Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T05:35:48.528Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Physiological studies on the leaf blades of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in relation to nitrate assimilation and grain protein accumulation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

T. V. R. Nair  and
Y. P. Abrol
T. V. R. Nair
Affiliation:
Nuclear Research Laboratory, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
Y. P. Abrol
Affiliation:
Nuclear Research Laboratory, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, Shera and Kalyansona, which differ in grain protein percentage and in its enhancement by fertilizer application were selected for the present study. The analysis was confined to the leaf blades of the main shoot of plants grown at three rates of application of urea giving 0 (N0), 90 (N90) and 180 (N180) kgN/ha. Cv. Shera produced ten leaf blades on its main shoot while cv. Kalyansona had 11. The total dry weight duration of the leaf blades of cv. Kalyansona was higher than that of cv. Shera, particularly at N90 and N180. This was due to a great increase in dry weight of the leaf blades in response to fertilizer nitrogen and to an additional leaf blade. In both the cultivars the in vivo nitrate reductase (NR) activity was highest in the first formed leaf blades and showed a gradual decline in the successively formed ones, at all three nitrogen levels. Cv. Shera showed higher NR activity than cv. Kalyansona in most of the weekly samplings (weighted mean values) through the season. Seasonal mean NR activity was higher in cv. Shera at all three rates of nitrogen application. The difference was, however, significant only at N90. The total amount of NO3- reduced by the leaf blades, which is a function of their NR activity and dry weight duration, was higher in cv. Shera than in cv. Kalyansona at N0. However, at N90 and N180 the differences decreased because of the higher dry weight duration of the leaf blades of cv. Kalyansona.

The estimated amount of NO3- assimilated was less than the actual reduced N at harvest at N0 but at N90 and N180 there was an overestimation. The grains of cv. Kalyansona showed significantly lower protein percentage than cv. Shera at all three nitrogen levels. While low nitrogen per spike was the main cause of lower protein percentage in cv. Kalyansona at N0 as compared with cv. Shera, distribution of almost the same amount of nitrogen to a larger quantity of grains was largely responsible for the lower protein percentage in this cultivar at N90 and N180. The results are discussed in relation to selection criteria used in breeding programmes for the improvement of grain protein content of wheat cultivars

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 93 , Issue 2 , October 1979 , pp. 473 - 484
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abrol, Y. B. & Nair, T. V. R. (1978). Uptake and assimilation of nitrogen and its relationship to grain and protein yield. In Proceedings of National Symposium Nitrogen Assimilation and Crop Productivity (ed. Sen, S. P., Abrol, Y. P. & Sinha, S. K.) p. 113. New Delhi: Associated Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Abrol, Y. P., Kaim, M. S. & Nair, T. V. R. (1976). Nitrogen assimilation, its mobilization and accumulation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grains. Cereal Research Communications 4, 431–440.Google Scholar
Beevers, L. & Hageman, B. H. (1969). Nitrate reduction in higher plants. Annual Review of Plant Physiology 20, 495–522.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bhatia, C. B. (1975). Criteria for early generation selection in wheat breeding programmes for improving protein productivity. Euphytica 24, 789–794.Google Scholar
Brunetti, N., Ferrandi, L., Bozzini, A. & Masconi, C. (1976). Effect of nitrogen fertilization on nitrate reductase activity on grain, straw and protein yields in durum wheat. Rivista di Agronomia 10, 171–177.Google Scholar
Canvin, D. T. & Atkins, C. A. (1974). Nitrate, nitrite and ammonia assimilation by leaves: Effect of light, carbon dioxide and oxygen. Planta (Berlin) 116, 207–224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Croy, L. I. & Hageman, R. H. (1970). Relationship of nitrate reductase activity to grain protein production in wheat. Crop Science 10, 280–285.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalling, M. J. & Loyn, R. H. (1977). Level of activity of nitrate reductase at the seedling stage as a predictor of grain yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 28, 1–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eilrich, G. L. & Hageman, R. H. (1973). Nitrate reductase activity and its relationship to accumulation of vegetative and grain nitrogen in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Crop Science 13, 59–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, H. J. & Nason, A. (1953). Pyridine nucleotidenitrate reductase from extracts of higher plants. Plant Physiology 28, 233–254.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evans, L. T., Wardlaw, I. F. & Fischer, R. A. (1975). Wheat. In Crop Physiology (ed. Evans, L. T.). p. 101. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Grover, H. L., Nair, T. V. R. & Abrol, Y. P. (1978). Nitrogen metabolism of the upper three leaf blades at different soil nitrogen levels. I. Nitrate reductase activity and contents of various nitrogenous constituents. Physiologia Plantarum 42, 287–292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hageman, R. H. & Hucklesby, D. P. (1971). Nitrate reductase from higher plants. In Methods in Enzymology 23, (ed. Pietro, A. San) 491–503. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Hageman, B. H., Leng, B. B. & Dudley, J. W. (1967). A biochemical approach to plant breeding. Advances in Agronomy 19, 45–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hernandez, H. H., Walsh, E. E. & Bauer, A. (1974). Nitrate reductase of wheat – its relation to nitrogen fertilization. Cereal Chemistry 51, 330–336.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. B., Whittington, W. J. & Blackwood, G. C. (1976). Nitrate reductase as a possible test of crop yield. Nature, London 262, 133–134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, V. A., Mattern, P. J., Whited, D. A. & Schmidt, J. W. (1969). Breeding for high protein content and quality in wheat. Proceedings of the IAEA/FAO panel on New approaches to breeding for plant protein improvement, pp. 29–40. Rostanga, Sweden.Google Scholar
Johnson, V. A., Schmidt, J. W. & Mattern, P. J. (1968). Cereal breeding for better protein impact. Economic Botany 22, 16–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mcneal, F. H., Berg, M. A., Mcguire, C. F., Stewart, V. R. & Baldridge, D. E. (1972). Grain and plant nitrogen relationships in eight spring wheat crosses, Triticum aestivum L. Crop Science 12, 599–602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nair, T. V. R. (1975). Physiological studies on nitrogen metabolism in relation to grain protein accumulation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Ph.D. thesis, Postgraduate School, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012.Google Scholar
Nair, T. V. R. & Abrol, Y. P. (1973). Nitrate reductase activity in developing wheat ears. Experientia 29, 1480–1481.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nair, T. V. R. & Abrol, Y. P. (1977). Studies on nitrate reducing system in developing wheat ears. Crop Science 17, 438–442.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nair, T. V. R. & Abrol, Y. P. (1978). Nitrate assimilation and mobilization of reduced nitrogen from upper three leaf blades to the developing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grains. Indian Journal of Plant Physiology 21, 41–47.Google Scholar
Nair, T. V. R., Geover, H. L. & Abrol, Y. P. (1978). Nitrogen metabolism of the upper three leaf blades of wheat at different soil nitrogen levels. II. Protease activity and mobilization of reduced nitrogen to the developing grains. Physiologia Plantarum 42, 293–300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Panse, V. G. & Sukhatame, P. V. (1967). Statistical methods for Agricultural Research Workers. Chap. 11, pp. 199–216. New Delhi: Indian Council of Agricultural Research.Google Scholar
Rao, S. C. & Croy, L. I. (1972). Protease and nitrate reductase seasonal patterns and their relation to grain protein production of ‘High’ versus ‘Low’ protein wheat varieties. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 28, 1138–1141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snedecor, G. W. & Cochran, W. G. (1967). Statistical Methods Chap. 12, pp. 339–380. Calcutta: Oxford & I. B. H. Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Technicon Monograph I. (1971). Technicon Private Ltd, Tarrytown, New York.Google Scholar