The use of transplants is the most reliable method to ensure adequate crop establishment of commercial plantings of most ornamental bedding crops; however, in plants grown in small pots, root growth restrictions often occur. The aim of this work was to determine the dry weight accumulation processes involved in the root restriction generated by a decrease in plug cell volume under the hypothesis that cytokinins synthesized by roots are part of the mechanism of Impatiens walleriana aerial biomass accumulation which can be partially overriding by an early BAP spray during the propagation stage in plug trays. Our results showed that I. walleriana aerial biomass productivity is related to root dry weight; the higher total dry weight of the controls grown in 50 plug cell trays is related to higher relative growth rate (RGR) as a result of an increase in net assimilation rate (NAR) and leaf area ratio (LAR). On the other hand, the smaller cell volume the higher photosynthate partitioning to roots. I. walleriana dry weight accumulation and photosynthate partitioning were changed in response to different BAP sprays doses (5 to 200 mg L–1) and application stages, but the magnitude of the changes were associated to the cell volume too.
Di Benedetto, A. H. & Pagani, A. (2013). Changes in dry weight accumulation in the impatiens walleriana pot plant in response to different pre - transplant plug cell volume. European Journal of Horticultural Science,78, (2),p.76-85
Di Benedetto, Adalberto Hugo, Pagani, Alberto. 2013. "Changes in dry weight accumulation in the impatiens walleriana pot plant in response to different pre - transplant plug cell volume". European Journal of Horticultural Science 78, no.2:76-85.
Recuperado de http://ri.agro.uba.ar/greenstone3/library/collection/arti/document/2013dibenedetto1