Effect of plant growth regulators and floral preservatives on plant growth, spike yield and vase life of Dendrobium orchid hybrid Sonia-17

Dendrobium orchids are popularly used as cut flowers because they come in a wide range of vibrant colours besides being able to produce high number of flowers per inflorescence. There is a significant interest in developing methods to promote early flowering in commercial Dendrobium orchids. In this study, the potential effect of Cycocel, Malic hydride, Gibrelic acid, Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) and Indole acetic acid (IAA), Silver nitrate (AgNO3), Al2SO4 in combination with Sucrose and Glucose, on inducing inflorescence production of a Dendrobium hybrid (Dendrobium hybrid Sonia 17) was investigated. Dendrobium hybrid plantlets were subjected to spray containing different PGRs concentrations. The results indicated that the application of Cycocel @ 1000 increased the percentage of inflorescence production, induced earlier flowering and contributed to the differences in inflorescence length and the number of leaves and flowers produced. Meanwhile, combined spray of IAA, Al2SO4 and Sucrose (100 ppm+ 100 ppm + 4%) gave the best result regarding vase life, longevity and physiological loss of weight. This study showed that Cycocel is a potential plant growth regulator that can speed up the flowering process of Dendrobium hybrid.