Begonia muricata Blume and Begonia serratipetala Irmsch durability as indoor pot plant in Eka Karya Bali Botanic Garden

Begonia is very popular as a foliage plant and some begonia species grow up in pots. Begonia serratipetala and Begonia muricata are Indonesian begonia species that are well suited as indoor potted plants because of their leaf color and shape. In addition, the Bali Botanical Garden's landscape nursery would like to use these begonias for decoration in all buildings. However, it still needs to be studied how long the shelf life of the two begonias is in indoor environments in the highlands without air conditioning (AC). The aim of this study was to investigate the indoor shelf life of B. serratipetala and B. muricata. This research method consists of two steps. The first step was the acclimation phase and the second step was the indoor placement phase. Each begonia was repeated three times. Parameters studied included plant growth (plant height, leaves, leaf width, and leaf length) and environmental factors (sunlight intensity, air temperature, and humidity). The data were analyzed descriptively. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between growth parameters and environmental factors. The result showed that both begonias (B. muricata and B. serratipetala) have similar persistence to indoor begonia species within two weeks, the ideal time for plant replacement

Daily Water Requirement of Container Grown Davallia bullata and Nephrolepis exaltata and Implication in Irrigation Practices

Container crop production has become increasingly popular, but daily water requirements of those crops from transplanting to marketable or harvestable stages are largely unavailable. To address this concern, daily water consumption of two container-grown fern species, Davallia bullata and Nephrolepis exaltata from initial transplanting to marketable size were studied using a canopy closure model. Daily actual evapotranspiration (ETA) of D. bullata ranged from 4.6 mL to 76.5 mL with an average of 29.0 mL per plant per day. The mean cumulative ETA was 13.2 L during 431 days of production spanning from 8 November 2006 to 4 February 2008. Two crops of N. exaltata were produced. Daily ETA per N. exaltata plant produced in crop 1 varied from 19.0 to 241.2 mL with an average of 69.5 mL, and daily ETA of crop 2 differed from 5.7 to 136.8 mL with a mean of 74.0 mL. Both crops had a cumulative ETA of 9.4 L. Such differences in daily ETA and cumulative ETA between the two fern species raised further concern of irrigation practices in commercial foliage plant production as multiple species are commonly produced in one greenhouse and share the same irrigation schedule. Comparing daily ETA and cumulative ETA values of the ferns with the other studied foliage plants indicated that daily ETA and cumulative ETA are species specific. Therefore, to improve irrigation efficiency, daily ETA and cumulative ETA values of major container-grown plants should be established. Implementing the research-based daily ETA and cumulative ETA in container plant production should reduce irrigation water leaching and runoff and conserving freshwater resources.

Consumer Response to Novel Indoor Foliage Plant Attributes: Evidence from a Conjoint Experiment and Gaze Analysis

A rating-based conjoint experiment combined with eye-tracking analysis was used to investigate the effect of plant attributes on consumer purchase likelihood for indoor foliage plants. The experiment assessed the effects of plant type (Dracaena marginata Lam., Guzmania lingulata, or Spathiphyllum wallisii Regel), volatile organic compound (VOC) removal capacity (high, low, or none specified), price ($10.98–14.98/plant), production method [certified organic, organic production (not certified), or conventional], and origin (in-state, domestic, or imported) on consumer preferences. An ordered logit model was used to analyze the data. Organic production methods, in-state origin, domestic origin, and high VOC removal increased participants’ purchase likelihood. Visually attending to the highest price point ($14.98) increased consumers’ purchase likelihood. Age, gender, child (<12 years), pet, relationship status, education, and ethnicity affected participants’ purchase likelihood for indoor foliage plants. Purchasing barriers for indoor foliage plants are also discussed. Results have implications for indoor foliage plant growers and retailers as they produce, promote, and sell their products.