Growth and Panicle Characters of Wheat with a Single Primary Seminal Root allowed to Grow

Abstract

The growth and panicle characters of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), in which only a single primary seminal root was allowed to grow by suppressing the growth of nodal roots, were analyzed in pots. The growth of the aboveground parts was not inferior to that of the control until the panicle formation stage due to vigorous growth of the primary seminal root. At the booting stage, however, the T-R ratio in weight was doubled as compared with the control, although the ratio of leaf area to root length was hardly changed. The grain weight per plant of the treated plants was about 80% of that in the controls, and the grains in the treated plants were more vitreous than the control. These results indicate that the primary seminal root remained functional until the ripening period in the plants without development of any other roots.

Keywords

• Compensatory growth
• Grain texture
• Seminal root
• Top-root ratio
• Wheat