Year-Round Flowering of Triteleia Laxa “Queen Fabiola” with Ethylene Treatment Progress Report — March 1991
Date March 1, 1991
Title of Project Year-Round Flowering of Triteleia Laxa ‘Queen Fabiola’ with Ethylene Treatment
Institution where work is being conducted University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amount of Endowment Grant $ 7,300
Covering Period 1/1/91 to 12/31/91
Anticipated Date of Project Completion/Final Report 12/31/92
Individual(s) Conducting Project:
(List Project Leader First)
Dr. Susan S. Han - Title Assistant Professor
Telephone Number (413)545-5228
Year-Round Flowering of Triteleia Laxa ‘Queen Fabiola’ with Ethylene Treatment
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Susan S. Han
- A. Project Objectives:
- Triteleia laxa is sold commercially as a cut flower in the United States. Although the
plant is native to North America, almost all of the cut flowers sold in the States are imported
from the Netherlands. We have previously shown that T. laxa can be easily forced to flower
in the greenhouse without any environmental manipulation. We have also demonstrated that
ethylene treatment on corms prior to planting reduces the forcing time, increases the number
of flowers per inflorescence, and increases the flowering percentage of non-flowering size
corms. The predicament of forcing T. laxa commercially is that flowering percentage of
corms declines with increasing storage time. The decreases of flowering percentage prevent
growers from forcing the corms to bloom year round. The main objective of the research
project is to investigate if ethylene treatment on corms can be used to overcome the negative
effects of storage on flowering of T. laxa. This practice will not only enable growers to force
T. laxa to flower year round but also insure quality flowers at harvest.
Daughter corms produced from these corms will be harvested and sorted after the leaves
have senesced. They will be stored in temperature-controlled chamber until planting. Prior
to planting, corms will be treated with 20ppm of ethylene for 7 days. Ethylene will be
provided in a flow system which we are currently installing. This system will provide sufficient
ventilation for constant ethylene concentration and no significant accumulation of carbon
dioxide. Immediately after the ethylene treatment, corms will be planted individually in pots.
Data on the sprouting date, flowering date, flowering percentage, and number of flowers per
inflorescence will be recorded. In addition,the basis for the decrease in flowering percentage
due to storage will be investigated by determining the changes in dry matter partitioning and
changes in size of the apical meristems. Information acquired from this project will be used to
develop schedules for commercial growers to force T. laxa to bloom year round.
profitable crop for cut flower growers in the States; 2) reducing the production cost of each
flower; and 3) allowing U.S. growers to force T. laxa year round.
