Sterility changeover induced by low temperature in male sterility line CMS7311 of heading Chinese cabbage ( Brassica campestris L. ssp. penkinsis) was investigated under constant temperature, day/night alternating temperature in light-growth-incubator and outdoor natural day/night alternating temperature respectively. It showed that the sterility of CMS7311 has significant change with temperature. The constant temperature of 6 - 12 degreesC was suitable to induce the changeover of sterility (CGS) of CMS7311 ; the shortest treatment time for CGS induction at this temperature was 3 d. The significant value of sterility changeover of CMS7311 occurred at the constant temperature of 6 - 9 degreesC after treatment for 6 - 9 d. The intensity of CGS was stronger under constant temperature than under alternate temperature, but the shortest treatment time inducing CGS has no difference between them. When treated for 9 d under the day/night alternating temperature of 11/7 degreesC, its sterility could also turn to normal fertility (near to sterile grade I or zero). In normal condition, the interval from the end of temperature treatment to the beginning of CGS induction was 10 - 16 d. In the condition of natural day/night alternating temperature, the lower limit of temperature for effective CGS induction was at the daily mean temperature ( DMT) of 3. 5 - 6. 8 degreesC, and the shortest treatment time which could induce the sterility changeover was also longer than that under constant temperature, being 11d at DMT of 1.5 - 3.1 degreesC. In addition, for the apical dominance, the flower bud on the first lateral branch showed the CGS 8 - 10 d later than the flower bud on the main stem under the same temperature with the same days of treatment. The intensity of CGS of CMS7311 on the first lateral branch was also weaker than the flower bud on the main stem.
