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Starch and Its Component Ratio in Developing Cotton Leaves

¹ United States Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration-Agricultural Research, Western Cotton Research Laboratory, 4135 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85040

During cotton leaf development, starch accumulation was characterized by an initial rise to a maximum at the second to the fourth leaf from the apex. Then, starch content progressively decreased with leaf age. Starch accumulation was inversely related to the ratio of amylopectin to amylose. Differences between leaves in this ratio resulted from variations in both amylose and amylopectin levels. Fluctuations in amylose levels were more extreme than those of amylopectin.

During the diurnal cycle, amylopectin was accumulated more than amylose in both young and old leaves during the day. During the night, amylopectin was degraded more than amylose in young leaves and vice versa in older leaves. The rate of change of the amylopectin to amylose ratio during the day was consistently higher than that during the night.