Abstract
Most of the carbohydrates used for grain growth in wheat are produced after anthesis (for reviews see Thorne, 1974; Austin and Jones, 1975; Evans et al., 1975). The amount of carbon assimilated during grain filling thus constitutes the ultimate upper limit to yield. It has been shown with some genotypes, however, that the amount of carbon assimilation after anthesis can be more than adequate to ensure that all grains are well filled (Fischer and Hille RisLambers, 1978; Aguilar-M and Hunt, 1984), and thus does not impose a limit to yield. Such a contradiction may reflect that fact that most wheat breeding programmes include good grain filling as an explicit objective of selection — a selection criterion that may only be satisfied when carbon assimilation substantially exceeds the demands of grain growth (Fischer et al., 1977). Thus, carbon assimilation during the grain-filling period may limit yield even though physiological analyses show that grain requirements for carbohydrates are less than the post-anthesis supply. Clarification of this point is essential for good deployment of effort in a wheat improvement programme and it would be aided by a comprehensive model of carbon assimilation during the grain-filling period.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Austin, R. B., and Edrich, J., 1975, Effects of ear removal on photosynthesis, carbohydrate accumulation and on the distribution of assimilated 14C in wheat, Ann, Bot., 39:141.
Austin, R. B., and Jones, H. G., 1975, The physiology of wheat, A. Rep. Pl. Breed. Inst., 1975, 20.
Austin, R. B., Ford, M. A., Edrich, J. A., and Blackwell, R. D., 1977, The nitrogen economy of winter wheat, J. agric. Sci., Camb., 88:159.
Aguilar, M. I., and Hunt, L. A., 1984, Genotypic variation in some physiological traits in winter wheat grown in the humid continental climate of Ontario, Can. J. Pl. Sci., 64:113.
Aslam, M., and Hunt, L. A., 1978, Photosynthesis and transpiration of the flag leaf in four spring-wheat cultivars, Planta, 141:23.
Canvin, D. T., 1976, Interrelationship between carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism, in: “Genetic Improvement of Seed Proteins”, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.
Clarke, J. M., and McCaig, T. N., 1982, Evolution of techniques for screening for drought resistance in wheat, Crop Sci., 22:503.
Dalling, M. J., Boland, G., and Wilson, J. H., 1976, Relation between acid proteinase activity and redistribution of nitrogen during grain development in wheat, Aust. J. Pl. Physiol., 3:721.
Dantuma, G., 1973, Rates of photosynthesis in leaves of wheat and barley varieties. Neth. J. agric. Sci., 21:188.
de Vos, N. M., 1975, Field photosynthesis of winter wheat during the grain-filling phase under highly fertile conditions, in: “Proceedings of the 2nd International Winter Wheat Conference”, Zagreb, Yugoslavia.
Evans, L. T., and Rawson, H. M., 1970, Photosynthesis and respiration by the flag leaf and components of the ear during grain development in wheat, Aust. J. Biol. Sci., 23:245.
Evans, L. T., Wardlaw, I. F., and Fischer, R. A., 1975, Wheat, in: “Crop Physiology; Some Case Histories”, L. T. Evans, ed., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Fischer, R. A., and Hille RisLambers, D., 1978, Effect of environment and cultivar on source limitation in wheat, Aust. J. agric. Res., 29:443.
Fischer, R. A., Aguilar, M. I. and Laing, D. R., 1977, Post-anthesis sink size in a high yielding dwarf wheat: yield response to grain number, Aust. J. agric. Res., 28:165.
Fischer, R. A., Bidinger, F., Syme, J. R., and Wall, P. C., 1981, Leaf photosynthesis, leaf permeability, crop growth and yield of short spring wheat genotypes under irrigation, Crop Sci., 21:367.
Farquhar, G. D., and Sharkey, T. D., 1982, Stomatal conductance and photosynthesis, A. Rev. Pl. Physiol., 33:317.
Gregory, P. J., Marshall, B., and Biscoe, P. V., 1981, Nutrient relations of winter wheat. 3. Nitrogen uptake, photosynthesis of flag leaves and translocation of nitrogen to grain, J. agric. Sci., 96:539.
Hucklesby, D. P., Brown, C. M., Howell, S. E., and Hageman, R. H., 1971, Late spring applications of nitrogen for efficient utilization and ennanced production of grain and grain protein of wheat, Agron. J., 63:274.
Johnson, V. A., Mattern, P. J., and Schmidt, J. W., 1967, Nitrogen relations during spring growth in varieties of Triticum aestivum L. differing in grain protein content, Crop Sci., 7:664.
Khan, M. A., and Tsunoda, S., 1970a, Evolutionary trends in leaf photosynthesis and related leaf character among cultivated wheat species and its wild relatives, Jap. J. Breed., 20:133.
Khan, M. A., and Tsunoda, S., 1970b, Differences in leaf photosynthesis and leaf transpiration rates among six commercial wheat varieties, Jap. J. Breed., 20:344.
Kramer, T. L., 1979, Environmental and genetic variation for protein content in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Euphytica, 28:209.
Lai, P., Reddy, G. G., and Modi, M. S., 1978, Accumulation and redistribution pattern of dry matter and N in triticale and wheat varieties under water stress condition, Agron. J., 70:623.
Lindoo, S. J., and Nooden, L. D., 1976, The interrelation of fruit development and leaf senescence in Anoka1 soybeans, Bot. Gaz., 137:218.
Löffler, G. M., and Busch, R. H., 1982, Selection for grain protein, grain yield and nitrogen partitioning efficiency in hard red spring wheat, Crop Sci., 22:591.
McNeal, F. H., Berg, M. A., and Watson, C. A., 1966, Nitrogen and dry matter in five spring wheat varieties at successive stages of development. Agron J., 58:605.
Migus, W. N., and Hunt, L. A., 1980, Gas exchange rates and nitrogen concentrations in two winter wheat cultivars during the grain filling period, Can. J. Bot., 58:2110.
Mikeseil, M. E., and Paulsen, G. M., 1971, Nitrogen translocation and the role of individual leaves in protein accumulation in wheat grain, Crop Sci., 11:919.
Morgan, J. M., 1977, Changes in diffusive conductance and water potential of wheat plants before and after anthesis, Aust. J. Pl. Physiol., 4:75.
Neales, T. F., Anderson, M. J., and Wardlaw, I. F., 1963, The role of the leaves in the accumulation of nitrogen by wheat during ear development, Aust. J. agric. Res., 14:725.
Osman, A. M., and Milthorpe, F. L., 1971, Photosynthesis of wheat leaves in relation to age, illuminance and nutrient supply. II. Results, Photosynthetica, 5:61.
Patterson, T. G., and Moss, D. N., 1979, Senescence in field grown wheat, Crop Sci., 19:635.
Puckridge, D. W., 1971, Photosynthesis of wheat under field conditions. III. Seasonal trends in carbon dioxide uptake of crop communities, Aust. J. agric. Res., 22:1.
Puckridge, D. W., and Ratkowsky, D. A., 1971, Photosynthesis of wheat under field conditions. IV. The influence of density and leaf area index on the response to radiation, Aust. J. agric. Res., 22:11.
Rawson, H. M., and Evans, L. T., 1971, The contribution of stem reserves to grain development in a range of wheat cultivars of different height, Aust. J. agric. Res., 22:851.
Rawson, H. M., Gifford, R. M., and Bremner, P. M., 1976, Carbon dioxide exchange in relation to sink demand in wheat, Planta, 132:19.
Sinclair, T. R., and de Wit, C. T., 1975, Photosynthate and nitrogen requirements for seed production by various crops, Science., 189:565.
Spiertz, J. H. J., 1977, The influence of temperature and light intensity on grain growth in relation to the carbohydrate and nitrogen economy of the wheat plant, Neth. J. agric. Sci., 25:182.
Spiertz, J. H. J., and Ellen, J., 1978, Effects of nitrogen on crop and grain growth of winter wheat in relation to assimilation and utilization of assimilates and nutrients, Neth. J. agric. Sci., 26:210.
Spiertz, J. H. J., and van Laar, H. H., 1978, Differences in grain growth, crop photosynthesis and distribution of assimilates between a semi-dwarf and a standard cultivar of winter wheat, Neth. J. agric. Sci., 26:233.
Stoy, V., 1975, Use of tracer techniques to study yield components in seed crops, in: “Tracer Techniques for Plant Breeding”, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna.
Swank, J. C, Below, F. E., Lambert, R. J., and Hageman, R. H., 1982, Interaction of carbon and nitrogen metabolism in the productivity of maize, Pl. Physiol., 70:1185.
Thomas, H., and Stoddart, J. L., 1980, Leaf senescence, A. Rev. Pl. Physiol., 31:83.
Thorne, G. N., 1974, Physiology of grain yield of wheat and barley, Rothamsted Exp. Stn Rep., 1973, Pt. II, 5.
van der Eoorten, G., 1979, Characteristics of gas exchange, grain growth and leaf nitrogen in some selected wheat cultivars of different yield potentials, M.Sc. thesis, university of Guelph.
Winzeler, H., and Nosberger, J., 1980, Carbon dioxide exchange of spring-wheat in relation to age and photon-flux density at different growth temperatures, Ann. Bot., 46:b85.
Wittenbach, V. A., 1979, Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase and proteolytic activity in wheat leaves from anthesis tnrough senescence, Pl. Physiol., 64:884.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1985 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hunt, L.A. (1985). Relationships between Photosynthesis, Transpiration and Nitrogen in the Flag and Penultimate Leaves of Wheat. In: Day, W., Atkin, R.K. (eds) Wheat Growth and Modelling. NATO ASI Science, vol 86. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3665-3_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3665-3_14
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-3667-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-3665-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive