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.

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

1. Bulb Pests

I. Narcissus pests

II. Tulip pests

III. Iris pests

IV. Pests of other bulbs

2. Bulb Diseases

I. Fungal and bacterial diseases

II. Virus diseases of bulbs

Chapter 11 The future

References

Author Index

Subject Index