ISHS Acta Horticulturae 318: II International Symposium on Specialty and Exotic Vegetable Crops
REGULATING GROWTH OF WITLOOF CHICORY DURING HYDROPONIC FORCING |
| Authors: | K. A. Corey, Z. Tan |
| Keywords: | belgian endive, chicon, ethylene, mechanical stress |
| Abstract:
Yield and quality of hydroponically forced witloof chicory can be highly variable since they depend upon such factors as cultivar, root maturity, time in storage, and forcing temperature. Regulation of growth and quality of chicons was achieved by the application of mechanical pressure. Rates of ethylene and carbon dioxide evolution were measured to determine if they are associated with developmental differences between chicons treated with mechanical pressure and those left untreated. Mechanical pressure (400 g/root) resulted in a 3-fold greater increase in ethylene production than untreated roots. Respiration rate increased to about twice that of the control after 10 days forcing and thereafter declined slightly. Marketable yields were significantly greater and length to diameter ratios of chicons significantly lower for chicons grown under mechanical pressure suggesting that ethylene may play a role in development of tight chicons. This was further supported by the association of high LD ratios with low internal ethylene concentrations of 4 different cultivars. Results suggest a possible physiological basis for improvement in yield and quality of chicons and commercially applicable techniques for production of high quality. | |
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