Abstract:
Production and marketing of the lily crop involves bulb growers, wholesale
florists (jobbers), greenhouse forcers, and research horticulturists whose
success depends in great measure on their knowledge of bulb physiology.
Our knowledge of the growth and development of the Easter lily and its
storage and forcing requirements has increased greatly in the last 25 years,
but the influences of field and climatic factors on yield and forcing performance have not been studied fully. Field, greenhouse, and controlled-environment facilities were used to
determine plant/temperature relations in the phasic development of the
Easter lily crop and its climatic adaptation. Weather monitoring (soil and
air temperature) and plant growth analysis were used to evaluate the feasibility
of predicting bulb yield, dormancy, maturity, and greenhouse forcing
performance. The modifying influence of cultural practices on climate responses further illustrates the complexity of predictive instruments.
