ISHS Acta Horticulturae 718: III International Symposium on Models for Plant Growth, Environmental Control and Farm Management in Protected Cultivation (HortiModel 2006)
SOILLESS CULTIVATION OF MOTHER PLANTS OF EUPHORBIA X LOMI HYBRIDS ON DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES |
| Authors: | G. Fascella, G.V. Zizzo, S. Agnello |
| Keywords: | hydroponics, growing media, peat, coir dust, perlite, vegetative propagation |
| Abstract:
Euphorbia milii x lophogona hybrids are succulent, spiny shrubs usually cultivated as potted flowering plant. They are normally propagated by cuttings developing from the shoots produced by the stem. In order to maintain mother plants of these genotypes in optimal health conditions during a mass propagation process, a trial of soilless cultivation of 11 Euphorbia x lomi hybrids was carried out with the aim to evaluate their vegetative and productive behaviour on two different organic substrates. The experiment was conducted in unheated greenhouse with metal structure and PE cover; plants were grown into polypropylene containers filled with coconut coir dust/perlite (1:1, v/v) and peat/perlite (3:1, v/v). Hybrids in peat-based medium evidenced a moderately superior production of shoots and resulted fairly higher than those in coir dust. The maximum amount of shoots were produced by plants of cultivars ‘Nguen Muang’ and ‘Soi Budsanin’; the highest plants and with the thickest stems belonged to ‘Porn Ying Yai’. Growing media also differed with regard to water use, with higher absorption in the mixture with peat. | |
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