Growth, Opium Gum Yield, and Photoperiod Response of Five Opium Poppy Accessions

Abstract

Flowering time, growth, and opium gum yield from five seed sources (T, L, B1, B2, B3) of opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) collected from different latitudes in three Southeast Asian countries were determined. Plants were grown in six growth chambers at a 11-, 12-, 13-, 14-, 15-, or 16-hour photoperiod with a 12-hour, 25/20 °C thermoperiod. Flower initiation was observed under a dissecting microscope (40×) to determine if time to floral initiation was identical for all accessions across a wide range of photoperiods. The main capsule was lanced for opium gum at 10, 13, and 16 days after flowering (DAF). Plants were harvested at 21 DAF for plant height, leaf area, and organ dry-weight determinations. In a 16-hour photoperiod, flower initiation was observed 10 days after emergence (DAE) for B1 vs. 8 DAE for the other four accessions. Flowering time was affected most by photoperiod in B1 and least in B2. Flowering times for B3, L, and T were similar across the range of photoperiods. B2, B3, and L had the highest gum yields per capsule; even though B1 had the greatest total plant biomass, it produced the lowest gum yield. There was no difference among accessions in the average ratio of gum: individual capsule volume. For the ratio of gum: capsule dry weight, only the difference between T and B1 was significant. Capsule size did affect these ratios slightly. T had a larger gum: volume ratio for larger capsules, and B3 had a smaller gum: dry-weight ratio for heavier capsules. Flowering time varied up to 40%, capsule dry weight up to 41%, and opium gum yield up to 71% for the five accessions across all treatments. No relationship was found between flowering time and the latitude where the seed sources were collected. Time to flower initiation could not be used to predict time to anthesis because floral development rates varied significantly among accessions and photoperiods. Capsule volume and dry weight were useful in estimating gum yield.