Relationship between temperature and cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis) growth and development after curd initiation

Two experiments were conducted to assess the response of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis) cv. “Nautilus” F1 hybrid to different constant temperatures after curd initiation by keeping the plants in six different temperature-controlled glasshouse compartments with heating set point temperatures of 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, and 26 °C (±4 °C) at the School of Plant Sciences, The University of Reading, UK during winter 1998–1999 and summer 1999. Many of the growth parameters increased with increasing mean growing temperature up to an optimum temperature and then declined with further increases in temperature. Therefore, cauliflower’s growth and development after curd initiation could be resolved into linear or curvilinear function of effective temperatures calculated with optimum temperatures between 19 and 23 °C. It is suggested that future warmer climates will be beneficial for winter cauliflower production rather than summer cauliflower production.