Agronomy Journal · 1970 · 13 citations · 0 references
AgricultureAgronomyPlant SciencesCrop PhysiologyPlant NutritionPlant PhysiologyCrop GrowthCrop NutritionPlant Growth RegulationSeed PhysiologyTemperature PhysiologyTemperature ResponsesCarbohydrate Composition AnalysisCarbohydrate StatusDry Matter ContentMaturity StatusNonstructural CarbohydratesTemperature Effects On Shoot DevelopmentTemperature Effects On Shoot GrowthTemperature Regimes
Abstract Three cultivars of alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.), ‘Vernal,’ ‘Cody,’ and ‘Florida 66,’ were grown 35 days from seed in three temperature regimes: hot (H) 32C day/27C night, warm (W) 27/21C, and cool (C) 21/15C. Plant maturity was delayed as temperatures decreased. Shoot weights of heights and plant parts for each cultivar generally were greatest in the W regime, followed in order by the H and C regimes. Most of the significant differences among cultivars occurred in the C regime where Florida 66 was shorter in shoot height and produced less growth than Cody and Vernal. Percentages of total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC) in the plant parts were influenced more by temperature than percentages of structural tissue (ST). Weights of ST and TNC were closely related to dry matter yields, but temperature influenced the weights of ST more than those of TNC.