What is meant by vernalization? Explain the significance of vernalization.
Vernalization may be defined as the method of inducing early flowering in plants by pretreatment of their seeds at low temperatures. It is the acquisition or acceleration of the ability to flower by chilling treatment. Some cereals such as wheat, barley, oat and rye have two kinds of varieties: winter and spring varieties. The ‘spring’ variety are normally planted in the spring and come to flower and produce grain before the end of the growing season. Winter varieties, however, if planted in spring would normally fail to flower or produce mature grain within a span of a flowering season. Hence, they are planted in autumn. They germinate, and during winter come out as small seedling, resume growth in the spring, and are harvested usually around mid-summer. Another example of vernalization is seen in biennial plants. Biennials are monocarpic plants that normally flower and die in the second season. Sugarbeet, cabbages, carrots are some of the common biennials. Subj ecting the growing of a biennial plant to a cold treatment stimulates a subsequent photoperiodic flowering response. The significance of vernalization is as follows: It reduces the vegetative period of the plant. It prepares the plants for flowering. It increases yield, resistance to cold and diseases. Vernalization is beneficial in reducing the period between germination and flowering. Thus, more than one crop can be obtained during a year.
