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Coleoptile length, gibberellin sensitivity and concentrations in five non-allelic dwarf mutants of pearl millet — Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.

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Abstract

The concentrations of endogenous gibberellins (GAs) were determined by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in shoots of five non-allelic dwarfs of pearl millet Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. One mutant (d3), with an extreme dwarf phenotype, was found to be deficient in all GAs measured; the others (d1, d2, d4 and the quantitatively inherited dwarf) had similar levels of GAs to the tall genotype. Only the GA-deficient dwarf recovered the tall phenotype in response to applying GA3 up to the adult stage, while the others showed slight to moderate responses at the seedling stage, depending on the season, and no response at later stages. The d1, d3 and d4 dwarfs had short coleoptiles. A wide range of coleoptile lengths with a normal distribution pattern was observed in the tall, d2 and the quantitatively inherited dwarf, suggesting that there is polygenic control of this trait.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Andhra University, 530 003, Visakhapatnam, India

    K. Uma Devi & M. Krishna Rao

  2. Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bristol, Institute of Arable Crops Research, Long Ashton Research Station, BS18 9AF, Bristol, UK

    Stephen J. Croker & Peter Hedden

  3. Genetic Resources Unit, ICRISAT Patancheru, P.O. 502 324, Hyderabad, India

    S. Appa Rao

Authors
  1. K. Uma Devi
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  2. M. Krishna Rao
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  3. Stephen J. Croker
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  4. Peter Hedden
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  5. S. Appa Rao
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Devi, K.U., Rao, M.K., Croker, S.J. et al. Coleoptile length, gibberellin sensitivity and concentrations in five non-allelic dwarf mutants of pearl millet — Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.. Plant Growth Regul 15, 215–221 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029894

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029894

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