Environmental Modulation of Flowering in Mung Bean (Vigna radiata): Further Reappraisal for Diverse Genotypes and Photothermal Regimes

SUMMARY Genotypes of mung bean commence flowering at very different times depending on sowing date and location, but relatively little is known about the modulation of flowering by environmental factors. Previous and frequently cited conclusions have been that: (a) genotype, photo-period and temperature all interact to determine relative earliness to flower, and that (b) the genetic control of these photothermal responses is seemingly complex. However, our reanalyses of original data in terms of rates of progress towards flowering, 1/f, rather than the traditional approach based on days from sowing to flowering, f, show that the photothermal modulation of flowering in mung bean can be described by a series of simple, linear models, and that interaction terms involving photoperiod and temperature are often insignificant. The merits and implications of this alternative analysis and interpretation of original data are discussed.