Effect of monoethanolamine on growth and biomass formation of rye and barley

Monoethanolamine (EA) applied to rye and barley as a foliar spray increased the biomass and grain yield formation of tillers (up to 14%) and promoted the growth of the basal stem parts (up to 17%). The increased production of tillers and the stimulated growth of basal internodes were associated with a higher nitrogen level in these plant parts. A sufficient nitrogen supply was an essential requirement for increasing the yield of tillers by EA.     

Tiller dynamics and assimilate partitioning in Lolium perenne with particular reference to flowering

The fate of 100 seedling plants of Lolium perenne L. was studied over a period of 2 years in a field plot. The birth and death of tillers and the production of inflorescences was followed, and the components of seed yield were recorded in detail in the first year. The pattern of distribution of ¹⁴CO₂ assimilated by the main shoot was examined at monthly intervals and during the first flowering season the distribution of ¹⁴C-assimilate from individual leaves and from the inflorescence was also studied. The capacity of individual tillers to assimilate ¹⁴CO₂ prior to flowering and the re-distribution of previously accumulated assimilate during seed growth were also assessed. Plants died at a more or less constant rate with time and only 54 survived to the end of the 2–yr period. First year mortality was associated with severe grazing or cutting but in the second year the death of ungrazed plants was observed. There was great variability in the production of tillers by surviving plants. In both years the number of live tillers per plant increased from July to the end of April with particularly rapid tillering in March and April establishing the maximum value for each year. There was a similar phase of rapid tillering after flowering in July. The number of live tillers per plant declined by 50% during stem elongation and inflorescence emergence and the majority of dead tillers were young secondary (in the first year) and tertiary (in the second year) tillers with a mean age of 40 days. Such tillers had poor assimilatory capacity prior to the onset of death and were not supplied with assimilate from the main shoot. Most of the plants surviving at the end of the experiment flowered in both years and one quarter of the maximum number of live tillers per plant recorded in April of each year produced inflorescences. The earlier a tiller was produced the greater was its chance of flowering and the greater its production of seed. The greater weight of seed produced was associated with the development of more seed-bearing florets per spikelet. There was relatively little export of “C-assimilate from the flowering main shoot, and the lower internodes formed the major sink for post-anthesis assimilate. The growth of seeds appeared to be relatively independent of the leaves for current assimilate. There was some evidence that assimilate accumulated in lower internodes was remobilised and utilised in the growth of seeds and new tillers. Overall, the results confirm the view that the grass plant is a dynamic population of short-lived tillers and indicate that increasing competition for assimilate at flowering exerts a major influence on the production and survival of tillers.     

Developmental Control of Lignification in Stems of Lowland Switchgrass Variety Alamo and the Effects on Saccharification Efficiency

The switchgrass variety Alamo has been chosen for genome sequencing, genetic breeding, and genetic engineering by the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and the US Department of Energy BioEnergy Science Center. Lignin has been considered as a major obstacle for cellulosic biofuel production from switchgrass biomass. The purpose of this study was to provide baseline information on cell wall development in different parts of developing internodes of tillers of switchgrass cultivar Alamo and evaluate the effect of cell wall properties on biomass saccharification. Cell wall structure, soluble and wall-bound phenolics, and lignin content were analyzed from the top, middle, and bottom parts of internodes at different developmental stages using ultraviolet autofluorescence microscopy, histological staining methods, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The examination of different parts of the developing internodes revealed differences in the stem structure during development, in the levels of free and well-bound phenolic compounds and lignin content, and in lignin pathway-related gene expression, indicating that the monolignol biosynthetic pathway in switchgrass is under complex spatial and temporal control. Our data clearly show that there was a strong negative correlation between overall lignin content and biomass saccharification efficiency. The ester-linked p-CA/FA ratio showed a positive correlation with lignin content and a negative correlation with sugar release. Our data provide baseline information to facilitate genetic modification of switchgrass recalcitrance traits for biofuel production.     

Clonal analysis of corn plant development

The formation of the lower nodes and internodes in maize (Zea mays L.) and the progression of their differentiation was investigated by generating clonal sectors from cells of the apical meristem. Marked clones were induced by irradiating dry seeds (kernels) and 2-, 8- and 13-day-old seedlings heterozygous for anthocyanin markers (b, pl) and a chlorophyll factor (wd). The extent and apparent number of cells generating the internodes 2–6, which normally remain condensed, were traced by promoting the elongation of these internodes with gibberellic acid. At the mature seed stage, internodes 2 and 3 are undergoing longitudinal expansion and each is represented by two or three circumferential populations of cells. Internodes 4 and 5 are in the process of radial expansion and each is represented by a single circumferential population of cells. At nodes 2–4, the cells for leaves and internodes have separated but such a separation has not occurred for nodes 5 and 6. The formation and expansion of basal six internodes progressed acropetally, i.e. from the base toward distal nodes. Analysis of sectors induced at the seedling stage shows that the formation of middle and top internodes also progress acropetally. The basal, middle and top internodes were found to develop at different apparent cell numbers in the apical meristem.     

Stimulation and Inhibition by Ethephon of Stem and Leaf Growth of Some Gramineae at Different Stages of Development

The effect of ethephon on the growth of leaves and stems ofP. pratensis, Agrostis sp., and A. sativa was investigated.The length of the leaves of all species as well as that of theinternodes of stems of vegetative tillers of Agrostis sp. andof stems of reproductive A. sativa plants was reduced. Epidermalcell length was unchanged or somewhat increased, indicatinga reduction in cell number. The rate of cell elongation maybe decreased, however. A reduction in cell length was observedin the internode of generative oat plants that just startedto elongate at the time of treatment. In vegetative tillers of P.pratensis and A. sativa ethephonpromoted growth of the internodes by increasing cell length.Cell number was little affected. GA3 also promoted internodegrowth, causing an increase in cell length as well as in cellnumber. Application of ethephon and GA3 together gave an additiveeffect on cell length but a reverse effect on cell number. Effects of ethephon were observed for 5 or more weeks aftertreatment. Ethylene production from plants of A sativa increased,but the extra production had already decreased by 90% after11 d. No stimulation of the ethylene production by the plantsother than from the breakdown of ethephon was observed.     

Effects on the Stem of Winter Barley of Manipulating the Source and Sink during Grain-filling: I. CHANGES IN ACCUMULATION AND LOSS OF MASS FROM INTERNODES

Source and sink activities of field-grown barley plants weremanipulated by shading the whole plant or by de-earing at varioustimes after anthesis. The changes in the masses of the internodes,ears, grains and leaves were followed until the grain matured. Shading reduced the mass of ears and grains and, in addition,shading to 45% of incident radiation from anthesis preventedmature internodes from increasing in mass. Severe shading (to9% of incident radiation) from 11 d after anthesis caused thenormal decrease in mass of internodes to occur earlier thanin unshaded plants. Thus, only assimilate in excess of thatrequired for tructural growth was stored in internodes. Lowerinternodes of plants shaded from anthesis lost more of the massthat had been accumulated prior to anthesis than control plants,giving a greater potential pre-anthesis contribution to grainyield. Internodes from plants that were de-eared accumulated more massthan internodes of control plants in one year but not in another,i.e. the potential for internodes to store assimilate appearsto be exploited in some years but not others. The mass of internodesfrom de-eared plants either decreased after that of controlplants or their mass stayed constant. De-eared plants had anincreased number of tillers compared with control plants; thesetillers could have been an alternative sink for assimilate storedin the internodes of de-eared plants. Mobilization of assimilate from internodes is in response todemand for assimilate from grains being in excess of currentphotosynthesis. Key words: Winter barley, stem reserves, mobilization, shading, de-earing     

乙烯利对甘蔗分蘖期茎三种酶活性的影响及其与分蘖的关系

在分蘖前期喷施适宜浓度(100mg/L)乙烯利提高了蔗茎的过氧化物酶活性和IAA氧化酶的活性。用100mg/L乙烯利处理后,两个品种根部的过氧化物酶和IAA氧化酶活性明显高于上部的活性,并且比对照和400mg/L乙烯利处理的效果明显。乙烯利处理后新台糖16号上部节间的酸性转化酶活性始终高于下部节间的酶活性,其中100mg/L乙烯利处理下部节间的明显低于对照的;乙烯利处理后新台糖22号茎内的酸性转化酶活性也低于对照的,但与对照的差异相对比新台糖16号的小。     

水稻上部节间长度等数量性状基因的定位及其遗传效应分析

对水稻籼粳杂交（窄叶青８号×京系１７）Ｆ＿１的花药进行离体培养,建立一个含１３３个ＤＨ系的作图群体,通过构建分子连锁图谱,对水稻上部节间长度、株高和抽穗期的ＱＴＬ进行区间作图,定位了影响上部节间长度的１２个ＱＴＬ、株高的４个ＱＴＬ和抽穗期的１个ＱＴＬ。对这些ＱＴＬ的遗传效应分析的结果表明,控制抽穗期的１个ＱＴＬ即Ｈｄ８ａ为主效基因,其余的１６个ＱＴＬ为微效基因。控制上部节间长度单个的ＱＴＬ对表型的贡献率介于８－１８％,其加性效应可使所控制的节间长度增加大约１．６－３．６ｃｍ。值得注意的是,一些控制相关性状的、作用方向相同的ＱＴＬ定位于同一染色体的相同或邻近区段上。这一结果揭示了这些性状相关的遗传基础,在水稻育种中运用这些ＱＴＬ将有助于对株高进行精细的遗传调控。     

A comparative study of growth strategies in two varieties of Arrhenatherum elatius

Growth strategies of the two varieties of Arrhenatherum elatius were studied. The two varieties studied were: onion couch, which produces bulbous swollen internodes and is an arable weed of local importance, whilst tall oat-grass is more widely distributed. An experiment in which the two varieties were grown at different densities in monoculture and were harvested at intervals, highlighted various aspects of the competitive relation between the two varieties and an annual crop. Significant and consistent differences were found between the two varieties for most of the attributes measured during the two growing seasons. Tall oat-grass allocated a greater proportion of its whole shoot dry weight to producing vigorous aerial tillers, whereas onion couch allocated a greater proportion of its whole shoot dry weight to the development of basal internodes. The regulation of tiller number as a reaction to increasing density in tall oat-grass is achieved by high tiller mortality, whereas in onion couch, this stress is expressed by small tiller mortality. Growth pattern shown by the two varieties of A. elatius reflect the adaptive strategies evolved by them in two different habitats and are due to the genetic factors which determine the presence or absence of their characteristic basal internodes.     

Production of polyhydroxybutyrate in sugarcane

We report here the production of the bacterial polyester, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), in the crop species sugarcane ( Saccharum spp. hybrids). The PHB biosynthesis enzymes of Ralstonia eutropha [β-ketothiolase (PHAA), acetoacetyl-reductase (PHAB) and PHB synthase (PHAC)] were expressed in the cytosol or targeted to mitochondria or plastids. PHB accumulated in cytosolic lines at trace amounts, but was not detected in mitochondrial lines. In plastidic lines, PHB accumulated in leaves to a maximum of 1.88% of dry weight without obvious deleterious effects. Epifluorescence and electron microscopy of leaf sections from these lines revealed that PHB granules were visible in plastids of most cell types, except mesophyll cells. The concentration of PHB in culm internodes of plastidic lines was substantially lower than in leaves. Western blot analysis of these lines indicated that expression of the PHB biosynthesis proteins was not limiting in culm internodes. Epifluorescence microscopy of culm internode sections from plastidic lines showed that PHB granules were visible in most cell types, except photosynthetic cortical cells in the rind, and that the lower PHB concentration in culm internodes was probably a result of dilution of PHB-containing cells by the large number of cells with little or no PHB. We discuss strategies for producing PHB in mitochondria and mesophyll cell plastids, and for increasing PHB yields in culms.     

Expression analysis of genes associated with sucrose accumulation in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) varieties differing in content and time of peak sucrose storage

Sucrose synthesis/accumulation in sugarcane is a complex process involving many genes and regulatory sequences that control biochemical events in source–sink tissues. Among these, sucrose synthase (SuSy), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), soluble acid (SAI) and cell wall (CWI) invertases are important. Expression of these enzymes was compared in an early (CoJ64) and late (BO91) maturing sugarcane variety using end‐point and qRT‐PCR. Quantitative RT‐PCR at four crop stages revealed high CWI expression in upper internodes of CoJ64, which declined significantly in both top and bottom internodes with maturity. In BO91, CWI expression was high in top and bottom internodes and declined significantly only in top internodes as the crop matured. Overall, CWI expression was higher in CoJ64 than in BO91. During crop growth, there was no significant change in SPS expression in bottom internodes in CoJ64, whereas in BO91 it decreased significantly. Apart from a significant decrease in expression of SuSy in mature bottom internodes of BO91, there was no significant change. Similar SAI expression was observed with both end‐point and RT‐PCR, except for significantly increased expression in top internodes of CoJ64 with maturity. SAI, being a major sucrose hydrolysing enzyme, was also monitored with end‐point PCR expression in internode tissues of CoJ64 and BO91, with higher expression of SAI in BO91 at early crop stages. Enzyme inhibitors, e.g. manganese chloride (Mn⁺⁺), significantly suppressed expression of SAI in both early‐ and late‐maturing varieties. Present findings enhance understanding of critical sucrose metabolic gene expression in sugarcane varieties differing in content and time of peak sucrose storage. Thus, through employing these genes, improvement of sugarcane sucrose content is possible.     

Cytokinin Habituation in Juvenile and Flowering Tobacco

The possible link between cytokinin and flowering was examine in tobacco. The degree of cytokinin autotrophy and the competence for cytokinin habitution were measured in callus derived from pith tissue of Nicotiana tabacum cvs. H425 an W38.Explants were taken from internodes at all positions up the stem in juvenile and mature plants. To test whether the competence of cells to form flowers was linked with crtokinin habituation, thin cell layer explants from comparable internodes were tested for their ability to form floral buds. Callus derived from the upper parts of plants showed cytokinin autotrophy whether or not the plants were flowering. Flower buds were formed only on thin cell layer explants from the upper part of plants which were already flowering. Cytokinin habituation and competence to flower are therefore not directly linked although cytokinin habituation could be a prerequisite for meristematic activity and for flowering. Pith from internodes in the lower half of mature pants formed callus which was cytokinin-dependent, although these same internodes in juvenile plants were cytokinin-autotrophic. The ability to form cytokinin-autotrophic callus was therefore greatest in the meristematic regions and was lost as the pith cells aged. Competence to habituate after 35 °C treatment was also shown by pith callus from a few internodes in the middle of the plant below those already forming cytokinin-autotropic callus.     

Correlations between polyamine ratios and growth patterns in seedling roots

The levels of putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine and spermine were determined in seedling roots of pea, tomato, millet and corn, as well as in corn coleoptiles and pea internodes. In all roots, putrescine content increased as elongation progressed, and the putrescine/spermine ratio closely paralleled the sigmoid growth curve up until the time of lateral root initiation. Spermidine and spermine were most abundant near the apices and declined progressively with increasing age of the cells. In the zone of differentiation of root hairs in pea roots, putrescine rose progressively with increasing age, while cadaverine declined. In both pea internodes and corn coleoptiles, the putrescine/spermidine ratio rises with increasing age and elongation. Thus, a block in the conversion of the diamine putrescine to the triamine spermidine may be an important step in the change from cell division to cell elongation.Supported by a Fellowship of the Peoples' Republic of China.Aided by grant 5-RO1-AGO2742 from the National Institutes of Health to A.W.G.     

The influence of intermittent soil drying on growth, cell number, and final cell length in the pith of mature internodes in Helianthus annuus L. and Liquidambar styraciflua L.

The sensitivity of cell division in developing internodes to plant water deficits has not been previously documented. In this study two diverse taxa, Helianthus annuus L. and Liquidambar styraciflua L. were chosen because cell divisions in the pith and cortex continue to occur acropetally throughout the period of internode elongation. Potted plants were given 6-d cycles of soil drying between waterings to observe the effects of moderate, intermittent water deficits on final cell pattern in developing internodes. Under this regime, internode and leaf growth were inhibited although leaf and shoot turgidity were restored daily by nocturnal rehydration. The percent inhibition of final internode lengths was similar in both taxa, increasing from 23–58% in contemporaneously developing internodes. Of this inhibition, 9–48% in H. annuus compared with 97–100% in L. styraciflua was attributable to decreases in cell number in mature internodes. While cell divisions were severely inhibited in both taxa, differences in sensitivity appear related to differences in patterns of histogenesis associated with pronounced inherent differences in final cell lengths. Final cell lengths in H. annuus exceed those of L. styraciflua by 7–8-fold and can play a more dominant role in final internode lengths than total cell number. Conversely, in L. styraciflua total cell number, rather than final cell length, accounts for most of the variation in final internode length. These studies demonstrate species differences in sensitivity of cell division in developing internodes to intermittent water deficits.     

矮秆陆地棉品种陆矮1号的生长发育特性研究

本研究以矮秆陆地棉品种陆矮1号为材料,以株高正常品系97004H和陆地棉遗传标准系TM-1为对照,通过田间试验,比较研究了不同品种的生长发育规律。结果表明：陆矮1号苗期形态与对照品种无显著差异,随着生育进程株高差异逐渐增大,现蕾后主茎日增长量极显著低于对照品种,日增长高峰与对照品种一致,但高峰期的日增长量则不到对照品种的一半,盛花期以后主茎基本停止生长;最终株高只有对照品种的1／2左右。单株果枝数及主茎伸长节间数显著少于97004H和TM-1,每果枝的果节数及果枝长度与对照相比有极显著差异,主茎第12节以下节间长度与对照品种无显著差异,上部节间显著短于对照品种。株高差异主要发生在盛蕾期以后,由中上部节间缩短引起。陆矮1号生育期较短,结铃部位和成铃时间集中。     

Improvement of cell wall digestibility in tall fescue by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> SECONDARY WALL NAC DOMAIN PROTEIN2 chimeric repressor

Forage digestibility is one of the most important factors in livestock performance. As grasses grow and mature, dry matter increases but they become fibrous with secondary cell wall deposition and lignification of sclerenchyma cells, and forage quality drops. In rice (Oryza sativa), the SECONDARY WALL NAC DOMAIN PROTEIN2 fused with the modified EAR-like motif repression domain (OsSWN2-SRDX) reduces secondary cell wall thickening in sclerenchyma cells. We introduced OsSWN2-SRDX under the control of the OsSWN1 promoter into tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) to increase cell wall digestibility. Of 23 transgenic plants expressing OsSWN2-SRDX, nine had brittle internodes that were easily broken by bending. Their secondary cell walls were significantly thinner than those of the wild type in interfascicular fibers of internodes and in cortical fiber cells between leaf epidermal cells and vascular bundles. The dry matter digestibility increased by 11.8% in stems and by 6.8% in leaves compared with the wild type, and therefore forage quality was improved. In stem interfascicular fibers, acid detergent fiber and acid insoluble lignin were greatly reduced. Thus, the reduction of indigestible fiber composed of cellulose and lignin increased the degradability of sclerenchyma cell walls. OsSWN2-SRDX plants offer great potential in the genetic improvement of forage digestibility.     

The slender phenotype of pea: stem growth, peroxidase levels and ethylene responses

Stem elongation growth in a slender line of Pisum sativum L. was much greater than in its two dwarf parental lines due to a greater rate of production of longer internodes. The cellular basis of the greater length of slender internodes was tissue specific. In the epidermis, greater cell length primarily accounted for the longer internodes of the slender plants, but in the outer cortex, greater cell number was the more important factor. The soluble and salt-extractable peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) activities of expanding internodes were much lower in slender plants than in dwarf plants. The proportional effects of ethylene treatment on epicotyl length, diameter and orientation were similar in etiolated slender and dwarf seedlings.     

Trait diversity, heritability and genetic advance in selected germplasm lines of tef

The genetic improvement of the Ethiopian cereal, tef, Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter, depends upon the variability in the indigenous germplasm. A bi-replicated randomized complete block field experiment was, therefore, carried out at Debre Zeit and Alem Tena in Ethiopia during the 1996 main season to study the pheno-morphic and agronomic trait diversity in 320 tef germplasm lines. All of the 17 traits assessed showed substantial (p < or = 0.001) variation among the lines. Genotypes and locations interacted significantly (p < or = 0.05) on 11 of the traits. At about 50% similarity level, the tef lines grouped into six major clusters of nine to 243 lines. Five principal components (PCs) extracted about 71% of the entire variation of the lines. About 28% of the total variance explained by the first PC was due chiefly to variation in main shoot culm length, diameters of the two basal culm internodes, panicle length and grain yield/panicle. About 16% of the whole variance explained by the second PC originated mainly from variation in the length of the first and second basal culm internodes, grain yield/plant, and peduncle length. The third PC accounting for about 12% of the entire variance resulted largely from variation in harvest index and shoot phytomass yield/plant. Across traits, the phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation varied in that order from about 2% for grain yield/panicle to 58% for number of fertile tillers/plant, and from less than 1% for diameters of the two basal culm internodes and grain yield/panicle to 35% for panicle length. Estimates of broad sense heritability and genetic advance (as ratio of the mean) were highest for panicle length (71%) and number of fertile tillers/plant (21%), respectively. But both of these were lowest for the second basal culm internode diameter (< 1%). Overall, the study confirmed that tef is a highly versatile crop with broad trait diversity in the germplasm, and this offers ample opportunities for improvement through breeding.