ISSN 2756-3804
International Journal of Irrigation and Water Management ISSN 5423-5294 Vol. 2 (6), pp. 001-007, June, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Suppression of stem growth in pot kalanchoe ‘Gold Strike’ by recycled subirrigational supply of plant growth retardants
Seung Jae Hwang1,2, Mi Young Lee1, Young Hoon Park3, Iyyakkannu Sivanesan1 and Byoung Ryong Jeong1,2*
1Department of Horticulture, Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, South Korea.
2Research Institute of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, South Korea.
3Department of Horticultural Bioscience, Division of Natural Resources and Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 627-706, South Korea.
Accepted 15 November, 2014
Abstract
Effect of concentration of paclobutrazol and uniconazole supplied to the recycling nutrient solution in an ebb and flow system on the growth and flowering of kalanchoe cultivar ‘Gold Strike’ was examined. Plants potted in 10 cm (370 mL) pots were supplied with a nutrient solution containing 80 mL per pot of 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mgּL-1 paclobutrazol or of 0.125, 0.250, or 0.50 mgּL-1 uniconazole. Plants were irrigated five times during the reproductive short day treatment period. During each irrigation, the nutrition solution was filled to a depth of 2 cm above the pot base and was left for about 15 min before drainage to reservoir. The control treatment, a foliar spray of 240 mLּm-2 of 10 mg L-1 placlobutrazol or 2.5 mgּL-1 uniconazole was applied twice after pinching at one week interval. At all applied concentrations, plant size, flower stem length and stem diameter decreased as compared to the control. However, the number of florets increased in the treated plants. Results indicate that the subirrigational optimum concentration was 0.5 mgּL-1 paclobutrazol and 0.125 mgּL-1 uniconazole is comparable to foliar spray. Therefore, subirrigational application of growth retardants at lower concentrations could be used as an effective mean for suppressing stem growth. More uniform and environmentally sound application of growth retardants with the same effectiveness could be achieved.
Key words: Cuttings, Kalanchoe blosfeldiana, paclobtrazol, uniconazole.