Apical Senescence in Pisum: A Direct or Indirect Role for the Flowering Genes ?

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Abstract
Apical senescence was examined in a range of intact and deflowered flowering genotypes under both long and short photoperiods. The flower inhibitor produced by the gene Sn, appears to have a direct effect on apical senescence since it can delay apical senescence under short day conditions in the absence of flower and fruit development or where the rate of such development is the same in different treatments. Gene Hr can magnify this effect. Gene E, on the other hand, appears to influence apical senescence only indirectly through the effect it has on flower and fruit development. The flowering genes at the If, sn and hr loci are also thought to have indirect effects on apical senescence. Even in deflowered plants apical senescence appears to occur eventually in continuous light in all genotypes tested indicating that the presence of developing fruits, although promotory, is not essential for apical senescence.