Table 2 Vegetative development state of ‘Sonata’ plants after exposure to different temperatures and photoperiods for 5 and 10 weeks, with or without subsequent chilling for 6 weeks in the dark at 2 °C as indicated

6

10

5

0

18.0 ± 7.1

20.8 ± 7.5

8.4 ± 6.9

57.5 ± 2.7

105.3 ± 2.4

139.5 ± 2.6

97.8 ± 3.4

6

17.1 ± 9.1

27.9 ± 5.7

7.8 ± 9.7

64.2 ± 3.0

112.8 ± 2.9

149.0 ± 3.4

128.5 ± 2.4

Mean

17.5

24.4

8.1

60.8

109.1

144.2

113.1

10

0

17.4 ± 6.4

27.4 ± 6.8

3.3 ± 8.0

32.6 ± 3.6

62.9 ± 3.1

108.9 ± 2.7

131.5 ± 3.3

6

17.9 ± 7.5

25.6 ± 8.9

4.4 ± 9.8

50.4 ± 3.0

91.7 ± 2.7

123.0 ± 2.7

126.6 ± 2.6

Mean

17.7

26.5

3.9

41.5

77.3

115.9

129.0

18

5

0

15.8 ± 8.2

22.6 ± 8.0

6.3 ± 8.4

55.2 ± 3.7

108.2 ± 2.9

139.8 ± 3.9

107.2 ± 2.9

6

15.9 ± 8.2

29.2 ± 6.6

5.8 ± 8.5

55.7 ± 3.4

106.9 ± 2.9

149.4 ± 3.0

145.7 ± 2.7

Mean

15.9

25.9

6.1

55.5

107.5

144.6

126.4

10

0

15.8 ± 7.6

26.3 ± 7.7

2.5 ± 8.9

32.7 ± 4.1

68.2 ± 2.5

106.2 ± 3.0

140.2 ± 3.5

6

17.6 ± 6.5

28.6 ± 6.7

3.9 ± 9.8

56.5 ± 3.6

102.2 ± 3.5

127.8 ± 3.2

120.1 ± 2.9

Mean

16.7

27.5

3.2

44.6

85.2

117.0

130.2

18

10

5

0

25.8 ± 8.4

22.5 ± 9.1

5.4 ± 9.6

42.9 ± 4.7

64.4 ± 3.7

78.3 ± 3.2

93.3 ± 3.5

6

21.5 ± 6.9

18.5 ± 6.4

5.2 ± 8.7

40.9 ± 4.5

68.1 ± 3.8

89.2 ± 3.5

88.1 ± 2.5

Mean

23.6

20.4

5.3

41.9

66.2

83.7

90.7

10

0

28.6 ± 5.4

15.6 ± 6.5

0.0 ± 0.0

14.4 ± 7.5

20.6 ± 5.7

26.2 ± 6.6

43.0 ± 5.5

6

24.3 ± 6.0

25.2 ± 7.2

2.3 ± 9.3

34.9 ± 3.6

70.3 ± 3.3

90.0 ± 2.7

112.4 ± 2.2

Mean

26.4

20.4

1.2

24.6

45.4

58.1

77.7

18

5

0

16.6 ± 9.8

17.9 ± 8.2

8.9 ± 9.8

107.8 ± 3.1

131.0 ± 2.7

124.0 ± 2.6

124.8 ± 2.9

6

19.7 ± 7.4

13.9 ± 7.8

10.1 ± 9.9

62.2 ± 3.5

77.1 ± 3.4

91.7 ± 3.7

96.7 ± 2.8

Mean

18.1

15.9

9.5

84.9

104.1

107.9

110.8

10

0

34.6 ± 5.5

14.8 ± 7.8

6.8 ± 6.9

49.0 ± 5.7

56.8 ± 4.0

61.5 ± 4.2

62.0 ± 3.9

6

31.0 ± 6.5

24.1 ± 5.9

9.4 ± 9.8

62.2 ± 2.9

89.0 ± 3.4

97.7 ± 3.2

109.6 ± 3.2

Mean

32.8

19.1

8.1

55.6

72.2

79.6

91.2

Probability level of significance (ANOVA)

 Source of variation

  Temperature (A)

0.004

0.003

n.s

n.s

0.01

 < 0.001

0.004

  Photoperiod (B)

n.s

n.s

0.01

0.004

0.01

0.003

< 0.001

  A × B

n.s

0.006

0.003

0.004

0.02

0.004

0.004

  Duration of treatment (C)

< 0.001

0.04

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

0.006

  C × A

< 0.001

n.s

n.s

n.s

n.s

n.s

< 0.001

  C × B

< 0.001

n.s

0.03

n.s

n.s

n.s

0.001

  C × A × B

< 0.001

n.s

n.s

0.04

n.s

n.s

n.s

  Chilling (D)

n.s

< 0.001

0.002

0.01

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

  D × A

0.01

n.s

0.03

< 0.001

0.03

n.s

n.s

  D × B

0.02

n.s

n.s

0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

0.03

  D × C

n.s

0.001

0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

0.02

  D × A × B

n.s

n.s

n.s

0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

n.s

  D × A × C

0.02

 < 0.001

n.s

0.002

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

  D × B × C

n.s

n.s

n.s

0.002

0.004

n.s

n.s

  D × A × B × C

n.s

n.s

n.s

n.s

n.s

n.s

n.s