Development and Floret Survival in Wheat Ears With Supernumerary Spikelets

In the supernumerary spikelet wheat, AUS159I0, the supernumeraryspikelet primordia appeared just after the ear reached the terminalspikelet stage. Appearance of the primordia of the multiplesessile spikelets preceded that of indeterminate rachilla spikelets.Supernumerary spikelets had a lower number of potentially fertileflorets per spikelet than normal (non-supernumerary) spikeletsin the ear and thus a smaller number of grains per spikelet.Mean weight per grain in the supernumerary spikelet wheat waslower than in the cultivar, Meering, without supernumerary spikelets.Total grain number in the supernumerary spikelet ear was greaterthan in the normal ear despite the lower spikelet fertilityin the former. Within the supernumerary spikelet ear the multiplesessile spikelets had a higher number of grains per spikeletand mean weight per grain than the indeterminate rachilla spikelets.It appears possible to improve the productivity of the supernumeraryspikelet ear by breeding for reduced expression of the indeterminaterachilla spikelets. Wheat, ear development, floret survival, supernumerary spikelets, grain number