EFFECTS OF PRE-HARVEST TEMPERATURE DURING THE INDUCTION PERIOD OF DORMANCY ON GROWTH, DORMANCY DEVELOPMENT, AND PUPATION IN FREESIA HYBRIDA CORMS

During the induction period of dormancy, potted freesia (Freesia hybrida ‘Yvonne’) plants were grown in the growth chamber with one of two different temperature regimes, 18/13 °C (day/night) and 28/23 °C, until the upper half of the leaves were senesced (just before harvest of corms), to determine the effect of preharvest temperature conditions on the growth of both plants and corms, corm dormancy, and pupation (formation of new corms on the old one) during storage. The growth of both upper and underground parts, and quality characteristics of the corm and flower were improved when plants were grown at lower temperatures. Dormancy development was significantly less corms under high temperatures, which in turn were more susceptible to pupation.
Pupation was significantly accelerated by 30 days in the corms under high temperatures. Substantial increases in the rate of respiration and ethylene production, along with the decreases in the sugar content of the corms, were positively related with the initial period of pupation.

XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Asian Plants with Unique Horticultural Potential: Genetic Resources, Cultural Practices, and Utilization

J.-J. Lee, J.-S. Jeong, J.-S. Choi, Y.-R. Kwon, H.-B. Bark

ethylene, corm, flower, respiration, total sugars

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2003.620.34