Articles
EFFECTS OF FLURPRIMIDOL, PACLOBUTRAZOL AND UNICONAZOLE DRENCHES ON EUCOMIS COMOSA GROWTH
Article number
1002_59
Pages
439 – 443
Language
English
Abstract
Eucomis spp., often called Pineapple Lily or Pineapple Flower of the Asparagaceae family is native to South Africa. Eucomis bulbs are becoming more popular and are often forced in pots for indoor display.
As pot pants, however, control of stem elongation (stretch) is needed for many cultivars, especially in the comosa species.
The suitability of the anti-gibberellins, flurprimidol, paclobutrazol and uniconazole, substrate drenches to control growth of greenhouse forced Eucomis comosa bulbs were studied.
Eucomis comosa Innocence and Tugela Ruby were planted in April and grown under normal greenhouse conditions, drenches were applied in July when the flowerstalk was visible above the foliage but no florets were visible.
Plants were drenched at rates of 2, 4 and 8 mg/pot paclobutrazol, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 mg/pot uniconazole and 2, 4 and 8 mg/pot flurprimidol in a drench volume of 120 ml.
Both cultivars showed similar responses to growth regulator drenches.
Uniconazole drenches were relatively non-effective in controlling height.
Compared with non-treated controls, paclobutrazol drenches proved effective at rates 4 and 8 mg/pot with flower stems 29 and 41% shorter for Innocence and 31 and 29% shorter, for Tugela Ruby. Flurprimidol drenches were effective at all rates with the lowest rate of 2 mg/pot causing a height reduction of 31 and 29% for Innocence and Tugela Ruby respectively.
No negative effects or phytotoxicities were found in any drench treatments, and in all treatments little reduction in leaf length was noted.
As pot pants, however, control of stem elongation (stretch) is needed for many cultivars, especially in the comosa species.
The suitability of the anti-gibberellins, flurprimidol, paclobutrazol and uniconazole, substrate drenches to control growth of greenhouse forced Eucomis comosa bulbs were studied.
Eucomis comosa Innocence and Tugela Ruby were planted in April and grown under normal greenhouse conditions, drenches were applied in July when the flowerstalk was visible above the foliage but no florets were visible.
Plants were drenched at rates of 2, 4 and 8 mg/pot paclobutrazol, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 mg/pot uniconazole and 2, 4 and 8 mg/pot flurprimidol in a drench volume of 120 ml.
Both cultivars showed similar responses to growth regulator drenches.
Uniconazole drenches were relatively non-effective in controlling height.
Compared with non-treated controls, paclobutrazol drenches proved effective at rates 4 and 8 mg/pot with flower stems 29 and 41% shorter for Innocence and 31 and 29% shorter, for Tugela Ruby. Flurprimidol drenches were effective at all rates with the lowest rate of 2 mg/pot causing a height reduction of 31 and 29% for Innocence and Tugela Ruby respectively.
No negative effects or phytotoxicities were found in any drench treatments, and in all treatments little reduction in leaf length was noted.
Authors
P.M. Filios, W.B. Miller
Keywords
Eucomis, plant growth regulator, Topflor, Bonzi, Sumagic
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