ISHS Acta Horticulturae 539: III International Symposium on Brassicas and XII Crucifer Genetics Workshop
TEMPERATURE INFLUENCES ON THE PLANT DEVELOPMENT OF DIFFERENT MATURITY TYPES OF CAULIFLOWER |
| Authors: | D.C.E. Wurr, J.R. Fellows |
| Keywords: | juvenility, induction, initiation, optimum temperatures, Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L. |
| Abstract:
Cauliflowers can be harvested all year round in the UK by growing in production areas with slightly different temperatures and by using different maturity types. The latter mature in early summer, summer/autumn and winter. The information presented here is taken from studies of the growth and development of a number of varieties of each of these types over more than twenty years. This work has, in particular, studied the numbers of leaves produced, the timing of curd initiation, and the conditions satisfying the induction requirement of the crop. For each maturity type information is presented showing the duration of juvenility, the timing of curd induction, the numbers of leaves produced at curd initiation, the optimum temperatures of induction and its duration. There are interesting contrasts in the growth of these types. Early summer crops have the shortest period from planting to curd induction and initiate curds at the lowest numbers of leaves. Winter cauliflower crops have the longest period from planting to curd induction and produce much higher numbers of leaves. The data also show that in early summer cauliflowers curd induction occurs at lower ambient temperatures than in winter cauliflowers and that the optimum temperature for induction of all types is relatively high, ranging from 9 to 14oC. Indications are that under optimum conditions the duration of induction increases from early summer to winter types. Responses of summer/autumn characters are generally intermediate between early summer and winter types. | |
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