The physiology of ornamental bulbous plants

Abstract

It may be concluded that a great deal of work has been devoted to bulb physiology, and in particular to the temperature-treatment of bulbs in the dormant phase. Bulb growers are heavily indebted to the work carried out by the Dutch at Lisse and Wageningen in the first half of this century for the present success of the bulb industry. Despite these efforts, there are a number of aspects of bulb physiology which have never been adequately explained (the effect of low temperature in promoting rapid growth to flowering is an obvious example) and more work is required on other stages in the bulb life history, especially growth in the field. This aspect of bulb growing has been neglected because very little can be done to ameliorate adverse conditions-largely low temperatures—in the field. There is an urgent need in Britain for an appraisal of how far the Dutch recommendations are applicable to bulbs grown under different climatic and edaphic conditions and whether supplementary or different storage temperature treatments (e.g., those developed for the Southern United States) may be of benefit. In Britain, Dutch-recommended temperatures are generally very successful, but every grower has experienced difficulties due to climate or microclimate during storage treatments interacting with the great sensitivity of bulbs to their environment. The number and variety of these problems form a stimulus for continued physiological work on bulbs.