Selection for early flowering in progenies of interspecific crosses of ten species in the genus Dianthus

Abstract

Twenty-seven progenies of interspecific crosses, involving ten Dianthus spieces () and some complex interspecific hybrids (Diantini genotypes and D. 'Allwoodii' selections) were grown from seed under 8 hr days at two light intensities : 12 W/m2 and 22 W/M2 . Observations on individual plants were made on vegetative development and date of flowering . After six months, 178 plants were selected from 23 seedling progenies and the resulting clones were compared under 22 W/m2 and two photoperiods : 8 hrs and 24 hrs per day for a period of nearly six months . In the seedling stage, large differences were observed between progenies, e .g . in percentage generative plants (0-100%),, plant length (3-78 cm) and plant fresh weight (0 .5-68 g) . Effects of light intensity were most pronounced in plant fresh weight (0 .2-18 g in 12 W/m2 and 0.5-68 g in 22 W/m2). Progenies of D . chinensis were the earliest to flower . Most progenies of crosses between D . superbus and D . barbatus segregated into flowering and non-flowering (rosetting) plants. In the clonal stage, most clones originating from non-flowering seedlings remained vegetative (rosetting), while all clones from flowering seedlings were either in flower or in bud within six months . Average dates of flowering of seedling progenies and of their clones were highly correlated, suggesting that selection on flowering date at the seedling stage is effective . High correlations were also found between the average flowering date of seedling progenies and the number and total weight of flowers harvested per plant in their clones within six months from planting . Overall effects of LD in the clonal stage were much less spectacular than the effects of light intensity in the seedling stage .

Evaluación de diferentes densidades de siembra en el cultivo de Dianthus barbatus, variedades Green Ball y Kiwi Mellow

“…Hay más de 300 especies de Dianthus en el mundo [4] y actualmente existe una tendencia creciente a la siembra de variedades de la especie Dianthus barbatus, dentro de las que sobresalen las variedades Green Ball, también conocida como Green Trick, y Kiwi Mellow, las cuales son producto del cruzamiento de variedades de D. barbatus con floración lenta, que en la segregación presentan floración nula. Se caracterizan por sus puntas agudas, de color verde claro en el Green Ball y rojizo en Kiwi Mellow [5], así como por sus largas y brillantes hojas verde oscuro, con tallos fuertes que las convierten en un gran acompañamiento para grandes ramos de alta calidad, en tanto que la cabeza de color verde de la flor, redonda y bien estructurada, da a los arreglos florales (bouquets) una gran belleza [4].…”