Bougainvillea post-production: NAA and STS control of bract abscission is subject to exogenous ethylene

Gago, Custódia; Monteiro, José; Rodrigues, M. H.

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/7236

Use this identifier to reference this record.

Name:	Description:	Size:	Format:
7236.pdf		2.2 MB	Adobe PDF	Download

Send Feedback

Authors

Gago, Custódia

Monteiro, José

Rodrigues, M. H.

Abstract(s)

The effect of NAA (500 mg.L-1 sprayed once at end-of-production), STS (0.4 mM sprayed every 15 days after bracts started to be apparent) and STS+NAA on plants exposed or not to exogenous ethylene (from ethephon), were tested using two completely randomized experiments. At the end-of-production plants were placed for three days under simulated transport conditions (17 +/-1 degreesC, no light) and then, placed under interior conditions (21 +/-1 degreesC and 11 mu mol.m(-2)s(-1) of cool white fluorescent light 12 hr a day). Twice a week, during postproduction (PP) the number of developing (D) bracts as well as the number of completely developed (CD) bracts remaining in the plants were assessed. Among the treatments tested, NAA was enough to reduce CD bract abscission during post-production, abscising at day 32 PP, a maximum of 50% of the bracts, provided that no exogenous ethylene was present. If plants were exposed to exogenous ethylene, then the treatment STS + NAA was needed to reduce bract abscission, abscising at 32 PP a maximum of 58% of CD bracts. At this time, plants treated only with STS had abscised all CD bracts if exposed to ethylene or at least 97% of CD bracts if not exposed to ethylene.