Life history and population dynamics of the Japanese Yam,Dioscorea japonica Thunb.

The adaptive significance of the emergence mode ofDioscorea japonica was studied with respect to initial plant size (seed, bulbil and tuber) and light intensity, using mathematical simulation based on Yokoi's (1976) model. Under 1.5% full sunlight conditions, plants emerging with only one leaf did not develop a shoot system throughout the growing period (Hori and Oshima, 1986). Simulation indicated that, for this species of plant under poor productive conditions, the optimal time for switch-over from the vegetative to reproductive growth phase to maximize the tuber weight at the end of the growing period, occurred immediately following the start of autotrophic growth. By means of shoot growth patterns, small and large size plants acquired the ability of shade tolerance and shade avoidance, respectively. Further, the life history ofD. japonica could be expressed as a flow chart based on plant size and light intensity data.     

The effect of shading on photosynthesis,growth, and regrowth following defoliation for Bromus tectorum

Summary The effect of full sunlight, 60%, or 90% attenuated light on photosynthetic rate, growth, leaf morphology, dry weight allocation patterns, phenology, and tolerance to clipping was examined in the glasshouse for steppe populations of the introduced grass, Bromus tectorum. The net photosynthetic response to light for plants grown in shade was comparable to responses for plants grown in full sunlight. Plants grown in full sunlight produced more biomass, tillers and leaves, and allocated a larger proportion of their total production to roots than plants grown in shade. The accumulation of root and shoot biomass over the first two months of seedling growth was primarily responsible for the larger size at harvest of plants grown in full sunlight. Plants grown under 60% and 90% shade flowered an average of 2 and 6 weeks later, respectively, than plants grown in full sunlight. Regrowth after clipping was greater for plants grown in full sunlight compared to those grown in shade. Even a one-time clipping delayed flowering and seed maturation; the older the individual when leaf area was removed, the greater the delay in its phenology. Repeated removal of leaf area was more frequently fatal for plants in shade than in full sunlight. For plants originally grown in full sunlight, regrowth in the dark was greater than for shaded plants and was more closely correlated to non-flowering tiller number than to plant size. This correlation suggests that etiolated regrowth is more likely regulated by the number of functional meristems than by differences in the size of carbohydrate pools. Thus, shading reduces the rate of growth, number of tillers, and ability to replace leaf area lost to herbivory for B. tectorum. These responses, in turn, intensify the effect of competition and defoliation for this grass in forests. B. tectorum is largely restricted to forest gaps at least in part because of its inability to acclimate photosynthetically, the influence of shade on resource allocation, and the role of herbivory in exacerbating these effects.     

Variation in growth form in relation to spectral light quality (red/far-red ratio) in Plantago lanceolata L. in sun and shade populations

Plants from a sun and shade population were grown in two environments differing in the ratio of red to far-red light (R/FR ratio). A low R/FR ratio, simulating vegetation shade, promoted the formation of long, upright-growing leaves and allocation towards shoot growth, whereas a high R/FR ratio had the opposite effects. The increase in plant height under the low R/FR ratio was accompanied by a reduction in the number of leaves. Population differences in growth form resembled the differences between plants grown in different light environments: plants from the shade population had rosettes with long erect leaves, whereas plants from the sun population formed prostrate rosettes with short leaves. Plants from the shade population were more responsive to the R/FR ratio than plants from the sun population: the increases in leaf length, plant height, and leaf area ratio under a low R/FR ratio were larger in the shade population. However, differences in plasticity were small compared to the population difference in growth form itself. We argue that plants do not respond optimally to shading and that developmental constraints might have limited the evolution of an optimal response. Received: 8 December 1996 / Accepted: 31 March 1997     

An analysis of the effects of nutrient supply on the growth of potato crops

Fertilizer nitrogen did not delay tuber initiation by the potato variety King Edward in the field, but slowed the early growth of tubers. Later, N hastened tuber growth and the largest amounts prolonged it. Leaf and stem growth were increased by N from an early stage. Leaf area index (L) reached maxima of 2.5 to 3.0 with the largest amounts of N, and 1.0 with no nitrogen: L decreased after late July, faster with increased N, and only the largest amount prolonged the life of the haulm. N increased leaf area duration (D) by up to 125% in both years. D was 21% greater in 1964 than 1963, and net assimilation rate in August and September was larger; consequently mean yield was 50% more in 1964. Uptake of nitrogen and N % of dry matter were increased by increasing nitrogen. The N % of tuber dry weight remained constant or increased slightly from about 2 weeks after tuber formation, while N % of the leaves and stems decreased rapidly, and much N was transferred from tops to tubers. The 1964 results suggest that tuber growth depends on continued nitrogen uptake by the plant. P and K had small effects compared with those of N. K increased leaf area duration by 9% in 1963 and 3% in 1964, and yield by 11 and 8% respectively. P increased leaf area duration by 17% and yield by 9% in 1964. K had very small effects until the end of the season, when it prolonged the period of growth. P increased growth rates of all parts of the plant up to 4 weeks from emergence, and the differences in dry weight at that time persisted to maturity but did not increase.     

Modification of growth habit of Majestic potato by growth regulators applied at different times

The effect of gibberellic acid, CCC (2-chloroethyltrimethylammonium chloride) and B 9 (N-dimethylaminosuccinamic acid) was studied on growth of potato plants in pots. Growth was analysed on four occasions and changes in habit defined in terms of internode lengths, leaf areas and growth of lateral branches. Soaking seed pieces for 1 hr. in GA solution caused six internodes to elongate greatly, an effect not prevented by CCC applied when the shoot emerged from the soil. The effects on internode extension were determined by the length of the interval between GA treatment and CCC treatment. Treatment at emergence with CCC shortened all internodes and more CCC applied 4 weeks later had no effect. Late application of CCC or B9 shortened the top two lateral branches, usually very long in untreated plants. The regulators affected leaf growth differently from internode growth: usually growth regulators had less effect on leaf growth. Effects on growth depended on when the regulators were applied. Treatment with GA alone inhibited bud development at higher nodes than in untreated plants; when followed by late treatment with CCC, lateral growth at higher nodes was also less. CCC retarded development of lateral branches especially when applied early. B9 had a similar effect to CCC applied late. When regulators retarded growth of lower laterals, upper laterals often grew more than in untreated plants. Treatments did not affect the number of leaves on the main stem at first but later GA hastened senescence. GA increased the number of leaves on lateral stems, and the effect was enhanced by CCC. CCC alone increased the number of first- and second-order lateral leaves. GA lengthened and CCC shortened stolons. The effect of CCC persisted throughout the life of the plant. CCC or B 9 shortened stolons whenever applied. CCC hastened tuber initiation but slowed tuber growth. CCC at first retarded formation of lateral tubers but had no effect on the ultimate numbers of lateral and terminal tubers. The value of E (net assimilation rate) did not alter with time. CCC applied at emergence increased E, probably because it hastened tuber initiation and temporarily increased sink capacity. Although tubers formed earlier with CCC, their growth was slower and their demand for carbohydrate was also less. The increase in second-order laterals in CCC-treated plants indicates that they utilize carbohydrate that would normally go to tubers. This experiment also demonstrates that crowding leaves by shortening stems did not diminish E, possibly because another over-riding process (bigger sinks) offsets the effect of shading.     

Phenotypic plasticity in response to light in the coffee tree

Phenotypic plasticity to light availability was examined at the leaf level in field-grown coffee trees (Coffea arabica). This species has been traditionally considered as shade-demanding, although it performs well without shade and even out-yields shaded coffee. Specifically, we focused our attention on the morpho-anatomical plasticity, the balance between light capture and excess light energy dissipation, as well as on physiological traits associated with carbon gain. A wide natural light gradient, i.e., a diurnal intercepted photon irradiance differing by a factor of 25 between the deepest shade leaves and the more exposed leaves in the canopy, was explored. Responses of most traits to light were non-linear, revealing the classic leaf sun vs. leaf shade dichotomy (e.g., compared with sun leaves, shade leaves had a lower stomatal density, a thinner palisade mesophyll, a higher specific leaf area, an improved light capture, a lower respiration rate, a lower light compensating point and a limited capacity for photoprotection). The light-saturated rates of net photosynthesis were higher in sunlit than in shade leaves, although sun leaves were not efficient enough to use the extra light supply. However, sun leaves showed well-developed photoprotection mechanisms in comparison to shade leaves, which proved sufficient for avoiding photoinhibition. Specifically, a higher non-photochemical quenching coefficient was found in parallel to increases in: (i) zeaxanthin pools, (ii) de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle, and (iii) activities of some antioxidant enzymes. Intracanopy plasticity depended on the suite of traits considered, and was high for some physiological traits associated with photoprotection and maintenance of a positive carbon balance under low light, but low for most morpho-anatomical features. Our data largely explain the successful cultivation of the coffee tree in both exposed and shade environments, although with a poor resource-use efficiency in high light.     

Response of potato tuber cell division and growth to shade and elevated CO2

Plants adjust their sink-organ growth rates, development and distribution of dry matter in response to whole-plant photosynthate status. To advance understanding of these processes, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants were subjected to CO(2) and light flux treatments, and early tuber growth was assessed. Atmospheric CO(2) (700 or 350 micro mol mol(-1)) and light flux (shade and control illumination) treatments were imposed at two growth stages: tuber initiation (TI) and tuber bulking (TB). Elevated CO(2) increased accumulation of total net biomass when imposed at both stages, and increased tuber growth rate by about 36 %, but did not increase the number of tubers. Elevated CO(2) increased the number of cells in tubers at both TI and TB stages, whereas shade substantially decreased the number of cells at both stages. Generally, treatments did not affect cell volume or the proportion of nuclei endoreduplicating (repeated nuclear DNA replication in the absence of cell division), but the shade treatment led to a decrease in cell volume at TB and a decrease in endoreduplication at TI. Elevated CO(2) increased, and shade decreased, glucose concentration and soluble invertase activity in the cambial zones at both TI and TB, whereas sucrose concentration and activities of glucokinase, fructokinase, cell-wall-bound invertase and thymidine kinase were unaffected. Modulation of tuber cell division was responsible for much of the growth response to whole-plant photosynthate status, and treatments affected cambial-zone glucose and soluble invertase in a pattern suggesting involvement of a glucose signalling pathway.     

Early generation selection for agronomic characters in a potato breeding programme

Summary A random sample of seedlings representing high, medium and poor vigour was studied for tuber colour, tuber shape, eye depth, tuber cracking, tuber yield per plant, average tuber weight and number of tubers per plant in four successive generations (F₁, F₁, F₁C₂, and F₁C₃). Based on the performance of vigour groups in various generations and inter-generation correlation coefficients, we propose a procedure for the elimination of unproductive genotypes early in the breeding programme. The data indicates that seedlings of poor vigour can be discarded at the seedling stage prior to transplantation in the field. The rejection of clones on the basis of tuber colour, tuber shape, eye depth and tuber cracking can also be initiated at the seedling stage. For tuber yield and average tuber weight a negative selection (rejection of poor phenotypes) is suggested from the first clonal generation and for number of tubers, from second clonal generation, until statistically sound replicated trials can be conducted for carrying out positive selection.     

滴水珠珠芽发育过程研究

珠芽是滴水珠(Pinellia cordata)的营养繁殖结构,为揭示滴水珠珠芽发育过程中的特征,该研究以野外采集材料进行盆栽观察试验,通过形态观察法和石蜡切片方法,探索滴水珠叶片和叶柄处珠芽发育过程中的形态学和解剖学结构特征。结果表明:滴水珠珠芽发育过程在形态上分为叶柄无现象时期、早期珠芽结构分化和珠芽膨大成熟时期三个时期;相应的解剖学发育时期为珠芽原基启动期和形成期、原基分化期和膨大成熟期四个阶段。叶片和叶柄珠芽起始细胞均由叶柄腹面表皮下层薄壁细胞组织脱分化形成,起始细胞不断分裂形成细胞团最后发育成珠芽原基;在原基分化期的特征是生长点形成,最终分化形成芽原基和鳞片叶;膨大成熟期的特征是珠芽结构不断生长,生长点侧生分化鳞片叶增多。叶片和叶柄处珠芽成熟脱落时期为灰色椭圆形结构,测得平均直径分别为(2.79±0.40)mm和(2.69±0.36)mm,外部有鳞片包裹,内部含大量营养物质。在环境适宜条件下,珠芽遇土萌发,萌发率达75%。这表明滴水珠珠芽与同属植物半夏珠芽发育过程差别不大,都是无性克隆营养繁殖体结构。     

The effect of canopy cover and seasonal change on host plant quality for the endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeidesmelissasamuelis)

Larvae of the Karner blue butterfly, Lycaeidesmelissasamuelis, feed solely on wild lupine, Lupinusperennis, from the emergence to summer senescence of the plant. Wild lupine is most abundant in open areas but Karner blue females oviposit more frequently on lupines growing in moderate shade. Can differences in lupine quality between open and shaded areas help explain this disparity in resource use? Furthermore, many lupines are senescent before the second larval brood completes development. How does lupine senescence affect larval growth? We addressed these questions by measuring growth rates of larvae fed lupines of different phenological stages and lupines growing under different shade conditions. The habitat conditions under which lupines grew and plant phenological stage did not generally affect final larval or pupal weight but did significantly affect duration of the larval period. Duration was shortest for larvae fed leaves from flowering lupines and was negatively correlated with leaf nitrogen concentration. Ovipositing in areas of moderate shade should increase?second-brood larval exposure to flowering lupines. In addition, larval growth was significantly faster on shade-grown lupines that were in seed than on similar sun-grown lupines. These are possible advantages of the higher-than-expected oviposition rate on shade-grown lupines. Given the canopy-related trade-off between lupine?abundance and quality, maintenance of canopy heterogeneity is an important conservation management goal. Larvae were also fed leaves growing in poor soil conditions and leaves with mildew infection. These and other feeding treatments that we anticipated would inhibit larval growth often did not. In particular, ant-tended larvae exhibited the highest weight gain per amount of lupine eaten and a relatively fast growth rate. This represents an advantage of ant tending to Karner blue larvae.     

Plasticity in seedling morphology,biomass allocation and physiology among ten temperate tree species in response to shade is related to shade tolerance and not leaf habit

• Mechanisms of shade tolerance in tree seedlings, and thus growth in shade, may differ by leaf habit and vary with ontogeny following seed germination. To examine early responses of seedlings to shade in relation to morphological, physiological and biomass allocation traits, we compared seedlings of 10 temperate species, varying in their leaf habit (broadleaved versus needle‐leaved) and observed tolerance to shade, when growing in two contrasting light treatments – open (about 20% of full sunlight) and shade (about 5% of full sunlight).
• We analyzed biomass allocation and its response to shade using allometric relationships. We also measured leaf gas exchange rates and leaf N in the two light treatments.
• Compared to the open treatment, shading significantly increased traits typically associated with high relative growth rate (RGR) – leaf area ratio (LAR), specific leaf area (SLA), and allocation of biomass into leaves, and reduced seedling mass and allocation to roots, and net assimilation rate (NAR). Interestingly, RGR was not affected by light treatment, likely because of morphological and physiological adjustments in shaded plants that offset reductions of in situ net assimilation of carbon in shade. Leaf area‐based rates of light‐saturated leaf gas exchange differed among species groups, but not between light treatments, as leaf N concentration increased in concert with increased SLA in shade.
• We found little evidence to support the hypothesis of a increased plasticity of broadleaved species compared to needle‐leaved conifers in response to shade. However, an expectation of higher plasticity in shade‐intolerant species than in shade‐tolerant ones, and in leaf and plant morphology than in biomass allocation was supported across species of contrasting leaf habit.

     

Genotypic influence on in vitro induction, dormancy length, advancing age and agronomical performance of potato microtubers (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Microtubers of 13 cultivars, largely grown in Italy and other European countries, were induced. They were stored in the dark at 3°C for different periods (28, 56, 84 and 105 days), prior to being transferred to 20°C for between 4 and 17 weeks. Following removal to room temperature, sprouting was recorded and dormancy duration quantified. Dormancy decreased from 28.1 to 19.9, 11.1 and 7.8 days with reduced time of storage. Cvs Arsy, Nicola and Jaerla took consistently more time for dormancy release. The dormancy duration was linearly and inversely correlated with the length of storage. After sprouting, tubers were held at 20°C for various intervals and a range of physiological ages (0, 368, 720 and 1008 degree days) were accumulated. The field comparison of microtubers evidenced a plant growth response and tuber yield/plant affected by the cultivar and physiological age. In early cultivars (Jaerla), a better performance was shown by younger tubers; the opposite trend was noted in Alpha (a later cultivar) with an increase in stems/plant, tubers/plant and tuber yield/plant for tubers with greater physiological age. Like conventional seed tubers, microtubers showed differences in optimum physiological age associated with cultivar earliness. This study has provided some indications on how to enhance emergence and haulm development of plants from microtubers.     

Translocation of Assimilates Within and Between Potato Stems

Three aspects of translocation in potato were examined: (i)translocation within stems (ii) translocation between individualstems of a plant (iii) translocation between tubers followinginjection of ¹⁴C sucrose into a single daughter tuber. Assimilatesexported from single leaves of evenly illuminated potato stemsremained confined to the same side of the stem as the sourceleaf in a pattern consistent with the internal arrangement ofvascular bundles in the stem, and tubers borne on stolons verticallybelow the source leaf contained higher concentrations of ¹⁴Cthan those on the opposite side. Consequently ¹⁴C import intothe tubers bore little relationship to tuber growth rates. However,alteration of source/sink relations by pruning stems to a singlesouce leaf resulted in an even distribution of ¹⁴C throughoutthe vascular bundles of the stem and ¹⁴C import into the tubersbore a stronger relationship to tuber growth rates than to thephyllotactic relationship of the tubers with the source leaf. Labelling one stem of a potato plant resulted in little or nomovement of ¹⁴C into tubers on other unlabelled stems. However,removal of the unlabelled stems at ground level induced a significantmovement of ¹⁴C from the labelled stem to the tubers on unlabelledstems, this movement occurring via the mother tuber. Shadingthe unlabelled stems had less effect than stem removal. ¹⁴C sucrose injected into single daughter tubers was translocatedto other tubers on the same stem and also to tubers on a secondstem at the opposite end of the mother tuber. The sucrose wasconverted to starch in these tubers. The results favour the view that each potato stem functionsas an independent unit with potential for assimilate redistributionwithin a stem but with little or no carbon exchange occurringbetween stems, unless under severely altered source/sink patterns. Assimilates, ¹⁴C, autoradiography, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), tuber growth     

Photosynthesis and leaf morphology ofLiquidambar styraciflua L. under variable urban radiant-energy conditions

Diminished sunlight, characteristic of urban canyons, has been suggested as being potentially limiting to plant growth. This study investigated the response of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) to variable irradiance in a range of urban locations. Diurnal photosynthesis was measured in situ on mature trees, comparing an open site at an urban park with an urban canyon that received 4 h of midday sun in midsummer. Photosynthesis for trees growing in the canyon was lower both during shaded and sunlit periods compared with trees at the park. Photosynthesis of detached shoots in a growth chamber was greater in canyon than park foliage at low irradiance, indicating possible photosynthetic shade acclimation analogous to tree species growing in the forest understorey. Shoot and trunk growth and morphological characteristics were measured onL. styraciflua growing along boulevards at 15 additional urban sites and related to seasonal interception of solar radiation. Angular elevation and orientation of buildings and trees that defined the horizon topography at each site were used in modeling the potential irradiance of global shortwave radiation. Seasonal irradiance among sites ranged from 21% in the urban core to nearly 95% in outlying residential districts of that potentially received under an unobstructed horizon. Shade acclimation was confirmed by differences in leaf morphology, as foliage became flatter, thinner, and more horizontally oriented at sites with lower irradiance. Photosynthetic and morphological acclimation to shade did not compensate for lower available radiant energy as both shoot and trunk growth decreased at sites of lower irradiance. Unlike the forest understorey, the static light environment of urban canyons may subject shade-intolerant species such asL. styraciflua to chronic, low-radiant-energy stress.     

THE VEGETATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE POTATO PLANT

A study of the vegetative growth of potato plants indicated that all varieties grown under identical conditions are likely to show similar growth rates during the early stages of development.
Differences in total leaf area per plant between varieties became apparent at the stage when rapid development of axillary shoots from the main axis occurred. The maincrop varieties, Stormont Dawn and King Edward, attained a greater total leaf area than the early varieties, Ulster Chieftain and Arran Pilot, because of the greater development of axillary shoots.
It is suggested that the number of nodes produced beneath the terminal inflorescence on the main axis approximates to a constant value, independent of variety. Varietal differences were manifested in the distribution between leaves above ground and stolons below, the early varieties producing fewer leaves above ground than the maincrop, in inverse proportion to the number of underground stolons.
The yields of tubers per plant are given for four varieties. Differences between varieties in the rate of tuber formation are related to differences in the development of haulms.
It is considered probable that the potato plant exhibits a basic growth form which is modified in each variety in a characteristic manner according to the stage in the growth cycle and the rate at which the growth substances are distributed to the various organs of the plant.     

硫硒配施对茎瘤芥生长和营养效应的研究

以茎瘤芥品种‘涪杂1号’为材料,通过盆栽实验探讨不同浓度的硫(S)、硒(Se)配施处理对茎瘤芥干物质积累、矿质元素吸收及膨大茎营养品质的影响,为生产中合理施用硫、硒肥提供理论依据.结果表明:与对照(S0Se0,未施硫硒肥)相比,增施硫、硒肥处理均能显著提高茎瘤芥的根、膨大茎、叶片和单株干物质产量,并以S50Se1[S/Se=50(mg/kg)/1(mg/kg)]和S100Se1的处理效果较好,其单株干物质产量分别比对照显著增加32.3%和36.2%;不同硫、硒浓度配施处理对茎瘤芥13种矿质元素积累的影响不同,主要显著促进了茎、叶对氮、磷、钾、硫、硒的吸收积累,而对其它元素的影响不显著,其中茎、叶的硒含量以S50Se3处理最高,硫含量以S100Se1处理最高;各硫硒配施处理对膨大茎营养品质的影响不同,其中S50Se1和S50Se3处理能显著提高膨大茎有机硒、总氨基酸和粗蛋白含量,而对维生素C和可溶性糖含量无显著影响.可见,适宜的硫硒配施可以明显促进其对矿质元素的吸收,提高植株干物质积累,有效改善茎瘤芥膨大茎营养品质,且硫硒配施用量以S 50mg/kg、Se 1mg/kg为宜.     

Soil Patches of Inorganic Nitrogen in Subtropical Brazilian Plant Communities with Araucaria angustifolia

One-year old tubers of two hybrid calla lily (calla) cultivars (Zantedeschia ‘Pot of Gold’ and ‘Majestic Red’) were inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), Glomus intraradices, or not, and grown at three different rates of phosphorus (P) supply to asses the effects of AMF-inoculation on plant development (time of shoot emergence and flowering), flowering (number, length and rate of flowering), and tuber biomass and composition over two growing cycles (2002, 2003). Tubers and flowers of calla responded differently to AMF inoculation. Differences in mycorrhizal responsiveness between cultivars was related to differences in P requirements for flower and tuber production, and the influence of P supply on resource allocation to different reproductive strategies. Inoculation increased shoot production and promoted early flowering, particularly in 2003. Inoculated plants also produced larger tubers than non-inoculated plants, but only increased the number of flowers per plant in 2003. High P supply also increased tuber biomass, but decreased the number of flowers per plant in 2002. Plants grown at a moderate P-rate, produced the most flowers in 2003. For ‘Majestic Red’, benefits from AMF were primarily in terms of tuber yield and composition, and AMF effects on marketable flower production could potentially have negative impact on production strategies for growers. Inoculation of ‘Pot of Gold’ primarily influenced flower production and aspects of tuber quality that caused detectable enhancement of tuber yield and flowering in the second growing cycle following inoculation (2003). The results of this study show that the responses of calla to AMF are partially a function of how nutrient supply alters resource allocation to sexual and vegetative reproduction. Whether AMF-induced changes in resource allocation to flowering and tubers significantly alters commercial productivity and quality of calla depends on the crop production goals (e.g. tubers, cut flowers or potted plants). The U.S. Government’s right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty free licence in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

Shoot Dynamics and Adaptive Morphology of Ipomoea phillomega (Vell.) House (Convolvulaceae), a Tropical Rainforest Liana

Ipomoea phillomega (Vell.) House (Convolvulaceae) is a commonliana in undisturbed and disturbed patches of a primary tropicalrain forest in Veracruz, Mexico. In this study a demographic-morphologicalapproach to an understanding of its growth dynamics was attempted.Clonal spread via stolons accounts for nearly all populationrecruitment. The liana can produce a variety of shoot types.The balance among these is influenced by light intensity suchthat shaded conditions favour the production of creeping shoots(stolons) with high elongation rates, long internodes and short-livedrudimentary leaves, and in full sunlight most shoots twine,elongate more slowly, have short internodes and produce largelong-lived leaves. The correlation between light intensity andshoot type is not absolute. Even in deep shade of primary forestsome twiners are produced and in full sunlight some stolonsare produced. This suggests that over a span of light intensityranging from 0.4–100 per cent of full sunlight, the lianainvests energy both in vertical climbing and horizontal spread.Different shoot types showed different patterns of survivorshipof plant parts. Twiner leaves have higher mortality rates thanstolon leaves, but twiner apices have higher mortality ratesthan stolon apices. Exploration by essentially leafless stolonsrepresents growth subsidized by insolated canopies elsewherein the shoot system. The ‘costs’ of this patternof growth are unknown since the physiological relationshipsamong the shoot types have not been studied.     

An Analysis of the Relation between Dry Matter Allocation to the Tuber and Earliness of a Potato Crop

Compared with late cultivars, early potato cultivars allocatea larger part of the available assimilates to the tubers earlyin the growing season, leading to shorter growing periods andlower yields. A dynamic simulation model, integrating effectivetemperature and source –sink relationships of the crop,was used to analyse this relation, using data from experimentsin the Netherlands carried out over 5 years. Dry matter allocationto the tuber in these field experiments was simulated well whenthe tuber was considered as a dominant sink that affects earlinessof a potato crop in two ways: early allocation of assimilatesto the tubers stops foliage growth early in the season and reducesthe longevity of individual leaves. In a sensitivity analysisthe influence of tuber initiation, leaf longevity and the maximumrelative tuber growth rate (R_tb) on assimilate allocation andcrop earliness was evaluated. It was found that the maximumrelative tuber growth rate can influence crop earliness morethan the other two factors, but when conditions for tuber growthare optimal, the leaf longevity is most important. Solanum tuberosumL.; simulation model; source –sink relationships; cultivars     

Effects of ethylene on tuberization in radish (Raphanus sativus)

The effects of ethylene on the elongation of radish hypocotyls and on dry matter partitioning between tubers and shoots were analysed in order to gain insight into the possible role of ethylene in the regulation of tuberization. Treatment of very young seedlings with ethylene results in heavier tubers (Vreugdenhil et al. 1984). Here we report that addition of ethylene or ethephon two days after germination inhibited the elongation of the hypocotyl; trapping of endogenously produced ethylene had a stimulative effect on elongation. Ethephon, sprayed at a later stage, changed the partitioning of assimilates between tubers and shoots, resulting in lower tuber weights. It is concluded that ethylene had a dual effect on tuberization in radish: at a very early stage of development it inhibited elongation of the hypocotyl, resulting in earlier tuber formation and heavier tubers. At a later stage, it had a negative effect on tuber weight by changing dry matter partitioning.