Colchicine treatment of different varieties of potatoes in West Bengal

Summary Colchicine treatment of sprouted tubers before planting increased yield in 17 out of the 20 varieties reported. In some varieties this effect was maintained in the two succeeding years in which the tubers from the various treatments were grown, although no further treatment had been given. The optimum duration of treatment varied between varieties as did overall response. Treatment depressed yield in a few varieties, while in others yield increase was delayed. In 8 out of the 20 varieties abnormalities in tuber shape occurred. Treatment had no effect on maturation except in a few cases where a retardation of 2 or 3 days was recorded.

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Zusammenfassung Die Colchicin-Behandlung von vorgekeimten Knollen steigerte den Ernteetrag bei 17 der angeführten 20 Sorten. Bei manchen Sorten blieb diese Wirkung durch zwei aufeinanderfolgende Jahre in welchen die Knollen nach den verschiedenen Behandlungen gezogen wurden, erhalten, obwohl keine weitere Behandlung angewandt wurde. Die optimale Dauer der Behandlung war je nach den Sorten verschieden, ebenso das allgemeine Ansprechen auf die Behandlungen. Bei wenigen Sorten führte die Behandlung zu einer Ertragsdepression, w?hrenddem bei anderen die Ertragserh?hung verz?gert wurde. Bei 8 der 20 Sorten kamen Abnormit?ten der Knollenform vor. Die Behandlung hatte keine Wirkung auf die Reife ausser in einigen F?llen in welchen eine Versp?tung von 2 bis 3 Tagen verzeichnet wurde.

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Résumé Le traitement de tubercules germés à la colchicine avant la plantation a fait augmenter le rendement de 17 des 20 variétés étudiées. Dans certaines variétés, cet effet se manifesta pendant les deux années successives où les tubercules soumis aux différents traitements furent cultivés, bien que nul autre traitement ne f?t appliqué. La durée optimale du traitement variait d'une variété, à l'autre, de même que la réponse générale au traitement. Le traitement réduisit le rendement de quelques variétés, tandis que dans d'autres cas, l'augmentation du rendement se manifesta avec un certain retard. Dans 8 variétés sur 20, il fut constaté des anomalies de conformation des tubercules. Le traitement n'influen?ait pas la maturation, sauf dans quelques cas où il fut observé un retard de 2 ou 3 jours.

     

Effect of gibberellic acid on sprouting,growth of internodes,tuber shape and yield in different varieties of potatoes

Summary Sprouting was hastened by one week by treatment for 5 min, with gibberellic acid (GA) at a concentration of 25 p.p.m. in newly dug potatoes ofUp-to-Date andVoran. A similar effect was noted inRoyal Kidney treated at a concentration of 50 p.p.m. Although some sprouting occurred within 7 days in treated tubers, 100% sprouting had not occurred until 21–36 days after treatment. There was increased extention of internodes following treatment with GA at concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 p.p.m. Treatment at 100 p.p.m. resulted in the greatest extention of internodes. At the higher concentrations the maximum extension occurred between internodes 4–6 inRoyal Kidney andVoran, and 4–7 inUp-to-Date. Treatment with GA had a depressing effect on leaf indices inRoyal Kidney andUp-to-Date whereas inVoran it had the reverse effect. In all varieties, yield in pot experiments was increased by treatment with GA at 100 p.p.m. for 90 min. All treated seed invariably produced deformed tubers the numbers of which increased with the concentration of GA.

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Zusammenfassung Das Auskeimen von frisch geernteten Kartoffeln der SortenUp-to-Date undVoran (Abb. 1 b und c) wurde durch Behandlung mit Gibberellins?ure (GA) (Eintauchzeit 5 Minuten, Konzentration 25 ppm) um eine Woche beschleunigt. Eine ?hnliche Wirkung konnte bei der SorteRoyal Kidney festgestellt werden, die mit GA in einer Konzentration von 50 ppm (Abb. 1 a) behandelt wurde. Obwohl einige der behandelten Knollen nach 7 Tagen austrieben, wurde 100%ige Keimung erst 21–36 Tage nach der Behandlung erreicht. Die Behandlung mit GA in Konzentrationen von 25, 50 und 100 ppm bewirkte eine Verl?ngerung der Internodien. Die Konzentration von 100 ppm verursachte die gr?sste Ausdehnung der Internodien. Bei der h?chsten Konzentration lag die gr?sste Verl?ngerung zwischen den Internodien Nr. 4-6 beiRoyal Kidney undVoran, zwischen 4–7 bei der SorteUp-to-Date (Tabelle). Behandlung mit GA hatte bei den SortenRoyal Kidney undUp-to-Date eine Verkleinerung des Blattindexes zur Folge, w?hrend beiVoran eine umgekehrte Wirkung hervorgerufen wurde (Abb. 2). Topfversuche ergaben nach Behandlung mit GA in einer Konzentration von 100 ppm und einer Eintauchzeit von 90 Minuten bei allen Sorten h?here Ertr?ge (Abb. 3). Alle Behandlungen führten zu Knollendeformationen, deren Anzahl sich mit der st?rker werdenden Konzentration von GA erh?hte (Abb. 4).

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Résumé Un traitement pendant 5 minutes à l'acide gibberellique (G.A.) à une concentration de 25 p.p.m. a avancé d'une semaine la germination de tubercules nouvellement récoltés des variétésUp-to-Date etVoran (Fig. 1, b et c). On a obtenu un semblable effet avecRoyal Kidney traitée à une concentration de 50 p.p.m. (Fig. 1 a). Quoique quelque germination apparaissait endéans 7 jours chez les tubercules traités, la germination à 100% ne se manifestait que 21 à 36 jours après le traitement. Un allongement des entre-noeuds suivait le traitement avec G.A. aux concentrations de 25, 50 et 100 p.p.m. Le traitement à 100 p.p.m. causait le plus grand allongement des entrenoeuds. Aux concentrations les plus élevées, l'accroissement maximum se manifestait entre les entre-noeuds 4 et 6 chezRoyal Kidney etVoran, et 4 et 7 chezUp-to-Date (Tableau). Le traitement au G.A. a un effet dépressif sur les indices foliaires chezRoyal Kidney etUp-to-Date, tandis que chezVoran l'effet est inverse (Fig. 2). Chez toutes les variétés, la production dans les expériences en pots est accrue par le traitement avec G.A. à 100 p.p.m. pendant 90 minutes (Fig. 3). Tous les plants traités produisent invariablement des tubercules déformés dont le nombre augmentait avec les concentrations de GA (Fig. 4).

     

Explaining the latitudinal distribution of sunspots with deep meridional flow

Sunspots, dark magnetic regions occurring at low latitudes on the Sun's surface, are tracers of the magnetic field generated by the dynamo mechanism. Recent solar dynamo models, which use the helioseismically determined solar rotation, indicate that sunspots should form at high latitudes, contrary to observations. We present a dynamo model with the correct latitudinal distribution of sunspots and demonstrate that this requires a meridional flow of material that penetrates deeper than hitherto believed, into the stable layers below the convection zone. Such a deep material flow may have important implications for turbulent convection and elemental abundance in the Sun and similar stars.     

Monitoring of Phytotoxicity of Lead and Mercury from Germination and Early Seedling Growth Indices in Two Rice Cultivars

Treatment of seeds of two rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars (Ratna and IR36) separately with 10^-5and 10^-4M PbCl²and HgCl²decreased germination percentage, germination index (GI), shoot and root length, tolerance index (TI), vigour index (VI) and dry mass of shoot and root but increased percentage difference from control (% DFC) of germination and percentage phytotoxicity in both the cultivars. It was observed from these indices that the phytotoxic effect of mercury was greater than lead at identical concentrations and that IR36 appeared more tolerant than Ratna to these metals. Among the monitoring indices examined, TI, VI, and % phytotoxicity seemed to serve as good biological monitoring methods for evaluating the relative toxicity of lead and mercury to rice cultivars.

     

Spontaneous chromosome aberrations in diploid solanum

Chromosome aberrations were observed in the tapetum and pollen-mother-cells, generally in form of chromosome bridges, fragments and elimination of univalent chromosomes and fragments. Chromatid bridge formation varied from 13.1 to 10.25% in the first and second anaphases respectively. Endoreduplication with a high degree of ploidy was observed in tapetal cells. Chromosomal reduplication was so marked that the normal diploid chromosome number 24 reached 96. The association of chromosomes in three, four, five and six occurred in 49.4% of the cases observed. The occurrence of high frequency of polyvalents in a diploid seemed to indicate the presence of translocation interchanges inS. venturii. The frequency of univalents varied from 1.3 to 18.7%. Structural changes and gene mutation are probably responsible for failure of pairing among pairable chromosomes. The behaviour of univalents varied, they either pass to poles or lag and divide. The division and elimination of univalents causes unequal distribution of chromosomes on second metaphase plates. Univalents and fragments which failed to be included in the daughter nuclei formed micronuclei. The chromosome irregularities and abortion of pollen grains (45.4%) are presumably due to gene mutation which may have been enhanced in aged seeds.