Abstract
Plant water deficits during flowering and early kernel growth reduce the yield potential of maize ( Zea mays L.) by decreasing kernel number per ear. Our objective was to determine if zygotic abortion, which increases in water‐deficient plants, is caused by a decrease in assimilate supply to the ear. Plants were grown in soil/sand media in a controlled environment. Beginning at silk emergence and continuing for 3 wk after pollination, leaf photosynthesis was inhibited ≈50% (moderate) or 100% (severe) by withholding water (water‐deficit treatment) or decreasing light intensity (low‐light treatment). Silk water potential (ψ w ) at pollination was about −0.7 and −1.1 MPa in the moderate and severe water‐deficit treatments, compared to about −0.4 MPa in well‐watered plants. Mean kernel number per ear was 581 in control plants and was decreased 48 and 99% by the moderate and severe water‐deficit treatments, respectively. In the corresponding low‐light treatments, kernel number was decreased 40 and 100%. Thus, losses in kernel number pe ear reflected the relative inhibition of photosynthesis during early kernel growth, regardless of plant water status. Compared to controls, the water‐deficit and low‐light treatments decreased partitioning of dry matter, carbohydrates, and reduced N to the kernels. However, carbohydrates continued to accumulate immediately after pollination in the stalk and leaf tissue. This suggests that some stalk and leaf reserves were unavailable to support early kernel growth at low ψ w . Collectively, these data indicate that early kernel development is highly dependent on a continued supply of carbohydrates from concurrent photosynthesis. Water deficits increase the probability of developmental failure by limiting this supply.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Moderate water deficit gave silk water potential of about −0.7 MPa at pollination.
- Organ / stage
- silke0
- Treatment
- moderatee0
- Outcome
- Silk water potentiale0
- Value
- −0.7e0
- Comparator
- well‐watered plantse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Silk water potential (ψ w ) at pollination was about −0.7 and −1.1 MPa in the moderate and severe water‐deficit treatments, compared to about −0.4 MPa in well‐watered plants.”
Claim · model-written summary
Severe water deficit gave silk water potential of about −1.1 MPa at pollination.
- Treatment
- severe water‐deficit treatmentse0
- Outcome
- Silk water potentiale0
- Value
- −1.1 MPae0
- Comparator
- well‐watered plantse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Silk water potential (ψ w ) at pollination was about −0.7 and −1.1 MPa in the moderate and severe water‐deficit treatments, compared to about −0.4 MPa in well‐watered plants.”
Claim · model-written summary
Control plants averaged 581 kernels per ear.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Mean kernel number per ear was 581 in control plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Moderate water deficit decreased kernel number by 48%.
- Treatment
- moderatee0
- Outcome
- kernel number per eare0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 48e0
- Comparator
- control plantse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“kernel number per ear was 581 in control plants and was decreased 48 and 99% by the moderate and severe water‐deficit treatments, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Severe water deficit decreased kernel number by 99%.
- Treatment
- severe water‐deficit treatmentse0
- Outcome
- kernel number per eare0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 99%e0
- Comparator
- control plantse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“kernel number per ear was 581 in control plants and was decreased 48 and 99% by the moderate and severe water‐deficit treatments, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Moderate low light decreased kernel number by 40%.
- Treatment
- low‐light treatmentse0
- Outcome
- kernel numbere0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 40e0
- Qualifier
- correspondinge0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“In the corresponding low‐light treatments, kernel number was decreased 40 and 100%.”
Claim · model-written summary
Severe low light decreased kernel number by 100%.
- Treatment
- low‐light treatmentse0
- Outcome
- kernel numbere0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 100%e0
- Qualifier
- correspondinge0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“In the corresponding low‐light treatments, kernel number was decreased 40 and 100%.”
Claim · model-written summary
Kernel losses reflected photosynthesis inhibition regardless of water status.
- Treatment
- plant water statuse0
- Outcome
- losses in kernel number pe eare0
- Qualifier
- relative inhibition of photosynthesise0
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“losses in kernel number pe ear reflected the relative inhibition of photosynthesis during early kernel growth, regardless of plant water status”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deficit reduced dry matter, carbohydrate and reduced nitrogen partitioning to kernels.
- Treatment
- water‐deficite0
- Outcome
- partitioning of dry matter, carbohydrates, and reduced N to the kernelse0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Comparator
- controlse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Compared to controls, the water‐deficit and low‐light treatments decreased partitioning of dry matter, carbohydrates, and reduced N to the kernels.”
Claim · model-written summary
Low light reduced dry matter, carbohydrate and reduced nitrogen partitioning to kernels.
- Treatment
- low‐light treatmentse0
- Outcome
- partitioning of dry matter, carbohydrates, and reduced N to the kernelse0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Comparator
- controlse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Compared to controls, the water‐deficit and low‐light treatments decreased partitioning of dry matter, carbohydrates, and reduced N to the kernels.”
Claim · model-written summary
Carbohydrates continued to accumulate in stalk and leaf tissue immediately after pollination.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“carbohydrates continued to accumulate immediately after pollination in the stalk and leaf tissue”
Claim · model-written summary
Some stalk and leaf reserves appeared unavailable for early kernel growth at low water potential.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“some stalk and leaf reserves were unavailable to support early kernel growth at low ψ w”
Claim · model-written summary
Early kernel development was highly dependent on carbohydrates from current photosynthesis.
- Outcome
- early kernel developmente0
- Qualifier
- a continued supply of carbohydrates from concurrent photosynthesise0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“early kernel development is highly dependent on a continued supply of carbohydrates from concurrent photosynthesis”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deficits increased developmental failure by limiting carbohydrate supply.
- Treatment
- Water deficitse0
- Outcome
- probability of developmental failuree0
- Qualifier
- by limiting this supplye0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Water deficits increase the probability of developmental failure by limiting this supply”