Volumen 22 (2014): Edición 2 (December 2014)

The correlation between the sowing value of primed China aster seeds represented by germination percentage (GP), mean germination time (MGT), germination uniformity expressed as the time between 25% and 75% of germinated seeds (T_75-25) and some selected physiological characteristics - total activity of dehydrogenases (TAD), activity of catalase (AC), activity of cell cycle (ACC) and electrolyte leakage (EL) has been analysed in order to find useful markers of biological quality of seeds. To achieve this objective, analyses of effects of three methods of water supply to seeds viz. - hydroconditioning by soaking in excessive amount of water (M1), hydroconditioning by soaking in limited amount of water (M2) or hydroconditioning by contact with solid carrier of water - matriconditioning (M3), three levels (30.0, 35.0 and 40.0%) of seed moisture content (m.c.) and three incubation periods (1, 8 and 10 days) during priming and hence their influence on germination properties (GP, MGT, T_75-25) in comparison with TAD, AC, ACC and EL were determined. The results showed that MGT and T_75-25 were correlated with TAD, AC, ACC and EL, irrespective of their priming method and sowing value. Therefore, all the investigated physiological/biochemical parameters of seed quality can be used as markers of germinability and sowing value reached by primed China aster seeds. The results also proved that, irrespective of the water supply method applied, hydration of seeds up to 37.5% m.c., and their incubation at 20 °C for 8 days, followed by drying to their initial moisture content, increased to the greatest extent the speed and uniformity of seed germination and their physiological activity.

In this study, succinic acid (0, 1 and 2 mM), malic acid (0, 1 and 2 mM), ethanol (0, 2 and 4% v/v), and their mixtures were applied as preservative solutions for cut flowers of spread carnation cv. ‘White Natila’ and their effect on the longevity, the amount of absorbed solution, malondialdehyde and chlorophyll content, cell membrane stability, fresh, and dry weight and on a visual quality was determined. A similarity in the effect of malic acid and succinic acid on dry weight and fresh weight loss were found. Ethanol positively affected most of the studied traits, including the vase life and fresh weight loss. The preservative solution containing 1 mM of malic acid and 4% ethanol resulted in the longest average vase life - 11.1 days compared to 8.9 days in the control. Malic acid showed a significant positive synergism with ethanol that makes it reasonable to combine them in preservative solutions intended to extend the vase life of cut spray carnation.

In this study, we investigated the effect of plant growth regulators (PGRs) - auxins, gibberellin, cytokinin, abscisic acid, brassinosteroid, ethylene and their interaction with methyl jasmonate (JA-Me) applied to roots of the whole plants Kalanchoe blossfeldiana on the accumulation of anthocyanins in roots. The highest stimulation of anthocyanins synthesis was stated with application of JA-Me alone. In response to treatments with the other tested PGRs, the content of anthocyanins in roots of a whole plant was different depending on the concentration of the PGR when being applied alone or together with JA-Me. Auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at a concentration of 50 mg·L^-1, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) at 5 mg·L^-1 and abscisic acid (ABA) at 10 mg·L^-1 induced anthocyanin accumulation with approximately 60-115% compared to the control while 24-epibrassinolid (epiBL), gibberellic acid (GA3) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) had no effect on the anthocyanin accumulation. The simultaneous administration of the PGRs with JA-Me usually resulted in the accumulation of anthocyanins in roots in a manner similar to that caused by JA-Me. PGRs applied to isolated roots did not stimulate anthocyanin accumulation, except for the combination of JA-Me with 50 mg·L^-1 IAA.

The results indicate that in K. blossfeldiana, the aboveground parts of the plant play an important role in the biosynthesis of anthocyanins in roots.

To understand the role that the leaves play in the translocation of soluble carbohydrates in cut rose flowers, we first evaluated the effect of leaf removal on flower quality and the sugar content in petals. Cut rose flowers with leaves had higher soluble sugar content in petals compared with cut flower without leaves. Next, we treated cut flowers with radioactive glucose to clarify translocation routes of exogenously applied sugar. There was no significant difference between the specific radioactivity of sucrose and glucose in leaves, but specific radioactivity of sucrose in petals was much higher than that of glucose. These results suggested that most of the exogenously applied glucose first moved to the leaves, where it was converted into sucrose and then the synthesised sucrose was translocated to the petals. Our results showed that the leaves of cut rose flowers play an important role in the metabolism and transportation of exogenously applied soluble carbohydrates toward the petals, thus contributing to sustaining the post-harvest quality.

Nepalese orchids are made up of 458 taxa. Despite a ban on the collection and trade of all orchid species in Nepal, numerous anthropogenic factors are leading to the rapid loss of natural stands of germplasm. Biotechnology, specifically in vitro propagation, may be the only viable solution for preserving and reintroducing endangered germplasm back into the wild. Despite the large germplasm base, only tissue culture studies have been conducted, and most have focused almost exclusively on in vitro seed germination, the bulk of which have been conducted in the past few years. No other biotechnological advances have yet been made. This brief review provides a short synopsis of the advances made thus far in the in vitro propagation of Nepalese orchids.

Cold temperatures in midwinter and late-spring frosts cause severe damages to strawberry plants cultivated in temperate climate regions. Despite the seriousness of the problem, the plant mechanism of defense against cold stress has not been fully elucidated yet, especially in its molecular aspect. The presented investigations were conducted on the cold-susceptible cultivar ‘Elsanta’ and the cold-tolerant cultivar ‘Selvik’. Expression profiles of three genes (CBF4, COR47 and F3H) were determined at three time-points: 0, 6 and 12 weeks after sub-zero treatment at -12 °C. The CBF4 gene was very strongly up-regulated in ‘Selvik’ plants and the highest value of the transcript level was detected just after the treatment (time - point 0). The F3H transcript in the treated ‘Selvik’ plants reached the level 4 times higher than in control plants in the 12^th week after treatment (time-point 3). In ‘Elsanta’ plants, the CBF4 and COR47 genes were slightly up-regulated (time-point 2), while the F3H gene showed stability of expression. High positive correlation between the transcript level of COR47 and transcript level of CBF4 genes was observed for both cultivars.

The allergic reactions to fruits are lesser known among food sensitivities. The most common fruits belonging to the Rosaceae family that might cause allergic reactions are apples, pears and peaches. However, little is known about the potential allergic reactions caused by another member of the Rosaceae, the cherry. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of any allergic reaction or food hypersensitivity resulting from topical application and chronic oral administration of cherry fruits. The cherry fruits ‘Sabina’ cv. were produced in the orchard in Dąbrowice according to the principles of integrated (IFP) and organic (OR) productions. Fruits of ‘Debreceni Bötermö’ cv. were produced in Dąbrowice (IFP), and in the orchard in Nowy Dwór (OR). The experiments were performed on 65 outbred young, adult, white albinotic guinea pigs (Dankin Hartley). Three procedures were applied: I. Guinea-Pig Maximization Test (GPMT); II. Chronic administration of fruits and III. Skin prick (Dreborg) test. The skin reactions based on GPMT or Dreborg tests revealed no differences between the two cherry cultivars ‘Sabina’ and ‘Debreceni’ obtained from integrated or organic production. Similarly, it was not observed of any effect of cultivars of cherries nor the type of fruits production on the guinea pig skin reaction as a result of chronic feeding with fruits.

The eating quality of nine new pear cultivars grown in Poland was investigated in 2008-2011. Fruits of two summer cultivars: ‘Alfa’ and ‘Radana’, as well as late season varieties: ‘Hortensia’, ‘Dicolor’, ‘Concorde’, ‘Uta’, ‘Xenia’, ‘Erika’ and ‘Verdi’ were compared to fruits of ‘Clapp’s Favorite’ and ‘Conference’, which were taken as cultivars of reference. Fruits of all cultivars were harvested from the Experimental Orchard of the Research Institute of Horticulture at the commercial maturity stage and stored at +2.5 °C or -0.5 °C in a normal atmosphere (NA) or at -0.5 °C in a controlled atmosphere (CA) (0.7% CO₂ : 2% O₂) for 6 to 16 weeks. At the end of storage, the fruits of each cultivar were subjected to an individual ripening schedule at 18 °C (up to 14 days), which generated samples of diversified quality attributes. Based on instrumental analyses and descriptive sensory assessment the quality attributes of each cultivar were examined. The gathered data on the dynamics of quality attribute changes during the ripening stage confirm that each new cultivar needs an individual strategy during storage and ripening in order to maximise their specific sensory attributes to increase potential market value. The obtained data leads to the conclusion that ‘Xenia’ and ‘Concorde’ fruits have the biggest chance to fulfil consumer expectations, as they were appreciated more than the reference ‘Conference’ cultivar. Among the others also ‘Hortensia’, ‘Verdi’ and ‘Dicolor’ were scored higher than ‘Conference’, but their advantages were not so evident.

Three cultivars ‘Zefyr’, ‘Honoeoye’ and ‘Polka’ were grown on beds mulched with black plastic or without it, as well as in low tunnels covered by transparent polyethylene film or Agronet (Pegas agro, 17 g·m^-2), or without covering. The quality of fruits determined by content of ascorbic acid, titratable acidity, soluble solids, total content of phenolics and anthocyanins, antiradical activity, and radical scavenging activity (RSA) was evaluated during two seasons. Significant differences in phytochemical contents within strawberry cultivars, production seasons and cultivation methods were stated. Cultivar had the greatest influence on the content of ascorbic acid, total phenolics and RSA among all the studied factors. The amount of anthocyanins was mainly influenced by plant covering, while the annual climatic conditions had the greatest impact on the amount of titratable acidity and soluble solids. Soil mulching had the lowest influence on the chemical content of fruits.

This overview summarizes the research programs devoted to mapping the genomes within Fragaria genus. A few genetic linkage maps of diploid and octoploid Fragaria species as well as impressive physical map of F. vesca were developed in the last decade and resulted in the collection of data useful for further fundamental and applied studies. The information concerning the rules for proper preparation of mapping population, the choice of markers useful for generating linkage map, the saturation of existing maps with new markers linked to economically important traits, as well as problems faced during mapping process are presented in this paper.

The goal of this study was to assess the influence of different organic fertilisers - vermicompost, mulching, Azotobacter, phosphate solubilising microbes (PSM) and Trichoderma harzianum added each year to mineral fertilisers containing NPK and to farmyard manure (FYM) on leaf nutrient status, tree growth, fruit yield and quality of guava grown in low fertile soil. The results revealed that vermicompost, bio-fertilisers and organic mulching resulted in yield and fruit quality boosters, as compared to application of NPK and FYM as the only organic fertiliser. Significant differences in plant height, canopy spread and stem girth of guava plants were obtained in combination, where Azotobacter, T. harzianum, PSM and organic mulching were applied. The leaf nutrient contents (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn) were within sufficient ranges. Fruit yields and quality were highest in combination, where vermicompost, Azotobacter, T. harzianum, PSM and organic mulching was applied. Fruit quality parameters viz. soluble solid concentration, titratable acidity, total sugars and ascorbic acid showed positive correlation with the available macro- and micronutrients in the soil.

Apple cultivars resistant to scab are suitable for the conventional and organic cultivation. Rootstocks impact on the growth of trees, yield and fruit quality of scab-resistant cultivars were examined in the experiment conducted at Fruit Experimental Station - Samotwór near Wrocław, during the years 1998-2008. In the spring of 1998, the trees of five Czech origin scab-resistant apple cultivars ‘Rosana’, ‘Rubinola’, ‘Rajka’, ‘Goldstar’ and ‘Topaz’ each on M.9, P2, P60, P16 and P22 rootstocks were planted at a spacing of 3.5 × 1.2 m (2380 trees per hectare). The results of 11-year-long studies showed that ‘Rubinola’ and ‘Rajka’ were characterised by the strongest vigour, while ‘Rosana’ grew much weaker. Significant differences in the cumulative yield were not observed between cultivars, but rootstocks influenced cropping instantly. Trees on rootstock P60 had biggest cross-section area and canopy volume, and the highest cumulative yield. Fruit weight was highest from trees on M9 and P60. ‘Topaz’ and ‘Rosana’ formed significantly lightest fruits and ‘Goldstar’ the heaviest. Trees on the super-dwarfing P22 rootstock grew and yielded very weakly and produced very small fruits. The greatest susceptibility to powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha) was observed in ‘Topaz’ and ‘Rajka’. ‘Rubinola’ has the best potential for organic cultivation, especially on dwarfing rootstocks.

The main purpose of this work was to analyse the morphological, phenological and agronomical variability among common bean local populations from The National Centre for Plant Genetic Resources, Polish Genebank, in order to know the relation among them, and to identify potentially useful accessions for future production and breeding. A considerable genotypic variation for number of seeds per plant, number of pods per plant and weight of seeds per plant were found. Studied bean accessions differed significantly in terms of thousand seeds weight (TSW) as well as severity of bacterial halo blight and anthracnose, the major bean diseases. The lowest genotypic diversity was found for the percentage of protein in the seeds, the length of the vegetation period and lodging. The cluster analysis allowed identification of five groups of bean accessions. Genotypes from the first cluster (POLPOD 98-77, KOS 002 and Raba cv.) and from the second cluster (WUKR 06-573a, KRA 4, WUKR 06-0534 together with Prosna cv.) are of the highest usefulness for breeding purposes. There was no grouping of local populations depending on region of origin.

The experiment was performed to assess the possibility of overcoming NaCl salinity stress by foliar sprays of summer squash ‘Eskandrani’ with salicylic acid (SA) at the concentration of 10^-6 M. NaCl treatment caused reduction of shoot fresh weight, leaf number per plant, fruit yield, concentrations of potassium in aerial parts, and the concentration of chlorophyll in leaves. Plants grown under salt stress conditions had higher shoot sodium concentrations than plants untreated with NaCl. Foliar application of SA ameliorated partly the negative effect of NaCl treatment. The beneficial effect of SA was also observed in non-stressed plants, increasing the shoot potassium accumulation and leaf photosynthetic pigments status, and decreasing sodium accumulation in shoots.

This study was conducted to evaluate enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant response of ‘Selva’ strawberry plants on exogenous nitric oxide under saline conditions with respect to time of application. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), as nitric oxide (NO) source, was applied on the leaves by spray before, simultaneously, or after the initiation of saline stress. Results indicated that salinity and/or SNP at concentrations of 50 and 75 μM caused increase in activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, ascorbate peroxidase and peroxidases as well as leaf content of proline, glycine betaine and total phenolics in comparison to control. Time of NO application was important because the highest levels of catalase and ascorbic peroxidase were in plants pre-treated with SNP one week before the initiation of salinity stress. Plants from these combinations had the highest fruit yield among all saline stressed plants. So, it seems that earlier application of SNP is more effective for an optimised protection against deleterious influence of salinity stress, because pre-treated plants had a sufficient time to develop an appropriate antioxidant response. The application of SNP simultaneously or after exposure of plants to stress conditions, was also helpful in increasing plant tolerance but to a lesser extent.

Green spear yield of 16 asparagus cultivars originating from six countries was assessed from 2011 to 2013. There were considerable differences in total, marketable and early yields between the cultivars. The quality of harvested spears also varied remarkably. On average, the highest mean total and marketable yields from 3 years of investigation came from Dutch cultivars ‘Gijnlim’ and ‘Cumulus’ and German cv. ‘Mondeo’. The lowest yields were found in New Zealand cultivars ‘Pacific Challenger’ and ‘Pacific 2000’. The greatest mean marketable spear weight was recorded for ‘Cumulus’, whereas the smallest spear weight was obtained from ‘Pacific 2000’, ‘H666’ and ‘NJ 953’. Cultivars ‘Gijnlim’, ‘Cumulus’ and ‘Mondeo’ produced the highest early yields, while ‘Pacific 2000’ and ‘Pacific Challenger’ produced the lowest.

In order to determine the dependence between summer stalks size of tested cultivars in the preceding year and their yields in the following year, regression equations and their correlation coefficients were estimated. The size of summer stalks was expressed as plant growth index, which was the multiplication of height and total cross-sectional area of summer stalks. There was a significant and positive correlation between plant growth index of tested cultivars and their yields in the next vegetation period. The correlation coefficients between these two parameters amounted to 0.62 and 0.68 in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, respectively

Leafy vegetables are the source of many valuable components like vitamins, minerals and phenolic compounds as antioxidants. Chlorophyll derivatives have antioxidant and anticarcinogenic activity, or may even act as signalling molecules in organisms. However, during the storage of the leafy vegetables in the cold and darkness, numerous biochemical changes usually occurs, demonstrated as the breakdown of chlorophyll. Storage ability of plants depends to some extent on the conditions under which plants grew. Lamb’s lettuce plants were grown in the greenhouse in different light regimes - emitted with sodium (HPS-control) and LED lamps (100% red, 90% red + 10% blue, 70% red + 30% blue and 50% red + 50% blue light). The intensity of radiation at the height of the leaves of the plants was the same in every treatment. After harvesting, the plants were stored at the temperature of 5 °C and high humidity in plastic bags. The analyses of the material were done four times: after harvest and three times during storage at weekly intervals. Fresh weight lost, dry matter, phenolics and chlorophyll content were analysed. Additionally, the fluorescence of chlorophyll a was carried out. Changes in plant fresh weight and dry matter content during storage did not depend on the lighting used during cultivation. After 3 weeks of storage, higher value of indicator of the vitality of PSII (PI_ABS - Performance Index) was noticed in leaves treated with higher red light intensity during cultivation (100%, 90% and 70% red). LED lamps, which emitted 100% and 90% red light, enhanced concentration of total phenolics in lamb’s lettuce leaves. Light of HPS lamps decreased radical scavenging activity in leaves. Quality and usefulness of plants produced under LED lamps was just as good as those grown under HPS lamps.

The experiment was conducted in order to study effects of seeds priming with gibberellic acid (GA3) at 0, 3, 5 and 8 mM on germination, growth and antioxidant enzymes activity in alfalfa seedlings under salinity stress (200 mM NaCl). All control seeds germinated. The rate of germinated seeds was reduced to 48% in the presence of NaCl, and increased to 76% after seeds priming with 5 mM GA₃. Priming with 5 mM GA3 was also correlated with an increase of dry weight of seedlings derived from both stressed and non-stressed seeds as well as with the reduction of electrolyte leakage (EL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in salt stressed seedlings. The activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, guaiacol peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase in primed and non-primed seeds increased in the presence of NaCl and after priming of seeds with 5 mM GA₃, whereas only small effect on glutathione reductase activity in both primed and non-primed seeds was observed. The total ascorbate level was higher in both stressed and non-stressed seedlings from primed seeds. These results suggest that GA3 priming might increase the salt tolerance of alfalfa seedlings through enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and reducing the membrane damage as estimated using biomarkers, EL index and MDA content.