Night temperature and number of nodes and flowering of the main stem of glasshouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

Abstract

Plants of the cucumber cv. Farbio (all-female) were planted on 13 or 27 December, 10 or 24 January and grown at 3 minimum night temperatures, 12, 16 or 20 deg C from planting until 1 April. Node number/stem increased as the night temperature fell. Internodes were longer with later planting and on plants on inner rather than outer rows; these responses could not be related to light intensity alone. The number of flowers/stem was determined by the number of nodes bearing flowers and the number of flowers/node. More flowers/node occurred towards the top of the plant and late planting increased flowering at all nodes; the night temperature had little effect on numbers but these were highest at 16 deg . Earliness to flower of the first flowers/axil and the intensity of flowering both rose with temperature. Flowering was delayed only slightly by later planting. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)