Antheseabhängige UV-Muster in Blütenständen von Asteraceen

The pseudanthia ofHeliopsis scabra andRudbeckia vulgaris (Asteraceae) were examined during the anthesis for differences in their UV patterns. Distinct changes in the reflectance and absorbance properties could be observed. The results suggest a close correlation between different stages of floral development and pollinator attraction.

Herrn Prof. Dr.Lothar Geitler zum 90. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Change in floral nectar components from fresh to senescent flowers ofCapparis spinosa (Capparidaceae), a nocturnally flowering Mediterranean shrub

We studied the nectar characteristics in relation to flower age of the summer flowering Mediterranean shrubCapparis spinosa in three localities in Southern Greece. Anthesis was nocturnal. Nectar volume, concentration, and sucrose/hexose ratio varied with site, year, and between individual plants; amino acid concentration varied only with site. The sucrose/hexose ratio decreased considerably with flower age, while the glucose/fructose ratio remained constant (ca. 1), implying that nectar sucrose broke down in the course of anthesis. Sugar breakdown increased with water content of nectar. Amino acid concentration was strongly age-dependent: It was low in fresh flowers, relatively high in middle-aged ones (except aspartic acid that was extremely increased), and very high in senescent ones. We attribute the amino acid changes to phenomena related to flower senescence in the dark.     

Self-fertility and associated flower head traits in the Iberian taxa ofLactuca and related genera (Asteraceae: Lactuceae)

Sexual reproduction is the main reproduction mechanism among the 14 wild Iberian taxa ofLactuca, Prenanthes, Cicerbita, andMycelis. High levels of self-fertilization occur inLactuca, as well as facultative and obligate xenogamy. Xenogamy is strongly correlated with large capitula having blue or bright yellow colouration, high P/O ratios, and long anthesis, whereas self-fertilization is correlated with smaller capitula having pale yellow colouration, small P/O ratios, and short anthesis. Large variations occur in P/O index among taxa showing similar fertilization mechanism, probably in relation to the number of florets included in flower heads. Interesting differences in reproductive systems have been detected between subspecies ofLactuca viminea.     

Effect of temperature on seed production in the invasive grass Glyceria maxima (Hartm.) Holmb. (Poaceae) in South Africa

Temperature is one of the main factors that determine sexual reproduction in terrestrial and emergent aquatic plant species. The effect of temperature on sexual reproduction and seed production of Glyceria maxima (Hartm.) Holmb. in the southern hemisphere is unknown. Glyceria maxima collections in February 2010 at three isolated infestations in KwaZulu-Natal failed to yield a single seed, only empty panicles. Laboratory experiments showed that vernalisation had no consistent effect on seed production. Field- and laboratory-grown plants produced seeds in the 2010/2011 season, because of having sufficient time at optimum temperatures required for seed production (1 491 and 1 585 hours, respectively), compared to a shorter period (1 352 hours) of suitable temperatures during the 2009/2010 growing season. An inadequate period of optimum temperatures (15–25°C) during seed production resulted in the lack of seeds in the field in the 2009/2010 growing season. This study showed that temperature and duration of exposure thereto during the seed-production period play vital roles in G. maxima sexual reproduction.     

Testing the responses of four wheat crop models to heat stress at anthesis and grain filling

Higher temperatures caused by future climate change will bring more frequent heat stress events and pose an increasing risk to global wheat production. Crop models have been widely used to simulate future crop productivity but are rarely tested with observed heat stress experimental datasets. Four wheat models (DSSAT‐CERES‐Wheat, DSSAT‐Nwheat, APSIM‐Wheat, and WheatGrow) were evaluated with 4 years of environment‐controlled phytotron experimental datasets with two wheat cultivars under heat stress at anthesis and grain filling stages. Heat stress at anthesis reduced observed grain numbers per unit area and individual grain size, while heat stress during grain filling mainly decreased the size of the individual grains. The observed impact of heat stress on grain filling duration, total aboveground biomass, grain yield, and grain protein concentration (GPC) varied depending on cultivar and accumulated heat stress. For every unit increase of heat degree days (HDD, degree days over 30 °C), grain filling duration was reduced by 0.30–0.60%, total aboveground biomass was reduced by 0.37–0.43%, and grain yield was reduced by 1.0–1.6%, but GPC was increased by 0.50% for cv Yangmai16 and 0.80% for cv Xumai30. The tested crop simulation models could reproduce some of the observed reductions in grain filling duration, final total aboveground biomass, and grain yield, as well as the observed increase in GPC due to heat stress. Most of the crop models tended to reproduce heat stress impacts better during grain filling than at anthesis. Some of the tested models require improvements in the response to heat stress during grain filling, but all models need improvements in simulating heat stress effects on grain set during anthesis. The observed significant genetic variability in the response of wheat to heat stress needs to be considered through cultivar parameters in future simulation studies.     

Effect of pollination and fertilization on the expression of genes related to floral transition, hormone synthesis and berry development in grapevine

In the present work, the effect of assisted fertilization on anatomical, morphological and gene expression changes occurring in carpels and during early stages of berry development in Vitis vinifera were studied. Inflorescences were emasculated before capfall, immediately manually pollinated (EP) and fruit development was compared to emasculated but non-pollinated (ENP) and self-pollinated inflorescences (NESP). The diameter of berries derived from pollinated flowers (EP and NESP) was significantly higher than from non-pollinated flowers (ENP) at 21 days after emasculation/pollination (DAE), and a rapid increase in the size of the inner mesocarp, together with the presence of an embryo-like structure, were observed. The expression of gibberellin oxidases (GA20ox and GA2ox), anthranilate synthase (related to auxin synthesis) and cytokinin synthase coding genes was studied to assess the relationship between hormone synthesis and early berry development, while flower patterning genes were analyzed to describe floral transition. Significant expression changes were found for hormone-related genes, suggesting that their expression at early stages of berry development (13 DAE) is related to cell division and differentiation of mesocarp tissue at a later stage (21 DAE). Expression of hormone-related genes also correlates with the expression of VvHB13, a gene related to mesocarp expansion, and with an increased repression of floral patterning genes (PISTILLATA and TM6), which may contribute to prevent floral transition inhibiting fruit growth before fertilization takes place.     

玉米开花期相关性状的QTL分析

利用玉米强优势组合(Mo17×黄早四)自交衍生的191个F_2单株构建了由SSR和AFLP标记组成的分子连锁图谱,用F2进一步自交产生的184个F_(2:3)家系调查散粉期、吐丝期和开花-吐丝间隔期(ASI)的表型值,采用基于混合线性模型的复合区间作图法和相应的作图软件QTLmapper/V2.0,在两个生长环境下定位了与散粉期、吐丝期和ASI相关的QTL数目分别为13、7和5个,检测到3对控制散粉期、17对控制吐丝期和5对控制ASI的上位性效应位点;同时发现了与环境存在显著互作的3个散粉期、3个吐丝期和2个ASI单位点标记区域以及1对散粉期、3对吐丝期和2对ASI上位性效应区域.对玉米散粉期、吐丝期和ASI遗传基础中遗传因素相对作用大小分析表明,加性效应、部分显性效应和上位性效应是玉米开花期相关性状的重要遗传基础.     

氮肥后移对花后受渍冬小麦灌浆特性及产量构成的影响

2010～2012年连续2个生长季,以小麦品种‘烟农19’为材料,大田试验按基肥∶拔节肥∶孕穗肥比例设为氮肥处理N1(10∶0∶0)、N2(7∶3∶0)、N3(5∶5∶0)、N4(3∶5∶2),采用多项式、Logistic方程拟合不同氮肥运筹对花后受渍冬小麦灌浆期籽粒体积与干重变化过程,研究不同氮肥运筹对花后受渍冬小麦灌浆特性及产量构成的影响.结果表明:(1)两年度间各指标变化趋势基本一致,故各指标结果按其两年度平均值计算.(2)花后渍水使冬小麦籽粒体积减小11.8％,灌浆速率降低15.4％,灌浆历期缩短9.2％,千粒重降低20.9％,穗粒数减少7.0％,籽粒产量降低26.6％,而对穗数无显著影响.相对于氮肥全部作为基肥处理N1,氮肥后移处理N2、N3、N1的小麦籽粒体积分别增加10.2％、15.0％、19.4％,灌浆速率分别提高8.5％、16.0％、18.2％,灌浆历期分别延长5.0％、9.4％、11.5％,千粒重分别增加11.9％、20.2％ 、25.6％,穗粒数分别增加7.9％、12.3％、14.6％,产量分别提高18.1％ 、29.6％、37.6％,而穗数分别降低2.2％、3.8％、4.3％.(3)各灌浆参数与冬小麦籽粒产量的关联度表明,花后渍水逆境对灌浆速率的影响大于对灌浆历期的影响,氮肥后移主要通过提高小麦中后期灌浆速率缓解渍水逆境胁迫伤害.研究认为,在花后土壤受渍冬小麦生产区,生产中可获得最高小麦产量的最佳氮肥运筹模式为N4(3∶5∶2)处理.