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Relationship of Stelar Lesions to Radicle Growth in Corn Seedlings¹

Chilling during imbibition of Zea mays L. kernels resulted in anatomical lesions across the stele of radicles, and subsequently in reduced growth of radicles. The objective was to determine if stelar lesion formation accounted for the radicle growth reduction. Inheritance patterns, source of seedstodrs, maturity of kernels, and surgical treatments of pericarp and endosperm were used to compare lesion occurrence and radicle growth in laboratory evaluations of field-grown seedstocks. Chilling injury of 5% (low) moisture kernels was measured as radicle growth reduction after a 48 hour hydration treatment at 5 C followed by 4 days at 25 C when compared to Similarly treated controls with 13% moisture kernels. Chilling injury was also measured as stelar lesion formation. In cresses between the sensitive inbred ‘Oh51A’ and the injury resistant inbred ‘B8,’ both radicle growth reduction and stelar lesion formation were receive characters. While the inheritance of either character was not altered substantially by the maternal parent in studies of intact kernels, pericarp damage in chilling sensitive crosses resulted in more severe radicle growth reduction without increasing lesion frequencies. Removal of the endosperm prior to imbibitional chilling resulted in lower lesion frequencies in sensitive inbreds and hybrids. Various sources of the Oh51A inbred had markedly different sensitivities to imbibitional chilling. Maximum sensitivity occurred before kernel maturation. Increasing kernel moisture to 13% before hydration at 5 C reduced or avoided injuries caused by imbibitional chilling of 5% moisture kernels. The embryo, pericarp, and endosperm each influenced the severity of imbibitional chilling injury. While the stelar lesion may contribute to radicle growth reduction, it was not the only factor responsible for imbibitional chilling injury of corn.

Key Words: Germination • Imbibitional chilling • Inheritance • Zea mays L.

² Graduate research assistant (now assistant professor, Dep. of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana Agric. Exp. Stn., Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA 70803), professor, and visiting postdoctoral fellow (permanent address: Institute of Plant Breeding and Acclimatization, Radzikow near Warsaw, Poland).

Received for publication June 8, 1978.