Regulation of flowering and flower quality of baby aster (Aster geyeri (gray) Howell) by supplemental lighting, fertilization and gibbrellic acid application

Date

4-1993

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

Major Course

Major in Horticulture

College

College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Tito J. Rimando

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the effect of the night break technique on flowering of Baby Aster compare the effect of a formulated fertilization treatment to farmers method of fertilization on growth and flowering and effect of gibberellic acid spraying for the chemical regulation of flowering.

Night break technique has been found effective in inducing bolting and subsequent flowering of Baby Aster. The number of days to bolting and flowering was not different from those plants exposed to 12 hours of continuous light. Except for the weight of inflorescence, continuous lighting (CL) and night break (NB) also did not result to significant differences in terms of percentage of plants that flowered, number of spikes, spike length, floret diameter, vase life, and number of suckers produced by individual plants. The NB technique if used would significantly reduce the energy consumption for bolting induction by about threefold. However, the significant decrease in yield of plants subjected to NB relative to CL was high enough to offset the savings in energy cost.

Relative to CL and NB, significant reduction in terms of percentage of plants that flowered and weight of inflorescence and significant increase in number of suckers produced were observed in plants under natural daylength (ND) condition. Relative to the plants under ND, plants subjected to CL significantly gave higher number of spikes.

Compared to farmers method of fertilization and control, all parameters measured were not significantly affected by the formulated fertilization treatment. Relative to control, plants receiving the farmers' method of fertilization significantly gave the highest inflorescence weight and most number of spikes.

Significant interaction between lighting and fertilization was observed only in terms of number of spikes.

Gibberellic acid sprays for all the concentrations used (50, 100. and 200 ppm) significantly induced bolting is a prerequisite for flowering of plants relative to control. At 200 ppm, the number of days to bolting was significantly reduced compared to 50 ppm, but not when compared to 100.ppm. No significant differences between the different concentrations used in terms of influencing the other parameters measured like number of days from planting to first flower, length and weight of inflorescence, and number of suckers at harvest were observed. However, they were significantly different when compared to the control.

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

Thesis

Document Type

Thesis

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