INITIATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF FLOWERS IN BEANS UNDER SUBOPTIMAL TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS

Abstract

Four bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars of the north-temperate zone were examined for rate of initiation of flower primordia under day–night growth cabinet temperatures of 20/12 and 15/12 C. The cultivars Limelight and Probatine were fairly tolerant to the 15/12 C regime whereas Glamis and Tendercrop suffered tissue damage and delayed growth. When the four cultivars were exposed to 7/7 C for 10 days immediately after flower primordia had formed, flower development of Limelight and Probatine during the period was delayed, whereas the flower primordia of Glamis and Tendercrop were destroyed. Limelight and Probatine were sufficiently tolerant of low temperatures to be of value in a breeding program designed to produce cultivars suitable for growing at suboptimal temperatures.