Abstract
A thermogradient tunnel, 8.6 m wide and 31.9 m long, generating temperatures ranging from ambient at one end to ambient plus approximately 4 °C at the other, was used to assess the potential impact of increased temperatures associated with global warming on the growth of Iceberg lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.), leek ( Allium ampeloprasum L.) and Roscoff cauliflower ( Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) crops. Optimum mean temperatures for head weight in Iceberg lettuce and trimmed weight in leeks were identified as 12 °C and 15.7 °C, respectively, corresponding to temperature rises of 2 °C and 2.4 °C above the average ambient temperature during the experiments. Increased temperatures gave consistently earlier maturity of lettuce, delayed cauliflower curd initiation by up to 49 days and increased the final number of leaves in cauliflower by 36. The implications of these effects are discussed in relation to global warming.
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