Reduction in potato growth at high temperature: role of photosynthesis and dark respiration

The relationship of photosynthesis and dark respiration to reduced potato growth at temperatures above 20°C was determined. Ten potato clones were propagated in vitro from sterile plandets and grown in a growth chamber at 20/15°C and 30/25°C (day/night) with an 18 hr. daylength. Plants were harvested 26 to 30 days after transplanting. Daylength was decreased to 12 hrs. to induce tuberization and plants were harvested at 45-51 and 75-79 days after transplanting. At each harvest one plant from each cultivar was chosen from each of five blocks and selected growth (tuber number and dry weight of leaves, stems, roots and stolons, and tubers) and physiological variates [leaf area, net photosynthesis, maintenance dark respiration, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters 0 (Initial), P (Peak), T (Terminal), P-O (Variable fluorescence) and P-T (Fluorescence quenching)] were measured. The high temperature decreased root and stolon, tuber and total dry weight and increased stem dry weight. Amongst physiological variates, the higher temperature decreased leaf area, net photosynthesis and maintenance dark respiration. The chlorophyll fluorescence parameter 0 significantly increased, which also increased the P and T parameters. Variable fluorescence (P-O) and fluorescence quenching (PT) were not significantly affected by the growth temperature. The analyses of covariance, in which physiological variates were used as covariates to remove significant differences in growth variates, indicated that the most effective covariate was the T chlorophyll fluorescence parameter. The least effective covariates were leaf dark respiration and the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters P-O and P-T. The changes in 0 fluorescence suggest that reduced photosynthetic efficiency, particularly in Photosystem II, plays a major role in reduced potato production at high temperatures.     

The effect of temperature on the development of wilting and on progeny tuber infection of potatoes inoculated with South African strains of biovar 2 and 3 ofPseudomonas solanacearum

Summary Potato plants, after inoculation with a South African strain of biovar 2 or a strain of biovar 3 ofPseudomonas solanacearum were grown in growth chambers at temperatures ranging from 14/16°C (dark/light) up to 25/30°C. When grown at 14/16°C or higher, plants inoculated with the biovar 2 strain developed wilting symptoms and internal symptoms on progeny tubers and the disease was transmitted by the progeny tubers. When the plants were inoculated with the biovar 3 strain, wilting symptoms developed from 18/20°C, internal symptoms on progeny tubers from 20/22°C and the disease was transmitted by progeny tubers from plants grown at 16/18°C or higher.     

Shortening dormancy of seed potatoes by storage temperature regimes

Summary Four experiments (three with four cultivars, one with twenty cultivars) investigated the effect of different storage temperature regimes on the duration of dormancy of seed potatoes harvested immature. Regimes included constant temperatures (18 and 28°C), hot pre-treatments (20 days at 28°C and subsequently 18°C) and cold pre-treatments (20 days at 2°C and subsequently 18°C). Compared with 18°C, storage at 28°C slightly prolonged dormancy of some cultivars with a genetically short dormancy and shortened dormancy by up to 45 days in cultivars with a long dormancy. Some tubers of one cultivar lost their ability to sprout after storage at 28°C for 90 days. A hot pre-treatment shortened dormancy by 2–3 weeks on average, for all cultivars examined. A cold pre-treatment shortened dormancy by 2 weeks on average in some cultivars with a short dormancy and in all cultivars with a long dormancy.     

Functions of Nitrogen,Phosphorus and Potassium in Energy Status and Their Influences on Rice Growth and Development

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are important essential nutrients for plant growth and development, but their functions in energy status remains unclear. Here, we grew Nipponbare rice seedlings in a growth chamber for 20 d at 30 °C/24 °C (day/night) under natural sunlight conditions with different nutrient regimes. The results showed that N had the strongest influence on the plant growth and development, followed by P and K. The highest nonstructural carbohydrate content, dry matter weight, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), ATP content, as well as NADH dehydrogenase, cytochrome oxidase and ATPase activities were found in the plants that received sufficient N, P and K. The lowest values of these parameters were detected in the N-deficient plants. Higher dry matter accumulation was observed in the K-deficient than in the P-deficient treatments, but there was no significant difference in the ratio of respiration rate to Pn between these two treatments, suggesting that differences in energy production efficiency may have accounted for this result. This hypothesis was confirmed by higher ATP contents and activities of NADH dehydrogenase, cytochrome oxidase and ATPase in the K-deficient plants than in the P-deficient plants. We therefore inferred different abilities in energy production efficiency among N, P and K in rice seedlings, which determined rice plant growth and development.     

Potato top growth as influenced by temperatures

A study was conducted to establish a growth rate response of potato plant (Solanum tuberosum L.) tops to exposure to 72-hr periods of six constant temperature treatments (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35°C) and to determine a thermal optimum for vegetative potato growth rates. The plants were maintained under “no stress” soil moisture conditions throughout the study. The temperature treatments were accomplished by inserting the plants into a growth chamber for 72 hours at selected temperatures. Maximum growth (as measured by percent change in leaf area) occurred at 25°C with temperature growth differences significant at the 5% level. Plant height measurements (percent change occurring during treatment time) showed maximum stem elongation at 30°C during an early growth stage and 25°C during stage 2 (4 weeks later). Predictive models developed from the data indicate maximum rates of leaf area increase in both growth stages occur at 24.7°C and that maximum rates of stem elongation occur at 31.3 and 27.4°C for growth stages 1 and 2, respectively. Leaf water potential and stomatal resistance measurements taken at the end of each treatment period indicated that no water stress occurred.     

Einfluss der physiologischen Alterung bei Pflanzknollen verschiedener Sorten auf Wachstumcharakteristika im Laborversuch

Zusammenfassung Die Wachstumskapazit?t (GC=g Spross- plus Wurzelmasse pro Knolle nach 20 Tagen bei 22°C) beschreibt im Verlauf der physiologischen Alterung eine Optimumskurve. Das Maximum der Wurzelmasse wurde in der Regel früher durchlaufen als das Maximum der Spross- bzw. Gesamtmasse. In 2 Jahren konnten Sortenunterschiede für die Alterungsrate in der Lage des Optimums der GC auf der physiologischen Zeitachse, in der Breite des optimalen Bereiches der GC und in der H?he der GC direkt nach der Beendigung der Dormanz festgestellt werden.

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Summary The following test was carried out in two years: during physiological ageing, samples of 15 tubers of each of eight cultivars were desprouted, planted into a mixture of compost and peat, and placed in darkness at a temperature of 22°C. Averaged over cultivars, the number and length of sprouts increased with increasing physiological age of the seed tubers until a maximum was reached. Beyond this, a slight decline in the number of sprouts was observed (Fig. 1a,b). With advanced physiological age, the diameter (Fig. 1c) and dry-matter content (Fig. 1d) of the sprouts decreased. However, these characteristics could not be used to monitor differences in the rate of physiological ageing between the potato cultivars. The growth capacity (GC=sprout and root mass) (g) per tuber after 20 days at 22°C) showed an optimum in the course of physiological ageing (Fig. 3). Root mass reached optimum levels earlier than sprout mass (Fig. 2) and in most cases also earlier than the total mass (Fig. 3). Despite year-to-year variation cultivar differences in the rate of ageing could be noted from the timing of the GC optima (based on temperature sum), from the maximum values of GC and from the GC values immediately after the end of dormancy. For three pairs of cultivars the differences in rate of physiological ageing—as observed in field trials—were confirmed by differences in growth capacity in the laboratory tests (Figs. 2, 3a, 3c). For one pair of cultivars the laboratory test did not predict the different behaviour in the field (Fig. 3b).

     

Internodal elongation: A potential screening technique for heat tolerance in potato

Summary In pot culture experiments over 2 consecutive years, 20 potato genotypes of varying heat tolerance were grown under long day conditions and heat stressed by being exposed to high (38 °C/21 °C mean day/night) temperature. The percent increase in mean internode length of heat stressed plants over those grown at normal temperatue (25°C/16°C day/night) was correlated with the percent tuber dry matter yield of the heat stressed plants (r=0.618, P=0.01). In the same 20 genotypes, grown under short day conditions at normal temperature, the fraction of leaf bud cuttings exposed to high night temperature (23°C) that produced tuber initials correlated with the percentage increase in internode elongation in stem cuttings exposed to 25°C compared with those exposed to 15°C (r=0.680. P=0.01). Thus the relative changes in internode elongation are related to thermal tolerance, and it is suggested that this can be used as a selection criterion for heat tolerance.     

Slow-growth in vitro conservation of potato germplasm at normal propagation temperature

Summary In-vitro conservation of microplants at 24±1 °C was investigated in six potato genotypes belonging to different maturity groups. Growth was controlled by using different concentrations of sucrose (20, 40 and 60 g 1⁻¹) alone or in combination with either mannitol (20 and 40 g 1⁻¹) or sorbitol (20 and 40 g 1⁻¹) in Murashige and Skoog medium. Maximum microplant survival (55.5–77.8%) after 12 months of storage was on medium supplemented with 20 g 1⁻¹ sucrose plus 40 g 1⁻¹ sorbitol. Microplants so conserved were in good to very good condition, without phenotypic abnormalities and had enough nodes for sub-culturing. Microplant survival and microplant condition were closely associated with each other but not with root growth. The success of conservation was unaffected by maturity group of the genotypes. This conservation approach at 24±1 °C can be an effective alternative to low temperature (6–8 °C) storage, especially in tropical and sub-tropical conditions, where the ambient temperatures in summer can reach 45–50°C.     

Influence of chilling on potato tuber respiration,sugar, O-dihydroxyphenolic content and membrane permeability

The response of four potato cultivars to various temperatures was evaluated in respect to respiration, sugar and phenolic content, and ion leakage from cut tissue sections. Respiration decreased with decreasing temperature from 20° to 0°C but after 24 hours at 0°C began to increase and reached a maximum after 10 days at 0°C, then drifted downward. No distinct break in an Arrhenius plot of the respiration data from 20° to 0°C was observed. Reducing and non-reducing sugars did not change initially between 20° and 0°C and did not increase until after 6 or 7 days at 0°C. The magnitude of the increase in sugars varied between cultivars. Only one cultivar significantly increased in phenolic content during chilling. Ion leakage remained constant from 20° to 0°C then showed a transient increase within 24 hours at 0°C. A sustained increase in leakage did not occur until after 10 days at 0°C. Cultivars varied in the rate and magnitude of the increase. The respiratory rise could not be attributed to an increase in sugar content or an increase in membrane permeability. Also, the initial increase in sugars preceded the sustained increase in ion leakage. Differences observed between cultivars in the parameters measured were not considered sufficient to explain differences in chilling sensitivity.     

不同氮效率玉米杂交种的营养生长及光合特征

以氮效率不同的4个玉米杂交种(组合)为材料,在两个氮水平下分析了营养生长及光合特征。结果表明,施氮条件下玉米营养体的含氮量平均在2.0%左右,低氮处理下降到1.5%左右;氮高效品种的穗位叶光合效率并没有降低,氮低效品种的叶片光合效率则显著降低。氮高效品种在叶片保绿性方面明显具有优势,在低氮条件下保持了较大的绿叶面积和较高的叶绿素含量。这些特征保证了氮高效品种后期光合产物供应能力强,并用于子粒灌浆。     

Leaf development of spring wheat cultivars in an irrigated heat-stressed environment

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is expanding into lower latitudes of the Nile Valley Region, where maximum air temperature can reach 38–40°C during the short growing season. Genotype and environment, particularly temperature, affect the rate of leaf appearance. Field experiments were conducted at the Gezira Research Station, Wad Medani, Sudan in 1992–94. The study aimed to determine the effect of high temperature (by manipulating sowing dates) on leaf and tiller appearance and growth of nine spring wheat cultivars. Linear response was found between rate of leaf appearance and thermal time and it was faster before double-ridge stage than after double ridge. Phyllochron ranged between 99°C d and 122°C d. Differences in phyllochron interval (PI) were pronounced among cultivars and early-maturing cultivars had faster leaf appearance compared with late-maturing ones. Mean final leaf number on the main stem ranged from 8.1 to 12.2 and it was highly correlated with thermal time from sowing to double ridge stage (r=0.71**). Genetic constitution of cultivars had larger effect on number of leaves per main-stem than temperature. Tillers were initiated at leaf stage 2.9 and cultivars differed in their tillering capacity and only 1.5–2.0 reproductive tillers per plant were produced. About 810°C d were needed to produce tillers 1 and 2 and about 1140°C d for tillers 3 and 4. Leaf senescence started at leaf stage 6.1 for cv. Wadi El Neil and 4.2 for Debeira. Cultivars sown late exhibited delayed senescence of their leaves. High temperature accelerated maturity and the cultivars suited for the irrigated tropical environment were found to be early-sown late-maturing types.     

Fingerprinting Indian potato cultivars by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

Summary Random amplified polymorphic DNA markers were used to distinguish and characterize 20 Indian potato cultivars. A total of 198 scorable fragments were amplified using 10 random primers, only two of which were monomorphic. Similarity values among the cultivars ranged from 0.33 to 0.80. A primer having resolving power above 7.4 was sufficient to distinguish all 20 cultivars. Wide variations in band profiles were observed when the same template DNA was amplified using Taq DNA polymerase from four different sources. No significant difference in profile complexity was observed at 40°C annealing temperature with a primer having 70% GC content. Prior restriction of template DNA resulted in band profiles whose complexity was similar to or higher than that of unrestricted template. However, multiplex RAPD with cleaved template DNA could not increase fingerprint complexity. Publication No. 1666, CPRI. Shimla     

Influence of post-harvest storage temperature and gamma irradiation on potato carotenoids

Summary A comparative study of nine Indian potato varieties showed a good correlation between their total carotenoid content and the tuber flesh colour. Regardless of varietal differences, carotenoid level showed an increase during storage at ambient temperature (25–30°C) and to a lesser extent at 2–4°C and 15°C. Tubers exposed to an irradiation dose of 10 krad for sprout inhibition showed decreased levels of carotenoids during storage, particularly at 15°C where 50% loss was observed after 6 months of storage. Irradiated tubers stored for seven months at 15°C, on reconditioning at 34–35°C for 6 to 12 days showed a 2- to 6-fold increase in their carotenoid content.     

Anatomical Changes during in Vitro Direct Formation of Shoot Bud from Root Tips in Garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Abstract

The germination and emergence of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] can be adversely affected by the presence of excessive water as a result of continuous rainfall. The pre-germination flooding-tolerant cultivars can be tolerant to hypoxia in the flooding field. The objective of this study was to clarify the relationship between germination under hypoxia at different temperatures and pre-germination flooding tolerance. Seeds of 6 soybean cultivars were subjected to 5 oxygen concentrations and 3 temperatures. Seeds of all 6 cultivars hardly germinated under an oxygen concentration of 20 mL L^–1, but germinated with increasing oxygen concentration regardless of temperature. The pre-germination flooding-tolerant cultivar ‘Peking’ exhibited poorer germination under hypoxia than the other cultivars. Seed coat of ‘Peking’ did not dehisce when seeds did not germinate under hypoxia regardless of temperature. The pre-germination flooding-susceptible cultivar ‘Nakasennari’ exhibited higher seed coat dehiscence, but the dehiscence mostly occurred on the seed surface rather than micropyle under hypoxia at 25°C and 30°C. Seven days after termination of 3-d hypoxia treatment at 30°C, the percentage of seedlings with root hairs and/or lateral roots relative to that after ambient oxygen treatment was maintained in ‘Peking’ but decreased in the other cultivars, especially in ‘Nakasennari’. Pre-germination flooding-tolerant cultivar, especially ‘Peking’, is characterized by a delay in germination processes under hypoxia, and exhibits vigorous germination after release from hypoxia.     

Thiram steep seed treatment to control Phoma betae and improve the establishment of the sugar-beet plant stand

For several years there has been increasing pressure to replace diethyl mercuric phosphate (EMP) for control of Phoma betae on sugar-beet seed and a need to achieve quicker emergence and more established plants. Steeping seed in a 0·2% suspension of thiram achieved these objectives. However, in 12 experiments testing factorial combinations of steep duration (0–24 h) and temperature (20–30°C), it was seldom possible to discriminate between the results of treatment for 4–16 h at 30°C, 8–16 h at 25°C, or 16–24 h at 20°C. These thiram treatments resulted in about 5% more plants than an EMP steep for 20 minutes at ambient temperature. Extending the thiram steep to 24 h at 30°C (as previously considered essential) was consistently less beneficial. In 278 simple comparisons, thiram-steeped seed (16 h at 30°C or 16 h at 25°C) gave more plants than EMP in over 80% of the fields; the average improvement was 3%, and this was probably an underestimate. The response to thiram tended to be greatest following early sowings on medium and heavy soils. Thiram-steeped seed resulted in more plants than EMP-treated seed for at least 3 years after the treatments had been applied. The intention is to replace EMP with a thiram-steep treatment in England in 1989.     

不同年代育成大豆叶片氮含量的变化及其与净光合速率的关系

为了解大豆品种遗传改良过程中叶片氮含量的变化及其与净光合速率的关系,对吉林省1923年-2004年间育成的21个大豆品种的叶片氮含量和光合特性进行了研究。结果表明,叶片氮含量与育成年代在R2期和R6期呈极显著或显著正相关,但在R4期呈不显著负相关。在R2期和R6期,大豆品种间叶片单位叶面积氮含量增长率明显大于净光合速率增长率,导致了氮素光合利用效率与育成年代呈极显著或显著负相关;在R4期,现代品种叶片单位叶面积氮含量低于老品种,而净光合速率仍高于老品种,导致了氮素光合利用效率与育成年代呈显著正相关。叶片氮含量高,叶绿素含量就高,净光合速率也高,但氮素光合利用效率却低;可将R4期氮素光合利用效率作为高产品种选育的一个指标。       

干旱处理对不同品种茶树生理特性影响及抗旱性综合评价

以龙井43、槠叶齐、宁州2号和白叶1号两年生盆栽扦插茶苗为试验材料进行自然干旱处理,测定其在干旱胁迫及复水下的生长适应规律,探讨干旱处理对不同品种茶树叶片生理特性的影响,并利用隶属函数值法对这4个品种耐旱性进行综合评价。结果表明,随着干旱处理时间延长,4个品种土壤体积含水量逐渐降低,植株表现脱水症状,叶片相对含水量逐渐降低,MDA含量逐渐升高,SOD活性逐渐降低,POD和CAT活性呈先升后降趋势,净光合速率和蒸腾速率逐渐降低,水分利用效率呈先升后降趋势,叶绿素和类胡萝卜素总量逐渐升高。复水后,4个品种土壤体积含水量和叶片相对含水量升高,MDA含量降低,龙井43 POD活性升高,其他品种均降低,SOD活性变化趋势与POD相反,4个品种CAT活性均降低,净光合速率均无显著变化,蒸腾速率和水分利用效率均升高,除槠叶齐叶绿素和类胡萝卜素总量升高外,其他均降低。通过模糊隶属函数值法综合评价该4个品种抗旱性,结果表明,耐旱性强弱依次为龙井43>宁州2号>槠叶齐>白叶1号。本研究为抗旱茶树品种的筛选以及抗旱育种提供参考及理论依据。     

Growth rate and carbohydrate metabolism of potato tubers exposed to high temperatures

Summary The effect of high tuber temperature (30 °C) on the growth rate and carbohydrate metabolism of tubers was studied with 3 cultivars differing in heat tolerance. Subjecting individual tubers to 30°C for 6 days caused cessation of tuber growth. During this period, non-treated tubers (20°C) on the same plant increased in volume. At 30°C, incorporation of¹⁴C-labelled assimilates into the ethanol-insoluble fraction (mainly starch) as well as the starch content was significantly reduced. In contrast, the incorporation of¹⁴C-labelled assimilates into the sugar fraction was not affected by high tuber temperature. At 30°C the activity of some of the enzymes involved in starch metabolism was depressed. Varietal differences in responses of tuber growth rate and carbohydrate metabolism to high tuber temperature were insignificant. From these preliminary results it is concluded that high soil temperatures may decrease starch content of potato tubers directly by inhibition of the conversion of sugars into starch.     

Effects of Soil Temperature on Growth and Root Function in Rice

Abstract

The objective of this study was to clarify the effects of soil temperature in the stage from late tillering to panicle initiation (SI) and during the grain-filling stage (SII) on grain setting, dry matter production, photosynthesis, non-structural carbohydrate (NSC), xylem exudation and abscisic acid (ABA) levels in rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Koshihikari). Rice plants were exposed to four different soil temperatures during SI or SII: 17.5, 25, 31.5 and 36.5°C (ST18, ST25, ST32 and ST37, respectively). The yield, yield components, grain filling and quality in SI were negatively influenced by high soil temperature of 37°C. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in those characters among temperature treatments in SII. The root/shoot ratio was smallest in the ST37 plants in both SI and SII, mainly due to their lighter root weight. At 7 days after initiation of treatment (DAT) in both SI and SII, the photosynthetic and xylem exudation rate tended to increase slightly as soil temperature increased up to 32°C. At 21 DAT, however, the photosynthetic rate was lowest in ST37, with concurrent decrease of diffusion conductance and SPAD value. In addition, decrease of NSC concentration in stem and xylem exudation rate, and increase of ABA level in leaves and xylem exudate were observed in ST37 plants at 21 DAT. These results suggested that high soil temperature before heading especially influenced yield, grain quality and plant growth. Possible mechanisms of the effect of soil temperature are discussed.     

Effects of temperature pre-treatment of transplants from in vitro produced potato plantlets on transplant growth and yield in the field

Summary In vitro produced potato plantlets, cvs Gloria and Spunta were planted in soil and exposed to day/night temperatures of 18/12 or 26/20°C for 14 days. They were then transplanted into the field in two experiments to assess after-effects of temperature on the performance of short-cycle crops. Accumulated intercepted radiation (AIR) was calculated from ground cover and incoming radiation, and dry matter production and fresh tuber yield were frequently recorded. Pre-treatment at 26/20°C caused higher leaf area at the end of the transplant production phase and resulted in a higher AIR at the end of the field phase than pre-treatment at 18/12°C. Higher AIR, however, was not associated with significantly higher yield. Initially, the proportion of dry matter partitioned to tubers was lower after 26/20°C, but this effect did not persist. High temperature pre-treatment may improve the performance of plantlets, especially of very early potato cultivars.