An experiment was conducted to study the effect of NaCl (electric conductivity of 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 dS m-1) on growth, gas exchange parameters, water status, membrane injury, chlorophyll stability index and oxidative defense mechanisms in two cultivars (Gola and Umran) of Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana). Results showed that the dry mass and leaf area reduced linearly with increasing levels of salinity. Net photosynthetic rate (PN), transpiration (E), and stomatal conductance (gs) were comparatively lower in Umran which further declined with salinity. Leaf relative water content, chlorophyll (Chl) stability and membrane stability also decreased significantly under salt stress, with higher magnitude in Umran. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX) and catalase (CAT) activities were higher in Gola whereas hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation and lipid peroxidation (MDA content) were higher in control as well as salttreated plants of Umran. The Na+ content was higher in the roots of Gola and in the leaves of Umran, resulting in high K+/Na+ ratio in Gola leaves. Thus it is suggested that salt tolerance mechanism is more efficiently operative in cultivar Gola owing to better management of growth, physiological attributes, antioxidative defense mechanism, and restricted translocation of Na+ from root to leaves along with larger accumulation of K+ in its leaves., R. Agrawal ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of elevated (550 ± 17 μmol mol-1) CO2 concentration ([CO2]) on leaf ultrastructure, leaf photosynthesis and seed yield of two soybean cultivars [Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Zhonghuang 13 and cv. Zhonghuang 35] at the Free-Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experimental facility in North China. Photosynthetic acclimation occurred in soybean plants exposed to long-term elevated [CO2] and varied with cultivars and developmental stages. Photosynthetic acclimation occurred at the beginning bloom (R1) stage for both cultivars, but at the beginning seed (R5) stage only for Zhonghuang 13. No photosynthetic acclimation occurred at the beginning pod (R3) stage for either cultivar. Elevated [CO2] increased the number and size of starch grains in chloroplasts of the two cultivars. Soybean leaf senescence was accelerated under elevated [CO2], determined by unclear chloroplast membrane and blurred grana layer at the beginning bloom (R1) stage. The different photosynthesis response to elevated [CO2] between cultivars at the beginning seed (R5) contributed to the yield difference under elevated [CO2]. Elevated [CO2] significantly increased the yield of Zhonghuang 35 by 26% with the increased pod number of 31%, but not for Zhonghuang 13 without changes of pod number. We conclude that the occurrence of photosynthetic acclimation at the beginning seed (R5) stage for Zhonghuang 13 restricted the development of extra C sink under elevated [CO2], thereby limiting the response to elevated [CO2] for the seed yield of this cultivar., X. Y. Hao ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The effects of postharvest pretreatments on vase life, keeping quality and carbohydrate concentrations in cut sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus L.) flowers were investigated. Compared to the control, all treatments promoted floret quality and extended longevity. The cut flowers held in the solution containing sucrose + 8-hydroxyquinoline (Suc+HQS) was more effective in promoting absorption rate, achieved greater maximum fresh mass, had better water balance for a longer period, extended the vase life (up to 17 d), and delayed degradation of chlorophylls. The same treatment also enhanced the concentration of soluble carbohydrates in the petals and stems and leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content, whereas it was lowest in silver thiosulphate (STS) treatment. However, concentrations of anthocyanin in the petals were higher for treatment with sucrose or STS plus sucrose than in control or STS alone treatments. Our results suggest that pulse treatment with HQS plus sucrose for 12 h is the most effective for improving pigmentation and use as a commercial cut flower preservative solution to delay flower senescence, enhance quality, and prolong the vase life of sweet pea. The results also showed that soluble carbohydrate concentration in petals and stems is an important factor in determining the vase life of sweet pea flowers., K. M. Elhindi., and Obsahuje bibliografii
a1_The effect of a wide range of temperatures (-15 and 60°C) in darkness or under strong irradiation [1,600 μmol(photon) m-2 s-1] on quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry and xanthophyll cycle pigments was investigated in a tropical fruit crop (Musa sp.) and a temperate spring flowering plant (Allium ursinum L.). In darkness within the nonlethal thermal window of A. ursinum (from -6.7 to 47.7°C; 54.5 K) and of Musa sp. (from -2.2°C to 49.5°C; 51.7 K) maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) was fairly unaffected by temperature over more than 40 K. At low temperature Fv/Fm started to drop with ice nucleation but significantly only with initial frost injuries (temperature at 10% frost damage; LT10). The critical high temperature threshold for PSII (Tc) was 43.8°C in A. ursinum and 44.7°C in Musa sp. Under strong irradiation, exposure to temperatures exceeding the growth ones but being still nonlethal caused photoinhibition in both species. Severity of photoinhibition increased with increasing distance to the growth temperature range. ΔF/Fm′ revealed distinctly different optimum temperature ranges: 27-36°C for Musa sp. and 18-27°C for A. ursinum exceeding maximum growth temperature by 2-7 K. In both species only at temperatures > 30°C zeaxanthin increased and violaxanthin decreased significantly. At nonlethal low temperature relative amounts of xanthophylls remained unchanged. At temperatures > 40°C β-carotene increased significantly in both species. In Musa sp. lutein and neoxanthin were significantly increased at 45°C, in A. ursinum lutein remained unchanged, neoxanthin levels decreased in the supraoptimal temperature range. In darkness, Fv/Fm was highly temperature-insensitive in both species., a2_Under strong irradiation, whenever growth temperature was exceeded, photoinhibition occurred with xanthophylls being changed only under supraoptimal temperature conditions as an antiradical defence mechanism., A. Dongsansuk, C. Lütz, and G. Neuner., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Research by the Masaryk University in Siberia is focused on ecosystems similar to Central European palaeoecosystems of the Pleistocene and Early Holocene. We mainly deal with the diversity and productivity of plant communities and their relationships to indicators of past environments (pollen deposition, mollusc assemblages). The results indicate that the best analogues of Pleistocene ecosystems are found in the Altai-Sayan region of southern Siberia. and Milan Chytrý.
We studied how tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) chloroplast omega-3 fatty acid desaturase gene (Lefad7) overexpression enhanced low-temperature (LT) tolerance in transgenic tomato plants. In these plants, the content of linolenic acid (18:3) markedly increased and, correspondingly, the content of linoleic acid (18:2) decreased. Similar changes were found after 6 h under LT (4°C) treatment. Under LT stress, wild type (WT) tomato plants showed a much greater increase in relative electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents compared with transgenic plants. Transgenic plants exhibited higher activities of antioxidative enzymes and a lower content of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Transgenic plants maintained a relatively higher level of the net photosynthetic rate (PN) and chlorophyll (Chl) content than WT plants under LT stress. Taken together, we suggested that overexpression of Lefad7 enhanced LT tolerance by changing the composition of membrane lipids in tomato plants, with the increased content of trienoic fatty acids and reduced content of dienoic fatty acids that led to series of physiological alterations., X. Y. Liu ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Článek přináší poznatky o vznikajících mezidruhových vztazích v ekosystémech po zavlečení nového invazního druhu rostliny – netýkavky žláznaté (Impatiens glandulifera) – a uvádí některé entomologické aspekty jejího masového výskytu v novém prostředí., The impact of aphids on the invasive plant Impatiens glandulifera in the Czech Republic is shown and some entomological aspects of I. glandulifera distribution in local ecosystems are discussed., and Petr Starý, Jan Havelka.
Simultaneous measurements of leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence for Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm. at 380 ± 5.6 and 600 ± 8.5 μmol mol-1 were conducted, and the photosynthetic electron flow via photosystem II (PSII) to photosynthesis, photorespiration, and other electron-consuming processes were calculated. The results showed that the photosynthetic electron flow associated with carboxylation (Jc), oxygenation (Jo), and other
electron-consuming processes (Jr) were 72.7, 45.7, and 29.4 μmol(e-) m-2 s-1 at 380 μmol mol-1, respectively; and 86.1, 35.3, and 48.2 μmol(e-) m-2 s-1 at 600 μmol mol-1, respectively. Our results revealed that other aspects associated with electronconsuming processes, except for photosynthesis and respiration, were neither negligible nor constant under photorespiratory conditions. Using maximum net photosynthetic rate (Pmax), day respiration (R), photorespiration rate (Rl), and maximum electron flow via PSII
(Jmax), the use efficiency of electrons via PSII at saturation irradiance to fix CO2 was calculated. The calculated results showed that the use efficiency of electrons via PSII to fix CO2 at 600 μmol mol-1 was almost as effective as that at 380 μmol mol-1, even though more electrons passed through PSII at 600 μmol mol-1 than at 380 μmol mol-1., Z. P. Ye, Q. Yu, H. J. Kang., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The effectiveness of eight spectral reflectance indices for estimating chlorophyll (Chl) content in leaves of Eugenia uniflora L., a tropical tree species widely distributed throughout the world and a key species for ecosystem restoration projects, was evaluated. Spectral reflectance indices were tested using sun and shade leaves with a broad variation in leaf mass per area (LMA). Shortly after plants were exposed to chilling temperatures, there was a dramatic visible change in some sun leaves from green to red. Prior to testing Chl-related reflectance indices, the green and red leaves were separated according to the anthocyanin reflectance index (ARI). Slightly green to dark green leaves corresponded to an ARI value less than 0.11 (n = 107), whereas slightly red to red leaves corresponded to an ARI value greater than 0.11 (n = 35). To estimate leaf Chl, two simple reflectance indices (SR680 and SR705), two normalized difference indices (ND680 and ND705), two modified reflectance indices (mSR705 and mND705), a modified Chl absorption ratio index (mCARI705) and an index insensitive to the presence of anthocyanins (CIre) were evaluated. Good estimates of leaf Chl content were obtained using the reflectance indices tested regardless of the presence of anthocyanins and changes in LMA. Based on the coefficients of determination (r2) and the root mean square errors (RMSɛc) the best results were obtained with reflectance indices measured at wavelengths of 750 and 705 nm. Considering the performance of the models the best reflectance indices to estimate Chl contents in E. uniflora leaves with a broad variation in LMA and anthocyanin contents was SR705 and mCARI705., M. S. Mielke, B. Schaffer, A. C. Schilling., and Obsahuje bibliografii