Cone Size in the Florida Cycad, Zamia integrifolia: Trade-off between Seed Size and Seed Number

The effect of pod number on the seed yield and components of seed yield was examined for narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) grown at a plant density of 36 plants/m2 in both the glasshouse and the field. Diflerent numbers of pods per plant in the glasshouse-grown lupin were generated by the application of N6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) to a specific number of flowers to ensure artificially that they set pods, and the subsequent removal of the remaining untreated flowers. Pod number ranged from 6 to 65 pods/plant in the glasshouse and was naturally distributed from 2 to 22 pods/plant in the field. Increases in seed yield per plant occurred as pod number per plant increased from 2 to 30 pods. No further increases in seed yield resulted when pod number per plant increased from 30 to 55 pods. Seed yield per plant was depressed as pod number increased from 55 to 65 pods. Seed size fell as pod number per plant increased over 20 pods and was less affected once the number of seeds per pod was reduced. The reduction in seed number per pod resulted from an increase in the number of seeds that aborted during seed filling. The data suggest that at a plant density of 36 plants/m2 there is potential for improving seed yield per plant by increasing the number of pods that reach maturity, provided it does not exceed 30 pods/plant. However, if consideration is given to producing large seeds, often preferred by buyers, the number of pods per plant should not exceed 20 pods.

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Differences in life history traits of relatedEpilobium species: Clonality, seed size and seed number

Folia Geobotanica ◽

10.1007/bf02803073 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 7-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Jürg Stöcklin

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Seed Size ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Seed Number

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Fitness constraints on flower number, seed number and seed size in the dimorphic species Primula farinosa L. and Armeria maritima (Miller) Willd.

New Phytologist ◽

10.1111/j.1469-8137.1994.tb03002.x ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 128 (3) ◽

pp. 563-570 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

KATHLEEN BAKER ◽

A. J. RICHARDS ◽

MICHELLE TREMAYNE

Keyword(s):

Seed Size ◽

Seed Number ◽

Flower Number ◽

Armeria Maritima ◽

Dimorphic Species

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Estrategia reproductiva de Copaifera langsdorffii (Fabaceae): más semillas o mejores semillas?

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v63i4.16314 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 1161 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Matheus Lopes Souza ◽

Ricardo Ribeiro Sollar ◽

Marcílio Fagundes

Keyword(s):

Seed Size ◽

Trade Off ◽

Size Number ◽

Copaifera Langsdorffii ◽

Distribución Geográfica

El compromiso o balance adaptativo de las semillas en tamaño/número (trade-off seed size/number) es un reconocido fenómeno capaz de dar forma a los procesos ecológicos de la colonización y el establecimiento de especies de plantas. Los estudios que describen el compromiso adaptativo de las semillas en tamaño/número en especies con fructificación supra-anual siguen siendo raros. En este estudio, se probaron dos hipótesis predictivas para compromiso adaptativo de las semillas en tamaño/número: (i) una a escala poblacional, semillas producidas durante el año de mayor inversión reproductiva mostraran un tamaño reducido, y (ii) otra a escala individual que se dará una relación inversa entre el tamaño y número de semillas producidas por la planta individual. Para probar estas predicciones, 102 plantas adultas de Copaifera langsdorffii fueron monitoreadas mensualmente entre enero y septiembre, durante cuatro años consecutivos (2008-2011) con el fin de estudiar la inversión reproductiva de las plantas. Plantas langsdorffii C. exhibieron actividad reproductiva sólo durante el 2008 y 2011. El número promedio de semillas por rama fue 26.4 % mayor en 2008 en comparación con 2011. También se observó que el tamaño de la semilla fue mayor en 2008, cuando las plantas producen mayor número de frutos. Por lo tanto, los datos no apoyan la primera hipótesis de predicción de tamaño/número. En ambos años reproductivos, existía una relación negativa entre el tamaño de la semilla y el número de semillas, comprobando la segunda hipótesis de predicción del tamaño/número de semillas. El periodo de interacción con el año reproductivo sugiere que el compromiso adaptativo de las semillas en tamaño/número fue de hecho más fuerte en 2011, cuando las plantas produjeron baja cantidad de semillas. Por último, este estudio llama la atención por el patrón de fructificación supra-anual en C. langsdoffii, y sugiere que los patrones fenológicos contribuyen a explicar la amplia variación en el tamaño de la semilla y la distribución geográfica.

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Coupled influence of precipitation regimes and seedling emergence time on the reproductive strategy in Chloris virgata

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.8476 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. e8476

Author(s):

Ying Wang ◽

Jiawei Chen ◽

Yige Huang ◽

Zhongsheng Mu ◽

Changfu Wang

Keyword(s):

Seed Size ◽

Reproductive Strategy ◽

Seedling Emergence ◽

Tiller Number ◽

Seed Number ◽

Emergence Time ◽

Precipitation Regime ◽

Precipitation Regimes ◽

Chloris Virgata ◽

Low Precipitation

Precipitation regime and seedling emergence time both influence plant growth and reproduction. However, little attention has been given to the effects of these combined factors on the reproductive strategy of Chloris virgata, which is a vital species in Songnen grassland. Here, we simulated the changes in the precipitation regime and seedling emergence time to evaluate tiller traits and seed production. The results showed that tiller number behaved similarly among three precipitation regimes when sowed on 15 May (T1), while it increased significantly with precipitation regimes when sowed on 15 June (T2) and 15 July (T3). Tiller number decreased significantly with the seedling emergence time under the same water supply treatment. The proportional allocation of reproductive tiller number to total tiller number was significantly higher at T3 than at T1 and T2. Seed number remained similar under different precipitation regimes at T2 and T3, whereas it was significantly lower under low precipitation than under other water levels at T1. Seed number reached the maximum values at T2 under the same level of precipitation treatment. Seed size was significantly lower under low precipitation compared to other water supply treatments and the lowest values in seed size, about 0.5 mg, occurred at T2 under all the precipitation regimes. The lowest values in spike number were under low precipitation at all seedling emergence times. Seed yield exhibited similar trends with seed size under different precipitation regimes, while the greatest gains in these values were at T1 under all the precipitation regimes. Our findings showed that simulated precipitation regimes and seedling emergence time affected the reproductive strategy of C. virgata. Typical and high precipitation, as well as early seedling emergence, will improve the seed yield and seed quality in this species.

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