scholarly journals Sensitivity of Seedling Radicles to Chilling and Heat-shock-induced Chilling Tolerance

1996 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 711-715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdur Rab ◽  
Mikal E. Saltveit

The sensitivity of corn, cucumber, mung bean, and tomato seedling radicles to chilling (i.e., inhibition of subsequent elongation at 25 C after chilling at 2.5 C) was greater for radicles 5 to 7 mm long than for radicles 1 mm long. In contrast, radicles of germinating okra seeds had a similar level of chilling inhibition (i.e., 70% to 90%) at lengths of 1 to 7 mm. For seeds with 1-mm-long radicles, subsequent radicle elongation for cucumber was inhibited only 2% by 72 hours of chilling at 2.5 C, while it was inhibited about 20% for corn, mung bean, and tomato. For seeds with 5- to 7-mm-long radicles, chilling inhibition was 50% to 70% for corn, mung bean, and tomato and 80% to 90% for cucumber and okra. The degree of chilling sensitivity varied among species in relation to time required to elicit a significant response and the magnitude of the elicited response. The development of lateral roots decreased with prolonged chilling in all species. Heat shock (i.e., 4 to 10 minutes at 45 C) induced chilling tolerance in all species except okra. In okra, neither increasing the heat-shock temperature nor decreasing the severity of chilling (i.e., temperature and duration of exposure) significantly reduced chilling injury.

HortScience ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 848C-848
Author(s):  
Abdur Rab ◽  
Mikal E. Saltveit

Chilling sensitivity increased as the radicle of germinating corn (Zea mays L. `Jubilee' hybrid), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. `Poinsett 76'), mung bean (Phaseolus aureus Roxb. `Berkin'), and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. `Rio Grande') seeds increased in length from 1 to 7 mm. In contrast, radicles of germinating okra (Hibiscus esculentus L. `Clemson' spineless) seeds exhibited similar levels of chilling sensitivity at all radicle lengths. The degree of chilling sensitivity varied among the species in relation to time required to elicit a significant response and the magnitude of the elicited response. Based on subsequent radicle elongation, okra and cucumber were the most sensitive species to chilling at 2.5C for 96 h; tomato and corn were relatively less sensitive, and mung bean was the least sensitive. This pattern of sensitivities changed when other criteria were used to evaluate chilling sensitivity. The development of lateral roots decreased with prolonged chilling in all species, except for corn in which the apical tip remained viable even after 192 h of chilling. Heat shock (0 to 10 min at 45C) induced chilling tolerance in all species, except okra. In okra, neither increasing the heat shock temperature nor decreasing the severity of chilling (i.e., temperature and duration of exposure) resulted in a significant reduction in chilling injury. The differential induction of heat shock proteins in okra and the other species is discussed.


HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 601b-601
Author(s):  
M.E. Mangrich ◽  
M.E. Saltveit

Crops indigenous to the tropics and subtropics and some temperate crops suffer physiological injury when exposed to temperatures <12°C. Heat shock has induced chilling tolerance in a number of sensitive species (e.g., corn, cucumber, and tomato), but not in okra. To study this anomaly, we investigated the chilling sensitivity and heat shock response of a variety of Malvaceous species (i.e., cotton, hibiscus, kenaf, and okra). Seedlings with 8- to 12-mm long radicles were exposed to heat shock temperatures of 40 to 45°C for 2 to 12 minutes. Heat shocks were applied by two methods, floating the seeds in petri dishes on heated water and immersing the seeds in the heated water. The seedlings were held at 20°C for 2 hours after the heat treatments and then chilled at 2.5°C for 3 days. After chilling, seedlings were placed at 25°C for 3 additional days. The growth at 25°C was used as an assessment of chilling injury. Although there was a great deal of variability among the seedlings, a significant number of the okra and kenaf seedlings were more tolerant to chilling after heat shock: (i.e., more growth subsequent to chilling) compared to nonheat-shocked controls. More chilling tolerance was induced by the floating method than the immersion method. The response of cotton seedlings to heat-shock was variable, and the seedlings appeared damaged by even slight heat treatments (i.e., 4 minutes at 40°C). The variability in the capacity of heat-shocks to induce chilling tolerance in seedlings of Malvaceous species will be discussed.


HortScience ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (11) ◽  
pp. 1563-1568
Author(s):  
Mikal E. Saltveit

Holding harvested asparagus spears at non-freezing temperatures below 2.5 °C induces chilling injury (CI), a physiological disorder that reduces quality and shelf life. CI can be quantified by subjective visual parameters, or by objective measurements of the increased rate of ion leakage from excised tissue into an isotonic bathing solution. The rate of ion leakage from apical (2–3 cm), middle (9–10 cm), and basal (15–16 cm) segments excised from 18-cm asparagus spears increased after 7 days of chilling at 2.5 °C. The increase continued and was similar for middle and basal segments after 14 days of chilling, but more pronounced from apical segments. Various heat-shock treatments (i.e., combinations of temperature and duration) decreased the chilling-induced increase in ion leakage from these 1-cm stem segments. Although the chilling tolerance of all spear segments was increased by specific heat-shock treatments, the optimal temperature and duration of exposure varied among the segments; some treatments that were effective in segments from one location were either ineffective or damaging to segments from another location. As the apical half of the whole spear is the predominant culinary portion and contains the most chilling sensitive tissue, heat-shock treatments that would increase the chilling tolerance of the upper half of whole spears were selected for further study. These heat-shock treatments were applied to freshly harvested whole 18-cm asparagus spears that were chilled at 2.5 °C for 14 days. Two treatment combinations (i.e., 45 °C for 4.0 ± 0.6 minutes or 50 °C for 2.9 ± 0.8 minutes) were identified that maintained the highest level of quality and significantly reduced the rate of chilling-induced ion leakage.


HortScience ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 913H-914
Author(s):  
Meng-Yee Tee ◽  
Paul H. Jennings

Chilling injury can be a serious problem during field germination of sensitive crop species. Because heat shock has been shown to induce chilling tolerance of germinating cucumber seeds, an experiment was initiated to determine the effectiveness of other treatments. Cucumber seeds germinated 20 to 24 h were either heat-shocked at 50C for 2 min or treated with ABA or salicylic acid for 4 h. Following treatment, the germinated seeds were chilled at 2C for 96, 120, or 144 h and then incubated at 25C to determine growth effects on the developing root. All treatments induced chilling tolerance compared to the controls, with ABA and heat shock being most effective after chilling. There did not appear to be an additive response when heat shock was used in combination with ABA. The evidence for different treatment mechanisms will be discussed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. S. AGHDAM ◽  
L. SEVILLANO ◽  
F. B. FLORES ◽  
S. BODBODAK

SUMMARYFresh fruits and vegetables have a short post-harvest life and are prone to post-harvest losses due to mechanical injury, physiological causes and decay. Low-temperature storage is widely used as post-harvest treatment applied for delaying senescence in vegetables and ornamentals and ripening in fruits, upholding their post-harvest quality. But the refrigerated storage of tropical and subtropical crop plant species provokes a set of physiological alterations known as chilling injury that negatively affect their quality and frequently renders the product not saleable. Membrane damage and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation are the main adverse effects of chilling injury impact in sensitive horticultural products. The chilling injury tolerance of certain plant species is attributed to their ability to accumulate heat-shock proteins (HSP). The beneficial action of HSP in chilling tolerance is due to their chaperone activity but, besides this biological function, small HSP (sHSP) are able to function as membrane stabilizers and ROS scavengers, or synergistically with cell antioxidant systems. Also, biosynthesis of osmolytes such as raffinose and proline is under the regulation of heat-shock transcription factors (HSTF). These molecules are critical for osmotic adjustment since low temperatures also provoke a secondary osmotic stress. The use of biotechnological strategies can be envisaged, with the aim of generating engineered crop plants of horticultural interest to induce the production and action of HSP and HSTF, in order to assure the beneficial effects of these proteins in promoting chilling injury tolerance during their post-harvest refrigerated storage. In particular, induction of HSTF expression using biotechnology has significant potential and interest for reducing the impact of chilling injury on sensitive produce, avoiding the practical difficulties of applying the classic post-harvest technologies based on heat treatment.


1993 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham G. Collins ◽  
XunLi Nie ◽  
Mikal E. Saltveit

HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 645b-645
Author(s):  
Kanogwan Kerdnaimongkol ◽  
Anju Bhatia ◽  
Robert J. Joly ◽  
William R. Woodson

Diurnal variation in the chilling sensitivity of tomato seedlings was examined. Sensitivity to chilling in tomato seedlings is a response to light and not under the control of a circadian rhythm. Chilling sensitivity is highest in seedlings chilled at the end of the dark period, and these seedlings become more resistant to chilling injury upon exposure to the light. Diurnal variation in chilling sensitivity was associated with changes in catalase and superoxide dismutase activities. The results show an increase in catalase and superoxide dismutase activities at the end of the light period. The recovery of the net photosynthesis rate following chilling was faster in seedlings chilled at the end of the light period. It is suggested that an increase in catalase and superoxide dismutase activities at the end of light period before the chilling plays a role in the resistance to chilling stress in tomato seedlings. Forty-eight hours of 14°C acclimation or hydrogen peroxide pretreatment conferred chilling tolerance to tomato seedlings and were correlated with elevated catalase activity. Acclimated seedlings still exhibited diurnal variation in chilling sensitivity while hydrogen peroxide treated seedlings showed little evidence of a diurnal variation in chilling sensitivity. Transgenic tomato plants expressing an antisense catalase gene were generated. A several-fold decrease in total catalase has been detected in the leaf extracts of transformants. Preliminary analysis of these plants indicated that modification of reactive oxygen species scavenging in plant system can lead to change in oxidative stress tolerance.


HortScience ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 479e-479
Author(s):  
Paul H. Jennings

We have previously shown that both temperature and chemical shocks are capable of inducing chilling tolerance in 24h germinated cucumber seedlings. Using a heat shock temperature of 50°C. it has been demonstrated that a 2 min treatment is most effective in inducing chilling tolerance as measured by root survival growth. However the induced chilling tolerance is transient and disappears if the heat shocked seedlings are held at 25°C for 12h before chilling at 2°C. Older seedlings (36h of germination) are more sensitive to chilling but are still capable of chilling tolerance induction by heat shock. Using chilling as a selective pressure, it is possible to increase chilling tolerance of 24h germinated seedlings.


1993 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham G. Collins ◽  
XunLi Nie ◽  
Mikal E. Saltveit

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Górnik

AbstractThe aim of the research was to investigate the chilling sensitivity of cucumber seedlings and to alleviate its negative effects by short-term shock temperature applied during seeds imbibition, before radicle protrusion. The chilling sensitivity was investigated depending on initial root length (1, 3, 5 and 7 mm) and duration of chilling exposure (0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 days) at 0°C and was evaluated by measurements of roots and hypocotyls growth, electrolyte leakage and dehydrogenases activity. To assess whether short-term shock temperature applied before radicle protrusion can increase chilling tolerance in cucumber seedlings the seeds were imbibed at 25°C for 16 h, exposed to temperatures of 0; 2,5; 5; 35; 40, 45°C for 0; 0,5; 1; 2; 4 h.The obtained results indicated that cucumber seedlings sensitivity depended on duration of chilling expo-sure and initial root length during which the seedlings were subjected to these conditions. Chilling sensitivity were manifested by drop in the roots and hypocotyls elongation, reduction in dehydrogenases activity and membrane integrity expressed by electrolyte leakage. Seedlings with 1 mm roots was relatively tolerant to 3 days of chilling at 0°C. Their chilling sensitivity increased as roots elongated. Seedling with 3, 5, 7 mm of roots subjected to chilling suffered a subsequent 71, 75 and 81% of growth inhibition, respectively.The presented results showed that a short-term of low (0; 2,5 or 5°C) or high (35; 40 or 45°C) temperature treatments applied before radicle protrusion i.e. after 16 h of seeds imbibition significantly counteracted the negative effects of chilling on seedlings. The best results expressed by increased length and the number of roots were obtained when imbibed seeds were exposed to 45°C for 2 and 4 h. The increased chilling tolerance of cucumber seedlings induced as early as at the stage of seed imbibition, before radicle protrusion indicates on the possibility of application of this method in practice. The positive response of such treatment on cucumber chilling tolerance are discussed.


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