BREEDING FOR LOW ENERGY REQUIREMENTS IN GLASSHOUSE CROPS

1. by decreasing the energy requirement of the current glasshouse crops, and
2. by selecting new crops for winter cultivation which need less energy then those currently grown.

A lower energy requirement of the current crops can be achieved by cross breeding and by mutation breeding. It has to be investigated whether selection at cell level for low energy requirements followed by regeneration of the cell to a plant is possible. To optimize breeding, knowledge of the physiological backgrounds of the genetic adaptation to low temperature and low light intensities is needed. The above aspects will be discussed below.

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