Length of Growing Season

In a French study, late cultivars (e.g., Violet de Rennes ) produced more total biomass than early cultivars (e.g., Blanc precoce ), but tuber yields were the same. The superior leaf area index of late cultivars could not be translated into superior tuber yields due to constraints on the life cycle as a result of unfavorable fall climatic conditions (Barloy, 1988b). Planting early in the spring ensures a longer growing season. In Southern Europe, this equates to February and not later than March. Later plantings result in reduced yields. 

---

In the reality of an agricultural ecosystem, successful plant recovery after stress is linked with several agronomic variables including the length of the effective growing season. If recovery is delayed it may then take place in an unsuitable environment, in terms of photoperiod or temperature. Thus, in... 

Plant productivity is determined by factors such as plant species composition, moisture, soil fertility, growing season length, and solar radiation—many of which are affected by human activities. All else equal, increases in primary productivity and production of plant tissues will lead to increases in soil C stock, while decreases will lead to decreases in soil C stock. The rate of change in soil C stock is determined by the difference between C inputs and outputs, as well as the turnover times of the soil C, which are often not known. Here we review briefly how some environmental factors are expected to alter productivity and explore how the effects on stock depend on the number of soil carbon pools and their turnover times. 

Growing degree days Cumulative total of mean daytime temperature in °C above a baseline temperature (for Jerusalem artichoke typically 0°C). The value increases throughout the growing season with final values depending upon location and length of the growing season 3000°C (Italy) Monti et al., 2005... 

Jerusalem artichoke thrives under a wide range of growing conditions. However, yields can be greatly affected by environmental factors, including solar radiation, temperature, length of the growing season, and rainfall. 

Much of the variation in NPP simply reflects the length of the growing season. NPP that is averaged over the time that plants actively produce new biomass varies only fourfold among biomes (Table 2). When NPP is normalized by both growing-season length and the quantity of leaf area available to fix carbon, there is no consistent relationship between NPP and climate (Chapin et al., 2002). Biome differences in NPP per unit leaf area and time probably reflect uncertainty in... 

---