Microponic and hydroponic techniques in disease-free chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum sp.) production.

Abstract: Microponic and hydroponic systems for the production of disease-free chrysanthemums are described. Cuttings (3 cm in length), excised from shoot clusters multiplied in vitro, were pre-treated with NAA and grown for 28 days in microponic culture system. NAA at 500 ppm for 20 min was the optimum pre-treatment, resulting in fresh weight, shoot length, root length and survival rate of 0.31 g, 5.99 cm, 3.08 cm and 100%, respectively. Cuttings were grown in hydroponic culture system to avoid mass contamination in soil. The cuttings (10 cm in length), excised from shoots multiplied in vitro, were pre-treated with 500 ppm NAA for 20 min and grown for 28 days. Half-strength MS medium was optimum for hydroponic culture, resulting in shoot length, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf diameter, number of roots, root length and fresh weight of 14.85 cm, 7.0, 6.46 cm, 4.82 cm, 28.6, 2.47 cm and 2.24 g, respectively. This medium also resulted in 100% survival rate after 14 days of culture.