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Effect of Certain Endosperm Genes on Popping Ability in Popcorn 1
Author(s) -
Richardson D. L.
Publication year - 1959
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/agronj1959.00021962005100100026x
Subject(s) - endosperm , citation , agricultural experiment station , library science , mathematics , computer science , botany , biology , history , agriculture , archaeology
M has been written, but not a great deal is known, about the popping process in popcorn. It is assumed that as heat is applied to the kernel, moisture in the starch granules is changed to steam. Since the starch granules are embedded in a proteinaceous matrix, since the peripheral portion of the endosperm tissue is corneous, and since the kernel is surrounded by a tough pericarp, steam pressure can build up to considerable proportions. Eventually, the steam pressure exceeds that which can be confined by the kernel structure and the kernel explodes. Many investigations have been conducted which bear on this popping hy_.~pothesis, and popping expansion has been shown to be atIected by: percentage of moisture in the endosperm, popping temperature, kernel size, kernel shape, kernel density, percentage of soft starch, and a ruptured pericarp. It was thought that by observing the effects different endosperm genes had on popping something more might be learned about the popping process. In order to note these effects, 14 endosperm genes, shrunken-1 (shl) , shrunken-2 (shz), brittle-1 (btl), sugary-1 (su,), sugary-2 (sue) , amylose extender (at), dull (du), shrunken floury (shf~, opaque-1 (o~), opaque-2 (o~), floury-1 (fl~), floury-2 (fl=), (wx), and soft starch (h), from dent-corn backgrounds were crossed to popcorn lines. At least 2, but usually 3, generations of backcrossing to popcorn was carried on to substitute a popcorn genetic base. In several other cases mutant genes [P32-brittle, 1533-shrunken, P303-starchy, new waxy, New Starchy] were isolated from a popcorn background. Allelism tests have not been conducted for these mutants, but in several cases they are phenotypically very similar to known endosperm genes.