Interactions of photoperiod, temperature, duration of short-day treatment and plant age on flowering of Fragaria x ananassa Duch. cv. Korona

Abstract

The effects of photoperiod (10, 12, 16, 20 or 24 h), day-temperature (12, 15, 18, 24 or 30 °C), the number of short days (14, 21 or 28 days), plant age (4, 8 or 12 weeks) and their interactions on flower and inflorescence emergence were investigated in strawberry cv. Korona. No flowers emerged in plants exposed to photoperiods of 16, 20 or 24 h or to a short-day treatment for 14 days. All plants exposed to short days at daily photoperiods of 10 or 12 h for 21 days or longer, emerged flowers at temperatures between 12 and 18 °C. A further increase in temperature led to a drastic decrease in the total number of flowers per plant. A short-day treatment (10 or 12 h photoperiod) of 28 days resulted in highest numbers of inflorescences and flowers per plant, while a short-day treatment of 21 days resulted in the highest numbers of flowers per inflorescence. Complete flower induction was observed in only 4-week-old runner plants. The number of inflorescences and the number of flowers per inflorescence increased with plant age. However, the start of flowering was delayed with increasing plant age. Results clearly demonstrate interactions between photoperiod, temperature, duration of short-day treatment and plant age on flowering. This knowledge may be used to produce flower-induced plants in a greenhouse or to develop a model for predicting flower behaviour in the field.