No description available.

No description available.

Graduation date: 1992

An understanding of the genetic regulation of low-temperature (LT) tolerance is a prerequisite for the development of cold tolerant cultivars for high stress regions. The objectives of this study were to determine if LT tolerance genes are developmentally regulated. Low-temperature response curves were determined for spring wheat and barley genotypes grown at 4°C under 8 hour (h) short day (SD) and 20 h long day (LD) photoperiods for various acclimation periods up to 112 days. Final leaf number (FLN) and growth of shoot apex was used to determine the stage of phenological development. Expression of LT tolerance genes was determined by LT50. A delay in transition from the vegetative to the reproductive phase in SD sensitive, non-hardy AC Minto spring wheat and highly SD sensitive Dicktoo barley grown under SD resulted in an increased level and/or longer retention of expression of LT tolerance genes. In vernalization requiring winter genotypes photoperiod response of SD sensitive winter barley and wheat genotypes was reflected in the level of expression of LT tolerance genes beginning in the early stages of vernalization and plant development. A delay in transition to the vegetative stage allowed LT acclimation to continue to colder temperatures under SD compared to LD conditions in photoperiod sensitive genotypes. To determine the interrelationships between the developmental stages and LT gene expression, winter wheat genotypes were LT acclimated at 4°C under SD and LD from 0 to 112 d. Also, three de-acclimation (20C) and re-acclimation cycles were used beginning before and after vegetative/reproductive transition. Development of the SD de-acclimated plants was greatly delayed compared to LD plants as determined by shoot apex development, and this delay was reflected in the ability of SD plants to re-acclimate to much lower temperatures. Results indicated that expression of LT tolerance genes is governed by developmental regimes and plants in the vegetative phase have a much greater ability to LT acclimate than plants in the reproductive phase. These results support the hypothesis that level and duration of expression of LT tolerance genes determine the degree of LT tolerance and that LT tolerance genes are developmentally regulated.

Membrane proteins specific to cold acclimation were studied in alfalfa (Medicago falcata L. cv Anik) seedlings and cell cultures. They were identified following separation on polyacrylamide gels and localized as far as possible to specific membranes by fractionation on continuous sucrose gradient and analysis of marker enzyme assays. / With cold acclimation, certain membrane proteins from seedlings showed subtle changes (mainly increases) in their steady-state amount and in their net synthesis rate. Most of these changes were in proteins with molecular weights below 100 kDa and were associated with light fractions of the sucrose gradient, favoring a Golgi, endoplasmic reticulum or tonoplast location for the proteins. Preliminary work done on membrane proteins from cell cultures showed more pronounced changes with cold acclimation. Most of the changes were in proteins with molecular weights below 100 kDa and were associated with heavy fractions of the sucrose gradient. Since they are easier to harvest and to manipulate, cell cultures appear to be the better system to use in future studies.

No description available.

The sensitivity of Arizona-grown grapefruit to chilling temperatures varied throughout the harvest period studied. This sensitivity was high in October, decreased in November and December, then increased in February. In April and May there was another decrease in sensitivity to chilling temperatures. Coating fruit with vegetable oils or fats successfully delayed the development of chilling injury and reduced the degree of injury, however, vegetable oils applied as water emulsions were even more effective in preventing chilling injury to 'Redblush' grapefruit extending the period of marketability more than 100 days. Postharvest application of CaCl₂ and certain plant growth regulators significantly increased the resistance of 'Marsh' grapefruit to chilling injury, but less so than oil emulsions. Scanning electron microscope photomicrographs of 'Marsh' grapefruit peels showed that severe chilling injury was a depressed area of collapsed cell, just beneath the epidermis layer. As the severity of chilling injury increased, non-collapsed cells gradually increased in size. Cell walls were irregularly shaped; thin in some areas and thick in others. Oil glands in depressed areas were not ruptured during cold storage. Hence release of toxic materials through rupturing of oil glands is not a factor in chilling injury. Compared to non-injured tissue, injured tissue from the same fruits had significantly lower water and osmotic potentials, and low, near zero, turgor pressures. There was a significant negative correlation (r = -0.5; p < 0.05) between the water potentials of the peels and the percentage of 'Marsh' grapefruit with severe chilling injury during storage at 2.8C. Ion leakage tended to increase during cold storage, and when the fruit were transferred to room temperature. Internal conductivities declined sharply during cold storage and then increased very strongly during periods at room temperature.

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

In South Africa, Eucalyptus trees are used for many processed wood products (e.g. paper) and in the mining industry. Priorities in Eucalyptus breeding programmes include selection of varieties that are fast growers, insect and disease resistant, have appropriate wood characteristics and can grow in a wide variety of environmental conditions. Cold-tolerant cultivars of E. saligna and of E. grandis have been bred and selected in Australia and South Africa, respectively for use in cold regions of Natal Midlands and North Eastern Cape. However, the production of large numbers of such cultivars for planting out in a commercial scale is being impaired by slow growth rate, low regeneration time and poor rooting ability of cuttings from these trees. Consequently, methods of in vitro propagation of cold-tolerant clones were investigated. Axillary buds were induced and subjected to a variety of multiplication, elongation and rooting media. The optimised protocol for the production of shoots from axillary buds was: bud induction medium comprising of MS supplemented with 20 grl sucrose and 10 grl agar for 1-2 weeks, multiplication medium comprising of MS supplemented with 0.1 mgrl biotin, 0.1 mgrl calcium pantothenate, 0.2 mgrl benzyladenine phosphate, 20 grl sucrose and 3.5 grl Gelrite for 4 weeks, elongation medium for 4-6 weeks comprising of MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mgrl biotin, 0.1 mgrl calcium pantothenate, 0.35 mgr' NAA, 0.1 mgr' kinetin, 0.1 mgrl IBA, 20 grl sucrose and 3.5 gr1 Gelrite. Production of plantlets via somatic embryogenesis was also investigated but hampered because of high rates of contamination as pieces of mature leaves were used as exp1ants. Ongoing breeding programmes are aimed at obtaining hybrids of Eucalyptus that are cold tolerant. The hybrid progeny then need to be screened for cold-tolerance. However, a major problem in the selection of cold-tolerant clones is that diagnosis can only be undertaken by assessing the field performance of the genotypes under various environmental conditions. In this regard, a protocol for 1D gel electrophoresis was developed for Eucalyptus species with the view to use it for the detection of cold-tolerant stress proteins. Leaf material from both non-cold tolerant and cold-tolerant clones was used. Well-resolved gels that focused on the comparison' between protein profiles of cold-susceptible and cold-tolerant clones before and after period of cold stress were obtained. The findings of this study showed that two polypeptides, one in the lower molecular region of 14.3-20.1kD and another of a higher molecular weight in the region of 116.4-170 kD were observed after cold acclimation. These changes in polypeptide profiles were observed in cold-tolerant E. grandis x nitens (GN1) and E. saligna (AS 184, AS 196 and TS 15) but not in a non-cold tolerant species E. grandis (TAG 731). These polypeptides may have an important role in the cellular adaptation to cold temperatures. It is suggested that this method may be used as a diagnostic tool for screening cold tolerance on Eucalyptus cultivars. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1996.

Although Eucalyptus species are indigenous to Australia, they have been successfully cultivated in South Africa, where they are mainly used in the mining and paper industries. With the explosion in these industries it has been necessary to increase Eucalyptus plantations, often into areas which experience frost and chilling temperatures. To combat this, high yielding Eucalyptus species able to cope with these conditions would be desirable. The ability to rank species according to their chilling tolerance will enhance decisions as to the suitability of species for use in the field. To this aim, two biochemical and two biophysical parameters were chosen to investigate and characterise Eucalyptus nitens, E. smithii, E. macarthurii, E. grandis and E. grandis x nitens (GNI026). Ranking of these species in terms of chilling tolerance did not appear possible using the data from the biochemical parameters (proline concentration and glutathione reductase activity), but the biophysical parameters (fluorescence characteristics and onset of temperature of melt) gave results comparable to those obtained in field trials using these species. Fluorescence characteristics were particularly useful in assessing the chilling tolerance of the species in question. Fluorescence is the recommended technique for further studies as it is relatively inexpensive, rapid, does not require destructive sampling and can be used in both the laboratory and field. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, 1993.