Nutritional changes leading to male sterility in a thermosensitive male sterile rice line used for two line breeding

Investigations aimed to characterize the thermosensitive nature indicated reduction in nitrogen, potassium, calcium, copper and boron contents in sterile TS 29 leaves. The reduction in leaf nitrogen and potassium content under critical sterility temperature (CST) was 17 per cent and 32 per cent respectively from that of fertile plants. The reductions in the contents of calcium, boron and copper are 24, 34 and 23 per cent respectively, as a result of CST treatment. The reduction in the nutrients might be attributed to the susceptibility of TS 29 to elevated temperature, which in turn might have affected the synthesis of proteins and various metabolic enzymes, leading to male sterility.