COLD HARDENING IN TRITICALE IN COMPARISON WITH RYE AND WHEAT

In the present study the frost resistant capacity of 10 modern seconda ry triticale cultivars has been evaluated by using field and laborator y tests. The cold-acclimation kinetics of the most frost resistant tri ticale (cv. Aubrac) has been then compared with a winter wheat and a w inter rye cultivars during hardening and dehardening experiments in co ntrolled conditions. The results show that the most frost resistant tr iticale genotype can perform much better than a winter wheat and, unde r specific test conditions, even as good as a typical frost resistant rye. The analysis of the cold acclimation kinetics suggest also that f rost tolerant plants have usually a faster hardening and a slower de-h ardening process than susceptible types.