국화 삽수의 품질 기준 설정을 위한 삽수 길이와 굵기별 발근 및 생육 반응 평가 = Rooting and Growth Responses to Cutting Length and Thickness for Establishing Quality Standards in Chrysanthemum Cuttings

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study aimed to establish seedling quality standards for the standard chrysanthemum ‘Baekgang’ by assessing the effects of cutting length and thickness on the growth performance of rooted cuttings and cut flowers. Cutting length (3, 5, 7, and 9 cm) did not result in significant differences in rooting ability or shoot growth, indicating that cutting length has limited applicability as a quality indicator. In contrast, cutting thickness exerted a significant influence, with thicker cuttings producing more roots and longer root systems following rooting. Furthermore, thicker cuttings showed higher shoot elongation rates after transplanting, reduced days to flowering, and increased flower diameter, demonstrating that cutting thickness is a critical morphological parameter for evaluating cutting quality. For ‘Baekgang’, cutting thickness could be categorized into three ranges: ≤2.0 mm, 2.0–2.9 mm, and ≥2.9 mm. A strong positive correlation (r² = 0.73) was identified between cutting thickness and fresh weight, suggesting that cutting weight may serve as a practical, indirect indicator for quality assessment. Overall, these results provide essential baseline data for establishing high-quality seedling standards and developing objective quality evaluation criteria for standard chrysanthemums.