Abstract
We sought to determine the individual contributions of ambient root and shoot temperatures to rate of plant development, dry matter accumulation, and root/shoot ratio. Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L., subsp. yaminnicum Katznelson and Morley)' plants were grown from seed to the 7‐ to 10‐ leaf stage in sand‐nutrient culture. Combinations of 10 and 20 C were used in the following basic chronological sequence: (i) plants were grown at 20 C from seed to the two‐leaf stage; (ii) root, shoot, or overall temperature was then lowered to 10 C and growth was allowed to progress until the five‐leaf stage; and (iii) temperature was returned to 20 C and growth was continued to the 7‐ to 10‐ leaf stage.Growth was expressed as a regression of trifoliolate leaf number on days accumulated (y = bx + a) within each of the three growth intervals. For intervals (i) and (iii), b = 0.32 and 0.44, respectively. For (ii), b = 0.20 (root temp. 10 C), and 0.15 (overall temp. 10 C). Correlations (rxy) = 0.99 in all instances. Plant weights were more closely related to final stage of plant development than to temperature treatment. Root/shoot ratios averaged 0.44. Shoot ambient temperature appeared to be less important than root ambient temperature as a determinant of growth rate.
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