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#1.me . «u. 435.1... .. .. 33.4. .9. E W ‘ unrefisa ..fimfi. .i r. ( . 3:15 _ worn. in???) . .. v $.33. ,fi . «NV-JR)“: aw: ... Va. t .as. it!!! . u. it!!! .‘i It \tln‘vl.l~( ......! v . a dam xmséfiiwfiafimé a .Iri. THESS llllllllllllllllll‘llllllllllllllill!{I‘llllllllllllllllll 293 01772 16 This is to certify that the thesis entitled THE EFFECTS OF PLANT AGE, PHOTOPERIOD, VERNALIZATION, AND TEMPE’\TURE ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF AQUTLEGIA AND GAURA. presented by Leslie Marie Finical has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for M. S. degree in Horticulture Major professor Date December 9 , 1998 0.7 639 MS U is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution _— 'Q—C- _.___...‘ Av W A v - W”. LIBRARY MIchIgan State UnlversIty PLACE IN REFURN BOX to remove this checkout from your record. To AVOID FINE retum on or before date due. MAY BE RECAUED with earlier due date if requested. DATE DUE DATE DUE DATE DUE ’wmmafifid 1!” WWW“ THE EFFECTS OF PLANT AGE, PHOTOPERIOD, VERNALIZATION, AND TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF AQUILEGIA AND GAURA. By Leslie Marie Finical A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Horticulture 1 998 te Ur ”U of. Fall ten Wer Of 0‘ THE EFFECTS OF PLANT AGE, PHOTOPERIOD, VERNALIZATION, AND TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF AQUILEGIA AND GAURA ABSTRACT By Leslie M. Finical Studies were conducted to determine the effects of plant age, vemalization, temperature, and photoperiod on the growth and development of a select group of Aquilegia and one cultivar of Gaura. Aquilegia were cold treated as either plants established in 5" containers, or small seedlings. Gaura were cold treated only as small cuttings. Plants were cooled at 5 °C for 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 weeks then forced in a 20 °C greenhouse. The duration of cold treatment required for flowering varied for the remaining species and cultivars. To determine effects of forcing temperature after cold treatment on flowering. After a 12-week cold treatment, ten plants of each species and cultivar were grown at 14, 17, 20, 23, and 26 °C. Time-to-flower was faster at higher temperatures but plant and flower size was reduced. For plants of Aquilegia, leaf unfolding rates were measured at 17, 20, 23 and 26 °C, 2) plant age and number of leaves required before cold treatment for flowering, and 3) the effects of short and long photoperiods before and after cold treatment. Leaf unfolding rates were similar at all temperatures for each cultivar. Age, leaf number, temperature and photoperiod affected subsequent flowering. Plants of Gaura were also studied to determine response to photoperiod. After 0 and 15 weeks of cold, plants were grown under 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 24 and NI lighting. CTFVK TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ............................................... v LIST OF FIGURES .............................................. ix CHAPTER I LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................... 1 Introduction .............................................. 2 History of Vemalization ..................................... 3 Vemalization Versus Breaking of Dormancy ..................... 4 Requirements of the Vemalization Process ...................... 5 Juvenility ................................................ 6 Vemalization and Photoperiod ................................ 7 De-vemalization ........................................... 9 The Perennial Plant ....................................... 10 Site of Vemalization Perception .............................. 11 Mechanisms and Genetics .................................. 12 Conclusions ............................................. 15 Literature Cited .......................................... 17 CHAPTER II A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF PLANT SIZE AND COLD TREATMENT ON THE GROWTH AND FLOWERING OF AQUILEGIA FLABELLA TA ‘CAMEO’, AQUILEGIA FLABELLA TA ‘MINI STAR’, AQUILEGIA XHYBRIDA ‘BLUEBIRD’, ‘CRIMSON STAR’, ‘MCKANA’S GIANT’, AND ‘MUSIK- WHITE’. ..................................................... 20 Introduction ............................................. 21 Materials and Methods ..................................... 26 Results and Discussion .................................... 29 Conclusions ............................................. 36 Literature Cited .......................................... 43 CHAPTER III THE EFFECTS OF FORCING TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH AND FLOWERING OF AQUILEGIA CANADENSIS, AQUILEGIA FLABELLA TA ‘CAMEO’ AND ‘MINI STAR’, AND AQUILEGIA XHYBRIDA ‘BLUEBIRD’ . 57 Introduction ............................................. 53 Materials and Methods ..................................... 61 Results and Discussion .................................... 64 Conclusions ............................................. 69 Literature Cited .......................................... 72 CHAPTER IV. THE EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE, PLANT AGE, COLD TREATMENT, AND PHOTOPERIOD ON THE GROWTH AND FLOWERING OF AQUILEGIA FLABELLA TA ‘CAMEO’, AQUILEGIA XHYBRIDA ‘BLUEJAY’, ‘CRIMSON STAR’, ‘MCKANA’S GIANT’ AND ‘MUSlK-WHITE’ .................... 87 Introduction ............................................. 88 Materials and Methods ..................................... 91 Results and Discussion .................................... 95 Conclusions ............................................ 102 Literature Cited ......................................... 105 CHAPTER V. THE EFFECTS OF PHOTOPERIOD. VERNALIZATION, AND FORCING TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH AND FLOWERING OF GAURA LINDHEIMERI ‘WHIRLING BUTTERFLIES’ ......................... 144 Introduction ............................................ 145 Materials and Methods .................................... 149 Results and Discussion ................................... 152 Conclusions ............................................ 156 Literature Cited ......................................... 160 fine flov Tab fiVe 12 It Table 7. The average crown diameter measured in millimeters for each species before cold treatment. The diameter of each seedling was measured using calipers before they were moved to the cooler. There were no significant trends in flowering associated crown diameter before cold for any of the species or cultivars studied. ...................................... 51 Table 8. The recommended cold treatment durations for all flowering species tested. ....................................................... 52 CHAPTER III Table 1. Ages, sowing dates, and transfer dates for the Aquilegia species used in the experiment. All of the seedlings were sown and grown commercially in 72-cell plug trays (each cell equals 50 ml volume). The seedlings were shipped to MSU on September 16, 1997. All seedlings were grown under a 16-h photoperiod at 20 °C until they reached the age of 16 weeks before they were transferred to a 5 °C cooler. The seedlings that were older than 16 weeks upon arrival were transferred to a 5 °C cooler the day after they were received. .................................................... 74 Table 2. Dates of forcing and the average temperature during forcing. 75 Table 3. Regrowth and flowering responses of Aquilegia flabellata ‘Cameo Blue and White’ at five different forcing temperatures. Plants were cooled in 72-cell plug trays for 12 weeks. Following cold treatment, plants were grown under a 16-h photoperiod at temperatures of 14, 17,20, 23, and 26 °C. Flower number, flower diameter, final leaf number, and final plant height were measured at first open flower. .................................................................... 76 Table 4. Regrowth and flowering responses of Aquilegia flabellata ‘Mini star’ at five different forcing temperatures. Plants were cooled in 72-cell plug trays for 12 weeks. Following cold treatment, plants were grown under a 16-h photoperiod at temperatures of 14, 17, 20, 23, and 26 °C. Flower number, flower diameter, final leaf number, and final plant height were measured at first open flower. .................................................................... 77 Table 5. Regrowth and flowering responses of Aquilegia canadensis at five different forcing temperatures. Plants were cooled in 72-cell plug trays for 12 weeks. Following cold treatment, plants were grown under a 16-h photoperiod at temperatures of 14, 17, 20, 23, and 26 °C. Flower number, flower diameter, final leaf number, and final plant height were measured at first open flower. .......................................................................... 78 Table 6. Regrowth and flowering responses of Aquilegia xhybn’da “Bluebird’ at five different forcing temperatures. Plants were cooled in 72-cell plug trays for 12 weeks. Following cold treatment, plants were grown under a 16-h photoperiod vi at temperatures of 14, 17, 20, 23, and 26 °C. Flower number, flower diameter, final leaf number, and final plant height were measured at first open flower. .......................................................................... 79 Table 7. Parameters of linear regression analysis relating forcing temperature to rate of progress to visible bud (VB), to first open flower (FLW), and from VB to FLW in A. flabellata ‘Carneo’ and ‘Mini star', A. canadensis, and A. xhybn’da ‘Bluebird’. Intercept and slope were used to calculate base temperature (T t,) and degree-days (°days). ...................................................... 80 CHAPTER IV Table 1. All seedlings were four weeks of age when they were received at MSU on October 13, 1997. 128 Seedlings of each cultivar were placed