• 원예과학기술지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2014

This study investigated the effects of temperature on the shoot growth and flowering of potted kumquat [Fortunella margarita ( Lour.) Swingle] trees grown in subtropical conditions of I-Lan County in Taiwan. Temperature treatments included T 25-32, T 17-25, T 22, and T 18. The T 25-32 treatment trees were to the day/night temperatures of $25/18^{\circ}C$ for 2 weeks, followed by 28 weeks at $32/25^{\circ}C$. T 17-25 was exposed for 4 weeks to $17/10^{\circ}C$ followed by 26 weeks at $25/18^{\circ}C$. T 22 and T 18 were exposed at $22/18^{\circ}C$ and $18/13^{\circ}C$, respectively, for the entire duration of the experiment. Control trees were placed in a plastic greenhouse under conditions similar to the natural environment. The kumquat trees exposed to high-temperature environment of $32/25^{\circ}C$ showed more frequent and speedy sprouting of new buds, but induced the earlier termination of shoot elongation growth, resulting in decreased vegetative growth. The temperature treatments lower than $22^{\circ}C$ suppressed the new shoot production but increased the shoot growth period, resulting in increased shoot length and diameter. Temperatures higher than $25/18^{\circ}C$ readily induced flowering, with flowering being advanced under the higher temperature conditions such as $32/25^{\circ}C$. However, flowering was substantially inhibited under temperature conditions lower than $22/18^{\circ}C$, indicating the negative role of relatively lower temperatures on flowering of kumquat trees.