2016 Volume 15 Issue 4 Pages 377-382
This study was carried out in order to improve the cut flower production of Eustoma grandiflorum for shipment in late autumn and early spring. In this study, the effect of low-temperature treatment of imbibed seeds for cultivars with different rosette characteristics was investigated. Moreover, the effect of the day and night temperatures after the low-temperature treatment of the imbibed seeds on the growth of flowers was investigated. The experiments were conducted using two cultivars with different rosette characteristics. The bolting rate, flower budding rate, and flowering rate were increased by low-temperature treatment of the imbibed seeds regardless of the rosette characteristics. After low-temperature treatment of the imbibed seeds, seedlings of the two cultivars were raised at different night temperatures (22, 25, 28, and 31°C). With night temperatures of 28 and 31°C, the bolting and flowering rates decreased, regardless of the rosette characteristics, whereas at 22 and 25°C, the bolting rate, flower budding rate, and flowering rate were higher. For night temperatures in the range 22～31°C, the growth and length of the cut were better at lower rather than higher temperatures. Growth at different day temperatures (30 and 40°C) after the low-temperature treatment had no affect on the bolting, flower budding, or flowering rates. However, growth was more favorably promoted with a day temperature of 30°C compared with 40°C.
