
%0 Journal Article
%A Brooking, IR 
%T Male Sterility in <I>Sorghum bicolor</I> (L.) Moench Induced by Low Night Temperature. I. Timing of the Stage of Sensitivity
%J Functional Plant Biology
%D 1976/10/01
%V 3
%N 5
%P 589-596
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/PP9760589
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/PP9760589 
%X Male sterility was induced in grain sorghum (CK 60 &#215; Tx 415) by exposure of plants to five low- temperature nights (25&#176;C day/ 10&#176;C night). Sensitivity was greatest at the late archesporial cell- pollen mother cell development period, up to the leptotene stage of meiosis. Female fertility was unaffected. For a complete inflorescence, the period of sensitivity extended from flag leaf ligule emergence until the flag sheath had elongated to about 20 cm, a period of 6-7 days under 25&#176;C day/ 20&#176;C night conditions.    Pollen development proceeded in an apparently normal manner following low temperature treatment, but was arrested just prior to maturation at the vacuolate two-celled microspore stage. Sterile pollen at anthesis was devoid of starch and had low levels of free proline. Assays of anther proline levels proved to give a reliable index of pollen maturation. 
