Are source and sink strengths genetically linked in maize plants subjected to water deficit? A QTL study of the responses of leaf growth and of Anthesis-Silking Interval to water deficit

Leaf growth and Anthesis–Silking Interval (ASI) are the main determinants of source and sink strengths of maize via their relations with light interception and yield, respectively. They depend on the abilities of leaves and silks to expand under fluctuating environmental conditions, so the possibili...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of experimental botany Vol. 58; no. 2; pp. 339 - 349
Main Authors:	Welcker, C, Boussuge, B, Bencivenni, C, Ribaut, J-M, Tardieu, F
Format:	Journal Article Conference Proceeding
Language:	English
Published:	Oxford Oxford University Press 01-01-2007 Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
Subjects:	Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions Alleles Anthesis–Silking Interval ASI Biological and medical sciences Corn Economic plant physiology evaporative demand Flowers - growth & development Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology Gene Expression Regulation, Plant Genetic Variation growth leaf Memory interference Plant genetics Plant growth Plant Leaves - growth & development Plants QTL Quantitative Trait Loci silk Soil Soil water Soil water content Soil water deficit SPECIAL ISSUE PAPER temperature tropical lines Water - metabolism Water - pharmacology water deficit Water relations, transpiration, stomata Zea mays Zea mays - drug effects Zea mays - genetics Zea mays - metabolism Zea mays L silk ASI tropical lines evaporative demand QTL temperature water deficit growth leaf Zea mays L Anthesis-Silking Interval Agronomic character Monocotyledones Temperature Zea mays Growth Water deficit Plant leaf Gramineae Angiospermae Spermatophyta
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Summary:	Leaf growth and Anthesis–Silking Interval (ASI) are the main determinants of source and sink strengths of maize via their relations with light interception and yield, respectively. They depend on the abilities of leaves and silks to expand under fluctuating environmental conditions, so the possibility is raised that they may have a partly common genetic determinism. This possibility was tested in a mapping population which segregates for ASI. Maximum leaf elongation rate per unit thermal time (parameter a) and the slopes of its responses to evaporative demand and soil water status (parameters b and c) were measured in greenhouse and growth chamber experiments, in two series of 120 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) studied in 2004 and 2005 with 33 RILs in common both years. ASI was measured in three and five fields under well-watered conditions and water deficit, respectively. For each RIL, the maximum elongation rate per unit thermal time was reproducible over several experiments in well-watered plants. It was accounted for by five QTLs, among which three co-localized with QTLs of ASI of well-watered plants. The alleles conferring high leaf elongation rate conferred a low ASI (high silk elongation rate). The responses of leaf elongation rate to evaporative demand and to predawn leaf water potential were linear, allowing each RIL to be characterized by the slopes of these response curves. These slopes had three QTLs in common with ASI of plants under water deficit. The allele for leaf growth maintenance was, in all cases, that for shorter ASI (maintained silk elongation rate). By contrast, other regions influencing ASI had no influence on leaf growth. These results may have profound consequences for modelling the genotype×environment interaction and for designing drought-tolerant ideotypes.
Bibliography:	ark:/67375/HXZ-LQ81X934-1 istex:415C449EE8E2DDDAF4A2A8F7BD270A4EEFBE189D ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0022-0957 1460-2431
DOI:	10.1093/jxb/erl227