Total limb number of Ginkgo biloba L. following 3 years of forced chilling (group one); 1 year of ambient chilling (998 hours) and 2 years of forced chilling (group two); and 2 years of ambient chilling (998 and 1,487 hours) and 1 year of forced chilling (group three).z
| Chill hoursy | Group onex | Group twox | Group threex |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 7.0 abc | 4.8 a | 4.3 d |
| 200 | 4.5 c | 8.8 a | 5.5 bcd |
| 300 | 5.5 bc | 3.5 a | 4.8 cd |
| 400 | 6.5 abc | 9.0 a | 4.3 d |
| 500 | 7.3 a | 4.3 a | 7.0 abcd |
| 600 | 13.3 a | 6.5 a | 9.0 abcd |
| 700 | 7.8 abc | 5.8 a | 4.3 d |
| 800 | 10.8 abc | 8.0 a | 6.3 abcd |
| 900 | 12.3 ab | 5.0 a | 11.3 acd |
| 1,000 | 7.3 abc | 7.0 a | 8.5 abcd |
| 1,100 | 11.8 abc | 6.5 a | 11.8 ab |
| 1,200 | 8.3 abc | 5.8 a | 12.3 a |
| Regression equation | y = 5.5 + 0.0044x | NS | y = 2.9 + 0.007x |
| r | 0.33 | — | 0.53 |
| p-value | 0.022 | — | 0.001 |
↵zTotal limb number measured at the end of 3 years, 1999–2002.
↵yChilling was applied to each treatment at 4°C (38°F) in a cooler in 100-hour increments following 200 hours of ambient chilling to ensure dormancy prior to treatments.
↵xMeans within a column with the same letter are similar according to Duncan’s multiple range test (α = 0.05).