Effect of Partial Removal of Endosperm on Seedling Sizes of Panicum virgatum and Agropyron psammophilum

Abstract

Greenhouse studies were conducted to examine the role of the endosperm in determining the size of subsequent seedlings of two grasses, Panicum virgatum L. and Agropyron psammophilum Gillett & Senn. Different proportions (0, 20, 40, 60, 80%) of endosperm were surgically removed to experimentally produce seeds with similar embryo but different endosperm weights. Several traits of the seedlings measured three days after emergence showed that they were dependent on weight of the endosperm rather than the embryo size. After endosperm removal, significantly more dry matter was allocated to the root and less to the leaf of resulting seedlings in comparison with control. This study suggests that the predation of seed endosperm may result in seedlings of smaller sizes as compared with those from intact seeds.