Six inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.) from cool temperate regions (C) and from warm regions (W) were grown at 14, 22, 30 and 38°C up to the same physiological age, the full expansion of the third leaf. Generally, plants developed smaller shoot dry weights and leaf areas at extreme temperatures. The shoot:root ratio was lowest at 22°C and highest at 30°C. Most lines had a minimum for specific leaf dry weight at 30°C, but W lines had a second lower minimum at 14°C. Phosphofructokinase activity scarcely reacted to temperature between 22° and 38°C; at 14°C one C line and all W lines had rather low activities. Generally, the chlorophyll content increased steeply from 14 to 22°C and decreased somewhat from 30 to 38°C. In C lines the carotenoid level decreased from 14 to 38°C. No uniform temperature response was found for PEP carboxylase activity, but the highest activity was mostly attained at 38°C. RuBP carboxylase activity increased considerably from 14 to 22°C and remained comparatively constant at higher temperatures. The highest activity of NADP malate dehydrogenase was found at 22°C, with a decrease up to 38°C and with second lowest values at 14°C. C lines possessed larger leaf areas, shoot dry weights and higher shoot:root ratios than W lines at 14 and 22°C, and higher specific leaf dry weights over the whole temperature range. The genotypic pattern of shoot dry weight at 14°C corresponded reasonably well with that of phosphofructokinase activity. A better adaptation of C lines to suboptimal temperatures was mostly clearly indicated for photosynthetic traits which have a well proven relationship with the chloroplast membranes: chlorophyll, carotenoids and RuBP carboxylase. The least distinct effects of origin were observed at 38°C; a tendency prevailed for a better performance of C lines with regard to phosphofructokinase, carotenoids, RuBP carboxylase and NADP malate dehydrogenase.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to compare youth athletes from two culturally distinct nations (Germany and Japan) on key aspects of their psychological makeup (goal orientation, fear of evaluation) and perceived coach support.Design: Data were obtained with questionnaires distributed during a training session and analyzed with regression as well as multivariate and univariate analyses of variance.Method: There were 56 German (30 female, 26 male) and 117 Japanese (60 female, 57 male) swimmers with a mean age of 13.2 (SD = 2.0) and 14.1 (SD = 1.8), respectively. All of the athletes participated regularly in high-level competitions.Results: As hypothesized, the German athletes were more task than ego oriented and more task focused than the Japanese, whereas the latter group had higher ego orientation scores than the German swimmers and put similar emphasis on both task and ego concerns. Contrary to expectations, there were no differences between the national cohorts in evaluative fear. The Japanese swimmers perceived their training climates to be more competition oriented than did the German participants. In terms of coach-athlete interactions, the German athletes perceived significantly more instruction, positive feedback, and social support than the Japanese. Coach variables contributed significantly to the Japanese participants' feelings of satisfaction, with no such correlations in the German sample.Discussion: Results are interpreted through cultural traditions and may be partly explained by differences in individualism. Practical recommendations for coaches and consultants are offered in light of the research findings.

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In order to estimate the optimum range for high stability of yield determining traits in winter rape‐seed a systematic comparison of different plant distribution patterns (3 row spaces × 4 seeding rates) was conducted during 6 growing seasons. The ecovalence originally developed for comparing genotypes was used to quantify stability. Number of vital plants after winter showed high stability at low and medium plant densities and row spaces indicating that increasing competition within rows was responsible for instability. Seed yield per plant and pod numbers per plant decreased simultaneously with increasing competition. Generally, ecovalences of both yield components proved high stability at higher plant densities whereas low densities caused high stability only in combination with lower row widths. Stability of number of seeds/pod was independent of plant densities grown in narrow row spaces. In the widest row space (41 cm), stability of n. o. seeds/pod could only be affected by an extreme plant density. 1000‐seed‐weights and their ecovalences varied little. Zusammenfassung Die Stabilität der Ertragskomponenten von Winterraps (Brasska napusL.) Zur Beurteilung des Einflusses produktions‐technischer Maßnahmen auf die Stabilität ertragsbestimmender Merkmale wurde von 1978–84 ein Feldversuch mit Winterraps durchgeführt. Durch die Aussaat in 4 Saatstär‐ken und 3 Reihenabständen wurde die Pflan‐zenverteilung auf der Fläche variiert. Zur quantitativen Erfassung der Stabilität wurde die Ökovalenz, ursprünglich zum Vergleich von Sorten entwickelt, angewandt. Die Anzahl vitaler Pflanzen nach der Über‐winterung zeigte eine hohe Stabilität bei nied‐rigen und mittleren Reihenweiten und Bestan‐desdichten (BD). Steigender Konkurrenzdruck innerhalb der Reihe führte zu Instabilität der Pflanzenzahl. Samenertrag/Pflanze und Schotenzahlen/ Pflanze stiegen mit abnehmendem Konkurrenzdruck an. In der Regel wurde durch die Ökovalenz eine hohe Stabilität beider Ertrags‐komponenten bei höheren BD nachgewiesen. Niedrige BD dagegen bewirkten nur in Ver‐bindung mit geringen Reihenweiten eine hohe Stabilität von Samenertrag und Schotenzahl je Pflanze. Hohe Flächenerträge wurden aller‐dings nur bei mittleren BD erreicht. Die Stabilität der Samenzahl/Schote war bei geringeren BD unabhängig vom Reihenab‐stand. Die extreme BD führte aber in Verbin‐dung mit dem größten Reihenabstand zur Instabilität dieses Merkmals. Die durchschnittli‐chen Samengewichte und deren Ökovalenzen wurden kaum durch die Pflanzenverteilung be‐einflußt.

Six tropical maize cultivars were grown in Thailand on a reddish brown latosol under three nitrogen regimes, 0, 40 and 80 kg N/ha. With regard to biomass and economic yield several “cultivar by N fertilization response types” were discriminated. The low fertilization type was represented by an early and a late maturing cultivar, both yielded comparatively well without additional N and responded little to N fertilization. An opaque 2 cultivar and a commercial hybrid belonged to the high fertilization type, they had a very low yield without N and needed high N fertilization to produce a high yield. The other genotypes were of an intermediate type with comparatively high yields without N, a considerable increase in yield at 40 kg N/ha and some increase from 40 to 80 kg N/ha. Genotypic variability for the harvest index was high but values were at the usual low level of tropical cultivars. High fertilization types reacted to an additional N supply with a marked increase in kernel number/plant and little increase in kernel weight. The early maturing low fertilization type reacted quite the opposite way. All other genotypes predominantly increased kernel number from 0 to 40 kg N/ha and kernel weight from 40 to 80 kg N/ha.