Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5513/JCEA01/20.1.2063
The effect of mechanical stress on transplants of three ornamental Asteraceae species
Tatjana Prebeg
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Ornamental Plants, Landscape Architecture and Garden Art, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Sandra Bedran
; Petkov Breg 56, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
Ivanka Žutić
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Vegetable Crops, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Transplants of Tagetes patula L., T. erecta L. and Calendula officinalis L. were subjected to brushing treatment until appearance of visible inflorescence buds. At the end of treatment, the plant height was statistically significantly reduced only in C. officinalis, whereas, at the beginning of flowering, the height of treated plants was statistically equal to untreated ones, in all examined species. In T. patula, the treatment also did not influence other measured morphological parameters. However, in T. erecta, treated plants had higher numbers of lateral branches and leaves, and, in C. officinalis, the treatment resulted in more upright stems. Besides, treated plants in both T. erecta and C. officinalis had a higher number of inflorescence buds. The results of this study indicate that exposure to mechanical stress may improve some commercially important characteristics in T. erecta and C. officinalis transplants. However, some plants were damaged by brushing treatment, especially in C. officinalis. For these species, further research is needed to find the effectiveness of methods of applying mechanical stress in which physical contact with plants is reduced or avoided.
Keywords
brushing; Calendula officinalis; flowering time; leaf damage; morphological characteristics; Tagetes erecta; Tagetes patula
Hrčak ID:
218127
URI
Publication date:
19.3.2019.
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