Repetitive pruning of Serianthes nursery plants improves transplant quality and post-transplant survival.

ABSTRACT: Information on the best methods for producing endangered Serianthes nelsonii plants for use in species recovery projects is lacking. Plants of this species behave similarly in a nursery setting to plants of the congeneric Serianthes grandiflora and Serianthes kanehirae. Container-grown plants of these two species were repeatedly pruned in the nursery to determine if a more favorable root:shoot ratio would result, then to determine if performance after out-planting would benefit from the enhanced root growth. Repetitive pruning increased absolute root dry weight 43% to 61% and root:shoot ratio 55% to 56% above that of control plants that were not pruned. One year after out-planting, the pruned plants were greater in shoot dry weight and plant height than the control pla

SUBMITTER: Marler TE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6619948 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature