EFFECT OF PROPAGATION METHOD ON THE GREENHOUSE PERFORMANCE OF GERBERA CULTIVARS (GERBERA JAMESONII)

Depending on the cultivar, plants propagated by cuttings began to bloom 2–4 weeks earlier than the micropropagated ones. The total yield of flowers of 'Brigitte' and 'Reym Rose' was higher when they were propagated by cuttings. In this case 'Brigitte' and 'Appelbloessem' produced a higher winter and lower summer crop than in the case of plants derived from tissue culture. During winter season, in vitro plants of 'Clementine' produced less cut flowers, and during the spring season produced more than plants propagated by cuttings. The method of propagation had no influence on the peduncle length of investigated cultivars. In vitro propagation adversly effected the inflorescence diameter of 'Brigitte', 'Reym Rose' and 'Peter'. Flowers of pink cultivars: 'Appelbloessem' and 'Reym Rose' propagated by tissue culture, had a stable colour throughout the investigated period. On the contrary, flowers of these cultivars propagated by cuttings turned lighter during the summer.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files)