Cheng Shihua

Determination of critical temperatures and panicle development stage for fertility change of thermo-sensitive genic male sterile rice line ‘5460S’

SummaryThe effect of a 1–5 day low temperature treatment applied at different stages during panicle development on the male sterility of 5460S, a thermo-sensitive genic male sterile rice line (TGMSR), was studied. Before and after the period of low temperature treatments the plants were continuously grown under 14.75 h daylength and 29.6° C average temperature (max. 33° C/min. 29° C) in growth chambers in order to avoid any other possible influences on the male sterility. The results indicate that the plant responses to low temperature was dependant on the developmental stage of the young panicle. The stages from formation of pollen mother cell to late uninucleate of pollen grains were the most sensitive to temperature. It is concluded that the critical temperature for the fertility change from male sterile to partially fertile in ‘5460S’ is about 28.5° C in the sensitive panicle development stages under the condition studied.