Effect of Gibberellin Treatment on Growth and Flowering Characteristics in the Cultivation of Aquilegia japonica Nakai & H. Hara

This study was conducted to develop gibberellin treatment technique to enhance flower initiation in Aquilegia japonica Nakai & H. Hara. Seedlings were planted in 12cm-diameter pots on October 2016 and grown in green house. Ambient temperature in the green house was set at minimum $15^{\circ}C$ during day and night to suppress flower initiation at cold temperature condition. Two different types of gibberellin, $GA_3$ and $GA_{4+7}$, at 4 different concentration levels 100, 200, 400 and 600 mg/L, were tested in this study. Gibberellin was sprayed first at planting and secondly at 1-week after planting. Ten to fifteen ml of gibberellin was sprayed for each pot. Plant height and petiole length were elongated by both gibberellin types, flowering was more enhanced by $GA_3$ (91.7~100%) compared to of $GA_{4+7}$. However, abnormal flower was less observed in $GA_3$ treatment (0~16.7%) than $GA_{4+7}$. Number of flower stalks per plant ranged from 1.9 to 2.5. Number of flowers per plant ranged from 6.8 to 10.3. Differences in flowering characteristics between treatments were statistically significant. Optimal gibberellin treatment to enhance flower initiation in A. japonica Nakai & H. Hara substituting cold treatment was $GA_3$ at the concentration between 400 mg/L to 600 mg/L.