The Growth of Bulbs

The Growth of Bulbs: Applied Aspects of the Physiology of Ornamental Bulbous Crop Plants presents an account of ornamental bulbs as plants and as crops, with emphasis on scientific aspects of bulb growing, bulb treatment, and bulb forcing. While the account is biased towards British bulb growing, it also introduces bulb growing in other parts of the world, especially in the Netherlands, the United States, Israel, and Japan.
The book's opening chapter discusses the origins of bulbous plants, how they became important as crop plants, and how the various forms now widely grown had been developed. This is followed by separate chapters on bulb types, structure, morphology, development and periodicity; bulb growth and productivity; flower initiation and differentiation; and the storage of bulbs. Subsequent chapters cover bulb physiology and metabolism, bulb disorders, and bulb pests and diseases. The book concludes with reflections on the form of the plant of the future.

Contenu

Editor's Foreword
Preface
Chapter l Bulbs as crop plants: their origin and present distribution
I. World production of bulbs
II. Parent species and classification of important bulb crops
III. The bulbous habit
Chapter 2 Bulb structure, morphology, development and periodicity
I. The Hippeastrum bulb type
II. The tulip bulb type
III. The Narcissus bulb type
IV. Morphology of above-ground parts, Narcissus and tulip
V. Structure of other bulbous plants
VI. Apical structure
VII. Root systems
VIII. "Droppers" in tulip
IX. Development and periodicity
Chapter 3 Growth and productivity
I. General aspects of growth
II. Effects of various factors on growth
III. Environmental effects
IV. Respiration in the field
V. Spacing and competition
VI. Natural communities
Chapter 4 The initiation and growth of bulbs
I. Daughter bulb initiation and early growth
II. Later growth of bulbs
III. Yield improvement
IV. Selection on the basis of daughter bulb growth
V. Temperature and bulb production
VI. The appearance of tulip bulbs
VII. Artificial induction of daughter bulbs
Chapter 5 Flower initiation and differentiation
I. Time of flower initiation
II. Stages of flower differentiation
III. Factors affecting initiation and differentiation
IV. Rates of differentiation
V. Floral abnormalities
VI. Temperature and morphogenesis in Iris
VII. Temperature treatment after initiation
Chapter 6 The storage of bulbs
I. Warm storage of Narcissus and tulip
II. Low-temperature requirement of Narcissus and tulip
III. Storage of Narcissus bulbs for forcing
IV. Low temperature and field flowering of Narcissus
V. Storage of tulip bulbs for forcing
VI. Hot-water treatment and warm storage
VII. Hyacinth preparation and storage
VIII. Storage of Iris bulbs for forcing
IX. Storage of lily bulbs
X. Storage of Nerine bulbs
XI. Storage of small Iris bulbs to prevent flowering
XII. Storage of bulbs for export to the southern hemisphere
XIII. Storage of Narcissus and tulip bulbs for replanting
XIV. Blindstoken of tulip
Chapter 7 Post-storage development
I. Effect of temperatures after pre-cooling
II. Duration of cold treatment
III. General aspects of forcing Narcissus and tulip
IV. Forcing of hyacinth
V. Forcing of Iris
VI. Forcing of lily
VII. Growth of Narcissus and tulip at high temperature
VIII. Growing bulbs in artificial light
IX. Dry matter changes in tulips and Narcissus in the glasshouse
Chapter 8 Physiology and metabolism

1. Bulb Metabolism
   I. Weight losses and respiration
   II. Respiration of Iris bulbs
   III. Carbohydrate changes in bulbs
   IV. Peroxidase and catalase activity in Iris
   V. Changes in Iris bulb metabolism during maturation
   VI. Respiration in other bulbs
   VII. Effect of ethylene on respiration
   VIII. Dormancy
2. The Metabolism of the Rooted Plant
   I. Soils and soil factors, root growth
   II. Water relations and stomata
   III. Mineral nutrition and salt uptake
   IV. Chemical composition
   V. Translocation
   VI. Effects of light and temperature
   VII. Carbohydrate metabolism
   VIII. Protein synthesis and nitrogen metabolism
   IX. Senescence and dormancy
   X. Hormones and growth retardants
   XI. Aspects of development
   Chapter 9 Physiological disorders
   I. Disorders of Narcissus
   II. Disorders of tulip
   III. Disorders of hyacinth
   IV. Disorders of Iris
   V. Disorders of lily
   VI. Chemical injury
   Chapter 10 Pests and diseases of bulbs
3. Bulb Pests
   I. Narcissus pests
   II. Tulip pests
   III. Iris pests
   IV. Pests of other bulbs
4. Bulb Diseases
   I. Fungal and bacterial diseases
   II. Virus diseases of bulbs
   Chapter 11 The future
   References
   Author Index
   Subject Index