Special Issue "Trends in Ornamental Plant Production"

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Floriculture, Nursery and Landscape, and Turf".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Piotr Salachna
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Horticulture, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Papieża Pawła VI 3 Str., 71-459 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: ornamentals; geophytes; propagation; method of cultivation; substrates; plant growth regulators; biostimulants; nanomaterials; stress mitigation; medicinal plants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The available range of ornamental plants (cut flowers, potted plants, bedding plants, perennials, bulbs, woody ornamental plants) is constantly supplemented with new species and cultivars, and thus new methods for their production are required. Sustainable development of floriculture requires modern and environmentally friendly solutions that would maximize the plant’s potential. An important role in modernizing ornamental crop production is played by substrates, fertilizers, plant growth regulators (PGRs) and biostimulants. Light, temperature and humidity are essential factors in maintaining plants. Research has been taking place in various science centers regarding the problems connected with the biology of ornamental growth and flowering, method of cultivation positively affecting plant quality, and working out modern cultivation technology.

Bearing in mind that modern ornamental plant cultivation needs practical, effective and, above all, environmentally safe solutions, we invite you to share your experiences in this area. Within the scope of this Special Issue, we highly welcome original research articles, full and mini-reviews, and communications of preliminary but significant results.

Dr. Piotr Salachna
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Ornamental crops
  • Floriculture
  • Field and/or greenhouse cultivation
  • Environmental factors
  • Production technologies
  • Plant propagation
  • Biostimulants
  • Floral marketing

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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Article
Studies of Vegetative Growth, Inflorescence Development and Eco-Dormancy Formation of Abscission Layers in Streptocarpus formosus (Gesneriaceae)
Horticulturae 2021, 7(6), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7060120 - 21 May 2021
Viewed by 551
Abstract
Streptocarpus formosus (Hilliard & B.L. Burtt) T.J. Edwards is a flowering herbaceous perennial indigenous to South Africa and is part of the rosulate group of herbaceous acaulescent plants within the Gesneriaceae family. According to the National Assessment database for the Red List of [...] Read more.
Streptocarpus formosus (Hilliard & B.L. Burtt) T.J. Edwards is a flowering herbaceous perennial indigenous to South Africa and is part of the rosulate group of herbaceous acaulescent plants within the Gesneriaceae family. According to the National Assessment database for the Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1., the plant is listed as rare. The ornamental use of S. formosus has untapped commercial potential as a flowering indoor pot plant, an outdoor bedding plant for shade and as a cut flower for the vase, all of which are limited by a five-month eco-dormancy period during the late autumn and all through the cold season in the short-day winter months. Viable commercial production will require cultivation techniques that produce flowering plants all year round. This study investigated the effectiveness of applying root zone heating to S. formosus plants grown in deep water culture hydroponics during the eco-dormancy period in preventing abscission layer formation and in encouraging flowering and assessed the growth activity response of the plants. The experiment was conducted over eight weeks during the winter season in the greenhouse at Kirstenbosch Botanical garden in water reservoirs, each maintained at five different experimental temperature treatments (18, 22, 26—control, 30 and 34 °C) applied to 10 sample replicates. The results showed that the lowest hydroponic root zone temperature of 18 °C had the greatest effect on the vegetative growth of S. formosus, with the highest average increases in fresh weight (1078 g), root length (211 cm), overall leaf length (362 cm) and the number of newly leaves formed (177 = n), all noted as statistically significant when compared with the other water temperature treatments, which yielded negative results from reduced vegetative growth. Findings from the study also revealed that while all heated solutions significantly prevented the formation of abscission layers of S. formosus, they had a less significant effect on inflorescence formation, with only 18 °C having the greatest positive effect on flower development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends in Ornamental Plant Production)
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Communication
Evaluation of Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum and Depolymerized Chitosan Based Coatings for Pineapple Lily Plant Production
Horticulturae 2021, 7(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7020019 - 29 Jan 2021
Viewed by 595
Abstract
Some natural polysaccharides and their derivatives are used in horticulture to stimulate plant growth. This study investigated the effects of coating bulbs with carrageenan-depolymerized chitosan (C-DCh) or xanthan-depolymerized chitosan (X-DCh) on growth, flowering, and bulb yield as well as physiological and biochemical attributes [...] Read more.
Some natural polysaccharides and their derivatives are used in horticulture to stimulate plant growth. This study investigated the effects of coating bulbs with carrageenan-depolymerized chitosan (C-DCh) or xanthan-depolymerized chitosan (X-DCh) on growth, flowering, and bulb yield as well as physiological and biochemical attributes of pineapple lily (Eucomis autumnalis). The results showed that treatment with C-DCh or X-DCh significantly increased all growth parameters, bulb yield, greenness index, stomatal conductance, total N, total K, and total sugar content of bulbs and accelerated anthesis as compared with untreated bulbs. The positive impact of coatings on plant growth and physiological attributes depended on the type of biopolymer complexes. The X-DCh treatment exhibited the greatest plant height, fresh weight, daughter bulb number, greenness index, stomatal conductance, total N, K, and sugar content. However, this treatment induced a significant decrease in L-ascorbic acid, total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. Overall, the results of this study indicated high suitability of C-DCh and X-DCh as bulb coatings for pineapple lily plant production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends in Ornamental Plant Production)
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Article
Environmental Analysis of Sustainable Production Practices Applied to Cyclamen and Zonal Geranium
Horticulturae 2021, 7(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7010008 - 15 Jan 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 804
Abstract
Italian floriculture is facing structural changes. Possible options to maintain competitiveness of the involved companies include promotion of added values, from local production to environmental sustainability. To quantify value and benefits of cleaner production processes and choices, a holistic view is necessary and [...] Read more.
Italian floriculture is facing structural changes. Possible options to maintain competitiveness of the involved companies include promotion of added values, from local production to environmental sustainability. To quantify value and benefits of cleaner production processes and choices, a holistic view is necessary and could be provided by life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Previous studies on ornamental products generally focused on data from one company or a small sample. The aim of this study was a gate-to-gate life cycle assessment of two ornamental species, cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum Mill.) and zonal geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum Bailey), using data from a sample of 20 companies belonging to a floriculture district in the Treviso, Veneto region. We also assessed the potential benefits of the environmental impact of alternative management choices regarding plant protection and reuse of composted waste biomass. Life cycle impact assessment showed higher impact scores for the zonal geranium, mainly as a consequence of greenhouse heating with fossil fuels. This factor, along with higher uniformity of production practices and technological levels of equipment, translated to a lower variability in comparison with cyclamen production, which showed a wider results range, in particular for eutrophication, acidification and human toxicity potential. The application of integrated pest management with cyclamen had significant benefits by reducing acidification and human toxicity, while reducing use of mineral nutrients through amending growing media with compost resulted in a reduction in eutrophication potential. Similar achievable benefits for zonal geranium were not observed because of the dominant contribution of energy inputs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends in Ornamental Plant Production)
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Review

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Review
Overview of the Dynamic Role of Specialty Cut Flowers in the International Cut Flower Market
Horticulturae 2021, 7(3), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7030051 - 14 Mar 2021
Viewed by 824
Abstract
The global cut flower industry has faced serious challenges over the years, but still remains an important sector of agriculture. Floriculture businesses seek new, innovative trends and niches to help increase product sales. Specialty cut flower (SCF) production has increased in the past [...] Read more.
The global cut flower industry has faced serious challenges over the years, but still remains an important sector of agriculture. Floriculture businesses seek new, innovative trends and niches to help increase product sales. Specialty cut flower (SCF) production has increased in the past 20 years in the US, Australia, Africa, and Europe. SCF production and sales could increase further if these new products were supported by dynamic marketing campaigns that focus on their strengths compared to the traditional cut flowers (TCF) such as roses, carnations, gerberas, and chrysanthemums. The major strength of SCF is the eco-friendly profile, which is associated to low CO2 footprints and environmental outputs. This contrasts TCF cultivation, which is associated to high energy inputs, especially at the traditional production centres (e.g., The Netherlands). It is suggested that environmental legislations, production costs, and customer demand for eco-friendly products will positively affect future SCF cultivation and sale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends in Ornamental Plant Production)
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