Pattern and Control of Distribution of 14C-assimilates in Reproductive Plants of Lolium multiflorum Lam. var. Westerwoldicum

The distribution of ¹⁴C-assimilates was examined in reproductiveplants of Lolium multiflorum Lam. var. Westerwoldicum (cv. Tama)from which all emerged tillers had been removed, leaving themain tiller with two expanding leaves, one of them the flagleaf, and two expanded leaves. Export of ¹⁴C from the lowerexpanded leaf was mainly to the tiller in its axil, the steminternode below its node and the roots, whereas the upper expandedleaf supplied predominantly the expanding leaves, the ear, steminternodes, roots and the tiller bud in the axil of the lowerleaf. Defoliation and root-pruning showed that expanding leaveswere able to compete successfully for assimilates, probablythrough the production of substances capable of mobilizing supply.Local application of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), gibberellicacid (GA₃) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) to small tiller budsshowed that GA³ and BAP promoted bud growth and ¹⁴C accumulation,but that addition of NAA reduced these effects.