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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #228155
Title: Gerbera Leaf Tissue Nutrient Sufficiency Ranges by Chronological Age

Author
item KA YEON, JEONG - NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
item WHIPKER, BRIAN - NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
item MCCALL, INGRAM - NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
item Frantz, Jonathan

Submitted to: Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2008
Publication Date: 10/7/2009
Citation: Ka Yeon, J., Whipker, B., Mccall, I., Frantz, J. 2009. Gerbera Leaf Tissue Nutrient Sufficiency Ranges by Chronological Age. Acta Horticulturae. 843:183-190.

Interpretive Summary: Gerbera seedlings were transplanted into 5-and-a-half-inch pot and fertilized with one of six constant liquid fertilizer concentrations (based on nitrogen) of 50, 75, 100, 200, 300 or 400 parts per million for 8 weeks. Plants were harvested at week 2, 5 and 8 after transplanting. Mature, recently expanded leaves were sampled and analyzed for the concentration of 11 elemental nutrients. From these data, upper and lower limits for each nutrient were established for each element over time and correlated to plant growth characteristics of plant height, diameter, dry weight, and a ratio of these parameters. The optimal concentrations observed were narrower than previously published concentrations for gerberas for pot plant production. In addition, this study accounted for differences in concentrations over the entire crop cycle and reflected modern fertilization practices. This information can serve as useful production guidelines for gerbera production as well as serve as critical nutrient concentrations for testing laboratories.

Technical Abstract: Gerbera hybrid liners of 'Festival Light Eye Pink’ were transplanted one plant per 12.6-cm pot. Plants were fertilized with one of six constant liquid fertilizer levels (50, 75, 100, 200, 300 or 400 mg.L-1 N) for 8 weeks. Plants were harvested at week 2, 5 and 8 after transplanting. Recently fully expanded leaves were sampled and analyzed for the concentration of 11 elemental nutrients. Upper and lower optimal nutritional limits were established for each element over time by analyzing the plants growth (plant height, diameter, dry weight and growth index (GI)). The optimal concentrations observed were narrower than previously published concentrations for gerberas for pot plant production. In addition, this study accounted for differences in concentrations over the entire crop cycle and reflected modern fertilization practices.