INDICES AND SWEATING PATTERNS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF HEAT TOLERANCE

Flower growers experience decreased consumer satisfaction with plant species that cease flowering during the summer. The objective of this experiment was to characterize the heat tolerance of four specialty floral crop species in order to predict their summer performance in the different climatalogical regions of the United States. The effect of increasing temperatures on the duration of postharvest flower development was determined for Ageranthemum frutescens `Butterfly' and `Sugar Baby', Brachycome hybrid `Ultra', and Sutera cordata `Snowflake'. Plants were grown in a 18 °C greenhouse until marketable with foliage covering the container and flowers distributed evenly across the plant canopy. Plants were then placed in a phytotron to determine their heat tolerance. Temperature set points of 18, 23, 28, and 33 °C were delivered serially at 2-week intervals, starting at 18 °C. Plants were then returned to 18 °C after the 33 °C treatment. Immature flower bud, mature flower bud, flower and senesced flower numbers were collected once per week. Sutera `Snowflake', and Brachycome `Ultra' had the greatest flower number at the 23 °C temperature, decreasing in the 28 °C environment. Argeranthemum `Butterfly' and `Sugar Baby' had greatest flower number at 28 °C, but flowers were smaller and of lower quality than at 23 °C. Flower development of all cultivars ceased at 33 °C, but when plants were returned to the 18 °C production greenhouse, flower development resumed. According to normal average daily temperatures in Knoxville, Tenn., Ageranthemum frutescens `Butterfly' and `Sugar Baby' would flower until mid-June, while Brachycome hybrid `Ultra' and Sutera cordata `Snowflake' would flower until mid-May.

Download Full-text

Stem Cold Hardiness, Leaf Heat Tolerance, Growth, and Performance of Six Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum) in Northern Illinois

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.33.3.512e ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 512e-512

Author(s):

A.M. Shirazi

Keyword(s):

Water Content ◽

Heat Tolerance ◽

Cold Hardiness ◽

Block Design ◽

Leaf Tissue ◽

Ion Leakage ◽

Randomized Block Design ◽

Leaf Tissues ◽

Artificial Freezing ◽

And Performance

Six different Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum) cultivars `Water Fall', `Burgundy Lace', `Crimson Queen', `Oshio-Beni', `SangoKaKu', and `Bloodgood' from Monrovia Nursery were planted in a randomized block design on 4 June 1997 at the The Morton Arboretum. Leaf heat tolerance was evaluated by measuring ion leakage of the leaf tissue at 25–60 °C in July, Aug., and Sept. 1997. The LT50 (the temperature at which 50% of the tissues were injured) of all the cultivars were higher in July (≈53 °C) and were lower in September (≈47 °C). Water content of the leaf tissues were higher in July compare to August and September and were not related to heat tolerance of most cultivars. Stem cold hardiness was performed by artificial freezing tests in Oct., Dec., and Feb. 1997/98. The Lowest Survival Temperature (LST) for the most hardy to least hardy cultivars in October and December were: `Burgundy Lace' (–15, –27 °C), `Bloodgood' (–18, –24 °C), `Oshio-Beni' (–15, –24 °C), `Crimson Queen' (–15, –18 °C), `Water Fall' (–9, –18 °C) and `SangoKaKu' (–9, –12 °C), respectively. Growth, dormancy development, spring budbreak and performance of these cultivars will be compared.

Download Full-text