QTL mapping of flowering time and biomass yield in tetraploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

BMC Plant Biology

Table 5 Alfalfa AGDD requirement to reach the flowering in the spring. This was estimated in Julian days, from the first day of the calendar year, based on two locations JPC and BVL. This shows that alfalfa flowers earlier in 2017 with mild winter temperature than in 2015 with more severe winter

Year	Environment	Flowering Date	TOF	T-max	T-min	AGDD
2015	JPC	13th April	112	12.5	−7	641.1
2017	JPC	27th March	85	18.9	−2.5	587.6
2015	BVL	27th May	146	11.4	−12.6	876.1
2017	BVL	29th April	118	15.5	−8.8	729.6

JPC and BVL refer to the J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center (JPC) in Watkinsville and the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center (BVL) in Blairsville
T-max Maximum average temperature (°C) in two winter months (Jan. and Feb.), T-min Minimum average temperature (°C) in two winter months (Jan. and Feb.), AGDD Accumulated growing degree days from 1st January to the day of early flowering record, the AGDD was obtained by adding growing degree days (GDD) of the effective days

ISSN: 1471-2229