Leaf protein allocation across the canopy and during senescence in earlier and later senescing maize hybrids, and implications for the use of chlorophyll as a proxy of leaf N

ANTONIETTA MARIANA; GIRÓN PAULA; COSTA LORENZA; GUIAMET JUAN JOSÉ

ACTA PHYSIOLOGIAE PLANTARUM

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

Lugar: HEIDELBERG; Año: 2019 vol. 41

0137-5881

Leaf chlorophyll (chl) and protein distribution were analyzed throughout grain filling in four modern maize hybrids with contrasting senescence behavior, at three different canopy levels and at low-N (LN, 18 kg N ha−1) and high-N (HN, 218 kg N ha−1) fertilization levels. Chl content assessed by SPAD resembled protein content only at LN, with delayed senescing genotypes having more leaf protein content than reference genotypes. Across N levels, relative chl content negatively related to light intensity (r2 = 0.59, P