Abstract
Various growth stimulators have been reported to improve plant growth. Some of these are formulated to improve root growth, which would be particularly beneficial for reestablishing transplants. Three commercially available plant growth stimulators—PGR IV (MicroFlo, Lakeland, Fla.), Roots2 (Lisa Products Corp., Independence, Mo.), and Up-Start (The Solaris Group, San Ramon, Calif.)—were tested to quantify their effect on post-transplant growth of petunia ( Petunia × hybrida Hort. Vilm.-Andr.) and impatiens ( Impatiens wallerana Hook.f.) seedlings and to assess their value for the greenhouse industry. Seedlings were transplanted from plug flats into larger 5.6-fl oz (166-cm 3 ) containers and treated with 1.1 fl oz (31 mL) of growth stimulator per plant (22 fl oz/ft 2 ). Applications were made immediately after transplant. None of the treatments affected root mass at any time. Up-Start (2 fl oz/gal) increased final shoot dry mass by ≈20% compared to the control plants. The increase in shoot growth by Up-Start most likely is caused by the fertilizer it contains. Up-Start also increased flowering of petunia from 34 to 40 days after transplant. PGR IV (0.5 fl oz/gal) and Roots2 (1.28 fl oz/gal) did not affect dry mass of the plants. PGR IV increased the number of flowers of petunia and impatiens, but this effect occurred well after the plants were marketable. Roots2 caused a small delay in early flowering and an increase in late flowering of petunia but had no effect on flowering of impatiens. Since the effects of the growth stimulators was either due their fertilizer content (Up-Start) or occurred after the plants would have been sold (PGR IV, Roots2), none of the growth stimulators appears to be beneficial for bedding plant producers.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
None of the stimulators affected root mass.
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PetuniaNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_flowers_in_Westgate_Gardens%2C_Canterbury.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“None of the treatments affected root mass at any time.”
e1“post-transplant growth of petunia ( Petunia × hybrida Hort. Vilm.-Andr.) and impatiens ( Impatiens wallerana Hook.f.) seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
None of the stimulators affected impatiens root mass.
ImpatiensNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“None of the treatments affected root mass at any time.”
e1“impatiens ( Impatiens wallerana Hook.f.) seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
Up-Start increased final shoot dry mass by about 20% versus controls.
- Treatment
- Up-Start (2 fl oz/gal)e0
- Outcome
- final shoot dry masse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- ≈20%e0
- Comparator
- control plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Up-Start (2 fl oz/gal) increased final shoot dry mass by ≈20% compared to the control plants.”
e1“post-transplant growth of petunia ( Petunia × hybrida Hort. Vilm.-Andr.) and impatiens ( Impatiens wallerana Hook.f.) seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
Up-Start increased final shoot dry mass of impatiens by about 20% versus controls.
- Treatment
- Up-Start (2 fl oz/gal)e0
- Outcome
- final shoot dry masse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- ≈20%e0
- Comparator
- control plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Up-Start (2 fl oz/gal) increased final shoot dry mass by ≈20% compared to the control plants.”
e1“impatiens ( Impatiens wallerana Hook.f.) seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors attributed Up-Start shoot growth to its fertilizer.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The increase in shoot growth by Up-Start most likely is caused by the fertilizer it contains.”
e1“post-transplant growth of petunia ( Petunia × hybrida Hort. Vilm.-Andr.) and impatiens ( Impatiens wallerana Hook.f.) seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
Up-Start increased petunia flowering between 34 and 40 days after transplant.
- Treatment
- Up-Starte0
- Outcome
- flowering of petuniae0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- 34 to 40 days after transplante0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Up-Start also increased flowering of petunia from 34 to 40 days after transplant.”
t0“Petunia”
Claim · model-written summary
PGR IV did not affect plant dry mass.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“PGR IV (0.5 fl oz/gal) and Roots2 (1.28 fl oz/gal) did not affect dry mass of the plants.”
e1“post-transplant growth of petunia ( Petunia × hybrida Hort. Vilm.-Andr.) and impatiens ( Impatiens wallerana Hook.f.) seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
Roots2 did not affect plant dry mass.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“PGR IV (0.5 fl oz/gal) and Roots2 (1.28 fl oz/gal) did not affect dry mass of the plants.”
e1“post-transplant growth of petunia ( Petunia × hybrida Hort. Vilm.-Andr.) and impatiens ( Impatiens wallerana Hook.f.) seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
PGR IV increased petunia flower count after marketability.
- Treatment
- PGR IVe0
- Outcome
- number of flowers of petuniae0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- well after the plants were marketablee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“PGR IV increased the number of flowers of petunia and impatiens, but this effect occurred well after the plants were marketable.”
t0“Petunia”
Claim · model-written summary
PGR IV increased impatiens flower count after marketability.
- Treatment
- PGR IVe0
- Outcome
- number of flowers of petunia and impatiense0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- well after the plants were marketablee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“PGR IV increased the number of flowers of petunia and impatiens, but this effect occurred well after the plants were marketable.”
t0“Impatiens”
Claim · model-written summary
Roots2 slightly delayed early petunia flowering.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Roots2 caused a small delay in early flowering and an increase in late flowering of petunia”
t0“Petunia”
Claim · model-written summary
Roots2 increased late petunia flowering.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Roots2 caused a small delay in early flowering and an increase in late flowering of petunia”
t0“Petunia”
Claim · model-written summary
Roots2 had no effect on impatiens flowering.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“had no effect on flowering of impatiens.”
e1“Roots2 caused a small delay in early flowering and an increase in late flowering of petunia but had no effect on flowering of impatiens.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded the stimulators do not benefit bedding plant producers.
- Outcome
- none of the growth stimulators appears to be beneficial for bedding plant producerse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“none of the growth stimulators appears to be beneficial for bedding plant producers.”
t0“Petunia and Impatiens”
The same questions in other papers
class · growth · Petunia (petunia)Positive and negative results
1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
2 papers more in this group
See all 6 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.