Many orchid species are seriously endangered at present. Reasons for their disappearing from natural habitats remain often unclear. Orchids depend on mycorrhizal symbiosis in nature, however only little is known about this symbiosis. Seeds of some species do not germinate in vitro, making their cultivation for scientific and rescue purposes impossible. We found that seed germination of one of such reluctant species, Pseudorchis albida, is strongly inhibited by nitrates even at extremely low concentrations. As this species prefers oligotrophic mountain meadows, nitrate-induced inhibition probably take place in natural conditions. Surprisingly, we found similar but slightly weaker inhibitory effect also in typical mesophillic species and even in slightly eutrophic ones. The sensitivity to nitrates correlates with trophy level of species canopy. This inhibitory effect of nitrates could be weakened by application of a range of growth regulators, including auxins, cytokinins and gibberellins, and also by mycorrhizal fungi. The action of nitratereductase is essential for this inhibitory effect of nitrates. Experiments with NO donors, scavengers, and NO quantification are pointing right at NO as compound which perhaps mediates nitrate inhibitory effect. Based on these results, the nitrate inhibitory...

Orientador: Kathia Fernandes Lopes Pivetta / Resumo: A propagação in vitro e conservação ex situ, são técnicas, que podem ser aprimoradas através da escolha adequada da fonte luminosa, das formulações do meio de cultivo e de crioprotetores. O presente estudo teve por objetivos: (i) estudar fontes de luz a partir de lâmpadas fluorescentes e diodos emissores de luz (LEDs) e formulações de meio de cultivo na germinação e no desenvolvimento inicial da espécie de orquídea Brassavola perrinii e (ii) avaliar a eficiência da solução vitrificante (PVS2) combinada ao floroglucinol 1% em nitrogênio líquido para a criopreservação de sementes maduras das espécies Encyclia cordigera e Epidendrum ciliare. Os experimentos foram instalados em delineamento inteiramente casualizado e ambos foram duplicados. No primeiro os tratamentos foram arranjados em esquema fatorial 5x4 com cinco condições de luz: LF - lâmpada fluorescente; LB - LED branco; LA - LED azul; LV- LED vermelho e LAV – LED azul (50%) e vermelho (50%) e quatro formulações de meio de cultivo (MS, ½MS, VW e K), com quatro repetições e média de 125 sementes por parcela. Aos 90 dias após a semeadura foram avaliadas a porcentagem de germinação, de protocormos clorofilados e o desenvolvimento dos protocormos através das classes: P1, P2, P3 e P4 para cálculo do índice de desenvolvimento protocormos. No segundo experimento foram oito tratamentos: 1) germinação in vitro direta; 2) imersão direta em nitrogênio líquido, sem crioprotetores; 3) PVS2 por 60 min; 4) PVS2 por 120 min; 5) PVS2 por 1... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In vitro propagation and ex situ conservation, are techniques that can be improved through the appropriate choice of light source, formulations of the culture medium and cryoprotectants. The aims this work was: (i) study the effect of light sources from fluorescent lamps and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and cultivation medium formulations on the germination and initial development of Brassavola perrinii orchid and (ii) evaluate the efficiency of the vitrify solution (PVS2) combined with phloroglucinol 1% in liquid nitrogen for the cryopreservation of mature seeds of the species Encyclia cordigera and Epidendrum ciliare. The experiments were installed in a completely randomized design and both were duplicated. In the first, the treatments were arranged in a 5x4 factorial scheme with five light conditions: LF - fluorescent lamp; LB - white LED; LA - blue LED; LV- Red LED and LAV - Blue LED (50%) and red (50%), and four cultivation medium formulations (MS, ½MS, VW and K), with four replications and an average of 125 seeds per plot. At 90 days after sowing, the percentage of germination, of chlorophyll protocorms and the development of protocorms through the classes: P1, P2, P3 and P4 to calculate the protocorms development index. In the second experiment, there were eight treatments: 1) direct in vitro germination; 2) direct immersion in liquid nitrogen, without cryoprotectants; 3) PVS2 for 60 min; 4) PVS2 for 120 min; 5) PVS2 for 180 min; 6) PVS2 + floroglucinol1% for 60 min; 7... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor