Location: Application Technology Research
Project Number: 5082-21000-001-105-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2024
End Date: Aug 31, 2025
Objective:
The overall goal of this project is to evaluate and understand the influence of propagation daily light integral (DLI), root-zone temperature, and their interaction on adventitious rooting of ornamental floriculture and nursery cuttings to promote efficient and sustainable propagation regimens. 1) Wnderstand and quantify the impact of DLI during propagation on adventitious rooting, growth, morphology, physiology, and quality of vegetatively propagated ornamental cuttings for efficient liner production. 2) Determine the extent root-zone temperature can be leveraged to improve and hasten root development of ornamental nursery cuttings. 3) Collaboratively determine the economic consequences of selected greenhouse propagation inputs and processes.
Approach:
Unrooted vegetative cuttings will be received from commercial suppliers. Cuttings will be propagated under ˜72%, 52%, 30%, or 0% diffuse shade with ambient daylight supplemented with light-emitting diodes and with root-zone heating of 18, 21, 24, or 27°C. Three experimental replications will occur over time to create 12 DLI or root-zone heating treatments, thereby simulating year-round propagation conditions. We will identify DLI and root-zone temperature at which rooting and cutting growth, biomass, and quality will be optimized, indicating increasing DLI or temperature onward would not improve rooting or liner quality.
