Abstract
There are distinct phases of grain development in maize ( Zea mays L.). Little has been reported on the relative effects of water deficits during the different phases of maize kernel development. Since endosperm cell number is important in determining sink capacity or strength, a water deficit during the lag phase may affect kernel development differently than one during the linear phase dominated by starch deposition. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of short‐ and long‐term water deficit, imposed during different phases of grain filling, on the pattern of maize kernel growth. We conducted two separate experiments. In the first, a short‐term (10 day) water deficit was imposed during endosperm cell division (the lag phase) or during the period of rapid starch deposition (the linear‐filling phase). In the second, a water deficit was initiated during the same phases, but extended until maturity. Plants were grown outdoors in Rabat, Morocco, in large pots arranged to achieve a stand density of 50 000 plants/ha. Short‐term water deficit during the lag phase resulted in a significant but transient delay in the accumulation of kernel dry mass. However, recovery from this delay was such that overall rate and duration of kernel growth were not affected. Similarly, short‐term water deficit during the linear‐filling phase had no effect on the rate or duration of kernel growth. When the long‐term water deficit treatment was initiated during the lag phase, kernel growth rate was not affected for approximately 24 days. Grain filling then terminated prematurely, resulting in a significant decrease in the duration of the grain‐filling period, and a 50% decrease in final kernel weight. When long‐term stress was imposed during the linear‐filling phase, kernel growth was not affected for 20 days, but then terminated abruptly, resulting in an 8‐day decrease in the grain‐filling period. Final kernel weight was not significantly decreased, however. Our results show that kernel growth is more sensitive to water deficits during endosperm cell division than during the period of rapid starch deposition. The higher sensitivity to water deficits during the lag phase was not a consequence of either a lack of carbohydrate availability to the grain, or an inhibition of starch synthesis, but was apparently due to an inhibition of endosperm cell division and the subsequent establishment of kernel sink capacity.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
A short-term water deficit during the lag phase caused a significant but transient delay in maize kernel dry mass accumulation.
- Treatment
- Short‐term water deficit during the lag phasee0
- Outcome
- accumulation of kernel dry masse0
- Direction
- delaye0
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Short‐term water deficit during the lag phase resulted in a significant but transient delay in the accumulation of kernel dry mass”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
After the short-term lag-phase water deficit, maize kernels recovered so that overall rate and duration of kernel growth were not affected.
- Treatment
- Short‐term water deficit during the lag phasee0
- Outcome
- overall rate and duration of kernel growthe0
- Direction
- not affectede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Short‐term water deficit during the lag phase resulted in a significant but transient delay in the accumulation of kernel dry mass. However, recovery from this delay was such that overall rate and duration of kernel growth were not affected”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
A short-term water deficit during the linear-filling phase had no effect on the rate or duration of maize kernel growth.
- Treatment
- short‐term water deficit during the linear‐filling phasee0
- Outcome
- rate or duration of kernel growthe0
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Similarly, short‐term water deficit during the linear‐filling phase had no effect on the rate or duration of kernel growth”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
With long-term water deficit started in the lag phase, maize kernel growth rate was not affected for approximately 24 days.
- Treatment
- long‐term water deficit treatmente0
- Outcome
- kernel growth ratee0
- Direction
- not affectede0
- Qualifier
- approximately 24 dayse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When the long‐term water deficit treatment was initiated during the lag phase, kernel growth rate was not affected for approximately 24 days”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Long-term water deficit started in the lag phase caused grain filling to terminate prematurely, with a significant decrease in the duration of the grain-filling period.
- Treatment
- long‐term water deficit treatmente0
- Outcome
- duration of the grain‐filling periode1
- Direction
- decreasee1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When the long‐term water deficit treatment was initiated during the lag phase”
e1“a significant decrease in the duration of the grain‐filling period”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Long-term water deficit started in the lag phase decreased final maize kernel weight by 50%.
- Treatment
- long‐term water deficit treatmente0
- Outcome
- final kernel weighte1
- Direction
- decreasee1
- Value
- 50%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When the long‐term water deficit treatment was initiated during the lag phase”
e1“a 50% decrease in final kernel weight”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
With long-term stress imposed in the linear-filling phase, maize kernel growth was not affected for 20 days, then terminated abruptly.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When long‐term stress was imposed during the linear‐filling phase, kernel growth was not affected for 20 days”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Long-term stress imposed in the linear-filling phase shortened the grain-filling period by 8 days.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When long‐term stress was imposed during the linear‐filling phase”
e1“resulting in an 8‐day decrease in the grain‐filling period”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Final maize kernel weight was not significantly decreased by long-term stress imposed in the linear-filling phase.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When long‐term stress was imposed during the linear‐filling phase”
e1“Final kernel weight was not significantly decreased”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize kernel growth is more sensitive to water deficits during endosperm cell division than during the period of rapid starch deposition.
- Treatment
- water deficits during endosperm cell divisione0
- Outcome
- kernel growthe0
- Direction
- more sensitivee0
- Comparator
- period of rapid starch depositione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Our results show that kernel growth is more sensitive to water deficits during endosperm cell division than during the period of rapid starch deposition”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The higher sensitivity to lag-phase water deficit was apparently due to inhibition of endosperm cell division and the subsequent establishment of kernel sink capacity, not to lack of carbohydrate supply or inhibited starch synthesis.
- Outcome
- higher sensitivity to water deficits during the lag phasee0
- Qualifier
- inhibition of endosperm cell division and the subsequent establishment of kernel sink capacitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The higher sensitivity to water deficits during the lag phase was not a consequence of either a lack of carbohydrate availability to the grain, or an inhibition of starch synthesis, but was apparently due to an inhibition of endosperm cell division and the subsequent establishment of kernel sink capacity”
t0“Maize”
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