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Publications

NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.

2011

Abstract

The anticipated future changes in temperature, precipitation and snow cover caused by global warming may affect winter survival of autumn sown wheat. More variable weather conditions may cause an increased frequency of periods with alternating freezing and thawing and less stable snow covers. In the present study, the course of plant frost tolerance and growth potential was studied by exposing cold acclimated plants of winter wheat to conditions with alternating periods of freezing and thawing (either -1 °C or +5 °C), and differing durations of snow cover. Tests of frost tolerance and determination of growth potential were performed each time the temperature or snow cover conditions were changed. Periods without snow cover and + 5 °C caused dehardening, with loss of frost tolerance being more pronounced during the first dehardening period than in the second one. The ability to reharden after a dehardening period decreased towards the end of the experimental period. Mild periods during winter also seemed to exhaust plant growth potential, possibly by increasing respiration rate while photosynthesis was still restricted. The results indicate some of the challenges we may face regarding overwintering of winter wheat in a future climate.