MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS, FLOWERING AND CORM YIELD OF Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora (Lemoine) N.E. CULTIVARS ARE DETERMINED BY PLANTING TIME

Piotr Żurawik

West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin

Piotr Salachna

West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin

Agnieszka Żurawik

West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin

Agnieszka Dobrowolska

West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin



Abstract

Crocosmia (Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora) is an exceptionally attractive and interesting ornamental plant. Numerous varieties of this species have been produced, however, the information concerning their requirements and cultivation conditions is lacking. The study was conducted in the field conditions in the years 2008–2010. The plant material included corms of four crocosmia cultivars: ‘Emily McKenzie’, ‘Lucifer’, ‘Mars’, and ‘Meteor’. The corms were planted on 15th April, 5th May and 25th May. The number of days from the beginning of sprouting until the end of flowering was established, and measurements of vegetative and generative traits were performed during cultivation. Corm yield was determined at the end of the cultivation period. It was found that delaying the planting time resulted in accelerated sprouting of the corms. Irrespective of the cultivar, the plants grown from the corms planted on 5th May were the first, and those planted on 25th May – the last to bloom. The corm planting time affected vegetative and generative features of the crocosmia plants. The plants grown from the corms planted on 5th and
25th May were higher, had more shoots and leaves on the main shoots. The plants grown from the corms planted on 5th May were characterized by the longest main inflorescence shoots and flowers of larger diameter than the plants grown from the corms planted on 15th April and 25th May. Cultivar-specific features largely determined the vegetative and generative traits. The plants of ‘Emily McKenzie’ cultivar were characterized by the longest main inflorescence shoots and the largest flower diameter, but they produced the lowest number of inflorescence shoots and flowers per main inflorescence spike. The study showed that earlier planting time (15th April and 5th May) resulted in higher coefficient of weight and number increase of the new corms, but it did not affect the coefficient of total corm weight increase, as compared to the delayed planting time (25th May).

Keywords:

ornamental plants, montbretia, method of cultivation, growth, development

Ahmad, I., Khattak, A.M., Ara, N., Amin, N.U. (2011). Effect of planting dates on the growth of gladiolus corms in Peshawar. Sarhad J. Agric., 27(2), 195–199.
Armitage, A.M., Laushman, J.M. (1990). Planting date, in-ground time effect cut flowers of Acidanthera, Anemone, Allium, Brodiaea, and Crocosmia. HortSci., 25(10), 1236–1238.
Armitage, A.M., Laushman, J.M. (2008). Specialty cut flowers. The production of annulas, perennials, bulbs, and woody plants for fresh and dried cut flowers. Timber Press, Portland, London, 227–232.
Asada, Y., Furuya, T. (1996). Acylated saponins from Crocosmia plants. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol., 404, 459–469.
De Hertogh, A. (1996). Holland bulbs forcer’s guide. The International Flower Bulb Centre and The Dutch Bulb Exporters Association, Hillegom, The Netherlands.
Erhardt, W., Götz, E., Bödeker, N., Seybold, S. (2008). Zander. Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen. Ulmer. Stuttgart, 312.
Filios, C., Miller, B. W. (2010). Topflor has potential for Crocosmia height control. Res. Newslet. http://www.flowerbulb.nl/RP/2010%20march.pdf
Goldblatt, P., Manning, J.C., Dunlop, G. (2004). Crocosmia and Chasmanthe. Timber Press. Portland. Cambridge, 17–196.
Hannweg, K., Sippel, A., Bertling, I. (2013). A simple and effective method for the micropropagation and in vitro induction of polyploidy and the effect on floral characteristics of the South African iris, Crocosmia aurea. S. Afr. J. Bot., 88, 367–372.
Hetman, J., Laskowska, H., Durlak, W. (2007). The influence of selected factors on the yield of Allium moly L. bulbs. Acta Sci. Pol. Hortorum Cultus, 6(2), 23–27.
Kapczyńska, A. (2012). Effect of planting time on flowering of four Lachenalia cultivars. Acta Hort., 937, 575–579.
Krupa-Małkiewicz, M., Żurawik, P., Piórkowska, P. (2013). Micropropagation of Crocosmia x crocosmiflora ‘Lucifer’. Folia Pomer. Univ. Techno. Stein. Agric., Aliment., Pisc., Zootech., 305(27), 29–34.
Laskowska, H., Pogroszewska, E., Durlak, W., Kozak, D. (2012). The effect of bulb planting time and type of mulch on the yield of Allium aflatunense B. Fedtsch. Acta Agrobot., 65(4), 117–122.
Marcinek, B., Hetman, J. (2005). Plonowanie sparaksisu trójbarwnego (Sparaxis tricolor Ker-Gawl.) w zależności od terminu i głębokości sadzenia bulw w warunkach Lubelszczyzny. Acta Sci. Pol. Hortorum Cultus, 4(2), 79–87.
Nagamoto, N., Noguchi, H., Itokawa, A., Nakata, K., Namba, K., Nishimura, H., Matsui, M., Mizuno, M. (1988). Antitumor constituents from bulbs of Crocosmia crocosmiiflora. Planta Med., 54(4), 305–307.
Nagamoto, N., Noguchi, H., Itokawa, A., Nakata, K., Namba, K., Nishimura, H., Matsui, M., Mizuno, M. (1988). Antitumor constituents from bulbs of Crocosmia crocosmiiflora. Planta Med., 54(4), 305–307.
Pavani, U., Pratap, M., Siva Shankar, A. (2012). Influence of planting dates on vegetative, floral and biochemical parameters of gladiolus. Res. Crops, 13(1), 293–298.
Salachna, P., Zawadzińska, A. (2007). Wpływ terminu sadzenia i odmiany na plon bulw frezji w uprawie polowej. In: Naturalna i indukowana zmienność w genetycznym doskonaleniu roślin ogrodniczych, Nowaczyk, P. (ed.). UTP, Bydgoszcz, 117–120.
Zubair, M., Ayub, G., Rab, A., Amin, N.U., Ahmad, M., Ara, N. (2013). Preflowering growth of gladiolus in response to staggered planting. Pakistan J. Bot., 45(4), 1329–1338.
Download

Published
2015-04-30



Piotr Żurawik 
West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin
Piotr Salachna 
West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin
Agnieszka Żurawik 
West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin
Agnieszka Dobrowolska 
West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin



License

 

Articles are made available under the conditions CC BY 4.0 (until 2020 under the conditions CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Submission of the paper implies that it has not been published previously, that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

The author signs a statement of the originality of the work, the contribution of individuals, and source of funding.

 


Most read articles by the same author(s)