Effects of cold-storage duration on growth and floral development of dormant plants of Primula denticulata subsp. sinodenticulata in water culture

Dormant plants of Primula denticulata subsp. sinodenticulata with a bulblike stock diameter of 0.6-0.7 cm were stored at -1°C for 60, 120, 180, 240 or 300 d before being planted in clean water at 25±2°C and 50±10% relative humidity. Cold storage accelerated flowering of the bulblike stock of the plants, but the inflorescence longevity, scape length, number of leaves, flower diameter and inflorescence diameter at anthesis were decreased. However, the plant height and the number of florets in the inflorescence were not influenced by the cold storage duration. Dormant plants treated for 60 d showed the best ornamental value, while the plants with cold storage over 240 d showed significantly retarded growth of the stocks and decreased flower quality. Meanwhile, dormant plants of Primula denticulata subsp. sinodenticulata were adapted to water culture and grew well in the experiment. This kind of utilization for Primula spp. could be a good way to exploit wild resources of flower crops.