Some effects of leaf posture on photosynthesis and yield in wheat

Canopy enclosures were used to study the photosynthesis of two winter wheat genotypes with contrasting leaf posture (E, erect; L, lax). Over the grain filling period, the net carbon dioxide fixation during the daytime was nearly always greater in E than in L. In general, a greater proportion of the fixation took place in the lower leaves of E than L. Because of the slower senescence of its lower leaves, the leaf area index of E was slightly but consistently higher than that of L and this appeared to account, in part, for the difference between the genotypes in canopy photosynthesis. However, during June and early July, when the leaf area indices were above three, the more uniform distribution of light in the canopy of E than in that of L appeared to be a cause of its higher rate of photosynthesis. Over the grain filling period, more dry matter was lost from the stems of L than from those of E. It is suggested that the shortfall of assimilate for grain filling was met, at least in part, by translocation of materials from the stems and that their greater depletion in L made up for the lower contribution from current assimilation in this genotype.