OSMOTIC ADJUSTMENT AND GROWTH RESPONSE OF THREE in vitro GROWN Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. CULTIVARS TO OSMOTIC STRESS.
Osmotic adjustment in response to decreasing media water availability was observed for in vitro Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. cultivars Bright Golden Anne, Deep Luv, and Lucido. Water stress was induced by increasing sorbitol (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 M), mannitol (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 M), and sucrose (30, 45, 60, 75, 90 g·l-1) concentrations in modified MS media (2 mg·l-1 BA and 0.1 mg·l-1 NAA). Osmotic adjustment was evidenced by a significant reduction in measured cell sap osmotic potential (R2 = 0.78, 0.96, 0.91 for sucrose, sorbitol, and mannitol respectively) in all cultivars. Shoot length, weighted density (apparent mass), and proliferation were significantly reduced by sorbitol and mannitol treatments. Sucrose reduced shoot proliferation, increased length, and had an inconsistent effect on weighted density. Cultures grown on media without hormones showed tremendous increase in root number up to 60 g·l-1 sucrose. Sorbitol had a negligible effect on rooting at 0.1 M but no roots developed at higher sorbitol concentrations or in any mannitol treatments. Plants transferred to a non-water-stress media after they had experienced in vitro water stress exhibited no change in osmotic properties from the stress treatments.