%0 Journal Article
%T Influence of Vernalization and Photoperiod on the Duration of Stem Elongation and Spikelet Fertility in Wheat
%A Osmar Rodrigues
%A Mauro C¨¦sar Celaro Teixeira
%A Edson Roberto Costenaro
%A Leandro Vargas
%A Rafael Damo
%J Agricultural Sciences
%P 1547-1557
%@ 2156-8561
%D 2014
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/as.2014.514166
%X A longer stem elongation phase (from the terminal spikelet-TS to the anthesis-ANT phases) increases grain production due to an increase in spikelet fertility. However, the mechanism behind the greater number of fertile flowers that occur when the duration of stem elongation is modified by photoperiod and vernalization is not fully understood. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of combinations of photoperiod and vernalization on the duration of stem elongation and spikelet fertility in wheat. Thus, a greenhouse experiment was performed by subjecting 13 wheat genotypes to two vernalization regimes (V0¡ªnon-vernalized plants and V40¡ªplants with 40 vernalization days) and to two photoperiod regimes (NP¡ªnatural and NP + 6¡ªphotoperiod extended by six hours), during the stem elongation phase. The natural photoperiod increased the spikelet fertility of eight cultivars without a corresponding increased duration of the TS-ANT phase, suggesting the existence of a direct effect of photoperiod on increased spikelet fertility. Vernalization increased the duration of the TS-ANT phase, without influencing spikelet fertility. There was genetic variability in the responses to photoperiod and vernalization.
%K Double Ridge
%K Terminal Spikelet
%K Elongation
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=52754