Differentiation and growth of a growing point until the stage of flower bud appearance in leading common buckwheat and Tartary buckwheat varieties in northern Japan

Abstract

Studies regarding the developmental stage of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) have not been adequately performed despite its importance in studying the yield-determining process. In addition, the difference between common buckwheat and Tartary buckwheat (F. tataricum (L.) Gaertn.) is still unclear. In the present study, the differentiation and growth of the growing point until the stage of flower bud appearance were evaluated in the common buckwheat variety ‘Kitawasesoba’ and the Tartary buckwheat variety ‘Manten-Kirari’, which are the leading buckwheat varieties in Hokkaido, Japan. With some exceptions, the developmental stages of ‘Kitawasesoba’ and ‘Manten-Kirari’ can be distinguished. Thus, leaf primordia, axillary flower bud, and terminal flower bud differentiations and growths were observed. Both the common and Tartary buckwheat varieties did not exhibit large differences in the morphology of the growing point. However, the two varieties showed differences in the rates of differentiation and growth.Received: April 11, 2019; accepted: June 8, 2019Keywords: common buckwheat, developmental stage, growing point, Hokkaido, Tartary buckwheat