Plant Growth & Development

Growth Processes Growth Requirements Types of Growth & Development

Factors

Growth Requirements
Nutrients Water Temperature (Heat) Light Growth Substances (Hormones)

Growth Processes
Photosynthesis
Creating carbohydrates (stored energy) from CO2 +

Concept of Limiting Factor

Almost always, one of the growth requirements is limiting production The limiting factor could be any of the growth requirements Once you correct the limiting factor, another growth factor will likely limit production If all the growth requirements are optimized, genetics will limit production

water + sunlight in the presence of chlorophyll

Respiration
An energy releasing reaction; chemical energy originating through photosynthesis is used for growth and development

Net Photosynthesis
Total Photosynthesis Total Respiration Net Photosynthesis = Biological Yield
I n crea sin g To t al Ph ot osyn th esi s or De crea sin g Re spira t ion w il l I ncre ase Bi ol ogi cal Yi el d

Plant Growth & Development

Economic Yield
Weigh per unit area of the edible portion of the crop

Nutrients
19 Essential elements
Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen
CO2 & H2 O

Major Nutrients
Ni tro ge n Pho sph oru s Pot as sium

Biological Yield
Economic yield plus all remaining supporting structures not used for consumption

Minor Nutrients:
Ca lciu m, I ro n, Cop pe r, Su lf ur, Mag nes ium, Man ga nes e, Z i nc, B oron , C hl orin e, Co bal t , Sod iu m, Sil icon an d Mol ybde nu m

Harvest Index
Ratio of Economic yield to Biological yield

Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen & Nitrogen = 95% of plant solids

Nutrient & Water Absorption

Most absorption occurs near the apexes of young roots Older roots tend to get corky (layers impervious to water/nutrient absorption) Young plants have a relatively small root area:
Have a relatively high water and nutrient requirement

Temperature
Optimum Temperature Range
Maximum photosynthesis and normal respiration

Diurnal Temperature
Fluctuation between day and night temperatures For all crops: Optimum day temperature is higher than optimum night temperature Optimum temp for photosynthesis is higher than optimum temp for respiration

Water
Most vegetables have a high water content (lettuce = 95%) Most vegetables require much more water than most agronomic crops
Water is often the limiting factor in vegetable production

Diurnal Temperatures
Optimum yields usually occur when night temperatures are in the upper half of the range during the vegetative phase, and in the lower half during the reproductive phase Cooler night temperatures (within range) tend to improve quality

Water Quality and Quantity are equally important

Salinity is often the major quality problem (More later)

Water Loss
Most water is lost from plants through the stomates on leaves Environmental factors that affect water loss
Humidity & Wind Humidity, Low Wind = ? Humidity, High Wind = ?

Heat Units
Quantity of Heat determines crop maturity
Base temperature established for each crop Mean daily temperature calculated Subtract base from mean to get daily heat units e.g.: Tomato base temp = 50o F High temp = 80o F, low temp = 60o F Heat units = (80+60)/2 = 70 50 = 20 heat units

Plants may become deficient in water even when soil supplies are adequate
Stomates will close, reducing moisture loss
and also CO2 uptake, which will affect ?

Other factors also influence heat units, such as soil temperature

Temperature Effects onPhase Reproductive Growth Crops

Maturation of tissues manufactured during Warm season crops produce maximum vegetative phase yields under relatively high temperatures Production of growth regulators Cool season crops produce maximum Developmentrelatively low temperatures yields under of flower buds, flowers, fruit and seed, or the development of storage organs Excessive temperatures will adversely Relatively little cell division occurs affect crop carbohydrates are accumulated Most of the yields in the fruit, seed or storage organs

Reproductive Development Types of Growth &Triggers

Temperature treatment Vegetative Phase below a minimum for a Vernalization:

Carbohydrate Utilization Quantitative Obligate

Lettuce, radish, Reproductive Phase

minimum length of time (established for each crop)

Beets, cabbage, spinach, Chinese carrots, celery, Swiss Accumulation or storage ofchard, collards, kale, carbohydrates cabbage, kohlrabi, turnips, endive, leeks, onion, parsley, chicory parsnips, rutabaga, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli

Types of Reproductive Growth Light

Intensity and Quality affect crop growth Dominance of vegetative growth during Quality difficult dominance of reproductive first phase, and to manipulate, especially in growth during second phase the field
Sweet can beans, determinate plant Intensity corn,be manipulated bycrops Dominance of vegetative growth during density and planting date first phase, and a relatively equal balance of vegetative/reproductive growth during Warm season crops tend to require higher second phase light intensity compared to cool season Cucurbit crops, eggplant, indeterminate crops crops

Reproductive Phase Vegetative Triggers

From seed germination through growth of the Photoperiod: primary supportive structure Length of day/night (long-day vs. short-day) Three important processes: Quantitative Long-day Obligate Long-day Cell division
Beets, radish, parsnip, Cell enlargement Spinach, endive, Cell differentiation (initial stages) carrot, celery, lettuce, chicory Swiss Onion (bulbing) Requires chard, quantities of carbohydrates large Chinese cabbage, turnips Growth rates determined by growth potential Quantitative Short-day Obligate Short-day and availability of carbohydrates Sweet Quality influenced by growth rates potato Sweet corn

Growth Substances Reproductive Triggers

Hormones:

Vegetative Growth Factors

Genetic Factors Why are reproductive triggers important?
Cultivar For reproductive crop plants: Does it have the yield potential
Must have enough supportive structures to support Is it adapted to your growing area

Vernalizationere lli ns, Auxi ns, G ibb

Cyt oki ni ns & In hi bit o rs

Auxins: Temperature treatment below a minimum for Gibberellins Cytokinins

Ce ll e lon ga ti on , pro li fe rat io n & di ff ere nt ia t ion a minimum length of time (established for Api cal d omi na nce, ph ot ot ro pism , ge ot rop ism, roo t i nit ia ti on

resp on ses Photoperiod

each crop) May be gat io n, or Quantitative St em el onObligatedo rman cy, f lo weri ng ,

l igh t & t emp era tu re

reproductive growth Environmental Factors

May Inhibitors be Obligate or Quantitative

Length of & d if fe ren ti at io n; keep det a che d lea Ce ll g rowt h day/night (long-day vs. short-day) ves The majority th d orma ncy, abs cissi on a nd Re str ict ed g rowof ,vegetable crops are day W he n wou ld yo u wa nt t o rest rict or pre ven t neutral

g ree n

se nes cenc e g rowt h ?

For vegetativePlant plants Planting date, crop density Must reach marketable size and harvest before Proper soils and preparation, with sufficient reproductive growth begins nutrients and water (but not excessive) Presence of pests (insects, weeds & diseases)

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