ISHS Acta Horticulturae 614: VI International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climate: Product and Process Innovation
EVALUATION OF NEW ANTHURIUM CULTIVARS IN SOILLESS CULTURE |
| Authors: | M.A. Cocozza Talia, G. Cristiano, L.R. Forleo |
| Keywords: | cut flower, flowering period, production, quality, vase-life. |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2003.614.32 |
| Abstract:
Over the last few years the anthurium (Anthurium andreanum Lind.) has gained increasing importance in the Italian cut flower market. Its expansion is linked to an extensive plant breeding activity, which has resulted in the selection of new cultivars. At the same time, soilless culture has increasingly spread and developed. Hence, the purpose of this research has been to evaluate the productivity and quality of six new cultivars: Carnaval, Neon, Queen, Santè, Terra, and Vanilla, in soilless culture and under heated glasshouse conditions. Planting took place at the beginning of December 2000, at a density of 8.3 plants/m2. Fertigation was applied by a drip system using an open-cycle nutrient solution including macro and micro-nutrients with a pH 5.5 and an EC of 1.2 dS/m-1. The results relative to the production period from March to October 2000 are presented. Terra was the most productive with 9.4 cut flowers per plant, followed by Neon and Vanilla respectively with 7.3 and 7.0 flowers/plant; the least productive was Carnaval with 4.6 flowers. Regarding quality, Queen showed a bigger spathe with a mean length of 23 cm and a mean width of 18 cm, whereas Santè exhibited the smallest spathe (10 cm for both parameters, on average). Differences were also observed in stem height, with Queen the longest (averaging 53 cm) and Santè the shortest (31 cm on average). | |
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