Nellie White Research Articles

INFLUENCE OF LONG DAYS AFTER COOLING AND DATE OF EMERGENCE ON EASTER LILIES

Easter lily bulbs (Lilium longiflorum `Nellie White') were given 6 weeks of cold, placed in the greenhouse and subsequently divided into groups based on emergence date after placement in the greenhouse: 0-6, 7-13, 14-20 and 21-27 days. At emergence bulbs received 0, 1, 2 or 3 weeks of long days (LD). Late-emerging plants had fewer days to visible bud and anthesis from emergence than early-emerging plants; consequently, late-emerging plants flowered within 3-10 days of early emerging plants despite 14-21 days difference in emergence time. Late emerging plants were tallest and middle emerging plants had the highest leaf number. Increasing LD tended to decrease numbers of days from emergence to visible bud and anthesis and increase plant height. LD did not effect leaf or flower number. Interactions between LD and emergence date will be discussed. Experiment was repeated for three consecutive years.

EASTER LILY RESPONSE TO PREPLANT-INCORPORATED ANCYMIDOL IN A BARK-BASED MEDIUM.

Easter lilies, Lilium longiflorum Thumb. cv Nellie White, were grown in a commercial pine bark-based medium (25% by vol.), amended with 0.5 g Acrylamide Acrylate Gel (AAG) per 1.6 liter pot. Lilies were grown in media drenched with ancymidol, at 0, 0.25, 0.375 or 0.5mg a.i.pot-1 following shoot emergence, or grown in media containing ancymidol impregnated AAG at 0, 0.25, 0.375 or 0.5mg a.i.pot-1. AAG applied ancymidol treatments resulted in a significant linear decrease in both lily stem and internode length as the rate of ancymidol increased. Drench applied ancymidol had no affect on stem or internode length. Stem and internode lengths of drench treated lilies were not significantly shorter than lilies not exposed to ancymidol. Bud length, leaf and bud number, and days to anthesis were not affected (P≤0.05) by any treatment. Ancymidol activity in the top, middle and bottom strata of medium filled containers, and in the leachate from these containers, was measured using a lettuce hypocotyl length bioassay. Ancymidol activity was uniformly distributed throughout the bark medium when applied in AAG. With this treatment, 10-15% of the ancymidol activity was detected in the leachate. When ancymidol was applied as a drench, over 95% of the activity was detected in the top two strata, with 70% in the upper most stratum and the rest in the leachate.

EFFECT OF NEGATIVE DIF REGIMES ON CARBOHYDRATE LEVELS IN LILIUM LONGIFLORUM

Commercial greenhouse operators are increasingly using “negative DIF” temperature regimes for crop height control. A negative DIF exists where the night temperature (NT) is greater than day temperature (DT). Large differences in DT-NT strongly suppress stem elongation in many crops, and have been used to reduce labor and material costs for chemical growth regulator applications on Easter lily. We have explored some of the biochemical effects of negative DIF temperature regimes. 'Nellie White Easter lilies were grown (1989 and 1991) at Purdue under a +10 or -10 DIF regime with temperatures adjusted so that daily averages were equal. Plants were harvested at visible bud (VB) and anthesis. Carbohydrates in stems, leaves and flowers were analyzed by HPLC With both temperature regimes, timing data indicated equal daily temperature averages were achieved. Negative DIF severely reduced stem length, and leaf and stem dry weight. Negative DIF reduced leaf and stem total soluble carbohydrate (TSC) content 39-46% at VB and anthesis, while flower TSC was reduced 10-13%. These results indicate negative DIFs have potentially detrimental biochemical effects on Easter lilies. Other techniques, such as early morning temperature drops, were not a part of this study, and their physiological effects should be evaluated as well.

Flower Bud Blast in Easter Lily Is Induced by Ethephon and Inhibited by Silver Thiosulfate

Interactions of ethephon and irradiance reduction were investigated in terms of flower bud blasting in Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum Thunb. `Nellie White'). Silver thiosulfate (STS) was investigated as an inhibitor of ethylene-induced bud abortion. Fourteen days of 92% irradiance reduction significantly increased bud abortion when plants were exposed to 2.1 mm ethephon. Bud abortion was 39% and 60% for plants grown in ambient and reduced irradiance, respectively. Silver thiosulfate was applied to plants 2 or 3 weeks after the date of the first visible bud, followed by ethephon treatment 2 days later. Bud abortion was significantly reduced by 1 or 2 mm STS, without phytotoxicity. Pretreatment with 1 or 2 mm STS as early as 4 weeks before ethephon exposure significantly reduced ethephon-induced bud abortion. Silver thiosulfate application could inexpensively reduce flower bud abortion during latter stages of greenhouse forcing of Easter lilies.

EFFECT OF PREPLANT BULB SOAK WITH UNICONAZOLE ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF EASTER LILY

Plant growth and flower development of Easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum) were evaluated for 3 years (1988-90). Bulbs of cvs. Ace and Nellie White were soaked preplant in solutions of uniconazole at cones. of 0 to 5 ppm at durations of 1 to 5 minutes and compared to bulbs soaked in ancymidol at 5 to 40 ppm. Time of bulb soak had no effect on amount of solution absorbed and on growth and flower development. Plant height from bulbs soaked in water alone was variable among the 3 years, ranging from 56 to 70 cm for Nellie White and 55 to 89 cm for Ace. Ancymidol concs. of 5, 10, 20, and 40 ppm retarded plant height 10.8, 14.5, 33.8, and 46.2%, respectively. Uniconazole solutions at 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 ppm produced Nellie White plants 16.7, 70.4, 56.8, 46.9, 39.3, and 30.8% of the height of the water soaked bulbs, respectively. Response of Ace to similar uniconazole concentrations was slightly less. High uniconazole concentration (> 5 ppm) delayed flowering time and reduced the number of floral buds which developed. Variability among plants within uniconazole treatments was large and would not be acceptable commercially.

Temperature Effects on Lily Development Rate and Morphology from the Visible Bud Stage until Anthesis

Day (DT) and night temperatures (NT) influenced Lilium longiflorum Thunb. `Nellie White' stem elongation and development rate from the visible bud stage (VB) until anthesis. Plant height increase after VB was a function of the difference (DIF) between DT and NT (DT-NT). Plant height increased 90% as DIF increased from - 16 to 16C. A cubic model described bud development rate as a function of temperature from 14 to 30C. A linear model adequately described bud development rate as a function of average daily temperature from 14 to 21C. Based on the linear model, bud development rate increased 0.05 per day for each 1C increase in average daily temperature. The base temperature for bud development, i.e., the temperature at which bud development rate was 0, was calculated as 3.5C.

Low Temperature Alters Carbohydrate Metabolism in Easter Lily Bulbs

Easter liliy (Lilium longiflorum Thunb. `Nellie White') bulbs were stored in moist peatmoss for up to 85 days at – 1.0 or 4.5C. Bulbs were periodically removed from storage and analyzed to determine levels of soluble carbohydrates and starch. Storage at – 1.0C induced large accumulations of sucrose, mannose, fructose, and oligosaccharide in both mother and daughter scales. Starch concentration declined substantially during this period. Storage at 4.5C resulted in less dramatic alterations in bulb carbohydrates, although trends toward increased soluble carbohydrates and reduced starch levels were seen. The accumulation of mannose suggests that glucomannan, a secondary storage carbohydrate, was also degraded during – 1.0C storage.

Response of Easter Lily Bulbs to Peat Moisture Content and the Use of Peat or of Polyethylene-lined Cases during Handling and Vernalization

Lining of shipping cases with low-density polyethylene (PE) greatly reduced moisture loss from packing media and bulbs of Lilium longjlorum Thunb. `Nellie White' during shipping, handling, and case vernalization (CV). Three years of studies showed that use of PE liners accelerated floral sprout emergence above the growing medium, floral bud initiation, and flowering date. Effects of case lining became more pronounced as the initial water content of the spagnum peat packing was lowered. Case lining sometimes increased apical meristem diameters measured immediately after vernalization, or 2 or 4 weeks after bulb planting, but flower bud number was never significantly increased. Root growth during the first 4 weeks after planting was not affected by case lining. Bulb scale and basal plate water contents at planting were greater in lined than nonlined cases and when packed in peat of relatively high moisture content. Handling and vernalization of bulbs in PE-lined cases without a packing medium resulted in similar bulb forcing characteristics as in bulbs held in PE-lined cases packed with sphagnum peat.

Use of Ancymidol Bulb Dips to Control Stem Elongation of Easter Lilies Grown in a Pine Bark Medium

Abstract Experiments were conducted on the Easter lily cultivars (Lilium longiflorum thunb.) Ace and Nellie White over a 4-year period to compare ancymidol bulb dips to media drenches and foliar spray applications. Several bulb dip concentrations and durations were used. ‘Ace’ plants responded more than ‘Nellie White’ plants to bulb dips, primarily because of more natural vigorous growth of ‘Ace’ plants. A 1-hr dip at 33 ppm gave adequate height control, but flowering was delayed. Reliance on bulb dips to achieve optimum height control may be questionable because ancymidol must be applied before one is certain excessive height will be a problem. Chemical name used: α-cyclopropyl-α-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-pyrimidinemethanol (ancymidol).

Distribution, Storage, and Remobilization of 14C-labeled Assimilate in Easter Lily

Abstract Whole shoots of Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum Thunb. cv. Nellie White) were exposed to 14CO2 at 25, 37, and 51 days after full bloom of the commercial crop. Seven days after each exposure, 20% of the total recovered 14C remained in the shoot, which included stem roots, 10-25% in stem bulblets, 11-20% in mother scales, and 34-44% in daughter scales. Sink activity increased sharply from the outer mother scales to the inner daughter scales. The fraction of total 14C in the main bulb decreased, while that in the stem bulblets increased at successive exposures. Another group of plants was labeled repeatedly by dosing with 14CO2 on the three previous occasions and, also, at 65 days after full bloom. Bulbs were harvested 7 days after the final exposure, stored at 18°C for 14 weeks, and then replanted, At bulb digging, 50%, 30%, and 20% of the total 14C recovered were in the main bulb, stem bulblets, and shoot, respectively. Mother scales lost dry weight and 14C during storage and were nearly depleted when flower buds were visible the next season. Specific 14C activity in the emerging flowering shoot was high but decreased dramatically as the leaf number rapidly increased. The shoot and new daughter scales were the principal recipients of mobilized scale reserves, although only 28% of the 14C lost from mother scales were recovered in other plant parts. A majority of the carbon originally in mother scales was likely lost in respiration between fall harvest and 3 weeks after anthesis the following year. The daughter bulb contained 64% of the 14C in the bulb at fall harvest, and lost very little 14C during regrowth the following year.

Relationship of Rhyzoglyphus robini (Acari: Acaridae) to Root Rot1 Control in Greenhouse-Forced Easter Lilies2

Easter lily bulbs, Lilium longiflorum Thumb. “Nellie White,” from Oregon were grown under controlled temperature forcing in a greenhouse to flower at Easter. Various miticide and fungicide treatments were applied to elucidate the relationship between a bulb mite, Rhizoglyphus robini Claparede, and root rot control as caused by Pythium ultimum Trow and Fusarium oxysporum Schl. emend. Snyd. and Hans. Dicofol and aldicarb, regardless of time of application, significantly reduced R. robini numbers. Dicofol also significantly reduced root rot. Tests showed that dicofol had fungicidal as well as miticidal activity. The fungicide combination of benomyl and Truban gave significant root rot control only when mite populations were relatively low. It is concluded that a threshold exists for R. robini in greenhouse-forced Easter lilies above which mite suppression is necessary for adequate root rot control by fungicides.

Developmental Responses of Lilium longiflorum Bulblets to Constant or Alternating Temperatures in Vitro1

Abstract Bulblets from bulb-scale explants of Lilium longiflorum Thunb. cvs. Ace and Nellie White cultured in darkness on a semisolid Linsmaier-Skoog medium supplemented with 0.03 mg/liter α-naphthalene-acetic acid (NAA) bore no leaves when produced in vitro at constant 30°C but often did when produced at constant 25°. In vitro temperature regimes involving both 25 and 30° resulted in the largest number of leaves per explant. Time in vitro in each temperature regime was calculated to provide equal heat units so that differences could not be explained by a linear relationship between development and temperature × time. Physiological state of explants, measured by time lily bulbs were stored at 4° before tissue culture, interacted with in vitro temperature. Explants from bulbs stored 110 days or less produced significantly fewer but significantly larger bulblets at constant 25° as compared to constant 30°. This difference was not apparent when explants were taken from bulbs stored at 4° more than 110 days. In an experiment with explants from bulbs stored 80 days, there was no significant difference between ‘Ace’ and ‘Nellie White’ in number of scales per bulblet at either 25 or 30° but bulblets of both cultivars contained significantly fewer scales if generated at 30°. Mean width of meristems in ‘Ace’ bulblets was significantly greater when produced in vitro at 30°. Neither initiation of bulblets nor bulblet development appeared controlled by apical dominance.

Lily Bulb Harvest Maturity Indices Predict Forcing Response1

Abstract Harvest date, bulb weight, and the number of scale and leaf primordia of the daughter axis of July-to-October-harvested bulbs of Lilium longiflorum Thunb. cvs. Croft, Ace and Nellie White were harvest maturity indices (HMI) evaluated as predictors of subsequent bulb responses to dormancy-removing and flower-forcing treatments. Higher HMI ratings associated with late harvest, e.g., increased bulb size and increased numbers of daughter leaf primordia, favored early shoot emergence and flowering with standard forcing programs. However, early-harvested bulbs with lower HMI ratings could be forced with equal or superior quality when given modified forcing regimes. Early-harvested bulbs without cold treatment were more responsive to long day (LD) flower induction than late-harvested bulbs. The optimum dormancy-removing temperature was always 15°C, but the flower-inducing optimum tended to shift from 10° to 5° with progressively later harvest. However, 10° storage favored earlier emergence, greater leaf and flower numbers, while total days to flower from potting remained the same at the 2 inductive temperatures. The interaction of bulb maturity at harvest and forcing regime emphasize the necessity of tailoring the forcing regime to the HMI of the bulb.

The Control of Flowering in Lilium longiflorum Thunb. cv. Nellie White by Cyclic or Continuous Light Treatments1

Abstract Flowering was accelerated by incandescent light day extensions of 3 minutes of light and 27 minutes of dark or longer light cycles and by 15 minutes of light and 15 minutes of dark cycles when BCJ-ruby incandescent light was given to young shoots from non-vernalized bulbs. If bulbs were vernalized for 3 weeks, cool white fluorescent light accelerated flowering as a day extension. As a night interruption, incandescent, fluorescent or BCJ-ruby incandescent cyclic light treatments accelerated flowering of shoots from vernalized or non-vernalized bulbs. Day extensions of cyclic fluorescent or BCJ-ruby light treatments of 6 minutes on and 24 off or 3 minutes on and 27 off did not mediate a phytochrome controlled flowering response and along with the fact that there was no photoreversibility between day extensions of incandescent, fluorescent or BCJ-ruby incandescent light, indicate a high energy reaction involvement in the flowering of the lily. As a night interruption treatment, a phytochrome mediated flowering response was observed with 3 minutes of light on and 27 off or 6 minutes on and 24 off cyclics of fluorescent or BCJ-ruby incandescent light treatments. However, as the light period increased to 15 minutes on and 15 off or under a continuous light cycle, there were no differences in the flowering response between fluorescent or BCJ-ruby incandescent. As night interruptions there was a reversibility response by R — FR, but not by FR — R. This indicated the simultaneous operation of the phytochrome and the high energy reaction.

Influence of Interrupting the Long Day Inductive Treatments on Growth and Flower Numbers of Lilium longiflorum Thunb.1

Abstract Lilium longiflorum cv. Ace and Nellie White shoots from non-vernalized bulbs were intercalated during the 30 long day night-interruption by 10 or 20 natural days. The interrupted long day effect can be summated for early flowering with the same response as that seen under a continuous long day treatment. However, increased total flower numbers were obtained.

Endogenous Promoter and Inhibitor Levels in Lilium longiflorum Bulbs1

Abstract Lilium longiflorum Thunb. cv. Nellie White shoots rapidly emerged and flowered when bulbs were given a 4.5°C/40 day treatment. However, GA levels in the bulbs did not increase during the 4.5°C/40 day cold storage, but increased afterwards in the greenhouse with a GA maximum 30 days past storage. ABA activity patterns were similar to GA. Bulbs first treated at 4.5°C/30 days and then followed by 21°C/30 days had higher GA activity and their shoots were slower to emerge and flower than those of bulbs first treated at 21°C/30 days then given 4.5°C/30 days. Bulbs from 4 harvest dates had greater GA activity in the inner scales while ABA activity was greater in the outer scales.

Influence of Bulb Harvest Date and Temperature on Growth and Flowering of Lilium longiflorum1

Abstract Lilium longiflorum Thunb. cv. Nellie White bulbs were shipped in 1969, 1970, and 1971 from the west coast to St. Paul by air freight from July to October at 15 day intervals. Bulbs were given 0 or 2 weeks of 10°C, 15.5°C or 21 °C followed by 0 or 6 weeks of 4.5°C. Two weeks exposure to 10°C enhanced shoot emergence and flowering of late-harvested non-cooled bulbs and enhanced flowering of cooled bulbs. Treatments of 15.5°C or 21°C had little influence on shoot emergence and flowering of non-cooled bulbs and delayed flowering of early harvested cooled bulbs. With time and with increased bulb growth the degree of dormancy (delay of emergence) decreased and degree of maturity (enhancement of early flowering by 4.5°) increased.