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Thermal Environment During Endosperm Cell Division in Maize: Effects on Number of Endosperm Cells and Starch Granules¹

Reductions in kernel mass are observed when corn (Zea mays L.) kernels are grown in vitro or when unfavorable temperature occurs during endosperm cell division. We investigated the possibility that a decreased number of endosperm cells or a decreased number of starch granules is responsible for the reduced kernel mass in such environments. Three-day-old kernels of the single cross hybrid A619 x W64A were placed in culture on a denned medium at 15, 30, and 35 °C, and their growth was compared with kernels from ears developed in the field or greenhouse. Kernels cultured at 30°C attained a final mass of 164 mg compared with 274 mg for field-grown controls. At 30°C, endosperm cell division ceased approximately 10 days earlier, and the final number of cells was reduced by 34%. Final kernel mass was reduced by 49 and 78% when kernels were cultured at 15 and 35°C, respectively, compared with those grown at 30°C. At 35°C, the rate and duration of cell division in the endosperm, and the number of endosperm cells were severely reduced. In contrast, the rate of cell division decreased in kernels cultured at 15°C, but the duration was prolonged, and the number of endosperm cells formed was not affected. However, the number of starch granules initiated at 15 and 35°C was reduced by 70 and 97%, respectively. Final kernel mass was highly correlated with the number of endosperm cells (r=0.85,p0.01) and starch granules formed (r=0.76, p0.01). These data suggest that thermal regulation of the number of endosperm cells, starch granules, or both are mechanisms by which final kernel mass may be mediated. The reduction in mass of in vitro compared with field- or greenhouse-grown kernels appears to be due mainly to a decline in the number of endosperm cells formed.

Key Words: Sink capacity • Sink strength • Linear fill period • Rate and duration of cell division • Zea mays L.

² Associate professor, assistant scientist, and graduate research assistant, respectively, Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108.

Received for publication October 1, 1984.

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