TUBER STORAGE, FLORAL INDUCTION, AND GIBBERELLIN IN ZANTEDESCHIA.

Increasing concentrations of Promalin™, containing GA₄₊₇, increased the proportion of buds flowering after each period of storage (6 months maximum), but higher concentrations were required to maintain a high level of flowering with longer periods of storage. This differential response of flowering with storage may go some way towards explaining the proliferation of wide ranging recommended application rates of Promalin™, and other gibberellin containing compounds, within the grower community.

The continued differentiation of leaves from the apical meristem of shoots which did not flower, together with data collected during microscopic examination, was interpreted as suggesting that the reduction in flowering with increased periods of storage was not as a result of bud abortion. It is suggested that one or more of the following are involved:

1. the plants sensitivity to exogenous gibberellins changes with storage.
2. the concentration/activity of endogenous levels of gibberellins reduces with storage.
3. the plants ability to take up liquid/gibberellin is reduced with storage.

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