Short-day and Low-temperature Control of Floral Induction in Festuca

Abstract

The conditions necessary for floral induction to occur in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis), and red fescue (Festuca rubra), have been investigated. Only a Tunisian ecotype of tall fescue produced inflorescences under short-day conditions when air temperatures were above 8 °C. Under short days with low temperatures nearly all plants of S. 170 tall fescue and S. 215 meadow fescue produced inflorescences after 15 weeks' exposure, but S. 59 red fescue showed only a small response. Evidence was obtained for the existence in both tall fescue and meadow fescue of a juvenile stage during which plants showed a reduced response to inductive conditions. A variation of 35 days in the required length of exposure to inductive conditions was demonstrated between families within the S. 170 variety of tall fescue, indicating the possibility of selecting for larger or smaller inductive requirements. A second generation of seed was produced within a 12-month period from inflorescences which had developed in a heated glasshouse during the winter months.