Mary Vargo is an M.S. Student at Clemson University and is currently evaluating stock plant management techniques on the effects of post-harvest flower development of Impatiens xhybrida. One of the principle strategies for producing many cuttings from stock plants involves the weekly application of ethephon, however, high rates of ethephon can cause significant delays in flowering for cuttings grown in the post-harvest environment.
"We are assisting stock plant growers by evaluating daily light integral levels, ethephon rates, and cutting harvest position on the stock plant to create guidelines for producing high quality, uniform cuttings that flower in 5-6 weeks in the post-harvest production. We are also creating a bud meter that tracks flower development from visible bud to open flower at various temperatures so growers can utilize this resource as a means to keep the crop on schedule for the timely success of uniform flowering crops."
Source: Floriculture Research Alliance