Dynamics of 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone in winter wheat : Effects of photoperiod and temperature.

6-Methoxybenzoxazolinone (6-MBOA), a compound derivable from some freshly growing plants, is known to stimulate reproduction in some mammals and birds. Winter wheat was studied under controlled laboratory conditions to determine the effects of photoperiod and temperature on derivable 6-MBOA content. Longer photoperiods decrease the amount of derivable 6-MBOA per gram of fresh material in 4-day-old wheat seedlings. Higher temperatures also decrease the amount of derivable 6-MBOA in 4-day-old wheat. 6-MBOA content decreases as the plant ages. Comparisons of only the first centimeter above the seed produced the same age-related result. 6-MBOA is concentrated in the meristematic region with decreasing amounts found in higher portions of the plant. Roots from 9-day-old plants contain 6-MBOA. Unsprouted wheat seeds contain negligible amounts of 6-MBOA. These results demonstrate that environmental variables have a significant effect on derivable 6-MBOA levels, but that under all the regimes studied, 6-MBOA is present in freshly sprouted wheat.