Table 5. The correlations between sink and flow characteristics.

	NLVBNI	NSVBNI	DNI	BINI	AOTNSC	Setting rate	1,000-grain weight
NSVBNI	0.52 *
DNI	0.51 *	0.61 **
BINI	0.25	0.57 *	0.53 *
AOTNSC	0.25	0.55 *	0.35	0.74 **
Setting rate	0.17	0.63 **	0.52 *	0.57 *	0.66 **
1000-grain weight	-0.07	-0.16	-0.17	-0.13	-0.22	-0.23
Grain yield	0.16	0.71 **	0.58 **	0.61 **	0.67 **	0.87 **	-0.04

The data are correlation coefficients, “*” (“**”) mean the values are significantly different at p<0.05 (0.01). NLVB_NI: Number of large vascular bundles in the neck internode; NSVB_NI: Number of small vascular bundles in the neck internode; D_NI: Diameter of the neck internode; BI_NI: Bleeding intensity of the neck internode; AOT_NSC: Apparent efflux of NSC in the culm and sheath.