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Effect of Defoliation and Deflowering on Post‐Flowering Dry Matter Distribution in Chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L)
Author(s) -
Polisetty Chandra R. Raghuveer,
Singh D. V.
Publication year - 1994
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.1994.tb00546.x
Subject(s) - dry matter , biology , agronomy , loam , dry weight , horticulture , sugar , soil water , ecology , biochemistry
Studies on source‐sink relationship were conducted in two chickpea varieties Cicer arietinum L. namely, Kabuli (L‐550) and Desi (BG‐256). The primary objective of the present study was to assess the influence of source/sink manipulation by defoliation or deflowering or both on dry matter accumulation in different vegetative parts. Seeds were sown in earthen pots containing sandy loam soils. Plants were raised under normal moisture conditions following recommended agronomic practices. In defoliation treatment all the freshly formed leaves were removed from the onset of flowering until harvest. The leaves formed earlier were kept intact. Removal of flower buds from start of flowering until harvest contributed deflowering treatment. Defoliation and deflowering treatment is a combination of both, whereas untreated plants served as control. Significant differences in dry matter distribution and total soluble sugar (TSS) content as a function of source sink manipulation were observed between the varieties. Defoliation treatment preferentially increased more stem dry weight (DW) in L‐550 and more root and nodule dry weight in BG‐256. In both the varieties deflowering treatment resulted in increased leaf and stem DW. This treatment also resulted in increased root and nodule DW in BG‐256, but only nodule DW in L‐550. When defoliation treatment was combined with deflowering, in both the varieties a decrease in DW in leaf and stem and an increase in DW of root and nodule were observed. Total dry matter content increased 2–3‐fold with deflowering in L‐550 but in Bg‐356 there was no significant increase, indicating a possible role of flowers and reproductive organs in dry matter accumulation. Similar results were obtained even with defoliation, which indicates the major role played by leaves formed before flowering in L‐550, and leaves formed after flowering in BG‐256. Thus, this study suggests variation in the functional role of leaves formed before and after flowering.