Alleviation of Nematode-Mediated Apple Replant Disease by Pre-Cultivation of Tagetes

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a severe problem in orchards and tree nurseries caused by yet unknown soil biota that accumulate over replanting cycles. This study tested the contribution of nematodes to ARD, and cultivation of Tagetes as a control option. In a pot experiment, Tagetes patula or Tagetes tenuifolia were grown in ARD soil, incorporated or removed. Nematodes extracted from untreated ARD soil and washed on 20-µm sieves induced ARD symptoms when inoculated to apple plantlets growing in a sterile substrate. In contrast, nematodes from Tagetes treated ARD soil did not reduce root growth compared to uninoculated plants, irrespective of Tagetes species and incorporation. In plots of five apple tree nurseries or orchards, either Tagetes or grass was grown on ARD soil. Nematodes extracted from the grass plots and inoculated to apple plantlets significantly reduced plant growth compared to nematodes from Tagetes plots for all five farms. Apple rootstocks showed overall a significantly higher increase in shoot base diameter when grown on Tagetes-treated plots compared to grass plots, while this effect differed among farms. Plant-parasitic nematodes were too low in abundance to explain plant damage. In conclusion, Tagetes alleviated ARD by changing the nematode community in soil.

Alleviation of Nematode-Mediated Apple Replant Disease by Pre-Cultivation of Tagetes

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a severe problem in orchards and tree nurseries caused by yet unknown soil biota that accumulate over replanting cycles. This study tested the contribution of nematodes to ARD, and cultivation of Tagetes as a control option. In a pot experiment, Tagetes patula or Tagetes tenuifolia were grown in ARD soil, incorporated or removed. Nematodes extracted from untreated ARD soil and washed on 20 µm-sieves induced ARD symptoms when inoculated to apple saplings growing in a sterile substrate. In contrast, nematodes from Tagetes treated ARD soil did not reduce root growth compared to uninoculated plants, irrespective of Tagetes species and incorporation. In plots of five apple tree nurseries or orchards, either Tagetes or grass was grown on ARD soil. Nematodes extracted from the grass plots and inoculated to apple saplings significantly reduced plant growth compared to nematodes from Tagetes plots for all five farms. Apple rootstocks showed overall a significantly higher increase in shoot base diameter when grown on Tagetes-treated plots compared to grass plots, while this effect differed among farms. Plant-parasitic nematodes were too low in abundance to explain plant damage. In conclusion, the free-living nematodes involved in ARD can be controlled by Tagetes.

Growth performance of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘glowing embers’ on culture medium with different macro-element concentrations and culture conditions

Hydrangeas are very popular shrubs thanks to their attractive, colorful flowers and foliage. Recently, they have been commercialized for cut-flower production. For mass propagation of this plant species using plant tissue culture, it is necessary to study the effects of culture medium and culture conditions on in vitro plant growth. In the first experiment, in vitro hydrangea shoots were cultured for 56 days on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media containing one among five different types of macro-elements. The half concentration of NH4NO3 on MS macro-elements significantly increased fresh and dry weights of hydrangea shoots in comparison with other treatments. The number of roots of in vitro plants in this treatment were the highest, resulting in better absorption of culture nutrient. Cross sections of the shoot base on day 14th showed that reducing only NH4NO3 on the MS medium enhanced the formation of adventitious roots. The experiment on culture conditions showed that photoautotrophic condition was suitable for the in vitro growth of hydrangea. Plants grown under photoautotrophic (PA) condition had increased fresh weight (341.39 mg/plt), increased dry weight (31.03 mg/plt) with leaf area (7.76 cm2) significantly greater than those grown under photomixotrophic (PM) condition (259.53 mg/plt, 38.22 mg/plt and 4.73 cm2 respectively). In addition, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of plants under PA condition was statistically higher and increased over the culture period while Pn of plants under PM condition remained constant. This study demonstrated that MS salts with half concentration of NH4NO3 and photoautotrophic culture method were appropriate for in vitro growth of hydrangea.

Variability of white poplar clones in a nursery trial

In this paper, the morphological variability of autochthonous unregistered experimental white poplar clones, L-12, L-80 and L-100, and the registered reference clone Villafranca were monitored in a two-year nursery trial. The highest percentage of rooting of cuttings and survival of rooted cuttings were recorded for clone L-12, during the two growing seasons. The height of rooted cuttings of L-12 was almost identical to that of Villafranca during the first growing season (rooted cuttings 1/1), and slightly lower, in comparison to Villafranca, after the second growing season (rooted cuttings 1/2). The L-12 and Villafranca clones, which differed in diameter at 10th cm from shoot base, during both years, had the highest values of the diameter of rooted cuttings of both types. Coppicing appears to have an exceptionally positive effect on the increase in both height and diameter in clone L-100, while the production of quality rooted cuttings of L-80 requires further optimization.

Micropropagation of Orchid Carrying Knotted1?Like from Arabidopsis thaliana (Knat1) Gene

KNOTED1?LIKE from Arabidopsis thaliana (KNAT1) gene keeps shoot apical meristem (SAM) in the meristematic state. The objective of the research was to investigate whether the function of KNAT1 gene in keeping plant cells under ‘meristematic state’ was functionally still work in the organ of the KNAT1 transformant. The transformant and WT plants were micropropagated, sliced and cut into some pieces, i.e. base of root, middle of root, root tip, a whole shoot, base of leaf, and leaf tip and planted in the New Phalaenopsis medium added with and without 5?M 2?iP and 0.15 ?M NAA. The results show that cells of KNAT1 transformant were more meristematic compared to wild type plants as the organ produced more buds in micropropagation.Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 25(1): 13-20, 2015 (June)

Distribution of Flavonoids and Cyclohexenyl Chalcone Derivatives in Conventional Propagated andIn Vitro-Derived Field-GrownBoesenbergia rotunda(L.) Mansf.

The distribution patterns of flavonoids and cyclohexenyl chalcone derivatives in conventional propagated (CP) andin vitro-derived (CPA) field-grown plants of an important medicinal ginger,Boesenbergia rotunda, are described. A total of eight compounds were extracted from six organs (rootlet, rhizome, shoot base, maroon stem, stalk, and leaf) of the CP and CPA plants. Five major chromatographic peaks, namely, alpinetin, pinocembrin, pinostrobin, 4-hydroxypanduratin A, and panduratin A, were consistently observed by high performance liquid chromatography. Nonaerial organs had higher levels of flavonoids than the aerial ones for all types of samples. Among the compounds detected, pinostrobin and 4-hydroxypanduratin A were the most abundant flavonoid and cyclohexenyl chalcone derivative, respectively. The distribution and abundance of the bioactive compounds suggested that the shoot base could be more potentially useful for medicinal application than other organs of the plant and may be the site of storage or occurrence of biosynthetic enzymatic activities.

CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES AS FUNCTIONAL FOODS OF FIBER SOURCES.

Research drying processed snack food seasoned with bamboo shoot base has been done with the aim of studying the seasoned dried bamboo shoot processing as a functional food source of fiber. The study involved treatment of soaking in a solution of salt and seasoning giving the dried bamboo shoots. The results of the research provided that the drying treatment using a drying oven gave shape to the drying temperature 40 to 60 ° C, humidity 60%. The results of the research provided that the drying treatment using a drying oven gave shape to the drying temperature 40 to 60 ° C, 60% humidity and drying time of 7 hours with the characteristics of dried bamboo shoots water content of 12.2%, 10.9%, and flower power rendemen 11, 9%. Nutrition content spiced dried bamboo shoots are not much different between the formulations in which the crude fiber content between 2.84 to 4.60%, from 11.1 to 15.2% water, 10.5 to 13.02 ash, protein 20.5 to 23 , 4%, water activity from 0.568 to 0.789 and 4.95 to 5.40% fat. This spiced dried bamboo shoots can qualify functional food because it contains nutritional components and coarse fibers that have a specific physiological function, hold harmless and beneficial to health. Panelist organoleptic value and acceptance is highest in dried bamboo shoots seasoned formulation instant seasoning barbeque flavor panelists favored by a score of 3.8

Cell wall reinforcement in watermelon shoot base related to its resistance to Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum

SUMMARYFusarium wilt of watermelon, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum, is one of the limiting factors for watermelon production in Taiwan. In recent research, the phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) gene expressed in the shoot base of the Fusarium wilt resistant line JSB was related to Fusarium wilt resistance. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase is the key regulatory enzyme in the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway. The downstream products of phenolic compounds are considered to be involved in the complicated plant defence mechanisms. They could act as signal molecules, antimicrobial substances and/or structural barriers. To study the resistant mechanisms of Fusarium wilt, the resistant JSB line was examined for comparison of F. oxysporum-watermelon interactions with the susceptible Grand Baby (GB) cultivar. Unlike infected GB, which was seriously colonized by F. oxysporum in the whole plant, the pathogen was limited below the shoot base of inoculated JSB, suggesting that the shoot base of JSB may contribute to Fusarium resistance. The data indicated that a significant increase in PAL activity was found in shoot bases of the resistant JSB line at 3, 9, 12 and 15 days after inoculation (DAI). Shoot bases of resistant watermelons accumulated higher amounts of soluble and cell wall-bound phenolics at 3–9 DAI; the susceptible GB cultivar, however, only increased the cell wall-bound phenolics in shoot bases at 3 DAI. High lignin deposition in the cell walls of vascular bundles was observed in the shoot bases of JSB but not of GB seedlings at 6 and 9 DAI. In the roots and shoot bases of JSB seedlings at 6 DAI, peroxidase enzyme activity increased significantly. In summary, the results suggest that accumulation of cell wall-bound phenolics and increase of peroxidase activity in shoot bases of JSB seedlings during F. oxysporum inoculation, together with the rapid deposition of lignin in the cell walls of vascular bundles, may have provided structural barriers in resistant JSB line to defend against F. oxysporum invasion.