Nutrient Disorders of ‘Orchestra Pink’ Gloxinia

Abstract

<jats:p>To produce popular floriculture crops, such as gloxinia (<jats:italic>Sinningia speciosa</jats:italic>), growers must be equipped with cultural information including the ability to recognize and characterize disorders. Diagnostic criteria for nutrient disorders of gloxinia are absent from current literature. Therefore, gloxinia plants were grown in silica-sand culture to induce, characterize, and photograph symptoms of nutritional disorders. Control plants received a complete modified Hoagland’s all-nitrate solution, whereas nutrient-deficient treatments were induced with a complete nutrient formula minus a single nutrient. Boron toxicity was induced by increasing the element 10-fold higher than the complete nutrient formula. We monitored plants continuously to document and photograph sequential series of symptoms as they developed. Typical symptomology of nutrient disorders and critical tissue concentrations are presented. Of 13 treatments, 10 exhibited symptomology; copper, molybdenum, and zinc remained asymptomatic. Symptoms of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and sulfur deficiencies, plus boron toxicity manifested early; therefore, these disorders may be more likely problems encountered by growers. Unique symptoms were observed on plants grown in nitrogen, potassium, sulfur, and iron deficient and boron toxic conditions.</jats:p>