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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
41

America’s Acclimatization Exchange: Animal Acclimatization, Settler Colonialism, and the Transformation of American Nature, 1840-1975.

Blatchford, Barrie Ryne January 2024 (has links)
This dissertation argues that the significance and extent of American animal “acclimatization”—the nineteenth-century term for the purposeful introduction of non-native wild animals—has been drastically underestimated in previous historiography. Far from a negligible “fad” that only briefly interested a small number of hunters and wildlife enthusiasts, American acclimatization was in fact a large-scale and enduring exercise in bioengineering that introduced dozens of new species to the nation over the course of more than a century. At first led by private individuals and organizations, American acclimatizers introduced several new birds and fish into the country from the mid-nineteenth century, including modern-day mainstays like the English sparrow, ring-necked pheasant, and German carp. While private organizations devoted to animal acclimatization mostly dissipated by the late nineteenth century, the federal government’s biologist-bureaucrats made the acclimatization of new animals a central component of vast efforts to supply America’s hunters and fishers deep into the twentieth century, a persistence that has been heretofore overlooked. In composing the first dedicated study of American animal acclimatization, I visited a dozen different archives and have brought hundreds of previously unexamined sources to bear. These revealed the enduring popularity of animal acclimatization and its persistence as a wildlife rejuvenation tool. These sources also laid bare the ideological motivations for animal acclimatization. Far from salving a nostalgic yearning for the fauna of Europe, Euro-Americans often saw animal acclimatization projects as progressive techniques of environmental management instead. Animal acclimatization projects, moreover, were intertwined with the Euro-American colonization of the American West. Settler-colonial ideology, that fusion of Euro-American racial supremacy with grandiose notions of national identity and expansion, runs through the rhetoric of many acclimatizers. More concretely, the United States Fish Commission effected the violent dispossession and subordination of the Winnemem Wintu People on California’s McCloud River in order to set up the nation’s first chinook salmon hatchery. The USFC used the hatchery to artificially spawn tens of millions of salmon to replenish American waters as well as establish chinook salmon in American and international watersheds where the fish had never existed before. Finally, I argue that the story of American acclimatization—what I call the American “acclimatization exchange”—offers important nuance and modification to the two most famous paradigms in environmental history: the conservation movement and Alfred Crosby’s “Columbian Exchange.” Massive parallel efforts in animal acclimatization indicate that the conservation era featured far more interventionist environmental management than usually appreciated. The early adoption of “fish culture” in 1860s American also suggests that the conservation era’s periodization should be significantly backdated. Furthermore, the sheer popularity and endurance of foreign species acclimatization in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, plus the fact that Americans often obtained and exchanged species from Asia, India, and the broader Pacific World, temporally and geographically expands on Crosby’s notion of an Atlantic World “Columbian Exchange” in the wake of initial European discovery and colonization.
42

The Roles of Genic Behavioral and Biochemical Mechanisms in the Adaption of Minnows of the Genus Notropis (Cyprinidae) to Temperature

Calhoun, Stuart W. (Stuart Wayne) 12 1900 (has links)
Electrophoretic variation at twenty gene loci, patterns of behavioral thermoregulation, and genotype-specific malate dehydrogenase kinetics were investigated among populations of the red shiner, Notropis lutrensis, and the blacktail shiner, N. venustus, collected from thermally altered and thermally unaltered portions of their ranges. Genic variation was found to be high among red shiners and low among blacktail shiners. The behavioral response of the blacktail shiner to temperature was fixed among the populations sampled, whereas the response of the red shiner was mutable. Finally, blacktail shiners have incorporated into their genome an Mdh-B allele which functions well at low temperatures; red shiners, displaying high levels of Mdh-B polymorphism, maintain a more complex set of allozymes which function well over a wide range of environmental temperatures. These data are consistent with reported ecotypic distributions of the species in Texas waters; i.e., blacktail shiners occur in cool, thermally static habitats, and red shiners are tolerant of wide temperature ranges.
43

Análise da propagação e desenvolvimento inicial in vitro, e aclimatização de Brassavola Martiana Lindl (Orchidaceae)

Alves, Laís Ramos 16 March 2018 (has links)
A família Orchidaceae apresenta imensa diversidade taxonômica, bioquímica, fisiológica e genética. Por essa razão não existe um modelo único que possibilite o sucesso na propagação in vitro para todas as suas espécies e variedades. Assim, esse trabalho teve como objetivo estudar aspectos envolvidos com a propagação, o desenvolvimento inicial in vitro e a aclimatização de Brassavola martiana Lindl., espécie ocorrente no estado do Tocantins. Testou-se os efeitos dos meios de cultura de Knudson C [KC], de Vacin e Went [VW] e de Murashige e Skoog nas concentrações de 100 e 50% de seus macronutrientes [MS e ½MS] na germinação e desenvolvimento inicial in vitro. Analisou-se também a influência da idade das sementes no processo germinativo. Foram avaliados os efeitos de diferentes concentrações de sacarose (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% e 6%) bem como do ácido naftalenoacético (ANA) e da benziladenina (BA) em combinações de 0; 0,57; e 2,28 μM na multiplicação e desenvolvimento de plantas, em experimentos separados. Verificou-se também a possibilidade de se multiplicar a espécie por meio de segmentos caulinares estiolados. Por fim, foi desenvolvido um protocolo para aclimatização de B. martiana utilizando-se substratos comerciais. O meio ½MS foi o mais promissor para a germinação de B. martiana, enquanto que o KC foi o melhor para o desenvolvimento dos protocormos e formação de novas plantas. Para a obtenção de uma germinabilidade superior a 60% recomenda-se utilizar sementes com pelo menos 7 meses de idade. A adição de 3% de sacarose ao meio de cultura favoreceu a multiplicação e desenvolvimento in vitro. O uso de concentrações iguais de ANA e BA (0,57 μM) favoreceu o desenvolvimento tanto da parte aérea quanto das raízes. A utilização de segmentos caulinares estiolados foi eficaz para a propagação de B. martiana. Para a aclimatização, as plantas de B. martiana devem inicialmente serem transferidas para recipientes comunitários contendo o substrato Bioplant e após oito semanas transplantadas para vasos individuais contendo o substrato Ouro Negro e cultivados durante 90 dias. A porcentagem de sobrevivência das plantas foi considerada satisfatória. / The Orchidaceae family presents immense taxonomic, biochemical, physiological and genetic diversity. For this reason, there is no single model that allows the success of in vitro propagation for all species and varieties. Thus, the objective of this work was to study aspects involved in the propagation, initial in vitro development and acclimatization of Brassavola martiana Lindl., A species occurring in the state of Tocantins. The effects of the cultivation media of Knudson C [KC], Vacin and Went [VW] and Murashige and Skoog at the concentrations of 100 and 50% of their macronutrients [MS and ½MS] on initial in vitro germination and development. The influence of seed age on the germination process was also analyzed. The effects of different concentrations of sucrose (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% and 6%) as well as naphthaleneacetic acid (ANA) and benzyladenine (BA) were evaluated in combinations of 0; 0.57; and 2.28 μM in plant multiplication and development, in separate experiments. It was also verified the possibility of multiplying the species by means of stretched cauline segments. Finally, a protocol for the acclimatization of B. martiana was developed using commercial substrates. The ½MS medium was the most promising for the germination of B. martiana, while the KC was the best for the development of protocormos and formation of new plants. To obtain germinability higher than 60%, it is recommended to use seeds at least 7 months old. The addition of 3% sucrose to the culture medium favored multiplication and development in vitro. The use of equal concentrations of ANA and BA (0.57 μM) favored the development of both shoot and roots. The use of styrofoam segments was effective for the propagation of B. martiana. For acclimatization, B. martiana plants should initially be transferred to community vessels containing the Bioplant substrate and after eight weeks transplanted into individual pots containing the Ouro Negro substrate and cultured for 90 days. The percentage of plant survival was considered satisfactory.
44

Perda de eletrólitos radiculares em mudas de Peltophorum dubium e Enterolobium contortisiliquum submetidas a diferentes frequências de irrigação durante a rustificação / Root electrolyte loss in Peltophorum dubium and Enterolobium contortisiliquum seedlings subjects to irrigation frequencies during hardening

Oro, Priscilla 17 August 2012 (has links)
Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T17:36:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Priscila_Oro.pdf: 1119068 bytes, checksum: cb347e2e8ef2ff2a2ee86c4019100b3e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-17 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The search for alternative tests that aim to characterize the physiological quality of seedlings are important and needed. The objective of this work was to evaluate the use and consistency of root electrolyte leakage test in the physiological characterization and survival of Enterolobium contortisiliquum and Peltophorum dubium seedlings submitted to irrigation frequencies during hardening. Seedlings were submitted to six irrigation frequencies for a period of 30 days, when we evaluated increments in height and stem diameter, ratio of height to stem diameter, increments in dry biomass of root, stem and leaves, the ratio of shoot to root dry biomass, total dry biomass, Dickson quality index, and root electrolyte leakage. Seedlings were transplanted to pots with sand and water restriction for 60 days to evaluate survival percentage according to a randomized design. Results showed a negative correlation between electrolyte leakage and survival percentage after 30 and 45 days of water restriction of -0,60 and -0,76 for E. contortisiliquum and -0,70 and -0,75 for P. dubium seedlings, respectively. Root electrolyte leakage showed to be consistent to evaluate physiological quality and survival of Enterolobium contortisiliquum and Peltophorum dubium seedlings subjected to different irrigation frequencies during hardening / A busca por testes alternativos que visem a caracterização da qualidade fisiológica de lotes de mudas florestais é de suma importância e se faz necessária. Desta forma, objetivou-se avaliar o emprego e a consistência do teste de perda de eletrólitos radiculares na caracterização fisiológica e na sobrevivência de mudas de Enterolobium contortisiliquum e de Peltophorum dubium submetidas ao déficit hídrico em função de diferentes frequências de irrigação na fase de rustificação. As mudas foram submetidas a seis regimes de regas por um período de 30 dias, após o qual foram quantificados o incremento em altura e diâmetro do coleto, a relação entre a altura e o diâmetro do coleto, os incrementos na massa seca do sistema radicular, caulinar e aéreo, a relação da massa seca da parte aérea com a radicular, a massa seca total, o índice de qualidade de Dickson, assim como, o teste da perda de eletrólitos radiculares. As mudas foram transplantas para vasos com areia e submetidas a completa restrição hídrica por 60 dias para avaliação da porcentagem de sobrevivência e correlação entre a sobrevivência e o teste de perda de eletrólitos radiculares. Os resultados indicaram correlação negativa entre o menor extravasamento de eletrólitos e a maior deposição de fotoassimilados, assim, como, com a maior porcentagem de sobrevivência, principalmente, aos 30 e 45 dias de restrição hídrica atingindo valores de -0,60 e -0,76 em mudas de E. contortisiliquum e de -0,70 e -0,75 em mudas de P. dubium.. O teste de perda de eletrólitos radiculares mostrou-se consistente na avaliação da qualidade fisiológica e sobrevivência de mudas de E. contortisiliquum e P. dubium submetidas a diferentes frequências de irrigação durante a rustificação
45

Fungos em bibliotecas: frequência dos gêneros em livros e elaboração de teste para avaliação da biorreceptividade em papéis. / Fungi in libraries: genera frequency in books and test development for evaluation of paper bioreceptivity.

Menezes, Adriana Araujo Reis 24 June 2009 (has links)
Em bibliotecas, a grande concentração de matéria orgânica, associada a uma climatização deficiente propicia um ambiente favorável ao crescimento fúngico. O objetivo deste trabalho é desenvolver um teste para detectar a biorreceptividade ao crescimento fúngico de papéis utilizados na confecção de livros. Os gêneros de fungos foram amostrados nos períodos do inverno e verão, em seis bibliotecas da Universidade de São Paulo, três com climatização artificial e três sem. Não houve diferença no número de gêneros encontrados entre as bibliotecas com e sem climatização artificial, mas o inverno mostrou maior diversidade que o verão. Os fungos Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Chaetomium e Trichoderma foram inoculados em quatro tipos de papéis e estes foram testados em câmaras com 95% e 100% de umidade relativa, a 25 oC, por 30 dias. O crescimento ou não dos fungos nos papéis foi avaliado, assim como a alteração de cor. Nas condições do teste conclui-se que o melhor crescimento ocorreu com Cladosporium, na concentração de 106cél/mL e umidade relativa de 100%. / Libraries are very propitious environments for the growth of fungi. The great concentration of organic material available for these microorganisms, and often the lack of adequate ventilation or climate control, favors this situation. The main aim of this study is to develop a test to detect fungal growth bioreceptivity in papers used in books. Firstly, fungi genera where sampled in the summer and winter in six libraries of University of São Paulo, three with artificial acclimatization and three without. There was no difference in number between the libraries with and without artificial acclimatization but the diversity was higher in the winter than in the summer. Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Trichoderma and Chaetomium where inoculated in papers and tested in chambers with 95% and 100% of relative humidity, at 25°C for 30 days. The fungal growth was evaluated, as well the color alteration. The conclusion based on the tests is that the highest growth occurred with Cladosporium, with 106 cel/mL concentration and relative humidity of 100%.
46

Temperature sensing in plants

Sangwan, Veena. January 2000 (has links)
No description available.
47

Kulturella möten vid invänjning : En studie av nio pedagogers uppfattningar i sex flerkulturella förskolor / Cultural meetings in acclimatization : A study based on nine educationalists opinions in sex multicultural preschools.

Alsterberg, Cecilia January 2009 (has links)
<p>Undersökningen som grundar sig på intervjuer med nio pedagoger i sex flerkulturella förskolor utgår både från styrdokumentens förespråkade sociokulturella tänk liksom ett socialisationsteoretiskt perspektiv. Studien synliggör att såväl språkliga – som kulturella dilemman dagligen uppstår såväl mellan hemmet och förskolan, som mellan vuxna med olika religionstilllhörighet. Studien tydliggör att ett interkulturellt perspektiv inte föreligger i möten mellan olika kulturer, vilka därmed sker utifrån pedagogernas individuella reflektioner kring egna – och andra kulturer. Invänjningen av barn med annat modersmål och annan etnisk tillhörighet får bäst förutsättningar att lyckas om parterna möts vilket inte är självklart. Studien visar med detta dels att socialiseringsprocessen in i samhället sker genom kontakten till pedagogerna – vars åsikter och förhållningssätt representerar den ”allmänna uppfattningen”. Dels framkommer det att många familjer med annan härkomst har mycket svag insikt om svensk förskola, att det faktiskt inte är en läsa - räkna - skriva – skola utan en arena där barn mycket tidigt får möjlighet att utvecklas till självständiga individer. Framförallt framkommer det att stora kulturella skillnader i synen på barns behov av – och i förskolan försvårar invänjningen avsevärt.</p>
48

Kulturella möten vid invänjning : En studie av nio pedagogers uppfattningar i sex flerkulturella förskolor / Cultural meetings in acclimatization : A study based on nine educationalists opinions in sex multicultural preschools.

Alsterberg, Cecilia January 2009 (has links)
Undersökningen som grundar sig på intervjuer med nio pedagoger i sex flerkulturella förskolor utgår både från styrdokumentens förespråkade sociokulturella tänk liksom ett socialisationsteoretiskt perspektiv. Studien synliggör att såväl språkliga – som kulturella dilemman dagligen uppstår såväl mellan hemmet och förskolan, som mellan vuxna med olika religionstilllhörighet. Studien tydliggör att ett interkulturellt perspektiv inte föreligger i möten mellan olika kulturer, vilka därmed sker utifrån pedagogernas individuella reflektioner kring egna – och andra kulturer. Invänjningen av barn med annat modersmål och annan etnisk tillhörighet får bäst förutsättningar att lyckas om parterna möts vilket inte är självklart. Studien visar med detta dels att socialiseringsprocessen in i samhället sker genom kontakten till pedagogerna – vars åsikter och förhållningssätt representerar den ”allmänna uppfattningen”. Dels framkommer det att många familjer med annan härkomst har mycket svag insikt om svensk förskola, att det faktiskt inte är en läsa - räkna - skriva – skola utan en arena där barn mycket tidigt får möjlighet att utvecklas till självständiga individer. Framförallt framkommer det att stora kulturella skillnader i synen på barns behov av – och i förskolan försvårar invänjningen avsevärt.
49

Temperature sensing in plants

Sangwan, Veena. January 2000 (has links)
It is now well established that cold-triggered calcium influx mediates cold-induced gene expression and development of freezing tolerance (cold acclimation). In this thesis, cold signaling events both upstream and downstream of calcium influx were examined. / First, it was shown that the studies on calcium mediation of cold acclimation in alfalfa cell suspension cultures could be applied to intact seedlings of Arabidopsis. Calcium chelators and channel blockers caused a strong reduction in the cold-induced accumulation of kin1 and kin2 transcripts, suggesting that calcium influx was an essential event during cold signaling and that the source of calcium for this influx was largely the calcium-rich cell wall. Evidence suggesting the involvement of calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) was also obtained. / Second, the nature of events upstream of calcium influx was explored. For this study, transgenic Brassica napus seedlings possessing both the endogenous cold-inducible BN115 gene and the coding part of beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene placed under the control of the BN115 promoter were used. Thus cold-activation of the BN115 promoter drove the expression of both BN115 at the transcriptional level and the GUS enzyme activity at the translational level. Cold-activation of BN115 was inhibited by chemicals which cause membrane fluidization, cytoskeletal stabilization and inhibition of Ca2+ influx, and mimicked at 25°C by chemicals causing membrane rigidification, cytoskeletal destabilization and Ca2+ influx. Inhibitors of protein and lipid kinases prevented cold-activation of BN115, but inhibition of protein phosphatases activated BN115 at 25°C. / Third, given the increasing importance of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in signal transduction, the nature of molecular mechanisms that lead to cold-activation of a previously reported MAPK, SAMK, was investigated. During this study, the first plant MAPK activated by heat shock was discovered and named HAMK (Heat-shock-activated MAPK). It was shown that cold-activation of SAMK is mediated by cold-induced membrane rigidification, whereas the heat shock-activation of HAMK occurs through heat shock-induced membrane fluidization. Whereas activation of both SAMK and HAMK is blocked by an actin microfilament stabilizer, it is mimicked at 25°C by chemical destabilizers of microtubules or actin microfilaments. All of these events are inhibited by blocking the influx of extracellular Ca 2+. Cold-activation of SAMK and heat-activation of HAMK was prevented by treatment of cells with inhibitors of CDPKs. Thus, cold and heat shock are sensed by structural changes in the plasma membrane, which transduces the signal via cytoskeletal rearrangements to the opening of calcium channels, leading to Ca2+ influx, activation of CDPKs and activation of distinct MAPK cascades.
50

The role of meta-topolins on the physiology of micropropagated 'Williams' bananas (Musa spp. AAA)

Aremu, Adeyemi Oladapo. January 2012 (has links)
Banana production ranks fifth behind cereals as a food crop and has potential, along with other major crops, to feed the world's increasing population. Globally, continuous efforts and techniques including the use of plant tissue culture (PTC) have been devised for increasing the production of several Musa species. The choice of cytokinin (CK) is one of the most critical factors in developing a successful PTC protocol. Since the discovery of topolins as naturally occurring aromatic CKs, they have emerged as genuine alternatives to the long serving CKs (benzyladenine = BA, zeatin = Z and kinetin = KIN) in PTC. Globally, the past 15 years has witnessed a surge in the use of topolins and their derivatives in research laboratories. Topolins have demonstrated great potential during culture initiation and protocol optimization as well as for counteracting various in vitro induced physiological disorders in some species. In terms of general physiology (growth, phytochemical and photosynthetic pigment contents as well as genetic fidelity), the topolins were compared with BA using 'Williams' bananas with minimal residual exogenous CK carry-over effects. The five topolins tested were meta-Topolin (mT); meta-Topolin riboside (mTR); meta-Methoxy topolin (MemT); meta-Methoxy topolin riboside (MemTR) and meta-Methoxy topolin 9-tetrahydropyran-2-yl (MemTTHP). Based on evidence of potential CK- and auxin-like activity of smoke-water (SW) and karrikinolide (KAR1) at low concentrations, a similar comparative study involving both compounds and mT was performed. For a further understanding of banana physiology in vitro, the effect of supplementing either mT- or BA-requiring cultures with roscovitine (a cyclin-dependent kinase and N-glucosylation inhibitor) and INCYDE (an inhibitor of CK degradation) on the endogenous CK profiles was investigated. In addition, greenhouse experiments geared towards improving the acclimatization competence of tissue-cultured banana plantlets via application of different concentrations of SW and vermicompost leachate was conducted. Sterile shoot-tip explants were cultured on modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 10, 20 or 30 μM of the tested CKs for 42 days while rooting experiments involved the use of classic auxins as well as SW and KAR1. Apart from 10 μM BA and 30 μM MemTTHP treatments, the number of shoots produced with all the CK treatments were significantly higher than the control. Treatment with 30 μM mT resulted in the highest number of shoots (7.3±1.0) which is an indication of the requirement of exogenous CK for increased shoot proliferation in 'Williams' bananas The use of 10 μM MemTTHP had the least root inhibitory effect during the shoot proliferation phase. As an indication of the toxicity of applied CK, MemT- and MemTR-regenerants were the most deformed while mTR-regenerated plantlets demonstrated the best quality across all the CKs tested. In mT- and BA-derived shoots, SW and KAR1 significantly increased the number and length of roots compared to the control. During the rooting phase, topolin treatments produced more off-shoots than BA-treated ones which inevitably improved the overall number of regenerated shoots. Total phenolic levels were highest in 10 μM mT- and 30 μM MemTTHP-treated plantlets detected in the aerial and underground parts, respectively. It is interesting that in the underground parts, 10 μM mT resulted in the production of the highest amount of proanthocyanidins which was approximately five-fold higher than in the control plants. On the other hand, 10 μM MemTTHP-treated plantlets had significantly higher total flavonoids within the aerial parts. In view of the stimulation of secondary metabolites in the majority of the CK-treated plantlets, the current results indicate the role of the type and concentration of applied CK as potential elicitors in PTC. Generally, the maximum photosynthetic pigment content was attained between 40-50 days. The control plantlets had the highest pigment content (1150 μg/g FW) while 10 μM MemTTHP had the best pigment stimulatory effect among the tested CKs. Nevertheless, in vitro propagation of banana devoid of CKs is not a practical option due to low shoot proliferation rates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the foliar surface showed that the stomatal density was highest in 10 μM MemTTHP-treated and lowest in 10 μM MemTR-treated plantlets. Prolonging the culture duration as well as increasing CK concentrations reduced the pigment content. However, the drastic breakdown in chlorophyll pigments beyond 50 days was slightly inhibited by the presence of mT, mTR, MemTTHP and BA compared to the control. Current findings indicate the potential anti-senescence activity of the topolins such as mT, mTR and MemTTHP under in vitro conditions. This study articulates that the right choice and concentration of CKs applied during in vitro propagation may alleviate photomixotrophic-induced physiological stress that usually accompanies the transfer of plantlets to ex vitro conditions. Findings indicate that the effect of subculturing contributed significantly to the higher rate of variation in 'Williams' bananas in vitro. The presence of CK in the culture media apparently aggravated the stress on the explants as indicated in the relatively higher percentage polymorphic bands compared to the controls. Among the tested CKs, the use of mTR and MemTTHP caused the least detrimental effect on the regenerants while mT-treated plantlets had the most polymorphic bands. Hence, it is recommended that subculturing cycles from the initial explant establishment should be limited to a maximum of five. The use of SW and KAR1 improved the level of photosynthetic pigment and phenolic compounds in the micropropagated bananas. However, they had a negative effect on shoot proliferation; hence their inclusion is more desired when used at the rooting phase of micropropagation. Perhaps, these compounds could be used in conjunction with auxin to increase the number of roots prior to the acclimatization stage. The enhanced photosynthetic pigment level resulting from addition of SW and KAR1 would also play a vital role during acclimatization of the micropropagated plants. The present finding serves as an alternative approach, available to researchers for improving the quantity of secondary metabolites in micropropagated plants. The highest regeneration rate (93%) was observed in BA + roscovitine treatment while mT + INCYDE-treated plantlets produced most shoots. Treatment with BA + roscovitine had the highest shoot length and biomass. Although not significant, there was more proanthocyanidins in BA + roscovitine treatments compared to the treatment with BA alone. On the contrary, total phenolics were significantly higher in mT + roscovitine treatment than in the mT-treated regenerants. The presence of roscovitine and/or INCYDE had no significant effect on the photosynthetic pigments of the banana plantlets. Forty-seven aromatic and isoprenoid CKs categorized into nine CK-types were detected at varying concentrations. The presence of mT + roscovitine and/or INCYDE increased the levels of O-glucosides, while 9-glucosides remained the major derivative in the presence of BA. Generally, the underground parts had higher CK levels than the aerial parts; however the presence of INCYDE increased the level of CK quantified in the aerial parts of both CK treated plantlets. Apparently, the presence of INCYDE serves to enhance transportation of the CK towards the aerial regions. From a practical perspective, the use of roscovitine and INCYDE in PTC could be crucial in the alleviation of commonly observed in vitro-induced physiological abnormalities. Soil drenching with SW significantly increased the root length (1:1000 and 1:500 dilutions) as well as fresh and dry weight (1:1000; 1:500 and 1:250 dilutions) when compared to foliar application. Vermicompost leachate (1:10 and 1:5 dilutions) significantly enhanced the shoot length, root length, leaf area and dry weights. Vermicompost leachate (1:20; 1:10 and 1:5 dilutions) also significantly increased the number of off-shoots. The positive effect on rooting is beneficial for acclimatization and establishment of tissue-cultured banana plantlets in nurseries and subsequent transfer to the field. However, field trials will be necessary to substantiate the effects demonstrated by these compounds. In an attempt to contribute to improving banana micropropagation, the current findings provide additional evidence on the increasing advantage of topolins over BA. Nevertheless, some detrimental physiological effects observed with some of the topolins (for example, MemT and MemTR) are clear indication that they should not be taken as a panacea in PTC. Besides optimizing efficient PTC protocols through stringent choice of CKs, other associated physiological and metabolic events taking place in culture during the optimization process need more in-depth investigation. In addition to contributing towards the better understanding of the mode of action of these CKs, such an approach will help solve associated physiological and developmental problems in vitro. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

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