Proper vernalization temperature of mother onion bulbs stimulates early
flowering and produces a heavier yield of seed. Moreover, onion cultivars seem
to differ in their optimal temperature requirements depending on the locality
to which they are adapted. Most studies on the effects of storage temperature
on inflorescence initiation in onion have shown that the optimum temperature
for flowering is in a range between 5℃ to 13℃ for 90 to 120 days and
bolting resistant varieties require a longer cold stimulus (154 - 185 days) in
comparison to normal spring sown cultivars. Flowering is greatly reduced or
suppressed at temperatures in the range of 15.5℃- 30℃ and low temperatures of ﹣3℃ to 0℃. Studies on both bulbs and seedlings have shown that, depending on genotype,
flower initiation starts only after a juvenile phase, when the plant has a
minimum number of 4 - 14 leaves, including leaf initials. The initiation of
inflorescence is favoured by a large set or bulb size. The post planting environmental
conditions greatly affect bolting percentage of bulbs stored at an inductive
temperature. Maximum seed yield in onion has been reported from large mother
bulbs and early planting time. The emergence of inflorescence is faster at high
temperatures (20℃ - 30℃) and long days (14 - 16 hours).
Cite this paper
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