Gibberellins and Heterosis in Maize: Quantitative Relationships

Abstract

To investigate the possible relationship between gibberellins (GA) and heterosis, a diailel from four elite maize, Zea mays L., inbreds (A632, B73, CH807 [from Mo17], and CO109) was studied under controlled environment conditions. Heterosis for plant growth was substantial at 25/15 °C (day/night), as hybrid seedlings emerged more rapidly, were taller, had heavier shoots, and larger leaf areas than the parental inbreds. Gibberellic acid (GA3) at 0.1, 0.5, or 1.0 mg per plant was pipetted into the leaf whorls of 14‐d‐old seedlings. The exogenous GA3 promoted ligule and total height in all genotypes, but the inbreds were maximally influenced. Consequently, potence ratios, representing the overall degree of dominance, were reduced from an average of 7.7 to 1.7 following GA3 application, indicating decreased heterosis. In an experiment at 15 °C, imbibition of seeds in GA3 accelerated germination and seedling growth, particularly shoot elongation of the parental inbreds. Endogenous concentrations of GA1 and GA19 were determined by gas‐chromatography‐selected ion monitoring using [2H]GAs as quantitive internal standards. Highly significant regressions of height, leaf area, relative growth rate, and height increment versus the log of GA concentration were observed. These results are consistent with the theory that GA are one factor involved in the regulation of heterosis of shoot growth in maize, a theory that suggests that a partial deficiency in endogenous GA in maize inbreds limits their growth, and is a contributing cause of inbreeding depression.