Influence of Environmental Parameters, Pinching, and Ethephon Application on Growth and Branching of Potted Stevia

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is an herb grown commercially for the extraction of intensely sweet-tasting, non-caloric, steviol glycosides produced primarily in the leaves and used as a sugar substitute. While most stevia production occurs as an industrial field crop, more recently, consumer demand for stevia for home gardens and patio containers has increased. Research on how environmental inputs impact growth, branching, and flowering of stevia under greenhouse conditions for potted plant production is currently lacking. A series of experiments was conducted to quantify how methods to promote branching, fertilizer concentration, photoperiod and temperature impact branch production, growth and development, and flowering of stevia. Both manual decapitation and ethephon application increased lateral branch production, though hard pinching (cutting plants back to leave four nodes) yielded a more desirable plant architecture. Neither temperature nor fertilizer concentration impacted the number of branches produced by plants given a hard pinch. Shoot dry biomass was similar at fertilizer concentrations (applied at each watering) of 50, 100, and 200 mg⋅L−1 N, but decreased at 300 or 400 mg⋅L−1 N. Stevia responded to photoperiod as a facultative short-day plant, with earliest flowering occurring, both in days to flower and the number of nodes produced before flowering, at photoperiods <13 hours. The number of nodes produced on the longest branch increased as temperature increased from 17 to 26 °C. Plant height and longest branch length were shorter at 17 °C than at higher temperatures. The results of these studies indicate that for potted plant production, stevia should be grown under a photoperiod of 14 hours or longer with moderate nutrient levels, a minimum temperature of 20 °C, and plants should receive one or more manual pinches to promote branching.

Transformation of Zinnia elegans Jacq. as an ornamental potted plant by daminozide application

Zinnia elegans Jacq. is one of the ornamental plants potential to be used as a potted ornamental plants. The problem to be resolved is the size of the plant can reach 1 m, so it is necessary to modify the plant height into 20 cm to 25 cm using retardant (plant growth regulator), called daminozide. The purpose of this study was to determine the best concentration and soaking time using daminozide to inhibit the growth of zinnia. The research was conducted at Mangkuyudan 57, Yogyakarta. This research was arranged in a factorial design with 3 blocks as replication. Different concentrations of daminozide were used as first factor with three levels (1 g.L-1, 2 g.L-1, and 3 g.L-1) and soaking times were used as the second factor (12 h, 24 h, and 36 h). The data were analyzed using analysis of variance and continued with HSD-Tukey at the α = 5 %. The results showed that there were an interaction between daminozide concentration and soaking time in the height of Z. elegans. There were also positive correlation between plant height, number of flower, and flowering period. The best combination of daminozide concentration and soaking times were 2 g.L-1 and 12 h. This treatment gave the best height that fit to the criteria of a potted plant which was 20.08 cm. However, it reduced flower’s diameter, number of flowers, and canopy’s size.

Location of Plant Leaf Maladies Utilizing Picture Division

Agrarian efficiency is tall on which economy exceedingly depends. Typically, the as it were for cause malady discovery potted plant imperative part during horticulture park, as have to one's name illness in plants are very normal. In case legitimate care is not grip in this zone, its justification genuine impacts on potted plant through which item quality, amount or efficiency is pretentious. For occurrence a malady called small malady could be an unsafe illness establish in pine trees in Joined together condition. Location of plant infection by way of a few self-activating advantageous because it diminishes an expansive production of checking in enormous ranches of riding crop, conjointly it recognizes the side effects of illnesses they show up on plant clears out. This venture presents a calculation for image break-up strategy which is apply for framed spot and classification of plant leaf maladies. It too frames study on diverse maladies categorizes methods that can be utilized for plant leaf malady discovery. Image break-up which is an imperative part for malady discovery in plant leaf malady, is done by use inbred reckon.

Phenology of Four Varieties of Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) in Greenhouses and Hydroponics for its Commercial Production in Mexico

Objective: To measure the phenology, morphology and development of four varieties ofPhysalis peruviana L. under greenhouse and hydroponics conditions, by effect of the ionicstrength of the Steiner nutrient solution for cultivation in Mexico.Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was conducted under a completelyrandom design with factorial arrangement, the treatments evaluated resulted from thecombination of the levels of the variety factor (Colombia, Sacha, Chiclayo and Modified)with the levels of the ionic strength of the Steiner nutrient solution (50, 100 and 150%),and the experimental unit was a potted plant. For phenology each phase was recorded inthe plants, SPAD readings were taken in the vegetative stage, for diameter and heightseveral samples were taken, and pH and electrical conductivity were accomplished onstems and petioles of shoots of each treatment. An analysis of variance and thecomparison of means per Tukey (p ? 0.05) were implemented with the SAS 9.2 program.Results: The varieties under study showed differences in the time of occurrence of thephenological stages. SPAD readings, basal diameter, pH and electrical conductivity in sapwere affected by each factor except for the interaction. Meanwhile, plant height wassignificantly affected in the first 24 days after transplant (dat) by the combination of thetwo factors. Study Limitations/Implications: The results obtained are limited to the varieties, theenvironmental conditions, and the time when the varieties were evaluated.Conclusions: The phenology of each variety was not expressed at the same time in anyconcentration, as an early variety was given to Chiclayo, Colombia and Sacha, which arevarieties that in the concentrations 50 and 150% of the nutrient solution started harvestingat 99 dat.

Effects of a Gibberellin Inhibitor on Flowering, Vegetative Propagation, and Production of Rapid Generation Cycling Gladiolus for Potted Plant Production

Gladiolus (Gladiolus ×hybridus) is an asexually propagated, herbaceous perennial and an economically important cut flower crop. In commercial production, gladioli have tall flower stalks, which limit their use to cut flowers and annual garden plants. The gladiolus breeding program at the University of Minnesota has bred and selected rapid generation cycling (RGC) cycle 1 gladiolus, which can flower in <1 year from seed instead of the norm of 3 to 5 years (which are vegetatively propagated as corms). Gibberellin inhibitors, such as ancymidol, are used as plant growth retardants to control height in potted plants. Higher concentrations can inhibit flowering along with other negative side effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the growth, flowering, and corm/cormel production response of cycle 1 gladiolus to the gibberellin inhibitor, ancymidol (0, 100, and 400 mg·L−1 soak) in comparison with noncycle 1 genotypes and commercial cultivars for potted gladiolus production. Cycle 1 genotypes flowered with all ancymidol concentrations while noncycle 1 genotypes had significantly fewer flowers or were completely nonflowering under higher concentrations. All tested genotypes had increased leaf width as ancymidol concentration increased. Conversely, flower stalk heights were shorter as the ancymidol concentration increased while the number of stalks was nonsignificant. Corms, cormel number, and fresh weights decreased in all genotypes except for one cycle 1 genotype, which had an increase in both corm number and fresh weight when treated with 100 mg·L−1 ancymidol. Cycle 1 gladiolus are more resilient to this gibberellin inhibitor even at high concentrations and can potentially be used for gladiolus potted plant production.

Caladium bicolor (heart of Jesus).

C. bicolor is a dormant geophyte herb extensively commercialized in the horticultural trade around the world (Deng, 2012; USDA-ARS, 2016). It is often cultivated as an ornamental and potted plant and naturalized populations of C. bicolor can be found in areas within and outside its native distribution range (Madison, 1981; Govaerts, 2016). Currently, C. bicolor is listed as invasive in Trinidad and Tobago, Guam, Micronesia, Palau, Hawaii and the Philippines, where it is considered a species that is altering native plant communities by displacing native species, and changing community structures and ecological functions (Space et al., 2003; Herrera et al., 2010; PIER, 2016; Trinidad Biodiversity, 2016).

Pentas lanceolata (Egyptian starcluster).

Pentas lanceolata is a fast growing, small to medium-sized herbaceous shrub that has become very popular as an ornamental and potted plant due to its colourful flowers. It is adapted to grow in a wide range of environmental conditions and tolerates a fair amount of drought. P. lanceolata has been intentionally introduced into many tropical and subtropical regions from where it has escaped to colonize predominantly disturbed sites, open grounds and roadsides near cultivation areas. Once established this species may become dominant in some open areas and can form monospecific stands with the potential to outcompete and exclude native plant species and other early successional vegetation. To date, P. lanceolata has been listed as invasive only in insular ecosystems in Hawaii, Anguilla, Norfolk Island, Mayotte Island and French Polynesia. In Hawaii, it has recently been noted spreading across the Big Island; on Maui, it volunteers in scrub areas and steep banks.

Euphorbia tirucalli (Indian-tree spurge).

E. tirucalli is a many-branched succulent plant widely commercialized as an ornamental, hedge plant, potted plant and for soil conservation (Orwa et al., 2009; USDA-ARS, 2016). It has escaped from cultivation and once naturalized, it often grows forming thickets mostly in disturbed sites, abandoned gardens, deciduous forests, semiarid sites, and along roadsides (Little et al., 1974; PIER, 2016). This species grows very fast, and produces a lot of biomass even under very marginal soil and extreme climatic conditions (Mwine and Damme, 2011). In invaded areas, it is propagating vegetatively by cuttings and stem fragments (Little et al., 1974; PIER, 2016). Currently, this species is listed as invasive in Hawaii and Cuba (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012; PIER, 2016), but is listed as potentially invasive on many islands in the Pacific and in tropical and subtropical areas of Asia (Nguyen and Sosef, 1999; Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2016; PIER, 2016).

Euphorbia trigona (African milk weed).

Among the succulent, cacti-form Euphorbia spp., E. trigona is the most widely grown. It is widely commercialized as an ornamental, hedge plant and potted plant across tropical and subtropical regions. This species has the potential to escape from cultivation. In Cuba and India, where this species has become naturalized, it grows to form thickets in disturbed sites and abandoned gardens in dry and semiarid sites. It mostly spreads vegetatively by cuttings and stem fragments.