Effects of water stress induced by sodium chloride and mannitol on proline accumulation,photosynthetic abilities and growth characters of eucalyptus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus camaldulensis</Emphasis> Dehnh.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the biochemical, physiological and morphological responses of eucalypts to iso-osmotic salt and water deficit stress. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll (TC), total carotenoids, maximum quantum yield of PSII (F _v /F _m ), photon yield of PSII and non-photochemical quenching, in severely osmotic-stressed plantlets (−1.20 MPa) decreased significantly when compared to control plantlets, leading to low net photosynthetic rate (P _n ) and growth reduction. In addition, the photosynthesis and growth parameters of salt stressed plantlets declined to a greater degree than those cultivated in water-deficit conditions. On the other hand, the proline content of the osmotic-stressed leaves increased significantly, especially under iso-osmotic salt stress conditions. The TC content of iso-osmotic stressed leaves was significantly degraded, with low F _v /F _m , leading to P _n reduction and growth inhibition. Those parameters in salt stressed plantlets were significantly lower and to a greater degree than in plantlets subjected to water-deficit. The basic knowledge of biochemical, physiological and morphological changes in responses to iso-osmotic salt and water-deficit stresses will be further applied as effective indices for salt and water-deficit tolerant screening in large population of eucalyptus breeding program.     

Water Relation, Photosynthetic Ability and Growth of Thai Jasmine Rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica cv. KDML 105) to Salt Stress by Application of Exogenous Glycinebetaine and Choline

Rice reportedly possesses a very low capacity to accumulate glycinebetaine (Glybet), but may be accumulated by the exogenous application of Glybet or Choline (Cho) as an alternative way to improve its salt‐tolerant ability. The aim of this research was to determine whether Glybet accumulation could be induced in Thai jasmine rice by the exogenous application of Glybet and Cho, and to determine the effects of Glybet and Cho treatment on various growth parameters of seedlings cultured under salt‐stress conditions. Thai jasmine rice seeds were aseptically germinated in vitro on solidified Murashige–Skoog media, supplied with either Glybet or Cho in the culture media for 12 days and then treated with 342 mm NaCl (salt stress) for 4 days. GlyBet content, water relation, photosynthetic capabilities and growth characteristics of salt‐stressed seedlings were measured. The addition of Glybet or Cho to plant culture media containing 342 mm NaCl resulted in increased accumulation of Glybet in rice seedlings. Increased Glybet accumulation was strongly associated with a high efficiency of water usage (r = 0.96), which in turn correlated with increased maximum quantum yield of PSII (F_v/F_m) (r = 0.86). Moreover, the pigment concentrations of seedlings cultured under salt stress were maintained by a function of Glybet, led to high efficiency of photochemical and non‐photochemical quenching of PSII as well as to exhibit on net photosynthetic rate. Thus, our results suggest that the addition of either Glybet or Cho to the plant growth media can improve growth performance under salt stress conditions by increasing the salt tolerance of Thai jasmine rice. The exogenous application of Glybet and/or Cho to culture media may be an effective method of improving resistance to salt stress via the promotion of Glybet accumulation with in rice seedlings.     

Comparative Effects of Salt Stress and Extreme pH Stress Combined on Glycinebetaine Accumulation, Photosynthetic Abilities and Growth Characters of Two Rice Genotypes

Glycinebetaine (Glybet) accumulation, photosynthetic efficiency and growth performance in indica rice cultivated under salt stress and extreme pH stress were investigated. Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) activity and Glybet accumulation in the seedlings of salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive rice varieties grown under saline and acidic conditions peaked after treatment for 72 h and 96 h, respectively, and were higher than those grown under neutral pH and alkaline salt stress. A positive correlation was found between BADH activity and Glybet content in both salt-tolerant (r2=0.71) and salt-sensitive (r2=0.86) genotypes. The chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and total carotenoids contents in the stressed seedlings significantly decreased under both acidic and alkaline stresses, especially in the salt-sensitive genotype. Similarly, the maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm), photon yield of PSII ((PSII), non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) in the stressed seedlings were inhibited, leading to overall growth reduction. The positive correlations between chlorophyll a content and Fv/Fm, total chlorophyll content and (PSII, (PSII and Pn as well as Pn and leaf area in both salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive genotypes were found. Saline acidic and saline alkaline soils may play a key role affecting vegetative growth prior to the reproductive stage in rice plants.     

Use of escape vents to improve size and species selectivity of collapsible pot for blue swimming crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Portunus pelagicus</Emphasis> in Thailand

Laboratory experiments were firstly conducted to determine the possibility of modification of the collapsible pot for blue swimming crab Portunus pelagicus by designing appropriate escape vents in terms of shape, position, and size to improve size selectivity by reducing the catch of immature crabs. In laboratory observations, nearly square-shaped vents of 35 mm height and 45 mm length, located at the lower part of the side panel, showed the best performance to allow the escape of immature-size crabs by side-crawling escape behavior through the vents, with L _50% selection carapace length (CL) of 39.1, 44.4, and 48.7 mm CL for 40, 45, and 50 mm vent length, respectively. Comparative fishing trials between conventional and vented pots with vents of 35 × 45 mm size were conducted to examine the crab size and species selectivity. Use of the vented pots was found to reduce the number of immature crabs in the catch from 70.5% to 11.0% on average, while not affecting the catch efficiency of mature-size crabs. The vented pots also had a selective effect for reducing the catch of bycatch species in comparative fishing trials.     

Effects of mannitol induced osmotic stress on proline accumulation, pigment degradation, photosynthetic abilities and growth characters in C3 rice and C4 sorghum

Osmotic stress is one of the most important abiotic factors which inhibit growth and development in both the vegetative and reproductive stages of many plant species. The aim of this investigation was to compare the biochemical and physiological responses in C₃ rice and C₄ sorghum to water deficit. Chlorophyll a (Chl_a), chlorophyll b (Chl_b), total chlorophyll (TC) and total carotenoid (C_x+c) contents in both rice and sorghum seedlings under osmotic stress were adversely affected, related to increasing osmotic pressure in the culture media. In addition, the chlorophyll’s fluorescence parameters and net photosynthetic rate (P _n ) decreased, leading to growth reduction. Also, a positive correlation was found between physiological and biochemical data, while proline accumulation showed a negative relationship. The Chlb, P _n and fresh weight were maintained better in osmotic-stressed (− 1.205 MPa) C₄ sorghum seedlings than those in C₃ rice seedlings. The growth and physiological responses of C₃ rice and C₄ sorghum decreased depending on the plant species, the osmotic pressure in the media and their interactions. Pigment content and P _n ability in C₄ sorghum grown under mannitol-induced osmotic stress increased to a greater degree than in C₃ rice, resulting in maintenance of growth.     

EXOGENOUS APPLICATION OF POTASSIUM NITRATE TO ALLEVIATE SALT STRESS IN RICE SEEDLINGS

□ Overall growth characteristics of many plant species cultivated in soil affected by salinity could be alleviated by the application of potassium nitrate (KNO₃) to the soil. The aim of this research was to investigate salt-tolerance in a salt-sensitive rice cultivar, ‘Pathumthani 1’ (PT1), in response to the exogenous application of 11.8 mM KNO₃, in comparison to ‘Homjan’ (HJ), a salt tolerant cultivar. Water potential (ψ_w) in both the roots and leaves of PT1 seedlings under salt stress dropped significantly, while it was maintained in PT1 pretreated with KNO₃, and similarly in HJ. The reduction of leaf water potential was positively related to total chlorophyll degradation, leading to diminished chlorophyll fluorescence, directly affecting growth in plants exposed to salt stress. In salt-sensitive PT1, the application of 11.8 mM KNO₃ improved salt-tolerance via the conservation of water use efficiency, the maintenance of photosynthetic pigments, enhancement of chlorophyll a fluorescence, and stimulation of growth characters.     

Glycinebetaine Accumulation, Physiological Characterizations and Growth Efficiency in Salt-tolerant and Salt-sensitive Lines of Indica Rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) in Response to Salt Stress

The aim of this research was to investigate betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) and glycinebetaine (Glybet) biosynthesis in photoautotrophic rice seedlings. The role of Glybet on physiological and growth responses to salt stress in both salt‐tolerant and salt‐sensitive lines is to be investigated. The BADH activity in salt‐tolerant seedlings cultured under extreme salt stress (342 mm NaCl) progressively increased during the first few hours until it peaked after 72 h. This was about 2.5 times greater than in salt‐sensitive plants. Similarly, the amount of Glybet detected in salt‐tolerant lines was 1.3 times more than in salt‐sensitive lines at 96 h salt exposure. The BADH activities were positively related to Glybet accumulation in both salt‐tolerant and salt‐sensitive lines. The accumulation of Glybet in salt‐tolerant lines was directly correlated with pigment stabilization. Relative water content in the salt‐tolerant lines was closely related to water oxidation in photosystem II (PSII), defined by maximum quantum yield of PSII (F_v/F_m). In addition, a high concentration of total chlorophyll is more efficient in capturing light energy, defined by photochemical quenching. The concentrations of chlorophyll a and total carotenoid were positively related to the quantum efficiency of PSII (Φ_PSII) and non‐photochemical quenching, respectively, resulting in a high net‐photosynthetic rate (NPR) and the promotion of growth. The high level of Glybet in salt‐tolerant lines plays a role as a salt defensive response mechanism in terms of pigment stabilization and water oxidation in PSII, resulting in high NPR and growth efficiency.     

An effective in-vitro acclimatization using uniconazole treatments and ex-vitro adaptation of Phalaenopsis orchid

The in-vitro acclimatization of Phalaenopsis plantlets under photoautotrophic conditions, with 0 (control), 3.43, 6.86 and 13.72 μM uniconazole (UCZ) treatments for 30 days was investigated before the plantlets were transferred to ex-vitro environments for 14 days. The physiological and growth characters of in-vitro acclimatized, and ex-vitro adapted plantlets were measured. Chlorophyll a (Chl_a), chlorophyll b (Chl_b), total chlorophyll (TC) and total carotenoid (C_x+c) content in plantlets treated with 6.86 μM UCZ were maintained at higher levels than those in plantlets of the control, by 1.82, 1.85, 1.83 and 1.93 times, respectively, leading to enrichment of the pigments in ex-vitro conditions. The maximum quantum yield of PSII (F_v/F_m), photon yield of PSII (Φ_PSII), photochemical quenching (qP) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in UCZ treated plantlets and in ex-vitro adaptation were not significantly different. Proline was accumulated in the control plantlets in both in-vitro acclimatization and ex-vitro conditions, while proline in those plantlets with UCZ treatments was maintained at a low level, which was defined by unstressed conditions. Net photosynthetic rate (P_n) in 6.86 μM UNZ treated plantlets peaked at a higher level than that of the control plantlets, both in-vitro and ex-vitro, by 3.27 and 2.93 times, respectively. In addition, proline content and P_n were inversely related in both in-vitro acclimatization and ex-vitro adaptation. The P_n in UCZ acclimatized plantlets was negatively correlated with plant dry-weight. In-vitro photoautotrophic Phalaenopsis plantlets were successfully acclimatized using a 6.86 μM UCZ treatment which caused them to adapt quickly to ex-vitro environments.     

Proline Accumulation,Photosynthetic Abilities and Growth Characters of Sugarcane （Saccharum officinarum L.） Plantlets in Response to Iso-Osmotic Salt and Water-Deficit Stress

The aim of this study was to investigate the biochemical, physiological and morphological responses of sugarcane to iso- osmotic salt and water-deficit stress. Disease-free sugarcane plantlets derived from meristem cuttings were photo- autotrophically grown in MS media and subsequently exposed to -0.23 （control）, -0.67 or -1.20 MPa iso-osmotic NaCl （salt stress） or mannitol （water-deficit stress）. Chlorophyll a （Chl a）, chlorophyll b （Chl b）, total carotenoids （Cx＋c）, maximum quantum yield of PSII （Fv/Fm）, photon yield of PSII （ΦPSII）, stomatal conductance （Gs） and transpiration rate （E） in the stressed plantlets were significantly reduced when compared to those of plantlets of the control group （without mannitol or NaCl）, leading to net-photosynthetic rate （Pn） and growth reduction with positive correlation. In addition, physiological changes and growth parameters of plantlets in the salt stress conditions were more sharply reduced than those in waterdeficit stress conditions. On the other hand, the proline content and non-photochemical quenching （NPQ） in the leaves of stressed plantlets increased significantly, especially in response to iso-osmotic salt stress. The chlorophyll pigments in iso-osmotic stressed leaves were significantly degraded （r^2 = 0.93）, related to low water oxidation （r^2 = 0.87）, low net- photosynthetic rate （r^2 = 0.81）, and growth reduction （r^2 = 0.97）. The multivariate biochemical, physiological and growth parameters in the present study should be further used to develop salt, or drought, tolerance indices in sugarcane breeding programs.     

Isolation and characterization of proline/betaine transporter gene from oil palm

Oil production from oil palm is adversely affected by drought and salt. Under drought and salt stress, proline content increases in oil palm; the mechanism for this is unknown. Here, an 8319-nucleotide sequence including cDNA, genomic DNA and the promoter region of proline transporter gene from oil palm Elaeis guineensis was determined. The transporter gene exhibited high similarity to Bet/ProT genes from several plants, but the highest homology was found with rice ProT1. The exon-intron structure of genomic DNA was unique, and numerous stress-response cis-elements were found in the promoter region. Expression of cDNA EgProT1 in Escherichia coli mutant exhibited uptake activities for glycinebetaine and choline as well as proline. Under salt-stressed conditions, exogenously applied glycinebetaine was taken up into the root more rapidly than the control. These data indicate that oil palm has a unique Pro/T1 gene. Nucleotide sequence data for the cDNA and genomic DNA of proline transporter gene from Elaeis guineensis are available in the DDJB database under accession numbers AB597035 and AB597036, respectively.