A study on pollen grains ofCrocus cartwrightianus (Iridaceae)

Crocus cartwrightianus andC. cartwrightianus cv.albus pollen have been studied from structural and ultrastructural points of view and the germination assayed in vivo and in vitro.C. cartwrightianus pollen is regularly shaped and sized, has a low percentage of anomalous grains and has a high germination rate in vitro, whileC. cartwrightianus cv.albus is less regularly shaped with some variation in size and has a high percentage of anomalous grains and a low germination percentage in vitro. Ultrastructural observations have revealed, in the pollen of both the taxa, the presence of a thin elongated vegetative nucleus and a generative cell surrounded by a thin membrane. However,C. cartwrightianus pollen shows a thicker intine, andC. cartwrightianus cv.albus shows numerous pollen germination anomalies which are in common withC. sativus.     

In vitro pollen germination of species and two interspecific hybrids from the genus Brassica

In vitro pollen germination of five species and two interspecific hybrids from the genus Brassica was tested in four media. Genetically fixed differences in the demands for optimal pollen germination among species were found. The experiments were designed to define optimal content of mineral salts, sugar, and PEG for every investigated species or hybrids. The differences found among species are discussed in relation to the evolutionary trend.     

Localization of 3-phosphoglyceric acid synthesis in the mother cell compartments and forespores ofBacillus megaterium and the effects of manganous ions on its metabolism

Rapidly metabolizable compounds such as glucose or glycerol were not utilized byBacillus megaterium in the absence of manganese when grown in the supplemented nutrient broth medium. Under these conditions, growth ceased at low cell titre, 3-phosphoglyceric acid accumulated inside the cells and normal sporulation process was arrested. Addition of manganese to the medium caused disappearance of 3-phosphoglyceric acid, growth resumed and normal sporulation was observed. Synthesis of 3-phosphoglyceric acid occurred only in the mother cell compartments and it was transported for accumulation inside the forespores ofBacillus megaterium when grown in supplemented nutrient broth medium. Incubation of forespores in the presence of glucose or glycerol had no effect on 3-phosphoglyceric acid synthesis/accumulation, but it was completely utilized when forespores were incubated with manganese plus ionophore (X 537A). No other metal(s) could substitute for manganese suggesting that manganese plays crucial role in 3-phosphoglyceric acid metabolism     

Germination responses of a seed population of Taraxacum officinale Weber to constant temperatures including the supra-optimal range

Abstract The germination responses of a nondormant fraction of a seed population of Taraxacum officinale Weber at constant temperatures in the range 7–34°C were analysed through a time-course study. Maximal percentage germination (approximately 90%) was attained at temperatures 10–18°C, where simple linear relationships were observed between the temperature and the germination rates, i.e. the reciprocals of the time taken to germinate by subpopulations with 20–80% germination. There was a variation in the required ‘thermal times’ (θ) which characterized the linear relationships, the distribution of which could be approximated for the seed population by the following distribution function: where m is the median of the distribution, and A is a shape parameter characterizing the pattern of the distribution. Final percentage germination decreased with increasing temperature from 20 to 32°C, where the final percentage germination vs. temperature plotted on a normal probability scale yielded a straight line, indicating the normality of the distribution of the upper limit temperature in the seed population. The estimated mean and standard deviation were 27.25 ± 3.75°C. The rate of germination for the subpopulation with 20–80% germination also decreased with increases in the temperature from 22 to 30°C. If the relationships between the temperature within this range and the rate for the subpopulations with 20–80% germination were approximated by the regression lines, the negative ‘thermal time’ characterizing the yielded linear relationship would have a distribution which could be approximated by the same function with the required thermal time for the relationship of suboptimal range. The parameters m and A for the negative ‘thermal time’ were determined to be 2870 K h and 1.7 × 10^-10 K^-3 h^-3.     

Effect of light and temperature on the germination of lettuce seeds

A short period (15–30 min) at 30° C promotes germination of seeds of Lactuca sativa L. cv. Repolhuda in darkness. Far-red light reverses this stimulation, and the escape curves for phytochrome and high-temperature action are quite similar, indicating that the two factors act at a common point in the chain of events leading to germination. It is suggested that high temperature acts by decreasing the threshold of the active, far-red absorbing, form of phytochrome (Pfr) needed to promote germination.Abbreviations FR far-red light - Pfr far-red-absorbing form of phytochrome - R red light     

The evaluation of pollen quality,and a further appraisal of the fluorochromatic (FCR) test procedure

Summary Methods currently available for evaluating pollen quality in vitro include, (a) tests of germinability; (b) tests of the stainability of the vegetative cell contents; (c) tests for enzyme activity, and (d) the fluorochromatic procedure (FCR), which tests principally the integrity of the plasmalemma of the vegetative cell. Using germinability in vitro as a standard, a comparison has been made between histochemical methods of classes (b), (c) and (d) in application to various pollens, immature, mature, and treated in ways known to affect viability and membrane state. Predictably, the lowest correlation was obtained with tests of stainability. The highest was given by the FCR, which generally provided an excellent guide to potential germinability. The FCR procedure is subject to various limitations, however, (a) A high correlation between FCR and germinability can only be expected when mature, ripe pollen is used; with immature pollen, the FCR will predict excessively high potential germinability. (b) The FCR may also predict a higher potential level of pollen function than in vitro germinability when the germination medium is sub-optimal. In this situation, however, it will generally give a better guide to fertilising capacity, (c) The FCR is not a test of pollen viability. Like germinability in vitro, it can yield a negative score with pollen which is nevertheless capable of functioning. For example, false negatives will be obtained with some species if the pollen is not properly pre-conditioned by rehydration before testing, an important point in monitoring stored pollen. The paper includes a brief discussion of the rationale of pollen testing.     

Pollen tube growth following compatible and incompatible intraspecific pollinations in Petunia hybrida

The observation that both compatible and incompatible pollen tubes grow at identical speeds on the stigma in many plants with gametophytically controlled self-incompatibility (SI) systems has, in Petunia, been extended to cover all other facets of pollen behaviour on this tissue. On entry into the stylar transmitting tissue both types of tubes accelerate, but the compatible achieve a higher terminal velocity than do the incompatible, which eventually slow and stop. Grafting experiments show that the top 1 mm of the stylar tissue can play an important rôle in determining the future development of the pollen tube. Following mixed pollinations, proportionally too many compatible pollen tubes reach the ovary than would be expected from the results of pure compatible and incompatible pollinations indicating that incompatible pollen in some way helps prime the style for growth of compatible pollen tubes. This data is considered in terms of recent structural studies of these tissues, and related to the pollination conditions pertaining to Petunia populations in the field.Abbreviation SI self-incompatibility     

Ploidy and strain differences in seed germination of Glycine wightii at different pH levels

Summary Seeds from 27 wild strains (18 tetraploids and 9 diploids) of Glycine weightii were germinated at a pH range of 5 to 8. The differences in germination (%) between all the strains were highly significant but between pH levels they were only nearly significant (P=0.067) with no interaction between pH levels and strains. Mean germination (%) for all tetraploids seems to be slightly higher ( 2%) than that for all diploids, especially at pH's 5, 7 and 8 but this may be due to the significantly longer time ( one day) it took tetraploids to complete germination. The apparent inverse relationship between seed weight and germination (%) was not significant.Mean germination time was highly significant for strains, pH's and their interaction. Increasing mean germination (%) resulted in decreasing mean germination time among strains. Large seeds took less time to germinate especially those from some of the tetraploid strains. This indicates that it is possible to produce a variety with high germination (%), fast germination rate and possibly large seeds. If the marked difference in pH tolerance among strains will prove to be mainly hereditary, then it will be also possible to select for either specific pH tolerance or tolerance at a wide range of pH.     

The growth physics and water relations of red-light-induced germination in lettuce seeds

Using lettuce (Lactuca sativa L., cv. Grand Rapids) embryos in osmotica, we have demonstrated that when the growth rates of the embryonic axes of seeds treated with red (R) or far-red (FR) light are equalized, the axes of R-treated seeds develop a 3.4-bar decrease in water potential (paper No. III).As axial growth begins, reserve protein and phytin decrease rapidly, concomitant with increases in reducing sugars, -amino nitrogen, and inorganic and esterified soluble phosphates. However, no differences between the axes of R-and FR-treated seeds are found with respect to the changes in these compounds, indicating that these changes arise as a result of growth and are not under immediate phytochrome control. Little change in the total lipid content is found in either treatment. The axes of FR-treated seeds hydrolyze endogenous sucrose at a greater rate thant those of R-treated seeds. Axes of R-treated seeds accumulate K⁺ and Na⁺ to a greater extent than those of FR-treated seeds. When potassium salts are added to the incubation medium, R induces increased K⁺ uptake by the axis and greater medium acidification by the axis. Malate and other organic acids and acidic amino acids increase at equal rates in both treatments, indicating that inorganic anions may also be taken up to balance the ionic charges. The results are compatible with the assumption that changes in the osmotic and pressure potentials of the embryonic axes of R-treated seeds are the result of a phytochrome-stimulated proton pump which, in whole dormant seeds, would initiate water-potential changes allowing the embryos to overcome the mechanical restraint of the surrounding seed layers, resulting in germination.Abbreviations FR far-red light - PEG polyethylene glyeol 4000 - Pfr far-red-absorbing form of phytochrome - R red light III=Carpita et al. 1979