Apical Dominance, Water Deficit and Axillary Inflorescence Growth in Zea mays: The Role of Abscisic Acid

In the sweet corn cultivar, Iochief, an episode of water deficitduring early tassel development results in a subsequent promotionof the growth of the lower axillary inflorescences. This responseis also produced by the application of abscisic acid (ABA) atthis period of growth to well-watered plants, and the hypothesisthat the response to water deficit was due to an increase inendogenous ABA concentration was examined. The ABA contentsof the tassel, leaf and axillary inflorescences were found toincrease during water stress, the increase in the tassel andaxillary buds being most rapid in the first 2 days of waterdeficit. This increase in free ABA content was followed after4 days of water deficit by a progressive increase in the concentrationof ‘bound’ ABA in the tissues. There was littleincrease in free ABA concentration after 4 days water deficit;this paralleled the subsequent growth response of the axillaryinflonscences which also was unaffected by prolonging the epidoseof water deficit beyond 4 days. In order to establish whether the response of the axillary inflorescencesto ABA was dependent upon the presence of the tassel, ABA wasapplied to watered plants with or without the developing tassel.As had been previously found with water stress, removing thetassel inhibited the response of the plant to applied ABA. Zea mays, apical dominance, water stress, inflorescence growth, abscisic acid     

Water Deficit and Inflorescence Development in Zea mays L.--The Role of the Developing Tassel

In the normal pattern of development of Zea mays (cv. Iochief)a single mature female inflorescence is produced at node 7.A brief episode of water deficit at the time of terminal maleinflorescence initiation induced the subsequent developmentof two to three mature female inflorescences at nodes 5–7.This growth of the inflorescences at lower nodes was accompaniedby a marked inhibition of the growth of the terminal male inflorescence.Removal of either the developing terminal inflorescence or ofthe axillary inflorescence at node 7 at this time also promotedthe growth of the lower axillary inflorescences. The growthof these inflorescences was further stimulated by a period ofwater deficit when only the inflorescence at node 7 was removed,but removal of the male inflorescence abolished the capacityof these inflorescences to respond to the water deficit Excisionof the male inflorescence immediately before or immediatelyafter the period of water deficit produced the same response.It is concluded that this response of the lower axillary inflorescencesto water deficit is mediated through an effect on the developingterminal male inflorescence. Zea mays, water deficit, inflorescence development, tassel, correlative inhibition     

Water Deficit and Inflorescence Development in Zea mays L.

A water deficit imposed during the period of terminal male inflorescenceinitiation and early development reduced both the growth rateand the mature size of that organ in Zea mays (cv. Iochief).Growth and development of the axillary shoots, the potentialfemale inflorescences, was inhibited during the episode of waterdeficit but promoted thereafter. As a result, plants which hadbeen subjected to a water deficit at that period produced 2–3mature cobs and relatively large axillary shoots at the lowernodes, whereas plants supplied with water throughout produceda single mature cob and relatively small axillary shoots. A water deficit imposed during other growth phases did not producethis response and, moreover, a further period of deficit imposedlater in development, following a deficit at the sensitive stage,inhibited the enlargement of the axillary shoots invoked bythe earlier deficit. It did not, however, inhibit the enhancedfloral development of those axillary shoots nor reverse theinhibition of tassel growth. The data are discussed in relation to correlative inhibitionin Zea mays.