New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

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Effects of growing media and nutrition on tuber russeting, storage, and production in Sandersonia aurantiaca

G. E. CLARK

New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
 Research Limited
Pukekohe Research Centre
Cronin Road, RD 1
Pukekohe, New Zealand
email: clarkg@crop.cri.nz

G. K. BURGE

New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
 Research Limited
Food Industry Science Centre
Private Bag 11 600
Palmerston North, New Zealand

Abstract  The effects of three planting media (50:50 peat:pumice, Pinus radiata bark, and soil) at two nutrient rates (1.0 and 4.0 kg/m³ Nutricote) were assessed on sandersonia (Sandersonia aurantiaca (Hook.)) tuber production, the incidence of tuber russeting, and subsequent performance of tubers. Tuber weights were greater at the higher nutrient rate. Lighter tubers were produced in the bark medium than in the peat:pumice or soil. Tuber russeting was less, and commercially acceptable, at the low nutrient rate in all media. At the high nutrient rate russeting was greater in tubers grown in peat:pumice and soil compared to those grown in bark. At the high nutrient rate tissue concentrations of K, N, S, and P were greater. Tubers grown in bark had lower concentrations of N and S compared to tubers grown in soil and peat. At the high rate of nutrition tuber sprouting in the subsequent season was less in the tubers grown in soil and peat:pumice compared to the bark-grown tubers. Stem length, stem weight, flower number, and vase life from tubers produced in bark at the high nutrient rate were similar to those produced in the soil and peat:pumice media at the low nutrient rate. There was no improvement in production indices for the tubers grown in soil or peat:pumice at the high nutrient rate. These findings show that if grown in peat:pumice or soil, sandersonia tubers should be produced at low nutrient levels to reduce the incidence of tuber russeting and to improve subsequent forcing. If grown in bark media, higher nutrient rates can be used to maintain forcing quality without causing high levels of russeting.

Keywords  sandersonia; Sandersonia aurantiaca; tuber; nutrition; media; russeting

H99022
Received 29 June 1999; accepted 22 January 2000

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (530K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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