Besides the many requests we receive by telephone, we also get a lot of e-mails asking for advice about the use of Rhizopon products.
In the 63 years that Rhizopon has been in business, we’ve accumulated a huge amount of experience in research – together with research organisations in various countries but also during applied research done by growers.
As an example we’d like to relate an interesting experience involving a rooting study conducted at a propagation facility for cut flower production roses.
This company is party to a joint venture involving a company that breeds cut flower production roses.
There was a problem with the rooting of a new variety of cut flower production rose. Rooting got off to a slow start and was extremely irregular. The percentage of losses was too high. Demand for this new variety was greater than production could handle, partly due to its slow irregular rooting.
The operations manager of the rooting department wanted not only more information about various rooting regulators (Rhizopon products and concentrations)but also wanted to know which cutting from a shoot would root fastest and most effectively.
The rose cuttings were cut from shoots taken from a production greenhouse. Sometimes, cuttings were taken from flowers purchased at the auction.
Furthermore, when planting the cuttings in the test fields, he had planted some of the cuttings for rooting in old rock wool block and subjected them to various treatments.
At the request of the buyer, rose cuttings can be rooted and delivered in rock wool blocks, in peat or in coconut substrate.
We assessed the cuttings on the following factors:
- rooting (speed and extent)
- location of cutting in the shoot (above or below)
- number of sprouts produced
- shoot length
- shoot weight
- rock wool (new or old) or coconut substrate
- cuttings provider
During the second and third weeks after planting the cuttings, we assessed them for rooting. During the following weeks, we looked at shoot emergence, shoot length and shoot weight.
The reason for measuring shoot emergence, length and weight was that shoot growth can be retarded by certain concentrations of growth regulator.
When we want to find the best Rhizopon concentration, we also have to compare shoot emergence and development with the speed and extent of rooting.
The research conducted showed that the cuttings supplier was a major factor. A second important factor was the location from which the cutting was taken. We found the best kind of Rhizopon and the best concentration so that the first difficult variety is now rooting quickly and smoothly.