Late spring cold reduces grain number at various spike positions by regulating spike growth and assimilate distribution in winter wheat

Late spring cold(LSC) occurred in the reproductive period of wheat impairs spike and floret differentiation during the reproductive period,when young spikelets are very cold-sensitive.However,under LSC,the responses of wheat spikelets at various positions,leaves,and stems and the interactions between them at physiological levels remain unclear.In the present study,two-year treatments at terminal spikelet stage under two temperatures(2 C,-2 C) and durations(1,2,and 3 days) were imposed in an artificial climate chamber to compare the effects of LSC on grain number and yield in the wheat cultivars Yannong 19(YN19,cold-tolerant) and Xinmai 26(XM26,cold-sensitive).The night temperature regimes were designed to reproduce natural temperature variation.LSC delayed plant growth and inhibited spike and floret differentiation,leading to high yield losses in both cultivars.LSC reduced dry matter accumulation(DMA,g) in spikes,stems,and leaves,reducing the DMA ratios of the spike to leaf and spike to stem.Plant cell wall invertase(CWINV) activity increased in upper and basal spikelets in YN19,whereas CWINV increased in middle spikelets in XM26.Under LSC,soluble sugar and glucose were transported and distributed mainly in upper and basal spikelets for glume and rachis development,so that spike development was relatively complete in YN19,whereas the upper and basal spikelets were severely damaged and most of the glumes in middle spikelets were relatively completely developed in XM26,resulting in pollen abortion mainly in upper and basal spikelets.The development of glumes and rachides was influenced and grain number per spike was decreased after LSC,with kernels present mainly in middle spikelets.Overall,reduced total DMA and dry matter partitioning to spikes under LSC results in poor spikelet development,leading to high losses of grain yield.

A Comparative Study on the Role of Cytokinins in Caryopsis Development in the Maize miniature1 Seed Mutant and Its Wild Type

We report here on a comparative developmental profile of plant hormone cytokinins in relation to cell size, cell number and endoreduplicaUon in developing maize caryopsis of a cell wall invertase-deficient miniature1 （mn1） seed mutant and its wild type, Mn1, genotype. Both genotypes showed extremely high levels of total cytokinins during the very early stages of development, followed by a marked and genotype specific reduction. While the decrease of cytokinins in Mn1 was associated with their deactivation by 9-glucosylation, the absolute and the relative part of active cytokinin forms was higher in the mutant. During the exponential growth phase of endosperm between 6 d after pollination and 9 d after pollination, the mean cell doubling time, the absolute growth rate and the level of endoreduplication were similar in the two genotypes. However, the entire duration of growth was longer in Mnl compared with mnl, resulting in a significantly higher cell number in the Mnl endosperm. These data correlate with the previously reported peak levels of the Mn1-encoded cell wall invertase-2 （INCW2） at 12 d after pollination in the Mn1 endosperm. A model showing possible crosstalk among cytokinins, cell cycle and cell wall invertase as causal to increased cell number and sink strength of the Mn1 developing endosperm is discussed.