The effects of excess manganese on photosynthetic rate and concentration of chlorophyll in Triticum aestivum grown in solution culture

Manganese toxicity, which involves a broad array of physiological responses, has been identified as an important factor limiting plant growth on acid soils. In the experiments reported here, we examined the toxic effects of Mn on chlorophyll content, photosynthesis and respiration in two cultivars (Norquay and Columbus) of Triticum aestivum (wheat) which differ in tolerance of Mn. When grown over a range of concentrations of Mn (0–1 000 μ M ), the Mn-tolerant cultivar maintained higher rates of photosynthesis and respiration, and higher concentrations of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b , than did the Mn-sensitive cultivar, despite greater accumulations of Mn in leaf tissues. After 5 days growth with 1 000 μ M Mn in solution, the photosynthetic rate fell to 25% of control in the sensitive cultivar and to only 75% of control in the tolerant cultivar. The concentration of chlorophyll a fell to 50% of control in the sensitive cultivar, but did not differ from control in the tolerant cultivar. Greater effects were seen on concentrations of chlorophyll b . which fell to 35% and 55% of control in the sensitive and tolerant cultivars, respectively. Rates of photosynthesis decreased in both cultivars as concentrations of chlorophyll decreased; however, the photosynthetic rate per unit chlorophyll remained constant or increased in the tolerant cultivar and decreased in the sensitive cultivar as concentrations of Mn in solution increased. Thus, in the sensitive cv. Columbus, Mn seemed to have a toxic effect on both chlorophyll content and photosynthesis per unit chlorophyll. In the tolerant cv. Norquay, the only clear effect of Mn was a reduction in chlorophyll content, although direct inhibition of photosynthesis could not be discounted.     

Apoplastic peroxidases and ascorbate are involved in manganese toxicity and tolerance of Vigna unguiculata

Excessive manganese (Mn) supply induced the formation of brown spots on leaves as typical Mn toxicity symptoms in cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) grown in hydroponics. Differences in Mn resistance between cv. TVu 91 (Mn-sensitive) and cv. TVu 1987 (Mn-tolerant) expressed in the density of brown spots in older leaves were due to higher Mn tissue tolerance. Apoplastic water-soluble peroxidase (POD) in the apoplastic washing fluid (AWF) was enhanced by increasing Mn leaf content and generally significantly higher in leaves of cv. TVu 91 than in cv. TVu 1987. Electrophoresis of AWF revealed the presence of several water-soluble POD isoenzymes. At toxic Mn supply, the activities of these and additional POD isoenzymes increased more in the Mn-sensitive cultivar. Levels of ascorbic acid in the apoplast and cytoplasm of the Mn-sensitive cv. TVu 91 decreased with increasing leaf Mn contents, whereas Mn-tolerant cv. TVu 1987 was not affected. Mn treatment lead to a stimulation of the enzymes of the ascorbic acid regeneration system (monodehydroascorbic acid reductase and glutathione reductase) in both cultivars, but the activation of glutathione reductase was clearly more enhanced in the Mn-tolerant cultivar TVu 1987. The results provide circumstantial evidence that apoplastic ascorbate and peroxidases are involved in the expression of Mn toxicity and genotypic Mn tolerance.     

Contributions of apoplasmic cadmium accumulation,antioxidative enzymes and induction of phytochelatins in cadmium tolerance of the cadmium-accumulating cultivar of black oat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Avena strigosa</Emphasis> Schreb.)

The contributions of cadmium (Cd) accumulation in cell walls, antioxidative enzymes and induction of phytochelatins (PCs) to Cd tolerance were investigated in two distinctive genotypes of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.). One cultivar of black oat ‘New oat’ accumulated Cd in the leaves at the highest concentration compared to another black oat cultivar ‘Soil saver’ and other major graminaceous crops. The shoot:root Cd ratio also demonstrated that ‘New oat’ was the high Cd-accumulating cultivar, whereas ‘Soil saver’ was the low Cd-accumulating cultivar. Varied levels of Cd exposure demonstrated the strong Cd tolerance of ‘New oat’. By contrast, low Cd-accumulating cultivar ‘Soil saver’ suffered Cd toxicity such as growth defects and increased lipid peroxidation, even though it accumulated less Cd in shoots than ‘New oat’. Higher activities of ascorbate peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.11) and superoxide dismutase (EC 1. 15. 1. 1) were observed in the leaves of ‘New oat’ than in ‘Soil saver’. No advantage of ‘New oat’ in PCs induction was observed in comparison to Cd-sensitive cultivar ‘Soil saver’, although Cd exposure increased the concentration of total PCs in both cultivars. Higher and increased Cd accumulation in cell wall fraction was observed in shoots of ‘New oat’. On the other hand, in ‘Soil saver’, apoplasmic Cd accumulation showed saturation under higher Cd exposure. Overall, the present results suggest that cell wall Cd accumulation and antioxidative activities function in the tolerance against Cd stress possibly in combination with vacuolar Cd compartmentation.     

Effects of drought and salinity on some growth-contributing parameters in wheat and barley

Summary This study is mainly concerned with some parameters contributing to growth as indicators of difference in drought resistance and salt tolerance of wheat and barley cultivars. Parameters made use of are: transpiration efficiency (‘dry matter/transpiration’ ratio), ‘leaf/root’ ratio, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll stability to heat and anatomical modifications. The results revealed that transpiration efficiency is much higher in mexican ‘super-x’ wheat than in the egyptian ‘Giza-155’ cultivar under reduced soil water matric- or osmotic potentials. Chlorophyll content increased in super-x with decreasing soil water potential while chlorophyll heat stability decreased. The reverse is true in Giza-155 cultivar. Decreased leaf/root ratio in super-x is interpretted in favour of more beneficial water balance in this cultivar. Development of more sclerenchyma in its stems supports this judgement. Of barley cultivars tested, Borg El-Arab is favoured for drought resistance and Giza-117 for salt tolerance. re]19751014     

Surface chemical properties of purified root cell walls from two tobacco genotypes exhibiting different tolerance to manganese toxicity

Surface chemical characteristics of root cell walls extracted from two tobacco genotypes exhibiting differential tolerance to Mn toxicity were studied using potentiometric pH titration and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The Mn-sensitive genotype KY 14 showed a stronger interaction of its cell wall surface with metal ions than did the Mn-tolerant genotype Tobacco Introduction (T.I.) 1112. This observation may be attributed to the relatively higher ratio of COO⁻ to COOH in KY 14 cell walls than that found in the cell walls of T.I. 1112 in the pH range of 4 to 10. For both genotypes, the strength of binding between metal ions and cell wall surface was in the order of Cu > Ca > Mn > Mg > Na. However, a slightly higher preference of Ca over Mn was observed with the T.I. 1112 cell wall. This may explain the high accumulation of Mn in the leaves of Mn-tolerant genotype T.I. 1112 rather than the high accumulation of Mn in roots, as occurred in Mn-sensitive KY 14. It is concluded that surface chemical characteristics of cell walls may play an important role in plant metal ion uptake and tolerance.     

A physiological characterization of Mn-tolerant tobacco plants selected by in vitro culture

In previous research, an in vitro stepwise procedure permitted us to obtain Nicotiana tabacum regenerated plant lines able to grow in the presence of Mn at 2 and 5 mM (Mn-tolerant plants). These plants showed several morpho-physiological and cytological differences in comparison to the Mn-sensitive regenerated plants. In particular, the number of xylem cells and the degree of lignification appeared to be influenced differently by these Mn concentrations. In the present work these Mn-tolerant and Mn-sensitive N. tabacum plants, maintained in the presence of Mn 2 and 5 mM, have been characterized with regards to the uptake of Mn and Fe, the activity of extracellular peroxidases in the stems, and the activity of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase in the leaves. The leaf response to an increasing Mn concentration in the medium, corresponded a parallel decrease of Fe content. Plants tolerant of 5 mM Mn showed almost a doubling Mn content over that of the 5 mM Mn-sensitive plants. In the stem, 2 and 5 mM Mn inhibited the extracellular free peroxidases (guaiacol peroxidases) either in the Mn-tolerant plants or in the Mn-sensitive plants. In the Mn-sensitive plants treated with 2 mM Mn the activity of the peroxidases of the ionically and covalently bound wall peroxidases was also depressed. In 5 mM Mn-tolerant plants, an enhanced activity of the covalently bound wall peroxidases was observed. The effect of Mn on the covalently bound wall syringaldazine peroxidases was identical to that observed in the guaiacol peroxidases; the activity was significantly higher in the Mn-tolerant plants grown in the presence of 5 mM Mn. In the leaf, the increase of Mn content inhibited the activity of guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in the Mn-tolerant as well as in the Mn-sensitive plants. However, the effect was greater in the Mn-sensitive plants. Only glutathione reductase did not show significant variation except for the 2 mM Mn-sensitive plants, where an increased activity was detected.     

Development of SCAR markers linked to self-incompatibility in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L.

‘SI1300’ is a self-incompatible Brassica napus line generated by introgressing an S haplotype from B. rapa ‘Xishuibai’ into a rapeseed cultivar ‘Huayou No. 1’. Five S-locus specific primer pairs were employed to develop cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) markers linked the S haplotype of ‘SI1300’. Two segregating populations (F₂ and BC₁) from the cross between ‘SI1300’ and self-compatible European spring cultivar ‘Defender’, were generated to verify the molecular markers. CAPS analysis revealed no desirable polymorphism between self-incompatible and self-compatible plants. Twenty primer pairs were designed based on the homology-based candidate gene method, and six dominant sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers linked with the S-locus were developed. Of the six markers, three were derived from the SRK and SP11 alleles of class II B. rapa S haplotypes and linked with S haplotype of ‘SI1300’. The other three markers were designed from the SLG-A10 and co-segregated with S haplotype of ‘Defender’. We successfully combined two pairs of them and characterized two multiplex PCR markers which could discriminate the homozygous and heterozygous genotypes. These markers were further validated in 24 F₃ and 22 BC₁F₂ lines of ‘SI1300 × Defender’ and another two segregating populations from the cross ‘SI1300 × Yu No. 9’. Nucleotide sequences of fragments linked with S-locus of ‘SI1300’ showed 99% identity to B. rapa class II S-60 haplotype, and fragments from ‘Defender’ were 97% and 94% identical to SLG and SRK of B. rapa class I S-47 haplotype, respectively. ‘SI1300’ was considered to carry two class II S haplotypes and the S haplotype on the A-genome derived from B. rapa ‘Xishuibai’ determines the SI phenotype, while ‘Defender’ carry a class I S haplotype derived from B. rapa and a class II S haplotype from B. oleracea. SCAR markers developed in this study will be helpful for improving SI lines and accelerating marker-assisted selection process in rapeseed SI hybrid breeding program.     

Response of durum wheat cultivars to immature embryo culture,callus induction and in vitro salt stress

Response of twenty eight cultivars of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum var. durum) to immature embryo culture, callus production and in vitro salt tolerance was evaluated. For assessment of cultivars to salt tolerance, growing morphogenic calli were exposed to different concentrations of NaCl (0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, 1.5, 1.8 and 2.1% w/v) added to the culture medium during two subsequent subcultures (4 weeks each). Comparison of cultivars for callus induction from immature embryo was based on callus induction frequency and fresh weight growth of callus (FWG). While, for salt tolerance, the relative fresh weight growth (RFWG) and necrosis percent of callus were used. There were significant differences among cultivars for potential of regeneration from immature embryo, and ‘Shahivandi’ a native durum wheat cultivar originating from western Iran was superior among the cultivars tested. The FWG distinguished cultivars more than callus induction frequency did for callus induction evaluation. Hence, a range of FWG from 1.23 to 14.65 g was observed in ‘Mexical-75’ and ‘Omrabi-5’ cultivars, respectively. Growing calli derived from cultivars ‘PI 40100’ and ‘Dipper-6’ showed superiority for tolerating salinity under in vitro conditions. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

In vitro screening for burrowing nematode, Radopholus citrophilus, tolerance and resistance in commercial Anthurium hybrids

Summary A reliable method to screen Anthurium for burrowing nematode resistance and tolerance in vitro was developed using 17 genetically distinct Anthurium cultivars. Based on nonparametric data analysis, tolerance and resistance were found to be independent traits to be evaluated separately. An effective parameter for tolerance evaluation was ranking of relative leaf retention, whereas an effective parameter for resistance evaluation was the ranking of nematode reproduction, log(Rf+1). A comparison of the ranking of leaf retention with ranking of nematode reproduction clustered the cultivar responses to burrowing nematode infection into four groups: intolerant and resistant, moderately tolerant but susceptible, intolerant and susceptible, and tolerant and susceptible. ‘Ozaki’ was identified as an intolerant reference, ‘Nitta’ as a susceptible reference. ‘Blushing Bride’ was the most tolerant cultivar among those screened, but it may not be an ideal tolerant reference due to its low vigor. Future screening for burrowing nematode-tolerant and-resistant cultivars in Anthurium should include ‘Ozaki’ and ‘Nitta’ as internal controls. Evaluation of resistance should be based on a resistance index obtained by log(Rf of hybrid tested +1) divided by log(Rf of ‘Nitta’ +1); tolerance should be based on ranking of relative leaf retention.     

Effects of NaCl stress on germination, antioxidant responses, and proline content in two rice cultivars

We investigated the physiological and biochemical bases for salt tolerance in two rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars — relatively salt-tolerant ‘Dongjin’ and salt-sensitive ‘Kumnam’. Salinized hydroponic cultures were studied at the germination and seedling stages. NaCI inhibited germination more severely in ‘Kumnam’ than in ‘Dongjin’. Increasing the salt concentration also deterred growth to a larger extent in the former. Moreover, the leaves of ‘Kumnam’ exhibited greater increases in lipid peroxidation and Na⁺ accumulation than those of ‘Dongjin’ under stress. The activities of constitutive and salt-induced superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) and ascorbate peroxidase (AP, EC 1.11.1.11) were also higher in ‘Kumnam’, while only catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) activity was slightly higher in stressed plants of ‘Dongjin’. The positive correlation between leaf proline levels and NaCI concentration was more evident in ‘Kumnam’. However, ‘Dongjin’ seeds, which had higher germinability in the presence of NaCI, also contained more proline. These results suggest that the higher salt tolerance in ‘Dongjin’ seedlings could be ascribed to their lower NaCI accumulations in the leaves. This presumably is due to reductions in the uptake or transport rates of saline ions to the shoots from the roots. Finally, we believe that the higher germination rate by ‘Dongjin’ is caused by its higher seed proline content.     

Tolerance to manganese toxicity among cultivars of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.)

Two sand culture experiments were carried out to identify commercial cultivars of lucerne or alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) which contain elite, Mn-tolerant plants for use in a selection programme to increase the acid-soil tolerance of this perennial legume. Differences in Mn tolerance, both within and between cultivars, were observed when a range of cultivars were exposed to regular waterings with dilute nutrient solution containing 20 or 25 mg Mn L^–1. Under these moderately toxic regimes, the winter dormant cultivars Cimmaron and WL 318 were found to contain elite plants that had greater dry matter yields than their mean cultivar yield under non-toxic Mn conditions.Cultivars which contained elite, Mn-tolerant plants could not be identified by phenotypic characteristics such as their height or their toxicity symptom score, nor by their winter dormancy class. Possible reasons for the occurrence of elite plants in these cultivars are discussed. The elite, high yielding Mn-tolerant plants could not be identified from the other plants within their cultivar population by their Mn toxicity symptoms nor by their height.     

Plant water relations as selection criteria for drought tolerance in mustard

Genotypes of mustard (B. juncea) were evaluated for concurrent changes in leaf water potential (Ψ), leaf osmotic potential (π), leaf turgor potential (P) and leaf relative water content (RWC) during moisture stress at reproductive stage of growth. The slope ‘b’ in the regression between Ψ and π varied from 0.43 to 0.97 and was positively correlated with P and RWC. The genotypes with ‘b’ around 0.7 were able to maintain P of about 0.5 MPa at Ψ of − 2.5 MPa and thus such value of ‘b’ seems to provide enough degree of tolerance against drought.     

Effect of temperature on seedling growth under impeding conditions

Studies were carried out under controlled laboratory conditions to evaluate the seedling growth capacities of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties Pusa 209 and H208 at constant temperatures of 15, 20, 25 and 28°C (±0.5°C) and of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) variety Prabhat at 20 and 28°C (±0.5°C). Seedling growth at any given time was found to depend on ‘a’, the growth at no impedance, and ‘b’, the impedance growth factori.e., decrease in growth with increase in impedance, and on temperature. The optimum temperature for chickpea was found to be in the range of 20 to 24°C for better seedling growth characteristics, whereas for pigeonpea, 28°C was found to be more congenial than 20°C. Chickpea varieties differed in their response to temperature. Part of the M. Sc. thesis of first author submitted to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012, India.     

Mapping QTLs for pre-harvest sprouting tolerance on chromosome 2D in a synthetic hexaploid wheat×common wheat cross

Based on segregation distortion of simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers, we detected a significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) for pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) tolerance on the short arm of chromosome 2D (2DS) in the extremely susceptible population of F₂ progeny generated from the cross of PHS tolerant synthetic hexaploid wheat cultivar ‘RSP’ and PHS susceptible bread wheat cultivar ‘88–1643’. To identify the QTL of PHS tolerance, we constructed two SSR-based genetic maps of 2DS in 2004 and 2005. One putative QTL associated with PHS tolerance, designatedQphs.sau-2D, was identified within the marker intervalsXgwm261-Xgwm484 in 2004 and in the next year, nearly in the same position, between markerswmc112 andXgwm484. Confidence intervals based on the LOD-drop-off method ranged from 9 cM to 15.4 cM and almost completely overlapped with marker intervalXgwm261-Xgwm484. Flanking markers near this QTL could be assigned to the C-2DS1-0.33 chromosome bin, suggesting that the gene(s) controlling PHS tolerance is located in that chromosome region. The phenotypic variation explained by this QTL was about 25.73–27.50%. Genotyping of 48 F₆ PHS tolerant plants derived from the cross between PHS tolerant wheat cultivar ‘RSP’ and PHS susceptible bread wheat cultivar ‘MY11’ showed that the allele ofQphs.sau-2D found in the ‘RSP’ genome may prove useful for the improvement of PHS tolerance.     

A genetic linkage map for an apricot (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus armeniaca</Emphasis> L.) BC<Subscript>1</Subscript> population mapping <Emphasis Type="Italic">plum pox virus</Emphasis> resistance

Plum pox virus (sharka; PPV) can cause severe crop loss in economically important Prunus species such as peach, plum, apricot, and cherry. Of these species, certain apricot cultivars (‘Stark Early Orange’, ‘Goldrich’, ‘Harlayne’) display significant levels of resistance to the disease and are the genetic substrate for studies of several xlaboratories working cooperatively to genetically characterize and mark the resistance locus or loci for marker-assisted breeding. The goals of the work presented in this communication are the characterization of the genetics of PPV resistance in ‘Stark Early Orange’ and the development of co-dominant molecular markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in PPV resistance breeding. We present the first genetic linkage map for an apricot backcross population of ‘Stark Early Orange’ and the susceptible cultivar ‘Vestar’ that segregates for resistance to PPV. This map is comprised of 357 loci (330 amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs), 26 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), and 1 morphological marker for PPV resistance) assigned to eight linkage groups. Twenty-two of the mapped SSRs are shared in common with genetic reference map for Prunus (T × E; Joobeur et al. 1998) and anchor our apricot map to the general Prunus map. A PPV resistance locus was mapped in linkage group 1 and four AFLP markers segregating with the PPV resistance trait, identified through bulk segregant analysis, facilitated the development of SSRs in this region. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Lalli, D.A. and Salava, J. contributed equally to this work.     

Assessment of polyembryony in lemon: rescue and in vitro culture of immature embryos

The 27 lemon cultivars analysed could be considered slightly or moderately polyembryonic, with 25 to 43% of seeds being polyembryonic and from 1.3 to 1.6 embryos per seed. On this basis, it is necessary to rescue zygotic embryos at an immature stage. Rescue and in vitro embryo development have been studied in two Citrus limon polyembryonic cultivars. Sucrose (50 and 70 g/l) was combined with Murashige and Skoog and Gamborg’s B5 media and tested for optimal growth response. An important effect of genotype was observed: embryos from cultivar ‘Eureka’ had greater survival, germination percentage, and radical development. While the sucrose concentration in the medium did not have an effect on germination, the medium affected the embryo survival and root development of the seedlings, Gamborg’s B5 medium giving the best results. The ability to form plants in vitro was affected by an increase of embryo developmental stage. The germination and seedling height were greater with embryos of seeds collected 135–150 days after anthesis.     

The role of hydrogen peroxide-producing and hydrogen peroxide-consuming peroxidases in the leaf apoplast of cowpea in manganese tolerance

The apoplast is considered the leaf compartment decisive for manganese (Mn) toxicity and tolerance in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). Particularly apoplastic peroxidases (PODs) were proposed to be key enzymes in Mn toxicity-induced processes. The presented work focuses on the characterization of the role of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-producing (NADH peroxidase) and H2O2-consuming peroxidase (guaiacol POD) in the apoplastic washing fluid (AWF) of leaves for early stages of Mn toxicity and genotypic differences in Mn tolerance of cowpea. Leaf AWF of the Mn-sensitive cultivar (cv) TVu 91 but not of the Mn-tolerant cv 1987 showed an increase of guaiacol-POD and NADH-peroxidase activities at elevated AWF Mn concentrations. two-dimensional resolutions of AWF proteins revealed that cv TVu 91 expressed more and additional proteins at high Mn treatment, whereas Mn-tolerant cv TVu 1987 remained nearly unaffected. In both cultivars, NADH-peroxidase activity and accompanied H2O2 formation rate in vitro were significantly affected by Mn2+, p-coumaric acid, and metabolites occurring in the AWF. The total phenol concentration in the AWF was indicative of advanced stages of Mn toxicity but was rather unrelated to early stages of Mn toxicity and genotypic differences in Mn tolerance. The NADH oxidation by AWF PODs was significantly delayed or enhanced in the presence of the protein-free AWF from cv TVu 1987 or cv TVu 91, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of AWF indicates the presence of phenols in cv TVu 1987 not observed in cv TVu 91. We conclude from our studies that the H2O2-producing NADH peroxidase and its modulation by stimulating or inhibiting phenolic compounds in the leaf apoplast play a major role for Mn toxicity and Mn tolerance in cowpea.     

Photosynthetic and yield responses of an old and a modern winter wheat cultivars to short-term ozone exposure

In order to study the responses of winter wheat cultivars released in different years to short-term high O₃ exposure, an old cultivar (‘Nongda 311’, released in 1960s) and a modern one (‘Yannong 19’, released in 1990s) were treated with an O₃ exposure (145 ± 12 mm³ m⁻³, 4 h d⁻¹ for 3 d) shortly after anthesis stage (> 50 % main stems blossomed). During the O₃ exposure, light-saturated photosynthetic rate (P _N) and stomatal conductance (g _s) of both cultivars decreased considerably. Elevated O₃ did not decrease dark-adapted maximum photochemical efficiency, but induced significant reduction in actual photochemical efficiency and thereby considerably increase in non-photochemical quenching. P _N, g _s of the modern cultivar ‘Yannong 19’ decreased more than the older one ‘Nongda 311’, indicating the former exhibited higher sensitivity to O₃ than the latter. After O₃ exposure, P _N, g _s and chlorophyll (Chl) content in flag leaf decreased more quickly than control, indicating induction of faster premature leaf senescence. As a result, the short-term O₃ exposure caused substantial yield loss, with larger reduction in ‘Yannong 19’ (−19.2 %) than in ‘Nongda 311’ (−8.4 %). Our results indicated that high O₃ exposure at grain filling stage would have greater negative impacts on the high yielding modern cultivar relative to the old one with lower yield.     

Soil and vegetation response to thinning White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucophylla) on the North Western Slopes of New South Wales, Australia

Dense White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucophylla J. Thompson and L.A.S. Johnson) regrowth occurs frequently across previously cleared landscapes in New South Wales (NSW), and is thought to adversely affect agricultural production and to cause land degradation. The NSW Native Vegetation Act (2003) requires that management of native vegetation including pre-1990 regrowth must ‘improve or maintain’ site condition, yet there is currently limited information regarding techniques for the optimum management of C. glaucophylla in this regard. We conducted a preliminary study to examine floristic composition, soil condition (to 50 cm) and carbon storage under ‘Dense’ (dense regrowth), ‘Thinned’ (dense regrowth thinned 2000/2001) and ‘Un-colonised’ (pasture not yet recolonised by C.␣glaucophylla) plots on private lands in NSW. Reduced tree density from thinning resulted in increased biomass of the remaining individual trees. Un-colonised plots had significantly more groundcover than thinned plots, which had significantly more groundcover than dense plots. Differences in plant diversity however, were explained by site factors rather than land use. Soils in the dense plots were the most acid but soil pH was significantly higher in thinned plots and pH was highest in soil of the un-colonised plots. Mean values for carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and extractable phosphorus varied among sites, although each were significantly more abundant in the mineral soil of dense and thinned plots compared with un-colonised plots, suggesting that thinning had had a minimal effect on the soil parameters assessed. Accounting for all site components, site carbon storage was significantly higher in dense and thinned plots compared with un-colonised plots due to elevated levels of soil and litter carbon as well as the presence of trees. The results indicate that thinning dense C. glaucophylla can maintain and (by some measures) improve site condition. However, given the variability in some of the parameters assessed, further study across a wider range of soil types and rainfall gradients is proposed.     

Mapping and proteomic analysis of albumin and globulin proteins in hexaploid wheat kernels (Triticum aestivum L.)

Albumins and globulins of wheat endosperm represent 20% of total kernel protein. They are soluble proteins, mainly enzymes and proteins involved in cell functions. Two-dimensional gel immobiline electrophoresis (2DE) (pH 4-7) × SDS-Page revealed around 2,250 spots. Ninety percent of the spots were common between the very distantly related cultivars ‘Opata 85’ and ‘Synthetic W7984’, the two parents of the International Triticeae Mapping Initiative (ITMI) progeny. ‘Opata’ had 130 specific spots while ‘Synthetic’ had 96. 2DE and image analysis of the soluble proteins present in 112 recombinant inbred lines of the F9-mapped ITMI progeny enabled 120 unbiased segregating spots to be mapped on 21 wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell) chromosomes. After trypsic digestion, mapped spots were subjected to MALDI-Tof or tandem mass spectrometry for protein identification by database mining. Among the ‘Opata’ and ‘Synthetic’ spots identified, many enzymes have already been mapped in the barley and rice genomes. Multigene families of Heat Shock Proteins, beta-amylases, UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylases, peroxydases and thioredoxins were successfully identified. Although other proteins remain to be identified, some differences were found in the number of segregating proteins involved in response to stress: 11 proteins found in the modern selected cultivar ‘Opata 85’ as compared to 4 in the new hexaploid `Synthetic W7984’. In addition, ‘Opata’ and ‘Synthetic’ differed in the number of proteins involved in protein folding (2 and 10, respectively). The usefulness of the mapped enzymes for future research on seed composition and characteristics is discussed. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.