Manipulation of source -sink ratio by destruction of capitulum core florets to increase the seed filling, yield and quality in sunflower

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.6746

Keywords:

capitulum, core destruction, floret, sunflower, yield

Abstract

The yield of sunflowers is impacted by inadequate source-sink connections. There are no vascular bundles in the center of the capitulum, resulting in low seed setting and filling. It was hypothesized that manipulation of resource availability to peripheral and intermediary seeds by eliminating the predominantly ill-filled seeds of the capitulum core would have an augmenter effect on the filling of seeds in the rest of the two regions. A field experiment was conducted to achieve capitulum core destruction by operating a newly designed hand-held battery-operated ‘capitulum core destructor’, capable of removing the core area to a diameter of 0.8 and 1.5 cm. . Field experiments were conducted to standardize the optimum stage for capitulum core destruction (R5.0- 0% flowering of the capitulum total area (disc florets), R5.1- 10% flowering, R5.4- 40% flowering, R5.8- 80% flowering) and optimum area of core destruction (0.8 and 1.5 cm of inner diameter). The results revealed that the core destructed treatments outperformed the control (T1) in terms of seed yield and seed quality attributes. Amongst the treatments, T5 (1.5 cm core destruction at R5.8 stage) showed a 21% increase in seed yield over the control and registered the highest total number of seeds, total seed weight (48.63 g) and 100-seed weight (g). Additionally, the T5 treatment improved seed recovery percentage (80.23% compared to 70.45% in the control) and reduced rejected seed percentage (19.76% compared to 29.54% in the control). Concomitantly, the resultant seeds of T5 (1.5 cm core destruction at R5.8 stage) also possessed the highest germination potential, speed of germination, seedling growth and vigour index. This study demonstrates a scalable approach for sunflower cultivation globally, offering a practical solution to enhance yield and quality. Therefore, it was concluded that capitulum core destruction optimized resource allocation among the periphery and middle whorls of the capitulum, thereby resulting in a significant augmentation of seed yield and quality potential in sunflower crops.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Agele S. Response of sunflower to weather variations in a tropical rainforest zone. African Crop Sci Conf Proceed; 2003. 6:pp.18.

Sindagi S. Poor seed set in sunflower and means to alleviate it. Oilseeds J. 1979;10:28?32.

Smith MR. Source-sink relationships in crop plants and their influence on yield development and nutritional quality. J Plant Sci. 2021;34(2):123?45.

Ram MR, Davari M. Seed setting and filling problem in sunflower and its management. Intern J Agron and Plant Prod. 2011;2(2):33?56.

Vasudevan S, Virupakshappa K, Bhaskar S, Udayakumar M. Influence of growth regulators on some productive parameters and oil content in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Ind J Plant Physiol. 1996;277?80.

Mukhtar AA. Response of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) varieties to varying defoliation intensities. Building Organic Bridges. 2014;3:921?24.

Ibrahim HM, Ali B, El-Keblawy A, Ksiksi T, El-Esawi MA, Josko I, et al. Effect of source-sink ratio manipulation on growth, flowering and yield potential of soybean. Agri. 2021;11(10):926. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11100926.

Vijayalakshmi S. Standardization of crop management techniques to improve seed set and seed productivity in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). M.Sc. (Ag.) Thesis. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore; 2016.

Howlader M, Bain S, Hasan M, Khan A, Biswas S. Source-sink manipulation on yield contributing characters and yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). Progressive Agri. 2018;29(1):1?

https://doi.org/10.3329/pa.v29i1.37475.

Kokubun M, Nonokawa K, Kaihatsu A, Yashima Y. Mechanisms controlling flower abortion in soybean. Tohoku University; 2009 Tohoku.repo.nii.ac.jp.

Schneiter A, Miller J. Description of sunflower growth stages. Crop Sci. 1981;21(6):901?03. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci1981.0011183X002100060024x.

International Seed Testing Association. International rules for seed testing: edition 2006: annexe to chapter 7 seed health testing seed health testing methods: adopted at the ordinary meeting 2005, Bangkok, Thailand, to become effective on 1st January 2006. Intern Seed Testing Assoc; 2006.

Ansari O, Chogazardi H, Sharifzadeh F, Nazarli H. Seed reserve utilization and seedling growth of treated seeds of mountain rye (Secale montanum) as affected by drought stress. Cercetari Agron în Moldova. 2012;2(150): https://doi.org/10.2478/10298-012-0013-x.

Vg P. Statistical methods for agricultural workers; 1957 Krishikosh.egranth.ac.in.

Spollen W, Wiebold W, Glenn S. Effect of altered intraraceme competition on carbon?14?labeled assimilate and abscisic acid in soybean. Crop Sci. 1986;26(6):1216?19. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci1986.0011183X002600060029x.

Munshi S, Kaushal B, Bajaj R. Compositional changes in seeds influenced by their positions in different whorls of mature sunflower head. J Sci Food and Agri. 2003;83(15):1622?26. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.1603.

Kokubun M, Shimada S, Takahashi M. Flower abortion caused by preanthesis water deficit is not attributed to impairment of pollen in soybean. Crop Sci. 2001;41(5):1517?21. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2001.4151517x.

Fakir MS, Mondal AMM, Prodhan AA-u-d, Ismail MR, Ashrafuzzaman M. Effect of nodal position on rachis morphology and yield attributes in raceme of mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek). Australian J Crop Sci. 2011;5(13):1685?91.

Vinothini N, Vijayan R, Umarani R. Studies on flowering pattern in relation to seed filling and seed multiplication rate in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Intern J Curr Microbiol and Appli Sci. 2018;7(9):3321?28. https://doi.org/10.205 46/ijcmas.2018.709.412.

Heidari H. Source-sink relationship in wheat as affected by defoliation and spikelet removal. Acta Fytotechnica et Zootechnica. 2022;25(1):40?45. https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2022 .25 .01.40-45.

Vaideshwari M. Enhancement of seed set and filling to improve seed yield and quality in blackgram (Vigna mungo L.). M.Sc. (Ag.) Thesis. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore; 2016.

Bera A, Shukla V, Venkatswarlu B, Sow S, Ranjan S, Jaiswal S, et al. An overview of the source-sink relationship. Ind J Nat Sci. 2022;13(72):44216?28.

Reddy NY, Shaanker UR, Prasad T, Kumar UM. Physiological approaches to improving harvest index and productivity in sunflower. Helia. 2003;26(38):81?90. https://doi.org/10.2298/HEL0338081R.

Sghaier HA, Khaeim H, Tarnawa A, Kovacs GP, Gyuricza C, Kende Z. Germination and seedling development responses of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seeds to temperature and different levels of water availability. Agri. 2023;13(3):608?20. https://doi.org /10.3390/agriculture13030608

Finch-Savage WE, Bassel GW. Seed vigour and crop establishment: extending performance beyond adaptation. J Experi Bot. 2016;67(3):567?91. https://doi.org/ 10.1093/jxb/erv490.

Shahwani AR, Baloch SU, Baloch SK, Mengal B, Bashir W, Baloch HN, et al. Influence of seed size on germinability and grain yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties. J Nat Sci Res. 2014;4(23):147?55.

Shahi C, Vibhuti KB, Bargali S, Bargali S. How seed size and water stress affect seed germination and seedling growth in wheat varieties. Curr Agri Res J. 2015;3(1):60?68. https://doi.org/10.12944/CARJ.3.1.08.

Kasperbauer M, Sutton T. Influence of seed weight on germination, growth and development of tobacco. Agron J. 1977;69(6):1000?02. https://doi.org/10.21 34/agronj1977.00021962006900060023x.

Upadhaya K, Pandey HN, Law P. The effect of seed mass on germination, seedling survival and growth in Prunus jenkinsii Hook. f. & Thoms. Turkish J Bot. 2007;31(1):31?36.

Published

24-03-2025 — Updated on 01-04-2025

Versions

How to Cite

1.
Navamaniraj KN, Umarani R, Eevera T, Vijayan R, Vakeswaran V, Sivakumar V. Manipulation of source -sink ratio by destruction of capitulum core florets to increase the seed filling, yield and quality in sunflower. Plant Sci. Today [Internet]. 2025 Apr. 1 [cited 2025 Apr. 2];12(2). Available from: https://horizonepublishing.com/journals/index.php/PST/article/view/6746

Issue

Section

Research Articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >> 

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.