Syracuse

Assessment of the visual quality of ornamental plants: comparison of three methodologies in the case of the rosebush

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Santagostini, Pierre | Laffaire, Michel | Demotes-Mainard, Sabine | Huche-Thelier, Lydie | Guérin, Vincent | Leduc, Nathalie | Bertheloot, Jessica | Sakr, Soulaiman | Boumaza, Rachid

Edité par CCSD -

The quality of ornamental plants can be appraised with several types of criteria: tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, development potentialities and aesthetics. This last criterion, aesthetic quality, is specific to ornamental plants and objective measurements are required. Three types of methods or methodologies for measuring aesthetic quality have been proposed. The first involves classical measurements of morphological features, such as flower number and diameter. The second, based on sensory methods initially developed for assessing the quality of foods, beverages and cosmetics, has recently been adapted to ornamental plants. The third used by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) for distinctiveness, uniformity and stability (DUS) tests, is based on morphological characteristics calibrated on specific reference varieties. The aim of this work was to compare these methodologies for assessing some flowering characteristics of rosebushes. Five to six plants from 6 rose varieties identified by UPOV as reference varieties for flowering were cultivated for two years in a greenhouse and outdoors in Angers, France. They were measured and photographed once weekly during flowering and photographs of the plants in full bloom were submitted to a panel of judges for sensory assessment. The results of the three assessment methodologies were compared, and we discuss their advantages, disadvantages and complementarities.

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