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14 C‐labelled Assimilate Distribution in Flowering Maize Plants
Author(s) -
Jasdanwala R. T.,
Khan A. A.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of agronomy and crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.095
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-037X
pISSN - 0931-2250
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-037x.1988.tb00664.x
Subject(s) - husk , biology , leaf blade , agronomy , zea mays , horticulture , botany
Abstract Maize ( Zea mays L.) plants were grown in the field and labelled with 14 CO 2 at four leaf positions from silking up to maturity. The ear leaf was the most important source of labelled photosynthates to the ear, followed by the first leaf blade above and below the ear. The movement of labelled assimilates from the second leaf blade below the ear was predominantly downwards. The ear became an important sink soon after silking and continued in importance till harvest. Initially assimilates were partitioned within the ear as husk < cob < grains but at harvest as grains < cob < husk. There was considerable remobilization of assimilates from the husk and stem. Removal of leaves drastically altered the pattern of distribution of labelled photosynthates and the direction of movement was determined by the position of the source leaf blade and the defoliation treatment. Darkening the leaf blades did not much alter the translocation of the labelled photosynthate and increased slightly its proportion to the grains. The removal of the ear severely altered the pattern of distribution of 14 C, which was mostly deposited in the stem.