Effect of 6-benzylaminopurine on flowering of a Dendrobium orchid.

Dendrobium orchids are popularly used as cut flowers because they come in a wide range of vibrant colours besides being able to produce high number of flowers per inflorescence. There is a significant interest in developing methods to promote early flowering in commercial Dendrobium orchids. In this study, the potential effect of benzylaminopurine (BAP) on inducing inflorescence production of a Dendrobium hybrid (Dendrobium Angel White) was investigated. D. Angel White plantlets were subjected to spray containing different BAP concentrations. The results indicated that the application of BAP increased the percentage of inflorescence production, induce earlier flowering, and contributed to the differences in inflorescence length and the number of leaves and flowers produced. However, the application of BAP did not significantly influence the size of the flowers. This study showed that BAP is a potential plant growth regulator that can speed up the flowering process of D.Angel White.