Masle, J. and Doussinault, G. and Farquhar, G.D. and Sun, B.
(1989)
Foliar stage in wheat correlates better to photothermal time than to thermal time.
Plant Cell and Environment, 12 (2).
pp. 235-247.
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Abstract
Analysis is made of leaf numbers observed in the field for several wheat genotypes over a wide range of sowing dates. Within any treatment, leaf number was a linear function of thermal time from seedling emergence (°C.d, the mean daily temperatures summed above a base temperature of 0°C) but the slope of the relation depended on sowing date. Leaf appearance rate doubled from October to February sowings, for which it was maximum, and usually decreased for later sowings. However, when expressed on the basis of photothermal time (°C.dl, temperatures accumulated during the light time period only), much of the sowing date effect was removed, except for the latest spring sowings. For these late sowings, leaf appearance rate was usually slower than expected. The authors conclude that both temperature and photoperiod are determinants of leaf appearance rate, and suggest that the slow rate for late sowings may be caused by a non-linear response to the higher temperatures experienced by the plant during that part of the year. The genotypic differences indicate that it may also be associated with a lack of vernalization. The use of photothermal time rather than thermal time significantly improves prediction of leaf number. However, it still provides only an empirical description of the dependence of leaf number on time and climate
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