Flower Development in Walnut: Altering the Flowering Pattern by Gibberellic Acid Application
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha46211183Keywords:
flower induction, initiation and differentiation, Juglans regia, pistillate flowersAbstract
The pattern of walnut flowering varies depending on genetic and environmental factors. This research was carried out to study the patterns by which pistillate flowers develop as a result of applying gibberellic acid (GA3). To study the effect of gibberellin on flowering, we used a factorial test. Factor A was the diameter of the tree trunks, and three levels were considered (10 to 12 cm, 12 to 14 cm and 14 to 16 cm). Factor B was comprised of four levels of GA3 (0, 50,100 and 200 mg/lit). Different levels of GA3 were sprayed twice on the ‘Chandler’ cultivar, i.e. 2 and 4 weeks after flowering. Also, a new (without using a microtome or scanning electron microscopy) method was used to study the development of pistillate flower buds. Different stages of development included induction, initiation and differentiation of the pistillate flower bud which were observed respectively in late May, early June, September and March. The results of GA3 application showed that GA3 treatment can alter the flowering pattern of walnut. GA3 application significantly increased the number of male flowers, total flowers, and male: female flower ratio per branch. The number of female flowers increased as the diameter of the tree trunk increased. The highest number of female flowers (62.3) was observed in trees with trunk diameters between 14-16 cm and when GA3 was applied at 100 mg/liter. Also, a linear regression model was used in order to find a relationship between GA3 levels and the diameter of the trunk with flowering pattern.
References
Akca Y, Ozgen M, Erturk U, Ercisli S (2012). The effects of AVG and GA3 treatments on pistillate (female) flower abortion in ‘Sebin’ walnut cultivar. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Hortorum Cultus 11:179-185.
Amiri R, Vahdati K, Mohsenipoor S, Mozaffari MR, Leslie C (2010). Correlations between some horticultural traits in walnut. HortScience 45:1690-1694.
Atefi J (1990). Preliminary research of Persian walnut and correlation between pair characters. Acta Horticulturae 284:97-104.
Bertin R, Kerwin M (1998). Floral sex ratios and gynomonoecy in Aster (Asteraceae). American Journal of Botany 85:235-235.
Bertin RI (2007). Sex allocation in Carex (Cyperaceae): effects of light, water, and nutrients. Botany 85:377-384.
Buide ML, del Valle JC, Castilla AR, Narbona E (2018). Sex expression variation in response to shade in gynodioecious-gynomonoecious species: Silene littorea decreases flower production and increases female flower proportion. Environmental and Experimental Botany 146:54-61.
Culafic L, Neskovic M (1980). Effect of growth substances on flowering and sex expression in isolated apical buds of Spinacia oleracea. Physiologia Plantarum 48:588-591.
Forde HI, Griggs WH (1975). Pollination and blooming habits of walnuts. Univ Calif Div Agr Sci Lflt 2753.
Forde HI, McGranahan GH (1996). Walnuts. In: Janick J, Moore JN (Eds). Fruit Breeding, Vol III: Nuts. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York, USA pp 241-273.
Galoch E (1978). The hormonal control of sex differentiation in dioecious plants of hemp (Cannabis sativa). The influence of plant growth regulators on sex expression in male and female plants. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 47:153-162.
Galun E, Izhar S, Atsmon D (1965). Determination of relative auxin content in hermaphrodite and andromonoecious Cucumis sativus L. Plant Physiology 40(2):321-326.
Gao Y, Liu H, Dong N, Pei D (2012). Temporal and spatial pattern of indole-3-acetic acid occurrence during walnut pistillate flower bud differentiation as revealed by immunohistochemistry. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 137:283-289.
Ghani MA, Amjad M, Iqbal Q, Nawaz A, Ahmad T, Hafeez OBA, Abbas M (2013). Efficacy of plant growth regulators on sex expression, earliness and yield components in bitter gourd. Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences 11(3):218-224.
Goldberg-Moeller R, Shalom L, Shlizerman L, Samuels S, Zur N, Ophir R, Blumwald E, Sadka A (2013). Effects of gibberellin treatment during flowering induction period on global gene expression and the transcription of flowering-control genes in Citrus buds. Plant Science 198:46-57.
Golzari M, Hassani D, Rahemi M, Vahdati K (2016). Xenia and Metaxenia in Persian Walnut (Juglans regia L.). Journal of Nuts 7:101-108.
Griffiths J, Murase K, Rieu I, Zentella R, Zhang ZL, Powers SJ, … Sun TP (2006). Genetic characterization and functional analysis of the GID1 gibberellin receptors in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell 18:3399-3414.
Hashizume H (1973). Studies on flower bud formation, flower sex differentiation and their control in conifers. Bull Tottori Univ For 7:1-139.
Irish EE, Nelson T (1989). Sex determination in monoecious and dioecious plants. The Plant Cell 1(8):737-744.
Iwahori S, Lyons JM, Smith OE (1970). Sex expression in cucumber plants as affected by 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid, ethylene, and growth regulators. Plant Physiology 46:412-415.
Jack T (2004). Molecular and genetic mechanisms of floral control. The Plant Cell 16:S1-S17.
Khryanin V (2002). Role of phytohormones in sex differentiation in plants. Russian Journal of Plant Physiology 49:545-551.
Krueger WH (2000). Pollination of English walnuts: practices and problems. HortTechnology 10:127-130.
Kumar N, Srivastava GC, Dixit K (2008). Flower bud opening and senescence in roses (Rosa hybrida L.). Plant Growth Regulation 55(2):81-99.
Li Y, Zhao Y, Yang K, Fang Y, Hou L (2011). Studies on floral organ development process of precocious walnut (Juglans regia) by anatomia. Acta Horticulturae Sinica 38:434-440.
Li Z, Wang S, Tao Q, Pan J, Si L, Gong Z, Cai R (2012). A putative positive feedback regulation mechanism in CsACS2 expression suggests a modified model for sex determination in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Journal of Experimental Botany 63:4475-4484.
Makwana V, Shukla P, Robin P (2010). GA application induces alteration in sex ratio and cell death in Jatropha curca. Plant Growth Regulation 61:121-125.
Makwana V, Robin P (2013). Interaction between GA and ethrel in inducing female flowers in Jatropha curcas. International Journal of Biotechnology and Bioengineering Research 4:465-472.
Murai K (2013). Homeotic genes and the ABCDE model for floral organ formation in wheat. Plants 2:379-395.
Pimenta Lange MJ, Knop N, Lange T (2012). Stamen-derived bioactive gibberellin is essential for male flower development of Cucurbita maxima L. Journal of Experimental Botany 63:2681-2691.
Polito V, Aradhya M, Dangl J, Grant J, Pinney K, Simon C, … Woeste K (2003). Walnut pollination dynamics: pollen flow and pollen loads in walnut orchards. HortScience 38:741.
Qiguang Y, Lizhong R, Guohua D (1985). Effects of ethephon, GA3 and nutrient elements on sex expression of Chinese chestnut. Scientia Horticulturae 26:209-215.
Rijpkema AS, Vandenbussche M, Koes R, Heijmans K, Gerats T (2010). Variations on a theme: changes in the floral ABCs in angiosperms. Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology 21(1):100-107.
Sladký Z (1972). The role of endogenous growth regulators in the differentiation processes of walnut (Juglans regia L.). Biologia Plantarum 14:273-278.
Takahashi H, Jaffe M (1984). Further studies of auxin and ACC induced feminization in the cucumber plant using ethylene inhibitors. Phyton 44:81-86.
Trebitsh T, Rudich J, Riov J (1987). Auxin, biosynthesis of ethylene and sex expression in cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Plant Growth Regulation 5:105-113.
Ueguchi-Tanaka M, Matsuoka M (2010). The perception of gibberellins: clues from receptor structure. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 13:503-508.
Wilkie JD, Sedgley M, Olesen T (2008). Regulation of floral initiation in horticultural trees. Journal of Experimental Botany 59:3215-3228.
Young TE, Giesler-Lee J, Gallie DR (2004). Senescence?induced expression of cytokinin reverses pistil abortion during maize flower development. The Plant Journal 38:910-922.
Zhao P, Fan Jf, Zhang Sx, Huang Zl, Yang Ph, Ma Zh, Woeste KE (2011). Effects of gibberellin A 4/7, 6-benzylaminopurine and chlormequat chloride on the number of male and female strobili and immature cones in Chinese Pine (Pinus tabuliformis) with foliar sprays. Journal of forestry Research 22:353-359.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2018 Amin HASSANKHAH, Majid RAHEMI, Mohamad Reza MOZAFARI, Kourosh VAHDATI
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
License:
Open Access Journal:
The journal allows the author(s) to retain publishing rights without restriction. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.
.png)
