Relationship Between Heat Unit Requirement and Growth and Yield of Mulberry, Morns indica L.

Growth and development of a plant over a growing season is closely related to the daily accumulation of heat. Heat unit measured by accumulated growing degree days (GDD) is becoming increasingly popular to estimate the growth of a plant or even in insect. GDD or heat accumulation per day is measured by calculating average daily temperature and then subtracting the base temperature below which growth does not occur. Heat accumulation per day is added for the desired period and accumulated GDD is determined. The present study was conducted in five seasons in an established garden with K-2, S-36 and V-1 mulberry varieties belonging to Morus indica L. grown under completely irrigated condition at the farm of CSRTI, Mysore during 2001 - 2002. Plants were pruned in each season and the growth of the plant measured by total shoot length and fresh leaf yield was recorded at an interval of 5 days starting from 30 days of pruning (DAP) to 70 days when all the plants were pruned. The accumulated GDD for the corresponding days were recorded and used for analysis. Accumulated growing degree days (GDD) have been found to be perfectly correlated with both growth and yield in all the seasons in all the varieties studied. The high $R^2$ values indicated a strong relationship between the accumulated GDD and, growth and yield of mulberry.