Studies of grain production in Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench). IV.* Some effects of increasing and decreasing photosynthesis at different stages of the plant's development on the storage capacity of the inflorescence

1975 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
KS Fischer ◽  
GL Wilson

Sorghum plants (cv. RS610) grown in field stands at two population densities were manipulated to increase the supply of assimilates (by removing neighbouring plants) at one of three developmental stages—10-15 days after floral initiation, 1 week prior to three-quarters anthesis, and 1 week after three-quarters anthesis. Post-initiation exposure increased the number of grains per inflorescence 1.8-fold and 3.5-fold in medium and high density populations respectively, but had relatively less effect on grain size. Higher grain number resulted largely from more grains per secondary branch in the lower part of the inflorescence. Neither of the post-heading exposure treatments influenced grain number, but the higher supply of assimilates resulted in larger grains at both densities. Differences at one density only between yield characteristics of plants exposed at the two times provide evidence of inter-plant competition for assimilates to the extent that the potential size of the grain may be affected. Shading (10% light transmission) of plants grown in a glasshouse, whether for 1 week at anthesis or during grain filling, reduced grain yield at maturity by the same amount as the immediate reduction at the end of the shading period. The experiment was unable to demonstrate changes in the potential size of grains resulting from the loss of assimilates at anthesis. There was substantial compensation for the loss by translocation from other plant parts. *Part III, Aust. J. Agric. Res., 26: 11 (1975).


1975 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
KS Fischer ◽  
GL Wilson

In field and glasshouse experiments with grain sorghum (cv. RS610), the assimilate supply was varied by increasing or decreasing radiation and carbon dioxide supply; the potential grain storage capacity was altered by spikelet removal; and the transport system was reduced by incision of the culm. Plants grown at four population densities in the field were manipulated to increase (by removing neighbouring plants) or decrease (by shading) the supply of photosynthates during grain filling. These treatments affected grain size and thus yield. Removal of some of the spikelets at three-quarter anthesis resulted in a significant increase in the size of those grains remaining at maturity. From anthesis onward, a reduction in the capacity of the transport system in the culm had no significant effect on grain yield. These results are interpreted as evidence that grain yield is not limited by the storage capacity of the grain, or by the transport system involved in moving material from the stem to the grain. Treatments which altered the demand for assimilates by the grain, relative to the supply, did not affect net photosynthesis. Dry matter produced in excess of grain requirements accumulated in other plant parts, including the root. Potential grain size was influenced by interspikelet competition operating within 1 week after three-quarter anthesis. *Part II, Aust. J. Agric. Res., 22: 39-47 (1971).



1973 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Willey ◽  
D. R. Basiime

SUMMARYExperiments are described in which the relative importance of head storage capacity and carbohydrate supply was examined in five sorghum varieties of different heights. The varieties were: Namatera (270 cm), Dobbs (180 cm), MUS 78 (100 cm), MUS 23 (85 cm) and MUS 70 (85 cm). Techniques used were (i) cutting off part of the head or part of the leaf at anthesis, (ii) shading during different periods of development, and (iii) thinning the plants at different physiological stages. Varietal differences ranged from a situation where the head was little more than half-filled by the available carbohydrate (MUS 78), through intermediate stages (Dobbs and Namatera), to a situation where the head capacity limited the amount of carbohydrate which could be stored (MUS 23 and MUS 70). Some differences could be attributed to pre-anthesis competition between head and stem, but in the dwarfs a more important factor appeared to be pre-anthesis competition between head and leaf. It is suggested that for maximum efficiency of grain-yield production, maximum carbohydrate should be utilized for pre-anthesis head and leaf growth and that partitioning between these plant parts should be such that the supply of carbohydrate for grain filling is in balance with head storage capacity.



1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 391 ◽  
Author(s):  
HM Rawson ◽  
AK Bagga

Plants of Kalyansona, Condor and Janak semidwarf wheats, grown at a density of 130 plants m-2, were transferred every 4 days after floral initiation of the main shoot from temperature regimes of 27/22°C and 21/16°C to a regime of 15/10°C to determine if specific developmental stages of the ear are particularly important to the establishment of grain number. No stages between the appearance of double ridges and flag leaf emergence were significantly more sensitive to temperature changes than others, there being a progressive reduction in grain number per ear for every day that plants of Kalyansona and Condor remained at a higher temperature. Grain number of the main ear was closely correlated with the amount of dry matter in the stem, in the ear structure (chaff), and in the four uppermost leaves of the main shoot; the partial correlation coefficients demonstrated that leaf weight was best related to grain number. Thus large shoots with heavy ear structures had many grains and vice versa. It can be inferred from these results that the distribution of dry matter to the various plant organs before anthesis is in a strict proportionality irrespective of the availability of assimilates.



1987 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
CJ Pearson ◽  
BC Jacobs

Zea mays hybrid XL66 was grown with irrigation in sand in the field and subjected to different rates of nitrogen supply from floral initiation to anthesis and again from anthesis to maturity. Nitrogen supply during spikelet differentiation affected grain number markedly. Nitrogen supply during grain filling had a small but significant effect on the rate of grain filling and an effect on the rate of nitrogen entry to the grain, causing a 1.3-fold change in percentage grain nitrogen. Increasing the nitrogen supply produced larger plants, but the distribution of nitrogen and dry weight among plant parts were similar and the harvest indices for dry weight (0.46) and nitrogen (0.66) were the same over all nitrogen treatments. We found no evidence that shoot size per se controlled grain number or rate of grain growth; rather, fertilizer management during spikelet differentiation had most effect on yield of XL66.



HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 474d-474
Author(s):  
N.K. Damayanthi Ranwala ◽  
Dennis R. Decoteau

This study was conducted to evaluate the spectral properties of various colored plastic color mulches and to determine the effects of upwardly reflected light from the mulch surfaces on watermelon plant growth when differences in root zone temperatures are minimized. Two-week-old watermelon plants were grown with black mulch, red-painted mulch, SRM-Red mulch (Sonoco, Inc., Harstville, S.C.), and white mulch. Total light reflection (58 μmol·m–2·s–1 in 400–700 nm) and red: far-red (R:FR = 0.44) of reflected light were lower in black mulch and highest in white mulch (634 and 0.92, respectively). Both black mulch and white mulch had same blue:red (B:R = 0.6) while white mulch had higher B:FR (0.58) in reflected light compared to black mulch (0.26). Reflective properties of red mulches were somewhat similar, and R:FR, B:R, and B:FR were 0.8, 0.2, and 0.18, respectively. However, SRM-Red mulch had highest total light (355 μmol·m–2·s–1 in 400–700 nm) transmission through the mulch, and R:FR, B:R, and B:FR were 0.84, 0.28, and 0.23, respectively. Light transmission through the other mulches was nonsignificant. Watermelon plants grown with black mulch and red mulches had higher internode lengths compared to white mulch after 20 days. Further, plants grown under black had significant higher petiole elongation accompanied with higher dry mass partitioning to petioles, and lower partitioning to roots, stems, and leaves. There was no effects of surface mulch color on total plant dry mass or photosynthesis although plants with black had higher transpiration rate. This suggests the differential regulation of dry mass partitioning among plant parts due to mulch color. The similar plant responses with black mulch and white mulch to plants treated with FR or R light at the end of photoperiod implies the involvement of phytochrome regulation of growth due to mulch surface color.



1975 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 497 ◽  
Author(s):  
EAN Greenwood ◽  
P Farrington ◽  
JD Beresford

The time course of development of a lupin crop was studied at Bakers Hill, Western Australia. The aim was to gain insight into the crop factors influencing yield. Weekly measurements were made of numbers and weights of plant parts, and profiles of roots, leaf area and light interception. A profile of carbon dioxide in the crop atmosphere was taken at the time of maximum leaf area, and the net carbon dioxide exchange (NCE) of pods was estimated for three successive weeks. The crop took 10 weeks to attain a leaf area index (LAI) of 1 and a further 9 weeks to reach a maximum LAI of 3.75, at which time only 33% of daylight reached the pods on the main axis. Once the maximum LAI was attained at week 19, leaf fall accelerated and rapid grain filling commenced almost simultaneously on all of the three orders of axes which had formed pods. Measurements of NCE between pods on the main axis and the air suggest that the assimilation of external carbon dioxide by the pods contributed little to grain filling. Grain dry weight was 2100 kg ha-1 of which 30%, 60% and 10% came from the main axis, first and second order apical axes respectively. Only 23% of the flowers set pods and this constitutes an important physiological limitation to grain yield.



1976 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
KS Fischer ◽  
GL Wilson

Grain sorghum was grown at two population densities in the field, and photosynthetic rates compared at noon. Profiles of photosynthesis were established by combining measurements of 12CO2 exchange and 14CO2 uptake. Canopy structure and light penetration were measured. Factors responsible for the superiority of the higher density population were evaluated. Photosynthesis–radiation responses of leaves were similar between the populations and there was little difference in total light interception. The high density population had leaves which were more vertically displayed, more uniformly dispersed, smaller in both length and width, and distributed over a greater height of canopy. Light was therefore more uniformly distributed down the profile, and coefficients of light extinction were lower. Associated with this was a higher leaf area index. The overall consequence was the distribution of intercepted radiation over a larger leaf surface, at a lower illuminance and therefore a higher efficiency of photosynthetic conversion, resulting in greater total photosynthesis. ___________________ ** Part V, Aust. J. Agric. Res., 26: 31 (1975).



1978 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Darwinkel

The effect of plant density on the growth and productivity of the various ear-bearing stems of winter wheat was studied in detail to obtain information on the pattern of grain production of crops grown under field conditions. Strong compensation effects were measured: a 160-fold increase in plant density (5-800 plants/m2) finally resulted in a 3-fold increase in grain yield (282 to 850 g DM/m2). Max. grain yield was achieved at 100 plants/m2, which corresponded to 430 ears/m2 and to about 19 000 grains/m2. At higher plant densities more ears and more grains were produced, but grain yield remained constant. Tillering/plant was largely favoured by low plant densities because these allowed tiller formation to continue for a longer period and a greater proportion of tillers produced ears. However, at higher plant densities more tillers/unit area were formed and, despite a higher mortality, more ears were produced. The productivity of individual ears, from main stems as well as from tillers, decreased with increasing plant density and with later emergence of shoots. In the range from 5 to 800 plants/m2 grain yield/ear decreased from 2.40 to 1.14 g DM. At 800 plants/m2 nearly all ears originated from main stems, but with decreasing plant density tillers contributed increasingly to the number of ears. At 5 plants/m2, there were 23 ears/plant and grain yield/ear ranged from 4.20 (main stem) to 1.86 g DM (late-formed stems). Grain number/ear was reduced at higher densities and on younger stems, because there were fewer fertile spikelets and fewer grains in these spikelets. At the low density of 5 plants/m2, plants developed solitarily and grain yield/ear was determined by the number of grains/ear as well as by grain wt. Above 400 ears/m2, in this experiment reached at 100 plants/m2 and more, grain yield/ear depended solely on grain number, because the wt. of grains of the various stems were similar. The harvest index showed a max. of about 44% at a moderate plant density; at this density nearly max. grain yield was achieved. At low plant densities the harvest index decreased from 45% in main stems to about 36% in late-formed stems. However, no differences in harvest index existed between the various ear-bearing stems if the number of ears exceeded 400/m2. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)



2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Wang ◽  
Quanwei Lu ◽  
Hui Song ◽  
Nan Hu ◽  
Yangyang Wei ◽  
...  

Grain filling is a crucial process for crop yield and quality. Certain studies already gained insight into the molecular mechanism of grain filling. However, it is unclear whether epigenetic modifications are associated with grain filling in foxtail millet. Global DNA methylation and transcriptome analysis were conducted in foxtail millet spikelets during different stages to interpret the epigenetic effects of the grain filling process. The study employed the whole-genome bisulfite deep sequencing and advanced bioinformatics to sequence and identify all DNA methylation during foxtail millet grain filling; the DNA methylation-mediated gene expression profiles and their involved gene network and biological pathway were systematically studied. One context of DNA methylation, namely, CHH methylation, was accounted for the largest percentage, and it was gradually increased during grain filling. Among all developmental stages, the methylation levels were lowest at T2, followed by T4, which mainly occurred in CHG. The distribution of differentially methylated regions (DMR) was varied in the different genetic regions for three contexts. In addition, gene expression was negatively associated with DNA methylation. Evaluation of the interconnection of the DNA methylome and transcriptome identified some stage-specific differentially expressed genes associated with the DMR at different stages compared with the T1 developmental stage, indicating the potential function of epigenetics on the expression regulation of genes related to the specific pathway at different stages of grain development. The results demonstrated that the dynamic change of DNA methylation plays a crucial function in gene regulation, revealing the potential function of epigenetics in grain development in foxtail millet.



1977 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 785 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Sofield ◽  
LT Evans ◽  
MG Cook ◽  
IF Wardlaw

Controlled-environment conditions were used to examine the effects of cultivar and of temperature and illuminance after anthesis on grain setting and on the duration and rate of grain growth. After an initial lag period, which did not differ greatly between cultivars, grain dry weight increased linearly under most conditions until final grain weight was approached. Growth rate per grain depended on floret position within the ear, varied between cultivars (those with larger grains at maturity having a faster rate), and increased with rise in temperature. With cultivars in which grain number per ear was markedly affected by illuminance, light had relatively little effect on growth rate per grain. With those in which grain number was less affected by illuminance, growth rate per grain was highly responsive to it, especially in the more distal florets. In both cases there was a close relation between leaf photosynthetic rate as influenced by illuminance, the rate of grain growth per ear, and final grain yield per ear. The duration of linear grain growth, on the other hand, was scarcely influenced by illuminance, but was greatly reduced as temperature rose, with pronounced effects on grain yield per ear. Cultivars differed to some extent in their duration of linear growth, but these differences accounted for less of the difference in final weight per grain than did those in rate of grain growth. Under most conditions the cessation of grain growth did not appear to be due to lack of assimilates.



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