Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
05:55
High-throughput, Microscale Protocol for the Analysis of Processing Parameters and Nutritional Qualities in Maize (Zea mays L.)
Published on: June 16, 2018
Sustained assimilate supply determines grain development in wheat under post-anthesis heat
Najeeb Ullah1, Muhammad Yahya2, Karine Chenu2,3,4
1Agricultural Research Station, Office of VP for Research and Graduate Studies, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar.
Functional Plant Biology : FPB
|May 10, 2026
Summary
Wheat yield is sustained under heat stress by delaying leaf senescence and enhancing assimilate remobilization. Heat-tolerant wheat lines show superior performance due to maintained grain filling, offering targets for breeding programs.
Area of Science:
- Plant Physiology
- Crop Science
- Agronomy
Background:
- Post-anthesis heat stress accelerates leaf senescence, reducing photosynthetic capacity and assimilate supply for grain filling in wheat.
- Understanding the contribution of current photosynthesis versus remobilization of stored assimilates is crucial for wheat yield under heat stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of current photosynthesis and remobilization in sustaining wheat yield under post-anthesis heat stress.
- To identify genotypic differences in response to heat stress and explore physiological mechanisms conferring tolerance.
Main Methods:
- Two wheat lines (SB062, SB003) were subjected to heat treatment at different post-anthesis stages.
- Leaf senescence, individual grain weight (IGW), and grain dimensions were measured.
- Experiments involving leaf excision and plant hormone application (cytokinin, abscisic acid) were conducted.
Main Results:
- Heat stress accelerated leaf senescence, particularly in SB003, reducing IGW and grain dimensions.
- SB062 exhibited delayed senescence and maintained IGW under heat stress, with assimilate supply contributing to this response.
- Cytokinin application improved stay-green and IGW in heat-stressed SB003, while ABA and anti-cytokinin reduced IGW in SB062.
Conclusions:
- SB062's superior heat tolerance is linked to sustained assimilate supply via delayed senescence and enhanced remobilization.
- Cytokinin-mediated processes play a role in protecting heat-sensitive genotypes.
- Identifying these physiological traits provides targets for breeding heat-tolerant wheat varieties.
Related Concept Videos
02:45Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.
02:16Light Acquisition
In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.
01:19Thermal Strain
Thermal strain is a concept that arises when we consider how temperature changes affect structures. Unlike the conventional assumption that structures remain constant under load, real-world scenarios often involve temperature fluctuations that can significantly impact these structures. Consider a homogeneous rod with a uniform cross-section resting freely on a flat horizontal surface. If the rod's temperature increases, the rod elongates. This elongation is proportional to the temperature...
01:20Porosity and Absorption of Aggregate
Aggregates contain pores of varying sizes; while some are completely enclosed within the particles, others open onto the surface, allowing water to penetrate. The porosity of aggregates is a major factor contributing to the overall porosity of concrete, given that aggregates constitute about three-quarters of concrete's volume.
When all pores in an aggregate are filled with water, the aggregate is considered saturated and surface-dry. If left in dry air, water will evaporate until the aggregate...
When all pores in an aggregate are filled with water, the aggregate is considered saturated and surface-dry. If left in dry air, water will evaporate until the aggregate...
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
01:12Precipitation Processes
The experimental conditions in a gravimetric analysis should be optimized to maximize the particle size and purity of the obtained precipitate. Ideally, the concentration of the precipitating reagent should be low with effective stirring to maintain low relative supersaturation for the growth of large crystals. In homogeneous precipitation, the precipitant is slowly generated by a chemical reaction in the solution to avoid local reagent excesses. For example, urea decomposes gradually to...