Translocation of maturity factors in the double-nose bulbs of Lilium longiflorum and L. ×elegans

Translocation of maturity factors through the basal plate of double-nose L. longiflorum Thunb. ‘Nellie White’ and L. ×elegans Thunb. was investigated. Both mother (M) and daughter (D) scales were attached (+M+D) or the scales were removed (-M-D) from one or both sides of the double-nose bulb. The double-nose ‘Nellie White’ bulbs were grouped into +M+D/+M+D, +M+D/-M-D, and -M-D/-M-D. The basal plate of the +M+D/-M-D ‘Nellie White’ bulb was separated 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 days after potting. The basal plate of the +M+D/-M-D 'Inferno' bulb was separated at 0, 4, 8, and 16 days after potting. The maturity factor evaluated by the speed of shoot emergence and the number of flowers and leaves was translocated from the +M+D bulb to the -M-D bulb of the non-separated +M+D/-M-D bulb. The translocation of maturity factors in ‘Nellie White’ bulbs was completed before bulb separation in 40 days after potting. In ‘Inferno’ no differences in the number of flowers and leaves were observed between shoots that emerged from the +M+D bulb and the -M-D bulb of the +M+D/-M-D bulb, indicating that the maturity factors in ‘Inferno’ were not translocated. The differences in translocation responses between ‘Nellie White’ and ‘Inferno’ are that the shoot apex in ‘Nellie White’ is under the vegetative growth stage and the shoot apex in ‘Inferno’ is under the reproductive development stage when the vernalized bulbs are potted following scale removal treatment.