Register      Login
Functional Plant Biology Functional Plant Biology Society
Plant function and evolutionary biology
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > FP > FP04103
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 32(3)

Photoperiod during stem elongation in wheat: is its impact on fertile floret and grain number determination similar to that of radiation?

Fernanda G. González A D , Gustavo A. Slafer A B C and Daniel J. Miralles A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453 (C1417DSE), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

B Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, (C1417DSE) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

C Catalonian Institution for Research and Advance Studies, Department of Crop Production and Forestry, University of Lleida, Centre UdL-IRTA, Av. Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain.

D Current address: Nidera Semillas SA, Planta La Ballenera, Ruta 88 Km 41, 7607 CC 9, Miramar, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Corresponding author. Email: fgonzale@agro.uba.ar

Functional Plant Biology 32(3) 181-188 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP04103
Submitted: 17 June 2004  Accepted: 7 January 2005   Published: 5 April 2005

Abstract

Increasing duration of stem elongation by exposure to short photoperiod would result in higher spike dry weight at anthesis, which is positively associated with the number of fertile florets and grains in wheat. However, it is not easy to determine whether photoperiod effects on fertile florets and grains are only mediated by assimilate supply to the growing spike when spike weight variation is attained only with photoperiod treatments. The aim of this study was to determine whether photoperiod effects on number of fertile florets and grains may be direct, that is, not mediated by assimilate supply, by comparing the magnitude of photoperiod effects with those of shading the canopy. Spike dry weight at anthesis was changed through the factorial combination of different photoperiod (natural and 6 h extended photoperiod) and shading (un-shaded and 67 ± 3% shaded) treatments during stem elongation of Buck Manantial, a cultivar known for its photoperiod sensitivity in this phase. Both treatments modified spike dry weight at anthesis and the number of fertile florets and grains, independently. When duration of stem elongation was lengthened by exposure to natural photoperiod and when incident radiation was high, spike dry weight at anthesis increased by 33% (NP+0 v. NP+6) and 27% (un-shaded v. shaded), respectively. The number of fertile florets increased similarly to spike dry weight (34% NP+0 v. NP+6 and 28% un-shaded v. shaded) resulting in higher number of grains. Most photoperiod effects on the number of fertile florets and, consequently, on the number of grains, were mediated by assimilate supply to the growing spike as the same relationship between the number of fertile florets and spike dry weight at anthesis was observed for photoperiod and shading treatments (R2 = 0.99, P<0.05).

Keywords: fertile floret number, grain number, photoperiod, radiation, stem elongation, wheat.


Acknowledgments

We thank Federico Lovalvo, Sebastian Arisnabarreta and Valeria Passarella for field technical assistance. This study was partially funded by Fundación Antorchas, FONCyT and UBACyT competitive grants. FGG held a post-graduate scholarship from CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina) and GAS and DJM were members of CONICET. GAS was working at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and CONICET during the experimental growing seasons and at ICREA / Universitat de Lleida during final analysis of results and writing of this paper.


References


Abbate PE, Andrade FH, Culot JP, Bindraban PS (1997) Grain yield in wheat: effects of radiation during spike growth period. Field Crops Research 54, 245–257.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Allison JC, Daynard TB (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. open url image1

Appendino ML, Bartoloni N, Slafer GA (2003) Vernalization response and earliness per se in cultivars representing different eras of wheat breeding in Argentina. Euphytica 130, 61–69.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Araus, JL , Slafer, GA , Reynolds, MP ,  and  Royo, C (2004). Physiology of yield and adaptation in wheat and barley breeding. In ‘Physiology and biotechnology integration for plant breeding’. pp. 1–49. (Marcel Dekker Inc: New York)

Austin RB, Bingham J, Blackwell RD, Evans LT, Ford MA, Morgan CL, Taylor M (1980) Genetic improvements in winter wheat yields since 1900 and associated physiological changes. Journal of Agricultural Science Cambridge 94, 675–689. open url image1

Calderini, DF , Reynolds, MP ,  and  Slafer, GA (1999). Genetic gains in wheat yield and main physiological changes associated with them during the 20th century. In ‘Wheat: ecology and physiology of yield determination’. pp. 351–377. (Food Product Press: New York)

Fischer RA (1975) Yield potential in a dwarf wheat and the effect of shading. Crop Science 15, 607–613. open url image1

Fischer RA (1985) Number of kernels in wheat crops and the influence of solar radiation and temperature. Journal of Agricultural Science 100, 447–461. open url image1

Fischer RA (1993) Irrigated spring wheat and timing and amount of nitrogen fertilizer. II. Physiology of grain and yield response. Field Crops Research 33, 57–80.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Fischer RA, Stockman YM (1980) Kernel number per spike in wheat: responses to preanthesis shading. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 7, 169–180. open url image1

Gardner JS, Hess WM, Trione EJ (1985) Development of the young wheat spike: a SEM study of Chinese Spring wheat. American Journal of Botany 72, 548–559. open url image1

González FG, Slafer GA, Miralles DJ (2003a) Grain and floret number in response to photoperiod during stem elongation in fully and slightly vernalized wheats. Field Crops Research 81, 17–27.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

González FG, Slafer GA, Miralles DJ (2003b) Floret development and spike growth as affected by photoperiod during stem elongation in wheat. Field Crops Research 81, 29–38.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

González FG, Slafer GA, Miralles DJ (2005) Floret development and survival in wheat plants exposed to contrasting photoperiod and radiation environments during stem elongation. Functional Plant Biology 32, 189–197.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Halloran GM, Pennell AL (1982) Duration and rate of development phases in wheat in two environments. Annals of Botany 49, 115–121. open url image1

Haun JR (1973) Visual quantification of wheat development. Agronomy Journal 65, 116–119. open url image1

Kirby EJM (1988) Analysis of leaf, stem and ear growth in wheat from terminal spikelet stage to anthesis. Field Crops Research 18, 127–140.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Longnecker NE, Kirby EJM, Robson AD (1993) Leaf emergence, tiller growth and apical development of nitrogen-deficient spring wheat. Crop Science 33, 154–160. open url image1

Loss SP, Siddique KHM (1994) Morphological and physiological traits associated with wheat yield increases in Mediterranean environments. Advances in Agronomy 52, 229–276. open url image1

Miralles DJ, Slafer GA (1995) Yield, biomass and yield components in dwarf, semidwarf and tall isogenic lines of spring wheat under recommended and late sowing dates. Plant Breeding 114, 392–396. open url image1

Miralles DJ, Richards RA (2000) Responses of leaf and tiller emergence and primordium initiation in wheat and barley to interchanged photoperiod. Annals of Botany 85, 655–663.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Miralles DJ, Richards RA, Slafer GA (2000) Duration of stem elongation period influences the number of fertile florets in wheat and barley. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 27, 931–940. open url image1

Prystupa P, Slafer GA, Savin R (2003) Leaf appearance, tillering and their coordination in response to N × P fertilization in barley. Plant and Soil 255, 587–594.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rawson HM (1993) Radiation effects on rate of development in wheat grown under different photoperiods and high and low temperatures. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 20, 719–727. open url image1

Riddell JA, Gries GA, Stearns FW (1958) Development of spring wheat. I. The effect of photoperiod. Agronomy Journal 50, 735–739. open url image1

Rodriguez D, Andrade FH, Goudriaan J (1999) Effects of phosphorous nutrition on tiller emergence in wheat. Plant and Soil 209, 283–295.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Savin R, Slafer GA (1991) Shading effects on the yield of an Argentinean wheat cultivar. The Journal of Agricultural Science 116, 1–7. open url image1

Siddique KHM, Kirby EJM, Perry MW (1989) Ear : stem ratio in old and modern wheat varieties, relationship with improvement in number of grains per ear and yield. Field Crops Research 21, 59–78.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Slafer GA (1995) Wheat development as affected by radiation at two temperatures. Journal Agronomy & Crop Science 175, 249–263. open url image1

Slafer GA, Andrade FH (1993) Physiological attributes related to the generation of grain yield in bread wheat cultivars released at different eras. Field Crops Research 31, 351–367.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Slafer GA, Rawson HM (1994) Sensitivity of wheat phasic development to major environmental factors: a re-examination of some assumptions made by physiologists and modellers. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 21, 393–426. open url image1

Slafer GA, Rawson HM (1996) Responses to photoperiod change with phenophase and temperature during wheat development. Field Crops Research 46, 1–13.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Slafer, GA ,  and  Whitechurch, EM (2001). Manipulating wheat development to improve adaptation. In ‘Application of physiology in wheat breeding’. pp. 160–170. (CIMMYT: Mexico DF)

Slafer, GA , Araus, JL ,  and  Richards, RA (1999). Physiological traits that increase the yield potential of wheat. In ‘Wheat: ecology and physiology of yield determination’. pp. 379–416. (Food Product Press: New York)

Slafer, GA , Calderini, DF ,  and  Miralles, DJ (1996). Yield components and compensation in wheat: opportunities for further increasing yield potential. In ‘Increasing yield potential in wheat: breaking the barriers’. pp. 101–133. (CIMMYT: Mexico DF)

Slafer, GA , Satorre, EH ,  and  Andrade, FH (1994). Increases in grain yield in bred wheat from breeding and associated physiological changes. In ‘Genetic improvement of field crops: current status and development’. pp. 1–68. (Marcel Dekker Inc.: New York)

Slafer GA, Abeledo LG, Miralles DJ, González FG, Whitechurch EM (2001) Photoperiod sensitivity during stem elongation phase as an avenue to rise potential yield in wheat. Euphytica 119, 191–197.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Stockman YM, Fischer RA, Brittain EG (1983) Assimilate supply and floret development within the spike of wheat. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 10, 585–594. open url image1

Whitechurch EM, Slafer GA (2002) Contrasting Ppd alleles in wheat: effects on sensitivity to photoperiod in different phases. Field Crops Research 73, 95–105.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1