Acta Scientiarum Polonorum: Hortorum Cultus (Sep 2011)
THE EFFECT OF AMOUNT OF LIGHT AND THE TEMPERATURE ON BIOMORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS DURING ALL-YEAR CULTURE
Abstract
The ornamental value of chrysanthemums grown all year round is affected by climatic conditions. Publications describing quality of chrysanthemum usually refer only to selected climatic parameters and selected features of chrysanthemums. The aim of the present paper is a complete presentation of the problem. Two spray cultivars were cultivated in spring, summer, autumn and winter. To assess the strength and direction of a linear relationship between temperature (day, night, daily) or light (PAR) and biomorphological features, correlation coefficients (r) were calculated. Amount of light have a significant positive effect on the quantity of fresh mass of chrysanthemum and leaf area index (LAI). Light acted in a slightly smaller degree on increments of the main shoot, leaf area and relative chlorophyll content in leaves. Among examined temperatures the greatest influence has sum of day temperature. The temperature exerted a significantly positive effect on the quantity of fresh mass of chrysanthemum, the increments of the main shoot and the relative chlorophyll content in leaves. All biomorphological features are less positively correlated to sum of night and sum of daily temperatures. However, these characteristics are more depending on the amount of light rather than temperature.
