Varietal response in wheat to water supply in the field, and male sterility caused by a period of drought in a glasshouse experiment

摘要: SUMMARY Field experiments in 1961 and 1962 with four winter wheat varieties (Professeur Marchal, Cappelle-Desprez, Hybrid 46 Holdfast) compared three water regimes: irrigation to prevent the soil deficit exceeding 2 in.; shielding from rain; normal rainfall. The were done on soils selected for their liability drought. Grain yield was decreased by deficit; effects differed between varieties, but varietal differences not consistent years. In glasshouse experiments, plants of Cappell-Desprez subjected drought 3–4 days during ear development subsequently watered normally. When this treatment preceded pollen meiosis a few many lower florets each spikelet male-sterile female-fertile. Also there often proliferation, within spikelet, normally fertile above ones, showing that number formed may increase until late stage development. The results field experiment suggested grain restricted capacity grains as sinks photosynthates. If so, genetic improvement could be obtained breeding an per spikelet.