Abstract
Chicory plants (Cichorium intybus L. var foliosum cv Flash) were tested with and without a 4-week-long cold treatment for in vivo and in vitro flowering potential every 2 weeks during the growing season. One hundred percent of the plants harvested 112 days or later after sowing and then vernalized flowered in vivo. In vitro, no vernalization was needed to initiate flowering-stems on chicory explants taken from roots of 100 days old and older. 5-Azacytidine, a DNA demethylation agent, increased the flowering percentage on explants from young, vernalized roots but could not induce more than 15% flowering on young, nonvernalized roots. The greater flowering potential of chicory root explants in vitro when compared to plants of the same age tested in vivo was clearly established. This result suggests that some negative control on flowering was removed when root explants were excised and the main plant body discarded.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 31 August 1998 / Revision received: 27 October 1998 / Accepted: 10 November 1998
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Demeulemeester, M., De Proft, M. In vivo and in vitro flowering response of chicory (Cichorium intybus L.): influence of plant age and vernalization. Plant Cell Reports 18, 781–785 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002990050661
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002990050661