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Sucrose Content in the Stalks of Maize Inbreds 1
Author(s) -
Van Reen Robert,
Singleton W. Ralph
Publication year - 1952
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1952.00021962004400120003x
Subject(s) - citation , singleton , content (measure theory) , mathematics , library science , computer science , biology , pregnancy , mathematical analysis , genetics
F R O M the earliest days of our country attempts have been made to develop a sugar industry with cornstalks as the source of sugar. Collier (5), in his book on sorghum, considered maize to be a fair source of sugar, but surpassed by certain sorghums which averaged 1 6 1 5 % sucrose. Willaman et ai. (13), in their intensive study of the possibility ,of using cornstalk juice as a source for syrup, found the stalks of sweet corn at the canning stage had a density of from 9-11 degrees Brix. The Brix reading is an expression of the refractive index using the correspondirig percent of dissolved sucrose which would give a similar index. After standing 10-20 days following the removal of ears the density was reported to increase up 13-17 degrees Brix with sucrose in some samples reaching a :high of 15%: Others (3, 4) have reported the expressed juice of maize stalks to contain 1&12,y0 sugar at the .time of ear formation and as high as 17,yo sugar if pollination is prevented. Singleton (12) reported a Connecticut field corn inbred, c103, to contain high sucrose in the stalk juice while developing a good ear. One sample contained a total of 11.25% sugar, E;.65,% being sucrose and 2.60,% being invert sugars. Under similar conditions the juice of other varieties of maize varied in sucrose contcent from 1-470. An iiivestigation was begun to elucidate the genetic control of the sucrose content of cornstalks. I t soon became ,apparent, however, that more would have to be known about the pattern of sucrose storage before a genetic study would be feasible. The studies reported here are concerned, therefore, with the rate of production and utilization of stalk sucrose in several varieties of maize inbreds, including Cl03. A study was also made to determine whether Brix density readings alone would give a reliable measure of sucrose content of the stalk juice. Lennox et d. ( 9 ) have demonstrated the usefulness of Brix determinations in sugar cane studies. Jansi ( 8 ) found a good correlation between total solids and Brix density in sugar beets which was confirmed by Martraise ( l o ) , who reported also that no constant ratio could be found between solids by refractometry and sucrose by polarization. Recently, Gore (6) has applied the Brix density determination to measure the extract o f cornstalks.