Induction of bolting by gibberellic acid in rosettes of diffuse (Centaurea diffusa) and spotted (C. maculosa) knapweed

Abstract

An attempt was made to induce synchronous bolting of knapweed (Centaurea spp.) rosettes with gibberellic acid (GA3) under greenhouse conditions. Single or double (2 weeks apart) sprays of GA3 (0, 0.3 × 10−4, and 1.5 × 10−4 M) were applied to 10- to 115-day-old diffuse knapweed (C. diffusa Lam.) rosettes. With the exception of 10- and 25-day-old rosettes, highly synchronous bolting was induced by double applications of 1.5 × 10−4 M GA3. Bolted plants flowered within 8 to 10 weeks of treatment but did not form seeds because of the absence of pollinators in the greenhouse. The size of bolted plants and the percentage of plants bearing flowers depended on rosette age at the time of GA3 application. With a single GA3 application or with two applications at lower concentration, uneven and (or) irregular bolting occurred. Occasionally, the initial rapid stem growth induced by GA3 was arrested, resulting in the formation of aerial rosettes. GA3 also induced bolting in spotted knapweed (C. maculosa Lam.). Induction of synchronous bolting may be useful in mechanical, biological, and (or) environmental (e.g., winter-killing) control of biennial weeds. Its feasibility under field conditions, however, remains to be demonstrated.