UPLB scientists develop aster flower inducer

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — In seasons like All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day where flowers are in great demand, aster is one plant that flower arrangers cannot do without.

Aster is a flowering plant used as filler for flower arrangements, bouquets, and corsages. It is one of the most widely used fillers in the country since it can be planted anywhere.

And did you know that Los Baños has the biggest plantation of asters?

The only difficulty in planting aster is that it needs more lighting than ordinary flowering plants. Cutflowers like asters are "long-day plants" that need at least 18 hours of light a day to start growing.

Thus, flower growers have to light up the plots to complete the plant’s 18-hour light requirement.

This practice is not only costly since the installation of electric bulbs and lines requires manpower and electricity, it is also very inconvenient for flower growers who have to stay up until midnight to make sure that the plant’s 18-hour light requirement is met.

Now comes a research breakthrough using gibberellic acid (GA3) that can replace the usual lighting system which aster growers adopt.

More importantly, GA3 can bring in bigger profit, save on cost, and produce better flowers, according to researchers of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) led by Dr. Leonido Naranja.

Gibberellic acid is a kind of hormone that speeds up the growth of the branch where buds start to bloom, they said.

"The use of GA3 as an alternative practice is easy and efficient. One month after planting the branches, roots and leaves will soon appear. During this stage, the farmer should start spraying the leaves with water and GA3. This should be done once a week after the first spraying," they said.

In the study, Naranja’s team noted that 50 parts per million (ppm) of GA3 are enough to make aster flowers bloom.

The concentration need not be increased since there will be no significant change in income. However, the concentration should not also be decreased since it will also affect the plant’s capacity to bear flowers, which could translate into low earnings.

Naranja said the use of GA3 to hasten plant growth would guarantee bigger profit and faster development of the bud.

In a recent dialogue with officials of the Los Baños-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) and officials of Santiago City, Isabela, Naranja said, "A farmer who plants aster for the first time using artificial lighting will spend as much as P30,000 due to the high costs of materials such as wires and bulbs, and the electricity."

He added: "If he uses GA3, he will only spend P7,500. This is a big saving for farmers who are just starting and lack sufficient capital."

The UPLB scientists added that a grower can earn about P9,500 for the first harvest if he uses artificial lighting. This income is less compared with P46,180, which a farmer can earn using GA3.

Using artificial lighting during the second harvest, Naranja said a profit of about P29,500 may be possible because the electrical materials are already available, but electricity will still be a part of the production cost.