Response of Spathiphyllum cultivars to chilling temperatures

Abstract

The response of 15 Spathiphyllum cultivars after 2, 5 or 10 days of exposure to chilling temperatures of 3.3, 7.2,10 or 11.1 C was evaluated using rooted three-month old tissue culture derived plants. Chilling injury at 3.3 and 7.2 C varied among cultivars from slight leaf necrosis to plant death; younger leaves were more resistant to chilling than older ones with the exception of one cultivar. At 10 or 11.1 C, no visible tissue breakdown occurred. However, small growth indices and low quality ratings were indicative of otherwise invisible
injury at these temperatures. Such invisible injury could be wrongly diagnosed as insufficient fertilization or other improper cultural practices. These findings suggest that genetic differences in chilling resistance exist among Spathiphyllum cultivars and can be used as a basis for cultivar selection.