2020 journal article
Simulated storage causes carbohydrate loss and rooting differences in two poinsettia cultivars
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCE, 100(4), 459–462.
Unrooted cuttings of ‘Prestige Red’ and ‘White Star’ poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch) were stored in a box at 10 °C for 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 d to simulate shipping and holding. Visual root ratings decreased following ≥4 d of storage but did not differ from the non-stored cuttings. Root rating of ‘White Star’ was 0.5 higher and cuttings maintained higher fructose and glucose concentrations compared to ‘Prestige Red’. Glucose (r 2 = 0.4824) followed by fructose plus glucose (r 2 = 0.4222) were the best predictors of rooting. Carbohydrate maintenance may be an indicator of storage tolerant and better-rooting cultivars.