Container Production and Post-Harvest Handling of Lotus
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CONTAINER PRODUCTION AND POST-HARVEST HANDLING OF LOTUS (NELUMBO) AND MICROPROPAGATION OF HERBACEOUS PEONY (PAEONIA) Except where reference is made to the work of others, the work described in this dissertation is my own or was done in collaboration with my advisory committee. This dissertation does not include proprietary or classified information. Daike Tian Certificate of Approval: Fenny Dane Ken M. Tilt, Chair Professor Professor Horticulture Horticulture Jeff L. Sibley Floyd M. Woods Alumni Professor Associate Professor Horticulture Horticulture George T. Flowers Interim Dean Graduate School CONTAINER PRODUCTION AND POST-HARVEST HANDLING OF LOTUS (NELUMBO) AND MICROPROPAGATION OF HERBACEOUS PEONY (PAEONIA) Daike Tian A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Auburn, Alabama August 9, 2008 CONTAINER PRODUCTION AND POST-HARVEST HANDLING OF LOTUS (NELUMBO) AND MICROPROPAGATION OF HERBACEOUS PEONY (PAEONIA) Daike Tian Permission is granted to Auburn University to make copies of this dissertation at its discretion, upon request of individuals of institutions and at their expense. The author reserves all publication right. Signature of Author Date of Graduation iii VITA Daike Tian, son of Bangzhi Xian and Renwang Tian, was born on March 3, 1968, in Longshan, Hunan, People’s Republic of China. He married Yuying Sang in 2000 and has a daughter Olivia I. Tian. He graduated from Longshan First High School, Hunan in 1989. He immediately entered Hunan Normal University (HNU) in the same year and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in June 1993. After graduation, he worked for three years as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Biology of HNU. In August 1996, he entered the Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing and graduated with a Master of Science in botany from Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB), CAS, in August 1999. From 1999 to 2000, he worked as a Visiting Scholar in the Botanical Gardens of Toyama in Japan. After returning to China, he worked as Research Assistant at KIB, CAS for one year and then moved to Shanghai and worked in a horticultural company. In August 2004, he entered Auburn University as a Graduate Research Assistant to pursue a Doctor of Science degree in Horticulture. iv CONTAINER PRODUCTION AND POST-HARVEST HANDLING OF LOTUS (NELUMBO) AND MICROPROPAGATION OF HERBACEOUS PEONY (PAEONIA) Daike Tian Doctor of Philosophy, Auburn University, USA, August 9, 2008 (M.S., Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, 1999) (B.S., Hunan Normal University, China, 1993) 306 Typed Pages Directed by Dr. Ken M. Tilt Effects of container soil level, fertilization, planting time and disbudding on lotus (Nelumbo) growth were evaluated in container production. Container soil volume influenced EC, pH, plant growth indexes, and plant nutritional contents. The ¼ and ½ soil levels were more efficient than ¾ soil level for lotus production in containers. Fertilization significantly increased plant growth and also influenced plant nutrient contents. Fresh underground weight, propagule number, expanded internode number, and emerging leaf number of lotus grown in 29 liter containers linearly increased with increased fertilizer rates from 0 to 8 g of Pro•Sol 20-10-20 per pot and then leveled off at 12 g rate. There was no effect on plant height and flower number by fertility treatment. Fertilization also increased N, P and K and decreased Ca content in young leaves. Soluble fertilizers (Pro•Sol 20-10-20, Miracle-Gro 24-8-16 and 15-30-15) were more efficient for v lotus growth than both urea and controlled release fertilizer (Polyon 18-6-12). Miracle-Gro 15- 30-15 (higher P rate) was more beneficial for rhizome or propagule production of lotus. Miracle- Gro 24-8-16 and Pro•Sol 20-10-20 were favorable for flower production. Flowering peak of lotus was influenced by the type or composition of fertilizers. Optimum container fertilization of lotus depends on cultivar, growth stage, fertilizer type and rate, container size, soil amount and water volume. Lotus growth was largely affected by planting time and disbudding. Lotus potted in March and April performed best, while plants planted in February and May performed worst. Flower number was generally not influenced by planting time but flowering peak was different among treatments. Disbudding increased fresh underground weight and propagule number. Positive relationships were observed among emerging leaf number, fresh underground biomass, and propagule number. Propagules could be stored in the cooler (4 ºC, 95% RH) over 45 days. Gum acacia, sphagnum-moss and Terra-Sorb® hydrogel had no effects on moisture and viability of stored lotus propagules. Successful surface sterilization and sanitation were critical. Optimization of tissue culture protocol for commercial production of herbaceous peony was also investigated. Young stem segments were most favorable for callus induction. Adventitious shoots did not develop from callus and were only generated on apical or axillary meristematic regions. Young nodal stems and dormant-released buds were most suitable for shoot induction. TDZ was more effective than BA for shoot induction. Gibberellic acid (GA3) had positive effects on explant growth, shoot induction and stem elongation. Plantlets rooted in IBA-containing medium or in PGR-free medium following a short pretreatment with high-concentration IBA. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my parents, Bangzhi Xiang and Renwan Tian, my sisters, my wife Yuying Sang, my daughter Olivia I. Tian, other family members and friends who offered support throughout the course of my graduate studies and research. I would also like to particularly thank my major advisor, Dr. Ken Tilt, for his great patience and assistance in guiding me through my graduate years, and to thank my other committee members Dr. Fenny Dane, Dr. Jeff L. Sibley, and Dr. Floyd M. Woods. Thanks are due to Mrs. Faye Ireland of Birmingham, Alabama for her contributions to support our peony research. Thanks are also due to Dr. Yanci Xiang from Hunan University of Science and Technology, Dr. Liangsheng Wang from Beijing Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dr. Kwon-Kyoo Kang, a Visiting Professor from South Korea, Dr. Toshinari Godo from the Botanical Gardens of Toyama in Japan for help on literature collection. Others offering help to my program included: Mr. Bill W. Wills in the Soil Testing Laboratory at Auburn University for water and plant nutrient analysis, Mr. Arnold Caylor and Mrs. Derenda Tuggle from the North Alabama Horticulture Research Center of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Mr. Warner Orozco-Obando, Mr. Wayne Chestnut, Ms. C.J. McGrath, Mrs. Bernice Barnette, Mrs. Bernice Fischman, and other personnel in Department of Horticulture and Library of Auburn University. vii Style manual or journals used: HortScience (Part I: chapter 1 to 5), Journal for Environmental Horticulture (Part I: chapter 6), In Vitro Cell & Developmental Biology (Part II: chapter 1 to 2, Appendix), and Plant Growth Regulation (Part II: chapter 3). Computer software used: Microsoft Word 2003, Microsoft Excel 2003, SAS 9.1 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I CONTAINER PRODUCTION AND POST-HARVEST HANDLING OF LOTUS (NELUMBO).....................................................................................1 Chapter 1 General Introduction and Literature Review.....................................................1 1 General Introduction...................................................................................................1 2 Literature Review.......................................................................................................7 2.1 Basic Biological Research on Nelumbo................................................................7 2.2 Lotus-effect and Bionic.......................................................................................11 2.3 Ecology, Competition and Environmental Impact..............................................12 2.4 Heavy-metal Assimilation and Removal............................................................14 2.5 Propagation ........................................................................................................16 2.6 Cultivation and Production.................................................................................19 2.7 Production of Vegetable Lotus ..........................................................................22 2.8 Production of Ornamental Lotus.........................................................................23 2.9 Planting Techniques............................................................................................24 2.10 Fertilization.......................................................................................................25 2.11 Nutrient Disorders.............................................................................................27 2.12 Weeding ...........................................................................................................29 2.13 Overwintering...................................................................................................30 2.14 Pests and Diseases.............................................................................................31 ix 2.15 Harvest and Postharvest....................................................................................33 2.16 Breeding............................................................................................................36