Impact of High Night‐Time and High Daytime Temperature Stress on Winter Wheat

High temperature is a major environmental factor that limits wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) productivity. Climate models predict greater increases in night‐time temperature than in daytime temperature. The objective of this research was to compare the effects of high daytime and high night‐time temperatures during anthesis on physiological (chlorophyll fluorescence, chlorophyll concentration, leaf level photosynthesis, and membrane damage), biochemical (reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration and antioxidant capacity in leaves), growth and yield traits of wheat genotypes. Winter wheat genotypes (Ventnor and Karl 92) were grown at optimum temperatures (25/15 °C, maximum/minimum) until the onset of anthesis. Thereafter, plants were exposed to high night‐time (HN, 25/24 °C), high daytime (HD, 35/15 °C), high daytime and night‐time (HDN, 35/24 °C) or optimum temperatures for 7 days. Compared with optimum temperature, HN, HD and HDN increased ROS concentration and membrane damage and decreased antioxidant capacity, photochemical efficiency, leaf level photosynthesis, seed set, grain number and grain yield per spike. Impact of HN and HD was similar on all traits. Greater impact on seed set, grain number and grain yield per spike was observed at HDN compared with HN and HD. These results suggest that HN and HD during anthesis cause damage of a similar magnitude to winter wheat.     

Independent and Combined Effects of High Temperature and Drought Stress During Grain Filling on Plant Yield and Chloroplast EF‐Tu Expression in Spring Wheat

High temperature and drought stress are among the two most important environmental factors influencing crop growth, development and yield processes. These two stresses commonly occur in combination. Objectives of this research were to investigate the independent and combined effects of high temperature and drought stress during grain filling on physiological, vegetative and yield traits and expression of a chloroplast protein synthesis elongation factor (EF‐Tu) of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Two spring wheat cultivars (Pavon‐76 and Seri‐82) were grown at control temperatures (CT; day/night, 24/14 °C; 16/8 h photo/dark period) from sowing to heading. Thereafter, one half of the plants were exposed to high temperature stress (HT; 31/18 °C in Exp. 1 and 34/22 °C in Exp. 2), drought stress (withholding water), or a combination of both HT and drought stress. There were significant influences of HT and/or drought stress on physiological, growth and yield traits. There was no cultivar or cultivar by temperature or cultivar by drought interaction effects on most traits. The decreases in leaf photosynthesis were greater at HT compared with drought alone throughout the stress period, and the combination of HT and drought had the lowest leaf photosynthetic rates. Overall, HT or drought had similar effects (about 48–56 % decrease) on spikelet fertility, grain numbers and grain yield. High temperature decreased grain numbers (by 56 % averaged across both experiments) and individual grain weight (by 25 %), while, respective decreases due to drought were 48 % and 35 %. This suggests that the grain numbers were more sensitive to HT and grain weights to drought for the range of temperatures tested in this research. The interaction between HT and drought stress was significant for total dry weights, harvest index and spikelet fertility, particularly when HT stress was severe (34/22 °C). The combined effects of HT and drought were greater than additive effects of HT or drought alone for leaf chlorophyll content, grain numbers and harvest index. High temperature stress and the combination of HT and drought stress but not drought stress alone resulted in the overexpression of EF‐Tu in both spring wheat cultivars.     

Growth and senescence characteristics associated with tolerance of wheat-alien amphiploids to high temperature under controlled conditions

Tolerance of wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) to high temperature might be improved by introducing alien genes from amphiploids. Our objectives were to determine responses of synthetic hexaploid and octaploid amphiploid wheats to high temperature and evaluate their potential usefulness for developing improved cultivars. Thirty synthetic hexaploids from durum wheat (T. turgidum L.) × Aegilops tauschii Cos. Accessions and four octaploid amphiploids from Chinese Spring wheat × different grasses were grown at 20/15 and 30/25 ^°C day/night during maturation. Tolerance was ascertained by two measures of senescence, leaf chlorophyll content and grain filling duration, plus grain yield and its components. Leaf chlorophyll was measured after 10 and 15 days of treatment, and grain yield was determined at maturity to calculate the heat susceptibility index(HSI), a gauge of the reduction in yield at high temperature of each line relative to all other lines. Chlorophyll content, grain filling duration, yield, and kernel weight were highly negatively correlated with HIS of the hexaploid amphiploids at30/25 ^°C, but grain yield was positively correlated with HSI at20/15 ^°C. The hexaploid lines might be useful for improving wheat for regions where stress from high temperature occurs frequently. Chlorophyll content and grain filling duration also were highly negatively correlated with HSI of the octaploid lines, but they would be less directly useful for improving wheat because the kernel number was reduced greatly due to unbalanced meiotic chromosomal segregation. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Methods for evaluation of soybean chilling tolerance at the reproductive stage under artificial climatic conditions

Several evaluation methods for soybean chilling tolerance at the reproductive stage were examined under artificial climatic conditions. Comparisons were made on plants in control and treated plots using three cultivars differing in the level of chilling tolerance. In all methods, plants were grown at 22/17°C (day/night) until first flowering, and then transferred to growth chambers at 24/17°C for control and 15/15°C for chilling treatment, respectively. A method, in which plants were grown at 20/16°C after 4 weeks of the different temperature treatments, proved comparable to the conventional one, in which chilling tolerance at the flowering stage is evaluated using natural and artificial conditions. Another method, in which the plants in chilling treatment plots were grown at 15°C until maturity, also proved usable to evaluate genotypic differences in chilling tolerance independently of maturity time.     

Effects of High Temperature on Key Enzymes Involved in Starch and Protein Formation in Grains of Two Wheat Cultivars

High temperature is a major determinant of grain growth and yield formation in wheat. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of high temperature regimes on the activities of key regulatory enzymes involved in starch and protein accumulation in grains of two winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars Yangmai 9 and Xuzhou 26 with different protein contents. Four day/night temperature regimes of 34 °C/22 °C, 32 °C/24 °C, 26 °C/14 °C and 24 °C/16 °C were established after anthesis, resulting in two daily temperature levels of 28 °C and 20 °C and two diurnal temperature differences of 12 °C and 8 °C. The activities of glutamine synthase (GS) in flag leaves and glutamate pyruvic aminotransferase (GPT), sucrose synthase (SS), soluble starch synthase (SSS) and granule‐bound starch synthase (GBSS) in grains were measured during the periods of grain filling. High temperature reduced both content and yield of starch in grains, while enhanced protein content and reduced protein yield in grains. High temperature significantly enhanced the activities of SS and GBSS on 14 days after anthesis (DAA). High temperature affected SSS slightly in Yangmai 9, but reduced SSS activity markedly in Xuzhou 26 on 14 DAA. However, at the middle and late stages of grain filling, high temperature reduced the activities of SS, GBSS and SSS significantly in the two wheat cultivars. High temperature reduced GPT activity in grains in the two wheat cultivars, but reduced GS activity in flag leaves of Yangmai 9 and enhanced GS activity of Xuzhou 26 on 14 DAA. In addition, under the same high temperature level, SS activity was higher at 34 °C/22 °C, whereas the activities of SSS and GBSS were higher at 32 °C/24 °C. Also, diurnal temperature differences affected GPT and GS activities differently between the two cultivars. Under optimum temperature level, the activities of key enzymes for starch and protein synthesis were higher at 26 °C/14 °C. The activities of SS, SSS and GBSS significantly correlated with starch accumulation in grains, except for GBSS activity to starch content on 14 DAA. GPT activity was positively correlated with protein yield, and GS activity was negatively correlated with protein yield on 14 DAA, while the activities of both GPT and GS were negatively related to protein content in grains.     

Effects of Low Temperature Treatment at Seedling Stage on Soybean Growth, Development and Final Yield

The after effect of continuous and variable chilling temperatures acting periodically for 7 days at seedling stage (day/night: 2/2°C, 5/5°C, 15/2°C, 15/5°C, 15/15°C and control–22/18°C) on growth, development and final yield of soybean cultivar Polan and Progres were investigated. The temperature decrease lengthened the duration of the vegetation period before flowering for both cultivars, which allowed compensation for the reduced–as an effect of chilling–rate of daily increments in the leaf area and the dry weight of the above-ground parts of the plants. The most important symptom of chilling treatment was a considerable increase in the number of axillary branches after flowering, which caused an increase in the dry weight of plants. The subsequent reaction of the growth of leaves to chilling at seedling stage was, after flowering, variety dependent. The area of leaves bigger at Polan or similar to control at Progres ensured good seed filling in an increased number of pods developed on axillary branches. Chill-induced delay in plants development allowed the avoidance of low temperature occurring during flowering in this experiment. This chilling during flowering was one of the reasons of worse-pod setting and reduction of seeds per pod number at control plants.     

Effects of day-length and temperature on floral structure and fertility restoration in a season-dependent male-sterile Solanum villosum Mill. mutant

Solanum villosum is an important African leafy vegetable whose yield is limited mainly by competition from early and excess fruit-set. Induced male-sterility is a potential tool to reduce this competition and enhance yields. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of photoperiod and temperature on the floral dynamics of a season-dependent male-sterile mutant. The mutant, named T-5, has flowers which are sepaloid, mostly stamenless, indeterminate and partially restored in winter, late-spring, summer and autumn, respectively. Floral organ restoration was found to be largely independent of photoperiod conditions. Day/night temperatures of 25/25 and 30/20°C were found to favour restoration of the floral organ but most flowers were stamenless and infertile. High night temperature favoured the formation of indeterminate flowers both in the growth chamber (30°C) and in the greenhouse (>25°C). On the other hand, low growth chamber (10°C) and greenhouse (<15°C) night temperature favoured the formation of sepaloid flowers. The optimum temperatures for floral structure and fertility restoration were between 20°C and 25°C (day) and 15–20°C (night). Propagation of T-5 mutant can thus be achieved by growing in regions or seasons with such temperature ranges. Under temperatures unfavourable for fruit-set, leaf productivity is expected to be high.     

Traits in Spring Wheat Cultivars Associated with Yield Loss Caused by a Heat Stress Episode after Anthesis

Heat stress resulting from climate change and more frequent weather extremes is expected to negatively affect wheat yield. We evaluated the response of different spring wheat cultivars to a post‐anthesis high temperature episode and studied the relationship between different traits associated with heat tolerance. Fifteen spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars were grown in pots under semifield conditions, and heat stress (35/26 °C) and control treatments (20/12 °C) were applied in growth chambers for 5 days starting 14 days after flowering. The heat stress treatment reduced final yield in all cultivars. Significant variation was observed among cultivars in the reduction in average grain weight and grain dry matter yield under heat stress (up to 36 % and 45 %, respectively). The duration of the grain‐filling period was reduced by 3–12 days by the heat treatment. The reduction in the grain‐filling period was negatively correlated with grain nitrogen yield (r = ?0.60). A positive correlation (r = 0.73) was found between the treatment effect on green leaf area (GLA) and the reduction in yield resulting from heat stress. The amount of stem water‐soluble carbohydrates (WSC) was not related to treatment effects on grain yield or grain weight. However, the treatment effect on stem WSC remobilization was negatively correlated with reduction in grain‐filling duration due to heat stress (r = ?0.74) and positively with treatment effect on grain N yield (r = 0.52). The results suggest that the effect of the heat treatment on GLA was the trait most associated with yield reduction in all cultivars. These findings suggest the importance of ‘stay green’‐associated traits in plant breeding as well as the need for better modelling of GLA in crop models, especially with respect to brief heat episodes during grain filling. There is in particular a need to model how heat and other stresses, including interacting effects of heat and drought, affect duration of GLA after flowering and how this affects source–sink relations during grain filling.     

The Impact of Temperature on Seedling Root Traits of European and Tropical Maize (Zea mays L.) Cultivars

Twelve European and twelve tropical maize cultivars were grown in polyethylene tubes under three temperature regimes (14/12 °C, 22/20 °C; 30/28 °C). The plants were harvested when the third leaf was fully expanded. The experiments were undertaken in order to: (i) study the general response of root traits of maize seedlings to chilly, temperate and very warm conditions and (ii) find out whether and how the geographical origin of the maize material modifies the results. The results may be summarized as follows: 1. The 22/20 °C temperature regime led to the highest shoot and root dry weight, the greatest total root length, the most apices and the greatest root surface area. However, the optimal temperature for these traits appeared to be either slightly higher or lower than 22/20 °C (optimal temperature for number of apices > shoot dry weight > root surface area > root dry weight). 2. The shoot: root dry weight ratio was almost the same at 14/12 °C and 22/20 °C but increased significantly at 30/28 °C. The root surface area: root dry weight ratio was optimal at 22/20 °C but extremely low at 14/12 °C. The production of apices per unit root dry matter was lowest at 14/12 °C and increased steadily at higher temperatures. 3. The root surface area: shoot dry weight ratio was low both at 14/12 °C and at 30/28 °C. This may indicate that mineral nutrient deficiency, as a result of undersized root systems, is most likely at extremely low and extremely high temperatures. 4. Low temperatures promoted the formation of seminal roots. 5. Temperature affected the dominance of the longest seminal root (= primary root). At 14/12 °C, the primary root was rather short as compared to the seminal roots of higher order. At 30/28 °C, however, the primary root was markedly longer than other seminal roots of higher order. 6. At 14/12 °C, the European cultivars produced more shoot and root dry matter, generated more apices and developed greater root surface area than the tropical cultivars. At 30/28 °C, the situation was reversed. This confirms that the response to different temperatures is modified by the geographical origin of the plant material.     

Water temperature for hydrocooling field cucumbers in relation to chilling injury during storage

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that water temperatures less than the lowest recommended storage temperature (10°C) for cucumbers could be used for hydrocooling without inducing chilling injury or negatively affecting storage life. Field cucumbers were hydrocooled with water at 1.5, 3.5, 6, 8 or 10.5°C until the internal cucumber temperature reached 12°C, or hydrocooled with water at 1.5°C until the internal cucumber temperature reached 1.7, 8 or 12°C. Cucumber temperature at harvest was ≈20°C and the storage temperature was 12°C. Little or no visual symptoms of chilling injury were observed after 10–12 days of storage. However, chlorophyll fluorescence measurements indicated some chilling stress at the membrane level in cucumbers hydrocooled with water at temperatures below 6°C and in cucumbers hydrocooled with water at 1.5°C until the internal product temperature was 1.7°C, as indicated by lower F_v/F_m values. Approximately one third of the cucumbers from all hydrocooling treatments developed rot. There were no significant differences in % marketable cucumbers or in % mass loss after 10 or 12 days of storage. These results suggest that cucumbers could be hydrocooled using water at temperatures below the recommended storage temperature of 10°C. However, it is not recommended to use water below 6°C or to cool the cucumbers below this temperature, due to increased risk of chilling injury as indicated by the chlorophyll fluorescence measurements.     

A strategy of ideotype development for heat-tolerant wheat

Heat stress significantly limits yield in many wheat-growing areas globally including north-western NSW. While various traits linked to high-temperature tolerance have been identified, the combination of traits that optimize the heat tolerance of wheat has not been established in most environments. A total of 554 genotypes were evaluated in the field at different times of sowing in north-western NSW for three consecutive years to develop a heat-tolerant wheat ideotype for this environment. The later sown experiments were exposed to higher temperatures at the critical reproductive and grain-filling stages of development. The impact of high temperature was greatest at anthesis, and eventual grain yield was reduced by between 4% and 7% with every 1°C rise in average maximum temperature above the optimum of 25°C. High temperature reduced yield, plant height, grain weight and days to anthesis and maturity, and increased the percentage of screenings and grain protein content. Genotypes that produced higher yield under heat stress had shorter days to flowering and maturity, higher NDVI during grain filling, greater chlorophyll content at the milk stage of grain fill, taller plants, greater grain weight and number, and lower screenings compared with the benchmark cultivar Suntop. The genotype closest to the predicted heat-tolerant wheat ideotype identified from trait ranges had 79.6% similarity.     

Characterization of symptoms of senescence and chilling injury on inflorescences of Heliconia bihai (L.) cv. Lobster Claw and cv. Halloween

Inadequate temperatures during the shipping and commercialization of cut tropical flowers may accelerate the senescence process and cause chilling injury, leading to symptoms that have not yet been described for Heliconia bihai. The aim of the present study was to evaluate physiological responses in cut inflorescences of H. bihai cv. Lobster Claw (LC) and cv. Halloween (HW) as well as symptoms of senescence and chilling injury. For such, changes in fresh weight, bract color (L*, a* and b*), percentage of absolute integrity (PAI) of cell membranes and leakage of potassium ions (LPI) were determined. The flowering stems were evaluated at five different intervals after harvest (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 d). A refrigerated treatment (RT) with a temperature of 6.5 °C and 85% relative humidity was compared to a control treatment (CT) at room temperature of 24 °C and 66% relative humidity. Both cultivars stored at 6.5 °C exhibited dryness of bract tissue (symptom of senescence) and dark stains that became brownish and evolved to necrosis (symptom of chilling injury). The visual quality of inflorescences decreased with time in both cultivars maintained without refrigeration. The severity of chilling injury increased with the length of storage time in both cultivars. There was a significant reduction in the fresh weight of inflorescences in both treatments (RT and CT) and both cultivars (LC and HW). Bract color changed in both cultivars at 6.5 °C. There was no change in PAI throughout the evaluation period in the inflorescences stored at room temperature, whereas those stored at 6.5 °C for 6 and 8 d had lower PAI values. The inflorescences in the control treatment underwent no change in LPI values, whereas those stored under refrigeration had increased LPI values after the sixth day of storage. The physiological responses of cut Heliconia flowers were influenced by storage period and temperature, as demonstrated by visual symptoms of chilling injury and senescence.     

Evaluation of the High-temperature Tolerance of Floral Organs in Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

The development of floral organs in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is related to squares and yield formation. The germination percentage of pollen grains, the rate of anther dehiscence and the length of filaments and styles of 11 upland cotton cultivars were determined before and after high-temperature periods by pollen grain culture in vitro. We aimed to analyze the effects of high temperature on pollen germination in styles and on stamen characteristics. The number of pollen tubes in styles and cytological structure of anthers were also tested under simulation of high temperatures by paraffin sectioning of cotton anthers. We found that the germination percentage of pollen grains and rate of anthers dehiscence of Ke 1053, Simian 4 and the male parent of Xiangzamian 3 were greater than those of other cultivars under high field temperatures. There was no significant difference in the length ratio of filaments and styles and filaments length between 11 upland cotton cultivars under high field temperatures. After high-temperature periods in the field, the difference in pollen germination percentage, anther dehiscence, style and filament length between the 11 cultivars was not significant. The number of pollen tubes in Ke 1053, Simian 4 and the male parent of Xiangzamian 3 was greater than those of other cultivars under the high simulation temperature. The number of deformed pollen grains in anthers was also less than those of other cultivars. These results were consistent with the field conditions. This experiment indicated that germination percentage of pollen grains and the rate of anther dehiscence are useful as indicators for screening high-temperature tolerance. The length ratio of filaments and styles and the filaments length could be used as parameters for screening high-temperature tolerance cultivars.     

Application of natural plant extracts improves the tolerance against combined terminal heat and drought stresses in bread wheat

Drought and heat are among the main abiotic stresses causing severe damage to the cereal productivity when occur at reproductive stages. In this study, ten wheat cultivars were screened for combined heat and drought tolerance imposed at booting, heading, anthesis and post‐anthesis stages, and role of the foliage applied plant extracts was evaluated in improving the performance of differentially responding wheat cultivars under terminal heat and drought stresses. During both years, wheat crop was raised under ambient temperature and 70% water holding capacity (WHC) till leaf boot stage. The plant extracts (3% each) of sorghum, brassica, sunflower and moringa were foliage applied at booting, anthesis and post‐anthesis stage; and after one week of application of these plant extracts, combined heat and drought was imposed at each respective stage. Heat and drought stresses were imposed at each respective stage by placing pots in glass canopies with temperature of 4 ± 2°C above than the ambient temperature in combination with drought stress (35% WHC) until maturity. Combination of drought and heat stresses significantly reduced the performance of tested wheat cultivars; however, stress at the booting and heading stages was more damaging than the anthesis and post‐anthesis stages. Cultivars Mairaj‐2008 and Chakwal‐50 remained green with extended duration for grain filling, resulting in the maintenance of number of grains per spike and 100‐grain weight under stress conditions and thus had better grain yield and water‐use efficiency. However, in cultivars Fsd‐2008, and Shafaq‐2006, the combined imposition of drought and heat accelerated the grain filling rate with decrease in grain filling duration, grain weight and grain yield. Foliar application of all the plant extracts improved the wheat performance under terminal heat and drought stress; however, brassica extract was the most effective. This improvement in grain yield, water‐use efficiency and transpiration efficiency due to foliage applied plant extracts, under terminal heat and drought stress, was owing to better stay‐green character and accumulation of more soluble phenolics, which imparted stress tolerance as indicated by relatively stable grain weight and grain number. In crux, growing of stay‐green wheat cultivars with better grain filling and foliage application of plant extracts may help improving the performance of bread wheat under combined heat and drought stresses.     

基于GGE双标图的高粱品种农艺性状和稳产性分析

为了筛选丰产稳产、适应性强的高粱新品种,促进辽西地区高粱产业健康可持续发展。2019-2020年采用随机不完全区组设计（alpha-格子设计）,通过R语言GGE双标图分析了30个高粱品种的产量和相关农艺性状。方差分析表明,年份、基因型、基因型与年份互作对高粱产量和相关农艺性状均有显著影响（P<0.05）,其产量变异的平方和占总平方和的比例分别为32.1%、41.3%和11.3%,基因型效应对产量和相关农艺性状的变异贡献率最大,株高和穗长指标遗传力较大。GGE双标图分析表明,辽杂19号、平试13和济粱2丰产稳产性较好;辽杂19号和平试13在株高、产量、穗重和穗粒重方面综合性状表现较好;辽杂19号距离“理想品种”最近,其次为平试13。皮尔逊相关分析表明,高粱籽粒产量与株高、穗重、穗粒重和穗粒数均呈极显著正相关（P<0.01）。从参试品种看,辽西半干旱地区高秆品种比矮秆品种更具产量优势。在朝阳地区,辽杂19号、平试13和济粱2具有较高的产量和稳定性。在特定生态区域,基因型是产量和相关农艺性状差异的主要因素。     

Breeding for a more energy efficient greenhouse tomato: past and future perspectives

Energy efficiency can be increased either by increasing the production per m² or by reducing the energy input per m², e.g. by reducing temperature set-points in the greenhouse. So far, in Dutch glasshouse tomatoes energy efficiency was almost exclusively raised by yield increases. To study the role of tomato breeding in this production increase, yield and underlying components of 7 cultivars released between 1950 and 2002 were studied. Furthermore, variation in temperature response between cultivars was studied. In three experiments yield and biomass production of in total 11 cultivars were evaluated at two temperature regimes (17/15°C and 21/19°C day/night temperature set-points). Breeding has resulted in a remarkable increase in production. Under current conditions, yield of modern cultivars was on average 40% higher than yield of ‘Moneymaker’, released in 1950. This increase in production resulted from a higher light use efficiency. Although the fraction of assimilates partitioned to the fruits showed small differences between cultivars, this trait was not related to year of release. Furthermore, more recently introduced cultivars produced larger fruits rather than more fruits. All cultivars responded similar to both temperature regimes for all important characteristics, limiting the possibilities of using existing cultivars in a breeding program for improved yield at lower temperatures.     

The effects of high-temperature stress on the germination of pollen grains of upland cotton during square development

The reproductive stage of flowering plants is sensitive to high-temperature stresses. High temperature is a major factor influencing pollen grain viability in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between cotton pollen germination percentage and temperature by assaying the pollen germination of four upland cotton cultivars in vitro at different temperatures during the blooming period. The results showed that in vitro pollen germination percentage was related to the culture temperature of pollen germination and the temperature of the square development process. High temperature affected pollen development and germination, and high-temperature tolerance differed among the cotton cultivars. The pollen germination percentage decreased rapidly with changes in the culture temperature from 30 to 39 °C. A culture temperature of 35 °C might be a critical temperature for the pollen viability transition and could be used to screen cotton cultivars that have pollen grains with high-temperature resistance. Before the high-temperature stage, cultivars with rates of decrease in the percentage of pollen germination of less than 41 % at 35 °C relative to the rates at 30 °C might be considered as high-temperature tolerance cultivars, and cultivars with rates of decrease in the percentage of pollen germination greater than 41 % might be considered as susceptible cultivars. The high-temperature stress for pollen grain germination in vitro was greater than 30 °C, and the high-temperature stress for square development might be greater than 33 °C. Boll retention was significant; it was positively correlated with the pollen germination percentage and negatively correlated with temperature during the high-temperature stage. This study provided a method for rapidly screening cultivars (lines) with high-temperature tolerance pollen in upland cotton breeding.     

Environmental effects on genetic variation of chilling resistance in cucumber

Environmental effects on genetic variation for chilling resistance were studied in nine cultivars and breeding lines (referred to as cultigens hereafter) of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Five experiments were carried out in controlled-environment chambers to measure the effects of growth temperature, photoperiod, duration of chilling, light level during chilling, and watering frequency on chilling resistance of seedlings at the cotyledon and first true leaf growth stages. Significant interactions were found between cultigen and all environmental factors studied except for the photoperiod and watering frequency. Cultigen rank was affected by growth temperature before chilling, chilling duration, and light level during chilling, but shifts in rank were not consistent. Genetic variation was largest when the plants were grown at 22/18 °C, most pronounced after a chilling duration of 5 to 9 hours and a light level during chilling of 270 μmol·m^-2·s^-1. Variation was larger at the first true leaf stage than at the cotyledon stage. Differences among cultigens in chilling damage were largest 5 days after chilling. Therefore, it seems that testing for genetic variation in chilling damage can be restricted to one set of environmental conditions. We recommend the following conditions for screening cucumber for genetic variation in chilling resistance: grow the plants at 22/18 °C, under a 9-hour photoperiod with a 3-hour night interruption, water them once daily, subject them at the first true leaf stage to a chilling treatment of 7 hours at 4°C at a light level of 270 μmol·^-2·s^-1, and evaluate damage 5 days after treatment. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Genotypic differences in utilization of assimilate sources during maturation of wheat under chronic heat and heat shock stresses

Heat stress from chronic, prolonged exposure up to 32 ^°C or heat shock from brief exposure to 33 ^°C and above alters the source of assimilates for grain growth of wheat (Triticum asetivum L.). Our objectives were to identify genotypes that resist chronic heat stress and heat shock and to determine the relative contributions of photosynthesis and stem reserves to grain filling under both conditions. Twenty-eight genotypes were grown in controlled enviroments at 20/15 and 30/25 ^°C day/night in light and darkness during maturation in the first experiment, and six genotypes were grown in light at the same temperatures and at 40/35 ^°C followed by 20/15 or 30/25 ^°C in the second experimnet. Heat susceptibility indices (HSI) were calculated from grain yields of the genotypes in both experiments. The ratio of chlorophyll variable fluorescence to maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm), a measure of the stability of photosynthesis, and carbohydrate reserves in the stems were measured in the second experiment. Photosynthesis provided 63 and 65% of assimilates in the grain at 20/15 and 30/25 ^°C, respectively, but both stable photosynthesis in some genotypes and high content of reserves in other genotypes were associated with low susceptibility to stress. The Fv/Fm ratio was decreased by heat shock and returned to normal values intolerant genotypes when the treatment was followed by 20/15 ^°C but not 30/25 ^°C. Grain yield was highly correlated among 20/15, 30/25, and 40/35 ^°C followed by 20/15 ^°C treatments, suggesting that similar plant traits were involved. We conclude that assimilates from either stable photosynthesis or high reserve levels provided for high grain yields during heat stress. Combining the two traits could improve heat tolerance of wheat but might not be feasible if other traits are impeded. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.