ISHS Acta Horticulturae 813: VI International Symposium on New Floricultural Crops
IMPACT OF ORNAMENTAL NATIVE PLANTS IN THE ARGENTINEAN FLORICULTURE SECTOR: A FIELD TRIAL SURVEY ON CALIBRACHOA SELECTED CLONES. |
| Authors: | I. Villanova, S. Soto, M.J. Pannunzio, M.A. Coviella, J.C. Hagiwara, P. Bologna, G. Facciuto, L. Imhof, M. Borja |
| Keywords: | public garden preferences, new crops, bedding plants, breeding, accession features |
| Abstract:
Nowadays, garden performance trials are a successful experience in the global greenhouse industry used to test and promote floriculture crops in different regions. The breeding program of the Floriculture Institute in Argentina decided to evaluate the performance of new clones of Calibrachoa as annual bedding plants. This initiative was the first experience made in the country. Two annual field trial days were organized both in Buenos Aires and in Córdoba. The assistants to the events participated by filling out a preference survey form of the selected clones, which were the same in both field trials but were under different climatic and soil conditions. The objectives of this research were to measure the impact of the characteristics developed in different grower regions on the specialized public and to promote native ornamental plants as a market product. The statistical method of our evaluation consisted of an additive ordinal scale including three accession features: number of flowers, showiness and compactness. Based on this scale, a general level of preferences for the accessions was constructed. The evaluation of the selected clones showed higher values in Buenos Aires than in Córdoba. The reason for this might have been the poorer garden performance of the selected clones in Córdoba due to their lack of acclimatization. Selected clone N° 8 obtained the highest scale value in Buenos Aires because it received the best scale value in number of flowers and the second scale value in the two other characteristics, whereas selected clone N° 14 was the best one in all the evaluated features in Córdoba. The results of the survey serve as a complementary tool for the breeding program of the Floriculture Institute of Argentina. | |
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