XVI International Botanical Congess

Asters are multiple sprout, ornamental plants of the Asteraceae family. Sprouts' length is a major factor contributing to asters' appearance and aesthetic quality. This feature determine both, marketability and price, being the price also dependent on shoot weight. In order to increase sprouts' length, Aster sp cv. White Master plants were sprayed with aminoetoxyvinyl glycine (AVG) and afterwards with silver thiosulphate, two compounds known to stimulate sprout elongation. Plants sprayed with 150 or 300 mM AVG solutions presented longer sprouts when compared to control-plants, exception made to the first order sprout. The third order sprout showed a 38 % increase in length when compared to the control. Plants sprayed with 150 or 300 mM AVG also presented higher fresh weight when compared to control-plants. The effect was more evident on the fourth order sprout, in which a 67 % increase on fresh weight was found in plants treated with 150 mM AVG.