Cutflower Production of Blue Smokebush
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Cutflower Production of Blue Smokebush A final report prepared for the Rural Industries R & D Corporation by Dr K.A. Seaton November 2001 RIRDC Publication No 01/158 RIRDC Project No DAW-89A © 2001 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. ISBN 0 642 58377 3 ISSN 1440-6845 Cutflower Production of Blue Smokebush Publication No. 01/158 Project No. DAW-89A The views expressed and the conclusions reached in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of persons consulted. RIRDC shall not be responsible in any way whatsoever to any person who relies in whole or in part on the contents of this report. This publication is copyright. However, RIRDC encourages wide dissemination of its research, providing the Corporation is clearly acknowledged. For any other enquiries concerning reproduction, contact the Publications Manager on phone 02 6272 3186. Researcher Contact Details Dr Kevin Seaton Agriculture Western Australia Locked Bag No 4 BENTLEY DELIVERY CENTRE WA 6983 Phone: (08) 9368 3244 Fax: (08) 9367 2625 RIRDC Contact Details Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Level 1, AMA House 42 Macquarie Street BARTON ACT 2600 PO Box 4776 KINGSTON ACT 2604 Phone: 02 6272 4539 Fax: 02 6272 5877 Email: [email protected]. Website:http://www.rirdc.gov.au Published in November 2001 Printed on environmentally friendly paper by Canprint Foreword There is an urgent need to bring new wildflowers into production to diversify production and to command a premium price on export markets. The blue smokebush species, which flower from winter to spring, have particular appeal and bush picked material receives a good price. The project has characterised a number of blue smokebush selections exhibiting different flowering times, form and colour. Production protocols have been developed for the successful cultivation of blue smokebush. Testing on export markets has shown blue smokebush to be a sought-after cut flower, having specialised use in the ikebana and the wedding trade. With careful marketing this flower should return good profit margins. This project was funded from RIRDC Core Funds which are provided by the Federal Government This report, an addition to RIRDC’s diverse range of over 700 research publications, forms part of our Wildflower and Native Plants R&D program, which aims to improve the profitability, productivity and sustainability of the Australian wildflower and native plant industry. Most of our publications are available for viewing, downloading or purchasing online through our website: • downloads at www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/Index.htm • purchases at www.rirdc.gov.au/eshop Peter Core Managing Director Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation ii Acknowledgments The support, cooperation and assistance of Mr Tony Dick and Mr Russell Klopper of Total Flower Exports Pty Ltd are gratefully acknowledged. The support of Mr Digby Growns (project manager Agriculture Western Australia), Mr Mark Webb Kings Gardens and Botanic Park, research colleague Mr Eric Bunn and Mrs Eleanor Bennett formally of KPBG. The assistance of Mr Chris Newell (Tissue culture laboratory manager South Perth) and technical assistants Ms Anouska Cousin, Ms Michelle Crow and Ms Jan Hooper is acknowledged. The work on the project of Medina Research Station manager Mr John Ferguson and the technical assistance of Mr J Berston and Mr Chris McMullan (South Perth) is greatly appreciated. Also the support of Mr Peter Wood (plant pathology AGWEST) and Professor J. Considine (University of Western Australia) is acknowledged as well as the editorial comments of Mr Malcolm Howes (Agriculture Western Australia). iii Contents Foreword........................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgments........................................................................................................ iii List of Tables .................................................................................................................v List of Figures...............................................................................................................vi Executive Summary.....................................................................................................vii 1. Introduction................................................................................................................1 2. Objectives ..................................................................................................................3 3. Methodology..............................................................................................................4 4. Results:.......................................................................................................................5 4.1. Selection..............................................................................................................5 4.2. Propagation .........................................................................................................6 4.2.1 Initiation of species into culture....................................................................6 4.2.2 Root initiation and survival...........................................................................8 4.3. Field evaluation.................................................................................................11 4.3.1 Establishment and survival .........................................................................11 4.3.2 Flowering behaviour ...................................................................................11 4.3.3 Stem production..........................................................................................13 4.4. Pest and disease control ....................................................................................14 4.5. Postharvest ........................................................................................................14 4.6. Production protocol...........................................................................................15 5. Discussion of results ................................................................................................16 6. Implications .............................................................................................................18 7. Recommendations....................................................................................................19 8. Bibliography ............................................................................................................20 Appendix I - Agriculture Western Australia Farmnote No. 110/99 ...........................22 Smokebush (Conospermum spp.) for cut flower production...............................22 Appendix II – Photographs ..........................................................................................27 iv List of Tables Table 1. Flower development stages used for assessment flowering of 5 Conospermum spp. Table 2. Effect of treatment on germination of C. amoenum seeds. The 8 presence of cotyledons are expressed as a percentage of starting number of seeds, and embryos with roots are expressed as a percentage of embryos that produced cotyledons. Table 3. Effect of hormone type and/or hormone combination on the strike 8 rate of C. brownii. Table 4. Comparison of selections of blue smokebush (C. eatoniae (Ce), 13 C. caeruleum (Cc) and C. amoenum (Ca)) in terms of flower colour, flowering season and the period flowers were open (days). Table 5. Stem numbers, stem length and yield of blue smokebush (C. 13 eatoniae (Ce), C. caeruleum (Cc) and C. amoenum (Ca)) selections grown at Medina Research Station. Table 6. Disease incidence (stems infected per plant) following infection 14 of blue smokebush C. eatoniae and C. caeruleum grown in pots with Phytophthora cinnamomi. Table 7. Vase life (days) of C. eatoniae (Ce 191 and 196), C. caeruleum 15 (Cc 82) and C. amoenum (Ca 200). v List of Figures Figure 1. Flowering score of plants sampled within a natural population 5 of C. eatoniae, showing early and late flowering selections. Figure 2. Survival of C. amoenum cuttings following initiation into in vitro 7 culture for selection 200, a dark blue selection, pink selection and a juvenile plant. Figure 3. Root strike rate and plant survival 6 weeks after deflasking from 9 tissue culture for C. eatoniae selections Ce 74, Ce 80, Ce 21A, Ce 24, Ce P5-1, Ce 191, Ce 196 and C. caeruleum Cc 82. Figure 4. Effect of different rooting treatments on root strike of C. 10 amoenum. Figure 5. Effect of time of leaving shoots on rooting media on root 10 production expressed as a percentage of shoots tested. Figure 6. Flowering characteristics of blue smokebush (C. eatoniae (Ce), 12 C. caeruleum (Cc) and C. amoenum (Ca) selections grown at Medina Research Station. vi Executive Summary Introduction of novel wildflowers into cut flower production offers considerable marketing advantage. Blue smokebush is one such wildflower, which flowers from winter to spring. The aim of this project was to bring blue smokebush into cultivation. This has involved the selection of germ plasm of three blue smokebush species and the development of a reliable means to propagate these species. It was found that each species had different propagation requirements. For some, clonal propagation was possible using cutting techniques while for others, in vitro tissue culture techniques were necessary. The research has also identified the conditions necessary