Showing papers in "Journal of Horticultural Science & Biotechnology in 2016"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used thermal images of the side (vertical leaves) and top (horizontal leaves) of Vitis vinifera (L.) grapevine rows to detect variation in stomatal conductance and therefore spatial variation in the water status of grapevine.
Abstract: Thermal imaging can detect variation in stomatal conductance and therefore spatial variation in the water status of grapevine. Temporal variation can also be assessed, using indices that relate canopy temperature to reference temperatures, but, as yet, there is no standard approach to obtain these reference values. Also, the potential of above-canopy imaging is uncertain for vine rows with mainly vertically oriented leaves. Thermal images of the side (vertical leaves) and top (horizontal leaves) of ‘Tempranillo’ (Vitis vinifera L.) grapevine rows were captured on different dates and in different plots in a vineyard in the Rioja, Spain. Reference temperatures were determined separately (i) as the temperature of artificial leaves placed in the grapevine canopy, or (ii) by calculation from the leaf energy budget. With respect to imaging the side of grapevine rows, the two approaches exhibited similar potential to indicate variation in stomatal conductance or stem water potential within a single date ...
50 citations
TL;DR: Overall, a pre-sowing treatment of cauliflower seed with 75 or 150 mg l–1 AsA improved seedling tolerance to drought stress in both cultivars, which could be attributed to AsA-induced decreases in RMP and H2O2 concentrations, increases in the activities of CAT and SOD, increased RWC, and higher total phenolic compound, proline, GB, and AsA concentrations.
Abstract: Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis) is widely used as a vegetable in many countries; however, productivity is adversely affected in areas affected by drought. To investigate the role of exogenously applied ascorbic acid (AsA) in mitigating the negative effects of drought on cauliflower, a pot experiment was performed using two cultivars of cauliflower ‘Local’ and ‘S-78’. Seeds of both cultivars were soaked in 75 mg l–1, or in 150 mg l–1 AsA, or in water (control) for 16 h. Water-deficit stress suppressed plant growth, reduced leaf chlorophyll concentrations, relative water contents (RWC), shoot and root P and K+ ion concentrations, and total soluble protein concentrations, significantly. However, significant drought-induced increases were observed in relative membrane permeability (RMP), the accumulation of total phenolic compounds, leaf free proline, glycinebetaine (GB), endogenous AsA, and hydrogen peroxide concentrations, and in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Seed trea...
47 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the concentrations of Abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid(GA3) are measured in deciduous fruit trees.
Abstract: Seasonal dormancy in deciduous fruit trees is a complex physiological state, which is regulated by many plant hormones and genes. Abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA3) are known to be particularly important in controlling dormancy. We measured the concentrations of these two hormones in flower buds (collected during para-, endo-, and eco-dormancy, and at the dormancy-release stage) and vegetative buds (collected monthly from 20 November 2012 to 20 February 2013) of two cultivars of Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc), ‘Bungo’ and ‘Taoxingmei’, using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Levels of expression of two zinc-finger family genes CCCH and C2H2 and the GA20ox (gibberellin 20 oxidase) gene (GenBank Accession No. Pm013607), as candidates for dormancy-controlling genes, were analysed at each sampling time using real-time RT-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Expression analyses indicated that both zinc-finger family genes exhibited high transcript levels in...
42 citations
TL;DR: The application of GB to salt-stressed arrow-wood increased apical and lateral shoot lengths, the number of leaves per plant, and shoot dry biomass by 222%, 113%, 238%, and 49%, respectively, compared to untreated or Pro-treated plants, indicating a differential species-specific response to these osmolytes.
Abstract: A greenhouse experiment was carried out to determine the growth, photosynthetic activity, and mineral composition in two ornamental shrubs [Viburnum lucidum L. (arrow-wood) and Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Stapf. (red bottlebrush)] that had been treated or not treated with 2.5 mM glycine betaine (GB) or 5.0 mM proline (Pro). Plants were supplied with a non-salinised or salinised nutrient solution containing 200 mM NaCl. Salinity caused reductions in plant growth parameters, shoot biomass production, and net CO2 assimilation in both species. Neither Pro nor GB were able to mitigate the adverse effects of salinity in bottlebrush, whereas GB reduced the deleterious effects of salt stress on arrow-wood, indicating a differential species-specific response to these osmolytes. The application of GB to salt-stressed arrow-wood increased apical and lateral shoot lengths, the number of leaves per plant, and shoot dry biomass by 222%, 113%, 238%, and 49%, respectively, compared to untreated or Pro-treated p...
41 citations
TL;DR: Results suggest that the dimer of PmDAM6 and PmSOC1 may play a role in the regulation of dormancy transition and blooming time in Japanese apricot flower buds.
Abstract: In temperate deciduous fruit crops such as Prunus spp., bud endodormancy is an important physiological phase affecting the timing of blooming and subsequent fruit development. Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) bears unmixed flower buds, separate from vegetative buds, that bloom slightly more than a month before vegetative bud burst. Seasonal expression of Prunus mume DORMANCY ASSOCIATED MADS-box genes (PmDAMs) has previously been analyzed only in vegetative buds, with an association between these genes and flower bud endodormancy release not yet confirmed. In this study, we performed a seasonal expression analysis of PmDAM1–6 genes in flower buds of two Japanese apricot genotypes – namely, high-chill and low-chill cultivars. The analysis revealed that PmDAM3, PmDAM5, and PmDAM6 expressions are closely associated with dormancy release in both flower and vegetative buds. In addition, a yeast two-hybrid screening demonstrated that PmDAM6 can interact in yeast with the homolog of Arabidopsis SOC1 (PmSOC1...
32 citations
TL;DR: Oil contents and fatty acid compositions varied significantly between species, as well as between genotypes within a species, indicated that tree peony could become an important source of edible vegetable oils and a novel source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Abstract: Tree peony (Paeonia sect. Moutan) has long been known as a horticultural and medicinal plant in China. Recent studies have shown that tree peony may have further potential applications in the field of edible oils. The selection and cultivation of acceptable varieties is a key issue. Seed from 21 genotypes belonging to P. ostii, P. rockii, and P. ludlowii were evaluated for their oil contents and fatty acid compositions. The results indicated that the average oil contents of P. ostii, P. rockii, and P. ludlowii were 28.05%, 30.52%, and 27.62% (w/w), respectively. Averaged over all genotypes, the major fatty acid components in the seed oils of all three species were the unsaturated fatty acids, linolenic [28.10–52.57% (w/w)], linoleic [14.19–23.92% (w/w)], and oleic [22.67–43.55% (w/w)] acids. Oil contents and fatty acid compositions varied significantly between species, as well as between genotypes within a species. This indicated that tree peony could become an important source of edible vegetable...
30 citations
TL;DR: Spectral quality under the shade nets enabled us to improve the phytochemical content and antioxidant properties in light-sensitive varieties Ashbrook Aquarell and Exbury, during winter season.
Abstract: This study illustrates the effects of light quality as influenced by photo-selective shade nets (red, yellow, and pearl with 40% shade) and the widely used commercial black net (25% shade) on overall retail quality and phytochemical contents of three lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) varieties (two green varieties, Ashbrook and Aquarell, and a red variety, Exbury) at after postharvest storage. Variety-specific responses were observed with respect to different coloured shade nets with regards to the accumulation of β-carotene, ascorbic acid, flavonoids (kaempferol, isorhamnetin, quercetin, myricetin, anthocyanin), and antioxidant activity at harvest. Growing var. Ashbrook under the pearl net improved the ascorbic acid and myricetin contents after postharvest storage. Var. Exbury (red) produced under the black net showed higher retention of ascorbic acid, and anthocyanin contents after postharvest storage. Also pearl net production improved the β-carotene content after postharvest storage in var. Aquarell...
25 citations
TL;DR: Adoption of these treatments (T1–T5) as low-cost tissue culture protocols for in vitro propagation would reduce production costs significantly, leading to an expansion of the area planted with tissue-cultured banana, thereby increasing productivity.
Abstract: Cost-effective tissue culture protocols have been established for the commercial multiplication of three banana varieties, ‘Rasthali’ (AAB – Silk), ‘Grand Naine’ (AAA – Cavendish), and ‘Udhayam’ (ABB – Pisang Awak). Reverse osmosis water and 3% (w/v) table sugar were used as the low-cost water and carbon source, respectively. Six different gelling agent treatments were tested: sago alone (T1), Isabgol alone (T2), sago + agar (T3), Isabgol + agar (T4), sago + Isabgol (T5), and agar alone as a control (T6). Full-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3 mg l–1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1 mg l–1 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) were used for culture initiation and subculturing. Rooting was accomplished on low-cost MS medium containing 1.0 mg l–1 α-napthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 1.0 mg l–1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and 250 mg l–1 activated charcoal. Statistical analysis indicated that sago + Isabgol (T5) produced the maximum number of shoots (10 per explant) in ‘Udhayam’ and ‘Rasthal...
25 citations
TL;DR: The application of 50–200 µM ABA allowed chilled vines to recover more quickly when re-exposed to normal temperatures, enabling the vines to resume their photosynthetic capacity more efficiently following cold stress.
Abstract: The effects of exogenous application of abscisic acid (ABA) on anti-oxidant enzyme activities and photosynthetic capacity in ‘Sultana’ grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) were investigated under cold stress. When vines had an average of 15 leaves, 0 (control), 50, 100, or 200 µM ABA was sprayed to run-off on all leaves of each plant. Twenty-four hours after foliar spraying with ABA, half (n = 5) of the water-only control vines and half (n = 5) of each group of ABA-treated plants were subjected to 4°C for 12 h, followed by a recovery period of 3 d under greenhouse conditions (25°/18°C day/night). The remaining plants in each treatment group were kept at 24°C. Cold stress increased H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in vine leaves, whereas all foliar ABA treatments significantly reduced their levels. Chilled plants showed marked increases in their total soluble protein contents in response to each ABA treatment. ABA significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, cat...
25 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the efficacy of the combined application of chitosan (CHI) and Cymbopogon citratus (Dc. Ex Nees) (lemongrass) essential oil (CCEO) to control Rhizopus stolonifer in fresh tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum mill.) fruit at room temperature (25°C) storage.
Abstract: This study evaluated the efficacy of the combined application of chitosan (CHI) and Cymbopogon citratus (Dc. Ex Nees) (lemongrass) essential oil (CCEO) to control Rhizopus stolonifer in fresh tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruit at room temperature (25°C) storage. The effects of the treatment (CHI and CCEO) on some quality characteristics of the fruit, namely weight loss, firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, ascorbic acid, color, and sensory acceptability were also assessed. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of CHI and CCEO against R. stolonifer were 8 mg/mL and 5 µL/mL, respectively. Subinhibitory concentrations of CHI and CCEO (CHI 4 mg/mL, CCEO 1.25 µL/mL), alone and in combination, inhibited fungal spore germination and damaged spore membrane integrity. The CHI-CCEO coating decreased the severity of Rhizopus soft rot in tomato fruit; however, the coating more strongly delayed the infection when the fruit were artificially contaminated after coating application. The app...
25 citations
TL;DR: Actin (ACTIN) was recommended as the most stable gene in carrot roots and leaves at all five developmental stages examined and guidelines for future work on relative levels of gene expression in carrot using real-time reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) are provided.
Abstract: Carrot is a biennial plant with a nutritionally healthy composition and has long been recognised as an important model for genetic and molecular studies. The present study aimed to identify suitable reference genes for the normalisation of gene expression in carrot roots and leaves at different developmental stages. Three different software tools were applied to detect the stability of expression of nine candidate reference genes. The results showed that the best reference genes differed across tissues and developmental stages. Actin (ACTIN) was recommended as the most stable gene in carrot roots and leaves at all five developmental stages examined. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) appeared to be the least adequate gene, indicating that it should be avoided as a reference gene in carrot. Thus, we suggest ACTIN or different combinations of ACTIN, elongation factor 1α (EF-1α), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4α (eIF-4α), tubulin β-7 (TUB), or polyubiquitin 10 (UBQ) for the n...
TL;DR: The results of the present study suggest that exogenous EBL confers resistance against Zn-induced oxidative damage by enhancing the ASA-GSH cycle by up-regulating key gene expression and key enzyme activities.
Abstract: Excessive zinc (Zn) uptake is toxic to both plants and animals. 24-Epibrassinolide (EBL), a plant steroid hormone, plays a pivotal role in regulating plant resistance to various stresses. In this s...
TL;DR: Hyd-priming increased the seed germination percentages and early seedling growth in both cultivars grown under salt stress, and were significantly positively correlated with the activities of POD and CAT, and the accumulation of proline, which can alleviate oxidative membrane damage and result in decreased MDA concentrations.
Abstract: To assess the effects of hydro-priming on enhancing germination and seedling growth in Napa cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis) under salt stress, seeds of two Napa cabbage cultivars that differed in salt tolerance, ‘Lainong 50’ (salt-tolerant) and ‘Xiaoza-56’ (salt-sensitive), were soaked in distilled water at 20°C in the dark for 10 h. Hydro-primed and non-primed seeds were then germinated under six levels of salinity (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, or 250 mM NaCl) under laboratory conditions. Various germination traits (e.g., germination percentages, germination potential, and seedling vigour index), anti-oxidant enzyme [catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)] activities, and proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations were then measured in 7-d-old seedlings. The results showed that salt-stress decreased seed germination traits and reduced early seedling growth in both Napa cabbage cultivars. Hydro-priming increased the seed germination percentages and early seedling...
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of post-harvest application of methyl jasmonate (MeJ) on reactive oxygen species, antioxidant systems, and cellular structure in Chinese winter jujube (Ziziphus Jujuba Mill.) at the major ripening stages of green maturity (GM) and half-red maturity (HM) were investigated.
Abstract: The effect of post-harvest application of methyl jasmonate (MeJ) on reactive oxygen species, antioxidant systems, and cellular structure in Chinese winter jujube (Ziziphus Jujuba Mill.) at the major ripening stages of green maturity (GM) and half-red maturity (HM) were investigated. Jujube fruit at each ripening stage were treated with 0, 50, 100, and 200 μmol l−1 MeJ for 24 h, then stored at 20 ± 2°C for shelf-life testing. Thereafter, changes in firmness, color, respiration rate, superoxide anion (O2−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbic acid (AsA), and glutathione (GSH) were measured at 4-d intervals for up to 8 d. Results showed that, in comparison with control fruit, MeJ treatment effectively suppressed the decrease of firmness, color, and respiration rate, inhibited the production of O2− and accumulation of H2O2 and MDA, maintained higher activities of SOD and CAT and contents of AsA and GSH, and preserved the integrity of ce...
TL;DR: In this paper, a combination of colchicine and dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) was used to induce tetraploidy in four advanced inbred lines of radish.
Abstract: Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is an important root vegetable in the family Brassicaceae, and is popular worldwide, especially in East Asia. Colchicine was used to induce autotetraploidy in four advanced inbred lines of radish. A combination of 0.1% (w/v) colchicine in 0, 0.1%, 0.2%, or 0.4% (v/v) dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) was applied to the apical meristem of young seedlings. A preliminary screening for putative tetraploids was conducted based on morphological traits including flower size, the number of chloroplasts in guard cells, stomatal size, and stomatal density. Plants with significantly larger stomata, with more chloroplasts in their guard cells, were selected for further analysis by chromosome counting. Only one tetraploid genotype, ‘Nau-dy13’, was successfully induced using 0.1% (w/v) colchicine plus 0.2% (v/v) DMSO, with a tetraploid induction rate of 20%. Application of the above concentrations of colchicine and DMSO to the apical meristem of ‘Nau-dy13’ seedlings was found to be an effi...
TL;DR: In this paper, a mixed cDNA library of Sijihua longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour) was constructed using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology and obtained a total of 90,069,246 high quality reads.
Abstract: ‘Sijihua’ longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) blossoms throughout the year, and hence it is a useful material for studies on the mechanism of flowering. However, few genomic resources such as DNA sequences or markers are currently available for ‘Sijihua’ longan. To increase our understanding of the genetic control of important flowering characteristics in ‘Sijihua’ longan, we constructed a mixed cDNA library of ‘Sijihua’ longan using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology and obtained a total of 90,069,246 high-quality reads. Among the unigenes, 43.16% (59,588) had at least one BLASTX hit against the Arabidopsis thaliana sequence database and 42.83% (59,130) had significant similarity with proteins in the NCBI non-redundant protein database. Of these annotated unigenes, a total of 15,956 (11.56%) were mapped onto 271 pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database. Furthermore, 11,402 unigenes were converted into 13,236 potential simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Dinucleo...
TL;DR: The findings of this study suggested that treatment with exogenous SNP, Put, Spm, and Spd could protect petunia plants against soil salinity and improve their commercial production.
Abstract: This study aimed to determine ways to improve the growth and salt tolerance of petunia. Effects of polyamines (PAs; spermidine [Spd], spermine [Spm], and putrescine [Put]) and a nitric oxide (NO) donor (sodium nitroprusside [SNP]) were investigated. Initially, we screened petunia cultivars against sodium chloride (0–125 mM). The petunia cultivar Hurrah Red was identified as salt-sensitive cultivar in the basis of salt-effect on seed germination, fresh weight, and root length of seedlings. Treatment of Hurrah Red shoots with nitrogenous compounds improved the number, length, and fresh weight of roots, as well as the length and fresh weight of shoots over those of the control. Furthermore, plantlets rooted in an optimal concentration of Spd (34.5 µM), Spm (24.8 µM), Put (62.1 µM), and SNP (3.9 µM) were treated with 200 mM NaCl for 3 days to assess their tolerance level. Salt-affected plantlets showed higher level of lipid peroxidation, reduced catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PP...
TL;DR: The data described the early molecular changes of sweet orange in response to CTV infection and should provide informative suggestions for transgene selection of citrus genetic breeding.
Abstract: Transcriptional changes between Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) inoculated- and mock inoculated- sweet orange ‘Jincheng’ (Citrus sinensis Osbeck cv. ‘Jincheng’) leaves were compared using microarrays. A total of 2400 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, fold change ≥ 2), 1557 (64.85%) up-regulated and 843 (35.15%) down-regulated, were obtained. Data mining revealed that CTV infection enhanced the transcription of genes involved in cell wall metabolism, plant defense, and material transport while it decreased the expression of protein synthesis and cytokinin metabolism-related genes. CTV infection strongly affected pathways involved in light reaction, starch and sucrose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and hormone metabolism. Secondary metabolism pathways including terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids and alkaloid metabolism were also greatly influenced. Notably, several gibberellin (GA)-regulated genes were significantly induced by CTV. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was ...
TL;DR: 48 h of N2O treatment at 600 kPa was optimal to induce viable 2n pollen in three out of four sterile hybrid OT lily cultivars and showed that prophase I – metaphase I was the optimum stage of meiosis at which to induce 1n pollen by N1O treatment in lily hybrids.
Abstract: In order to induce viable 2n pollen from highly sterile diploid Oriental × Trumpet (OT) (Lilium), N2O was used to treat flower buds of four sterile diploid OT cultivars (‘Nymph’, ‘Gluhwein’, ‘Yelloween’, and ‘Shocking’) at different stages of meiosis. There was no pollen germination in the controls. However, after N2O treatment at 600 kPa, three of the OT hybrids (‘Nymph’, ‘Gluhwein’, and ‘Yelloween’) not only exhibited fertile flower percentages (4.3–16%), but also higher rates of pollen germination (18.8–72.5%). In addition, both the fertile flower percentages and rates of pollen germination were higher following 48 h N2O treatment at 600 kPa than the 24 h treatment. Following 72 h N2O treatment at 600 kPa, most flower buds or plants were damaged and any undamaged flowers showed abnormal anthers at the time of flowering. This indicated that 48 h of N2O treatment at 600 kPa was optimal to induce viable 2n pollen in three out of four sterile hybrid OT lily cultivars. These results also showed that...
TL;DR: The overall quality parameters suggest that C. olitorius can be an optimal candidate for baby leaf production in the fresh cut leafy vegetable industry.
Abstract: Corchorus olitorius is mainly cultivated in Africa and is used in the human diet for its nutraceutical proprieties. In this work, C. olitorius was grown in a floating system using a standard (NS100%) or halved (NS50%) nutrient solution. Yield was evaluated at harvest when plants reached the baby leaf stage. Quality of leaves was estimated by measuring sugars, nitrate, chlorophylls, carotenoids, polyphenols, and anthocyanins. Yield was similar to other common leafy vegetables cultivated in floating systems. Analytical determinations showed good levels of antioxidant compounds and sugars. Mineral contents were relevant for Ca, Mg and Fe in comparison with C. olitorius cultivated in soil and other common leafy vegetables. Results showed these plants had healthy characteristics for human nutrition, in particular for women and children. C. olitorius had a good performance in the floating system with yield ranging from 0.8 to 2.4 kg m−2. Mineral nutrient levels were higher than in the major leafy vegeta...
TL;DR: These findings should facilitate the identification of PcDw in the pear genome and thereby help elucidate the molecular mechanism of the dwarf habit in pear.
Abstract: Dwarf tree architecture is an important agronomic trait for modern fruit breeding and cultivation. The dwarf growth habit of pear (Pyrus communis L.), inherited from the pear cultivar ‘Nain Vert’, is controlled by a single dominant gene PcDw. To fine map the PcDw locus at higher resolution, 14 primer pairs for recently reported simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers mapped to the top region of linkage group 16 (LG16) in the apple and pear linkage maps, as well as 43 and 50 new primer pairs based on apple and European pear genome sequences for identifying SSR markers and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, respectively, were analysed in the F1 progeny of an ‘Aihuali’ × ‘Chili’ cross by bulked segregant analysis. Eight new PcDw-linked markers, consisting of six SSR markers and two SNP markers detected by high resolution melting analysis, were obtained. Linkage analysis showed that the PcDw locus was flanked by the SSR markers CN993875 and QauSSR36, and that PcDw was mapped to scaffold00074: ...
TL;DR: The results showed that the fruit-setting rates of three different colours of I. dichotoma as female and I. domestica as male were lower than reciprocal cross combinations, but their seed germination rates were significantly higher than reciprocal ones.
Abstract: Previously, we found that reciprocal F1 hybrids of purple-flowered Iris dichotoma and I. domestica were different. To further characterize this reciprocal difference, we carried out reciprocal crosses between three different colours of I. dichotoma and I. domestica. Morphological and cytological characters of F1 hybrids of six interspecific crosses between three different colours of I. dichotoma and I. domestica (three direct and their three reciprocals) were evaluated. The results showed that the fruit-setting rates of three different colours of I. dichotoma as female and I. domestica as male were lower than reciprocal cross combinations, but their seed germination rates were significantly higher than reciprocal ones. Reciprocal differences of F1 hybrids were observed for most morphological characters. The F1 hybrids of three different colours of I. dichotoma as female were totally different from their parents; however, the F1 hybrids of I. domestica as female were extremely similar to the mother...
TL;DR: The results indicated that γ-rays caused little DNA damage and the plants could recover, and demonstrated the feasibility of using physiological responses, the ‘comet assay’, and flow cytometry to detect DNA damage afterγ-irradiation.
Abstract: Gamma-rays are an important mutagenic agent that can induce new, useful genetic variations in plants. However, γ-irradiation can also cause damage that negatively affects the use of such mutagens in plant breeding. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects and damage caused by γ-radiation in a Cymbidium hybrid, RB001. The relative growth rate of protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) was reduced by 50% at a γ-ray dose of approximately 40 Gy. Malondialdehyde concentrations increased significantly with increasing radiation dose. However, almost no difference was observed between untreated control PLBs and PLBs treated with 200 Gy 8 weeks after γ-irradiation. The activities of several antioxidant defence enzymes increased gradually with increasing γ-ray dose, 24 h after irradiation. These enzymes showed different responses between 1 and 4 weeks, but no difference 8 weeks after irradiation. The ‘comet assay’ and flow cytometry were performed. Clear differences in radiation-induced damage were ...
TL;DR: The first issue of The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology (JHSB) published in partnership with the international publishing house of Taylor & Francis was published in 2013 as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Welcome to this first issue of The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology (JHSB) published in partnership with the international publishing house of Taylor & Francis. The JHSB has a lon...
TL;DR: It is concluded that the genes controlling floral colour and inflorescence type are inherited independently and have different effects, which can increase variability in ornamental sunflowers.
Abstract: Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is grown commercially and as an ornamental plant. Floral colour and inflorescence type are important traits in the breeding of ornamental sunflower. Sunflowers consist of ray florets, which are arranged around the perimeter with disc florets in the centre. The colour of the ray florets can vary from various shades of red to lemon-yellow. The inheritance of ray floret colour was studied through diallel crossing of inbred lines with red, yellow, or lemon-yellow coloured florets. In the F1 generations, the red colour was partially dominant over yellow and lemon-yellow ray florets, forming a ‘Gaillardia‘ pattern, while yellow was dominant over lemon-yellow. The segregation ratios in the F2 generations were 9:7 (red × yellow) and 3:1 (red × lemon-yellow and yellow × lemon-yellow), indicating control by one or two genes, respectively. The colour of the disc florets depended on the presence or absence of anthocyanin pigmentation. Disc florets that lacked anthocyanin pigme...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used headspace solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) to determine the contributions of floral volatiles to floral fragrances in 46 daylilies (seven species, one variety, and 38 cultivars).
Abstract: Traditional breeding objectives focusing on flower type and colour have resulted in the lack of floral fragrances in modern daylilies. Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was used to determine the contributions of floral volatiles to floral fragrances in 46 daylilies (seven species, one variety, and 38 cultivars). Thirty-seven floral volatiles were identified, including 30 terpenoids, five benzenoids, and two nitrogenous compounds. Sensory evaluation and HS-SPME-GC-MS revealed that variations in the relative emission rates and proportions of (E)-β-ocimene and linalool were mainly responsible for different fragrance patterns in Hemerocallis. The studied daylilies were grouped to six fragrance patterns: (1) intense herbaceous and pungent scent, having the highest (E)-β-ocimene emission level; (2) intense flowery and pungent scent, having medium (E)-β-ocimene and low linalool emission levels; (3) medium flowery and sweet scent, havin...
TL;DR: A new chlorophyll measurement tool, the delta absorbance (DA) meter, was used to develop an optimal harvest maturity model for ‘Ambrosia’ apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) fruit, and IAD values associated with harvests having the highest commercial fruit quality delineated the optimal harvest boundaries.
Abstract: In this study, a new chlorophyll measurement tool, the delta absorbance (DA) meter, was used to develop an optimal harvest maturity model for ‘Ambrosia’ apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) fruit. Fruit from four commercial orchards in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada, were sampled (25 fruit from three or four trees per location) over nine consecutive weekly harvests during the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons, and 8 weeks in the 2013 season. At each harvest, five fruit from each orchard site had their index of absorbance difference (IAD) values, firmness, mass, titratable acidity (TA), soluble solids content (SSC), red skin colouration and internal core ethylene concentrations measured. Following approx. 3 months of storage at 3.5°C, 20 fruit from each site were removed and assessed for the incidence of disorders such as senescent breakdown, cortical browning and coreflush. Chlorophyll concentrations in the epidermis were strongly and positively related to IAD values in the same tissue (P ≤ 0.0...
TL;DR: Foliar applications of CycocelTM mitigated the negative effects of drought stress by increasing Anet, WUE, RWC, compatible solute concentrations, such as proline, soluble sugar, and chlorophyll a and b concentrations.
Abstract: The plant growth regulator CycocelTM [(2-chloroethyl)trimethylammonium chloride] can be used to produce drought tolerance in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) due to a reduction in the ratio between vegetative growth and fruit production. To evaluate the physiological responses of two grapevine cultivars to drought and CycocelTM treatment, a factorial experiment was conducted in a greenhouse. The factors included irrigation frequency (at 5-, 10-, or 15-day intervals corresponding to no, mild, or severe drought stress), CycocelTM concentration (0, 500, or 1000 mg l–1), and cultivar (‘Rasheh’ or ‘Bidane-Sefid’). Stomatal conductance (gs) the net rate of CO2 assimilation (Anet), the rate of transpiration (Tr), and chlorophyll a and b concentrations decreased in plants exposed to mild or severe water-deficit stress, whereas carotenoid, proline, and total soluble sugar concentrations increased compared to plants with no drought stress. The relative water content (RWC) of leaves declined only under severe d...
TL;DR: The results suggest that association mapping in mulberry is a viable alternative to quantitative trait loci mapping, and detection of associations between markers and mulberry fruit traits will also provide important information for marker-assisted breeding.
Abstract: Improvement of fruit traits is an important objective in current mulberry breeding programs. In this study, 93 mulberry accessions of diverse origin were genotyped using 15 ISSR markers to identify marker–trait associations with fruit traits. Fifteen ISSR primers generated a total of 104 amplification products, of which 94 were polymorphic, revealing 90.38% polymorphism; the mean PIC value was 0.2698. UPGMA cluster analysis showed clear genetic relationships between the 93 mulberry cultivars, and the major clusters were related to known pedigree relationships and their ecotype. The mean r2 value for all intra-chromosomal loci pairs was 0.0210. Marker–trait associations were investigated using the unified mixed-model approach, considering both population structure (Q) and kinship (K). In total, 24 marker–trait associations (p < 0.01) were identified using different ISSR markers. The results suggest that association mapping in mulberry is a viable alternative to quantitative trait loci mapping, and ...
TL;DR: Using mature leaves as initial explants, an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation system has been developed for Chinese dwarf cherry and will provide a tool for future molecular breeding ofChinese dwarf cherry.
Abstract: Chinese dwarf cherry [Cerasus humilis (Bge.) Sok] is a small deciduous shrub which produces fruit that contain high concentrations of nutritional and medicinal compounds. It is also highly drought and cold tolerant, so it has been exploited for soil and water conservation purposes. Using mature leaves as initial explants, an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation system has been developed for Chinese dwarf cherry. Leaf segments from cultivar ‘99-02’ were successfully transformed with Agrobacterium strain LBA4404 harbouring the vector prolC1 which contained the rolC gene, the neomycin phosphotransferase gene (nptII), and the β-glucuronidase gene (gus). Transformation was confirmed using a histochemical β-glucuronidase (GUS) assay, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, and by reverse transcription-PCR of the rolC gene. Transgenic shoots of Lines 1 and 2 showed significant increases in root numbers and root lengths compared to non-transformed control shoots on medium wit...