3. Effect of environment on aleurone color - Marcross sweet corn with the aleurone constitution A C r Pr was changed to a purple aleurone (phenotype A C r Pr) by growing in the greenhouse in the winter time with no additional light. The corn was planted on January 21, 1941 in soil fertility plots where different types of phosphorous fertilizers were being tested. The fertility in all plots was sufficient to produce a normal crop of corn. In some cases ears were produced in the tassels as is characteristic of corn grown in this latitude with no extra light. Many fully purple kernels were found on the main ears as well as those produced in the tassel. One tassel ear had all the kernels fully colored similar to any A C R Pr stock. Examination showed this color to be in the aleurone layer. Seeds from the fully colored tassel-ear were planted in the field in the summer of 1941. Three selfed ears showed no aleurone color. The kernels were all Y su. Ears crossed by A C R Pr were entirely purple, also those crossed by a C R pr and A c R. Ears crossed by ACr were colorless showing the aleurone constitution to be A C r Pr. No explanation is readily available for the apparent changing of r or R when grown in the greenhouse. The experiment is being repeated in the greenhouse in 1942.
W. R. Singleton