Seed Film Coating with Uniconazole Improves Rape Seedling Growth in Relation to Physiological Changes Under Waterlogging Stress

Waterlogging is an important constraint of global production of rape. The effects of seed film coating with 0.0075% uniconazole on the growth and physiology was investigated using seedlings from three varieties of rape (Brassica napus L.) subjected to waterlogging. While seed coating with uniconazole had no significant effect on germination percentage during waterlogging stress, it enhanced root vigour, increased root length, root volume and root dry weight. It also significantly enhanced leaf dry weight and ratio of root to shoot, but induced a significant decrease in shoot height and stem dry weight. Seed film coating with uniconazole also significantly increased the activities of the antioxidant enzymes, POD, CAT and SOD, and soluble sugar concentration during waterlogging. Thus, it suggests that seed film coating with uniconazole at a suitable concentration can improve rape seedling growth and increase seedling establishment during waterlogging.     

Effects of plant growth regulators on the antioxidant system in seedlings of two maize cultivars subjected to water stress

The effects of brassinolide, uniconazole and methyl jasmonate on the antioxidant system were studied in seedlings of drought-resistant (PAN 6043) and drought-sensitive (SC 701) cultivars of Zea mays L. When seedlings treated with the three regulators were subjected to water stress (–1.0 MPa PEG 6000 solution), the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase, as well as the ascorbic acid and total carotenoid contents, increased in the resistant cultivar, whereas the levels remained unaltered in the sensitive cultivar. The increased tolerance to drought stress induced by the growth regulators in the resistant cultivar seems to be due to the maintenance of increased antioxidant enzyme activity and antioxidant substance levels.     

Superoxide dismutase activity in salt stressed wheat seedlings

We investigated the effect of salt stress on enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) isozymes in shoot and root tissues of salt tolerant and sensitive wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and Triticum durum Defs.) cultivars. Ten day old seedlings were subjected to 0.7 M NaCl stress for 3 and 5 days. Seedlings treated in the same manner without salt stress served as controls. Activity of SOD isozymes in root and shoot extracts was determined by activity staining of native polyacrylamide gels. In both shoot and root extracts of examined cultivars two isozymes of SOD, namely MnSOD and Cu/ZnSOD were identified. Cu/ZnSOD activity comprised 90 % of total SOD activity in both root and shoot tissues. Salt stress caused 1–1.5 fold increase in MnSOD activity of shoots in tolerant cultivars when compared with non-stressed controls. Under stress conditions, compared to controls all cultivars exhibited reduced MnSOD activity in root tissues. Cu/ZnSOD activity, on the other hand, was remarkably enhanced (3–4 fold) in root extracts of the tolerant cultivars, whereas it was reduced in the sensitive ones.     

Low-Temperature Effects on Photosynthesis and Correlation with Freezing Tolerance in Spring and Winter Cultivars of Wheat and Rye

Winter cultivars of rye (Secale cereale L., cv Musketeer) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cvs Kharkov and Monopol), but not a spring cultivar of wheat (Glenlea), grown at cold-hardening temperatures showed, at high irradiances, a higher proportion of oxidized to reduced primary, stable quinone receptor (QA) than did the same cultivars grown under nonhardening conditions. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the effects of low-growth temperature on this increased proportion of oxidized QA, and a concomitant increase in the capacity for photosynthesis, and LT50, the temperature at which 50% of the seedlings are killed, in cultivars showing different freezing tolerances. This suggests that low-temperature modulation of the photosynthetic apparatus may be an important factor during the induction of freezing resistance in cereals. Finally, the control of photosystem II photochemistry by nonphotochemical quenching of excitation energy was identical for nonhardened and cold-hardened winter rye. However, examination of measuring temperature effects per se revealed that, irrespective of growth temperature, nonphotochemical quenching exerted a stronger control on photosystem II photochemistry at 10[deg] C rather than at 20[deg] C.     

不同氮浓度对兔眼蓝浆果不同品种幼苗生长和光合生理的影响

为确定兔眼蓝浆果( Vaccinium ashei Reade)不同品种苗期的适宜施氮量,以兔眼蓝浆果早熟品种‘阿拉帕哈’(‘Alapha’)、中熟品种‘园蓝’(‘Gardenblue’)和晚熟品种‘芭尔德温’(‘Baldwin’)的组培苗为实验材料,采用水培法研究了不同氮浓度(0、1、2和4 mmol·L-1)对幼苗生长、根和叶中全氮含量、叶片光合生理特性的影响。结果表明：与对照(0 mmol·L-1氮)相比,经1、2和4 mmol·L-1氮处理后3个兔眼蓝浆果品种的单株茎叶干质量显著增加,根冠比显著降低;但品种‘园蓝’的单株根干质量显著高于对照,另2个品种的单株根干质量与对照无显著差异。随着营养液中氮浓度的提高,3个兔眼蓝浆果品种根的全氮含量及品种‘阿拉帕哈’叶的全氮含量均逐渐增加,且在4 mmol·L-1氮处理下最高;品种‘园蓝’和‘芭尔德温’叶的全氮含量呈先升高后降低的趋势,且均在2 mmol·L-1氮处理下最高;各处理组根和叶的全氮含量均显著高于对照。经1、2和4 mmol·L-1氮处理后,3个兔眼蓝浆果品种叶片的叶绿素a、叶绿素b和总叶绿素含量以及PSⅡ最大光化学效率( Fv/Fm )均呈先升高后降低的趋势,且均显著高于对照。各处理组中,品种‘园蓝’叶片的净光合速率( Pn)、气孔导度( Gs)、胞间CO2浓度( Ci)和蒸腾速率( Tr)均显著高于对照;品种‘芭尔德温’叶片的Pn值在4 mmol·L-1氮处理下显著低于对照,Gs和Tr值在2 mmol·L-1氮处理下显著高于对照,Ci值与对照无显著差异;与对照相比,品种‘阿拉帕哈’叶片的Pn值在1和4 mmol·L-1氮处理下显著提高,Gs值在1 mmol·L-1氮处理下显著提高,Tr值在1和2 mmol·L-1氮处理下显著提高,而Ci值则在4 mmol·L-1氮处理下显著降低。综合分析结果显示：适度增施氮肥可提高兔眼蓝浆果不同品种幼苗的茎叶生长、改善其光合性能,但对根系生长无明显的促进作用。在营养生长期兔眼蓝浆果不同品种的需氮量存在差异,其中品种‘园蓝’更适宜高氮环境,而施用少量氮肥即可促进品种‘芭尔德温’和‘阿拉帕哈’幼苗地上部分生长。     

盐胁迫环境下不同抗盐性小麦品种幼苗长势和内源激素的变化

采用两种浓度NaCl溶液,对不同抗盐性小麦品种德抗961(抗盐性强)和泰山9818(抗盐性弱)萌发期幼苗进行胁迫处理,观察其幼苗长势和内源激素含量变化.结果表明,盐胁迫抑制小麦幼苗生长,抗盐性弱的泰山9818受抑制较重.苗、根ABA含量随盐胁迫浓度增加而提高,泰山9818的增幅高于德抗961.苗、根IAA含量随盐胁迫浓度增加而降低,但德抗961的IAA含量高于泰山9818,说明盐胁迫下抗盐性强的品种具有较高IAA合成量.2品种GA3含量变化因盐胁迫浓度而异.在低盐胁迫下抗盐性强的品种苗中GA3含量提高以适应盐胁迫利于苗的生长,在高盐胁迫下2品种GA3含量降低.盐胁迫使苗中ZR含量增加,且德抗961的苗中ZR含量高于泰山9818,而根中ZR含量则前者低,说明盐胁迫下抗盐性强的品种可迅速将根部合成的ZR向苗中转移,促进苗的生长.2品种IAA/ABA、GA3/ABA比值随盐胁迫浓度增加和时间延长而下降,德抗961 IAA/ABA比值大于泰山9818.在盐胁迫下,抗盐性强的品种协调自身激素平衡的能力较强可能是其生长受抑制较小的重要原因.     

干旱胁迫对小麦幼苗根系生长和叶片光合作用的影响

采用水培试验方法,以2个耐旱性不同的小麦品种(敏感型望水白和耐旱型洛旱7号)为材料,研究了干旱胁迫对小麦幼苗根系形态、生理特性以及叶片光合作用的影响,以期揭示小麦幼苗对干旱胁迫的适应机制.结果表明： 干旱胁迫下,2个小麦品种幼苗的根系活力显著增大,而根数和根系表面积受到抑制;干旱胁迫降低了望水白的叶片相对含水量,提高了束缚水/自由水,而对洛旱7号无显著影响;干旱胁迫降低了2个小麦品种叶片的叶绿素含量、净光合速率、蒸腾速率、气孔导度和胞间CO2浓度,但随胁迫时间的延长,洛旱7号的叶绿素含量和净光合速率与对照差异不显著;干旱胁迫降低了2个小麦品种幼苗的单株叶面积,以及望水白的根系、地上部和植株生物量,而对洛旱7号无显著影响.水分胁迫下,耐旱型品种可以通过提高根系活力、保持较高的根系生长量来补偿根系吸收面积的下降,保持较高的根系吸水能力,进而维持较高的光合面积和光合速率,缓解干旱对生长的抑制.     

土壤施钙诱导水稻幼苗抗低温和抗病生理机制研究

试验发现,以干土重1％的CaO混土处理培育水稻秧苗,能显著提高幼苗的抗低温和抗立枯病能力．对其生理机制研究表明,该处理对水稻幼苗体内活性氧清除酶系统具有显著影响,与空白对照处理相比。施钙处理的水稻幼苗根部和地上部SOD活性增强;根部POD活性显著增强,地上部POD活性下降;根部和地上部CAT活性则先下降,后上升;根部和地上部的可溶性蛋白含量均有所上升．POD同工酶PAGE电泳结果表明,CaO处理的水稻幼苗地上部POD同工酶谱带明显减弱和减少,而根部POD同工酶谱带增强和增多．这些结果揭示了土壤施加CaO可提高水稻幼苗抗低温和抗病能力的部分原因．     

烯效唑浸种对玉米幼苗生长和内源激素含量的影响

烯效唑浸种对玉米苗期叶片和叶鞘伸长生长有抑制作用,且抑制效应随烯效唑浓度的增大而增强,但植株粗壮,叶宽和茎基宽增加,根系增多,根长增加.烯效唑浸种的玉米幼苗中LAA和GA3含量下降,叶鞘中尤为明显;ZT含量则是地上部提高,根中下降,ABA含量提高,植株各器官中(IAA GA3)/ABA比值均下降,IAA/GA3比值均升高,IAA/ZT和GA3/ZT比值则是地上部降低,根中升高.     

Modulation of ethylene synthesis in acotyledonous soybean and wheat seedlings

The characteristics of ethylene production and ACC conversion in 8-day-old soybean seedlings were examined and a relationship between cytochrome P-450 activity and ethylene-forming enzyme (EFE) activity was found. An atmosphere containing 10% carbon monoxide (CO) significantly inhibited ethylene production and ACC conversion in control soybean seedlings, but had only a slight effect on soybean seedlings treated with uniconazole. Foliar application of triclopyr, a pyridine analogue of the phenoxy herbicides, significantly increased ethylene production and ACC conversion in control, but not in uniconazoletreated seedlings. Triclopyr treatment also resulted in a three-fold increase in extractable cytochrome P-450 of 5-day-old etiolated soybeans. At equimolar concentrations tetcyclacis was more effective than uniconazole in reducing shoot elongation and endogenous ethylene production. Although uniconazole and tetcyclacis did not inhibit ACC conversion in nonherbicide-treated soybean seedlings, they did prevent the observed increase in ACC-dependent EFE activity following triclopyr application. However, the rate of ACC conversion in etiolated soybean segments was sensitive to uniconazole, and tetcyclacis inhibited the rate of ACC conversion by 2.6-fold in etiolated soybean segments within 4 h after treatment. Microsomal membranes were isolated from 5-day-old naphthalic anhydride-treated etiolated wheat shoots as this tissue contains much higher cytochrome P-450 levels than soybean shoots. Optical difference spectroscopy demonstrated that ACC generated binding spectrum characteristic of a reverse-type-I cytochrome P-450 substrate when combined with reduced microsomes. In vitro conversion of ACC to ethylene by microsomal membranes was NADPH-dependent, inhibited by CO, and had an apparent K_m and V_max of 45 M and 0.345 nl/mg protein/h, respectively. These results suggest that cytochrome P-450-mediated monooxygenase reactions may be intimately involved in the conversion of ACC to ethylene in young soybean and wheat seedlings.     

Study of the temperature effect in three chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) cultivars' behaviour

The aim of this work was to analyse the effect of temperature in three chestnut cultivars, Aveleira, Judia and Longal. For this purpose, gas exchange, thylakoid membrane potential, photosynthetic pigment and lipid content data in July, September and October under different temperatures (31, 26 and 18 degrees C) were determined. With respect to gas exchanges, significant changes in photosynthesis rate of Aveleira were observed between July and September (7mumol CO2m(-2)s(-1)). In contrast, Judia and Longal showed a strong increase in this period, 6.1-8.5 and 4.9-6.7 micromol CO2m(-2)s(-1), for Judia and Longal, which represent an increase of about 15% and 43%, respectively. Similar patterns were detected in daylight photosynthesis measurements for Judia and Longal, in which an almost 60% decrease was observed, in contrast to 40% for Aveleira, from morning to midday, when temperatures increased from 27 to 34 degrees C. In addition to high photosynthetic rates in the hottest month, Aveleira was also the sunniest cultivar according its highest value on chlorophyll a/b ratio (3.65). Cultivars also presented maximal thylakoid membrane potential at different temperatures, with their values being 20.8, 17.8 and 17.2 degrees C for Aveleira, Longal and Judia, respectively. These results were also supported by thylakoid fatty acid composition which indicated that the unsaturation index of Aveleira (158) was the lowest in comparison with other two cultivars, 168 and 175, for Longal and Judia, respectively.     

Growth and proline accumulation in mungbean seedlings as affected by sodium chloride

Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek cv. Sujata and cv. K851) seedlings were grown in paper towelins in dark under 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 % (m/v) NaCl salinity. Germination percentage, shoot and root length, fresh mass of both cultivars decreased with salinity. Total soluble saccharides and proline accumulated in the root and shoot of salt stressed seedlings. The proline accumulation in the root was four to five times higher than that of the shoot of NaCl treated etiolated mungbean seedlings.     

Proteome analysis of rice root proteins regulated by gibberellin

To gain an enhanced understanding of the mechanism by which gibberellins （GAs） regulate the growth and development of plants, it is necessary to identify proteins regulated by GA. Proteome analysis techniques have been applied as a direct, effective, and reliable tool in differential protein expressions. In previous studies, sixteen proteins showed differences in accumulation levels as a result of treatment with GA3, uniconazole, or abscisic acid （ABA）, and/or the differences between the GA-deficient semi-dwarf mutant, Tan-ginbozu, and normal cultivars. Among these proteins, aldolase increased in roots treated with GA3, was present at low levels in Tan-ginbozu roots, and decreased in roots treated with uniconazole or ABA. In a root elongation assay, the growth of aldolase-antisense transgenic rice was half of that of vector control transgenic rice. These results indicate that increases in aldolase activity stimulate the glycolytic in the GA-induced growth of roots. In among GA, aldolase, and root growth. pathway and may play an important role this review, we discuss the relationship among GA, aldolase, and root growth.     

Allelopathic potential of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) germplasm resources of Yunnan Province in southwest China

A laboratory bioassay was conducted to determine the allelopathic potentials of aqueous extracts from either roots or leaves of seventeen sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas L. (Lam)] cultivars (SP0, SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5, SP6, SP7, SP9, SP10, SP11, SP13, SP14, SP15, SP16, SP18, and SP19). Most inhibitory rates on Lactuca sativa calculated for leaf or root extracts from the seventeen sweet potato cultivars exhibited positive values and significantly increased with increasing concentration. Germination was totally inhibited at a concentration of 0.05 g·mL^?1 for leaf water extracts of SP13, SP15, SP18 and at a concentration of 0.05 g·mL^?1 for both leaf and root water extracts of SP19. Inhibition of root length was clearly greater than inhibition of shoot length for both leaf and root water extracts. Biomass inhibition increased with increasing concentration, but some cultivars showed stimulatory effects at low concentrations, and inhibition was generally more pronounced for root water extracts than for leaf water extracts. Moreover, most synthetical inhibitory rates for both leaf and root water extracts from the seventeen cultivars exhibited positive values and significantly increased with increasing concentration. Comparing the synthetical inhibitory rates for both leaf and root water extracts among the seventeen cultivars, SP19, SP6, SP11, and SP7 had the highest allelopathic inhibition. The inhibitory activity on germination index was the greatest, followed by germination rate, root length, biomass, and shoot length in all bioassays. Inhibition by leaf water extracts was generally greater than inhibition by root water extracts, except in the case of shoot length or biomass. Overall, we conclude that all seventeen sweet potato cultivars have strong inhibitory effects on L. sativa, but that these effects vary with cultivar and plant part, with SP19, SP6, SP11, and SP7 exhibiting the highest rates of allelopathic inhibition.     

海水处理对向日葵幼苗生长及叶片一些生理特性的影响

采用海水水培的方法,比较了淡水、20%和40%海水处理对向日葵(Helianthus annuus L.)幼苗生长速率、根冠比、脯氨酸、丙二醛(MDA)含量和保护性酶超氧歧化酶(SOD)及过氧化物酶(POD)活性的影响.结果表明:20%海水处理显著地促进根系生长和根冠比的增加,大大地缓解了叶片的膜脂过氧化作用(使之降至与对照相当的水平),而40%海水明显抑制向日葵生长;脯氨酸在处理4 d后显著积累,40%海水处理后脯氨酸与MDA变化曲线相关性较强,表明脯氨酸的积累在本实验中表现为活性氧伤害的结果;40%海水处理对食葵叶片造成的过氧化伤害比油葵大,但食葵比油葵的自身修复受伤害膜系统的能力强.     

Ameliorating effect of triacontanol on salt stressederythrina variegata seedlings. Changes in growth,biomass, pigments and solute accumulation

Erythrina variegata Lam. seedlings were grown under low (100 mM NaCl) and high (250 mM NaCl) salinity. Seedlings exposed to high salinity for 10 d showed significant reduction in growth rate and biomass production while the root/shoot ratio increased. In contrast to pigment and protein contents, starch and saccharide contents increased in salt stressed seedlings. When the seedlings were subsequently sprayed with triacontanol (1 mg kg^-1) the salinity effect was partially ameliorated and growth, biomass, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents increased.     

Correlation between Calmodulin Activity and Gravitropic Sensitivity in Primary Roots of Maize

Recent evidence indicates a role for calcium and calmodulin in the gravitropic response of primary roots of maize (Zea mays, L.). We examined this possibility by testing the relationship between calmodulin activity and gravitropic sensitivity in roots of the maize cultivars Merit and B73 × Missouri 17. Roots of the Merit cultivar require light to be gravitropically competent. The gravitropic response of the Missouri cultivar is independent of light. The occurrence of calmodulin in primary roots of these maize cultivars was tested by affinity gel chromatography followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with bovine brain calmodulin as standard. The distribution of calmodulin activity was measured using both the phosphodiesterase and NAD kinase assays for calmodulin. These assays were performed on whole tissue segments, crude extracts, and purified extracts. In light-grown seedlings of the Merit cultivar or in either dark- or light-grown seedlings of the Missouri cultivar, calmodulin activity per millimeter of root tissue was about 4-fold higher in the apical millimeter than in the subtending 3 millimeters. Calmodulin activity was very low in the apical millimeter of roots of dark-grown (gravitropically nonresponsive) seedlings of the Merit cultivar. Upon illumination, the calmodulin activity in the apical millimeter increased to a level comparable to that of light-grown seedlings and the roots became gravitropically competent. The time course of the development of gravitropic sensitivity following illumination paralleled the time course of the increase in calmodulin activity in the apical millimeter of the root. The results are consistent with the suggestion that calmodulin plays an important role in the gravitropic response of roots.     

Growth,abscisic acid content,and carbon isotope composition in wheat cultivars grown under different soil moisture

Changes in dry matter accumulation and allocation, abscisic acid content and carbon isotope composition of three wheat cultivars from dry, middle and wet climate regions were recorded at full maturity after exposure to different watering regimes (100, 50 and 25 % field capacity). Compared with the wet climate cultivar, the dry climate cultivar showed lower stem height, total leaf area, total dry biomass and total grain dry mass, and higher root/shoot ratio, abscisic acid content and carbon isotope composition under all watering regimes. Both water-limited treatments significantly reduced leaf growth and increased dry matter allocation into the roots leading to a significant raise of root/shoot ratio in all cultivars tested. In addition, drought affected morphological and physiological properties more in the dry climate cultivar than in the wet climate cultivar.     

海水处理对向日葵幼苗生长及叶片一些生理特性的影响

采用海水水培的方法，比较了淡水、20%和40%海水处理对向日葵(Helianthus annuus L.)幼苗生长速率、根冠比、脯氨酸、丙二醛(MDA)含量和保护性酶超氧歧化酶(SOD)及过氧化物酶(POD)活性的影响。结果表明：20%海水处理显著地促进根系生长和根冠比的增加，大大地缓解了叶片的膜脂过氧化作用(使之降至与对照相当的水平)，而40%海水明显抑制向日葵生长；脯氨酸在处理4 d后显著积累，40%海水处理后脯氨酸与MDA变化曲线相关性较强，表明脯氨酸的积累在本实验中表现为活性氧伤害的结果；40%海水处理对食葵叶片造成的过氧化伤害比油葵大，但食葵比油葵的自身修复受伤害膜系统的能力强。     

A butenolide, isolated from smoke, can overcome the detrimental effects of extreme temperatures during tomato seed germination

The butenolide, 3-methyl-2H-furo[2, 3-c]pyran-2-one, is an highly active compound isolated from plant-derived smoke. This compound is known to stimulate seed germination in a wide range of plants akin to smoke or aqueous extracts of smoke. The present study attempted to elucidate the role of the butenolide in overcoming detrimental effects of low and high temperatures on tomato seed germination and seedling growth. The germination percentage followed a parabolic curve for temperatures ranging from 10 to 40°C, with 25°C being the optimum for all treatments. Control seeds showed radicle emergence at two extreme temperatures (10 and 40°C) and seedlings failed to develop further, even upon prolonged incubation. By comparison the butenolide-treated seeds grew into phenotypically normal seedlings at these non-optimum temperatures. The smoke–water-treated seeds had an intermediate response as only a fraction of germinated seed developed into normal seedlings. Seedling vigour indices as well as seedling weight were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) for butenolide-treated seeds at all temperatures. Furthermore, seedlings developed in the presence of the butenolide had about a 1:1 correspondence between root and shoot length. Butenolide-treated seeds grew better than the control seeds in the temperature shift experiments. A gradual decline in the vigour index values was recorded with an increased duration of incubation at the extreme temperatures. Results of the present study are very important from an horticultural point of view as they indicate the potential use of the butenolide compound in restoring normal seed germination and seedling establishment in tomato below and above optimum temperatures.