Plant Soil Environ., 2013, 59(10):472-477 | DOI: 10.17221/528/2013-PSE

Source capacity during flowering affects grain yield of amaranth (Amaranthus sp.)Original Paper

B. Roitner-Schobesberger, H.-P. Kaul
Division of Agronomy, Department of Crop Sciences, BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria

Amaranth is a promising C4-crop. However, for a wider spread of the crop a better understanding of factors that are influencing yield formation is crucial for optimizing the plant phenotype and enhancing yield. The present study wanted to clarify the effects of assimilate sources and sinks on yield formation by artificially altering source or sink size. Field experiments were conducted in Eastern Austria during three years with three genotypes, applying source-sink manipulation treatments at mid flowering (control, 50% of inflorescence removed, 50% or 100% of leaves removed). At maturity we measured shoot, inflorescence and grain dry matter, thousand kernel mass and number of seeds per plant. An average grain yield level of about 3.5 t/ha dry matter on control plots indicated favorable growth conditions for amaranth in general. The removal of all leaves had a strong detrimental effect on all parameters, but severity of yield reduction due to defoliation differed between genotypes, ranging from -49% to -73%. Contrastingly, 50% flower reduction did not have any significant effects. Also with 50% defoliation no significant yield reduction was observed. We conclude that source strength of amaranth during flowering is more yield limiting than its sink capacity.

Keywords: grain amaranth; source, sink manipulation; defoliation; flower reduction; yield components

Published: October 31, 2013  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Roitner-Schobesberger B, Kaul H-P. Source capacity during flowering affects grain yield of amaranth (Amaranthus sp.). Plant Soil Environ. 2013;59(10):472-477. doi: 10.17221/528/2013-PSE.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Andrade F.H., Ferreiro M.A. (1996): Reproductive growth of maize, sunflower and soybean at different source levels during grain filling. Field Crops Research, 48: 155-165. Go to original source...
    2. Aschan G., Pfanz H. (2003): Non-foliar photosynthesis - A strategy of additional carbon acquisition. Flora, 198: 81-97. Go to original source...
    3. Aufhammer W. (2000): Pseudogetreidearten - Buchweizen, Reismelde und Amarant. Ulmer, Stuttgart.
    4. Berghofer E., Schoenlechner R. (2002): Grain amaranth. In: Belton P., Taylor J. (eds.): Pseudocereals and Less Common Cereals. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 219-260. Go to original source...
    5. Borrás L., Slafer G.A., Otegui M.E. (2004): Seed dry weight response to source-sink manipulations in wheat, maize and soybean: A quantitative reappraisal. Field Crops Research, 86: 131-146. Go to original source...
    6. Cartelle J., Pedró A., Savin R., Slafer G.A. (2006): Grain weight responses to post-anthesis spikelet-trimming in an old and a modern wheat under Mediterranean conditions. European Journal of Agronomy, 25: 365-371. Go to original source...
    7. Charlet L.D., Miller J.F. (1993): Seed production after floret removal from sunflower heads. Agronomy Journal, 85: 56-58. Go to original source...
    8. Costea M., Tardif F.J. (2003): The bracteoles in Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae): Their morphology, structure, function and taxonomic significance. Sida, 20: 969-985.
    9. Egli D.B., Bruening W.P. (2001): Source-sink relationships, seed sucrose levels and seed growth rates in soybean. Annals of Botany, 88: 235-242. Go to original source...
    10. Evans L.T. (1993): Crop Evolution, Adaptation and Yield. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
    11. Gambín B.L., Borrás L. (2007): Plasticity of sorghum kernel weight to increased assimilate availability. Field Crops Research, 100: 272-284. Go to original source...
    12. Gimplinger D.M., Dobos G., Schönlechner R., Kaul H.-P. (2007): Yield and quality of grain amaranth (Amaranthus sp.) in Eastern Austria. Plant, Soil and Environment, 53: 105-112. Go to original source...
    13. Gimplinger D.M., Schulte auf 'm Erley G., Dobos G., Kaul H.-P. (2008): Optimum crop densities for potential yield and harvestable yield of grain amaranth are conflicting. European Journal of Agronomy, 28: 119-125. Go to original source...
    14. Gimplinger D.M., Kaul H.-P. (2009): Calibration and validation of the crop growth model LINTUL for grain amaranth (Amaranthus sp.). Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality, 82: 183-192.
    15. Hay R.K.M., Walker A.J. (1989): An Introduction to the Physiology of Crop Yield. Wiley, New York.
    16. Kaul H.-P., Aufhammer W., Laible B., Nalborczyk E., Pirog S., Wasiak K. (1996): The suitability of amaranth genotypes for grain and fodder use in Central Europe. Die Bodenkultur, 47: 71-79.
    17. Kaul H.-P., Kruse M., Aufhammer W. (2000): Yield and radiation use efficiency of pseudocereals compared with oats. Pflanzenbauwissenschaften, 4: 9-14.
    18. Liu X., Herbert S.J., Hashemi A.M., Litchfield G.V., Zhang Q., Barzegar A.R. (2006): Yield and yield components responses of old and new soybean cultivars to source-sink manipulation under light enrichment. Plant, Soil and Environment, 52: 150-158. Go to original source...
    19. Madani A., Shirani-Rad A., Pazoki A., Nourmohammadi G., Zarghami R., Mokhtassi-Bidgoli A. (2010): The impact of source or sink limitations on yield formation of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) due to post-anthesis water and nitrogen deficiencies. Plant, Soil and Environment, 56: 218-227. Go to original source...
    20. Muchow R.C., Wilson G.L. (1976): Photosynthetic and storage limitations to yield in Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench). Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 27: 489-500. Go to original source...
    21. Oveysi M., Mirhadi M.J., Madani H., Nourmohammadi G., Zarghami R., Madani A. (2010): The impact of source restriction on yield formation of corn (Zea mays L.) due to water deficiency. Plant, Soil and Environment, 56: 476-481. Go to original source...
    22. Proulx R.A., Naeve S.L. (2009): Pod removal, shade, and defoliation effects on soybean yield, protein, and oil. Agronomy Journal, 101: 971-978. Go to original source...
    23. Tambussi E.A., Bort J., Guiamet J.J., Nogués S., Araus J.L. (2007): The photosynthetic role of ears in C 3 cereals: Metabolism, water use efficiency and contribution to grain yield. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, 26: 1-16. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content