Abstract
Growth response of three Nephrolepis cultivars ( Nephrolepis exaltata Schott ‘Boston’, ‘Dallas Queen’ and Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) Presl. ‘Kimberley Queen’) to temperature, atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and photon flux density (PFD) have been examined. The best temperature for growth of all three cultivars was 24°C, with both leaf area and total dry weight being reduced at lower or higher temperatures. ‘Boston’ was least tolerant of low temperature (15°C) and ‘Dallas Queen’ least tolerant of high temperature (30°C). Low VPD (400 Pa at 30°C) approximately doubled both total dry weight and total frond area in all three cultivars when compared with plants grown at high VPD (2200 Pa), though ‘Dallas Queen’ was the most tolerant. Growth was limited in all cultivars in PFDs of < 300 μmol m −2 s −1 (12 h light period), and growth of ‘Dallas Queen’ was also reduced at 600 μmol m −2 s −1. In an experiment which simulated household light conditions, ‘Boston’ was found to be the best adapted cultivar for very low light. Optimum production efficiency in commercial nurseries will only be realised when such complexities of cultivar differences and their varying responses to environmental conditions are fully described.
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