Reducing Flower Competition for Assimilates by Half Results in Higher Yield of Fagopyrum esculentum

Abstract

Despite abundant flowering throughout the season, common buckwheat develops a very low number of kernels probably due to competition for assimilates. We hypothesized that plants with a shorter flowering period may give a higher seed yield. To verify the hypothesis, we studied nutrient stress in vitro and in planta and analyzed different embryological and yield parameters, including hormone profile in the flowers. In vitro cultivated flowers on media with strongly reduced nutrient content demonstrated a drastic increase in degenerated embryo sacs. In in planta experiments, where 50% or 75% of flowers or all lateral ramifications were removed, the reduction of the flower competition by half turned out to be the most promising treatment for improving yield. This treatment increased the frequency of properly developed embryo sacs, the average number of mature seeds per plant, and their mass. Strong seed compensation under 50% inflorescence removal could result from increased production of salicylic and jasmonic acid that both favor more effective pollinator attraction. Plants in single-shoot cultivation finished their vegetation earlier, and they demonstrated greater single seed mass per plant than in control. This result suggests that plants of common buckwheat with shorter blooming period could deliver higher seed yield.

Environmental Stress and Plants

“…The stress induced by P deficiency and toxicity was evident by the accumulation of proline. Hornyák and colleagues [29] studied nutritional stress in vitro and in planta, analyzing several embryological (e.g., developed ovules, embryo sacs, and pollen viability) and yield parameters. Flowers grown in vitro with severely reduced nutrient content showed dramatic degeneration of embryo sacs.…”

Poprawa plonowania gryki zwyczajnej (Fagopyrum esculentum) - niepowodzenia i sukcesy

“…Przede wszystkim krótka żywotność pojedynczego kwiatu, heterostylia i wynikająca z niej samo-niezgodność oraz samo-niekończący okres kwitnienia (Adachi 1990;Songin 2003;Cawoy i współaut. 2009), co powoduje występowanie silnej konkurencji o asymilaty pomiędzy wciąż produkowanymi kwiatami a dojrzewającymi już nasionami (Hornyák i współaut. 2020b).…”

“…Wzrost liczby kwiatów produkowanych przez rośliny gryki zwyczajnej pociąga za sobą zwiększenie ich aborcji (Słomka i współaut. 2017;Hornyák i współaut. 2020b).…”

“…Badania w warunkach sterylnych in vitro prowadzone na pąkach kwiatowych hodowanych na sztucznych pożywkach dowiodły, że indukowany stres troficzny, zwłaszcza na pożywkach o trzykrotnie uboższym składzie substancji odżywczych, zwiększa procent degeneracji woreczków zalążkowych. A zatem, nawet gdyby wzrosła liczba prawidłowo wykształconych woreczków zalążkowych, roślina nie byłaby zdolna do zawiązania wszystkich nasion (Hornyák i współaut. 2020b).…”

In Vitro Culture as a Tool for Studying Plant Developmental Processes at the Physiological Level in Poland

“…A disadvantage of this species is the very long flowering period and overproduction of flowers, which compete for assimilates transported to the already set seeds. To determine whether nutritional stress is significant in the process of yielding, an experiment was established, in which flower buds of two buckwheat cultivars were placed on MS medium with a full composition of nutritional compounds (macro-and microelements, vitamins, amino acids, and sugar)control, medium with nutrients depleted by half, and medium with 2/3 nutrients relative to the control (Hornyák et al, 2020). e same amounts of hormones and vitamins in the control were added.…”