Abstract
Abstract The process of sexual reproduction in flowering plants often exposes pollen grains to the environment and the potential effects of atmospheric deposition. Experiments were designed to determine whether simulated acid rain treatments just before or after pollination could adversely influence reproductive processes and seed set in corn ( Zea mays L.). Container‐grown corn with sexually mature tassels and ears were exposed once to simulated rain at four pH levels for 1 h, beginning 1 h after artificial pollination or ending 10 min before artificial pollination. The single, artificial pollination deposited an average of 85 pollen grains per silk. Simulated rain treatment at pH 4.5, 3.5, or 2.5 after pollination reduced the percentage seed set of treated ears 7, 29, and 34%, respectively, as compared with pH 5.5. Simulated rain at pH 5.5 after pollination reduced seed set 24% as compared with no‐rain controls. The pH of simulated rain applied before pollination did not affect seed set, and pH 5.5 rain applied before pollination had no effects on seed set compared to no‐rain controls. Microscopic observations indicated that pollen germination and pollen tube penetration of the silk were completed by the time the rain treatments began 1 h after pollination. This infers that simulated acid rain influenced pollen tubes after they entered the silks. These results suggest that plant sexual reproduction could be adversely affected by acidic precipitation at pH levels observed for rain events in eastern North America.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Postpollination rain at pH 4.5 reduced seed set by 7% versus pH 5.5.
- Taxon
- Corn
Zea mays subsp. mayst0 - Treatment
- pH 4.5e0
- Outcome
- percentage seed sete0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 7e0
- Comparator
- pH 5.5e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Simulated rain treatment at pH 4.5, 3.5, or 2.5 after pollination reduced the percentage seed set of treated ears 7, 29, and 34%, respectively, as compared with pH 5.5.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Postpollination rain at pH 3.5 reduced seed set by 29% versus pH 5.5.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- 3.5e0
- Outcome
- percentage seed sete0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 29e0
- Comparator
- pH 5.5e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Simulated rain treatment at pH 4.5, 3.5, or 2.5 after pollination reduced the percentage seed set of treated ears 7, 29, and 34%, respectively, as compared with pH 5.5.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Postpollination rain at pH 2.5 reduced seed set by 34% versus pH 5.5.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- 2.5e0
- Outcome
- percentage seed sete0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 34e0
- Comparator
- pH 5.5e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Simulated rain treatment at pH 4.5, 3.5, or 2.5 after pollination reduced the percentage seed set of treated ears 7, 29, and 34%, respectively, as compared with pH 5.5.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Postpollination pH 5.5 rain reduced seed set by 24% versus no rain.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- Simulated rain at pH 5.5 after pollinatione0
- Outcome
- seed sete0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 24%e0
- Comparator
- no‐rain controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Simulated rain at pH 5.5 after pollination reduced seed set 24% as compared with no‐rain controls.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Rain pH before pollination did not affect seed set.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- pH of simulated rain applied before pollinatione0
- Outcome
- seed sete0
- Direction
- did not affecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The pH of simulated rain applied before pollination did not affect seed set”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Prepollination pH 5.5 rain had no seed-set effect versus no rain.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- pH 5.5 rain applied before pollinatione0
- Outcome
- seed sete0
- Direction
- no effectse0
- Comparator
- no‐rain controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“pH 5.5 rain applied before pollination had no effects on seed set compared to no‐rain controls.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Pollen germination and silk penetration were complete when rain began one hour after pollination.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Outcome
- pollen germination and pollen tube penetration of the silk were completede0
- Qualifier
- 1 h after pollinatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“pollen germination and pollen tube penetration of the silk were completed by the time the rain treatments began 1 h after pollination.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors infer that acid rain affected pollen tubes after silk entry.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Organ / stage
- silkse0
- Treatment
- simulated acid raine0
- Outcome
- pollen tubese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“simulated acid rain influenced pollen tubes after they entered the silks.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest acidic rain can adversely affect plant sexual reproduction at regional rain pH.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- acidic precipitatione0
- Outcome
- plant sexual reproductione0
- Setting
- eastern North Americae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plant sexual reproduction could be adversely affected by acidic precipitation at pH levels observed for rain events in eastern North America.”
t0“Corn”
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