Dependence of photoperiodic response of growth cessation on the stage of development in Picea abies and Betula pendula seedlings

Dependence of photoperiodic response of growth cessation on the stage of development was examined in seedlings of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) in greenhouses with 20 degreesC day and 10 degreesC night temperatures. Different combinations of photoperiod and stage of development were created by repeating sowing five times with 2 week intervals during the summer. During the experiment light conditions were natural but the daily temperature sum accumulation was regulated to be constant. Eight origins of spruce and seven origins of birch from different latitudes (60-67degreesN) in Finland were used. In the first growing season both Norway spruce and silver birch seedlings from the first sowings required a longer time for growth cessation than seedlings from the later sowings. However, because the seedlings from the first sowings ceased their growth on an earlier calendar date, the night length at the time of growth cessation was shorter for the seedlings from the first sowings. The results suggest. that the variation in the timing of growth cessation of Norway spruce and silver birch seedlings during the first growing season was explained jointly by night length and stage of development. Seedlings from northern origins stopped their growth with shorter night length than those from southern origins. The effects of latitude and average temperature sum of the original growing site on the critical night length of growth cessation in the first growing season were stronger in Norway spruce than in silver birch. In the second growing season the sowing time did not affect the timing of the formation of the terminal buds, but slightly affected the timing of height growth cessation of Norway spruce and silver birch seedlings. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.