antique Lavender', `Hobbit Bilbo Baggins', `Jewel Deep Blue', `Penny Azure Twilight', `Penny Beaconsfield', `Penny Cream', `Penny Orange', `Penny Orchid Frost', `Penny Purple', `Penny Yellow Jump-Up', `Princess Lavender and Yellow', `Princess Purple and Gold', `Rebel Yellow', `Sorbet Coconut Swirl', `Sorbet Icy Blue', `Sorbet Lemon Swirl', `Sparkler Purple Orange Face', and `Sparkler Purple Wing'. These cultivars would likely perform well in the southern U.S. or areas of the world with similar heat and cold hardiness zones.


HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 757D-758
Author(s):  
Stanislav Magnitskiy* ◽  
Claudio Pasian ◽  
Mark Bennett

Regulation of excessive vegetative growth is of importance in both field and bedding plant production. The goal of the study was to evaluate the effect of preplant seed soaking in growth regulators on the growth control of floricultural (verbena, salvia, pansy, marigold, celosia) and agronomic (cucumber, dill) crops. Seeds were soaked in water solutions of growth regulators of different concentrations ranging according to the crop from 50 to 1000 mg·L-1 for paclobutrazol, 1 to 10 mg·L-1 for uniconazole, 10 to 200 mg·L-1 for ancymidol, 100 to 5000 mg·L-1 for chlormequate chloride and dried at 20 °C for 24 h prior to sowing into plugs. In the first experiment, seeds of verbena, salvia, pansy, and dill soaked for 5 minutes in 50 mg·L-1 paclobutrazol solutions produced seedlings that were up to 43, 18, 30, and 22% shorter than the controls, respectively. Increased paclobutrazol concentrations and soaking time generally corresponded to a greater reduction of plant height, as well as delays and reduction in seedling emergence of all crops, except cucumber. In the second experiment, growth of marigold plugs from seeds soaked in 5 mg·L-1 uniconazole or 60 mg·L-1 ancymidol solutions during 45 min was associated with 23% or 6% plant height reduction, respectively. Soaking of marigold seeds in the solutions of chlormequate chloride did not significantly affect seedling growth. Increasing time of seed soaking in growth regulator solutions did not influence emergence of marigold seedlings. The height of celosia seedlings was only slightly reduced by soaking seeds in the solutions of all studied growth regulators. Results indicate that seed treatments with growth regulators might be useful in growth control of selected bedding plants.


HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 457B-457
Author(s):  
Jerry Maul

The demand for horticultural information from the OSU Extension Service is sought by both commercial fresh-market vegetable growers and noncommercial clients. Educational programs at the Demonstration Farm were designed to meet the needs of these two diverse groups. At the request of local growers, vegetable trials were established to evaluate the large number of new varieties that come onto the market every year. Since 1987, nearly 250 varieties of eggplant, melons, peppers, squash, sweet corn, and tomatoes have been evaluated for their adaptability to Douglas County's Mediterranean climate and growing conditions. Annual reports on the performance of the varieties are shared with county vegetable growers and Extension Agents throughout Oregon. Many of the vegetables for the trials are grown as bedding plants in the Demonstration Farm greenhouses. A greenhouse program was established to offer Master Gardeners the opportunity to participate in all of the cultural aspects of bedding plant production. This includes; seeding, transplanting, pinching, watering, and fertilizing. When planting season arrives, Master Gardeners help transplant the seedlings to the trial plots. An average of 40 Master Gardeners have participated in the greenhouse and trial program each year, since their inception in 1987. An average of 300 people attend the field days every summer to tour the vegetable trials. An outdoor gardening class, “Summer In The Garden,” is offered to the general public every summer. An average of five sessions are held in July and August on a variety of topics related to vegetable culture, pest control, and new varieties. The sessions are taught by the Horticulture Agent with the assistance of Master Gardeners. Attendance has averaged 25 students annually.


HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 776E-777
Author(s):  
Dharmalingam S. Pitchay* ◽  
Jonathan M. Frantz ◽  
James C. Locke

Currently, formulation of inorganic fertilizers is based on cation amounts such as NH4, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, MN Cu, and Zn, whereas anion species and amounts are viewed, with few exceptions, as necessary fillers. The delivery of cations in the nutrient solution is associated with an anion such as Cl, SO4, NO3, PO4 or CO3. These anions at higher concentrations can result in different growth responses by altering the rhizosphere pH, soluble salts, and influencing the uptake of both cations and anions. The impact of these anions has not been extensively studied in the formulation of inorganic fertilizers. Several experiments assessed the effect of SO4 and Cl on root and shoot growth and development of bedding plants represented by petunia, impatiens, and vinca. In all treatments, plant height, shoot and root dry weight, and flower number decreased with an increase in Cl concentration. Root morphology was marked by fewer total roots and shorter primary and secondary roots when grown with Cl anions compared to the plants grown with SO4 anions. This indicates that anions have a larger role in determining optimum fertilizer formulation than previously believed. This information provides an additional tool in formulating fertilizers for greenhouse bedding plant production.


2001 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 434-437
Author(s):  
Timothy K. Broschat ◽  
Kimberly A. Moore

Salvia (Salvia splendens) `Red Vista' or `Purple Vista,' french marigold (Tagetes patula) `Little Hero Orange,' bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) `Better Bell,' impatiens (Impatiens wallerana) `Accent White,' and wax begonia (Begonia ×semperflorens-cultorum) `Cocktail Vodka' were grown in 0.95-L (1-qt) containers using a 5 pine bark: 4 sedge peat: 1 sand substrate (Expts. 1 and 2) or Pro Mix BX (Expt. 2 only). They were fertilized weekly with 50 mL (1.7 fl oz) of a solution containing 100, 200, or 300 mg·L-1 (ppm) of nitrogen derived from 15N-6.5P-12.5K (1N-1P2O5-1K2O ratio) or 21N-3P-11.7K (3N-1P2O5-2K2O ratio) uncoated prills used in the manufacture of controlled-release fertilizers. Plants grown with Pro Mix BX were generally larger and produced more flowers or fruit than those grown with the pine bark mix. With few exceptions, plant color, root and shoot dry weights, and number of flowers or fruit were highly correlated with fertilization rate, but not with prill type. There appears to be little reason for using the more expensive 1-1-1 ratio prills, since they generally did not improve plant quality and may increase phosphorous runoff from bedding plant nurseries.


HortScience ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff S. Kuehny ◽  
Aaron Painter ◽  
Patricia C. Branch

Eight bedding plant species were grown from plugs obtained from two sources. The plugs were transplanted into jumbo six packs and sprayed with a solution of chlormequat/daminozide with concentrations of 1000/800, 1250/1250, or 1500/5000 mg·L-1 when new growth was ≈5 cm in height or width. Three different species were grown in the fall (Dianthus chinensis L., `Telstar Mix', Petunia ×hybrida Hort. Vilm.-Andr., `Dreams Red', and Viola ×wittrockiana Gams., `Bingo Blue'), winter [Antirrhinum majus L., `Tahiti Mix', Matthiola incana (L.) R. Br., `Midget Red', and P. × hybrida, `Dreams Mix'], and spring [Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don, `Cooler Pink', Salvia splendens F. Sellow ex Roem. & Schult., `Empire Red', and Begonia ×semperflorens-cultorum Hort., `Cocktail Mix']. The treatments significantly reduced finished plant size of all species for each season. There was a significant difference in finish size between sources for Dianthus, Antirrhinum, Matthiola, Catharanthus, Salvia, and Begonia. The efficacy of chlormequat/daminozide also differed for each source of Dianthus, Matthiola, and Begonia, but the treatments minimized the differences in finish size between sources for Petunia and Viola. Chemical names used: (2-chlorethyl) trimethylammonium chloride (chlormequat); (N-dimethylaminosuccinamic acid) (daminozide).


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 651-656
Author(s):  
Madeline W. Olberg ◽  
Roberto G. Lopez

Due to the high cost associated with constructing and operating a greenhouse, many growers have begun using alternative, low-input methods for bedding plant production, such as unheated high tunnel and outdoor production. Previous research indicates that bedding plant production in unheated high tunnels may be suitable for cold-tolerant species, but flowering is delayed compared with greenhouse production. To our knowledge, there has been no published research on the effects of outdoor production on bedding plant species. The objectives of this study were therefore to 1) compare the growth and development of 10 cold-tolerant and intermediate annual bedding plant species grown in an unheated high tunnel or in an unprotected outdoor growing area, 2) evaluate the effect of a 1-week acclimation period in the high tunnel before outdoor production, and 3) quantify the effectiveness of these production methods for producing high-quality bedding crops. Seedlings of ‘Antigua Orange’ african marigold (Tagetes erecta), ‘Hot Cakes White’ stock (Matthiola incana), and ‘Lilac Flame’ primula (Primula acaulis), and rooted cuttings of ‘Aloha Kona Hot Pink’ calibrachoa (Calibrachoa ×hybrida), ‘Royal Lavender’ regal geranium (Pelargonium ×domesticum), ‘Bella Oceano’ lobelia (Lobelia erinus), ‘Potunia Plus Red’ petunia (Petunia ×hybrida), ‘Phloxy Lady Purple’ phlox (Phlox maculata), ‘Summertime Pink Charme’ osteospermum (Osteospermum ecklonis), and ‘Empress Purple’ verbena (Verbena ×hybrida) were transplanted on 13 Apr. 2015 (week 16) into an unheated high tunnel or an outdoor growing area, or into an unheated high tunnel for a 1-week acclimation period before being moved outdoors. Average mean daily air temperature was 2.3 °C lower outdoors compared with inside the high tunnel, whereas average daily light integral (DLI) increased by 11.7 mol·m−2·d−1. All plants were delayed when grown outdoors compared with in the high tunnel, and all marigolds grown outdoors died in April when outdoor air temperatures dropped below −4 °C. When plants were acclimated for a 1-week period before outdoor production, all species, with the exception of regal geranium, were delayed by less than 1 week compared with those grown in the high tunnel. Stem length of all species grown outdoors was reduced or similar to those in the high tunnel, whereas biomass accumulation and branch number was unaffected or increased for most species. Overall, high-quality bedding plants could be grown outdoors, although development may be delayed compared with high tunnel production. Growers must be aware of the risk of crop loss due to extreme temperatures and plan for delays when growing annual bedding plant crops outdoors.


HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 533D-533
Author(s):  
Erin James ◽  
Marc van Iersel

The negative effects of nutrient runoff on the environment has come more to the forefront of greenhouse issues in the past few years. Alternative irrigation systems that reduce or eliminate runoff that are widely used in Europe have not yet gained much popularity in the southeastern United States, in part due to a lack of available information on their use. One such system is ebb-and-fl ow, which is a completely closed recirculating system, having no runoff whatsoever. In order to learn more about optimum growing practices using the ebb-and-fl ow system for bedding plants, marigolds and sunflowers were grown under a variety of conditions. After a 6-week period, pH of growing media of both marigolds and sunflowers decreased by 1, while EC increased by ≈1 dS/m. There were also significant differences in EC due to the different media types. The soilless medium with the highest percentage of vermiculite and lowest percentage of pine bark had the highest EC. Different types of fertilizer and fertilizer rates will be discussed, as well as interactions between fertilizer and media.


HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1481-1486 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Yvette Henson ◽  
Steven E. Newman ◽  
David E. Hartley

This study was conducted to evaluate the growth, visual quality, and stress response of 17 species of bedding plants and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) grown outdoors for 10 weeks during the summer of 2003 at three locations in Colorado. Plants were irrigated at 100% of the reference evapotranspiration (ET0) (amount required to maintain Kentucky bluegrass in an optimum condition) for 2 weeks followed by 8 weeks at five irrigation levels: 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% ET0. Begonia carrieri Hort. `Vodka', Lobelia erinus L. `Cobalt Blue', and Viola ×wittrockiana Gams. `Crown Gold' grew well with a minimum of 50% or more ET0 based on Kentucky bluegrass. Impatiens walleriana Hook. fil. `Tempo White' grew well only with 100% ET0. Antirrhinum majus L. `Sonnet Yellow', Dianthus L. `First Love', Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv. `Carpet White', and Pelargonium ×hortorum L.H. Bailey performed well with 25% to 50% ET0. The species Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don `Peppermint Cooler', Rudbeckia hirta L. `Indian Summer', Senecio cineraria D.C. `Silver Dust', Tagetes erecta L. `Inca Yellow' and T. patula L. `Bonanza Gold', Zinnia angustifolia Kunth., and Salvia farinacea Benth. `Rhea Blue', which are adapted to midsummer heat and low water, performed well with 0% to 25% ET0. Species considered to be heat or drought tolerant—Petunia ×hybrida hort. ex. E. Vilm. `Merlin White' and Glandularia J.F. Gmel. `Imagination'—required little or no irrigation. The bedding plant species evaluated in this study that required 25% or less ET0 are well adapted for low-water landscape installations.


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