Carbon and nitrogen allocation and grain filling in three maize hybrids differing in leaf senescence

Between flowering and maturity, leaf senescence reduces green leaf area while grains are filled from photosynthesis, nitrogen (N) uptake by roots and remobilisation from shoots. The question arises of possible effects of leaf senescence on photosynthesis, N uptake and remobilisation and their modification through genetic variations in senescence. To address this question, we compared three cultivars showing different behaviours. Tarro and Nicco are two modern hybrids presenting the same important grain sink but showing different time course of senescence, the former being normally senescent the latter "stay-green". Dea hybrid, very well known by many previous experiments was the reference hybrid. The purpose was to monitor precisely the carbon (C) and N repartition in the main organs of the plant in connection with the progress of leaf senescence (experiment 1) and to measure the changes created by variations of N Supply and soil-climate conditions (experiment 2). In experiment 1, time course of leaf senescence of the different leaf stages and weight of leaves, shoots and grains and N concentration of shoots and grain were measured weekly. In experiment 2, the same three cultivars were grown at limiting and non-limiting N supply in four locations in France during 2 years. At flowering, silage and harvest stage, dry matter and N concentration were measured in the main parts of the plant, and leaf senescence was evaluated at silage stage. On soil well supplied with N, Tarro had an identical rate of leaf senescence than Nicco for leaves below the ear, but higher for leaves above the ear. After flowering, Nicco accumulated more biomass than Tarro, but kept a larger part of this total biomass in the stem. In contrast, Tarro accumulated a larger part of total biomass in the grain. After flowering, N uptake was larger in Nicco than Tarro. Shoot N concentration decreased earlier and more completely in Tarro than Nicco, indicating a larger remobilisation to the grain. Though Tarro began and finished grain filling simultaneously with Nicco, it reached 70% of final grain weight 25 degrees C d sooner than Nicco. The senescence due to N stress differed from the physiological senescence of a senescent hybrid. The time course of the reproductive phase and the N repartition in the plant suggest that a threshold in grain filling or in shoot nitrogen decrease could be the internal signal triggering senescence of uppermost leaves. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.