natural winter and spring seasons). In chrysanthemum, delayed anthesis is induced by temperatures of 26 to 32 °C ( Karlsson et al., 1989 ; Whealy et al., 1987 ). Breeding heat-tolerant or heat-delay-insensitive genotypes is vital because the summer
-optimal temperatures; this phenomenon is termed “heat delay” ( Ecke et al., 2004 ). Approximately one-third of all poinsettias produced in the United States are in regions that are considered especially prone to heat delay, i.e., states where average daily temperatures
) ( Anderson and Ascher, 2001 ; Cathey, 1954 , 1957 ; Cockshull and Kofranek, 1994 ; Langton, 1977 ), HTs can cause heat delay which prevents or delays either FBI and/or FBD in greenhouse production under black out or black cloth (used to induce SD
Commercial garden and greenhouse chrysanthemums [Dendranthema ×grandiflora (Ramat.) Kitam. (syn. Chrysanthemum xmorifolium Ramat.)] are facultative short-day plants for flower bud initiation, obligate short-day plants for flower bud development, and are categorized into short-day response groups. Flower initiation can be delayed by high night temperatures. Recent research has identified true day-neutral genotypes. The purpose of this investigation was to test environments for selecting genotypes that are both day-neutral and heat-delay insensitive. One greenhouse and 18 garden genotypes were selected. A series of environments were used to select for day-neutral genotypes and then differentiate between these genotypes for heat delay insensitivity: short days, long days/red light, long days/far red light and high temperatures, and natural day lengths under field conditions. Day-neutral selections from these environments were then grown in a fifth environment of long days/continuous far red and red light with high temperature. Data were collected on the number of days to first and third flower, long day leaf number, stem length, number of strap-shaped leaves subtending the terminal flower, internode lengths, number of nodes with axillary branching, and flower bud development of the first to the sixth flowers. Genotypes required 3 to 8 weeks for complete flower bud initiation/development. Flowering responses in the first four environments were highly significant for both the first and third flowers. Genotypes ranged from obligate short-day to day-neutral for the first six flowers. Three day-neutral genotypes were selected that differed significantly for all traits in the fifth environment; flower bud development with the first six flowers occurred with only one genotype, 83-267-3. Broad sense heritability estimates ranged from h2 = 0.75 for number of nodes with axillary branching, h2 = 0.79 for long day leaf number and number of strap-shaped leaves, to h2 = 0.91 for stem length. An ideotype for day-neutral and heat-delay-insensitive garden chrysanthemums was developed for use in breeding programs.
Greenhouse and garden chrysanthemums are quantitative short-day (SD) plants for flower bud initiation (FBI) and qualitative (obligate) SD plants for flower bud development (FBD). Continuous or intermittent application of red light in the middle of the dark period (night), inhibits FBI. The chrysanthemum breeding program has been selecting for day-neutral (DN) types, i.e. that will undergo FBI and FBD under any photoperiod. The inheritance of DN was studied using six cultivars (n = 2 SD types, n = 4 DN types) that were crossed in a complete diallel over two crossing periods. Pollinations were replicated and ovules were counted. Histograms of self and cross seed set showed a distribution from 0% to 100%, with the majority of pollinations below 30%. Mean self seed set (2.6%) was less than the mean cross seed set (32.8%), indicating the presence of a self incompatibility system. Parents and F1 progeny were grown under LD conditions (red light, night interruption, 2200-0200 HR) and high temperatures (30 °C day/25 °C night, to screen for heat delay insensitivity). F2 progeny could not be generated due to self incompatibility. The fraction of flowering: non-flowering progeny and the number of days to first flower was recorded on the flowering individuals for comparison with the parents. Due to small progeny numbers, reciprocal crosses were bulked prior to Chi-square tests (1:1, 3:1, 1:3). The number of days to first flower ranged from 27 to 93+ in all progeny with significantly earlier and later outliers present. Most Chi-square tests were not significant, indicating that the inheritance of DN and heat delay insensitivity are not controlled by a single gene. Additive and epistatic effects may also be present.
High-temperature treatments can be used for disinfestation of a variety of horticultural crops. Carnation flowers were subjected to a heat treatment in order to determine if it is a viable option for disinfestation of this crop. Flowers were exposed to 45°C for 24 hr in the dark, while control flowers were held at RT for 24 hr in the dark. Subsequently, the flowers were held at RT in the light and monitored for ethylene production, an indicator of imminent floral senescence. In the heat-treated flowers, the ethylene climacteric occurred at 96 hr after the heat treatment, a delay of 12 hr when compared to the control. Peak ethylene production was decreased by 25% to 30% in heat-treated flowers. Northern blot analysis of the ethylene biosynthetic pathway genes, ACC synthase, and ACC oxidase, showed that the expression of these genes is delayed by 8 to 16 hr in heat-treated flowers. This indicates that the delay and decrease in ethylene production is at least, in part, due to a delay or reduction in the expression of these genes. Further investigation revealed a decreased responsiveness of the petals to ethylene. Petals from heat-treated and control flowers were exposed to 1 ppm ethylene for 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 32 hr. The heat-treated petals again showed a delay and a decrease in maximum ethylene production after exposure to ethylene. A delay in expression of ACC synthase and ACC oxidase was also observed. The beneficial effects of exposing carnation flowers to high temperatures, a delay in ethylene production, and reduced responsiveness to ethylene, suggest that heat treatments could be used for disinfestation of this crop.
Identification of heat-tolerant chrysanthemum [Dendranthema ×grandifolia (Ramat.) Kitamura] genotypes for commercial production in hot areas of the world is desirable. The extent to which electrolyte leakage from chrysanthemum leaf discs, measured using a test for cell membrane thermostability (CMT), could be related to the delay in flowering induced by heat in the field-grown plants was determined. The relationship between the relative injury (RI) occurring in leaf tissue discs of chrysanthemum cultivars and treatment temperature was sigmoidal. A single temperature treatment at 50 °C resulted in injury values near the midpoint of the sigmoidal response curve and showed the greatest sensitivity in detecting genotypic differences in heat tolerance. The cultivars with a low RI value are those with the greater CMT and shorter heat-induced delay to flowering.
Commercial chrysanthemums are short day (SD) plants. Recently, several day neutral (DN) garden genotypes have been identified. Both glasshouse and garden cultivars vary in heat delay insensitivity (HDI). This research analyzed yield components (seed set, germination, yield potential) and tested a DN/HDI ideotype for its effectiveness. Progeny from a 6 × 6 diallel were embryo rescued, clonal ramats were grown in two environments (glasshouse—long days; field—long to short days) and evaluated for flowering, early flowering response groups, thermozero temperature response, low long day leaf number (LDLN), high leaf initiation rates, and low mean stem lengths of the terminal shoot. Self seed set ranged from 0% to 8% while outcross seed set was 0% to 92%. General and specific combining ability were highly significant for seed set, the reciprocals, and their interactions. Germination averaged 67%, while yield potential was 44%. Cotyledon pigmentation in embryo rescued seedlings was 7% albinos, 15% anthocyanin (transposable elements), and 78% normal (green). SD parents did not flower in either photoperiod although PPSL-10 carried alleles for DN. SD x DN crosses produced some DN progeny and fit a 1:3 chi square ratio (DN:SD), indicating DN to be recessive. However, DN x DN crosses also fit a 3:1 chi square ratio, due to HDI. No progeny flowered within the 3 to 6 week ideotype; visible bud date had a heritability of h 2 = 0.50. Most progeny were within the LDLN range (h 2 = 0.72). Several leaf initiation rates exceeded the ideotype (h 2 = 0.003); plant height also matched the ideotype (h 2 = 0.66). Both visible bud and flowering dates require significant improvement before progeny match the DN/HDI ideotype.
A prestorage heat treatment of 38C for 4 days applied to `Granny Smith' apples (Malus domestics Borkh.) before regular air storage at 0C inhibited the development of superficial scald. Heat-treated apples stored for 3 months had superficial scald levels similar to diphenylamine (DPA)-dipped apples, while all nontreated control apples had scald. After 5 or 6 months of storage, this inhibition of scald development by prestorage heat treatment declined. The prestorage heat treatment inhibited the accumulation of α-farnesene and conjugated trienes in apple cuticle during storage, while DPA inhibited only α-farnesene oxidation. This treatment may be a substitute for chemical treatments against scald not only for short-term storage of `Granny Smith' but possibly also for other scald-susceptible apple cultivars.
leaves of bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants helped maintain high chlorophyll content, thus delaying leaf senescence under normal environmental conditions ( Adedipe, 1971 ). The mechanisms of heat-induced leaf senescence in turfgrass species are