Low temperature induced spikelet sterility in rice. I. Nitrogen fertilisation and sensitive reproductive period

2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 937 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Gunawardena ◽  
S. Fukai ◽  
F. P. C. Blamey

Low temperature during panicle development in rice increases spikelet sterility. This effect is exacerbated by high rates of nitrogen (N) application in the field. Spikelet sterility induced by low temperature and N fertilisation was examined in glasshouse experiments to clarify the mechanisms involved. In two glasshouse experiments, 12-h periods of low (18/13�C) and high (28/23�C) day/night temperatures were imposed over periods of 5–7 days during panicle development, to determine the effects of low temperature and N fertilisation on spikelet sterility. In one experiment, 50% sunlight was imposed together with low temperature to investigate the additive effects of reduced solar radiation and low temperature. The effect of increased tillering due to N fertilisation was examined by a tiller removal treatment in the same experiment. Pollen grain number and spikelet sterility were recorded at heading and harvest, respectively. Although there was no significant effect of low temperature on spikelet sterility in the absence of applied N, low temperature greatly increased spikelet sterility as a result of a reduction in the number of engorged pollen grains per anther in the presence of applied N. Spikelet sterility was strongly correlated with the number of engorged pollen grains per anther. Low temperature during very early (late stage of spikelet differentiation–pollen mother cell stage) and peak (second meiotic division stage–early stage of extine formation) microspore development caused a severe reduction in engorged pollen production mainly as a result of reduced total pollen production. Unlike low temperature, the effect of shading was rather small. The increased tillering due to application of high rates of N, increased both spikelet number per plant and spikelet sterility under low temperature conditions. The removal of tillers as they appeared reduced the number of total spikelets per plant and maintained a large number of engorged pollen grains per anther which, in turn, reduced spikelet sterility. The number of engorged pollen grains per anther determined the numbers of intercepted and germinated pollen grains on the stigma. It is concluded that N increased tillering and spikelet number per plant and this, in turn, reduced the number of engorged pollen grains per anther, leading into increased spikelet sterility under low temperature condition.

2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 947 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Gunawardena ◽  
S. Fukai ◽  
F. P. C. Blamey

Low temperatures impose restrictions on rice (Oryza sativa L.) production at high latitudes. This study is related to low temperature damage that can arise mid-season during the panicle development phase. The objective of this study was to determine whether low temperature experienced by the root, panicle, or foliage is responsible for increased spikelet sterility. In temperature-controlled glasshouse experiments, water depth, and water and air temperatures, were changed independently to investigate the effects of low temperature in the root, panicle, and foliage during microspore development on spikelet sterility. The total number of pollen and number of engorged pollen grains per anther, and the number of intercepted and germinated pollen grains per stigma, were measured. Spikelet sterility was then analysed in relation to the total number of pollen grains per spikelet and the efficiency with which these pollen grains became engorged, were intercepted by the stigma, germinated, and were involved in fertilisation. There was a significant combined effect of average minimum panicle and root temperatures on spikelet sterility that accounted for 86% of the variation in spikelet sterility. Total number of pollen grains per anther was reduced by low panicle temperature, but not by low root temperature. Whereas engorgement efficiency (the percentage of pollen grains that were engorged) was determined by both root and panicle temperature, germination efficiency (the percentage of germinated pollen grains relative to the number of engorged pollen grains intercepted by the stigma) was determined only by root temperature. Interception efficiency (i.e. percentage of engorged pollen grains intercepted by the stigma), however, was not affected by either root or panicle temperature. Engorgement efficiency was the dominant factor explaining the variation in spikelet sterility. It is concluded that both panicle and root temperature affect spikelet sterility in rice when the plant encounters low temperatures during the microspore development stage.


2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. C. Farrell ◽  
K. M. Fox ◽  
R. L. Williams ◽  
S. Fukai ◽  
L. G. Lewin

Low temperature during microspore development increases spikelet sterility and reduces grain yield in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The objectives of this study were to determine genotypic variation in spikelet sterility in the field in response to low temperature and then to examine the use of physio-morphological traits at flowering to screen for cold tolerance. Multiple-sown field experiments were conducted over 4 consecutive years in the rice-growing region of Australia to increase the likelihood of encountering low temperature during microspore development. More than 50 cultivars of various origins were evaluated, with 7 cultivars common to all 4 years. The average minimum temperature for 9 days during microspore development was used as a covariate in the analysis to compare cultivars at a similar temperature. The low-temperature conditions in Year 4 identified cold-tolerant cultivars such as Hayayuki and HSC55 and susceptible cultivars such as Sasanishiki and Doongara. After low temperature conditions, spikelet sterility was negatively correlated with the number of engorged pollen grains, anther length, anther area, anther width, and stigma area. The number of engorged pollen grains and anther length were found to be facultative traits as their relationships with spikelet sterility were identified only after cold water exposure and did not exist under non-stressed conditions.


1998 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maristela Sanches Bertasso-Borges ◽  
James Robert Coleman

The embryology of Eupatorium pauciflorum indicates diplospory with autonomous endosperm development. The embryo sac is of the polygonum type and the polar nuclei mostly fuse before anthesis. The occurrence of precocious embryo and endosperm development in unopened florets, and the total absence of germinated pollen grains on exposed stigmas, as well as the absence of pollen tubes in the ovules, indicate agamospermy to be obligate and embryo and endosperm development autonomous. The study of microsporogenesis revealed the total absence of pollen production in consequence of microsporocyte degeneration before the onset of meiosis, which resulted in absolute male sterility. E. pauciflorum was demonstrated to be an autotriploid with a basic set of 10 chromosomes, each represented three times. Embryological studies showed E. intermedium to undergo reductive meiosis with tetrad formation during megasporogenesis, followed by monosporic embryo sac development of the polygonum type. The polar nuclei fuse before anthesis. The egg cell invariably attains anthesis still undivided, without precocious embryony. Meiosis of microsporogenesis results in the regular formation of 10 bivalents and the subsequent stages of microsporogenesis are normal. Stigmatic loads indicate the regular occurrence of pollination with viable, functional grains. Karyotypic studies revealed a complement of 20 chromosomes separable into 10 pairs. It is concluded that E. pauciflorum, as represented by the material studied, is apomictic while E. intermedium is sexual.


2005 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 625 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Gunawardena ◽  
S. Fukai

Increased grain yield in response to high rates of application of nitrogen (N) fertiliser is often limited by increased spikelet sterility, particularly under low temperature conditions in the New South Wales (NSW) rice industry. In 3 field experiments, different N rates were applied for different sowing dates to investigate the interaction between N rate and temperature during microspore development on spikelet sterility and grain yield. In one experiment the effect of water depth on spikelet sterility was also investigated. Engorged pollen production, spikelet sterility, and yield and its components were recorded. Application of N affected a few different processes that lead into spikelet sterility. Application of N at both pre-flood (PF) and panicle initiation (PI) significantly reduced the number of engorged pollen grains per anther, which was negatively correlated with spikelet sterility. Application of N and low temperature during microspore development with the absence of deep water also decreased pollen engorgement efficiency (the percentage of pollen grains that were engorged). Application of N further increased spikelet density, which, in turn, increased both spikelet sterility and grain yield. The combined effect of spikelet density and low temperature during microspore development explained the 44% of variation in the number of engorged pollen grains per anther. Grain yield was decreased by low temperature during microspore development in the shallow water when N was applied. Spikelet sterility as a result of late sowing was strongly correlated with minimum temperature during flowering. It is concluded that N application reduced pollen number per anther as a result of increased spikelet density, and this made the spikelets more susceptible to low temperature, causing increased spikelet sterility.


1972 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 569-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. YEUNG ◽  
E. N. LARTER

A study of the pollen production properties of three hexaploid triticale strains (Triticale hexaploide Lart.) showed that their anther length was significantly greater than that of wheat anthers (Triticum aestivum L. em Thell.) and the estimated number of pollen grains per anther ranged from 15,000 to 21,000. In comparison, a total of 8000 grains per anther was estimated for wheat, cult Manitou. Eighty-nine percent anther extrusion occurred in triticale cult Rosner, while Manitou averaged 70% anther extrusion. The period of anthesis of triticale varied according to strain but generally was of longer duration than in Manitou and thereby promoted outcrossing. Using a triticale strain carrying a dominant marker gene, 50% seed-set was obtained at a distance of 12 m leeward of the pollen source; however, a small percentage was still obtained at a distance of 30 m. It would appear from the limited number of triticales used in this study that a wide range of variability exists within this species in its pollen production and disseminating properties. With appropriate selection pressures, strains with an outbreeding habit could be developed for the purpose of hybrid seed production.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 4031-4038
Author(s):  
M E Minie ◽  
M E Koshland

The gene for the immunoglobulin M (IgM)-polymerizing protein, the J chain, is activated when the mature B cell is triggered to secrete pentamer IgM. Activation of the gene was found to be associated with chromatin changes in a 240-base-pair region at the 5' end of the gene. Analyses of lymphoid lines showed that the 5' region was resistant to nuclease digestion at the immature B-cell stage; it became slightly more accessible in mature B cells and cells at an early stage in the IgM response and then displayed an open, hypersensitive structure in IgM-secreting cells. In addition, analyses of normal, mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes showed that the open hypersensitive structure was coinducible with J-chain gene expression. These results suggest that the 5' chromatin changes precede transcription, making control sequences within the site accessible to regulatory factors.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudhanshu Sekhar ◽  
Jitendra Kumar ◽  
Soumya Mohanty ◽  
Niharika Mohanty ◽  
Rudraksh Shovan Panda ◽  
...  

Abstract High grain number is positively correlated with grain yield in rice, but it is compromised because of poor filling of basal spikelets in dense panicle bearing numerous spikelets. The phenomenon that turns the basal spikelets of compact panicle sterile in rice is largely unknown. In order to understand the factor(s) that possibly determines such spikelet sterility in compact panicle cultivars, QTLs and candidate genes were identified for spikelet fertility percentage, panicle compactness and ethylene production that significantly influence the grain filling using recombinant inbred lines developed from a cross between indica rice cultivars, PDK Shriram (compact, high spikelet number) and Heera (lax, low spikelet number). Novel QTLs, qSFP1.1, qSFP3.1 and qSFP6.1 for spikelet fertility percentage; qIGS3.2 and qIGS4.1 for panicle compactness; and qETH1.2, qETH3.1 and qETH4.1 for ethylene production were consistently identified in both kharif seasons of 2017 and 2018. The comparative expression analysis of candidate genes like ERF3, AP2-like ethylene-responsive transcription factor, EREBP, GBSS1, E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase GW2, and LRR receptor-like serine/threonine-protein kinase ERL1 associated with identified QTLs revealed their role in poor grain filling of basal spikelets in dense panicle. These candidate genes thus could be important for improving grain filling in compact-panicle rice cultivars through biotechnological interventions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 64-69
Author(s):  
L. Bayramov

Abstract. The zones of distribution of varieties and forms of quince on the territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic have been established, phenological observations have been carried out, their flowering and fruiting have been studied. On the territory of the Autonomous Republic, flowering of varieties and forms of quince begins in the second decade of April, depending on the distribution zone, with an average daily temperature of 12–13 °C and lasts 12–13 days, depending on weather conditions. Each flower has 10–12 stamens arranged in one row. The article also studied the viability of pollen in a number of quince varieties. Pollen viability was studied in the varieties Sary, Tursh, Ordubad, Gara and wild forms. Pollen fertility was determined by staining with acetocarmine. Pollen germinates in 2–5–10–15 and 20% glucose solution. Counting of germinated pollen grains was carried out under a microscope. The study showed that of all the experimental varieties, the pollen fertility of the Sary quince and Tursh quince varieties is high (up to 96.6–97.1%). The best medium for the germination of quince pollen is a 10–15% glucose solution. Pollen germination in this solution reaches 47.4–88.0%. In distilled water (control), the germination of quince pollen reached from 9.7% to 35.6% for varieties. Quince pollen remains viable for 31–43 days.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoon Kim ◽  
Sun-Ho Kim ◽  
Dong-Min Shin ◽  
Soo-Hwan Kim

ATBS1-INTERACTING FACTOR 2 (AIF2) is a non-DNA-binding basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor. Here, we demonstrate that AIF2 negatively modulates brassinosteroid (BR)-induced, BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT 1 (BZR1)-mediated pollen and seed formation. AIF2-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants (AIF2ox) showed defective pollen grains and seed production while two AIF2 knockout mutants, aif2-1 and aif2-1/aif4-1, displayed opposite phenotypes. Genes encoding BZR1-regulated positive factors of seed size determination (SHB1, IKU1, MINI3) were suppressed in AIF2ox and genes for negative factors (AP2 and ARF2) were enhanced. Surprisingly, BZR1-regulated pollen genes such as SPL, MS1, and TDF1 were aberrantly up-regulated in AIF2ox plants. This stage-independent abnormal expression may lead to a retarded and defective progression of microsporogenesis, producing abnormal tetrad microspores and pollen grains with less-effective pollen tube germination. Auxin plays important roles in proper development of flower and seeds: genes for auxin biosynthesis such as TCPs and YUCCAs as well as for positive auxin signalling such as ARFs were suppressed in AIF2ox flowers. Moreover, lipid biosynthesis- and sucrose transport-related genes were repressed, resulting in impaired starch accumulation. Contrarily, sucrose and BR repressed ectopic accumulation of AIF2, thereby increasing silique length and the number of seeds. Taken together, we propose that AIF2 is negatively involved in pollen development and seed formation, and that sucrose- and BR-induced repression of AIF2 positively promotes pollen production and seed formation in Arabidopsis.


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