Better cauliflowers in hot weather
As the name suggests, we eat the flower of the cauliflower. Precisely when cauliflowers are ready to harvest is heavily dependent on the weather. If the temperature is too high, flowering is delayed. This means that the harvest can occur undesirably late. Due to the fact that the temperature can differ enormously from day to day, it is almost impossible to plan either the sowing or the harvest of cauliflower in advance. Nor is it possible to deliver a consistent level of quality.
It is for these reasons that Dutch market gardeners who grow cauliflowers regularly receive very little money for their product. Greater insight into the processes that inhibit the flowers from blooming might give plant breeding companies the chance to develop new varieties. These new varieties would be less sensitive to high and low temperatures, thus yielding better financial rewards for cauliflower growers.
Cousin of the cauliflower
Wageningen UR is researching the molecular mechanism behind the temperature-dependent flowering process. This research has begun by looking at a wild cousin of the cauliflower, thale or mouse-ear cress (Arabidopsis thaliana). This plant is also sensitive to high temperatures when flowering. In addition to this, thale cress is small, it flowers readily and its entire DNA is well-known, making it a very suitable plant for the laboratory. What has been discovered about thale cress can relatively easily be translated across to the cauliflower, as they are members of the same plant family.
Molecular markers
The researchers are identifying the genes crucial for determining the temperature dependency of the flowering. They are developing molecular markers. These are small genetic flags that allow the plant breeders to predict in a seedling what the characteristics of the adult plant will be. This process is aided by the cauliflower’s wide genetic variation already present throughout the world. The researchers are helping to develop new varieties which will ensure good quality cauliflowers whatever the weather and, consequently, better financial returns.