The growth of vining peas: I. The effect of time of sowing

Abstract

SUMMARYYield and growth analysis have been applied to the results of an experiment comparing early and late sown peas. Yield analysis showed that in this experiment late sown peas had:(i) fewer podding nodes per main stem,(ii) fewer pods per podding node, and(iii) a slower rate of increase in pod weight.The physiological origins of these differences are discussed.The first component is determined by the stage at which node production is terminated by the death of the apical bud.The second is determined by morphogenetic factors at the apical meristem early in in the life of the plant, when (in the variety DSP) either a single or a double flowered raceme is initiated, and also during the harvesting period when some pods are lost from the lower-most flowering nodes.The differences in the third component, the rate of increase in pod weight, could not be explained by conventional growth analysis. Pod growth rate was not a simple function of leaf area index.It is suggested that the relationship between leaf area and pod growth rate is complicated by the existence of other sources of materials for pod growth such as stored products in the roots and stems, and photosynthesis by the fruit itself.