Painted Containers: A New Method for Paclobutrazol Application

The effectiveness of two application methods of the growth regulator paclobutrazol on the growth of Chrysanthemum plants, Dendranthema × grandiflora (Ramat) (cv. `Fina' and `Cream Dana') were compared. Plants were grown in containers with their interior covered by a mixture of flat latex paint and several concentrations of paclobutrazol (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 100, 150, 160, and 200 mg·L –1 ) or were treated with a soil drench of the growth regulator according to label recommendations (59 ml/container of paclobutrazol solution at 4 mg·L –1 ). Plants grown in containers with the paint–paclobutrazol mix at concentrations >80 mg·L –1 were shorter than plants given the control and paint only treatments but taller than plants given the drench treatment. Increasing paclobutrazol concentrations in paint from 100 to 150 and 200 mg·L –1 did not produce proportionately shorter plants. Paint alone had no effect on growth and development. Plants subject to growth regulator treatments appeared greener than the control plants. None of the plants given treatments with paint with or without paclobutrazol showed any sign of phytotoxicity. These results suggest the possibility of a new application method for systemic chemicals with the potential of reducing or eliminating worker protection standard restricted entry intervals and reducing the release of chemicals to the environment. Chemical name used: beta-[(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]-α-(1,1-dimethyl)-1H-1,2,4,-triazole-1-ethanol (paclobutrazol).