Adaptation of the Spearman-Kärber Method for Estimating the T50 of Cold Stressed Flower Buds1
Open Access
- 1 March 1974
- journal article
- Published by American Society for Horticultural Science in Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science
- Vol. 99 (2) , 187-190
- https://doi.org/10.21273/jashs.99.2.187
Abstract
Survival data for cold stressed blueberry flower buds are used to demonstrate application of the Spearman-Kärber (S-K) method for estimating T50. Quantal responses are used. The S-K method determines the T50 for buds stressed over a range of temperatures which produce 0 to 100% bud survival. The general equation can accommodate data containing unequal temperature intervals and unequal numbers of observations per temperature treatment. A single statistic, S, can be calculated using a second equation which is an unbiased indicator of the variance of the temperature-percent survival curve around the T50 point. The major advantages of the S-K method are speed, adaptability to computer programming, and accuracy with small sample sizes. Agreement is within 0.5°C of graphically determined T50 values.Keywords
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