GROWING PHASES OF THE WHITE GARLIC (ALLIUM SATIVUM) PLANT IN RELATION TO FIELD TEMPERATURE AND DAY LENGTH

J.A. Portela, J.B. Cavagnaro
Better understanding of ecophysiology of new garlic cultivars is needed to improve crop technology. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of field temperature and day length on dry matter accumulation in leaves and bulbs of the white garlic plant, soft-neck type. Two sections, above-ground leaves and bulb (a 5 cm stem-and-leaves section above the root disc), were studied. Trials repeated during two years were performed at INTA Experiment Station La Consulta (Mendoza, Argentina, 33°44’S and 940 meters of altitude). Three clones (Lican INTA, Nieve INTA and Unión) and four planting dates per year, one-month sparse, were tested. Daily maximum and minimum temperature were recorded, and daily photoperiod was calculated as well. For any of the three clones, a different growing pattern between aboveground leaves and bulb was established. It was possible to identify four phases coincident in the time at which each one change in slope and observed in both growing patterns. The first and second change in slope would be determined by the day length, although the effect of the photoperiod would be subordinated to the temperature in the first one. The latest change in slope seems to be a response to daily minimum temperature. The existence of a susceptible period to strong fluctuations in daily mean temperature at the beginning of the bulbing process was also established.
Portela, J.A. and Cavagnaro, J.B. (2005). GROWING PHASES OF THE WHITE GARLIC (ALLIUM SATIVUM) PLANT IN RELATION TO FIELD TEMPERATURE AND DAY LENGTH. Acta Hortic. 688, 239-246
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.688.32
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.688.32
dry weight, photoperiod, daily minimum temperature, course of daily mean temperature, bulbing
English

Acta Horticulturae