INTERACTION BETWEEN PHYSIOLOGICAL AGE AND COLD TREATMENT ON THE COMPOSITION AND CONCENTRATION OF CARBOHYDRATES IN CHICORY ROOTS (CICHORIUM-INTYBUS L.)

The concentration of free sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) and i nulin was measured in chicory roots (Cichorium intybus L. var, foliosu m cv. Flash) during two growing seasons. Roots were harvested approxim ately every 2 weeks between June and October. They were either used im mediately for sugar analysis or after a cold treatment. After the fina l harvest, samples were taken during the whole storage period of sever al months. The evolution pattern of free sugars and inulin during the growing season was very similar to previously reported data. When the long storage period after the vegetative growing year was considered, the changes in free sucrose (increase), and inulin bound glucose and f ructose (decrease) mainly occurred at the first 60 days of storage. Th e apex was not necessary for perception of the cold signal. From the s tart of the growing season, cold treatment caused a strong decrease in free glucose and increases in free fructose and sucrose. Thus, still very young roots reacted to cold treatment by hydrolysis of inulin. Ev en at this young stage, the apex was not necessary for perception of t he cold signal.