Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2009, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (1): 108-117.DOI: 10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2009.01.012

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

QUANTIFYING THE EFFECTS OF NITROGEN ON DRY MATTER PARTITIONING OF STANDARD CUT CHRYSANTHEMUM ‘SHENMA’ IN SOLAR GREENHOUSE

MI Xiao-Jie1, DAI Jian-Feng1, LUO Wei-Hong1,*(), DING Qi-Feng1, CHEN Yong-Shan1, ZHAO Chun-Jiang2, QIAO Xiao-Jun2, LIU Ke-Xin3   

  1. 1College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
    2Beijing Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture, Beijing 100089, China, and 3Beijing Xinhua Horticulture, Beijing 100026, China
  • Received:2007-06-29 Accepted:2007-08-23 Online:2009-06-29 Published:2009-01-30
  • Contact: LUO Wei-Hong

Abstract:

Aims Dry matter partitioning is the basis of external quality formation of ornamental plants. Nitrogen is the important nutrient affecting dry matter partitioning of plants. Our aim was to quantitatively investigate the effects of nitrogen on dry matter partitioning of standard cut chrysanthemum (Dendranthema morifolium ‘Shenma’) grown in a solar greenhouse.
Methods We conducted our experiments using different planting dates and different levels of nitrogen application rates in a solar greenhouse in Beijing, China during October 2005 and July 2006. The integrated photo-thermal index, the product of thermal effectiveness, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and day length (PTEP), was used to describe changes of the partitioning indices of leaf, stem and flower with development stages. Effects of the accumulated leaf nitrogen content at bud-showing stage on the dynamics of the partitioning indices of leaf, stem and flower were quantified based on experimental data. Based on these quantitative relationships, we developed a model for predicting the effects of nitrogen on dry matter partitioning. Independent experimental data were used to validate the model.
Important findings The seasonal maximum accumulated leaf nitrogen content occurred at the bud- showing stage, and the optimal value at this stage is 1.62 g·m-2. Based on the 1:1 line, the coefficients of determination (R2) between the simulated and measured dry weight of stem, leaf and flower were 0.96, 0.97 and 0.94, respectively, and the relative prediction errors (RSE) between the simulated and measured dry weight of stem, leaf and flower were 8.26%, 5.76% and 3.70%, respectively. The model we developed can satisfactorily predict dry weight of stem, leaf and flower using greenhouse air temperature, radiation, day length and the accumulated leaf nitrogen content at the bud-showing stage as inputs; hence, it can be used for the optimization of nitrogen management for standard cut chrysanthemum ‘Shenma’ production in solar greenhouse.

Key words: standard cut chrysanthemum, solar greenhouse, leaf nitrogen content, dry matter partitioning, model