Growth analysis of four types of the rose cv. 'Motrea'.

A growth analysis of the rose cv. 'Motrea' was carried out during 6 months after planting, in January. The purpose of the experiment was to investigate the effect of plant propagation: cutting, stenting, bench grafting or budding. During the first 5 weeks of plant growth, cuttings and stentlings transported between 25 to 50␘f the newly formed dry matter into the roots. In contrast bench grafts and bud propagated bushes did not form any new roots during this period. However, during the next 5 months they invested between 6 and 9 g of dry matter resp. in their roots system as compared to only 4 g with the cuttings and stentlings. As a result after 6 months the shoot/root ratio of bench grafts and budded bushes was about 4, whereas that of cuttings and stentlings was about 10. The totally different initial dry weights, ranging from 0.3 g for cuttings to 12 g for the bushes, were largely compensated by differences in RGR, ranging between 0.04 and 0.018 d-1 resp. The four propagation systems studied implied different genotypes of root stock as well. In future research it will be necessary to separate the effects of genotype and propagation method. Also a further growth analysis of the later periods of growth is necessary, including bottom break formation, branching and flowering.