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The Influence of Benzyladenine on Basal Branching of Echinacea Cultivars

Sonali Padhye and Jude Groninger

Department of Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, West Florida Research and Education Center (WFREC)

Email: [email protected], Phone: 850-983-5216 × 103

Configure on Echinacea, 2009-10 of 22

©Padhye and Groninger, University of Florida Not for Publication

The Influence of Benzyladenine on Basal Branching of Echinacea Cultivars

Sonali Padhye and Jude Groninger

Objective: Quantifying the influence of Configure sprays on basal branching of select new Echinacea hybrids and determining the influence of Configure application timing and photoperiod on branching of these cultivars. Materials and Methods Plant Material: Young plants of Echinacea ‘After Midnight’, ‘Harvest Moon’, ‘Sunrise’ (stage 3 tissue cultured liners) and ‘Magnus’ (seed propagated cultivar for comparison) were obtained from Emerald Coast Growers. Plants were transplanted in a peat-based medium and grown in a polycarbonate greenhouse at WFREC, Milton under a 16-hour photoperiod provided as a day-extension using high-pressure sodium lamps. Experiment 1 was conducted in the summer and was initiated on June 25, 2009, and terminated in late September when all plants had flowered. Experiment 2, a replication of the experiment 1, was conducted in the fall. Experiment 2 was initiated on October 26, 2009 and terminated in January 2010 after most plants had flowered. The average daily temperature during experiment 1 and 2 was 78 and 71.6 °F, respectively. The average daily light integral was 10.6 and 8.4 mol·m−2·d−1 during experiment 1 and 2, respectively. Configure Applications: In both experiments, half the Echinacea plants of each cultivar were sprayed with Configure at transplant and the remaining half were allowed to grow for 3 weeks (until the roots circled the pots) and then sprayed with Configure as outlined in Table 1. Configure was applied as a single foliar spray (volume of 2 quarts/100 ft2, with CapSil as a surfactant) at 300, 600, or 900 ppm rates. An additional treatment in Experiment 1 was 600 ppm Configure at the same spray volume with Pentra-Bark as a surfactant added at the labeled rate. This treatment was not replicated in experiment 2 as no differences in branching were observed using this surfactant with Configure. A non-sprayed control was maintained in both experiments. Ten plants were subjected to each treatment combination in both experiments and were arranged in a completely randomized design. The fertility and pest management was as per standard protocols developed at WFREC. Table 1. Timing and rate of Configure application on Echinacea cultivars. # Timing of Configure Application Configure concentration (ppm) 1 --- Control 2 At transplant 300 ppm + CapSil surfactant 3 At transplant 600 ppm +CapSil surfactant 4 At transplant 600 ppm + Pentra-Bark surfactant (Experiment 1 only) 5 At transplant 900 ppm + CapSil surfactant 6 3 weeks after transplant 300 ppm + CapSil surfactant 7 3 weeks after transplant 600 ppm +CapSil surfactant 8 3 weeks after transplant 600 ppm + Pentra-Bark surfactant (Experiment 1 only) 9 3 weeks after transplant 900 ppm + CapSil surfactant



Effect of Photoperiod on Branching: In a separate experiment, the efficacy of 300 ppm Configure with CapSil, sprayed at transplant, on increasing basal branching under a short-day photoperiod was compared with that under a long-day photoperiod during the experiment 2. Short-days were created by retracting an opaque curtain over the bench from 5 pm until 8 am, providing a 9-hour photoperiod. The data from the 16-hour long-day treatment from experiment 2, described previously, were used for comparison.

Data Collection: The number of basal branches (shoots) was recorded at transplant and at 3, 6, and 9 weeks after each treatment. Additionally, node number and plant height were recorded at each data collection duration and flowering data were collected at anthesis but are not presented in this report.

Data Analysis: The increase in basal branches from week 0 to 9 after treatment was analyzed using SAS’s PROC MIXED. The experimental design was completely randomized factorial arrangement of three treatments: experiment replication, Configure treatments, and Configure application time. When non-significant, experiment replication and Configure application time were pooled in the analysis.

Figure 1. For Experiment 1 and 2, Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ (A), ‘After Midnight’ (B), ‘Sunrise’ (C), and ‘Magnus’ (D) were received in 72-cell trays. With the exception of Echinacea ‘Magnus’, the plugs used in Experiment 2 were not as vigorous, and may provide a partial explanation for the reduced basal branching observed.

Figure 2. Half of the Echinacea plants of each cultivar were sprayed with Configure at transplant (photo on left) and the remaining half (photo on right) were allowed to grow until the roots circled the pots (3 weeks). Configure at 900 ppm may be too high for newly transplanted plugs, and resulted in minor phytotoxicity (distorted leaves) and fewer basal branches (Figure 22). However, this phytotoxicity was alleviated in 1-2 weeks.

A B C



Results Echinacea ‘After Midnight’

‘After Midnight’ had the fewest basal branches compared with the other three cultivars trialed and would benefit greatly from improved branching.

The average increase in the number of basal branches between week 0 and 9 was significantly different between the two experiments. Hence they were analyzed separately.

In experiment 1, there was no difference between the increased basal branches at the two Configure application times and hence, data from the two were pooled in the analysis. For the pooled data, Configure application at 600 to 900 ppm significantly increased the number of basal branches (Table 2).

In experiment 2, the increase in basal branches of ‘After Midnight’ treated with Configure was statistically not significant than the untreated controls (Table 3). This lack of significance was likely due to substantial variability between the plants and the low number of basal branches.

Overall, the increase in the number of basal branches as a result of Configure application was observed within 3 weeks of sprays, the shortest data collection duration in the experiments (Figure 7).

Although the plants in experiment 2 appeared to be actively growing under the warm greenhouse temperatures and long-day photoperiod, there was no consistent increase in basal branching due to Configure spray at the rates tested. Although the slightly lower quality of plugs (Figure 1) may have influenced the branching.

The number of basal branches of ‘After Midnight’ did not significantly increase irrespective of the forcing photoperiod (9-hour versus 16-hour) after Configure application at 300 ppm at transplant (Table 4).

Table 2. The increase in the number of basal branches of Echinacea ‘After Midnight’ in 9 weeks after Configure sprays in experiment 1. The columns with different letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05 using Least Significant Difference procedure in SAS. The datasets for experiments 1 and 2 were significantly different and hence, were analyzed separately.

Increase in the number of basal branches from week 0 to 9. Pooled data from plants sprayed at transplant and sprayed 3 weeks after transplant

Echinacea ‘After Midnight’

Expt. 1 Control 1.1 a 300 ppm Configure + CapSil 2.2 a 600 ppm Configure + CapSil 2.9 b 600 ppm Configure + PentraBark 2.4 b 900 ppm Configure + CapSil 2.3 b



Table 3. The increase in the number of basal branches of Echinacea ‘After Midnight’ in 9 weeks after Configure sprays in experiment 2. The columns with different letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05 using Least Significant Difference procedure in SAS. The datasets for experiments 1 and 2 were significantly different and hence, were analyzed separately.

Increase in the number of basal branches from week 0 to 9 when sprayed at transplant

Increase in the number of basal branches from week 0 to 9 when sprayed 3 weeks after transplant


Expt. 2 Expt. 2 Control 0.3 a 0.3 a 300 ppm Configure + CapSil 0.3 a 0.6 a 600 ppm Configure + CapSil 0.4 a 0.2 a 900 ppm Configure + CapSil 0.9 a 0.4 a

Table 4. The increase in the number of basal branches in 9 weeks of Echinacea ‘After Midnight’ after Configure sprays in response to long-day and short-day photoperiods. The columns with different letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05 using Least Significant Difference procedure in SAS.



Control – LD photoperiod 0.3 a 300 ppm Configure + CapSil – LD photoperiod 0.4 a Control – SD photoperiod 0.3 a 300 ppm Configure + CapSil – SD photoperiod 0.7 a

Figure 3. Influence of Configure sprays at transplant on Echinacea ‘After Midnight’ branching.



Figure 4. The influence of 0, 300, 600, or 900 ppm Configure sprays at transplant (from left to right) on Echinacea ‘After Midnight’ basal branching in experiment 1. Photograph was taken 9 weeks after the spray application.

Figure 5. Influence of Configure sprayed 3 weeks after transplant on Echinacea ‘After Midnight’ basal branching.

Figure 6. The influence of 0, 300, 600, or 900 ppm Configure sprays applied 3 weeks after transplant (from left to right) on Echinacea ‘After Midnight’ basal branching in experiment 1. Photograph was taken 6 weeks after the spray application.



Figure 7. The influence of Configure sprays on Echinacea ‘After Midnight’ basal branching in experiments 1 and 2. Note the increase in basal branch number in 3 weeks on plants treated at transplant or 3 weeks later in Experiment 1.

Echinacea 'After Midnight' ‐ Rep 1

0

1

2

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Unsprayed Control

300ppm Conf/Cap @ trnsplnt


600ppm Conf/Pen @ trnsplnt


300ppm Conf/Cap @ 3 wks


600ppm Conf/Pen @ 3 wks


Treatment

Shoots

Day 85

Day 64

Day 43

Day 22

Day 1

Echinacea 'After Midnight' ‐ Rep 2

0

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Unsprayed Control









Treatment

Shoots

Day 85

Day 64

Day 43

Day 22

Day 1

*No additional shoots on day 85



Figure 8. The effect of photoperiod (16-hour long days versus 9-hour short days) on branching of Echinacea ‘After Midnight’.

Echinacea 'After Midnight'

0

1

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3

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LD Control 300ppm

Conf/LD

SD Control 300ppm

Conf/SDTreatment

Shoots Day 64

Day 43

Day 22

Day 7



Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ is a moderately branching hybrid and would benefit from

increased branching when plants are produced in 5.5” or 1-gallon containers. Data from the two experiments were significantly different and hence, were analyzed

separately. In experiment 1, all Configure treatments resulted in significantly greater increase in the basal

branches than the controls. Overall, there was no difference between the three Configure concentrations used or the two surfactants used.

In experiment 2, there was no significant difference between the increased basal branches from week 0 to 9 of Configure-treated plants and the controls. However, the averages on Configure-treated plants indicated a trend towards increased branching with Configure application. The vigor of the starting material, observed plant-to-plant variability and smaller increase in the basal branch number may have rendered this dataset insignificant.

In ‘Harvest Moon’, Configure application at 300 ppm at transplant significantly improved the increase in basal branches in 9 weeks compared with the controls irrespective of the photoperiod (Table 7).

Table 5. The increase in the number of basal branches of Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ in 9 weeks after Configure sprays in experiment 1. The columns with different letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05 using Least Significant Difference procedure in SAS. The datasets for experiments 1 and 2 were significantly different and hence, were analyzed separately.


Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’

Expt. 1 Control 3.2 a 300 ppm Configure + CapSil 8.5 bc 600 ppm Configure + CapSil 9.0 bc 600 ppm Configure + PentraBark 10.7 c 900 ppm Configure + CapSil 7.6 b

Table 6. The increase in the number of basal branches of Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ in 9 weeks after Configure sprays in experiment 2. The columns with different letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05 using Least Significant Difference procedure in SAS. The datasets for experiments 1 and 2 were significantly different and hence, were analyzed separately.




Expt. 2 Expt. 2 Control 0.5 a 0.3 a 300 ppm Configure + CapSil 3.6 a 3.2 a 600 ppm Configure + CapSil 3.4 a 2.3 a 900 ppm Configure + CapSil 1.2 a 3.3 a



Table 7. The increase in the number of basal branches in 9 weeks of Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ after Configure sprays in response to long-day and short-day photoperiods. The columns with different letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05 using Least Significant Difference procedure in SAS.



Control – LD photoperiod 0.6 a 300 ppm Configure + CapSil – LD photoperiod 3.6 b Control – SD photoperiod 0.4 a 300 ppm Configure + CapSil – SD photoperiod 2.5 b

Figure 9. Influence of Configure sprays at transplant on Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ basal branching.

Figure 10. Basal branching increase in Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ 3 weeks after the sprays. These plants were sprayed 3 weeks after transplant and the ones sprayed at transplant showed an even higher increase in the number of basal branches than observed here (Figure 13).



Figure 11. Influence of Configure sprayed 3 weeks after transplant on Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ basal branching.

Figure 12. The effect of photoperiod (16-hour long days versus 9-hour short days) on branching of Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’. This graph and photo indicate that plants grown under short days also produced more basal branches when sprayed with Configure at 300 ppm.

Echinacea 'Harvest Moon'

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LD Control 300ppm

Conf/LD

SD Control 300ppm

Conf/SD

Treatment

Shoots

Day 64

Day 43

Day 22

Day 7



Figure 13. The influence of Configure sprays on Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ basal branching in experiments 1 and 2. In experiment 1, basal branch number of plants treated at transplant increased in 3 weeks whereas, basal branches of plants sprayed 3 weeks later increased 6 weeks after the treatment. The plants sprayed in the fall (experiment 2) did not produce as many basal branches after the treatment.

Echinacea 'Harvest Moon' ‐ Rep 1

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Unsprayed Control









Treatment

Shoots

Day 85

Day 64

Day 43

Day 22

Day 1

Echinacea 'Harvest Moon' ‐ Rep 2

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Unsprayed Control









Treatment

Shoots Day 85

Day 64

Day 43

Day 22

Day 1

*No additional shoots on day 85



Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ Compared with ‘After Midnight’ and ‘Harvest Moon’, ‘Sunrise’ hybrid of echinacea produces

more basal branches. Hence, increasing the number of lateral branches during liner stage may be most beneficial to the liner growers although increasing the flowering shoots will also improve the marketability of finished plants.

Experiments 1 and 2 were significantly different and hence, data from them were analyzed separately.

In experiment 1, Configure application time did not influence the branching and hence, the data from the two application times were pooled in the analysis. Configure significantly improved the increase in number of basal branches in 9 weeks compared to the controls. Overall, 300 ppm Configure was less effective than 600 or 900 ppm Configure.

In experiment 2, timing of Configure application significantly influenced the basal branching. Hence, the datasets with two application timings were separately analyzed. When Configure was applied at transplant, all rates were equally effective in increasing the number of basal branches. However, when Configure was applied 3 weeks after transplant, only 600 and 900 ppm Configure application resulted in significant improvement in basal branch number in 9 weeks.

Overall, Configure application significantly increased the basal branches in 9 weeks compared to the controls. Configure-treated plants had more basal branches under long-days and short-days compared to the non-treated controls (Table 10). However, under long-days Configure-treated plants had more basal branches compared to the plants under short-days.

Table 8. The increase in the number of basal branches of Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ in 9 weeks after Configure sprays in experiment 1. The columns with different letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05 using Least Significant Difference procedure in SAS. The datasets for experiments 1 and 2 were significantly different and hence, were analyzed separately.


Echinacea ‘Sunrise’

Expt. 1 Control 4.2 a 300 ppm Configure + CapSil 8.1 b 600 ppm Configure + CapSil 10.6 c 600 ppm Configure + PentraBark 9.3 bc 900 ppm Configure + CapSil 10.2 c

Table 9. The increase in the number of basal branches of Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ in 9 weeks after Configure sprays in experiment 2. The columns with different letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05 using Least Significant Difference procedure in SAS. The datasets for experiments 1 and 2 were significantly different and hence, were analyzed separately.




Expt. 2 Expt. 2 Control 2.2 a 4.6 A 300 ppm Configure + CapSil 4.9 b 6.8 A



600 ppm Configure + CapSil 4.4 b 7.5 B 900 ppm Configure + CapSil 5.4 b 10.0 B

Table 10. The increase in the number of basal branches in 9 weeks of Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ after Configure sprays in response to long-day and short-day photoperiods. The columns with different letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05 using Least Significant Difference procedure in SAS.



Control – LD photoperiod 2.2 bc 300 ppm Configure + CapSil – LD photoperiod 4.9 a Control – SD photoperiod 1.2 c 300 ppm Configure + CapSil – SD photoperiod 3.3 b

Figure 14. Influence of Configure sprays at transplant on Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ branching.



Figure 15. Basal branching increase in Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ 3 weeks after the sprays. These plants were first treated 3 weeks after transplant and quickly showed a significant increase in basal branching. (Figure 18).



Figure 16. Influence of Configure sprayed 3 weeks after transplant on E. ‘Sunrise’ basal branching.

Figure 17. The effect of photoperiod (16-hour long days versus 9-hour short days) on branching of Echinacea ‘Sunrise’. This graph and photo indicate that plants grown under short days also produced more basal branches when sprayed with Configure at 300 ppm.

Echinacea 'Sunrise'

0

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16

LD Control 300ppm

Conf/LD

SD Control 300ppm

Conf/SD

Treatment

Shoots

Day 64

Day 43

Day 22

Day 7



Figure 18. The influence of Configure sprays on Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ basal branching in experiments 1 and 2.

Echinacea 'Sunrise' ‐ Rep 1

0

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Unsprayed Control









Treatment

Shoots

Day 85

Day 64

Day 43

Day 22

Day 1

Echinacea 'Sunrise' ‐ Rep 2

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Unsprayed Control









Treatment

Shoots

Day 85

Day 64

Day 43

Day 22

Day 1



Echinacea ‘Magnus’ To our surprise, the increases in basal branches of ‘Magnus’ between experiments 1 and 2 was

not significantly different. Hence data from the two experiments were pooled. Additionally the two Configure application times were also not significantly different and hence, were pooled in the analysis. Since Pentra-Bark treatment was not included in experiment 2, it was omitted from the analysis.

Configure application increased the basal branch number compared to that of the untreated controls and all rates of Configure similarly increased the number of basal branches.

Photoperiod influenced the increase in the number of basal branches of ‘Magnus’. No branches were produced by the short-day controls. However, Configure application resulted in an increase in basal branch production under short-days as well as long-days. Thus Configure mitigated the loss of branching under short-days in ‘Magnus’.

Table 11. The increase in the number of basal branches of Echinacea ‘Magnus’ in 9 weeks after Configure sprays. The datasets for experiments 1 and 2 and the two application times were not significantly different and hence, were pooled in the analysis. The columns with different letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05 using Least Significant Difference procedure in SAS.

Echinacea ‘Magnus’

Increase in the number of basal branches from week 0 to 9. Pooled data from the two experiments and plants sprayed at transplant and sprayed 3 weeks after transplant

Control 1.6 a 300 ppm Configure + CapSil 3.3 b 600 ppm Configure + CapSil 3.5 b 900 ppm Configure + CapSil 4.1 b

Table 12. The increase in the number of basal branches in 9 weeks of Echinacea ‘Magnus’ after Configure sprays in response to long-day and short-day photoperiods. The columns with different letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05 using Least Significant Difference procedure in SAS.

Echinacea ‘Magnus’


Control – LD photoperiod 1.5 b 300 ppm Configure + CapSil – LD photoperiod 3.1 a Control – SD photoperiod 0 c 300 ppm Configure + CapSil – SD photoperiod 2.5 ab



Figure 19. Influence of Configure sprays at transplant on Echinacea ‘Magnus’ basal branching.

Figure 20. Basal branching increase in Echinacea ‘Magnus’ 3 weeks after the sprays. These plants were sprayed 3 weeks after transplant and quickly showed a significant increase in basal branching. (Figure 23).



Figure 21. Influence of Configure sprayed 3 weeks after transplant on Echinacea ‘Magnus’ basal branching.

Figure 22. Minor distortion was seen on new leaves of echinacea ‘Magnus’ (and ‘After Midnight’) in 3-5 days after being sprayed with 900 ppm Configure in both experiments. This wasn’t seen on the leaves that unfolded subsequently.



Figure 23. The influence of Configure sprays on Echinacea ‘Magnus’ basal branching in experiments 1 and 2.

Echinacea 'Magnus' ‐ Rep 1

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Treatment

Shoots

Day 85

Day 64

Day 43

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Echinacea 'Magnus' ‐ Rep 2

0.0

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Treatment

Shoots

Day 85

Day 64

Day 43

Day 22

Day 1

Figure 24. The effect of photoperiod (16-hour long days versus 9-hour short days) on branching of Echinacea ‘Magnus’. This graph and photo indicate that plants grown under short days also produced more basal branches when sprayed with Configure at 300 ppm.

Echinacea 'Magnus'

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LD Control 300ppm

Conf/LD

SD Control 300ppm

Conf/SD

Treatment

Shoots

Day 64

Day 43

Day 22

Day 7

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