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Induction of Male Sterility in Wheat with 2‐Chloroethylphosphonic Acid (Ethrel) 1
Author(s) -
Rowell P. L.,
Miller D. G.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1971.0011183x001100050007x
Subject(s) - sterility , biology , ethephon , horticulture , ovary , botany , ethylene , biochemistry , endocrinology , catalysis
Male sterility was determined in greenhouse and fieldgrown wheat ( Triticum aestivum L) sprayed with 2‐chloroethylphosphonic acid (Ethrel). Plants treated with 500 ppm in the pre‐boot and boot stages of development produced significantly fewer seeds per spike compared with untreated spikes. Plants treated with 1000 to 3,000 ppm Ethrel produced little or no seed set. The most usable level of male sterility occurred with rates ranging from 1000 to 2,000 ppm applied at the early, mid‐, and late boot stages. With increasing maturity, the concentration of Ethrel needed to approach 100% sterility also increased. The ovary, style, and stigma of treated plants appeared unaffected. In field‐grown ‘Nugaines’ winter wheat, significant differences between seeds per spike in those spikes allowed only to self‐pollinate and those allowed to cross‐pollinate with pollinators were shown for all concentrations in the early, mid‐ and late boot stages indicating ovary receptiveness. Side effects were minimal except at higher concentrations in which poor spike emergence and plant dwarfing were observed. Our results indicate that production of usable male sterility in wheat utilizing Ethrel appears feasible.