ISHS Acta Horticulturae 761: XXVII International Horticultural Congress - IHC2006: International Symposium on Advances in Environmental Control, Automation and Cultivation Systems for Sustainable, High-Quality Crop Production under Protected Cultivation
EFFECT OF CULTURAL MEDIUM AND HYDROPONIC CULTURE ON GROWTH AND FLOWERING QUALITY OF ONCIDIUM GOWER RAMSEY |
| Authors: | J.H. Hsu, Y.H. Lin, R.S. Lin |
| Keywords: | Oncidium, cultural medium, flower quality, rockwool, sphagnum, fertigation |
| Abstract:
Oncidium Gower Ramsey ‘Volcano Queen’ was grown in rockwool, sphagnum, and mixed medium containing crushed stone, bark and charcoal to test the effectiveness of different growth media. The total fresh weight of plants grown in rockwool was 60.9 g. The pseudobulb was thicker with a fresh weight at 31.0 g, which was higher when compared to other treatments. The total soluble sugar (TSS) content of the pseudobulb measured from plants cultured in rockwool showed a TSS content of 43% and a starch content of 32%, respectively. Compared to plants grown in mixed medium this translated into a four-fold increase in TSS, and a 1.5 fold increase in starch. Oncidium grown in rockwool promoted pseudobulb growth and accumulated storage of starch. Moreover, there was higher root activity in plants cultured in rockwool. An increase in the concentration of calcium in the culture solution resulted in an improvement in quality of the Oncidium flower. Calcium nitrate applied at a rate of 300 ppm increased the flower dimensions, flower stalks at 117.07 cm, branch number at 9.5 and floret number at 108. | |
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