In wheat crop, usually we observe that the middle seeds in the spike are bolder compared with the grains on the top and bottom of the spike. What are the genetic and physiological reasons for this phenomenon? Explain please.....
Hi
It has been well reported in the literature that the degree and rate of grain filling in wheat spikelets differ largely with their positions on a panicle. Markedly differences were also reported in the floret development, carbohydrate supply and endogenous hormones and starch synthesis among grains within a rice and wheat spike. The middle spikelets had significant higher percentage of B-type starch granules, yet, the limited substrate for starch accumulation was mainly partitioned for growing starch granules of basal and upper spikelets.
Please go through: Differences of Starch Granule Distribution in Grains from Different Spikelet Positions in Winter Wheat, By Anling Yu, Yong Li, Yingli Ni, Weibing Yang, Dongqing Yang, Zhengyong C:
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0114342
Seed filing is one of the most important agri-commercial aspects of crop seed physiological studies. In several plants there is a seed size variation due to spatial and temporal differences. We have also noticed the same thing in several wild medicinal plants - the phenomenon is widespread
You should look up the papers by HM Rawson from the late 1960s and early 1970s; the CSIRO did a huge amount of work assessing growth of wheat spikelets, whole plants, photosynthesis, etc. Mostly published in Australian Journal of Biological Sciences, but some of the other CSIRO Journals as well. The link is to a paper specifically on grain position.
http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/BI9700753.htm
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