Rose flower farmers in Kenya can now improve the quality of their post-harvest yield by applying TOG paste, a systematic growth regulator marketed by Amiran Kenya Limited, which has the ability to elongate stems and increase the flower head size of cut roses.

The plant growth regulator contains substances like such as auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin and ethylene which play an important role in processes of differentiation, growth, cell elongation and anthocyanin biosynthesis in the plant

Economic benefits

The product, which was recently introduced into the Kenyan market, is likely to increase the attractiveness of Kenya’s roses in the competitive international market, earning farmers more revenues with the economic benefits trickling into the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The cut flower sector earned Kenya Sh54.6billion in 2014, representing 2.8 per cent of the country’s GDP, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

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Application

According to Amiran, the paste is applied on the cut point of the rose beneath the third leaf after harvesting by gently moving the brush width (only 1 cm) uniformly around the flower's stem or on the bud's pedicel. Penetration of the PGR into the plant tissues increases cell dimensions elongates treated stems and increases rose flower head size. 

Earlier studies indicate successes

In an efficiency study performed in Israel in 2004, the T.O.G. paste formulation was examined in various application methods. Application of the paste by smearing was found to be most suitable as it did not impair flower or stem quality. In that study, TOG paste was credited for the extension of rose flower stems by 3-8 cm as well as advanced flowering in few days.

Although still in its infancy stage in Kenya, the use of plant growth regulators is extensively used in developed nations like Israel to spur crop production, making them food secure. A 100g tube of TOG paste formation costs Sh4176, and it comes with an application brush.