Thermodynamic Balance for Promoting Alstroemeria Production Progress Report — September 1991
Date September 1, 1991
Title of Project Thermodynamic Balance for Promoting Alstroemeria Production
Institution where work is being conducted Colorado State University
Amount of Endowment Grant$ 10,650
Covering Period Oct. 1990 to Oct. 1991
Anticipated Date of Project Completion/Final Report January 1993 (anticipating funding for second year)
Individual(s) Conducting Project:
(List Project Leader First)
Doualas A. Hopper - Title Assistant Professor, Floriculture
Telephone Number 303-491-7140
Thermodynamic Balance for Promoting Alstroemeria Production
Douglas A. Hopper, Chi Won Lee, and Kenneth L. Goldsberry
Colorado State University
- A. Project Objectives:
- 1 . Determine yield and quality response of traditional and all-year-round (AYR) cultivars ofAlstroemeria to various cool media over a whole year.
- 2. Quantify Alstroemeria stem length response to nutrient recirculation, and two levels ofdifferences between day and night temperature (DIF).
- 3. Evaluate yield and quality of two cultivars of Alstroemeria grown in peat-based, gravel, andfiberglass media with media cooling.
- 4. Using recorded media and air temperatures along with energy use for refrigeration, calculatethe thermodynamic flow of beat for each media cooling treatment.
- B. Summary of Work Conducted:
- On November 1, 1990 established Alstroemeria plants in 10 cm (4 inch) plastic pots were receivedfrom van Staaveren America and stored moist in a 4.5C (40F) cooler with less than 1 umol*m-2*s-1 of
light (photosynthetic photon flux - PPF) for 9 weeks. Plants were moved to a cool (13′C or 56′F night)
greenhouse section on January 5, 1991. For Experiment 1, the cooling system was fully operational on
July 1 for the four benches on the south side of the greenhouse sections; all plants for Experiment 1 were
tansplanted into these benches to receive proper coolin and to await the completion of the four benches
and cooling facilities on the north side of the greenhouse sections. At this time, the cooling system for
one bench remains to be completed, and all the other benches have been successfully transplanted. The
second experiment still awaits planting due to the rigors of construction and regulation necessary to
properly set up Experiment 1. Plants are maintained in 10 cm (4 in) pots in the 21/13′C (70/56′F)
Day/Night regime in a greenhouse section with Experiment 1. Once the first experiment is fully
operational with no problems, the constuction of the design for the second experiment will be pursued.
- C. Results to Date:
- Once the first four benches were completed with cooling systems and recirculating irrigationsystems, the plants were transplanted into these benches (July 2-9) to receive the cooling treatments.
Plants which would need to be transplanted later to the other half of the experiment were left in the 4
inch square plastic pots and were submerged in the Realite media (with the cooling system surrounding
the pots), and an automatic irrigation system supplied water at the same time that the permanent plants
(which would need no further transplanting) were watered. On August 29, three of the remaining
benches were transplanted by moving the plants contained in the 4 inch pots from the temporary holding
locations to the final locations in the Realite media. These plants were of similar size to the plants
which bad not been kept in the pots, and with approximately 30% shading the moved plants experienced
a minimum of transplant shock. The success of this procedure indicates growers may easily hold plants
in 4 inch pots for up to 2 months if the proper area for transplanting is not ready to receive the plants.
- D. Future Plans Covered by the Endowment Grant:
- The final bench for Experiment 1 should be completed in September and the plants will be movedto the bench at that time. When this is completed, the proposed environmental and plant growth data will
begin to be collected. Preliminary plant data have been recorded for all flowers since March 1991.
Preliminary results are expected to be reportable in December 1991. Funding has been requested for a
second year to obtain reliable comparisons between the production recorded in the various treatments.
- E. Anticipated Benefits for Floral Industry:
- Although previous research of Alstroemeria response to environment supports the possibility ofcontinuous quality production, commercial production fluctuates seasonally. This study proposes
simplified closed and open system designs for cooling media temperature to enable control of
alstroemeria production commercially. Recording media and air temperatures will allow calculations of
energy use and an understanding of the overall energy balance. From the energy inputs, the economics
required to provide the environment necessary for continuous quality alstroemeria flowering may be
determined. Results from this applied research will allow American growers to compete with the
increases in cut flower imports, particularly in sun belt areas where high solar radiation already provides
an advantage.
