Metabolic changes during rooting in stem cuttings of five mangrove species

Vegetative propagation through rooting in stem cuttings in five tree mangroves namely Bruguiera parviflora, Cynometra iripa, Excoecaria agallocha, Heritiera fomes, and Thespesia populnea using IAA, IBA and NAA was reported. Spectacular increase in the root number was noted in the cuttings of H. fomes and C. iripa treated together with IBA (5000 ppm) and NAA (2500 ppm). The highest number of roots was obtained with IBA (2500 ppm) and NAA (500 ppm) in E. agallocha. B. parviflora and T. populnea responded better to IAA and IBA treatment. The species specific variation in the rooting response to exogenous application of auxins was reflected in the metabolic changes during initiation and development of roots in cuttings. Biochemical analysis showed increase of reducing sugar in the above-girdled tissues at initiation as well as subsequent development of roots which was further enhanced by the use of auxins. Decreases in the total sugar, total carbohydrate and polyphenols and increase in total nitrogen were recorded in the girdled tissues and the high C/N ratio at the initial stage helped in initiation of roots in all the species. Interaction of IBA and NAA promoted starch hydrolysis better than IAA and IBA during root development and subsequently reduced the C/N ratio and increased the protein-nitrogen activity during root development which suggest the auxin influenced mobilization of nitrogen to the rooting zone.Abbreviations IAA Indole-3-acetic acid - IBA Indole-butyric acid - NAA A-naphthalene acetic acid     

Effects of serial subculture in vitro on the endogenous levels of indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid and rootability in microcuttings of ‘Jonathan’ apple

Proliferating axillary shoots of the difficult-to-root apple cultivar Jonathan acquired an enhanced ability to form adventitious roots with increasing number of subcultures in vitro. The transition between the difficult-to-root and the easy-to-root condition occurred at the fourth subculture.Endogenous levels of free IAA and ABA in shoot tissues were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/single ion monitoring (GC/MS/SIM) using negative ion chemical ionisation. Tissues from the mother plants grown in the glasshouse contained more IAA and ABA than those from tissue-culture material. After establishment in vitro there was no variation in the IAA content throughout the subcultures but a decrease in ABA content was observed after the fourth transfer. The IAA/ABA ratio increased from 0.2 in difficult-to-root shoots from the initial culture up to 0.7 in easy-to-root shoots from the long-term subculture.     

Agrobacterium as a tool for gene transfer in woody species: The state of the art and practical perspectives. A review

Abstract

The Agrobacterium-mediated ability to transfer genes into organisms without sexual crossing provides breeders with new opportunities to improve the efficiency of plant production. Gene transfer offers advantages over classical genetic manipulation since plants are improved without disruption of the integrity of their genomes. Several useful genes isolated from microrganisms and affecting pest resistance, rooting ability, hormonal metabolism etc., are now available. These genes can be easily cloned into suitable Ti and Ri derived plasmid vectors and transferred into woody species. The scarce ability of most fruit trees to regenerate the whole plant from in vitro-cultured cells remains the main obstacle to a wider use of gene transfer technology.     

Experimental and modelling studies of drought‐adaptive root architectural traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

This paper presents an interdisciplinary approach to crop improvement that links physiology with plant breeding and simulation modelling to enhance the selection of high‐yielding, drought‐tolerant varieties. In a series of field experiments in Queensland, Australia, we found that the yield of CIMMYT wheat line SeriM82 ranged from 6% to 28% greater than the current cultivar Hartog. Physiological studies on the adaptive traits revealed that SeriM82 had a narrower root architecture and extracted more soil moisture, particularly deep in the profile. Results of a simulation analysis of these adaptive root traits with the cropping system model APSIM for a range of rain‐fed environments in southern Queensland indicated a mean relative yield benefit of 14.5% in water‐deficit seasons. Furthermore, each additional millimetre of water extracted during grain filling generated an extra 55 kg ha^?1 of grain yield. Further root studies of a large number of wheat genotypes revealed that wheat root architecture is closely linked to the angle of seminal roots at the seedling stage – a trait which is suitable for large‐scale and cost‐effective screening programmes. Overall, our results suggest that an interdisciplinary approach to crop improvement is likely to enhance the rate of yield improvement in rain‐fed crops.     

Effects of Wild Pig Disturbance on Forest Vegetation and Soils

In North America, wild pigs (Sus scrofa; feral pigs, feral swine, wild boars) are a widespread exotic species capable of creating large-scale biotic and abiotic landscape perturbations. Quantification of wild pig environmental effects has been particularly problematic in northern climates, where they occur only recently as localized populations at low densities. Between 2016 and 2017, we assessed short-term (within ~2 yrs of disturbance) effects of a low-density wild pig population on forest features in the central Lower Peninsula of Michigan, USA. We identified 16 8-ha sites using global positioning system locations from 7 radio-collared wild pigs for sampling. Within each site, we conducted fine-scale assessments at 81 plots and quantified potential disturbance by wild pigs. We defined disturbance as exposure of overturned soil, often resulting from rooting behavior by wild pigs. We quantified ground cover of plants within paired 1-m² frames at each plot, determined effects to tree regeneration using point-centered quarter sampling, and collected soil cores from each plot. We observed less percent ground cover of native herbaceous plants and lower species diversity, particularly for plants with a coefficient of conservatism ≥5, in plots disturbed by wild pigs. We did not observe an increase in colonization of exotic plants following disturbance, though the observed prevalence of exotic plants was low. Wild pigs did not select for tree species when rooting, and we did not detect any differences in regeneration of light- and heavy-seeded tree species between disturbed or undisturbed plots. Magnesium and ammonium content in soils were lower in disturbed plots, suggesting soil disturbance accelerated leaching of macronutrients, potentially altering nitrogen transformation. Our study suggested that disturbances by wild pigs, even at low densities, alters short-term native herbaceous plant diversity and soil chemistry. Thus, small-scale exclusion of wild pigs from vulnerable and rare plant communities may be warranted. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.     

Conservation strategies for threatened medicinal plant – Barleria prionitis L. – using in vitro and ex vitro propagation techniques

Over-utilisation and continuous depletion of medicinal plants have affected their supply and loss of genetic diversity. Hence the current study is based on conservation strategies for threatened medicinal plants with special reference to Barleria prionitis L. using in vitro and ex vitro propagation techniques. We have developed here a protocol for plant regeneration of Barleria prionitis L. We have also developed an efficient system of vegetative propagation of Barleria prionitis L. through stem cuttings using revive rooting hormones. These studies can be useful for conservation strategies of this important medicinal plant.     

Enigmatic occurrence of Permian plant roots in Lower Silurian rocks,Guizhou Province,China

Pinnatiramosus qianensis Geng, 1986, is a plant with a complex, extensive pinnate branching system and pitted tracheids, collected from marine Lower Silurian (Llandovery; c. 430 Ma) rocks in Guizhou Province, China. It challenges long‐held theories on the origin and early evolution of vascular plants in the Silurian and Devonian. However, there is a hypothesis that the fossils were not syngenetic with the entombing rock, but were the rooting systems of much younger plants, probably of Permian age. New sections and collections of P. qianensis have been subjected to detailed analyses, which indicate that P. qianensis belongs to an early Permian (c. 285 Ma) rooting system growing down into lower Silurian rocks.     

扦插时间对蝟实插穗生根率和相关指标的影响及生根效应综合评价

在3月5日至9月5日期间,以蝟实( Kolkwitzia amabilis Graebn.)顶端枝条作为插穗,每隔10 d扦插1次,对扦插10 d后插穗的生根率,内源吲哚乙酸( IAA)、脱落酸( ABA)和赤霉素( GA3)含量,超氧化物歧化酶( SOD)、过氧化物酶( POD)和过氧化氢酶( CAT)活性以及可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白质含量进行比较,对生根率与上述8项指标进行相关性分析和回归分析,并对这8项指标进行主成分分析;在此基础上,对不同扦插时间插穗的生根效应进行隶属函数值分析和综合评价。结果显示：随扦插时间推移,蝟实插穗的生根率总体上呈现先升高后降低的变化趋势,5月下旬至7月中旬期间扦插的插穗生根率相对较高,并以6月中旬至7月中旬期间扦插的插穗为最高,总体在70%以上。随扦插时间推移,插穗中IAA和可溶性糖含量均呈波动变化趋势;而插穗中的ABA含量、POD活性和可溶性蛋白质含量总体呈先逐渐升高后逐渐降低的趋势,GA3含量和CAT活性变化不明显,SOD活性总体上呈缓慢升高的趋势。相关性分析结果表明：蝟实插穗的生根率与IAA含量、POD活性和可溶性蛋白质含量呈极显著(P<0.01)正相关,与CAT活性呈极显著负相关。主成分分析结果显示：前2个主成分的累计贡献率为84.383%,说明前2个主成分能够基本反映蝟实扦插生根的主要影响因子,其中第1主成分中可溶性蛋白质和IAA含量为主要因子,第2主成分中CAT活性为主要因子。综合评价结果显示：5月下旬至7月中旬期间扦插的蝟实插穗的综合评价指数(D)较高,为0.747~0.983,与插穗生根率的实测值基本吻合。研究结果表明：在中国西北地区,蝟实插穗的适宜扦插时间为5月下旬至7月中旬,并以6月中旬至7月中旬为最佳;扦插过程中喷施适当浓度IAA溶液可以提高插穗的生根率。     

IBA浓度、扦插时间对江西杜鹃和百合花杜鹃扦插生根的影响

为探明有鳞大花亚组杜鹃扦插生根的最佳IBA浓度和扦插时间,该研究以江西杜鹃、百合花杜鹃为材料,分别采用腐叶土+河沙(1:1)、泥炭+珍珠岩+蛭石(3:1:1)基质,开展了4个IBA浓度和4个扦插时间的生根试验.结果表明:IBA浓度对除老叶留存数外的所有指标有显著影响,其中100 mg·L-1 IBA处理生根率、新梢长最大,腐烂率最低,其它指标也表现良好,为最佳生根浓度;50 mg·L-1 IBA处理根幅、新梢率最大,但不定根数最少,效果其次;200 mg·L-1 IBA处理促进根系生长,但生根率较低、特别是显著抑制新梢发育;对照处理生根效果最差.扦插时间对所有生根指标均有显著影响,早春(04-18)木质化硬枝扦插除老叶留存数较差外,其它指标均表现极佳,为最适扦插时间;秋季(10-19)半木质-木质化过渡枝扦插效果其次;夏季(06-21)嫩枝及(08-16)半木质化枝生根效果极差,不宜进行扦插育苗.物种、基质对生根指标也有显著影响,百合花杜鹃扦插生根能力强于江西杜鹃,泥炭+珍珠岩+蛭石(3:1:1)基质生根效果优于腐叶土+河沙(1:1).该研究结果首次发现早春新梢萌发前采用木质化硬枝扦插可以显著提高两种杜鹃的生根效果,为该亚组杜鹃的扦插育苗提供了科学依据.     

樟叶越桔组培苗生根和移栽技术研究

为解决樟叶越桔(Vaccinium dunalianum)组培苗生根质量不佳、移栽成活率低的问题,该研究以樟叶越桔继代苗为材料,采用单因子试验从激素类型及浓度、培养基类型和蔗糖质量浓度对其生根的适宜条件进行筛选,进一步研究了不同基质配比对樟叶越桔移栽苗存活率的影响。结果表明:激素类型和浓度、培养基类型对樟叶越桔生根率的影响最大,其次为蔗糖质量浓度;最适合樟叶越桔生根的激素及浓度为IBA2.0 mg·L~(-1)、基本培养基类型为1/4MS、蔗糖质量浓度为15 g·L~(-1),樟叶越桔组培苗最佳生根培养基为1/4MS+IBA 2.0 mg·L~(-1)+活性炭0.1 g·L~(-1)+蔗糖15 g·L~(-1),生根率达100%,平均生根数为每株7.67条;根系呈辐射状、基部无愈伤组织,组培苗生长健壮、叶色浓绿;樟叶越桔组培苗移栽时以全腐殖土基质为佳,成活率为83.7%,植株叶片舒展,生长状况良好。该研究建立的优化体系有效地提高了樟叶越桔组培生根苗的生根率和生根质量,解决了后期移栽成活困难的问题,为优良的樟叶越桔植株规模化生产提供了科学依据和技术支持。