The development of winter wheat triticum aestivum cultivar maris huntsman in the field 1. relation between apical development and plant morphology within and between seasons
Baker, C.K.; Gallagher, J.N.
Journal of Agricultural Science 101(2): 327-336
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-8596 Accession: 006627897
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Main-stem apical development and its inter-relations with other aspects of plant morphology were studied in 7 field crops of winter wheat (T. aestivum L., cv. Maris Huntsman). Apical primordia were produced slowly in autumm and winter, then faster in spring as the weather became warmer. Spikelets were initiated .apprx. 3 times as fast as leaves. Leaf initiation ended at around the time that tiller bud initiation stopped. Apical dome length and diameter both increased during leaf initiation, reached a maximum at double ridges and then decreased. Double ridges appeared when very nearly 50% (range 49-52%) of the final number of spikelets was present. Spikelet initiation ended a few days after the 1st florets were initiated and when stem extension began, but usually before the stem apex rose above the soil. Floret initiation finished at about the time that the flag leaf appeared. Throughout tillering there was a strong association between tiller emergence and leaf appearance. There were considerable differences between seasons in the timing of developmental events on the apices of main stems, but a difference in sowing data of 5 mo. was reduced to little more than 1 mo. in the timing of anthesis and the maximum number of organs varied only slightly with sowing date.