EUPHORBIA PULCHERRIMA WILLD

HARAMAYA UNIVERSITY
POST GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTORATE
SCHOOL OF PLANT SCIENCE/ HORTICULTURE PROGRAM
 
 
 
A REVIEW ON FACTORS AFFECTING EFFICACY OF PLANT
GROWTH RETARDANTS IN HEIGHT CONTROL OF
POINSETTIA (EUPHORBIA PULCHERRIMA WILLD)
 

  FAYSAL ABDI; ID No: PGP 990/15

SUBMITTED TO:
TEWODROS BEZU (Assistant professor), IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE COURSE GRADUATE SEMINAR IN
HORTCULTURE (PLHO. 512)

June 2021
HARAMAYA UNIVERSITY, HARAMAYA
 
Content
• Introduction
• Uses of poinsettia
• Objective
• Controlling options
• Type of PGRs
• Application techniques
• Summary and conclusion
 Introduction
•The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd), is a member of the large
and diverse family Euphorbiaceae, originated in southern Mexico and
northern Guatemala (Dana and Rosie, 2005; Rebecca, 2010).

•The common name of the plant ‘Poinsettia’ was derived from the
name of a person called Joel Roberts Poinsett, who brought the plant
from Mexico to America and make it widely known plant (Grzebik and
Mersino, 2009; Connel, 2011).

•The genus name, Euphorbia, comes from the Greek word ‘Euphorbus’
and it includes many herbs and shrubs having acrid, milky sap.

•The species name ‘pulcherimma’ is derived from the Latin adjective

pulcher, meaning beautiful or handsome.
 Cont…
•Nowadays, poinsettia is a very popular, economically highly significant
potted plant in World (Goreta et al., 2008; Ramtin et al., 2011).

The poinsettia has many uses:

It is grown mainly for its showy portion of the flowers and the bright-red
modified leaves referred as ‘bracts’ that surround the inconspicuous
small, yellow, true flowers (Dana and Lerner, 2005; Rebecca, 2010).

The color of the bracts can be varies depending on cultivar and over the
years, breeders of poinsettia developed, pink, white, orange, purple, and
multi-colored forms of this durable plant (Black and Schoellhorn, 2002;
Dole et al., 2004).
 Cont…
•Traditionally the plant has been grown as pot plants for use as
thanksgiving during the Christmas Holiday season (Dole et al., 2004).

• It also used in landscapes as accent plants or informal flowering hedges,

as container plants for patios and decks, and as cut flowers for interior
decorations (Black and Schoellhorn, 2002).

•Apart from its aesthetic uses, the bract of the plant used to make a purple
dye for clothes and cosmetics and the milky white sap is made into a
medicine to treat fevers (Connel, 2011).

•Commercial production of poinsettia focuses on a fast-growing, compact

pot plant that retains its leaves and bracts under the less-than-favorable
postharvest conditions found in households (Black and Schoellhorn, 2002).
 Conti…
• Sale contracts for poinsettias commonly include plant height
specifications and growers must produce plants that fall within a
specified height range (Karunananda and Peiris, 2010).

• Ideally, a 35 to 40 cm tall poinsettia including the pot, with a spread

of about 40 cm is preferred by many customers (BCMAFF, 1996).

• The correct canopy architecture is also a main factor of marketable

poinsettia production (Karunananda and Peiris, 2010).

• However, in production settings, as well as in retail locations,

herbaceous and perennial poinsettias grown in pots tend to stretch
too tall and become leggy or simply overgrow their pots before their
scheduled market date and became less marketable and harder to
maintain (Latimer and Scoggins, 2012; Pobudkiewicz, 2014).

• Hence, special attention is required to make short bushy plants to

match the market specifications mainly with respect to plant height
(Karunananda and Peiris, 2010).

• Therefore, height control is critical step in off-season production of a

high quality poinsettia crop (Erwin, 1993; Currey and Lopez, 2010;
Karunananda and Peiris, 2010).
 Options that are used to control height of
poinsettia

•These include container size, timing of transplant or seeding, irrigation

practices, nutrient management, mechanical conditioning, light quality
and quantity, pinching, and temperature regulation (Currey and Lopez,
2010).

•Selecting shorter growing cultivars is often the first step available to

growers for reducing the occurrence of overgrown plants.

•While this works well in theory, it may not be commercially practical.

Root restriction can be used to control plant growth by utilizing a small
container or by increasing the number of plants per pot.

•This method works especially well when other production parameters,

such as ample light, wide spacing, and proper nutrition are provided
(Latimer and Whipker, 2012).

•Pruning and trimming can also be used to control the height of plants,
but it is high labor and costly. It also delays plant production for two to
four weeks (Latimer and Scoggins, 2012).
 Cont…
•Height of the plants can also be controlled by manipulation of growing
environments of the plants which involves manipulating light
(increasing light intensity, minimizing far-red light, and photoperiod) or
temperature (reducing the difference between the day and night
temperatures, or DIF) (Latimer and Whipker, 2012).

•Plant morphology can be controlled environmentally by the difference

(DIF) between day temperature (DT) and night temperature (NT).

•Besides, nutrient management such as reducing or withholding

fertilizer for instance nitrogen and phosphorus and moisture
management (stress) tends to slow overall plant growth (Currey and
Lopez, 2010).

•These techniques can be effective height –suppressing strategies for

some crops, but when growers are face with greenhouse containing
large varieties of genera, species or cultivars, these techniques may not
work equally well for each crop under a common environment (Currey
and Lopez, 2010).
 Plant growth regulator
(PGRs)
•Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are chemicals that are designed
to affect plant growth and/or development.

•They are applied for specific purposes to bring about specific

plant responses. Achieving the best results with PGRs is a
combination of art and science — science tempered with a lot
of trial and error and a good understanding of plant growth
and development (Latimer and Scoggins, 2012).

•Optimizing plant growth control requires an under-standing of

the effects of environmental and cultural conditions on plant
growth.
 Cont…
•An alternative effective strategies and incredibly useful tools for
controlling plant height is the use chemical plant growth retardants
which are referred as plant growth regulators (Currey and Lopez 2010).

•They have been known to be useful in manipulating shape, size and

form of ornamental crops (Wazir, 2011).

Moreover, it requires knowledge of best management practices (BMP)

for plant regulators such as :-
•selecting the correct plant growth regulator
•the rate of application,
•the time of application
•application techniques and other aspects (Bailey and Whipker, 1998;
Latimer and Whipker, 2012)
 Type of PGRs and Their Effect on
Height Control of Potted poinsettia

• One the factors which affect the efficacy of Plant growth retardants
(PGRs) used in height control of poinsettia is the type of the
chemical used.

• There are a number of chemical growth retardants (CGRs) are

registered for use of poinsettias height control (Latimer and
Scoggins, 2012).

• Currently available and most common are Ancymidol,

Chlormequat Chloride, Diminozide, Ethephon, Flurprimidol,
Pacloburazol and Unicanazole etc.

•The active ingredient is the compound in the product that

suppresses stem elongation. They are vary in mode of action, site of
absorption, application methods and shelf life (Currey and Lopez,
2010).
Currently available PGRs used to control height
of poinsettia
Active ingredient (AIs) Trade name Manufacturer REI (hours)

Ancymidol A-Rest® SePRO Corp. 12

Abide® Fine Americas, Inc. 12

Chlormequat chloride Chloromequat E-Pro® Etigra, LLC 12

Citadel® Fine Americas, Inc 12
Cycocel® OHP, Inc. 12

Daminozide B-Nine® OHP, Inc. 24

Dazide® Fine Americas, Inc. 24

Ethephon Florel® Monterey Lawn and Garden Products, 48

Inc.

Flurprimidol Topflor® SePRO Corp. 12

Paclobutrazol Bonzi® Syngenta Crop Protection 12

Downsize® Greenleaf Chemical, LLC 12
Paczol® OHP, Inc. 12
Piccolo® Fine Americas, In 12

Uniconazole Consise® Fine Americas, Inc. 12

Sumagic® Valent USA Corp. 12
In the following the mode of action of some of CGRs used to control height of
poinsettia.

1.Daminozide
• Daminozide (commonly known as B-Nine or Dazide) is one of
the most common plant growth regulators used in the
floriculture industry.

• It is not phytotoxic and has a short-term effect that seldom

results in over stunting of treated plants. At the end of the
gibberellin acid (GA) production process daminozide renders a
key enzyme for GA production useless, thus reducing GA
levels.

• It has the lowest level of activity compared to other active

ingredients (AIs).

• The relatively high concentrations necessary to suppress crop

heights (compared to other chemicals) reflects the forgiving
nature of daminozide.

• Applying daminozide solutions to the substrate is ineffective

(Currey and Lopez, 2010; Latimer and Whipker, 2012).
 Conti…
2. Chlormequat Chloride
• Chlormequat chloride (commonly known as Cycocel, Citadel, or
Chlormequat E-Pro) is another very popular plant growth regulator
use for poinsettia height control.
• Unlike daminozide, chlormequat chloride inhibits gibberellic acid
production early in the process.
• It has activity when applied to both on the leaves and the roots,
but it is primarily applied as a foliar spray due to the higher
concentrations required for adequate control when applied as a
drench.
• Applicators frequently tank mix chlormequat chloride with
daminozide. Because the two products have different sites of
inhibition in the gebberellic acid (GA) production process, such a
mix can be highly effective at suppressing elongation (Currey and
Lopez, 2010).
3. Ancymidol, Flurprimidol, Paclobutrazol, and
Uniconazole
• Ancymidol (A-Rest or Abide), flurprimidol (Topflor),
Paclobutrazol (Bonzi, Downsize, Paczol, or Piccolo), and
Uniconazole (Concise or Sumagic) are all listed together due to
their similar chemical structures.
• They all inhibit GA production at similar sites in the GA
production process. Generally speaking, these PGRs have the
strongest efficacy relative to other AIs, so applicators typically
apply lower concentrations.
• All of these chemicals can be applied to the shoots or roots,
which allows a broad range of application choices including foliar
sprays, substrate drenches, liner dips, and media sprays.
• These PGRs are frequently called chemical pinchers because
they inhibit the growth of the terminal shoots and enhance the
growth of lateral buds (Currey and Lopez, 2010; Latimer and
Whipker, 2012).
 Conti…

4.Ethephon
• Unlike other PGRs, ethephon (Florel) does not inhibit GA
production. Plants take up ethephon through the leaves
where it is converted to ethylene in plant cells.
• The increased ethylene causes cells to limit elongation and
increase in width instead. Ethephon’s mode of action can
offer benefits other than height suppression.
• The release of ethylene reduces apical dominance, which
can increase axillary branching (Latimer and Whipker, 2012).
• To achieve effective height control of poinsettia, selection of
the correct plant growth retardant is the paramount
important because the effectiveness of chemical growth
retardants can be affected by environmental conditions and
the type of cultivars grown (Latimer and Scoggins, 2012).
Height of Poinsettia as Affected by CGRs
application Rate/Dosage
• A dosage is the product of concentration of solution
applied and volume of solution applied per area.

• If either is incorrect, results could be unpredictable and

no repeatable. Thus, always giving careful attention is
must to apply the correct dosage to all plants treated
(Bailey and Whipker, 1998).

• The application rate of chemical growth retardants is

vary based on the type of plant growth retardants used,
stage of plant and environmental conditions.

• It is advisable to start using a very low concentration and

by experimenting with water on test plants, and slowly
increase concentration (Bailey and Whipker, 1998).
• In past few researches have been conducted and the rate of
CGRs used to control height of Poinsettia was determined.

• According to (Barret et al., 1994) increasing the

concentration of paclobutrazol (Bonzi) quadratically
decreases height of poinsettia.

Effects of two early Paczol media drenches or a B-Nine + Cycocel foliar

spray followed by a Paczol drench on poinsettia ‘Orion’.
Conti…
• Plant growth regulators are most effective when applied at the
appropriate times to regulate plant growth or development.
• The correct stage of plant at which the chemical growth retardants
should be applied varies depending on varieties under production,
and the type of chemicals used.
• Generally speaking, early application of chemical growth
retardants before plants reach active growing stage is more
effective than late application because they cannot ―shrink‖ an
overgrown plant.
• If growth retardants are applied too late, the size of the flowers can
be reduced and floral development can be slowed (Niu et al.,
2002).
• Chemical growth retardants (CGRs) can be applied on different
parts poinsettia plant to regulate its height.
• The most common target tissues are foliage and stems, substrates
and roots.
• The target tissue or plant part to receive the chemical depends on
the chemical and the plant species (Bailey and Whipker 1998).
The plants parts and chemicals which applied on:-

Foliage and Stems

• Chemicals can be sprayed on, or shoots can be dipped into a
chemical solution at time of transplanting.

• If dipping shoots into a solution, use a consistent soaking time,

such as 10 seconds. If growers ―spray to runoff‖ or ―spray to
glistening‖, every grower will apply a different amount, and there
is no way of predicting the results (Bailey and Whipker 1998).

Substrate
• PGR‘s can be applied to the substrate (growth media or soil), if
the root system is the target tissue.
•
• This is the same as a soil drench; drenches use larger volumes of
solution per plant or pot, but usually at lower concentrations
than a spray or dip.

• Drenches can take more time to apply than sprays, and require
exact metering of volume delivered per pot for consistent control
of elongation (Bailey and Whipker 1998).
Roots
• PGR‘s can be applied directly to the roots or the
underground portion of the plant such as bulbs,
corms, or tubers, prior to planting.
• An example is a Bonzi soak, which is labeled as a
pre-plant treatment for freesias (Bailey and
Whipker 1998).
• In case of poinsettia, the effect of many growth
retardants s are primarily seen in stem, petiole, and
flower stalk tissues.
• Lesser effects are seen in reductions of leaf
expansion, resulting in thicker leaves with a darker
green color.
• The label identifies the target tissue for that PGR
(Latimer and Scoggins, 2012).
Conti…
• A problem with many growth retardants has been finding an efficient
application method that produces consistent results (Barret et.al.,
1994).
• As with the target tissue, the method of delivering a PGR depends on
both the chemical used and the plant species to be treated (Bailey
and Whipker, 1998).
• Uptake and effectiveness of a PGR also depend on selecting the
application technique that will ensure proper coverage of the target
tissue.

The effect of a B-Nine/Cycocel tank mix on the height and bract of

Freedom Red poinsettia (a) 4,500 ppm B-Nine and 1,500 ppm Cycocel
applied; (b) Control the photographs were taken from Karunananda and
Peiris (2010) and Lewis et al (2004).
The most common application techniques are:
• Dips (Dipping)
• With some plants it is possible to dip the plant shoot,
or underground portion (bulb, corm, tuber) into a
growth retardant solution prior to potting.

• This method is labeled and is very effective for applying

B-Nine to the shoots of rooted chrysanthemums just
prior to potting.

• This method is fairly accurate, if each plant remains in

the solution for the same amount of time, and if each
plant has approximately the same size shoot or bulb.

• Unfortunately, this method is not feasible with many

crops, and dipping plants in a common solution could
result in the spread of disease organisms (Bailey and
Whipker, 1998).
Drenches
• Applying a growth retardant in a drench form is fairly easy.

• A known amount of chemical is measured out and added to a known

volume of water, and apply a known volume of the drench to each pot
or plant.

• As pot size increases, usually the volume of drench recommended also

increases.

• If using a drench, make sure the volume and concentration of the

solution are correct for the size pot to be treated.

• There are ―drenching machines‖ available on the market that emit a

set volume of drench then turn off for a short period of time prior to the
next dose to allow applicators to place the nozzle into the next pot to
receive the drench (Latimer and Whipker, 2012).

• Drenching is suitable way of application for paclobutrazol and

uniconazole because they are absorbed primarily by stem tissue and
then translocated upward in the plant.
Sprays
• A spray application can be more difficult to apply evenly than a
drench, but with attention to detail, is the method of choice.

• Some chemical labels recommend to spray to runoff‖; that is,

spray each plant until spray visibly just begins to drip off of the
foliage.

• Depending on the size of the plant, the sprayer‘s objectivity, and

other factors, varying amounts of chemical will be applied to each
plant.

• It is much safer and more accurate to base spray application on

areas, not plants. Apply a known volume of spray evenly to a
known area (square footage), regardless of how many plants are
in that known area.

• The general recommendation for poinsettia sprays for is to apply

1/2 gallon per 100 ft2 of cropping area (Bailey and Whipker
1998) .
• Chemigation
• It is and alternative methods of applying PGRs directly
to the substrate through the irrigation system.

• For example, Ancymidol, Flurprimidol, and

paclobutrazol are labeled for application through the
irrigation system (chemigation).

• Do not apply any plant growth regulator through an

irrigation system, unless the label lists chemigation as
a legal application technique.

• Currently, it is legal to apply A-Rest through drip,

overhead boom, sprinkler, and flood (sub-irrigation)
systems (Bailey and Whipker, 1998).
• An experiment conducted at university of Maine by Peter et al.,
(2012), on the effect of application techniques of Cycocel on
bract size of poinsettia Cv.

• Classic Red showed that application of the chemical as spray is

more significant in controlling of bract size than drench
application techniques.

The effect of different in height control methods on the final plant height of
poinsettias Cv. Classic Red Source: (Peter et al., 2012)
 Conti…
• As it can be seen from the above paragraph, application of
Cycocel chemical on Classic Red Poinsettia in the form of spray
significantly stunted the plant as compared to other
application methods.

• Moreover, Cycocel applied in form of drench did not have any

negative impact on bract size (Peter et al., 2012).

• In general, the type of CGRs, their active ingredients, chemicals

rate of application, time of application, method of applications
and the target plant part on which chemical applied are the
main factors that affects height control in poinsettia.

• In order to achieve a specific height desired for the plant,

conducting an experiment is needed specifically for specific
cultivar under production by considering the environmental
condition under production and the type of chemical intended
to be used.
 Conti…
• As it can be seen from the above paragraph, application of
Cycocel chemical on Classic Red Poinsettia in the form of spray
significantly stunted the plant as compared to other
application methods.

• Moreover, Cycocel applied in form of drench did not have any

negative impact on bract size (Peter et al., 2012).

• In general, the type of CGRs, their active ingredients, chemicals

rate of application, time of application, method of applications
and the target plant part on which chemical applied are the
main factors that affects height control in poinsettia.

• In order to achieve a specific height desired for the plant,

conducting an experiment is needed specifically for specific
cultivar under production by considering the environmental
condition under production and the type of chemical intended
to be used.
CONCLUSION
• Selection of the correct plant growth retardant, the active
ingredient and the mode of action of the chemical is the first
steps in controlling of poinsettia height because poinsettia is
not respond equally to all plant growth regulators equally.

• Understanding of the time of application of the growth

retardants is also paramount important.

• Generally, PGRs should be applied before the plant is

overgrown to avoid plant stretch.

• Dosage (rate of application of PGRS) is another aspect that

should be considered during planning of poinsettia height
control as incorrect rate of application, results excessive
stunting and decreased bract sized and reduce quality of
poinsettia.

• Plant growth retardants can be applied to stem, leaf, root or

substrate as drenches, sprays or chemigation method.
CONCLUSION
• The target tissue and the techniques of application is vary
depending on the type of chemicals used and the
information regarding this written on the containers of
the chemicals.

• Therefore reading the label is very important before using

the plant growth retardants.

• In overall, PGRs must be applied uniformly in order to

cause uniform inhibition to plant growth.

• Uniformity and consistency in application are crucial to

attain predictable and desirable results.

• Spraying is easiest but the least uniform way of applying

PGRs to poinsettias. Drench applications are made on the
basis of volume per pot so results are normally uniform.
 Conti…
• Generally, chemical plant growth
regulators are effective tools to help
produce a high quality crop when used
properly.

• When misused, they can reduce crop

quality and increase production costs.

• The efficiency the PGRs is affected by

time and method of application, rate of
application, stage of plant the target
tissues, and environmental factors.
Thank You
Flowers for joyful life!