Chilling requirements of Paeonia cultivars

Dormant second year potted plants of Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’, ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’, and ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ were placed into three chilling regimes (constant 1, 4, or 7°C) for different durations (3, 6, 9, or 12 weeks) to ascertain their chilling requirements for shoot and flower production. Chilling was followed by forcing for up to 5 weeks at 18°C, then plants were maintained in a controlled greenhouse until flowering had finished. Mean number of shoots and flowers per plant were recorded and the time taken for shoots to sprout was calculated.Control plants (forced immediately without chilling) produced no shoots or flowers. For all cultivars, the proportion of plants that sprouted, and the mean number of shoots and flowers increased as plants were subjected to colder chilling temperatures, or longer chilling durations. However, there were no significant within-cultivar differences between different treatments of 9 weeks or more. The time taken for sprouting to occur after the completion of each chilling treatment consistently decreased as the duration of the chilling treatment increased. In most cases, lower chilling temperatures lead to more rapid sprouting once plants were placed in the 18°C forcing conditions.When a simple model was fitted where the chilling temperature and duration of each treatment was described by a cumulative normal curve rising from zero to some maximum value (or potential) once adequate chilling had been received, we found that temperatures of 4 and 7°C provided only 83 and 59%, respectively, of the chilling accumulated per unit time at 1°C. ‘Coral Sunset’, an interspecific hybrid early flowering type, required the greatest amount of chilling to sprout consistently, while ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, a very late flowering type, required the least. Of the three cultivars, ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ also required the least amount of chilling to achieve its potential shoot and flower numbers, while ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’, a mid-season flowering type, required the most chilling to achieve the same end for these two variables. This suggests that the response to spring temperatures as well as chilling influences the time of flowering.     

Floral induction in tropical fruit trees: Effects of temperature and water supply

Summary

Floral induction in tropical trees generally follows a check in vegetative growth. However, it is not easy to identify the environmental factors involved in flowering, which normally occurs during the dry season when temperatures are also often lower. The separate and combined effects of temperature and water supply on floral induction were investigated in ‘Hass’ avocado (Persea americana), ‘Lisbon’ lemon (Citrus limon). ‘Wai Chee’ litchi (Litchi chinensis) and ‘Sensation’ mango (Mangifera indica). Low temperatures (15°/10°C or 15°/10°C and 20°/15°C compared with 30°/25°C and 25°/20°C) generally decreased vegetative growth and induced flowering in well-watered avocado, litchi and mango. A pre-dawn leaf water potential (ψ_L) of ?1.7 to ?3.5 MPa compared with ?0.4 to ?0.7 MPa in control avocado and litchi, and a pre-dawn relative water content (R.W.C.) of 90-93% compared with 97% or above in control mango plants also reduced or eliminated vegetative growth, but did not induce flowering. Low temperatures (15°/10°C compared with 20°/5°C, 25°/20°C or 30°/25°C) and water stress (pre-dawn ψ_L of ?2.0 to ?3.5 MPa compared with ?0.7 to ?0.8 MPa in controls) reduced or eliminated vegetative growth in lemon. In contrast to the response in avocado, litchi and mango, flowering in lemon was very weak in the absence of water stress at 15°/10°C or outdoors in Brisbane in subtropical Australia (Lat. 28°S), and was greatest after a period of water stress. The number of flowers increased with the severity and duration of water stress (two, four or eight weeks) and was generally greater after constant rather than with cyclic water stress. In lemon and litchi, net photosynthesis declined with increasing water stress reaching zero with a midday ψ_L of ?3.5 to ?4.0 MPa. This decline in carbon assimilation appeared to be almost entirely due to stomatal closure. Despite the reduction in midday CO₂ assimilation, starch concentration increased during water stress, especially in the branches, trunk and roots of lemon. Leaf starch was uniformly low. The number of flowers per tree in lemon was strongly correlated with starch in the branches (r²=77%, P<0.01) and roots (r²=74%, P<0.001). In litchi, starch was lower than in lemon roots and was not related to flowering.

In separate experiments to test the interaction between temperature and water supply, low day/night temperatures (23°/18° and 18°/15°C compared with 29°/25°C) reduced vegetative growth and induced flowering in avocado, litchi and mango. None of these species flowered at 29°/25°C or as a result of water stress (ψ_L of ?1.5 MPa compared with ?0.3 MPa for avocado and ?2.0 MPa compared with ?0.5 MPa for litchi, and R.W.C, of 90-93% compared with 95-96% in mango). In contrast, in lemon, flowering was very weak (<10 flowers per tree) in the absence of water stress (pre-dawn ψ_L of ?2.0 MPa compared with ?0.5 MPa) and was only heavy (>35 flowers per tree) after stressed trees were rewatered. There were slightly more flowers at 18°/15°C than at 23°/18° and 29°/25°C in control plants, but no effect of temperature in stressed plants. Starch concentration in the roots of avocado, lemon, litchi and mango was generally higher at 18°/15°C and 23°/18°C than at 29°/25°C. Water stress increased the starch concentration in the roots of lemon and litchi and decreased it in avocado. There was no effect in mango. There was a weak relation (r²=57%, P<0.05) between the number of flowers per tree in lemon and the concentration of starch in the roots. In contrast, there was no significant relationship between flowering and starch levels under the various temperature and water regimes in the other species. In another experiment, only vegetative growth in litchi and mango occurred at 30°/25°C and only flowering at 15°/10°C. Six weeks of water stress (pre-dawn ψ_L of ?2.5 MPa compared with ?1.0 MPa or higher in litchi, and R.W.C, of 90-93% compared with 95% or higher in mango) in a heated glasshouse (30°C days/20°C night minimum) before these temperature treatments did not induce flowering.

Temperatures below 25°C for avocado and below 20°C for litchi and mango are essential for flowering and cannot be replaced by water stress. The control of flowering in lemon over the range of day temperatures from 18°C to 30°C differed from that of the other species in being mainly determined by water stress. Flowering was generally weak in well-watered plants even with days at 18°C. Starch did not appear to control flowering.     

High temperatures and time to budbreak in low chill apricot ‘Palsteyn’. Towards a better understanding of chill and heat requirements fulfilment

The efficiency of different temperature cycles in inducing budburst of one-year-old shoots of the apricot cultivar ‘Palsteyn’ from dormancy was evaluated. Three replications of shoots were collected during two consecutive years from adult trees, following the accumulation of different amounts of chilling in the field. Thereafter, shoots were exposed to different temperature cycles in growth chambers, for 60 days. The temperature treatments included a continuous temperature of 5 °C; daily temperature cycles of 19/5 h at 5/15 °C, at 5/20 °C, and at 5/25 °C; and the same temperature cycles for the remainder of the 60-day period, after pretreatment at 5 °C for 30 or 45 days. After the temperature treatments, shoots were forced at 25 °C until budburst. The mean time to budburst (MTB) (in days) of lateral vegetative, terminal vegetative and reproductive buds was evaluated. The efficiency of the different treatments was greatly influenced by the date on which shoots were cut. High temperatures had a more positive effect on the reduction of MTB when chilling accumulation had occurred in the field instead of the growth chamber. After partial chilling accumulation in the field, high temperatures (25 °C) combined with low temperatures are more efficient than cycles of moderate temperatures (15 or 20 °C) to induce an earlier budburst. In view of these results, a parallel accumulation of both chilling and heat requirements after partial chilling accumulation is suggested. The application of these results could assist in the development of more accurate models for the prediction of the overcoming of dormancy and blooming.     

Effect of temperature on growth,dry matter production and starch accumulation in ten mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivars

Summary

Ten mango cultivars of tropical and subtropical origin (Carabao, Kensington, Nam Dok Mai, Alphonso, Dashehari, Florigon, Glenn, Irwin, Haden and Sensation) were grafted onto cv. Kensington seedling rootstock and held at four day/night temperatures for 20 weeks (15/10°C, 20/15°C, 25/20°C and 30/25°C). Vegetative growth increased with increasing temperatures. All grew vegetatively at 25/20°C and 30/25°C. Cultivars which did not grow at 20/15°C were Carabao, Kensington and Dashehari. Cultivars Kensington, Nam Dok Mai, Alphonso, Florigon, Glenn, Irwin, Haden and Sensation produced flower panicles at 15/10°C. The rise in temperature increased the average number of growth flushes (in responsive cultivars) from 0.48 at 15/10°C to 3.21 at 30/25°C, and the number of leaves per growth flush (1.22 at 15/10°C to 13.63 at 30/25°C). Distribution of dry matter from new growth was mostly to the roots at the lowest temperature (95% at 15/10°C) and to the leaves (58%) at 30/25°C. The mean daily temperature for zero vegetative growth was calculated to be 15°C. Temperature and related growth activity also affected the concentration of starch in the woody tissue of rootstock trunks at the end of 20 weeks (15.9% starch at 15/10°C v. 4.8% starch at 30/25°C). ‘Irwin’ had the highest starch concentration at the two higher temperatures (twice that of any other cultivar at 30/25°C) while ‘Kensington’ the lowest starch level at 25/20°C, ca. 50% of most other cultivars.     

Effect of temperature on pollen germination and pollen tube growth of four cultivars of mango (Mangifera indica L.)

Summary

The effect of a constant (10, 15, 20 or 25°C) or a diurnal maximum/minimum (15/5, 20/10, 25/15 or 30/20°C) incubation temperature on in vitro pollen germination and pollen tube growth in the pistils of two poly-embryonic (‘Kensington’ and ‘Nam Dok Mai’), and two mono-embryonic (‘Irwin’ and ‘Sensation’) mango cultivars was studied. In in vitro experiments where pollen was incubated in a liquid germination medium for 24 h in darkness, little difference was found between pollen germination of mono- and poly-embryonic cultivars. Averaged over the four cultivars, 53.9% of pollen germinated at 10°C, this increased to 76.2% when the incubation temperature was increased to 15°C, thereafter up to 25°C the percentage germination remained stable but germination decreased slightly to 68.2% at 30°C. Similarly, there was no difference in percent germination between cultivars when pollen was incubated under diurnal temperature regimes. Mean pollen germination of all four cultivars was 52.3% at 15/5°C and pollen germination increased by 10% when the temperature was raised to 30/20°C. When self-pollinated flowers were incubated for 24 h on a semi-solid agar medium at 10°C, pollen tube growth of the four cultivars was retarded and no pollen tubes reached the ovaries. As the temperature was increased from 15 to 25°C, the mean number of pollen tubes in ovaries increased from 0.04 to 0.25. At 30°C, the mean number of pollen tubes that entered ovaries decreased to 0.04. After incubation under diurnal temperature regimes, the mean number of pollen tubes in ovaries of all four cultivars at 15/5°C was 0.23 and increased to 0.42 when the temperature increased to 30/20°C. At each incubation temperature, there were significant differences in pollen tube growth between cultivars, but there were no differences between the temperature response of pollen from mono- and poly-embryonic cultivars.     

Effect of chilling on runner formation and flower initiation in the everbearing strawberry

Fresh and cold-stored plants of the everbearers ‘Rabunda’ and ‘Ostara’ were placed for 90 days, from the end of August, in glasshouses of the IVT phytotron at 14, 20 and 26°C and a daylength of 16 hours.In the fresh plants hardly any runners were formed at 14 and 20°C, but flowers were initiated, while at 26°C both runners were formed and flowers initiated. In the cold-stored plants, runners were formed first and thereafter flowers were initiated at all temperatures.It was concluded that (1) chilling induces runner formation, but can be replaced by high temperature, and (2) chilling delays flower initiation.     

Flowering of cacao under controlled temperature conditions

The relationship between flowering and day and night temperatures in cacao has been studied over a period of nine months in controlled environment rooms, with clonal trees which were 13 months old at the start of the experiment.

All the plants started to flower at the same time, but thereafter there was a marked response to temperature. Flowering was greater at day temperatures of 80° and 86° F. (26 .7°, 30° C.) than at day temperatures of 74° F. (23–3° C.) and, at each level of day temperature, flowering was greater at a night temperature of 80° F. than at one of 74° or 86° F. The relative effects of temperature were similar on numbers of flowering cushions per plant and of flowers per cushion.

There was no apparent relationship bfetween the amount of flowering and new leaves (flushes) produced, either at the time of flowering or at any period before. Neither was there a quantitative relationship between flowering and leaf area of the plants, though, in general, the treatments that resulted in the greatest leaf areas also resulted in the greatest numbers of flowers. A possible relationship was suggested between the number of flowering cushions and the total extension growth of the branches.     

The response of bud break and flowering to cool winter temperatures in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa)

Summary

A range of temperatures (7°C, 10°C or 13°C mean) were imposed under controlled conditions on four year old, container-grown ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit vines. The treatments were applied for periods of from one to four months during the dormant period from May to September (Southern Hemisphere). Following these treatments the vines were held at a “forcing” temperature of 16°C mean until flowering. The objective was to define the response of bud break and flowering in spring to temperatures experienced during the preceding winter. Cool winter temperatures dramatically increased flower numbers, increased the proportion of bud break, advanced the day of bud break, and increased the duration from bud break to flowering. These responses were much larger between 13°C and 10°C than they were between 10°C and 7°C. For any treatment duration, the temperature imposed during dormancy had no effect on the time of flowering. Two months at cool temperatures produced the greatest number of flowers per winter bud, with reduced numbers at three and four months. The proportion of winter buds that produced shoots showed a similar response. The Richardson chill unit is frequently used to describe the effects of winter chilling on kiwifruit. It proved unreliable as an index to integrate the effects of temperature and time on any of the developmental variables monitored in this experiment.     

Promotion of floral initiation in ‘Fuerte’ avocado by low temperature and short daylength

Potted avocado (Persea americana Mill., cv. ‘Fuerte’) plants were maintained in growth cabinets for up to 32 weeks and new growth observed for flower formation. Flowers were formed if temperatures were 20°C or below, but with 25° or 30°, even if only for 1 hour per day, flower formation was inhibited. Time to flowering was accelerated, but number of flowers reduced, if daylength was shortened from 15 h to 9 h. With low temperature and short days, full bloom was about 4 months after starting experiments. Spring flowering of cv. ‘Fuerte’ in the field could follow flower induction about 4 months previously with the onset of winter temperatures and daylengths.     

Effect of temperature on inflorescence development and sex expression of mono- and poly-embryonic mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivars

Summary

The effect of temperature on inflorescence development and sex expression in two mono-embryonic (`Irwin' and `Sensation'), and two poly-embryonic (`Nam Dok Mai' and `Kensington') mango cultivars was studied. Trees were subjected to natural winter temperatures to induce flowering prior to transfer into controlled environment glasshouse rooms under day/night temperature regimes of 15/5, 20/10, 25/15 and 30/208C for 20 weeks. Inflorescence development did not progress when trees were held at 15/58C. Cooler temperatures (20/108C) delayed the start of anthesis (42.4.d) compared with trees grown at 25/158C (23.d) and 30/208C (16.1.d). At 20/108C, the delay in the start of anthesis was greatest for `Sensation' (55.5.d) and least for `Nam Dok Mai' (25.5.d) while at other temperatures there was little difference between cultivars. The distribution of hermaphrodite flowers within the inflorescence was independent of temperature with the highest percentage found in the apical half of the inflorescence. There was an inverse relationship between the length of the anthesis period and temperature, with anthesis occurring over 30.d at 20/108C and reducing to fewer than 10.d at 30/208C. Temperature also had an inverse effect on the total number of flowers per inflorescence with 619.6.6.108.0 (mean for all cultivars) at 20/108C decreasing to 431.3.6.80.5 at 30/208C.     

Temperature requirements for the germination of olive seeds (Olea europaea L.)

Summary

Olive seeds cv Chondrolia Chalkidikis were subjected to temperatures of 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25° and 30°C for one, two or three months, and were then transferred to 20°C. Exposure to 10° and 15° for one month or more caused higher emergence percentages compared to that at a constant 20°C. The highest germination rate was observed when seeds subjected to 10°C for one month were then transferred to 20°C. Seeds at 5°, 25° and 30°C did not germinate while being held to these temperatures; even when transferred to 20°C the percentage and rate of emergence were lower than those of seeds held at constant 20°C. In another experiment, in which seeds were subjected to 10°C for 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks before being transferred to 20°C, it was found that four weeks exposure to 10°C was near optimal. Emergence percentages of seeds at constant 10°C or at diurnally alternating temperatures of 10° for 16 h/20° for 8 h were high and equal (92%), but emergence in the latter treatment was slower. Alternating 10° with 25°C resulted in a 95% reduction of the emergence percentage. Transferring seeds immediately after chilling at 10°C for three or four weeks to 25°C, partially reversed the effect of the low temperature. However, the chilling effect could not be reversed when the seeds were subjected to 10°C for five weeks.     

Growth of Vitis vinifera L. and Vitis aestivalis Michx. as Affected by Temperature

Abstract

Four European (Vitis vinifera L.) winegrape cvs., ‘Semillon’, ‘Pinot Noir,’ ‘Chardonnay’, and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’, and one American (Vitis aestivalis Michx.) winegrape cv. ‘Cynthiana’, were subjected to three temperature regimes in growth chambers set at 20/15°C, 30/ 25°C, or 40/35°C, for 16/8 hr day/night to determine the influence of temperatures on vine growth and development. In general, the best temperature for shoot and root growth 28 days after temperature treatments was 20/15°C for ‘Semillon’, ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’, and ‘Cynthiana’, and 30/25°C for ‘Pinot Noir’ and ‘Chardonnay’. Although 40/35°C reduced number of leaves, shoots, tendrils, and internodes, total leaf area (LA), and total shoot biomass of all the cultivars, the reduction was more pronounced in ‘Cynthiana’ than in the European cultivars. The average reduction in number of leaves at 40/35°C for the European cultivars was 47%, compared with 92% for ‘Cynthiana’. The two types of grapes adapted differently to high temperature. Shoot growth in the European cultivars continued under high temperature, whereas growth ceased in ‘Cynthiana’. Roots of ‘Cynthiana’, however, were less susceptible to the adverse effect of high temperatures than were the shoots. This study shows that the European cultivars were relatively more tolerant to high temperature than the American cultivar and they have a potential for production of wine in the climate of south central Kansas.     

Manipulation of bolting and flowering in celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce). III. Effects of photoperiod and irradiance

SUMMARY

Photoperiods of 8 and 16 h during chilling at 5°C had no effect on bolting and macroscopic flower appearance in celery cv. New Dwarf White. Eight hour photoperiods during chilling however markedly increased the number of plants forming sessile flowers. Short photoperiods (8 h) after chilling decreased the proportion of young, but competent plants that bolted and flowered. Total darkness during chilling completely prevented any subsequent vernalization response either as bolting or as flowering. Reducing irradiance receipt by the plants during chilling from 85 to W m"2 (PAR) had no effect on their vernalization response. After chilling, a reduction in mean daily total irradiance in the glasshouse from 4.05 to 1.57 MJ m"2 d-1 had no effect on bolting and flowering. Confinement of competent plants to darkness for 4-8 d at 20°C just prior to chilling resulted in a highly significant delay (F>0.001) to bolting and reduced the number of plants flowering. Two days of darkness had no significant effect. The inhibitory effects of dark treatments prior to chilling was greater in plants chilled subsequently for six weeks than for nine weeks.     

Bud dormancy of apple and pear in relation to the temperature during the growth period

In 2 experiments, apple and pear trees were grown in growth chambers and air conditioned greenhouses at a range of constant temperatures from 9 to 25° C during spring and summer. After the dormant buds had received a marginal chilling-period, bud break and leaf development were studied. A tendency was observed for the dormancy to be deeper when the temperature at which the buds were formed had been higher. The maximum retardation of bud break was observed in buds formed at 18 and 21° C. The hypothesis is put forward that the phenomenon of “delayed foliation” is not only due to insufficient chilling during winter but also to high temperatures during the preceding summer.     

Inhibition of flowering of Mexican- and Guatemalan-type avocados under tropical conditions

Avocado trees of a range of cultivars growing in Darwin, northern Australia (average yearly maximum 33°C, minimum 23°C), were observed for flower and shoot development. Terminal buds of the cultivars ‘Fuerte’, ‘Rincon’ and ‘Edranol’ sampled in July were not floral. Buds which did not burst were sampled in September and they contained developing flowers with perianth primordia. Vegetative extension growth resulted from laterals proximal to the inhibited terminal buds.Avocado trees of the cultivars ‘Fuerte’ and ‘Hass’ which had initiated floral buds were transferred to controlled environment chambers with 33°C day, 23°C night ($\text{33}\text{23}$) or 25°C day, 15°C night ($\text{25}\text{15}$) with a 12-h photoperiod and photon flux density of 400 μmol m^?2 s^?1 (400–700 nm). At $\text{33}\text{23}$ the trees had fewer flowers and a shorter flowering period than at $\text{25}\text{15}$. Inhibited floral buds and lateral vegetative extension resulted at $\text{33}\text{23}$, as observed in northern Australia. The unburst buds had developing flowers with perianth and stamen primordia.The controlled environment experiments showed that the abnormal flushing behaviour of Mexican- and Guatemalan-type avocados growing in northern Australia was due to high temperature. Floral development was inhibited at the stage of stamen differentiation.     

The use of chilling and chemical treatments to promote rapid germination of strawberry achenes

In the absence of special pre-treatments germination of achenes of three octoploid varieties of strawberry at 20°-25° C. was light-dependent and very variable. Values seldom exceeded 30% and were frequently much lower. Treatments with thio-urea and gibberellins A₃ and A₄ produced variable results, but failed to secure useful increases in percentage germination rates.

Pre-chilling the imbibed achenes at 2° C. for six to eight weeks promoted germination to about 80% within 14 days of transfer to warm conditions.

After chilling treatments the achenes eventually became largely independent of light for germination, but longer chilling periods were required for equivalent performance of dark-grown, compared to light-grown, achenes.     

Temperature effects on corm dormancy and growth of Zephyra elegans D.Don

Experiments were performed with the Chilean geophyte Zephyra elegans, a potential cut flower, to evaluate the effect of corm weight and storage temperature on corm dormancy, and to determine the effect of day and night growing temperatures on its growth and flowering. Z. elegans has a deciduous and synanthous growth habit and the corm is replaced annually. Dormant corms were stored at different constant temperatures or temperature combinations from 20 to 40 °C. Corms released from their dormancy were grown at 15/10, 20/15, or 25/20 °C day/night temperatures. Corms of various weights were planted at the same date after being stored dry at 25 °C for 22 weeks. They all emerged 19–38 days after planting, showing that dormancy release was not affected by corm weight. A 20-week corm storage treatment at a constant 25 °C resulted in the most rapid corm sprouting. Sprouting percentage was reduced at higher or lower storage temperatures. Temperature also affected plant growth. When plants were grown at 15/10 or 20/15 °C they emerged and flowered more rapidly than when they were grown at 25/20 °C. The latter growing temperature also resulted in poor flower quality.     

Flushing and Leaf Growth of Cacao Under Controlled Temperature Conditions

Young clonal cacao trees have been grown for nine months in controlled- environment rooms at 74° F.,80°F. or 86° F. (23·3° C., 26·7° C., or 30·0° C.), or at one of these temperatures during the day and another during the night.

No specific temperature requirements for leaf flushing, which occurred in all the treatments, were found. Flushing was considerably greater at the higher temperatures, partly as a result of the loss of apical dominance, and was especially sensitive to day temperature.

The number of expanded leaves per flush and mean area per leaf increased with a decrease in day or night temperature, as did the duration of the leaves on the trees. The biggest net leaf area increases were made by plants given a day at 80° F. and a night at either 80° F. or 74° F. A night temperature of 86° F. resulted in a rapid turn-over of small unhealthy leaves having a low chlorophyll content.

The gain in total plant dry weight was greatest at a night temperature of 74° F., smallest at a night temperature of 86° F., and the plants which maintained the greatest leaf areas also gained the most dry weight. Leaf dry weight per unit leaf area was greatest at the lowest temperatures, as was the ratio of total plant dry weight to leaf area. The ratio of leaf weight to plant weight showed a small but significant increase with increase in day temperature.     

Flower formation in Calceolaria × herbeohybrida Voss

At high light intensity Calceolaria × herbeohybrida ‘Zwerg Meisterstück’ is a long-day plant with a critical day-length of 14–15 h. At low light intensity (e.g. as in winter) flowering will take place if the long-day treatment is preceded by a chilling period (10°C) or by short days at 15–20°C. During the chilling period day-length is of little influence. With increasing duration of the chilling period the requirement for long days decreases and the critical day-length becomes shorter. After a sufficient chilling period, flowering occurs both in long and short days. If the chilling period lasts approx. 40 days, however, flowering in short days is delayed, phyllody occurs and only a small number of flowers develop in comparison to long days. After at least 70–75 days of chilling plants show almost the same reaction in short and long days. Plants not chilled under conditions of high light intensity and short days flower either in naturally long days or by day extension with incandescent light. After chilling, fluorescent light of the type L 39 is also effective for day extension. A night break with incandescent light in a 16-h dark period induces flowering only after a chilling period. Incandescent but not fluorescent light causes a slight yellowing and more upright position of the leaves and an elongation of the internodes.