Vol. 70 No: 4

Title:
Effects of Cold Treatment and of Gibberellic Acid on Flowering of Cauliflower

Authors:
D.K. ADITYA and R. FORDHAM

pp: 577-586

Abstract:
Seed production in cauliflower is sensitive to temperature; in the tropics many cultivars fail to flower due to insufficient exposure to low temperatures whereas at higher latitudes temperate cultivars producing seeds during the winter may require protection. Investigations were carried out to develop techniques for advancing and synchronizing flowering with more favourable environmental conditions. Experiments on the tropical cauliflower cv. Early Patnai and the temperate cv. Lawyna investigated the effects of plant age, cold exposure and gibberellin (GA₃) application on growth and flowering. Flowering in cv. Early Patnai was advanced by approximately 25 d following vernalization of three week old plants by one week exposure to a temperature of 10°C. One week old plants failed to respond to this treatment suggesting a juvenile phase of up to about six leaves in this cultivar. Application of GA₃ at 100 mg l^-1 to cv. Early Patnai prior to vernalization advanced flowering by a further 3–5 d in plants grown on at day/night temperature regimes of 20/10°C and 25/15°C. Exposure of different sized plants of cv. Lawyna to 2°C or 7°C for 18 d failed to advance flowering although the largest category of plants, having approximate 19 leaves, initiated curds earlier following the 7°C treatment. Gibberellin applications failed to affect either flowering or curd initiation in this cultivar.

Full text: JHSB Subscribers     ISHS members & other users
(PDF 558719 bytes)

Translate:

Go back to previous page