Daylength and temperature during seed production interactively affect adaptive performance of Picea abies progenies

Adaptive traits in Picea abies (Norway spruce) progenies are influenced by the maternal temperatures during seed production. Here, we have extended these studies by testing the effects of maternal photoperiod and temperature on phenology and frost hardiness on progenies. Using eight phytotron rooms, seeds from three unrelated crosses were made in an environmental 2 x 2 factorial combination of long and short days and high and low temperatures. The progenies were then forced to cease growth rapidly at the end of the first growing season. An interactive memory effect was expressed the second growth season. Progenies from high temperature and short days, and from low temperatures and long days, started growth later in spring, ceased shoot growth later in summer, grew taller and were less frost hardy in the autumn than their full siblings from low temperatures and short days, and from high temperatures and long days. Norway spruce has developed a memory mechanism, regulating adaptive plasticity by photoperiod and temperature, which could counteract harmful effects of a rapidly changing climate.     

Inheritance of the photoperiodically induced cold acclimation response in Cornus sericea L., red-osier dogwood

Summary Cold acclimation responses of latitudinal ecotypes of Cornus sericea L. (C. stolonifera Michx.) and F₁, F₂ and BC₁ hybrid progenies were measured under natural photoperiod conditions in St. Paul, MN and artificially shortened photoperiods in the glass-house. The 65 °N and 62 °N ecotypes (Alaska and Northwest Territories, respectively) were characterized by a short night length for hardiness induction, the 42 °N ecotype (Utah A and B) by a long night length for hardiness induction, while the F₁ was intermediate to the parents. Results from reciprocal crosses indicated there was no significant unilateral maternal influence on cold acclimation. Acclimation responses of the F₂ were highly variable but generally ranged between the parental extremes. However, three individuals from the 42 ° × 62 °N crosses exhibited greater cold resistance than the northern parent on two successive freezing test dates. F₂ plants were also found with less freezing resistance than the southern parent. Backcrosses to the southern parent produced progeny with acclimation patterns resembling that of the southern parent and were significantly less hardy than the F₂ in early freezing tests.Scientific Journal Series Paper No. 12,075 of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station     

The Cessation of Apical Growth in Latitudinal Ecotypes and Ecotype Crosses of Salix pentandra L

Apical growth cessation in seedling progenies of three latitudinalecotypes and ecotype crosses of Salix pentandra L. was investigatedunder controlled growth conditions and out-of-doors. The southernecotype (59° 40' N) was characterized by late growth cessationunder short day conditions, short critical photoperiod for growthcessation, and high light sensitivity; the northern ecotype(69° 39' N) by rapid growth cessation, long critical photoperiod,and low light sensitivity. The geographically intermediate ecotype(64° 28' N) had an intermediate photoperiodic response.The hybrid progenies were, however, closer to the southern thanto the northern parent ecotype indicating a tendency to favourinheritance of southern characters. Fluctuating temperatures(21 °C/9 °C and 18 °C/9 °C) induced growth cessationin the northern ecotype but not in the other ecotypes or ecotypecrosses with the exception of a few plants of the intermediateecotype and of two hybrid progenies. The time course of apicalgrowth cessation in various progenies grown out-of-doors at69° 39' N was similar to that observed under SD conditionsexcept that the differences between the northern ecotype andthe other ecotypes and crosses were greater.     

水稻感光性和光敏不育性的发育遗传关系

在人工气候室控制的光长与温度下,用光敏不育系7001S与早中熟粳稻(Oryza sativa ssp,japoni-ca)感光性弱的“秋光”、“有芒早粳”和“CPSLO-l7”3个品种分别杂交,分析了杂种F_1、F_2植株育性与感光性的表现,以及两者的关系。结果表明:这3个组合的恢复亲本均属于具两对光敏不育的恢复基因的品种。F_1植株均倾向晚熟亲本,说明控制感光性强的基因属于显性。F_2植株在长日照下表现为不育株的感光性均倾向感光性强的亲本;且有不少不育株为晚熟超亲;在少数弱感光性的植株中没有不育株。说明光敏不育基因与感光性基因关系密切,可能两者有连锁关系,光敏不育基因要在感光性基因表达的基础上才能表达。     

Developmental characteristics of two closely related species of Allonemobius and their hybrids

Summary Two species of ground crickets, Allonemobius fasciatus (from Corvallis, 44.3 N) and A. socius (from Gainesville, 30.3 N), and their hybrids were compared for nymphal development, wing form, and embryonic diapause. A. fasciatus matured more rapidly at a short photoperiod than at a long photoperiod and also than A. socius which showed no developmental response to photoperiod. The proportion of long-winged forms varied with nymphal photoperiod greatly in A. fasciatus but slightly in A. socius. A. fasciatus laid only diapause eggs, while A. socius responded to a long parental photoperiod and a high incubation temperature by averting diapause. A. fasciatus showed temperature-dependent shift of the diapause stage butA. socius entered diapause only at the early stage. These differences are related to their voltinism and distribution.Reciprocal crosses between the two species produced viable hybrids. In development rate, female hybrids were intermediate between their parents while male hybrids were closer to their mothers, suggesting that the development rate is controlled primarily by the X chromosome. Overdominance occurred in wing form; reciprocal crosses produced either higher or lower proportions of long-winged forms than their parents. Diapause of F1 hybrid embryos was determined only by the female parent and the paternal effect appeared in F2 embryos.     

广州地区3种睡莲花开放的日变化规律分析

为了解睡莲属(Nymphaea)植物开花的日变化规律,以广州华南农业大学湿地公园的睡莲属植物为对象进行观察和分析。结果显示,晚上开花类的热带睡莲,其日变化是花朵于晚上开放并持续至第二天上午,白天开花类的热带睡莲和耐寒睡莲,其开放时间为白昼,开放时间因种类不同而有所差异。白天开花的热带睡莲‘独立’(Nymphaea‘Independence’)和耐寒睡莲‘科罗拉多’(Nymphaea‘Colorado’)单朵花期3~4 d,耐寒睡莲墨西哥黄睡莲(N.mexicana)单朵花期2 d,雌雄蕊先后成熟以达到异花授粉的目的,单朵睡莲开放期间雄蕊群呈现不同形态。‘独立’睡莲呈现日出而开,日落则合的开花生物钟,10月至12月,光照时间缩短导致‘独立’睡莲开闭节律缩短。观察结果可为园林水景中睡莲属植物配置提供准确的数据支持。     

Genetics of flowering time in bread wheat <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis>: complementary interaction between vernalization-insensitive and photoperiod-insensitive mutations imparts very early flowering habit to spring wheat

Time to flowering in the winter growth habit bread wheat is dependent on vernalization (exposure to cold conditions) and exposure to long days (photoperiod). Dominant Vrn-1 (Vrn-A1, Vrn-B1 and Vrn-D1) alleles are associated with vernalization independent spring growth habit. The semidominant Ppd-D1a mutation confers photoperiod-insensitivity or rapid flowering in wheat under short day and long day conditions. The objective of this study was to reveal the nature of interaction between Vrn-1 and Ppd-D1a mutations (active alleles of the respective genes vrn-1 and Ppd-D1b). Twelve Indian spring wheat cultivars and the spring wheat landrace Chinese Spring were characterized for their flowering times by seeding them every month for five years under natural field conditions in New Delhi. Near isogenic Vrn-1 Ppd-D1 and Vrn-1 Ppd-D1a lines constructed in two genetic backgrounds were also phenotyped for flowering time by seeding in two different seasons. The wheat lines of Vrn-A1a Vrn-B1 Vrn-D1 Ppd-D1a, Vrn-A1a Vrn-B1 Ppd-D1a and Vrn-A1a Vrn-D1 Ppd-D1a (or Vrn-1 Ppd-D1a) genotypes flowered several weeks earlier than that of Vrn-A1a Vrn-B1 Vrn-D1 Ppd-D1b, Vrn-A1b Ppd-D1b and Vrn-D1 Ppd-D1b (or Vrn-1 Ppd-D1b) genotypes. The flowering time phenotypes of the isogenic vernalization-insensitive lines confirmed that Ppd-D1a hastened flowering by several weeks. It was concluded that complementary interaction between Vrn-1 and Ppd-D1a active alleles imparted super/very-early flowering habit to spring wheats. The early and late flowering wheat varieties showed differences in flowering time between short day and long day conditions. The flowering time in Vrn-1 Ppd-D1a genotypes was hastened by higher temperatures under long day conditions. The ambient air temperature and photoperiod parameters for flowering in spring wheat were estimated at 25°C and 12 h, respectively.     

Comparative performance of FDR and SDR progenies from reciprocal 4x-2x crosses in potato

Numerically unreduced (2n) gametes from first division restitution (FDR) are considered to be superior to 2n-gametes from second division restitution (SDR) because they transfer a larger proportion of the total parental heterozygosity and epistasis intact to the tetraploid progeny. This supposed superiority was investigated by comparing 12 sets of reciprocal 4x-2x crosses. Each diploid parent used in a reciprocal set produced 2n-pollen by FDR and 2n-eggs by SDR. Six agronomic characters were investigated. FDR progenies (from 4x.2x) were found to have higher mean yields due to more and bigger tubers. With respect to underwater weight, the overall progeny mean of FDR progenies was significantly higher than that of SDR progenies (from 2x.4x). However, the absolute difference found between both overall progeny means was too small to be of practical significance. No differences between FDR and SDR progeny means were found for vine maturity and chip colour. In addition to the progeny mean, within-progeny variation is important in potato breeding. For vine maturity a higher within-progeny variation was detected in SDR progenies, whereas within-progeny variations for yield, underwater weight and chip colour were not different in FDR and SDR progenies. With regard to vine maturity, we conclude that SDR 2n-gametes are superior to FDR 2n-gametes because, with the same progeny means of FDR and SDR progenies, the within-progeny variation was higher in SDR progenies. Therefore the assumed superiority of FDR 2n-gametes was confirmed for yield but was not observed for vine maturity, underwater weight and chip colour.     

Quantitative Trait Loci for Thermal Time to Flowering and Photoperiod Responsiveness Discovered in Summer Annual-Type Brassica napus L

Time of flowering is a key adaptive trait in plants and is conditioned by the interaction of genes and environmental cues including length of photoperiod, ambient temperature and vernalisation. Here we investigated the photoperiod responsiveness of summer annual-types of Brassica napus (rapeseed, canola). A population of 131 doubled haploid lines derived from a cross between European and Australian parents was evaluated for days to flowering, thermal time to flowering (measured in degree-days) and the number of leaf nodes at flowering in a compact and efficient glasshouse-based experiment with replicated short and long day treatments. All three traits were under strong genetic control with heritability estimates ranging from 0.85–0.93. There was a very strong photoperiod effect with flowering in the population accelerated by 765 degree-days in the long day versus short day treatments. However, there was a strong genetic correlation of line effects (0.91) between the long and short day treatments and relatively low genotype x treatment interaction indicating that photoperiod had a similar effect across the population. Bivariate analysis of thermal time to flowering in short and long days revealed three main effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that accounted for 57.7% of the variation in the population and no significant interaction QTLs. These results provided insight into the contrasting adaptations of Australian and European varieties. Both parents responded to photoperiod and their alleles shifted the population to earlier flowering under long days. In addition, segregation of QTLs in the population caused wide transgressive segregation in thermal time to flowering. Potential candidate flowering time homologues located near QTLs were identified with the aid of the Brassica rapa reference genome sequence. We discuss how these results will help to guide the breeding of summer annual types of B. napus adapted to new and changing environments.     

光周期对穗花狐尾藻生长、开花与种子形成的影响

通过人工补光和遮光处理,初步研究了光周期对狐尾藻生长和开花的影响。研究发现:8h短日照条件不利于狐尾藻的生长和花序形成,导致狐尾藻不能正常开花和结实;与自然日照长度(平均日照14h)条件下相比,16h长光照条件可以增加植株的高度和分枝数,形成更大的生物量;但24h全光照条件对生长有抑制作用。长光照条件下,狐尾藻花序形成时间和开花时间均比自然条件下延迟,形成花序的数目也显著较自然条件下的少,但长光照条件下形成的种子比自然条件下形成的种子具有更高的萌发率。     

ANEUPLOIDY IN CITRUS

Analyses of ploidy levels in progenies from 2x x 2x, 2x x 4x, 4x x 2x, 4x X 4x, and 4x x OP crosses during embryogenesis and seed germination indicate that the progenies include an array of aneuploids. The occurrence of some of the aneuploids was previously unreported. Most of the aneuploids were from 2x x 4x crosses, which yielded the largest number of progeny. Chromosome counts from embryos and endosperms of sectioned young seeds provide evidence that aneuploids originate in progenies of 2x x 4x crosses from the functioning of male gametes with more or fewer chromosomes than 2x = 18 in syngamy with reduced and unreduced female gametes. The origins of aneuploids in progenies from other crosses are problematical at this writing.     

Identification of superior parents and crosses in potato breeding programmes

 The effectiveness of parent per se performance and their self values in the selection of superior parents and crosses in potato breeding programmes was studied by evaluating progenies of 72 crosses from 18×4 (female×male) matings, parents and their selfs for ten agronomically important characters for three successive generations. Simple correlation coefficients were computed between parent per se performance versus general combining ability effects, female per se performance versus progeny means of females, female self values versus progeny means of females, mid-parent values versus progeny means of crosses and mid-self values versus progeny means of crosses. The magnitude of the significant correlation coefficients showed that progeny means of crosses could be moderately predicted by the mid-self values for plant vigour and general impression in clonal generations. Similarly, the progeny means of females in clonal generations could be predicted by their per se performance for general impression. Female self values in the second clonal generation were moderately associated with progeny means of females in that generation for general impression and plant vigour. Parent per se performance and mid-parent values were, in general, ineffective in predicting the general combining ability and the progeny means of the crosses, respectively. The poor predictive powers of parent per se performance and mid-parent values are discussed in relation to the relative importance of specific and general combining ability effects. Received: 23 April 1997 / Accepted: 6 August 1997     

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GENETIC EROSION IN THE PROCESS OF EXTINCTION. IV. INBREEDING DEPRESSION AND HETEROSIS EFFECTS CAUSED BY SELFING AND OUTCROSSING IN SCABIOSA COLUMBARIA

The effects of self-fertilization, within-population crosses (WPC) and between-population crosses (BPC) on progeny fitness were investigated in the greenhouse for Scabiosa columbaria populations of varying size. Plants grown from field collected seeds were hand pollinated to produce selfed, WPC, and BPC progeny. The performance of these progenies was examined throughout the entire life cycle. The different pollination treatments did not significantly affect germination, seedling-to-adult survival, flowering percentage and the number of flower heads. But severe inbreeding depression was demonstrated for biomass production, root development, adult survival, and seed set. Additionally, multiplicative fitness functions were calculated to compare relative fitnesses for progeny. On average, WPC progeny showed a more than 4-fold, and BPC progeny an almost 10-fold, advantage over selfed progeny, indicating that S. columbaria is highly susceptible to inbreeding. No clear relationship was found between population size and level of inbreeding depression, suggesting that the genetic load has not yet been reduced substantially in the small populations. A significant positive correlation was found between plant dry weight and total fitness. In two out of six populations, the differences between the effects of the pollination treatments on dry weight increased significantly when seedlings were grown under competitive conditions. This result is interpreted as an enhancement of inbreeding depression under these conditions. It is argued that improvement of the genetic exchange between populations may lower the probability of population extinction.     

Geographical variation and inheritance of the photoperiodic response controlling larval diapause in two distinct voltine ecotypes of the Asian cornborer Ostrinia furnacalis

The Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) enters facultative diapause as fully‐grown larvae in response to short day lengths during autumn. As a result of geographical variations in photoperiodic response, the moths from Nanchang (28.8°N, 115.9°E; NC strain) judge both LD 14 : 10 h and LD 15 : 9 h photocycles as long days and develop directly, whereas moths from Haerbin (44.9°N, 127.2°E; HB strain) judge the same photocycles as short days and enter diapause. Crosses between the two strains are used to evaluate the inheritance of diapause. The critical day lengths for diapause induction in the HB strain are significantly longer than those in the NC strain at all temperatures. The critical day length of F₁ progeny is intermediate between the two strains. However, the critical day length in all crosses is significantly longer with HB strain fathers or grandfathers than with NC strain fathers or grandfathers, indicating that the male parent has significantly more influence on the critical day length of subsequent progeny than the female. The results from all crosses under LD 14 : 10 h or LD 15 : 9 h photocycles at 25 °C show that the inheritance of diapause in O. furnacalis does not fit a purely additive hypothesis and that the capacity for diapause is transmitted genetically in the manner of incomplete dominance. The incidence of diapause for F₁ progeny under an LD 14 : 10 h photocycle is significantly higher than that under an LD 15 : 9 h photocycle, suggesting that the induction of diapause can be influenced by interactions between the F₁ genotype and photoperiod.     

Environmental control of growth and development of Scrophularia marilandica

Summary Seedlings of Scrophularia marilandica were grown at different combinations of day/night temperature and photoperiod under controlled conditions. The species flowered in long days. The stems of plants grown at low temperature and short photoperiod failed to elongate. Treatment with gibberellic acid (GA₃) simulated the effect of increasing temperature and photoperiod and caused stem elongation in plants which would otherwise not have elongated. Application of GA₃ to plants grown at high temperature and long photoperiod resulted in increased stem elongation and flowering. The growth retardant (2-chloroethyl)trimethylammonium chloride (CCC) had little effect on rosette plants grown at low temperature and short photoperiod. Application of CCC to +GA₃ plants grown at a higher temperature and long photoperiod gave a significant increase in stem height. The interaction between temperature and applied GA is described in an experiment using plants grown at high and low temperatures for varying periods of time.This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grant GB 17483.     

Plasticity in Sex Expression of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) Regenerated from Root Tissues

The sex expression of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) was modified by a procedure where plants were regenerated from root callus of spinach over three successive generations. Somatic embryos obtained from the root callus of female or male plants were grown in vitro under long day conditions until flowering. Although the regenerants derived from somatic embryos derived from female plants were all female at the first generation, few progenies produced male flower organs and expressed gynomonoecy in subsequent generations. Once the female plants regenerated into gynomonoecy, they never expressed complete femaleness at post generation. However, the male plants easily altered into andromonoecy at subsequent generations, and several andromonoecious plants showed the sex reversion at post generation, although this phenomenon did not occur in the female progenies. No absolute sex conversion was found in both female and male progenies. The plasticity of the sex expressions of spinach indicates that female and male individuals might essentially be capable of generating both flower organs.     

Additive inheritance of resistance to pod rot caused by Phytophthora palmivora in cocoa

Summary Quantitative inheritance of resistance to Phytophthora pod rot (Ppr) was studied in cocoa hybrid progeny from 12 Trinitario x Amazonian crosses and their reciprocal crosses. The crossing scheme was similar to a factorial design. Disease was assessed by the number and percentage of infected pods on each tree. Highly significant differences due to general combining abilities (GCA) were obtained for all characters, except for the GCA of Trinitario on total pod production. Differences for specific combining ability (SCA) were not significant for all characters. There were no significant differences between reciprocal crosses. The Trinitario clone K82 provided the only source for the hybrid progenies of strong Ppr resistance to the hybrid progenies, while K20 provided moderate resistance. Other parental clones — KA2-101, KA5-201, KEE 2, KEE 5, and KEE 52 — produced progenies which were susceptible to Ppr. It is evident that resistance to Ppr in cocoa is inherited additively. Maternal and cytoplasmic effects were assumed to have no influence on inheritance of resistance. It is also concluded that resistance to Ppr of the kind shown by K82 is likely to be horizontal resistance. Breeding for high-yielding cultivars combined with Ppr resistance is the most effective way of controlling Ppr of cocoa on the crops of growers with small holdings in Papua New Guinea.     

The Effects of Temperature, Photoperiod and Light Integral on the Time to Flowering of Pansy cv. Universal Violet (ViolaxwittrockianaGams.)

The effects of temperature, photoperiod and light integral onthe time to first flowering of pansy (ViolaxwittrockianaGams)were investigated. Plants were grown at six temperatures (meansbetween 14.8 and 26.1 °C), combined with four photoperiods(8, 11, 14 and 17 h). The rate of progress to flowering increasedlinearly with temperature (up to an optimum of 21.7 °C)and with increase in photoperiod (r²=0.91, 19 d.f.), the latterindicating that pansies are quantitative long day plants (LDPs).In a second experiment, plants were sown on five dates betweenJuly and December 1992 and grown in glasshouse compartmentsunder natural day lengths at six temperatures (means between9.4 and 26.3 °C). The optimum temperature for time to floweringdecreased linearly (from 21.3 °C) with declining light integralfrom 3.4 MJ m^-2d^-1(total solar radiation). Data from both experimentswere used to construct a photo-thermal model of flowering inpansy. This assumed that the rate of progress to flowering increasedas an additive linear function of light integral, temperatureand photoperiod. Independent data from plants sown on threedates, and grown at five temperatures (means between 9.8 and23.6 °C) were used to validate this model which gave a goodfit to the data (r²=0.88, 15 d.f.). Possible confounding ofthe effects of photoperiod and light integral are discussed. Pansy;Violaxwittrockiana; flowering; photo-thermal model; temperature; photoperiod; light integral