Crop Science Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Published in Crop Sci 15:625-629 (1975)
© 1975 Crop Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Julien, M. H. R.
Right arrow Articles by Soopramanien, G. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Julien, M. H. R.
Right arrow Articles by Soopramanien, G. C.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Julien, M. H. R.
Right arrow Articles by Soopramanien, G. C.

Effects of Night Breaks on Floral Initiation and Development in Saccharum1

M. H. R. Julien and G. C. Soopramanien2

The effects of night breaks with light of different spectral compostion applied at various stages of floral development, starting before induction up to inflorescence emergence, were studied in Saccharum spontaneum L. and S. robustum L. clones. Night interruption treatments with incandescent light decreased % inflorescence emergence and delayed flowering when applied at all stages of development in S. spontaneum L. In both S. robustum L. and S. spontaneum L. clones, the degree of inhibition of flowering depended on the stages of development at which the night interruptions were applied; the early stages of differentiation of the inflorescence (initiation of inflorescence axis and branch primorda) were found to be the most sensitive. The spectral composition of the light used was also important; red, orange, and green light were generally the most inhibitory to inflorescence development, while blue, far-red, and ultraviolet were not effective and similar to darkness. Attempts to reverse the inhibitory effect of red light by far-red failed. Night breaks also had their maximum inhibitory effects when applied towards the end of the dark period and had minimum effects when applied at the middle of the dark period.

Key Words: Flowering • Induction • Inflorescence • Spikelet • Elongation of inflorescence • Spectral composition • Saccharum spontaneum • S. robustum • Phytochrome

1 Contribution of the Mauritius Sugar Industry Res. Inst., Réduit, Mauritius.

2 Botanist and assistant botanist, Sugar Industry Res. Inst., Réduit, Mauritius.

Received for publication July 11, 1974.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
The SCI Journals Agronomy Journal Vadose Zone Journal
Journal of Natural Resources
and Life Sciences Education		 Soil Science Society of America Journal
Journal of Plant Registrations Journal of
Environmental Quality		 The Plant Genome
Copyright © 1975 by the Crop Science Society of America.