Abstract
A prolific maize (Zea mays L.) genotype was grown to physiological maturity under greenhouse conditions to examine the effects of reproductive sink demand on (a) the remobilization of N accumulated during vegetative growth, and (b) the partitioning of N accumulated concurrent with ear development. One- and two-eared plants were treated with either a NO3− or NH4+ source of 15N-labeled N during reproductive growth. Plants with two ears enhanced grain production, N remobilization from the stalk and roots, and N translocation to the grain from concurrently assimilated N. But, remobilization of leaf-N was unaffected by ear number. In addition, N uptake and total dry matter accumulation during the reproductive period were also unaffected, although P uptake was greater in the two-eared plants. Less than 15% of the total K+ uptake was accumulated after silking while during this time more than 40% of the total N and more than 50% of the total P were absorbed. The data also indicate that with NO3− nutrition, internal recirculation of K+ between shoots and roots may play a prominent role in the transport of nitrogenous solutes during grain development. N source had no effect on dry matter production and N uptake of both one- and two-eared plants. However, slightly greater partitioning of labeled-N from the NH4+ source to the grain was observed in the two-eared plants.
Full text
PDFSelected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Christensen L. E., Below F. E., Hageman R. H. The effects of ear removal on senescence and metabolism of maize. Plant Physiol. 1981 Nov;68(5):1180–1185. doi: 10.1104/pp.68.5.1180. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Crafts-Brandner S. J., Below F. E., Harper J. E., Hageman R. H. Differential Senescence of Maize Hybrids following Ear Removal : I. Whole Plant. Plant Physiol. 1984 Feb;74(2):360–367. doi: 10.1104/pp.74.2.360. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Crawford T. W., Rendig V. V., Broadbent F. E. Sources, Fluxes, and Sinks of Nitrogen during Early Reproductive Growth of Maize (Zea mays L.). Plant Physiol. 1982 Dec;70(6):1654–1660. doi: 10.1104/pp.70.6.1654. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hay R. E., Earley E. B., Deturk E. E. Concentration and Translocation of Nitrogen Compounds in the Corn Plant (Zea Mays) During Grain Development. Plant Physiol. 1953 Oct;28(4):606–621. doi: 10.1104/pp.28.4.606. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Reed A. J., Below F. E., Hageman R. H. Grain Protein Accumulation and the Relationship between Leaf Nitrate Reductase and Protease Activities during Grain Development in Maize (Zea mays L.): I. VARIATION BETWEEN GENOTYPES. Plant Physiol. 1980 Jul;66(1):164–170. doi: 10.1104/pp.66.1.164. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]