The morphological development of cauliflower and broccoli cultivars depending on temperature

In growth chambers the effect of temperature (12–27°C) on the growth and development of cauliflower cultivars of temperate and tropical climates, as well as of broccoli cultivars, was tested. No difference was found between the cultivars as regards dry matter production and curd growth, but a difference was found in the time of curd initiation. The early cauliflower ‘Aristokrat’ does not form lateral shoots or floral buds before elongation of the inflorescence at any temperature level. This always occurs in broccoli cultivars. The tropical cauliflowers have an intermediate position. At low temperatures (12–17°C) only 12–14 leaves are formed. Many lateral shoots are initiated and a broccoli-like curd with fertile flowers is developed. At high temperatures (22–27°C) the same cultivars produce a considerably higher leaf weight, less lateral shoots are initiated, and a cauliflower-like curd without floral buds is formed.     

Leaf production and curd initiation of winter cauliflower in response to temperature

Summary

In experiments in 1994 and 1995 a range of transplanting dates and thermal crop covering treatments were used to produce different environmental conditions for the growth of two Roscoff cauliflower selections ‘December/January’ and ‘March’. In 1994 non-covered plants of ‘March’ initiated on average 19 d later and with 19 leaves more than ‘December/January’. In the two seasons, covering the crops gave delays in curd initiation of up to 93 d, depending on planting date, and increased the number of leaves produced by up to 50 compared with non-covered crops. Leaf production was best described by an accumulated effective day-degree scale using day-degrees <17°C for ‘December/ January’ and day-degrees <16°C for ‘March’. This shows that both light and temperature are concerned with controlling leaf production. During the juvenile phase of growth, apex diameters expanded linearly with temperature up to a diameter of about 0.2 mm. After this there was a different response to temperature suggesting that a phase change had occurred at an apex diameter of 0.2 mm. When this occurred numbers of leaves ranged from 23 to 28. Vernalization appeared to occur most rapidly in ‘December/January’ between 12 and 16°C with an optimum at about 14°C while in ‘March’ the optimum appeared to be slightly lower than this. Any increase in time spent at temperatures in excess of 16°C delayed curd initiation.     

A hypothesis to explain the relationship between low-temperature treatment,gibberellin activity,curd initiation and maturity of cauliflower

The effects of cold-treating young cauliflower plants (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) of the cultivars ‘Lero’, ‘Lawyna’, ‘Novo’ and ‘Janavon’, on gibberellin activity and the spreads of curd initiation and maturity are described and discussed in relation to other similar work.Exposure of plants to 0°C for 15 days increased gibberellin activity in the apices of ‘Lero’ and ‘Lawyna’ plants. The spreads of curd initiation and maturity of ‘Lawyna’ were significantly reduced by cold-treatment at 0°C, but ‘Lero’ was not affected, possibly because plants had initiated too many leaves and were thus beyond the stage receptive to low-temperature treatment. This treatment had no effect on gibberellin activity nor on the spreads of curd initiation and maturity of ‘Novo’ or ‘Janavon’, probably because plants had not reached the sensitive stage when cold-treated.It is postulated that the phase of growth during which the curd-initiation period can be shortened by cold treatment is specific for each cultivar, and other data were used to confirm this. It seems likely that the receptive phase occurs at higher leaf-numbers with cultivars which take longer to initiate curds.     

Modelling development of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) from transplanting to head initiation

Summary

A model is suggested to predict head initiation in broccoli. Head initiation is defined as the time when the apex diameter reaches 0.6 mm and predictions are made from observations of air temperature. The model is constructed from three years of field experiments with three cultivars and four plantings per year. No juvenile phase after transplanting could be estimated and the model consists only of a head induction phase starting at transplanting. The rate of head induction is modelled by a piecewise linear temperature response function with a base, optimum, and maximum temperature. At optimum temperature the duration of the head induction phase is shortest. The estimates for base, optimum, and maximum temperature are 9.98C, 16.18C and 22.38C, respectively. The estimates for cultivar dependent thermal time requirements are 49 day-degrees, 55 day-degrees, and 38 day-degrees for cvs Caravel, Shogun and Emperor, respectively. The three cultivars were anticipated to have the same cardinal temperatures for head induction. The model of the head induction phases can account for 68% of the variation in the observed durations from transplanting to head initiation. A model of leaf appearance is used to standardize transplant size to four visible leaves at planting. The leaf appearance rate is described by a linear relationship to number of leaves and air temperature and the model can account for 89% of the variation in time from transplanting to appearance of a certain number of leaves. The temperature response of leaf appearance rate had a base temperature of about 2 to 38C, depending on cultivar, and showed no indications of having a temperature optimum below 208C. The leaf appearance rate at 158C range from 0.2 leaves per day for plants with four visible leaves to 0.4 leaves per day for plants with 14 visible leaves.     

Manipulation of bolting and flowering in celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce). II. Juvenility

After germination, a juvenile phase of development was apparent in cvs New Dwarf White and Celebrity. During this incompetent phase, plants were not induced flower even when subjected to chilling at 5°C for nine weeks. Juvenility ended and the plants became competent to perceive chilling as a vernalization stimulus when they had initiated 17 leaves including leaf primordia in cv. New Dwarf White and between 17 and 20 leaves in cv. Celebrity. After phase transition, the level of competence was not affected by plant age. The rate of leaf initiation in cv. New Dwarf White during juvenile and competent vegetative growth related linearly to temperature, increasing between 3 and 22.8°C and then declining over the range 22.8 to 37.4°C. The first 17 leaves of celery cv. New Dwarf White had longer plastochrons of 43° Cd (>3°C) each than subsequently initiated leaves with 29° Cd for each leaf. The thermal time requirement for completion of juvenile development after radicle emergence was 731° Cd> 3°C. In cv. Celebrity the first 17 leaves required 42° Cd each for initiation.     

Temperature and development in Iris × hollandica during preplanting storage. I. Leaf initiation

Summary

Leaf initiation was examined in Dutch iris bulbs during pre-planting storage temperature treatments in the dark. The number of leaves initiated before inflorescence evocation increased with increasing temperature. The base, optimum and maximum temperature for leaf initiation were established as –0.4, 13.1 and 26.7°C respectively. The rate of leaf initiation was shown to be linearly related to temperature. The average thermal-time required for each leaf to be initiated under constant temperatures was 79°Cd but leaves initiated during the transfer temperature treatments required an average of 92°Cd. Rates of leaf initiation predicted from thermal-time equations were similar to those observed in bulbs stored at the lower temperatures (2–13°C) but rates observed at warmer temperature (17–25°C) never reached the predicted high value.     

Initiation of early summer cauliflowers in response to temperature

Summary

Two experiments were conducted with the early summer cauliflower cvs Perfection and Gypsy. The first was in controlled environment cabinets with nine temperatures ranging from 6.3 to 22.88C. The second was in the field with three planting dates and plants grown with and without fleece cover. The experiment in controlled environments enabled a model to be developed which predicted changes in apex development through both the juvenile and curd induction phases. Both the end of juvenility and curd initiation were defined in terms of apex diameter. For cv. Perfection these were respectively 0.25 and 0.55.mm while with cv. Gypsy they were respectively 0.27 and 0.51.mm. The number of leaves produced at the end of juvenility was very different in the two experiments. When applied to the field temperatures from planting, the model predicted the end of juvenility early and therefore estimates of curd initiation were inaccurate. However, when the model was started, with the recorded apex diameter exceeding that at the end of juvenility, it predicted the day of curd initiation well. The temperatures representing the lower limit, optimum and upper limit of curd induction, were estimated to be 2.2, 9.4 and 248C for cv. Perfection and 2.9, 13.0 and 23.18C for cv. Gypsy. The results suggest that juvenility is not adequately described by number of leaves and varies considerably with growing conditions. They indicate that, under optimum conditions, curd induction only takes about six days and that the critical difference between crops is the duration of juvenility.     

播种期和品种对早熟花椰菜植株生长及异常花球的影响

对3个早熟花椰菜品种进行播种期试验,调查花球形成时植株的生长情况、从定植到花球开始形成的时间和从定植到采收的时间、异常花球种类和发生率。结果表明,随着播种期的推迟,花椰菜植株在花球形成时的最大叶长、叶宽和株高呈明显上升的趋势,花球开始形成时的叶片数则随着播种期的延迟而呈现下降的态势。播种期对花椰菜从定植到花球开始形成的时间以及从定植到采收的时间有显著的影响。花椰菜平均花球质量随着播种期的延迟而呈现上升的趋势,并于适宜播种期达到最大,之后再次下降。花椰菜异常花球包括毛花球、夹叶球、小球、未结球等类型,其发生率和发生的种类随播种期和品种的不同而发生规律性变化。     

The effects of temperature and plant developmental stage on the occurrence of the curd quality defects “bracting” and “riciness” in cauliflower

Summary

Models to simulate the induction of the “bracting” and “riciness” defects in cauliflower were estimated from field experiments. Bracting, where small cauline leaves develop and penetrate the curd surface, is caused by high temperatures – a kind of de-vernalization. Riciness, on the other hand, where small flower buds develop on the curd surface, is caused by low temperatures, especially after a preceding period of high temperature – a kind of strong vernalization. Both bracting and riciness can be induced only at certain stages during plant development. Plots of cauliflower were given periods of different temperature treatments in the field by portable compartments with both cooling and heating units. The treatments were both constant high or low temperatures (24, 18, 13 and 8°C) in 10 d periods, and alternating high and low temperatures (23/23, 23/15, 23/10 and 23/5°C) in 7 d periods. The treatments were started both before and after curd induction. The incidences of bracting and riciness in harvested curds were recorded in 84 plots with different temperature regimes. These data were used to estimate the combined effect of plant development and temperature on quality defects. The responsive developmental stages in the plants were described by a parabolic function, which depends on the apex/curd diameter. The curd diameter with the highest risk of induction of bracting was estimated to be around 12 mm (range 1–23 mm). A combined model of the diameter function and the summation of daily average temperature with a base temperature of 15°C explained 66% of the variation in the data of observed bracting. The apex diameter with the highest risk of induction of riciness was estimated to be around 0.35 mm (range 0.2–0.5 mm). A combined model of sensitive apex diameter and the preceding temperatures (average daily temperature of 10 d), during a temperature drop (average minimum temperature of 10 d), and after (average daily temperature of 6 d) explained 71% of the variation in the data of observed riciness. These models may be used to set up test equipment and to test susceptibility of new cultivars in breeding programmes. On a farm level, the models may be used to forecast risk of quality defects in cauliflower production. Alternatively, the knowledge of how the combination of developmental stage and temperature scenario induce either bracting or riciness may be used to study flower induction by temperature.     

A model of cauliflower curd growth to predict when curds reach a specified size

A simple model is described which predicts when curds of any specified size will be produced. The model uses a quadratic relationship between the logarithm of curd diameter and accumulated day-degrees >0°C from curd initiation. Work in controlled environment cabinets showed a linear relationship between early curd growth rate and temperature between 8°C and at least 18°C, and that the base temperature for curd growth was 0°C. Data from samples taken after curd initiation are used to predict the number of day- degrees required for the crop to reach a specified size. This requirement is then converted into a predicted date by using long-term average weather data. This prediction can be updated progressively to take account of observed weather data where these deviate from average weather. Differences between the fitted relationships for different sites, years, transplantings and cultivars are discussed and data are presented showing the results of validation of the model.     

Effects of pre- and post-bloom temperature regimes on development of Lilium longiflorum Thunb.

Glasshouse grown ‘Ace’ and ‘Nellie White’ Easter lily plants were subjected to different temperature regimes to determine temperature requirements during pre- and post-bloom development. Rate of leaf- and flower-bud development and stem elongation on the primary (mother) axis were directly proportional to the range of temperatures used (6–24°C), and were equally effective in predicting crop development. Scale initiation on the secondary (daughter) axis during pre-bloom phases was proportional to growing temperature, reaching maximum activity at 18°C in ‘Ace’ and at 12°C in ‘Nellie White’. The shift from scale to leaf initiation and development following anthesis was favored by 12 rather than 18°C with significant reductions in leaf initiation in both cultivars at 24°C. No difference in secondary meristem diameter occurred with temperature during pre-bloom, but large dome size was associated with 12°C or lower during the post-bloom phase. Primary scale weight increase (filling), reached a maximum 50 days following anthesis, and was greatest at 18°C. Secondary scale filling reached a maximum 80 days after anthesis at both 18 and 24°C. The secondary axis became increasingly responsive to sprout-inducing temperatures with increasing age and development. Fifty days after anthesis, 12 and 18°C were equally effective in sprouting ‘Ace’ bulbs, while 12°C was more effective with ‘Nellie White’. Early leaf senescence, associated with high (24°C) temperature, did not favor increased bulb size, daughter leaf primordia count and meristem diameter, or sprouting.     

高原夏菜花椰菜新品种比较试验

通过对6个花椰菜新品种植物学性状和产量进行比较试验,结果表明,参试各品种均长势旺盛,花球洁白,口感好,较耐热抗病.特别是"日本春秋雪宝"长势旺盛,叶色深绿,自覆性好,花球洁白、紧实、产量高;"赛欧"植株健壮,抗逆性较强,自覆性好,花球特白、紧实,大小适中;这两个品种表现较好,适宜在兰州市推广.     

花椰菜生长动态与花球组成

花椰菜生长过程植株及根、茎、叶和花球的鲜质量和干质量、叶面积和净同化率等都逐步增长,均以花球形成期增长最快。幼苗期成长的5枚展叶,主要为建成幼苗起作用,叶簇生长期发生和成长的第7-22叶对叶簇形成和花球分化发育都起重要作用。花球干物质占植株干物质少于30％。花球不论大小,其分球质量都由外而内逐渐减轻,最外的15个分球质量占花球质量的大部分;大花球比小花球重是由于分球数较多、分球较重所致。     

Effects of Environment on Flower Initiation in Carnation

The main object of the investigation was to attempt the separation of effects of photoperiod and total incident light energy in controlling flower initiation in the glasshouse carnation, variety White Sim.

Low light intensities delayed flower initiation. The delay was associated with reduced rates of growth in terms of dry weight, reduced rates of leaf initiation and increased number of leaves formed below the flower. Short days also delayed flower initiation and increased the number of leaves formed below the flower. Photoperiod, however, had no appreciable effect on growth in terms of dry weight or on rates of leaf initiation, but internode length was greater in long days than in short days. A period of illumination given in the middle of the night was more effective in promoting flower initiation than an equivalent period given to extend the day. Internode length was similar in these treatments. Effects of night temperature were less consistent than those of light intensity or daylength but, under most of the conditions tested, high night temperatures (minimum 65° F. (18° C.)) delayed flower initiation and increased the number of leaves formed below the flower. Low temperature treatment of plants at 40° F. (4.5° C.) for one month promoted subsequent flower initiation and reduced the number of leaves formed below the flower.     

A model for leaf production and apex development in calabrese

Summary

A single, temperature based model was developed, accounting for both leaf initiation and changes in the apex diameter of calabrese cv. Shogun associated with vernalization. The model was derived using data from an experiment in controlled environment cabinets, which had ten constant temperatures between 7.3 and 22.6°C. It was tested on data from 20 field-grown crops of cvs Shogun and Corvet and 24 treatments of an experiment in growing rooms involving transfer of plants between different temperatures. The model predicted changes in both number of leaves and apex diameter of field plants accurately, except for some early values. In growth rooms, predictions were accurate for nearly all treatments. Simulation of leaf production and apex development for 100 d at temperatures from 0 to 35°C, predicted that apex initiation would not occur at 0, 30 and 35°C, and would take 96, 51, 36 and 64 d respectively at 5,10,15 and 20°C.     

Long-day control of flowering in everbearing strawberries

Summary

Photoperiod and temperature control of flowering in a number of perpetual-flowering or everbearing strawberry cultivars of widely varying pedigree has been studied in controlled environments. Flower bud initiation in the cultivars ‘Flamenco’, ‘Ridder’, ‘Rita’ and ‘Rondo’ was significantly advanced by long-day (LD) conditions at temperatures of 15°C and 21ºC; while, at 27ºC, flowering took place under LD conditions only. Some plants of the seed-propagated F₁-hybrid ‘Elan’, raised at 21°C, also flowered under short-day (SD) conditions at 27°C, but reverted to the vegetative state after a few weeks when maintained under these conditions. When vegetative plants growing in SD at 27°C were transferred to LD conditions at the same temperature, they consistently initiated flower buds and started flowering after about 4 weeks. At such a high temperature, flowering could thus be turned on and off by switching between SD and LD conditions. This applied to all the cultivars studied. Also the cultivar ‘Everest’, which was tested only at 21°C, produced similar results. Night interruption for 2 h was effective in bringing about the LD response. At 9°C, flowering was substantially delayed, especially in ‘Flamenco’ and, at this temperature, flowering was unaffected by photoperiod. Runner formation was generally promoted by high temperature and SD conditions, but the photoperiodic effect varied between experiments. We conclude that everbearing strawberry cultivars, in general, whether of the older European-type or the modern Californian-type originating from crosses with selections of Fragaria virginiana ssp. glauca, are qualitative (obligatory) LD plants at high temperature (27°C), and quantitative LD plants at intermediate temperatures. Only at temperatures below 10°C are these cultivars day-neutral.     

Effects of CO2, temperature and their interaction on the growth, development and yield of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. botrytis)

Stands of summer cauliflower were grown within polyethylene-covered tunnels along which a temperature gradient was imposed. Two tunnels were maintained at either normal or elevated CO₂ concentrations. At the last harvest (88 days from transplanting) no interaction between CO₂ and temperature on total biomass was detected. The total dry weight of plants grown at 531 μmol mol⁻¹ CO₂ was 34% greater than those grown at 328 μmol mol⁻¹ CO₂, whereas a 1 °C rise reduced dry weight by 6%. From serial harvests the radiation conversion coefficient was 2.01 g MJ⁻¹ and 1.42 g MJ⁻¹ at 531 μmol mol⁻¹ CO₂and 328 μmol mol⁻¹ CO₂, respectively, but was not greatly affected by differences in temperature. No effect of either CO₂ or temperature on the canopy light extinction coefficient was detected. The rate of progress towards curd initiation increased to a maximum at 15.5 °C, and declined thereafter. Provided the effect of temperature was accounted for, CO₂ enrichment did not affect the time of curd initiation. From serial harvests after curd initiation, the logarithm of curd weight or diameter were negative linear functions of mean temperature from initiation. Increases in curd weight and diameter at 531 compared with 328 μmol mol⁻¹ CO₂ were greater at warmer temperatures (27% at 13 °C compared with 47% at 15 °C, 57 days after initiation). Effects of CO₂ on curd diameter were less than those on curd dry weight because the curd dry matter content was greater at 531 compared with 328 μmol mol⁻¹ CO₂. Thus, the effects of elevated CO₂ concentrations on fresh weight based yield parameters of cauliflower were less than the increase in total dry matter production.     

Influence of the environment on growth and development of chives (Allium schoenoprasum L.). I. Induction of the rest period

The effect of environmental factors on the activity of chive plants has been investigated in model experiments in growth chambers, greenhouses and in the field. The rest period of chives was induced in medium temperatures by short days. The critical day-length was about 14 h, the critical photoperiodically active light intensity about 50 lx. Light intensity in the range of 4–8 klx during the basic light period has no clear influence on the induction of the rest period, but darkness prevents it. The active temperature for the induction of the rest period ranged from over 6 to below 20° C with an optimum at 14° C. Low temperature (below 6° C) preserved, or even promoted, activity of the plants. Changing day/night temperatures act approximately like the constant mean of the day and night temperatures. The action was slightly promoted by a very high amplitude within the range 6–22° C.The necessary duration of the induction period ranged from 4 weeks for a partial, to 8 weeks for a full induction of the rest period. The induction was retarded by dryness. The inductive conditions worked out in the growth chambers agree well with those prevailing in the field during the induction period. For early leaf production in autumn, chives can be kept active by a long day or by storage at low temperature, provided that necroses at the tops of the cuts of the old leaves do not lead to objections at the market. For production of undamaged, newly grown leaves the induction of the rest period is necessary.     

The influence of transplant age and nutrient feeding regime on cauliflower growth and maturity

Summary

Similar experiments in 1984 and 1985 examined the effects of cauliflower transplant age and ‘high’ or ‘low’ nutrient feeding regimes during plant.raising on the numbers of leaves formed, the timing of curd initiation, maturity and other maturity characters. ‘High’ nutrient feed contained 104 mgl^?1N and 290 mgl^?1K whereas ‘low’ nutrient feed contained 52 mg l^?1 N and 145 mg l^?1 K. In addition, in 1985 the growth of other ‘low-feed’ plants was boosted by giving them ‘high feed’ during the last four days before transplanting. The raising treatments produced transplants which differed in dry weight, in the numbers of leaves formed and especially in dry-matter percentage. In both years the oldest ‘low-feed’ plants had the highest dry-matter percentage at transplanting (mean 22.2%) whereas the youngest ‘high-feed’ plants had the lowest dry-matter percentage (mean 12.9%). After transplanting, differences between treatments rapidly disappeared and there were few significant effects of treatments on the time of curd initiation, the final number of leaves formed, the time of 50% curd maturity and marketable curd yield. It is concluded that when planning cauliflower continuity schedules the time of transplanting is important but the precise age of plants at transplanting and the feeding regime prior to this need not be taken into account provided plant size is kept within normal limits.