Influence of the Cytokinin, 6-Benzylamino-9-(Tetrahydropyran-2-yl)-9H-Purine,on the Growth and Development of Some Ornamental Crops

Foliar sprays of the synthetic cytokin, 6-benzylamino-9-(tetrahydropyran-2-yl)-9H-purine (PBA), increased branching in carnation, chrysanthemum, poinsettia, petunia and fuchsia, which showed varying levels of tolerance. In no instance did PBA reduce plant height. Applications of PBA to carnation and chrysanthemum stimulated branching in both intact and pinched plants. Treatment a few days prior to pinching produced more uniform development of new laterals. Response to the compound was most favourable under optimum growing conditions. Under relatively poor light intensity the laterals exhibited a reluctance for continued elongation and showed marked chlorosis. Application of PBA to flower buds at an early stage of development increased both the diameter and the fresh weight of carnation flowers or chrysanthemum inflorescences when fully open. Response to the compound decreased with age of the bud at the time of treatment. In carnation the effects on size were accompanied by an increase in petal area together with an increase in the number of primary petals produced. Relatively high concentrations also induced the formation of secondary growing centres from which varying numbers of additional petals were produced. Relatively large numbers of these secondary centres within a flower resulted in an increased incidence of calyx splitting. These centres were not observed in chrysanthemum. The formation of secondary growing centres could also be induced by GA₃ and IAA. However, while these growth substances increased the diameter and fresh weight of carnation flowers, unlike cytokinins they had no apparent effect on the number of primary petals formed. Finally PBA was also observed to increase the longevity of cut flowers of carnation. This was particularly apparent at relatively low temperatures.     

Production of virus-free plantlets by anther culture of LiliumבEnchantment’

Anthers of the LiliumבEnchantment’, excised at the uninucleate microspore stage, were cultured on MS media containing 6% sucrose with auxin and cytokinin. When anthers were cultured on the medium with 2 mg l⁻¹ picloram and zeatin, 12–86% of them formed nodular calli. Anthers excised from greenhouse- and field-grown plants showed different responses: anthers of greenhouse-grown plants had a significantly higher capability to form callus and regenerate bulblets than those of field-grown plants. In anthers from greenhouse-grown plants, bulblet formation was dependent on the time at which anthers were excised from donor plants: anthers collected from early forced mother-plants had a higher capability of forming bulblet than others. All regenerated plantlets were diploid, which was substantiated by histological observation showing that the anther-derived calli originated from anther wall tissues. Virus tests by ELISA were made for 49 plantlets selected randomly at transplanting: 20 plantlets (41%) were virus-free, and the rest showed positive reactions for lily symptomless virus, cucumber mosaic virus and/or tulip breaking virus.     

Cold treatment modifies the photoperiodic flowering response of Lobelia×speciosa

Lobelia×speciosa Sweet ‘Compliment Scarlet' was grown under a range of photoperiods and low temperature treatments to determine their effects on flowering. In the first experiment, plants were held at 5°C for 0 or 15 weeks, then grown at 20°C under the following photoperiods: 10, 12, 14, 16, or 24 h of continual light or 9 h with a 4 h night interruption (NI). Non-cooled ‘Compliment Scarlet' flowered as a qualitative long-day plant (LDP) with a minimum flowering photoperiod of 14 h. Following cold, flowering was quantitative with respect to photoperiod, until ≈14.2 h, when the calculated rate of progress toward flowering reached a plateau. In cooled plants, node number below the inflorescence decreased from 27 to 16 as the photoperiod increased from 10 to 24 h. Cooled plants developed 61–149% more flowers and were ≥17% taller than non-cooled ones under the same photoperiod. To determine the cold duration required for flowering under short days (SD), plants were held at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15 weeks at 5°C then grown at 20°C under SD (9 h photoperiod) or long days (9 h photoperiod with a 4 h NI). Under SD, few plants flowered after ≤6 weeks of cold. As cold treatment increased from 9 to 15 weeks, flowering percentage increased, time to flower decreased from 93 to 64 days, and node count decreased from 24 to 13. Cold treatment did not affect flowering percentage or time under NI, but plants always had more flowers and were taller than reproductive ones under 9 h day lengths. Thus, ‘Compliment Scarlet', is a qualitative LDP, but an extended cold treatment can partially substitute for the long day (LD) photoperiodic requirement.     

The growth and flowering of Hymenocallis × festalis

Bulbs of Hymenocallis (including Ismene) have showy, fragrant flowers. Little is known of the horticultural potential of these plants, and observations and trials on a stock of Hymenocallis × festalis are described.

In a stock of glasshouse-raised bulbs, bulb grade exerted a marked effect of the number of florets produced, which increased from 2 in 9–10-cm-circumference bulbs, to 7 in 18–19-cm-grade bulbs. Field-raised bulbs of the same grades produced fewer florets. Bulbs were usually planted for flower production in the glasshouse in April; earlier planting (February) leading to greater floret size but a longer period in the glasshouse before anthesis. Planting could be delayed at least until June, or later flowering could be achieved by storing the dry bulbs over winter at a low temperature (5°C), but the latter treatment reduced the percentage of bulbs which flowered. The long scapes could be dwarfed by ethephon (as Ethrel). Hot-water treatment, as a pest and disease control measure, did not result in damage to the flowers provided it was delayed until after the staminal cup initial had been formed.

In the field, growth of the main bulb was more vigorous than in the glasshouse, but pot culture in the glasshouse led to copious offset production. Data are presented for bulb increases for various grades of bulbs planted in outdoor beds at rates of 350–1050 g per metre row.     

Malformation of roses due to drought stress

Rose plants were subjected to the same degree of drought stress but at different stages of development. Irrigation was suspended for a certain period according to the soil moisture deficit and the leaf stomatal resistance.Rose flower development was most sensitive to drought stress prior to petal and stamen initiation. At those stages, drought stress affected the quality of the flowers (reduction in the number of well-formed petals and in length of the flower bud). Application of drought stress during stamen initiation (or during petal initiation in winter) caused abortions and malformations of the flower bud once the stem had elongated to approximately 15 cm. Such malformed buds had no carpels, and stamens were tightly packed on the center of the receptacle.     

Hormone effects on in vitro proliferation and rooting of Grevillea explants

Explants of Grevillea rosmarinifolia A. Cunn. and Grevillea×semperflorens F.E. Brigs ex Mullig., obtained from vegetative stem segments, were grown on a modified MS medium, which was supplemented with different contents of cytokinins (BA or K) to evaluate optimal conditions for bud proliferation. Auxins (NAA or IBA) were tested to evaluate rooting.

The multiplication rate was often higher in G. rosmarinifolia than in G.×semperflorens. Explant activity varied significantly depending on the cytokinin type and its concentration. The addition of cytokinins to the culture medium often promoted an increase in the number of shoots produced by each propagule, but at the highest BA concentration, shoot differentiation was inhibited in Grevillea×semperflorens. Only the higher concentrations studied (5–10 mg/l) produced better results with K, whereas BA was more effective at 1–2 mg/l. Rooting efficiency of the young shoots was lower in G. rosmarinifolia than in G.×semperflorens. IBA promoted root development in both species and was more effective at the highest concentration (1 mg/l). NAA gave better results at low concentrations (0.2 mg/l) in G. rosmarinifolia, while it had slight or negative effect on rooting of G.×semperflorens.     

Influence of sprayable mulch colour on yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena L. cv. Millionaire)

Planting beds were treated with sprayable, synthetic latex film (BASF, Charlotte, NC, USA) and oversprayed with black, white, red, blue, yellow or silver oil-based paint to study the effect of coloured spray mulches on yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena L. cv. Millionaire). Nonpainted mulch base and bare ground plots served as control treatments. Individual experimental units consisted of three rows, 102 cm wide × 7.3 m long, transplanted with 8 plants per row. Treatments were replicated in four blocks each at two separate locations near Fresno, CA. Plants grown on silver-painted beds produced significantly greater numbers (42–221%) of fruit and total fruit weight (42–237%) than all other treatments at both locations after eight harvests. Silver-painted mulch stimulated significantly greater flowering and fruit set numbers prior to the first harvest at one site. Apart from silver, only blue- and white-coloured mulches provided increased numbers and/or fresh weight yields at one site only. Mulched plots painted with other colours did not produce yields different from either the bare ground or nonpainted mulch base controls at either site.     

Control of chlorophyll formation and sprouting of tubers by oil dipping in five potato cultivars of Pakistan

Five potato cultivars of autumn crop, dipped in corn oil, were observed for 90 days at room temperature under natural light. Chlorophyll formation took place in minute quantities in treated tubers of ‘Désirée’ and ‘Prima’, and a little more in ‘Primura’, ‘Montana’ and ‘Multa’, whereas all control tubers became completely green after 90 days. Sugars were significantly lower and starch higher in treated tubers than in controls. No sprout-development was observed in treated tubers of all cultivars, but 50–70% control tubers had sprouted during this period. Peeling-losses were minimum in treated tubers and were 67.5–85.4% in controls. The oil-dipped potato tubers of all cultivars could safely be stored for 60 days without quality deterioration under ordinary conditions of temperature and light.     

Physico-chemical and antioxidant properties of cornelian cherry fruits (Cornus mas L.) grown in Turkey

Cornus mas L. is a naturally growing dogwood species in Anatolia. In present study, physical, chemical and antioxidant properties of cornelian cherry fruits were studied. The fruit weight was in the range of 0.39–1.03 g, fruit length 14.24–22.20 mm, fruit width 9.59–13.21 mm, flesh/seed ratio 1.34 to 6.72. Hunter L values of the samples ranged between 10.82 and 19.69, and a value was between +6.25 and +15.59, and b value was between +3.46 and +6.64. In addition to the levels of dry matter, soluble solids, pH, total acidity, total sugar content, reduced sugar content, unreduced sugar content, ascorbic acid, total anthocyanin and total phenolics were within the range of 15.88–28.19%, 12.50–21.00%, 3.11–3.53, 1.10–2.53%, 76.80–154.00 g kg⁻¹, 52.80–120.00 g kg⁻¹, 0.00–32.30 g kg⁻¹, 0.16–0.88 mg g⁻¹, 1.12–2.92 mg g⁻¹ and 2.81–5.79 mg g⁻¹, respectively. On the other hand, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and EC₅₀ values were between 16.21 mmol g⁻¹ and 94.43 mmol g⁻¹, 0.29–0.69 mg mL⁻¹. Anthocyanin extracts of the fruits were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV–vis detection. Pelargonidin 3-glucoside was the main pigment found in cornelian cherry fruits.     

Transpiration characteristics of banana leaves (cultivar ‘Williams’) in response to progressive depletion of available soil moisture

Young parent-crop banana plants (cultivar ‘Williams’) were subjected to two soil moisture potential (SMP) regimes, namely, continuous field capacity and progressive depletion of total available soil moisture (TAM). Experiments were conducted in a fibreglass tunnel under mild or enhanced conditions of vapour pressure deficit (VPD), and also in the field during summer. Transpiration rates, stomatal resistance, photosynthetically-active radiation and leaf temperature were measured simultaneously with a steady-state porometer, according to a developed technique which minimised natural sources of error.

Under mild conditions of VPD (± 5 hPa) plants responded slowly to soil drying, and at a SMP of −82 kPa, transpiration was reduced by 27% compared to fully-irrigated plants. Under enhanced VPD (15–20 hPa), plants responded rapidly to soil drying, and at a SMP of −75 kPa transpiration was reduced by 73%.

In the field, reduction of transpiration in response to SMP at high VPD followed a similar pattern to the covered experiment. At a SMP of −46 kPa the reduction in transpiration rate was 41% in the late afternoon at high VPD, but the following morning transpiration rates of the two treatments were similar due to lower VPD and overnight re-establishment of turgor. At −525 kPa SMP, reduction of transpiration was 70% and plants could not regain turgor overnight. Stomatal conductance seemed more sensitive to water stress than transpiration, but leaf temperature only differentiated advanced levels of stress (± 2°C difference between stressed and non-stressed leaves).

These results hold important implications for irrigation scheduling of bananas. Initiation of stress occurred at a SMP of around −20 to −25 kPa which occurred at a 20% depletion of TAM, thus necessitating a summer irrigation frequency of daily or every 2 days.     

Effects of N–P–K deficiency and temperature regime on the growth and development of Lilium longiflorum ‘Nellie White’ during bulb production under phytotron conditions

One-year-old scale bulblets of Lilium longiflorum Thunb. ‘Nellie White’ (Easter lily) were grown under a combination of six constant day/night temperature regimes and five N–P–K nutrient treatments under short days for 107 d (growing period 1 or GP-1) to compare the effects on growth and development and bulb production. Results during GP-1 were as follows: failure of bulblets to produce a shoot (“no-shows”) was found at high temperatures (30/26 and 26/22 °C) and not influenced by the nutrient treatments. Flower bud abortion was observed in the minus-N, minus-P, and minus-N–P–K treatments at high temperatures (30/26 or 26/22 °C), but not observed at any temperatures in the complete and minus-K treatments. The loss of bulb fresh weight in minus-N treated bulblets was less than in the other treatments resulting in less root and shoot growth in the minus-N treatment. At the intermediate temperatures where growth was highest, omission of N, P, K, or all three resulted in losses in stem bulb fresh weight, stem plus leaf fresh weight, number of flowers, and stem root fresh weight. Omission of N, P, or all three nutrients resulted in lowest basal root fresh weight. Bulb N and K concentrations were lowest in plants grown with complete nutrient solution at the two coldest temperature regimes (14/10 and 10/6 °C). Bulb P concentration was lowest at the three coldest (18/14, 14/10 and 10/6 °C) and the warmest (30/26 °C) temperature regimes. Stem length was shorter when P was omitted. Omission of any of the three nutrients resulted in lower concentrations of the other nutrients. The one exception was where low K did not affect N concentration. In the second phase of the experiment, plants grown at 18/14 °C and irrigated with the complete nutrient solution for 107 d (GP-1) were continued at this day/night temperature regime and five N–P–K nutrient treatments for another 89 d under long days (growing period 2 or GP-2). Results during GP-2 were as follows. Basal bulb yield was not impacted by omission of N, P, or K, or all three. Of all growth measurements, only stem plus leaf fresh weight was lower and only when all three nutrients (minus-N–P–K) were omitted. At the end of GP-2, basal bulb concentrations of N and P did not differ from the concentrations in bulbs at the beginning of GP-1; however, K concentration was lower at the end of GP-2. Omission of N or P further resulted in lower bulb K concentration, suggesting that a moderate supply of N, P, and K be applied during GP-2 since an additional year of bulb production is needed to produce forcing-sized bulbs.     

牡丹花枝不同发育时期各器官乙烯释放和ACC含量的变化

以牡丹( Paeonia suffruticosa) 品种‘胡红’为试材, 测定了不同发育时期花枝以及不同器(花瓣、雌蕊、雄蕊、花托、花萼、茎、叶柄、叶) 的乙烯释放量和ACC含量的变化。花的乙烯释放量变化类型主要取决于花瓣, 花朵衰老时花托和雄蕊是乙烯释放的主要部位。雄蕊在初开期有一明显的乙烯释放高峰。花朵开放过程中花瓣的ACC含量缓慢减少, 进入衰老期ACC含量又有快速上升的趋势; 而茎的ACC含量一直处于下降趋势。叶柄和叶片的ACC含量在花朵的整个开放过程中变化不大。结果提示器官之间乙烯和ACC梯度在花朵开放和衰老前后起着重要的调节作用, 而乙烯和ACC在花器不同部位间的运输及分配上有差异。     

Micropropagation of Cryptanthus with leaf explants with attached intercalary meristems excised from greenhouse stock plants

By using the leaves with attached intercalary meristems from greenhouse grown stock plants, five cultivars of Cryptanthus were cultured on modified MS media with 4.5 μM NAA and IBA and 3 μM BA to induce adventitious shoot formation from callus tissue. Contamination was 17–21% for explants taken from stock plants which were sprayed weekly with Agribrom and 27–75% for those taken from stock plants which were not treated. More than 99% true to type plantlets were obtained from non-chimeric plants. Green and albino plantlets were obtained from chimeric plants. The chimeric C. ‘Coster's Favorite’ DeCoster also produced a few chimeric plantlets with intermarginal pink stripes in addition to the green and albino plantlets. Most of the non-chimeric plants took a shorter time to produce plantlets of transplantable size (8–12 mm) than the chimeric ones. Except for albino plantlets, survival rate of plantlets exceeded 95%. A minimum average of 500 rooted plantlets can be obtained in a year from a single well-callused leaf explant. The protocol in this report should speed up the mass production and introduction of desirable new cultivars and hybrids of non-chimeric Cryptanthus.     

鸢尾新品种‘紫堇’

 鸢尾新品种‘紫堇’,植株高挺,2 年生植株高40 ~ 60 cm。叶片细长,长为40 ~ 60 cm、宽 为3 ~ 6 mm。花葶长30 ~ 50 cm,每个花葶上1 ~ 3 个花蕾;花瓣淡紫色,花茎5 ~ 7 cm。花期5—6 月, 生长强健,抗逆性强,观赏价值高,种子结实率低。     

Genetic diversity analysis of Phalaenopsis ‘Frigdaas Oxford’ using SRAP markers with reference to those genes responsible for variations in the pigmentation of petals and sepals

Summary

A selfed progeny from Phalaenopsis ‘Frigdaas Oxford’, with yellow flowers and red-purple blotches, was established. Individual plants varied greatly in terms of the number, size, and distribution pattern of the red-purple blotches. Sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers were used to analyse 159 individual plants in the progeny, and 14 polymorphic primer combinations were selected from the 594 SRAP primer combinations tested. In total, 80 polymorphic bands were produced using these primer combinations. On average, each primer pair combination amplified 80.1% polymorphic bands. An UPGMA dendrogram and a principal coordinate analysis (PCA) showed that the 159 individual plants selected could be divided into 12 clusters, including a cluster that consisted of plants in which the petals and sepals were fully red-purple in colour. Plants in which the petals and sepals had large red-purple blotches were genetically closer to the latter cluster than were those plants in which the blotches were small, indicating that the SRAP markers could be used efficiently to identify genetic variation in a Phalaenopsis population with respect to flower colour. Furthermore, 45 unique genes identified by SRAP from the selfed progeny population were sequenced. These data suggest that SRAP markers for the pattern of pigmentation in the petals and sepals of Phalaenopsis may be used in breeding Phalaenopsis for specific patterns of flower pigmentation.     

Effect of night humidity on the vegetative growth and the mineral composition of tomato and strawberry plants

Conditions of low night humidity (50–55%) and high night humidity (90–95%) were imposed on tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Young-Kwang) for 30 days, and on strawberry plants (Fragaria grandiflora Ehrh. cv. Bogyo) for 40 days. Shoot dry weight and leaf area in tomato plants increased with high night humidity whereas the strawberry plants did not show any such increases. The concentrations of five major nutrients (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) were reduced in tomato plants under high night humidity, with the calcium content in younger leaves being the most severely affected. For the strawberry plants, however, high night humidity tended to increase the concentrations of major nutrients, including calcium in the younger leaves. Possible reasons for the differences in response of these two species to night humidity are discussed.     

Effects of air humidity and K/Ca ratio in the nutrient supply on growth and postharvest characteristics of cut roses

Single node cuttings with one mature leaf were taken from the rose cv. Baroness and rooted in water culture. The rooted plants were grown in nutrient solutions and subjected to two levels of relative air humidity (RH): high (90%) and moderate (70%), in combination with high (12/1), medium (1/1) and low (1/5) K/Ca ratios in the nutrient solution. High RH plants accumulated less Ca in leaves and flowers than moderate RH plants. Roses grown at moderate RH had a longer postharvest life than high RH roses, irrespective of the K/Ca ratio of the nutrient solution. In general, a high K/Ca ratio had a negative impact on postharvest life. When grown at a high K/Ca ratio the ornamental value declined rapidly, mainly due to the appearance of necrotic petals as well as chlorotic and necrotic areas on the leaves. Bent neck occurred only with high RH plants but changes in the K/Ca ratio had no differential effect. Dry spots and brittle leaves were observed on high RH roses, and the occurrence increased with increased K/Ca ratio in the nutrient solution. Stomatal conductance increased in parallel with increases in RH and K/Ca ratio when measured on intact roses placed in dry air (40% RH).     

In vivo growth and tolerance to lime-induced iron chlorosis of leaf-derived cvs. Tomuri and Hayward kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) somaclones

Summary

The present paper reports on somaclonal variation of leaf-derived ‘Tomuri’ and ‘Hayward’ somaclones regenerated at variable pH, and the effect of the in vitro selection pressure on their tolerance to lime-induced iron chlorosis as adult plants in pots and in the field. In most plants grown in pots, the above ground component length (AGL) and the node number (NN), and also root weight of ‘Hayward’, tended to increase with the regeneration pH (RpH). The higher vigour of ‘Hayward’ somaclones regenerated at high pH seemed to be confirmed in the field. In contrast, the pH selection pressure during regeneration had no clear effect on plant tolerance to lime. For ‘Hayward’, the group of somaclones obtained at pH 5.7 showed at high lime levels higher average AGL and NN than those of plants regenerated at pH 7; while clone 7.5-1, the only surviving somaclone among those obtained at the highest pH, was apparently the most tolerant to lime. The percentage of ‘Tomuri’ somaclones obtained at pH 7.5 that seemed less sensitive to lime was slightly higher than those of somaclones regenerated at pH 5.7 and 7. ‘Tomuri’ and ‘Hayward’ controls were both very sensitive to lime. Some somaclones which had been able to grow at high pH in vitro were also fairly tolerant to lime when cultured in pots and/or in the field, especially ‘Tomuri’ 5.7-5, -6; 7-6, -8, -14 and 7.5-6, and ‘Hayward’ 5.7-5; 7-2, -3, -5 and 7.5-1. The in vitro regeneration and selection methods here described therefore seem useful for creating and selecting new variability in kiwifruit and promising for obtaining plants tolerant to high pH and lime levels in the soil.     

同源四倍体皇家嘎拉苹果的生长结果特性

皇家嘎拉苹果四倍体是一个由皇家嘎拉苹果二倍体经诱变处理获得的品系。为了解皇家嘎拉苹果四倍体与二倍体对照植株在生长结果特性方面的差异,取2种果树的接穗高接到10年生大树上,在植株结果后进行了调查研究。结果表明,由皇家嘎拉苹果二倍体诱变成的同源四倍体植株在高接后第3年开始结果,其花萼、花瓣、雌蕊、雄蕊及花药比对照大;叶片变宽,叶柄和果柄变短粗;单果大,种子数少,果形指数小,果实可溶性固形物、总糖和可滴定酸含量增高;其节间长、叶长及果肉硬度与二倍体则无显著差异。     

Optimal pollination environment of tetraploid ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) evaluated by in vitro pollen germination and pollen tube growth in styles

Pollen germination percentages in vitro of a tetraploid ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), ‘4×Sanshu’, tended to be highest at around 20°C. Pollen tube growth in the styles was greatly enhanced at 17°C, i.e., pollen tubes penetrated into the entire stylar length in 66.7% of the styles used. Pollen stored for at least 3 h under 40–80% relative humidity (RH) almost completely lost its germinability, whereas pollen incubated for up to 3 h under 100% RH retained a relatively higher germinability. Moreover, the pollen germinability that was lowered under 40–80% RH did not recover when the pollen was re-humidified for 2 h under 100% RH before inoculation onto a medium. When stigmas were pollinated with fresh pollen at 17°C under 100% RH, pollen tubes penetrated into the entire stylar length in 26.7% of the styles tested. Under 40–80% RH, however, pollen tubes stopped growing at the middle or the base of styles. From these results, I concluded that the optimal pollination environment of the tetraploid ginger was at 17–20°C under 100% RH.