Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana' Cuttings Affected by Storage Duration and Air Temperature

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University of Florida, IFAS,
Central Florida Research and Education Center-Apopka
CFREC-Apopka Research Report RH-92-15

C.A. Conover and R.T. Poole*

Dracaena fragrans Ker. 'Massangeana' (corn plant) is propagated from semi-hardwood stem sections of various lengths, referred to as cane. Cane are usually placed directly into containers and watered intermittently until rooted. Under optimum conditions, good quality, salable plants are produced in 5 to 6 months.

Much of the D. 'Massangeana' cane propagated in the U.S. and Europe is imported from the Caribbean Basin region, where it is usually field grown. Effects of shipping duration and temperature on Dracaena surculosa 'Florida Beauty', D. marginata, D. sanderana and other foliage plants propagated by vegetative cuttings shipped from the same geographical area have already been determined (2, 3) but little research has been published on propagation of Basin grown 'Massangeana' cane (1).

Propagation of 'Massangeana' cane frequently yields inconsistent results, especially for 1 ft cane sections. The most common problems are failure to root, slow root growth, and lack of shoot development. In one test, removal of a small piece of the basal end of the cane and soaking cane in water before propagation accelerated initial bud break, but effects on root growth were not determined (4). A recent experiment examined effects of storage duration and temperature on plants stored during winter and propagated in the spring (1). The following experiments were initiated to determine influence of storage air temperature and duration on root and shoot growth of 'Massangeana' cane shipped from the Caribbean Basin region to central Florida during summer.

Materials and Methods

Cane utilized in these experiments was harvested from stock plants field grown in a nursery located near Siquirres, Costa Rica (Matas, De Costa Rica S.A., Siquirres, Costa Rica). Healthy stock plants were produced in the native clay soil irrigated only by natural rainfall and fertilized at relatively low levels (100 lbs N/A/yr from a 1-1-1 formulation). Cane harvested from stock plants was stacked lengthwise onto pa lets and moved into the processing facility, where it was cut into 1 or 3 ft lengths with a circular table saw. Cane tops were dipped into a mixture of portland cement and sealing wax to prevent drying and splitting during shipping. Basal ends of canes were submerged for approximately 2 seconds in a 60% alcohol:40% water solution containing 10,000 ppm (IBA). Cane were placed upright into plastic lined crates with 1 inch moss covering bottoms to maintain high humidity during shipping.

Cane were shipped from Puerto Limon to Miami, Florida in shipping containers loaded on cargo vessels, then transferred to refrigerated trucks and delivered to University of Florida, IFAS, CFREC, Apopka, Florida. Air temperatures in containers and trucks were maintained at 62°F.

Experiments 1 and 2, initiated on 30 July 1991, were the same except for length of cane sections propagated. One ft cane was propagated in experiment 1 and 3 ft cane was utilized for experiment 2. Immediately after arrival at CFREC-Apopka, a control group of cane sections was placed on a greenhouse propagation bench. All remaining cane were placed in dark coolers maintained at 60, 70, 80 or 90°F for 2, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. Storage coolers were airtight, so that air exchange and light exposure occurred only briefly when doors were opened every two weeks for scheduled cane removal. Stored cane were stacked horizontally in the coolers in bundles containing 8 canes held together with masking tape. Cane were grouped according to treatment with all 8 replications of a single treatment taped together to make a bundle.

Treatments were removed from temperature controlled storage at two week intervals. Cane stored 2 weeks were removed 13 August, cane stored 4 weeks, 27 August, cane stored 6 weeks, 10 September and cane stored 8 weeks were removed 23 September 1991. After storage, cane sections were moved to the same propagation area where the control group was being maintained. All cane were rooted in cypress shavings on a greenhouse propagation bench where temperatures ranged from 65 to 90°F and maximum light intensity at bench level was 1500 ft-c. An intermittent mist system, which supplied cane with 5 minutes of mist, at 30 minute intervals, was activated daily from 12:00 noon until 4:00 PM.

Root grade, number of roots greater than 1 inch long, number of shoots and shoot length were recorded after cane were maintained in the propagation area for 16 weeks. All data measurements and evaluations were determined on 20 November for the control group, on 4 December for cane stored 2 weeks, on 18 December for cane stored 4 weeks, on 2 January 1992 for cane stored 6 weeks and on 15 January for cane stored 8 weeks.

Results and Discussion

Results were similar for both 1 and 3 ft cane. Cane produced adequate shoot and root growth when not stored or stored for 2 weeks (Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4). Shoot growth was suppressed when cane were stored for more than 2 weeks at 80 or 90°F and also when cane were stored for more than 4 weeks (Tables 1 and 3). Cane had fewer roots when stored at 90°F (Tables 2 and 4). Root growth was slower and cane received lower root grades when stored for more than 6 weeks at any of the 4 storage air temperatures tested.

These results agree with some of the conclusions of the experiment in which cane were propagated in spring (1). Best storage temperature in both experiments was 70°F and shoots grew progressively slower as storage time increased. Root growth and grade was relatively unaffected at temperatures below 70°F but suppressed in this experiment, along with shoot growth, when storage air temperature was 90°F.

Shoot growth on cane in this experiment, propagated during the short days of winter, dropped off much more dramatically as storage time increased, compared to shoot growth on cane, propagated during earlier research, in the summer months (1). Cane coming out of storage after 6 or 8 weeks was propagated during the time of year when the shortest day length and coolest temperatures prevail. The combined effects of these two uncontrolled variables (daylength and propagation air temperature) could have caused the more severe drop in propagation performance observed in this test.

One ft cane can be successfully stored, in air temperatures of 60 to 90°F, for up to two weeks. Based on this research, storage of 1 ft cane beyond 2 weeks is not recommended. Three foot cane were more tolerant of shipping conditions, with number of roots and root grade after propagation good when cane were stored up to 3 weeks in 60, 70 or 80°F air temperature. Number of roots and root grade were lower for 3 ft cane stored longer than 2 weeks at 90°F.

Table 1. Interaction^z of storage duration and storage air temperature on total shoot length (in) and number of shoots greater than 1 inch long on 1 ft sections of Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana' cane placed in coolers 30 July 1991. Cane were removed from coolers and propagated under mist after storage treatment was completed.

^zResults for total shoot length and number of shoots greater than 1 inch significant at P = 0.001.
Control group data: Total shoot length 17 in. Number of shoots 2.2.

Table 2. Interaction^z of storage duration and storage air temperature on number of roots greater than 1 inch and root grade on 1 ft sections Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana' cane placed in coolers 30 July 1991. Cane were removed from coolers and propagated under mist after storage treatment was completed.

^zResults for number of roots greater than 1 inch and root grade significant at P = 0.001.
^yroot grade was determined based on a scale of 1 = little root system or growth, 3 = average root system development and growth and 5 = excellent root system development and growth.
Control group data: Number of roots greater than 1 inch 16. Root grade 4.8.

Table 3. Interaction^z of storage duration and storage air temperature on total shoot length (in) and number of shoots greater than 1 inch long on 3 ft sections of Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana' cane placed in coolers 30 July 1991. Cane was removed from coolers and propagated under mist after storage treatment was completed.

^zResults for total shoot length and number of shoots greater than 1 inch significant at P = 0.001.
Control group data: Total shoot length 31.4 in. Number of shoots 2.8.

Table 4. Interaction^z of storage duration and storage air temperature on number of roots greater than 1 inch and root grade on 3 ft sections of Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana' cane placed in coolers 30 July 1991. Cane was removed from coolers and propagated under mist after storage treatment was completed.

^zResults for number of roots greater than 1 inch and root grade significant at P = 0.001.
^yRoot grade was determined based on a scale of 1 = little root system or growth, 3 = average root system development and growth and 5 = excellent root system development and growth.
Control group data: Number of roots greater than 1 inch 26.8. Root grade 5.0.

*Center Director and Professor of Environmental Horticulture (retired 7/96), and Professor of Plant Physiology, respectively, University of Florida, IFAS, Central Florida Research and Education Center-Apopka, 2807 Binion Road, Apopka, FL 32703-8504.

Literature Cited

1. Poole, R.T. and C.A. Conover. 1991. Effects of cane storage time and temperature on growth of Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana'. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 104:331-333.

2. Poole, R.T. and C.A. Conover. 1990. Storage of dracaena cuttings. Proc. Interamer. Soc. Trop. Hort. 34:7-10.

3. Poole, R.T. and C.A. Conover. 1988. Storage of philodendron and pothos cuttings. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 101:313-315.

4. Poole, R.T., C.A. Conover and W.E. Waters. 1974. Bud-break in canes of Dracaena fragrans Ker. cv Massangeana. HortScience 9(6):540-541.