Sy. Wang et al., VERNALIZATION IN WHEAT .1. A MODEL-BASED ON THE INTERCHANGEABILITY OFPLANT-AGE AND VERNALIZATION DURATION, Field crops research, 41(2), 1995, pp. 91-100
Vernalization treatments of 0 to 70 d initiated when 0 to 8 leaf tips
were visible were applied to plants of the winter wheat (Triticum aest
ivum L.) cultivars Pioneer 2548 and Augusta. All plants headed irrespe
ctive of duration of vernalization. Unvernalized plants of Pioneer 254
8 and Augusta had mean final leaf numbers (FLN) of 20.8 +/- 1.3 and 21
.7 +/- 1.0, respectively. Increased duration of vernalization generall
y reduced FLN within an age treatment until an age-dependent point of
vernalization insensitivity was reached. Estimates of the minimum days
of vernalization required to reach vernalization insensitivity decrea
sed in a linear fashion as plant age at the onset of vernalization tre
atment increased. The number of leaves appearing after the onset of ve
rnalization insensitivity averaged 6.3 +/- 0.5. FLN minus six appears
to be a valid estimate in our experimental conditions for the onset of
vernalization insensitivity, at least for plants that had six or more
leaves appearing after the end of vernalization treatment. Linear reg
ressions of FLN minus six against days of vernalization were significa
nt for both cultivars (for treatments with six or more leaves emerging
after vernalization). The Y-intercepts of the fitted regressions were
close to values obtained by subtracting six from FLN of unvernalized
plants. Both intercept and slope were controlled genetically. Accumula
ted plant age, expressed as leaf stage, enables attainment of vernaliz
ation insensitivity, independent of, or in combination with vernalizat
ion treatment.