TY - JOUR

T1 - Effect of meta-topolin on leaf senescence and rooting in Pelargonium×hortorum cuttings

AU - Mutui, Theophilus M.

AU - Mibus, Heiko

AU - Serek, Margrethe

N1 - Funding Information: This research was financially supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) , grant no. A/09/07416 . We would also wish to thank Selecta Klemm GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart, Germany, a commercial breeder for generously supplying Pelargonium stock plants.

PY - 2012/1

Y1 - 2012/1

N2 - Pelargonium (Pelargonium x hortorum) is grown as potted or bedding plants for their colourful, showy flowers and scented foliage. Absence of senescence symptoms in the leaves of Pelargonium cuttings, their capacity to initiate roots and continued growth of initiated roots is an important quality attribute. The effects of postharvest treatments with meta-topolin (mT) and thidiazuron (TDZ) to 'Katinka' Pelargonium cuttings were investigated. Leaves treated with mT or TDZ for 5 d had higher leaf chlorophyll contents than untreated controls. Exposing cuttings to mT had no effect on the rooting proportion (%) and average root diameter. Similarly, 0.05 mM. mT had no effect on number of roots per cutting. However, mT slightly reduced root length, root surface area and total volume of the roots. TDZ severely inhibited adventitious root formation, thus it reduced all the root parameters investigated. In conclusion, mT is very active in retarding leaf senescence, and combined with the observed ease of rooting of cuttings after mT treatment, this treatment is a suitable alternative to TDZ in delaying the onset of leaf yellowing in ornamental crops.

AB - Pelargonium (Pelargonium x hortorum) is grown as potted or bedding plants for their colourful, showy flowers and scented foliage. Absence of senescence symptoms in the leaves of Pelargonium cuttings, their capacity to initiate roots and continued growth of initiated roots is an important quality attribute. The effects of postharvest treatments with meta-topolin (mT) and thidiazuron (TDZ) to 'Katinka' Pelargonium cuttings were investigated. Leaves treated with mT or TDZ for 5 d had higher leaf chlorophyll contents than untreated controls. Exposing cuttings to mT had no effect on the rooting proportion (%) and average root diameter. Similarly, 0.05 mM. mT had no effect on number of roots per cutting. However, mT slightly reduced root length, root surface area and total volume of the roots. TDZ severely inhibited adventitious root formation, thus it reduced all the root parameters investigated. In conclusion, mT is very active in retarding leaf senescence, and combined with the observed ease of rooting of cuttings after mT treatment, this treatment is a suitable alternative to TDZ in delaying the onset of leaf yellowing in ornamental crops.

KW - Chlorophyll

KW - Leaf senescence

KW - Meta-topolin

KW - Pelargonium zonale

KW - Rooting

KW - Thidiazuron

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80053653083&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2011.09.010

DO - 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2011.09.010

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:80053653083

VL - 63

SP - 107

EP - 110

JO - Postharvest biology and technology

JF - Postharvest biology and technology

SN - 0925-5214

IS - 1

ER -