Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T04:28:45.174Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Primordium initiation at the shoot apex in four contrasting varieties of spring wheat in response to sowing date

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

W. R. Stern  and
E. J. M. Kirby
W. R. Stern
Affiliation:
Plant Breeding Institute, Trumpington, Cambridge CB2 2LQ
E. J. M. Kirby
Affiliation:
Plant Breeding Institute, Trumpington, Cambridge CB2 2LQ
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The spring wheat varieties Kolibri, a typical north temperate variety, Pitic 62, a Mexican variety known to respond to vernalization and two selections from the Institute's breeding programme TW 161 and TJB 155 were sown early (2–5 March), during the normal sowing period (27 March) and late (17 April). Primordium initiation was observed until the time of terminal spikelet initiation and the number of leaves and the number of spikelets were analysed in terms of rate and duration of leaf and spikelet primordium initiation. The rate of leaf initiation was affected by time of sowing but not in a systematic way and there were differences between varieties in the way in which the number of leaves changed in response to sowing time. The rate of spikelet initiation increased and the duration decreased with later sowing. There were strong variety × time of sowing interactions. For almost all characters measured, Pitic 62 responded least to time of sowing. Varieties differed in the way in which the number of spikelets per ear responded to time of sowing but in all cases the changes were only small. This waa because the change in the rate of spikelet initiation was almost exactly compensated for by a change in the duration of spikelet initiation. In each variety, the period from terminal spikelet initiation to ear emergence was similar in all sowing treatments and was of similar duration in the main shoot and in the ear-bearing tillers.

The number of leaves per shoot on the tillers was less than the number of leaves on the main shoot and the rate of spikelet primordium initiation of the tillers was faster than in the main shoot. These changes tended to synchronize the time of terminal spikelet initiation. Because of the changes in the number of leaves per shoot and the rate of spikelet initiation the number of spikelets borne on the main shoot and the tillers were similar although the growth period of the tillers was shorter than that of the main shoot.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 93 , Issue 1 , August 1979 , pp. 203 - 215
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allison, J. C. S. & Daynard, T. B. (1976). Effect of photoperiod on development and number of spikelets of a temperate and some low-latitude wheats. Annals of Applied Biology 83, 93–102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bingham, J. (1972). Physiological objectives in breeding for grain yield in wheat. Proceedings of 6th Eucarpia Congress, Cambridge, 1971, 15–29.Google Scholar
Bonnett, O. T. (1966). Inflorescences of maize, wheat, rye, barley and oats: their initiation and development. University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 721.Google Scholar
Finlay, K. W. & Wilkinson, G. N. (1963). The analysis of adaptation in a plant breeding programme. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 14, 742–754.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fischer, J. E. (1973). Developmental morphology of the inflorescence in hexaploid wheat cultivars with and without the cultivar Norin 10 in their ancestry. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 53, 7–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallagher, J. N., Biscoe, P. V. & Scott, R. K. (1976). Barley and its environment. VI. Growth and development in relation to yield. Journal of Applied Ecology 13, 563–583.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, D. P. (1973). Inflorescence development of semi dwarf and standard height wheat cultivars in different photoperiod and nitrogen treatments. Canadian Journal of Botany 51, 941–956.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirby, E. J. M. (1974). Ear development in spring wheat. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82, 437–447.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirby, E. J. M. & Faris, D. G. (1972). The effect of plant density on tiller growth and morphology in barley. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 78, 281–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lucas, D. (1972). The effect of daylength on primordia production of the wheat apex. Australian Journal of Biological Science 25, 649–656.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lupton, F. G. H., Bingham, J., Oliver, R. H. & Jackson, P. J. (1973). Winter wheat. Annual Beport, Plant Breeding Institute, Cambridge, 1972, 66–69.Google Scholar
Nautical Almanac (1972). London: H.M.S.O.Google Scholar
Rahman, M. S. & Wilson, J. H. (1978). Determination of spikelet number in wheat. III. Effect of varying temperature on ear development. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 29, 459–467.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rawson, H. M. (1970). Spikelet number, its control and relation to yield per ear in wheat. Australian Journal of Biological Science 23, 1–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sage, G. C. M. (1971). Spring wheat. Annual Beport, Plant Breeding Institute, Cambridge, 1970, 38–41.Google Scholar
Sage, G. C. M. (1972). Spring wheat. Annual Beport, Plant Breeding Institute, Cambridge, 1971, 73–74.Google Scholar
Sage, G. C. M. & Chapman, P. J. (1973). Spring wheat. Annual Beport, Plant Breeding Institute, Cambridge, 1972, 71–74.Google Scholar
Wall, P. C. & Cartwright, P. M. (1974). Effects of photoperiod, temperature and vernalization on the phenology and spikelet numbers of spring wheats. Annals of Applied Biology 76, 299–309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar