Abstract
The effect of source-sink ratio (i.e., the ability of the leaves to produce photosynthate versus the capacity of the grain to accommodate the assimilates) on dry matter accumulation and leaf senescence during the grain filling period of two short-season maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids was investigated in 1979 and 1980. Source-sink ratio of the maize hybrids was altered by ear removal at midsilking and at 3 wk after midsilking; by partial fertilization of the topmost ear so that treatment ears contained approximately 50% of kernel number of the control; and by removal of all leaf blades but that of the ear leaf at 2 wk after midsilking. Crop growth rate during the period from 3–5 wk after midsilking was reduced by 30% for the partly fertilized treatment and by 60% for both ear removal treatments. During the period from 5 to 7 wk after midsilking, the treatment-by-hybrid interaction for crop growth rate reflected different patterns of leaf senescence. In one hybrid, treatments which caused reductions in sink size delayed leaf senescence and increased the crop growth during the 5 to 7-wk postsilking interval, relative to the control. The reverse was evident for the other hybrid. Partial defoliation tended to cause the remaining ear leaf to senescence slightly earlier than in the control. Apparently two types of leaf senescence occurred: senescence due to assimilate starvation, and senescence due to excessive assimilate accumulation. The former caused by excessively low source-sink ratio and the latter caused by excessively high source-sink ratio. These results indicate that a delicate balance exists between sink and source during the grain-filling period of maize, and that disturbance of this balance can cause substantial yield reductions, plus an acceleration of leaf senescence and maturation processes.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Partial fertilization reduced crop growth rate by 30% during weeks 3 to 5 after midsilking.
- Treatment
- partly fertilized treatmente0
- Outcome
- Crop growth ratee0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 30%e0
- Qualifier
- 3–5 wk after midsilkinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Crop growth rate during the period from 3–5 wk after midsilking was reduced by 30% for the partly fertilized treatment”
t0“MAIZE”
Claim · model-written summary
Ear removal at midsilking reduced crop growth rate by 60% in weeks 3 to 5.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“by 60% for both ear removal treatments”
t0“MAIZE”
e1“ear removal at midsilking and at 3 wk after midsilking”
e2“Crop growth rate during the period from 3–5 wk after midsilking was reduced”
Claim · model-written summary
Ear removal three weeks after midsilking reduced crop growth rate by 60% in weeks 3 to 5.
- Treatment
- ear removal at midsilking and at 3 wk after midsilkinge1
- Outcome
- Crop growth ratee2
- Direction
- reducede2
- Value
- 60%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“by 60% for both ear removal treatments”
t0“MAIZE”
e1“ear removal at midsilking and at 3 wk after midsilking”
e2“Crop growth rate during the period from 3–5 wk after midsilking was reduced”
Claim · model-written summary
During weeks 5 to 7, the treatment effect on crop growth rate differed by maize hybrid.
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“the treatment-by-hybrid interaction for crop growth rate reflected different patterns of leaf senescence”
t0“MAIZE”
Claim · model-written summary
In one hybrid, sink-size reductions delayed leaf senescence relative to control.
- Material
- one hybride0
- Treatment
- treatments which caused reductions in sink sizee0
- Outcome
- leaf senescencee0
- Direction
- delayede0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“In one hybrid, treatments which caused reductions in sink size delayed leaf senescence and increased the crop growth during the 5 to 7-wk postsilking interval, relative to the control”
t0“MAIZE”
Claim · model-written summary
In one hybrid, sink-size reductions increased crop growth in weeks 5 to 7 relative to control.
- Material
- one hybride0
- Treatment
- treatments which caused reductions in sink sizee0
- Outcome
- crop growthe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- 5 to 7-wk postsilking intervale0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“In one hybrid, treatments which caused reductions in sink size delayed leaf senescence and increased the crop growth during the 5 to 7-wk postsilking interval, relative to the control”
t0“MAIZE”
Claim · model-written summary
In the other hybrid, sink-size reductions had the reverse response in leaf senescence.
- Material
- other hybride0
- Treatment
- treatments which caused reductions in sink sizee1
- Outcome
- reversee0
- Comparator
- controle1
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“The reverse was evident for the other hybrid”
t0“MAIZE”
e1“treatments which caused reductions in sink size delayed leaf senescence and increased the crop growth during the 5 to 7-wk postsilking interval, relative to the control”
Claim · model-written summary
In the other hybrid, sink-size reductions had the reverse response in crop growth.
- Material
- other hybride0
- Treatment
- treatments which caused reductions in sink sizee1
- Outcome
- crop growthe1
- Comparator
- controle1
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“The reverse was evident for the other hybrid”
t0“MAIZE”
e1“treatments which caused reductions in sink size delayed leaf senescence and increased the crop growth during the 5 to 7-wk postsilking interval, relative to the control”
Claim · model-written summary
Partial defoliation tended to make the remaining ear leaf senesce slightly earlier than control.
- Organ / stage
- remaining ear leafe0
- Treatment
- Partial defoliatione0
- Outcome
- senescencee0
- Direction
- earliere0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Partial defoliation tended to cause the remaining ear leaf to senescence slightly earlier than in the control”
t0“MAIZE”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors attribute one form of leaf senescence to assimilate starvation at excessively low source-sink ratio.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“senescence due to assimilate starvation”
t0“MAIZE”
e1“excessively low source-sink ratio”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors attribute another form of leaf senescence to excessive assimilate accumulation at high source-sink ratio.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“senescence due to excessive assimilate accumulation”
t0“MAIZE”
e1“excessively high source-sink ratio”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors infer that disrupting source-sink balance can substantially reduce maize yield.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“disturbance of this balance can cause substantial yield reductions”
t0“MAIZE”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors infer that disrupting source-sink balance can accelerate leaf senescence and maturation.
- Outcome
- acceleration of leaf senescence and maturation processese0
- Qualifier
- disturbance of this balancee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“disturbance of this balance can cause substantial yield reductions, plus an acceleration of leaf senescence and maturation processes”
t0“MAIZE”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · growth · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
168 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1,196 in the opposite direction
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- positive
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See all 1,365 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.