Journal d'horticulture
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Efficacy of Physiologically Active Anti-Transpirants on Excised Leaves Spathiphyllum sweet checo and Calathea rufibarba

Beauford A and Woltering E

Pot plant production in green house is most of the time under high relative humidity and frequent irrigation. While, during shipping and retailing plants may be exposed to high temperature and infrequent irrigation. These unfavorable conditions often cause water loss, desiccation of plants and short shelf life. To reduce the deteriorating effect of water loss, application of anti-transpirants is one of the integral options to implement. In this study we evaluated several physiologically active stomata closing compounds. Spathiphyllum sweet checo and Calathea rufibarba were sprayed with different active compound formulations. Weight loss of leaves as gram of water per gram of initial leaf weight and gram of water per centimeter square leaf area and stomatal conductance were measured. On both plant species most physiologically active compound treatments reduce weight loss and stomatal conductance significantly. 1.5 mM Abscisic acid (ABA), 5 mM Salicylic acid (SA) and 200 µM Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on Spathiphyllum sweet checo and 1.5 mM ABA ,200 µM SNP and 200 µM Pyrabactin on Calathea rufibarba were the three most effective active compound treatments. Significant positive correlation were found between weight loss and stomatal conductance on both plant species (R=0.888, P<0.05), (R=0.811, P<0.05) for Spathiphyllum and Calathea respectively. The relative efficacy of different active compound treatments and the effects of leaf weight and leaf area on water loss were also inseparable in both plant species.