ISHS Acta Horticulturae 396: Hydroponics and Transplant Production
LOW-TEMPERATURE STORAGE OF BEDDING PLANT PLUGS |
| Authors: | R.D. Heins, M.P. Kaczperski, T.F. Wallace Jr, N.E. Lange, W.H. Carlson, J.A. Flore |
| Keywords: | Storage, Plugs, Temperature, Irradiance, Botrytis |
| Abstract:
Seedling plugs of 19 bedding plant species were exposed to 24 storage combinations of light and temperature for up to six weeks. Temperatures were O, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, or 12.5°C, and light levels were 0, 1, or 5 μmol·m-2 ·s-1 from cool-white fluorescent lamps. Plant tolerance to the storage treatments was determined by quantifying percent death and time to flower after transplant. The duration a species could be stored without plant death or flowering delay was influenced by storage temperature and irradiance. As storage temperature decreased, storage duration increased until plants reached a species-dependent chilling temperature. Plant quality improved with the addition of light compared to that of plants in dark storage as the duration of storage and storage temperature increased. The addition of light did not prevent chilling injury. Plants benefitting most from the addition of light during storage were ageratum, alyssum, fibrous begonia, celosia, dahlia, marigold, salvia, tomato, and verbena. Optimal storage temperatures were 2.5°C for alyssum, cyclamen, geranium, pansy, and petunia; 5°C for dahlia, fibrous begonia, French marigold, lobelia, and tuberous begonia; 7.5°C for ageratum, impatiens, portulaca, tomato, and verbena; 10°C for celosia and vinca; and 12.5°C for New Guinea impatiens. The major problems associated with plug storage were botrytis under low vapor pressure deficit (VPD) conditions and the requirement of frequent irrigation under high VPD conditions. | |
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