ISHS Acta Horticulturae 813: VI International Symposium on New Floricultural Crops
GROWTH AND NUTRIENT EVOLUTION OF DIPLADENIA SANDERI L. (APOCYNACEAE) CROP IN MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE |
| Authors: | B.M. Plaza, S. Jiménez, M.D. Sebastián, M.T. Lao, J.I. Contreras, M.L. Segura |
| Keywords: | suction cup, foliar concentration, substrate solution, water conpsumption, greenhouse |
| Abstract:
Dipladenia sanderi L. cv. ‘Scarlet Pimpernel’ belongs to the Apocynaceae family. It is an ornamental evergreen vine with dark glossy oval leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers that appear from mid-spring to late-summer. It is native to Brazil, but it can be grown in the Mediterranean area, obtaining high quality plants that can be used in sustainable gardens (with fewer inputs and outputs), together with autochthonous species. Nevertheless, there is little information about its technical cultivation. In this work, Dipladenia growth was studied during the crop cycle, considering height, number of leaves, number of buds, as well as, root and shoot fresh and dry weight (FW and DW). The density was 8 pots per m2 (0.25 x 0.5 m2), with two cuttings per pot (14-cm diameter) and the substrate was a mixture 3:1 peat:expanded clay. Plants reached the marketable stage when the shoot height was 15 cm, with 32 leaves and 8 buds. The nutrient solution, applied via fertigation, was: pH 7.2, E.C. 1.2 dS m-1, NO3- 6.0 mmol L-1, NH4+ 4.0 mmol L-1, H2PO4- 0.8 mmol L-1, K+ 3.0 mmol L-1. The shoot:root ratio was 3.3. The water consumption of each pot plant was 2 L and the daily water consumption range was from 5 to 35 cm3 plant-1day-1. The foliar nutrient levels during the cultivation were 16.4-25.5 mg g-1 DW of N, 1.5-3.8 mg g-1 DW of P, 11-23 mg g-1 DW of K, 1.1-6.2 mg g-1 DW of Ca, 1.3-3 mg g-1 DW of Mg, 5.3-13.5 mg g-1 DW of S and 2.0-6.0 mg g-1 DW of Na. These data can contribute to a better understanding of the behaviour of this crop in the Mediterranean area, being the basis of its adequate commercial production and its use in more sustainable gardens. Dipladenia sanderi is a suitable crop to be produced in a low cost greenhouse in the Mediterranean area. In these conditions, the maximum growth rate takes place in January. | |
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