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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Water Management and Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #349023
Research Project: Response of Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Watersheds to Changes in Water Availability, Land Use, Management, and Climate

Location: Water Management and Systems Research

Title: Crop development related to temperature and photoperiod

Author
item McMaster, Gregory
item BRYNE, PATRICK - Colorado State University
item HALEY, SCOTT - Colorado State University
item JOHNSON, JERRY - Colorado State University
item MARAGUES, MARC - Colorado State University

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/4/2018
Publication Date: 3/3/2018
Citation: Mcmaster, G.S., Bryne, P., Haley, S., Johnson, J., Maragues, M. 2018. Crop development related to temperature and photoperiod. Book Chapter. 10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6-384-3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6-384-3

Interpretive Summary: Plant development, or the progression of plants through their life cycle, has been of great interest in human history because of the need to know and predict when the harvested part of the plant was at the optimum stage. This knowledge was especially important (even vital) in medicinal plants, where the timing of harvesting defines the medicinal value of the product. This interest increased as groups moved from hunting and gathering to agrarian societies. Crop development can be defined with the number and rate of appearance, growth, and senescence of phytomers. However, that definition lacks information about when the switch of vegetative to reproductive phytomers occurs, which is defined by the phenology of the crop. Crop development is of great importance in agriculture because it is the main mechanism for plants to escape both biotic and abiotic stresses, and adapt to the environment. At a more practical level, it affects the management of the crop because cultural practices are more effective at specific stages of crop development.

Technical Abstract: Plant development, or the progression of plants through their life cycle, has been of great interest in human history because of the need to know and predict when the harvested part of the plant was at the optimum stage. This knowledge was especially important (even vital) in medicinal plants, where the timing of harvesting defines the medicinal value of the product. This interest increased as groups moved from hunting and gathering to agrarian societies. Crop development can be defined with the number and rate of appearance, growth, and senescence of phytomers. However, that definition lacks information about when the switch of vegetative to reproductive phytomers occurs, which is defined by the phenology of the crop. Crop development is of great importance in agriculture because it is the main mechanism for plants to escape both biotic and abiotic stresses, and adapt to the environment. At a more practical level, it affects the management of the crop because cultural practices are more effective at specific stages of crop development.