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Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol 49, 101-106, Copyright © 1998 by Oxford University Press

ARTICLES

High temperature arrest of inflorescence development in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica L.)

T Bjorkman and K Pearson
Department of Horticultural Sciences, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456-0462, USA; Corresponding author e-mail: tnb1@cornell.edu

High temperature causes unevenly-sized flower buds on broccoli inflorescences. This deformity limits production of broccoli to areas where summer temperatures rarely exceed 30 C. The stage of development sensitive to heat was determined by exposing plants of 'Galaxy' broccoli at varying developmental states to 35 C day temperature for 1 week, and subsequently analysing the head structure. During the high temperature exposure, the development of certain flower buds was arrested. There was no corresponding cessation of bud initiation at the apex. No injury resulted if heat was applied before the reproductive induction, or was their injury to differentiated flower buds. Meristems were affected only if heat was applied during inflorescence production or the floral initiation process. Shorter heat exposures produced little injury, and longer exposures were lethal. The plant's development at this sensitive period still appeared vegetative externally, but the youngest leaves had just begun to reorientate as a consequence of the reduced stem elongation rate. The meristem was less than 1 mm wide, and floral primordia were just forming, still subtended by leaf primordia. The injury was fully expressed by the time the head was first exposed (approximately 5-10 mm wide), though it became more apparent as the head matured. The buds that were delayed in development by the high temperature developed into normal flowers.Key words: Brassica oleracea, broccoli, flowering, heat injury, developmental arrest
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D. V. Duclos and T. Bjorkman
Meristem identity gene expression during curd proliferation and flower initiation in Brassica oleracea
J. Exp. Bot., February 1, 2008; 59(2): 421 - 433.
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