ISHS Acta Horticulturae 766: XXVII International Horticultural Congress - IHC2006: International Symposium on Ornamentals, Now!
HEAT TOLERANCE AND HEAT PRECONDITIONING OF SALVIA SPLENDENS |
| Authors: | S. Natarajan, J.S. Kuehny |
| Keywords: | 'Vista Red', 'Sizzler Red', thermotolerance, photosynthesis, transpiration, morphology, bedding plants, heat shock proteins, stomata |
| Abstract:
Many popular bedding plants do not perform well under high temperatures during seedling production and after transplanted into a landscape. The objectives of this research were to study how heat preconditioning and heat stress affect growth, physiology and anatomy of the annual bedding plant Salvia splendens F. Sellow ex Roem. & Schult. Heat preconditioning increased the quality and survival capacity of non heat tolerant 'Sizzler Red'. Heat tolerant traits of 'Vista Red' were enhanced with preconditioning. The higher tolerance levels with and without heat preconditioning for ‘Vista Red’ suggested that cultivars with thick, broad leaves, and high stomatal frequency had higher light interception, gas exchange, transpirational cooling and CO2 fixation. These plants accumulated higher biomass to compensate for heat stress loss. These plants also attained a more rapid canopy cover and were able to maintain healthier leaves and supply assimilates to reproductive development and root growth. Selecting for these characteristics could be used to provide guidelines for breeding heat tolerant Salvia. | |
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