Flowering, reproductive behaviors and their effects on grain yields of newly bred single cross hybrids of yellow maize (Zea mays L.) in winter in subtropical Nepalese Himalayan foot plain

Introduction: All the plants of a maize population or hybrid PP (plant population) do not dehisce anthers and do not emerge silk simultaneously. Generally, male flowering or anther dehiscence (anthesis) is leading and female flowering (silk emergence or silking) is lagging under both conducive and stressful environment. Enough and timely pollen availability is indispensible when silks come out of maize ears for largest number of kernel set. So, study of flowering and reproductive behavior of newly bred maize hybrids are indispensible to confirm high grain yielding hybrid with trait of simultaneous anthesis and silking (synchrony). Materials and methods: Flowering and reproductive behaviors of fifteen newly bred single cross hybrids of yellow maize have been examined in winter growing them in an RCBD trial planting their seeds on October 3, 2012 in subtropical foot plain of Himalaya. For flowering (FB); emergence of male organ (emergence of tassel or tasseling or TSS) from apical node of the stem, anthesis, silking, browning of silk or withering of silk (silk senescence or S SEN), tassel-anthesis interval (TAI), anthesis-silking interval (ASI), silking-silk senescence interval (S INI-S SEN Interval) of the hybrids have been examined dissecting the plant population (PP) into four equal parts (percent) as the first earliest, second earliest, third earliest and terminal 25% of the PP denominated as 25, 50, 75 and 100% respectively of the each of the fifteen hybrids. So, whether third earliest 25% and terminal 25% silk emerging PP denominated as SILK 75 and SILK 100% respectively will get enough pollen from the PP of the same hybrid can be determined through ASI 75 and ASI 100 of the hybrid PP. Results and discussion: A polynomial grain yield estimating regression equation (t ha-1) Y = - 11922 + 507.3*(TSS25) - 7.183*(TSS25)2 + 0.03387*(TSS25)3 with r2 value 66% has been discovered from days taken for TSS25 (TSS of earliest 25% PP). Similarly, high r2 bearing polynomial equations were from days for anthesis and silking of the PPs of the fifteen hybrids. Equations with the lowest r2 were for the days required for the silk senescence (S SEN). Reason of low r2 is that the observation of silk browning or withering could not be precise for naked eye since the silks looked fresh longer in high humidity, low temperature and cloudy day in the winter although it lost receptivity earlier. In addition, Interval duration from S INI to S SEN cannot be the duration of silk receptivity in the winter of subtropical Nepalese Himalayan foot plain. For reproductive behavior; number of functional egg cells that became successful zygotes to pull assimilates for complete kernel development can reflect aroma about reproductive strength (RS) of the hybrid. Accordingly, hybrids 8 and 5 have been found of the highest RS.

Flowering, reproductive behaviors and their effects on grain yields of newly bred single cross hybrids of yellow maize (Zea mays L.) in winter in subtropical Nepalese Himalayan foot plain

Introduction: All the plants of a maize population or hybrid PP (plant population) do not dehisce anthers and do not emerge silk simultaneously. Generally, male flowering or anther dehiscence (anthesis) is leading and female flowering (silk emergence or silking) is lagging under both conducive and stressful environment. Enough and timely pollen availability is indispensible when silks come out of maize ears for largest number of kernel set. So, study of flowering and reproductive behavior of newly bred maize hybrids are indispensible to confirm high grain yielding hybrid with trait of simultaneous anthesis and silking (synchrony). Materials and methods: Flowering and reproductive behaviors of fifteen newly bred single cross hybrids of yellow maize have been examined in winter growing them in an RCBD trial planting their seeds on October 3, 2012 in subtropical foot plain of Himalaya. For flowering (FB); emergence of male organ (emergence of tassel or tasseling or TSS) from apical node of the stem, anthesis, silking, browning of silk or withering of silk (silk senescence or S SEN), tassel-anthesis interval (TAI), anthesis-silking interval (ASI), silking-silk senescence interval (S INI-S SEN Interval) of the hybrids have been examined dissecting the plant population (PP) into four equal parts (percent) as the first earliest, second earliest, third earliest and terminal 25% of the PP denominated as 25, 50, 75 and 100% respectively of the each of the fifteen hybrids. So, whether third earliest 25% and terminal 25% silk emerging PP denominated as SILK 75 and SILK 100% respectively will get enough pollen from the PP of the same hybrid can be determined through ASI 75 and ASI 100 of the hybrid PP. Results and discussion: A polynomial grain yield estimating regression equation (t ha-1) Y = - 11922 + 507.3*(TSS25) - 7.183*(TSS25)2 + 0.03387*(TSS25)3 with r2 value 66% has been discovered from days taken for TSS25 (TSS of earliest 25% PP). Similarly, high r2 bearing polynomial equations were from days for anthesis and silking of the PPs of the fifteen hybrids. Equations with the lowest r2 were for the days required for the silk senescence (S SEN). Reason of low r2 is that the observation of silk browning or withering could not be precise for naked eye since the silks looked fresh longer in high humidity, low temperature and cloudy day in the winter although it lost receptivity earlier. In addition, Interval duration from S INI to S SEN cannot be the duration of silk receptivity in the winter of subtropical Nepalese Himalayan foot plain. For reproductive behavior; number of functional egg cells that became successful zygotes to pull assimilates for complete kernel development can reflect aroma about reproductive strength (RS) of the hybrid. Accordingly, hybrids 8 and 5 have been found of the highest RS.

Influence of Nitrogen and Humidity on Rhizome Bud Growth and Glyphosate Translocation in Quackgrass (Agropyron repens)

When buds on the rhizome of quackgrass [Agropyron repens(L.) Beauv.] were released from apical dominance either by increasing the nitrogen supply to the parent shoot (from 5.25 to 210 ppm) or by raising the humidity around the rhizome (from 55 to 100%), the growth response of the buds was closely correlated with their uptake of foliar-applied14C-labeled glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl] glycine]. The14C level in the buds, expressed on a dry-weight basis, was greatest in the youngest, most rapidly growing bud at the apical node and decreased in successively older buds along the rhizome. A similar gradient was shown by the14C content of the associated rhizome nodes. The high-humidity treatment also increased the total amount of14C that was translocated into the rhizome, whereas increasing the nitrogen supply, while promoting14C uptake by the buds, markedly reduced the amount in the rhizome nodes and in other parts of the plant. This nitrogen-induced reduction in translocation was associated with a reduction of about 30% in uptake of the herbicide by the treated leaves.