Southern seaoats (Uniola particulata) are difficult to propagate from seed due to low seed numbers produced and cold dormancy effects. To efficiently produce southern seaoats in the nursery industry the dormancy must be effectively broken to assure quick and even germination. 24 hr soaks in gibberillic acid (100 and 500 ppm) or scarification of the seed coat combined with GA soaks were compared. Seeds were planted in 50/50 peat/perlite medium 2.5 cm deep. 21 DAT both the 100 and 500 ppm GA soaks had higher germination rates. The 100 ppm GA was determined to he most effective (56% germination) with the seedlings being 3 cm in length. The 500 ppm treated seeds were 6 cm in length hut twisted from the GA causing excessive cell elongation.
Micropropagation of three Echinacea species, E. angustifolia, E. pallida, and E. purpurea, was investigated as a potential means of germplasm preservation of species faced with overcollection in the wild and rapid clonal propagation of elite individuals with unique medicinal or ornamental properties. Comparison of explant sources indicated vegetative explants resulted in high contamination rates when collected from shoot-tips (100%),but not when collected from nodal explants (11% to 39). Seed coat removal reduced contamination from 100% in intact seeds to near 0% in excised embryos. Removal of seed coats (pericarp and integument layers) also eliminated dormancy requirement for germination. All species responded with shoot multiplication and loss of rooting when BA or thidiazuron was added to culture medium. Medium with thidiazuron resulted in excessive adventitious shoot formation. Shoot multiplication rates were low (one to three shoots/explant) on medium with BA levels low enough to avoid adventitious shoot formation. Medium containing half-strength MS minerals resulted in more shoots with smaller leaves than full-strength MS minerals. Cultures did not perform well on Woody Plant Medium. Increasing subculture frequency from every 4 weeks to every 2 weeks increased shoot multiplication rates from 1.4 to 1.8 shoots per subculture and total shoots produced after 12 weeks of culturing (per initial explant) from 2.8 to 23.9. Rooting occurred readily on shoots isolated from E. purpurea without addition of IBA. Rooting was low or non-existent on shoots from E. angustifolia and E. pallida, respectively, regardless of IBA level, light conditions, or temperature. Methods described in this study allow rapid multiplication of three Echinacea species and subsequent rooting of E. angustifolia and E. purpurea. Future improvements in root induction treatments will allow more effective use of micropropagation for Echinacea germplasm preservation and multiplication. Chemical names used: N-(phenylmethyl)-1H-purine-6-amine (BA), 1H-indole-3-butyric acid (IBA).
Propagation of Winecups [Callirhoe involucrata (Torrey & A. Gray)] for use as a landscape ornamental has been impeded by a lack of understanding of the seed dormancy and a practical method for overcoming it. As with many members of the Malvaceae family, C. involucrata produces hard seed. In the populations tested, it accounted for 90% of an average sample. Impermeability, however, is not the only limiting factor to germination. Three disparate populations of seed, representing two different collection years have been investigated using moist pre-chilling, boiling water, leaching, gibberellic acid, hydrogen peroxide and mechanical and chemical scarification methods. Scarifying in concentrated sulfuric acid stimulates germination of some seed fractions and causes embryonic damage in others, suggesting variation in seed coat thickness. Similar results were obtained using a pressurized air-scarifier; the hard seed coat of some seed fractions were precisely scarified while others were physically damaged using the same psi/time treatment. Placing seed in boiling water increases germination from 4%, 7%, and 18 % to 23%, 25%, and 77% in the three populations, respectively. Leaching for 24/48 h in cold (18 °C) aerated water or for 24 h in warm (40 °C) aerated water showed only a minor increase over the control. Pre-chilling at 5 °C for 30, 60, and 90 days showed no improvement over the control. Gibberellic acid-soaked blotters improved germination at 400 ppm to 20%, 10%, and 41%; at 500 ppm germination was reduced. Soaking seed for 24 h in a 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide did not effect germination; at a 30% concentration germination was reduced. The considerable variation in seed dormancy expression may be a function of differences in environmental factors during development or seed age.
Abstract
The accessions, PI 255960 (P1) (purple flowers, colored seed, curved pod tip, large seed) and G-19007 (P2) (white flowers, straight pod tip, white seed) of Phaseolus vulgaris L., both late maturing with many ovules and seeds per pod, were crossed with each other and with 2 early maturing, white flowered, white seeded, straight pod tip, low ovule number/pod parents, ‘Great Northern (GN) Emerson’ (P3) and ‘GN UI#59’ (P4). P1 and P2 appeared to possess the same genes for high ovule number/pod. The continuous distributions of ovule number/pod, seed number/pod, and seed weight in the F2 generations of the other crosses indicated quantitative inheritance. However, segregation data in their F3 generations suggested that ovule number/pod may be determined by additive action of the alleles of a single major gene. Moderately high broad sense heritability estimates were obtained for these traits. Purple flower color and seed-coat color were controlled by 2 different complementary dominant genes. Striped pod color and curved pod tip shape (Ct) were each controlled by different single dominant genes. Days to flowering was controlled by a single completely dominant gene; pod maturity was controlled by a single incompletely dominant gene for lateness. Linkage occurred between genes for flower color and pod color pattern, flower color and pod tip shape, and flower color and maturity. High seed number/pod was associated with purple flowers, colored seeds, and late maturity in the F2 of P3 × P1. Late maturity and high seed number/pod were also associated in the F2 of P4×P1, P3× P2 and P4 × P2. Moderately large negative correlations were found between number of seeds/pod and seed weight in all crosses involving P1 and P2. High ovule number/pod was associated with indeterminate growth habit and moderately late flowering in the F2 progeny from the indeterminate cultivar ‘G.N. Nebr. # 1’, crossed with a determinate isoline. No association between seed weight & seed-coat color was observed in the F2 of P3 × P1, and P4 × P1, but there was association between large seed and both late maturity and flower color.
The germination of verbena (Verbena × hybrids) seed was found to be sensitive to high substrate moisture content. Cultivars varied in sensitivity to excessive substrate moisture content, with `Romance Scarlet' having higher total germination (G) in the presence of free water than `Showtime Blaze' or seedling `Red A'. Hilum cavity measurements of dry seeds showed larger hilum apertures with reduced depths for seeds of `Romance Scarlet' than for the others. Seed imbibition resulted in a rapid and extensive thickening of the hilum wall. The extent of hilum aperture closure varied among cultivars and the quantity of water present. Free water reduced hilum apertures 45% for `Romance Scarlet', 60% for `Showtime Blaze', and 86% for `Red A'. Seeds of `Romance Scarlet' and `Showtime Blaze' failed to germinate with lanolin covering the hilum, while seeds coated with lanolin, except for the hilum, had 67% to 78% G of nontreated seeds. This difference indicates that essential oxygen for the embryo was obtained through the hilum and micropyle of the seeds. Total germination varied with substrate moisture content, with seeds placed horizontally on 2%, 1%, or 0.5% agar having 80%, 75%, and 65% germination, respectively, for `Romance Scarlet' and 59%, 41%, and “24%, respectively, for `Showtime Blaze'.
Dry-heat (DH) treatment has been extensively used for inactivation of some seed-borne virus and Fusarium disease in many vegetable crops, especially in cucurbitaceous vegetables. Strains of tobamovirus (cucumber green mottle mosaic virus; CGMMV) could be successfully inactivated by treating the infected seeds at 75 °C for 72 h. However, DH-treated seeds frequently exhibit slow and poor germination and abnormal seedling characteristics, such as distorted, white streaked, and punctured cotyledons in the seedlings. The moisture content in seed coat and inner cotyledons fell down to below 1% in DH-treated seeds when treated at 75 °C or higher. However, when the seeds were treated at 65 °C, final moisture content in the DH-treated seeds were maintained at about 2.5% to 3.5%. Seeds absorbed moisture above 20% at 100% RH, 9% to 10% at 73% RH, and 4% to 5% at 28% RH, respectively. When the intact and DH-treated seeds were exposed to conditions of varying relative humidity, DH-treated seeds absorbed atmospheric moisture at a much slower rate than the intact seeds in all tested cultivars, and this is thought to be one of the major reasons for slower germination in DH-treated seeds. The inactivation of virus, comparison of respiration of seeds, and endogenous gibberellic acid contents will also be presented.
Triploid watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai] consumption is increasing in the United States However, some of the original problems, poor and inconsistent germination, still exist. Seeds of several triploid and diploid watermelon cultivars were subjected to a variety of treatments to improve germination. Control and scarified seeds, by nicking, were incubated at 25 or 30 °C in either 5 or 10 mL H2O or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Triploid seed germination was strongly inhibited in all cultivars when seeds were at 10 mL of H2O or H2O2; both nicking and H2O2 increased germination but not equal to rate of the control in 5 mL H2O or H2O2. Germination of diploid cultivars was unaffected by any treatment. Seed morphological measurments indicated that triploid seed has a smaller embryo with a large and highly variable (cv = 105%) air space surrounding the embryonic axis as compared with the diploid seed. These data suggests that triploid watermelon seed germination is not inhibited by the seed coat thickness alone. Seed moisture plays a significant role in germination, emergence, and stand uniformity.
Common bacterial blight (CBB) in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli (Xcp), reduces bean yields and quality throughout the world. Pinto `Chase' is a high-yielding variety with moderate resistance to Xcp derived from great northern Nebraska #1 selection 27, whose resistance is derived from an unknown tepary (P. acutifolius) bean source. XAN-159 is a black mottled small seeded breeding line with different genes for high resistance to Xcp derived from a different tepary source (PI 319443). Our objective was to pyramid different genes for Xcp resistance from the donor parent XAN-159 into the rust-resistant recurrent parent Pinto `Chase' using the classical back-cross breeding method with confirmation of resistance using RAPD molecular markers. Resistance was confirmed in some BC2F2 generation plants. Seven RAPD markers and the V locus (flower color) previously identified were confirmed in the BC1 and BC2 populations. Smaller seed size, purple flower color, and black mottled seed coat color were coinherited with resistance to Xcp. However, a recombinant plant with enhanced CBB resistance and moderate-sized pinto seed was identified. Backcross breeding is being continued.
Common bacterial blight (CBB), rust (RU), and white mold (WM) are serious diseases of great northern (GN) and pinto (P) beans in Nebraska and Colorado. The bacterial diseases halo blight (HB) and brown spot (BS) are sporadic. Severe Fe-induced leaf chlorosis (Fe ILC) occurs on calcareous sites. Separate inoculated disease nurseries are used to screen for resistance to the pathogens causing the above diseases. Yields and seed quality of lines are also determined in non-disease trials. Sources of exotic resistance to the above pathogens and to Fe ILD have been identified and their inheritance determined. A non-structured recurrent selection scheme has mainly been used, occasionally with a backcross program, to combine high levels of the desired traits. Selection for highly heritable traits such as seed size, shape and color, maturity, plant architecture, and RU resistance occurs in early generations while traits of low heritability, such as CBB resistance, WM avoidance, yield, seed coat cracking resistance, and canning quality, are evaluated in separate replicated tests over several years and finally for yield in on-farm-trials. A number of multiple disease resistant, high-yielding, well-adapted GN and P lines are or will be released; P `Chase' (on about 30,000 acres in 1996) and GN WM 3-94-9 (for possible release).
Forty-seven of the 53 plant introductions (PI) in the U.S. Plant Germplasm System okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] collection with reported resistance to root-knot nematodes [Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood or unidentified Meloidogyne spp.] were evaluated in replicated greenhouse tests for reaction to the southern root-knot nematode (M. incognita). (Four of the 53 PI were unavailable and two accessions failed to germinate.) Preliminary evaluations identified a serious problem in evaluating this subset of okra germplasm for resistance to root-knot nematodes. The seed coats of most of the accessions were hard, and this trait delayed germination, which caused many of the seedlings to escape infection when the seeds were inoculated at planting with M. incognita eggs. A seed disinfection, scarification, and germination procedure was developed to ensure uniform seedling emergence. Except for two PI that failed to germinate, all available okra accessions with reported resistance were evaluated using these procedures. All tested accessions were susceptible to M. incognita race 3. Based on these results, we conclude that none of the accessions in the okra PI collection with reported resistance to root-knot nematodes is useful as M. incognita—resistant parental material in okra breeding programs.