Extending the postharvest life of carnations with nitric oxide—comparison of fumigation and in vivo delivery

The ability of nitric oxide (NO) to extend the postharvest life at 20 °C of carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus L. cv. White-Sim) was investigated using delivery by gas-based fumigation and in vivo release via a solution containing the NO donor compound 2,2′-(hydroxynitrosohydrazino)-bisethanamine (DETA/NO). Treatment with NO gas in air at 1 and 5 μl l⁻¹ produced about a 30% increase in postharvest life while DETA/NO applied in solution at 10 mg l⁻¹ extended postharvest life by about 50% when dissolved in water. For flowers, use of solid delivery appears to offer a more convenient and more effective method of NO treatment than gaseous fumigation to extend postharvest life.     

The effect of in vivo and in vitro applications of ethrel and GA<Subscript>3</Subscript> on sex expression in bitter melon (<Emphasis Type=\"Italic\">Momordica charantia</Emphasis> L.)

Bitter melon (Momordica Charantia L.) is an important vegetable crop with nutritional and medicinal qualities. As a member of cucurbitaceae it is monoecious with varying proportions of staminate and pistillate flowers. This study was undertaken to determine the effects of various applications of ethrel and gibberellic acid (GA₃) on sex modification in M. charantia. In the first set of experiments, various concentrations of hormones were added to the seed germination medium, in the second, adult plants growing in the field were sprayed with aqueous solutions of ethrel or GA₃ three times at three-day intervals. The number and sex of open flowers was recorded daily for 60 days after the first flower opened and total number of staminate and pistillate flowers was calculated at the end of the experiment. The highest frequency (29.5%) of pistillate flowers was observed in plants treated with 500 ppm ethrel at germination. Similarly, spraying of adult plants with 100 ppm GA₃ increased the proportion of pistillate flowers to 26% relative to 15% in untreated controls. Both ethrel and GA₃ induced significantly higher number of pistillate flowers than control. In vitro hormone application during seed germination was much more successful than spraying of field grown plants.     

庆阳市草本花卉引种初报

通过对13个种类17个草本花卉品种的引种栽培试验,综合引进草花品种的出苗率、栽培管理和主要观赏性状的观测结果,依据引进草花新优种类的选择原则,初步筛选出适合庆阳市栽培布景的草本花卉,分别为孔雀草、万寿菊、羽状鸡冠(锐视)、百日草、杂交石竹、翠菊(小皇后)、矮牵牛、垂吊矮牵牛和银叶菊、一串红等10个种类12个品种.     

野生植物扁蓄的坪用价值研究

对3种野生草本植物进行了坪用栽培,详细观察研究了3种植物的物候期表现、生长习性和绿化效果。试验表明:扁蓄极耐严寒,对干旱、水涝、高温等逆境适应性强,抗污染能力强,保持绿色时间长,发挥绿化功能快,不择土壤,种植管理方便,可作为园林草坪绿化的优良地被植物。     

吉林黄牛引入牦牛血液杂交改良效果

采用含有1／2野牦牛血液的冻精为吉林当地10头黄牛输配。结果,受配牛妊娠率为100％,产犊成活率为100％,杂种后代牛在采食性能、抗寒暑能力及生长速度方面都优于本地黄牛。初步表明利用含1／2野牦牛血液的冻精改良本地黄牛有较强的种间杂种优势,可为生产利用。