Annals of Botany 78: 749-757, 1996
© 1996 Annals of Botany Company
The Effect of New Tiller Growth on Carbohydrates, Nitrogen and Seed Yield per Ear in Lolium perenne L.
DLO Research Institute for Agrobiology and Soil Fertility (AB-DLO), P.O. Box 14, 6700, AA Wageningen, The Netherlands Wageningen Agricultural University, Department of Agronomy, Wageningen, The Netherlands
March 1, 1996 ; June 28, 1996
To clarify whether new vegetative tillers that develop around anthesis in aLolium perenne seed crop can depress seed yields, the possible competition for carbohydrates or nitrogen between the seeds and new tillers that develop after the onset of anthesis was investigated. In two greenhouse experiments the number of tillers per plant was varied by a combination of cutting, nitrogen supply, light quality and light intensity treatments. Two genotypes with different tillering rates were used. Seed yield per ear was largely independent of the number of tillers and regrowth of cut tillers after the onset of anthesis. It increased in one genotype, but only under low light and a reduced nutrient availability, and no new tillers were produced. The amount of water-soluble carbohydrates in the reproductive tillers increased in both clones under these conditions. Under more favourable conditions the increased tillering rate and regrowth of tillers after cutting did not adversely affect seed yield per ear in either clone, although carbohydrate reserves in the flowering tillers were sharply reduced. Tiller removal increased the concentration and amount of nitrogen in the remaining flowering tillers, irrespective of the amount of regrowth. It is concluded that competition for carbohydrates or nitrogen between the seeds and new vegetative tillers that develop after the onset of anthesis, is not a major cause of the low and variable seed yields inL. perenne seed crops. Processes within the ear itself are probably limiting.
Lolium perenne L.; perennial ryegrass; seed yield; seed set; tillering; carbohydrates; nitrogen; competition.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  G. P. Cheplick Host genotype overrides fungal endophyte infection in influencing tiller and spike production of Lolium perenne (Poaceae) in a common garden experiment Am. J. Botany, September 1, 2008; 95(9): 1063 - 1071. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Herrera-C., W. R. Ocumpaugh, J. A. Ortega-S., J. Lloyd-Reilley, G. A. Rasmussen, and S. Maher Environmental Influences on Seed Quality of Windmillgrass Ecotypes in South Texas Agron. J., June 23, 2008; 100(4): 1205 - 1210. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Hazard, M. Betin, and N. Molinari Correlated Response in Plant Height and Heading Date to Selection in Perennial Ryegrass Populations Agron. J., October 3, 2006; 98(6): 1384 - 1391. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. FUSTEC, J. GUILLEUX, J. LE CORFF, and J.-P. MAITRE Comparison of Early Development of Three Grasses: Lolium perenne, Agrostis stolonifera and Poa pratensis Ann. Bot., August 1, 2005; 96(2): 269 - 278. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Lapointe Fruit Development in Trillium . Dependence on Stem Carbohydrate Reserves Plant Physiology, May 1, 1998; 117(1): 183 - 188. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|