2012 Volume 11 Issue 3 Pages 343-349
A delay in flowering and short cut flower length are problems in the winter culture of cut Eustoma (Eustoma grandiflorum) flower production in the warm southwest region of Japan. Growth promotion by high temperature management in the daytime was investigated by paying attention to the point at which no greenhouse heating was necessary in a certain period after planting in the region. The early flowering genotype ‘Bolero White’ was grown in growth chambers controlled at 25 or 30°C in the daytime and 15°C during the night. The plants placed at 30°C in the daytime showed a longer main stem and early flower budding and flowering compared with plants at 25°C. The weight of leaves and stems of the plants placed at 30°C was heavier than those at 25°C until 60 days after temperature treatment. The length of the inter-node at lower nodes was determined within 40 days of temperature treatment. To apply the results to actual cut flower production, ‘Bolero White’ was grown in a greenhouse where the temperature was set to 30°C. Rapid growth in the early developmental stage was confirmed in the greenhouse. The present results demonstrate that a higher temperature management in the daytime ensures the production of cut Eustoma flowers with a longer stem in winter culture in the warm southwest region of Japan.
