Responses to Brief Periods of Elevated Temperature in Ears and Grains of Wheat

Abstract

Brief warming of wheat ears reduced total grain weight, due mainly to a reduction in individual grain weight but also to a small reduction (2.6-12.8%) in grain number.

Warming of ears reduced the water content of the grain, independently of humidity of the air with which the ears were warmed. Warming ears at high humidity accelerated the rate of dry matter accumulation as compared to warming at low humidity but both treatments resulted in a reduction of final weight per grain. The effect of temperature, and interaction with humidity, on grain dry matter accumulation are not due to changes in the water or osmotic potential of the grain.

Warming the ears reduced temporarily the amount of sucrose and other soluble sugars in the grain, but not in the rachis or the floral organs. It seems unlikely that the supply of sugars available for distribution to the grain is depressed by elevated temperature, nor were reduced rates of grain- filling at elevated temperature simpiy related to apparent concentrations of sucrose within the grain: ripening and senescence of the pericarp were hastened by warming the ears, and these responses were not accompanied by reductions in the levels of sugars in the grain.