Plant-size and fruit-position effects on reproductive allocation in Alliaria petiolata (Brassicaceae)

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (11) ◽  
pp. 1398-1407 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J Susko ◽  
Lesley Lovett-Doust
Keyword(s):  
Seed Mass ◽  
Maternal Investment ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Reproductive Allocation ◽  
Alliaria Petiolata ◽  
Position Effects ◽  
Threshold Size ◽  
Linear Relationships ◽  
Total Seed

We examined the development of ovules and components of reproductive yield as they related to plant size and fruit position within plants of Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara and Grande from three sites. We found that both factors affected fruit and seed production, and patterns of ovule fate. Larger plants were more fecund than their smaller counterparts, while proximally positioned flowers within an inflorescence produced more seeds. Maternal investment was regulated according to plant mass at two levels: among fruits (small plants had significantly lower fruit-set than did large plants), and within fruits (small plants had significantly fewer ovules and significantly higher proportions of aborted ovules per fruit than did large plants). All absolute measures of reproduction had positive linear relationships with plant size, but a threshold size for flowering was not found. Most proportional measures of reproduction were independent of plant size. Small plants produced the same relative proportions of total seed number and total seed mass per unit plant dry mass as large plants. Therefore, proportional reproductive allocation did not vary with plant size. However, small plants produced proportionately more flowers per unit dry mass. Small plants may be maximizing their overall fitness through increased allocation to male function (flower production).Key words: Alliaria petiolata, plant-size effects, fruit-position effects, reproductive allocation, patterns of ovule abortion, seed maturation.

Within and among plant variation in seed mass and pappus size in Tragopogon dubious

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 1298-1304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. McGinley
Keyword(s):  
Salt Lake ◽  
Salt Lake City ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Developmental Constraints ◽  
Position Effects ◽  
Plant Variation ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Lake City ◽  
Total Seed ◽  
Stalk Length

Individual seed mass of two seed morphs of Tragopogon dubious (L.) varied among plants and within and among flowering heads within individual plants growing near Salt Lake City, UT. Seeds of the light morph from the center of a receptacle were smaller than outer seeds, suggesting that variation in seed mass within heads was due to position effects. The total seed mass per head, seed number per head, and mean seed mass per head of both morphs declined in most plants over the season. Heads with larger total seed mass contained larger seeds both within and between plants so seasonal patterns in seed mass may be influenced by seasonal variation in the amount of resources available for investment in seeds. Seeds of the light colored morph had a greater dispersal potential than seeds from the dark colored morph because their disk loading was lower. Pappus size (both pappus radius and stalk length) increased with the number of seeds per head which may increase the efficiency of packaging fruits on the receptacle. Heads with a larger total seed mass allocated a smaller proportion of their resources to the dark seed morph which may serve to decrease the level of sibling competition experienced by the less dispersing seed morph. Thus, variation in investment in offspring may arise as a combination of developmental constraints and selection for variable investment.

Jack pine cone quality and cache sizes of red squirrels in southern New Brunswick, Canada

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 332-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Setterington ◽  
Daniel M. Keppie
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus ◽  
Red Squirrels ◽  
Length Width ◽  
Total Seed ◽  
Number Of Seeds

Relationships between external cone characteristics (length, width, wet and dry mass), cone quality (total seed mass as a proportion of cone mass, total number of seeds per cone, total seed mass per cone), and number of cones in caches were evaluated for caches of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) cones belonging to red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in two plantations in southern New Brunswick. Cone length and mass were good predictors of the total number of seeds per cone and total seed mass per cone. Length accounted for a small proportion of the variance of total seed mass as a proportion of cone mass. There was no relationship between the number of seeds or total seed mass per cone and the number of cones per cache.

Is reproductive allocation in Senecio vulgaris plastic?

Botany ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 475-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Weiner ◽  
Lars Rosenmeier ◽  
Emma Soy Massoni ◽  
Josep Nogués Vera ◽  
Eva Hernández Plaza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Reproductive Allocation ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Nutrient Level ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Senecio Vulgaris ◽  
The Relationship

Several purported cases of plasticity in plant allocation patterns appear to be the effects of size and allometric growth (“apparent plasticity”). To ask whether there is true plasticity (i.e., a change in the allometric trajectory) in reproductive allocation in Senecio vulgaris  L., we grew S. vulgaris plants at high and low levels of water, nutrients, and competition, and analyzed the relationship between vegetative and seed biomass. Plant size was the major determinant of reproductive output, accounting for 83% of the variation in log (seed mass). There were also significant effects of the treatments that were not due to size, accounting for an additional 9% of the variation. The treatments affected the allometric coefficient (intercept), not the allometric exponent (slope) of the relationship, reflecting a small but significant shift in the efficiency of conversion of total plant biomass into reproductive biomass. In a second experiment, we grew S. vulgaris plants at three nutrient levels and allowed all individuals to complete their life cycles. Again, nutrient level had a small but significant effect on the allometric coefficient. Plasticity in reproductive allocation exists, but is very limited. The primary effects of the environment on the reproductive output of S. vulgaris occur via plant size.

Seed dimorphism in relation to germination and growth of Cakile edentula

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 1231-1235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhua Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Area Ratio ◽  
Leaf Area Ratio ◽  
Cakile Edentula ◽  
Shoot To Root Ratio ◽  
Carry Over ◽  
Germination And Growth

Previous studies showed that the two seed morphs produced from the upper and lower fruit segments of Cakile edentula differed significantly in their germinability and carry-over effects on the growth of the subsequent plants. By partitioning variables into seed-morph and seed-mass components, this study suggests that both seed germination and the growth of the subsequent plants depend on seed mass rather than seed morph. Plants from large seeds generally had greater leaf area, shoot to root ratio, biomass, and smaller leaf area ratio than those from small seeds. Within the same seed-mass class, plants from the lower fruit segment showed greater shoot to root ratio only at the end of the experiment. Since specific leaf area, leaf area ratio, and shoot to root ratio depended significantly on plant dry mass, the effect of seed mass on these variables may be actually achieved indirectly through the influence on plant size. Key words: seed dimorphism, seed mass, maternal effect, germination, growth, Cakile edentula.

Seed yield and biomass allocation in Sorghum bicolor and F1 and backcross generations of S. bicolor × S. halepense hybrids

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 468-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon K. Piper ◽  
Peter A. Kulakow
Keyword(s):  
Sorghum Bicolor ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Reproductive Allocation ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Perennial Grains ◽  
High Seed Yield

The Land Institute is developing perennial grains to be grown in prairie-like mixtures. One approach involves the development of a perennial grain sorghum by crossing tetraploid Sorghum bicolor with wild S. halepense to combine high seed yield with overwintering ability via rhizome production. We grew tetraploid S. bicolor, F1 hybrid (BC0), and two backcross generations (BC1 and BC2) in a randomized block design to examine total biomass, seed yield, and allocation to plant parts within and across generations. Root, rhizome, stem and leaf, and total biomass decreased from the BC0 to BC2 to S. bicolor generations, whereas panicle mass, seed mass, and reproductive allocation were lowest in the BC0 generation (p < 0.05, ANOVA). Mean seed mass (g ∙ plant−1) was 39.1 in the BC0, 107.3 in the BC1, 84.1 in the BC2, and 92.7 for the S. bicolor parent, which translated into yields of 171.9, 471.6, 396.7, and 407.5 g ∙ m−2, respectively. Reproductive allocation varied from 14.7% in BC0 to 28.9% in BC2 compared with 33.5% in S. bicolor. Mean allocation to rhizomes was 2.71% in BC0 but negligible in BC1 and BC2. There was no relationship between rhizome mass and seed mass within any generation, but there was a positive correlation between total plant mass and rhizome mass in BC0. We divided the BC0 population into four groups with respect to rhizome production and found no significant differences among the groups in plant size or seed yield. Within each generation, reproductive allocation was inversely related to culm mass. The lack of an apparent trade-off between allocation to rhizome versus allocation to seed within any generation supports the possibility of combining within a population high seed yield and production of perennating belowground organs. Key words: backcross, hybrid, perennial grains, reproductive allocation, rhizome, seed mass, Sorghum bicolor, Sorghum halepense.

scholarly journals Seed mass effects on germination and growth of diverse European Scots pine populations

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 306-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.B. Reich ◽  
J. Oleksyn ◽  
M.G. Tjoelker
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Relative Growth Rate ◽  
Scots Pine ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Turkish Population ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Relative Growth ◽  
Mass Effects

Seedlings of 24 European Scots pine (Pinussylvestris L.) populations were grown in controlled environment chambers under simulated photoperiodic conditions of 50 and 60°N latitude to evaluate the effect of seed mass on germination and seedling growth characteristics. Seeds of each population were classified into 1-mg mass classes, and the four classes per population with the highest frequencies were used. Photoperiod had minimal influence on seed mass effects. Overall, seed mass was positively related to the number of cotyledons and hypocotyl height. Populations differed significantly in seed mass effect on biomass. In northern populations (55–61°N), dry mass at the end of the first growing season was little affected by seed mass. However, dry mass in 9 of 15 central populations (54–48°N) and all southern (<45°N) populations correlated positively with seed mass. Relative growth rate was not related to seed mass within or across populations, and thus early growth is largely determined by seed mass. Relative growth rate also did not differ among populations, except for a geographically isolated Turkish population with the highest seed mass and lowest relative growth rate. After one growing season, height was positively correlated (r2 > 0.6) with seed mass in 15 populations. To check the duration of seed mass effects, height growth of 1- to 7-year-old field experiments established with the same seed lots were compared. Seed mass effects on height were strongest for 1-year-old seedlings and declined or disappeared by the age of 5–7 years among central and southern populations, but remained stable over that time in northern populations.

scholarly journals Size-dependent allocation of biomass to ancillary versus flowers of the inflorescences of the epiphyte Tillandsia stricta Soland (Bromeliaceae)

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Mantovani ◽  
Ricardo Rios Iglesias
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Vegetative Growth ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Reproductive Allocation ◽  
Heterogeneous Environment ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Total Leaf Area ◽  
Size Dependent

The amount of resources invested in reproduction is closely correlated to plant size. However, the increase in reproductive investment is not always proportional to the increase in vegetative growth, as the proportion of plant resources allocated to reproduction can increase, decrease or be maintained along different plant sizes. Although comprising thousand of species, epiphytes are poorly studied in relation to reproductive allocation (RA). We describe the variation in the RA of the epiphytic bromeliad Tillandsia stricta Soland with increasing plant sizes. Our goal is not only to evaluate the RA of the whole inflorescence but also quantify the contribution of ancillary structures in the final RA of this plant species. With increasing sizes of T. stricta the reproductive allocation of biomass to the whole inflorescence decreased significantly along plant sizes from 37% to 12%. Reproductive allocation to ancillary and to flowers decreased respectively from 30% to 9% and 10% to 3%. As leaves are the main source of water and nutrients absorption in atmospheric Tillandsia, the total leaf area and area per leaf were used as indicators of foraging capacity, that also increased with plant size. We discuss these results with respect to the capacity of T. stricta to reproduce in the heterogeneous environment of the canopies.

scholarly journals Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Practices to Enhance Seed Production by `Anaheim Chili' Peppers

1990 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.O. Payero ◽  
M.S. Bhangoo ◽  
J.J. Steiner
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Trickle Irrigation ◽  
Total N ◽  
Leaf Petiole ◽  
Total Seed

The effects of six applied N treatments differing by rates and frequencies of application on the yield and quality of pepper (Capsicum annuum var. annuum L. `Anaheim Chili') grown for seed was studied. The timing of N applications was based on crop phenology, leaf petiole nitrate-nitrogen concentrations (NO3-N) minimum thresholds, and scheduled calendar applications of fixed amounts of N. Solubilized NH4NO3 was applied through a trickle-irrigation system to ensure uniform and timely applications of N. Rate of mature (green and red) fruit production was unaffected by any treatment except weekly applications of 28 kg·ha-1 of N, which stopped production of mature fruit before all other treatments. Early season floral bud and flower production increased with increasing amounts of N. The two highest total N treatments produced more floral buds and flowers late in the season than the other treatments. Total fruit production was maximized at 240 kg N/ha. Differences in total fruit production due to frequency of N application resulted at the highest total N level. Red fruit production tended to be maximized with total seasonal applied N levels of 240 kg·ha-1 and below, although weekly applications of N reduced production. Total seed yield was a function of red fruit production. Pure-1ive seed (PLS) production was a function of total seed production. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) for red fruit production also decreased with N rates >240 kg·ha-1, but PLS yield and NUE decreased in a near-linear fashion as the amount of total seasonal applied N increased, regardless of application frequency. Season average NO3-N (AVE NO3-N) values >4500 mg·kg-1 had total seed and PLS yields less than those treatments <4000 mg·kg-1. Six-day germination percentage was reduced with weekly N applications of 14 kg·ha-1. Seed mass was reduced with weekly N applications of 28 kg·ha-1. Final germination percent, seedling root length and weight, and field emergence were unaffected by any of the N treatments. These findings indicate that different N management strategies are needed to maximize seed yield compared to fruit yield and, therefore, there may be an advantage to growing `Anaheim Chili' pepper specifically for seed.

scholarly journals IRRIGATION FREQUENCIES FOR Eucalyptus grandis SEEDLINGS

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 364-374
Author(s):  
Gustavo Henrique Miguel da Cruz ◽  
Fernando França da Cunha ◽  
Epitácio José de Souza ◽  
Andrisley Joaquim da Silva ◽  
Roberto Filgueiras
Keyword(s):  
Seed Quality ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Eucalyptus Grandis ◽  
Volume Ratio ◽  
Crop Coefficient ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Irrigation Depth ◽  
Total Seed

One of the bottlenecks in relation to the production of forest seedlings is irrigation, especially in less-tech nurseries. The small volumes of substrate, where the seedlings develop, lead to low water storage. This fact can lead to water deficit and significant losses in the production of seedlings, generating even mortality. The objective of this study was to determine the best irrigation frequencies for Eucalyptus grandis seedling production in less-tech nurseries. The experiment was conducted between 2013/08/04 and 2013/23/07 (106 days) and conducted in Chapadão do Sul county, Brazil. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design, with five replications. Four irrigation frequencies were tested: IF1 (one daily irrigation - 11:00 a.m.), IF2 (two daily irrigations - 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.), IF3 (three daily irrigations - 07:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.) and IF4 (four daily irrigations - 07:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.). The sample units were composed of eight seedlings in 50 cm3 conical tubes filled with soil and vermiculite in a volume ratio of 1:1. The irrigation depth was estimated by reference evapotranspiration (Penman-Monteith) multiplied by a crop coefficient equal to two. Plant height, number of definitive leaves, shoot dry mass (root and total), seed quality index, survival and efficiency of water use by eucalyptus seedlings were evaluated. The average daily irrigation depth in the experimental period was 5.2 mm. Based on the results, it is recommended for eucalyptus seedling producers, in less-tech nursery, irrigation management twice per days. (11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.).

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