Seasonal and diurnal patterns of non-structural carbohydrates in source and sink tissues in field maize.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Carbohydrate partitioning and utilization is a key determinant of growth rate and of yield in plants and crops. There are few studies on crops in field conditions. In Arabidopsis, starch accumulation in leaves is a negative indicator of growth rate. RESULTS:Here, we wished to establish if starch accumulation in leaves could potentially be a marker for growth rate and yield in crops such as maize. We characterized daily patterns of non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) at different growth stages over two seasons for maize hybrids in the field. In 27 commercial hybrids, we found a significant negative relationship between residual starch in leaves and plant growth, but not with final yield and biomass. We then focused on three typical hybrids and established a method for calculation o

SUBMITTER: Liang XG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6868840 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature