Effetti della defogliazione e della rimozione delle reste sul peso della cariosside in grano duro e triticale

In the biennium 1981-82, an experience of leaf blade and awn removal was carried out during grain filling
at different times on four durum wheat varieties and six triticale genotypes.
The removal of all leaf blades reduced kernel weight proportionally to the kernel growth stage when the
removal of the assimilant leaf surface occurred. Weight reduction resulted to be influenced furthermore
by the intrinsic factors characteristic of the species and variety as well as by water availabality in the
soil. The loss, more or less anticipated, of leaf blades caused unit-weight decreases up to 25% in late lines,
while no remarkable unit-weight variations were recorded in early cv. if the assimilation surface reduction
occurs when kernel is almost completely formed.