Soil Temperature and Copper Application Rate Affect Growth and Copper Deficiency of Aglaonema commutatum ‘Fransher’

Fransher aglaonema (Aglaonema commutatum Schott. ‘Fransher’) were used during the winter and spring in two duplicate 4 × 3 factorial randomized block design experiments with four continuous soil temperatures [13.0, 18.5, 24.0 and 29.5° ± 1°C (55, 65, 75, and 85°F ± 1.8°F)] and three copper levels [0, 0.05, and 0.1 g/15 cm pot (0, 0.0017 and 0.0035 oz/6 in pot(] from Cu Sequestrene. Plants were placed into zoned forced-air systems for soil temperature control in a glass greenhouse with an average maximum light intensity of 13 klx (1200 ft-c) and minimum and maximum air temperatures of 16 and 30°C (60 and 86°F), resp. Plant grade, color grade, number of breaks, root fresh weights, and elemental tissue content of Ca, Mg, and Cu increased linearly with increased soil temperature, while elemental tissue content of K decreased linearly with increased soil temperature. As copper application rate increased, plant grade, color grade, and elemental tissue content of Cu increased linearly and elemental tissue content of K, Ca, Mg, Mn, and B decreased linearly. Interactions of increased soil temperature and Cu application rate resulted in increased top fresh weights, elimination of Cu deficiency symptoms, and decreased leaf elemental P content.