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Chemical composition and cold hardiness of the pith in marrow-stem kale

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

K. F. Thompson  and
J. P. Taylor
K. F. Thompson
Affiliation:
Plant Breeding Institute, Trumpington, Cambridge
J. P. Taylor
Affiliation:
Plant Breeding Institute, Trumpington, Cambridge
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Summary

Percentages of soluble dry matter (S.D.M.), determined in expressed sap from the pith of kale stems by using a hand refractometer, were higher near the vascular bundles than in the centre of the pith and also varied from the top to the base of any one stem. Sampling errors were minimized by taking vertical borings midway between the vascular bundles and the pith centre and by taking two bores per stem (base and top). Inbred lines varied for mean S.D.M. Relative S.D.M. values for two inbred lines were maintained through wet and dry periods in the autumn, and values for fifty-eight inbred lines were significantly correlated in the successive years, one with a dry autumn and the other with a wet.

S.D.M. values were positively and significantly correlated with dry-matter percentage (D.M.) of the pith and with total water soluble carbohydrates (W.S.C). Close correlations were also found between S.D.M. and resistance to cold damage, both in the field and in freezing cabinets for inbred lines of marrow-stem kale and for other cultivars of Brassica oleracea. Although there are some exceptions to these correlations, the rapid method for determining S.D.M. should be very useful in screening breeding material for cold resistance. The combination of high percentage digestibility of the dry matter of stems and improved winter-hardiness can be achieved by selecting in addition for low fibre content using penetrometer tests.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 70 , Issue 3 , June 1968 , pp. 375 - 381
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1968

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References

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