CARBOHYDRATE CONTENT OF YOUNG ASPARAGUS PLANTS AS AFFECTED BY TEMPERATURE REGIMES

The effects of four temperature regimes on the carbohydrate contents o f the shoot and roots of 16-month-old plants of two cvs. of asparagus (cv. UC157 and cv. Junon) were studied. The soluble sugar (sucrose, gl ucose, fructose) concentration in the shoot was not affected by the te mperature treatments and was similar in both cvs. However, the two cvs . differed in their ability to accumulate root fructans under the diff erent temperature regimes. Cv. Junon had the highest root fructan conc entration under the 22/17 regime. At higher temperatures its fructan c oncentration significantly decreased. In contrast, cv. UC157 was able to maintain high fructan concentrations even at the higher temperature regimes. Young seedlings of the two cvs. (8 weeks old), prior to the onset of root fructan accumulation, did not differ in their responses to each temperature regime. The ability to accumulate root fructans at high temperatures may have practical significance and may potentially be used as a tool for early screening of asparagus bred for different environmental conditions.