Clonal and Soilless Cultivation Strategies to Enhance Gerbera Production: Integrative Perspectives on Propagation, Physiology, and Postharvest Quality
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Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii), a floricultural commodity of global economic importance, presents unique challenges and opportunities in propagation, production systems, and postharvest management. The synthesis presented herein integrates clonal propagation frameworks, in vitro tissue culture methodologies, and advanced soilless cultivation systems to elucidate pathways for optimizing gerbera yield and quality. Through an extensive review and critical engagement with foundational and contemporary literature, this research articulates the historical evolution of gerbera propagation, theoretical underpinnings of morphogenetic responses in plant tissue culture, and the mechanisms by which nutrient solution dynamics impact plant physiology in hydroponic systems. Clonal propagation methods, rooted in early empirical findings (Peper, Brandis, & Dopke, 1971; Schiva, 1975), are juxtaposed with modern in vitro technologies (Pawlowska, 1977; Pierik et al., 1982), highlighting the interplay between cytokinin and auxin regulation and genotype-specific responses. Furthermore, insights from soilless culture literature inform the discussion of environmental and nutritional factors governing photosynthetic efficiency, assimilate partitioning, and flower longevity (Raviv & Blom, 2001; Savvas & Manos, 1999). Empirical mechanisms of postharvest management, informed by floral treatments and biochemical regulators (Ranwala, 2010; Salehi Sardoei, Mohammadi, & Rahbarian, 2013), are also examined. The research elucidates gaps in current understanding, particularly the integration of propagation and cultivation systems to meet commercial demand sustainably, and posits future directions for interdisciplinary inquiry in gerbera science.