Studies on bud development in the rhizome ofAgropyron repens. II. The effect of the nitrogen supply

摘要

Bud growth on isolated rhizomes ofAgropyron repensshowed a basipetal gradient of decreasing activity and was strongly inhibited at the basal nodes. This evident polarity was correlated with a gradient of decreasing nitrogen content at successively older nodes and with an apparent translocation of nitrogen from the basal to the apical nodes. Isolating the buds from one another reduced growth of the apical buds and prolonged the growth of buds at the basal nodes so that the polarity of bud growth, although still apparent, was much reduced.Supplying nitrogen as NH4NO3through the cut end of rhizomes still attached to the parent plant caused apical buds to develop as shoots instead of rhizomes. Increasing the nitrogen supply to the rooting medium extended this response to buds at older nodes, restricting rhizome production to basal buds whose growth was inhibited in low nitrogen rhizomes.Buds developing as shoots had a considerably higher total nitrogen and moisture content and a lower dry weight than buds developing as rhizomes.The results emphasized the importance of the nitrogen supply not only in determining the polarity of bud growth and the degree of correlative inhibition, but also as a morphogenetic factor controlling bud development.