• Title/Summary/Keyword: seedling development

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Studies on the Seedling Production of the Freshwater Crab, Eriocheir japonicus (De Haan) 2. Influence of Temperature and Salinity on the Growth of Larvae (동남참게, Eriocheir japonicus (De Haan)의 종묘생산에 관한 생물학적 기초연구 2. 유생의 성장에 따른 수온과 염도의 영향)

  • KWON Chin-Soo;LEE Bok-Kyu;MOON Tae-Seak
    • Journal of Aquaculture
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    • v.6 no.4
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    • pp.255-271
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    • 1993
  • For the development of seedling production techniques of the freshwater crab Eriocheir japonicus, the effects of salinity and temperature on the growth of larvae of the crab were studied. Embryos hatched out as zoea larvae were measured 0.421 mm in average carapace length. Five zoea stages needed 16-26 days for metamorphosis from zoea to megalopa at $22^{\circ}C$ and $24.5\%o$. The average carapace length of the 5th zoea was 1.16 mm and that of the megalopa larvae was 1.89 mm. Each zoea stage could be identified based on both the number of plumosed seatae on the exopodite of maxilliped, and the number of spines on the posteroinner margin of tel son and also based on the rudimentary pleopods appearence. Zoea larvae fed rotifers and Artemia nauplii were healthy and metamorphosing rate from zoea to megalopa was $80\~90\%\;at\;22\~26^{\circ}C\;and\;17.5\~31.5\%o$. The relationship between larval period (Y in days) and water temperature $(X\;in\;^{\circ}C)$ is expressed as Log Y = 3.8604-1.91735 LogX. Water temperature and salinity ranges for better survival and metamorphosis of the larvae were $ 22^{\circ}C\~26^{\circ}C\;(optimum\;at\; 26^{\circ}C)\;and\;17.5\%o\~31.5\%o\;(optimum\;at\;24.5\%)$, respectively. The duration of larval stages tend to longer as salinity levels deviated from optimum particulaly at lower end. All zoea larvae did not survive in freshwater.

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Changes in Growths of Tomato and Grafted Watermelon Seedlings and Allometric Relationship among Growth Parameters as Affected by Night Temperature (야간온도에 따른 토마토묘와 수박 접목묘의 생육과 생육지표간 상대적 관계)

  • Kang, Yun-Im;Kwon, Joon-Kuk;Park, Kyoung-Sub;Choi, Hyo-Gil;Choi, Gyeong-Lee;Lee, Si-Young;Cho, Myeong-Whan;Kim, Dae-Young;Kang, Nam-Jun
    • Journal of agriculture & life science
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    • v.45 no.6
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    • pp.9-19
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    • 2011
  • This study aimed to investigate the effect of night temperature on tomato and grafted watermelon seedlings, particularly, shoot height, leaf area, stem diameter, and total dry weight and relationship among the growth parameters which are used to evaluate healthy seedling. Plants were grown at 10, 15, and $20^{\circ}C$. Leaf area index (LAI) and total dry weight of tomato seedlings weight deceased more significantly under $10^{\circ}C$ than other night temperature regimes. In grafted watermelon seedlings, shoot height increased shapely and stem diameter decreased under $20^{\circ}C$. Increasing the integral temperature, leaf area of tomato seedlings under $10^{\circ}C$ decreased and shoot height of grafted watermelon seedlings increased although temperature integrals are same. The relationships among the growth parameter were changed upon the night temperature. Stem diameters of tomato seedlings had upward tendency with increase of shoot height, but there were no significant differences among night temperature regimes. Shoot hight of grafted watermelon seedlings had no relationship with shoot height. These results indicate that shoot height and stem diameter of tomato seedlings is not appropriate for assessing seedlings quality but shoot height of grafted watermelon seedlings with stem diameter is available.

The Effects of Experimental Warming on Seed Germination and Growth of Two Oak Species (Quercus mongolica and Q. serrata) (온난화 처리가 신갈나무(Quercus mongolica)와 졸참나무(Q. serrate)의 종자발아와 생장에 미치는 영향)

  • Park, Sung-ae;Kim, Taekyu;Shim, Kyuyoung;Kong, Hak-Yang;Yang, Byeong-Gug;Suh, Sanguk;Lee, Chang Seok
    • Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.52 no.3
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    • pp.210-220
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    • 2019
  • Population growth and the increase of energy consumption due to civilization caused global warming. Temperature on the Earth rose about $0.7^{\circ}C$ for the last 100 years, the rate is accelerated since 2000. Temperature is a factor, which determines physiological action, growth and development, survival, etc. of the plant together with light intensity and precipitation. Therefore, it is expected that global warming would affect broadly geographic distribution of the plant as well as structure and function ecosystem. In order to understand the effect of global warming on the ecosystem, a study about the effect of temperature rise on germination and growth in the plant is required necessarily. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of experimental warming on the germination and growth of two oak species(Quercus mongolica and Q. serrata) in temperature gradient chamber(TGC). This study was conducted in control, medium warming treatment($+1.7^{\circ}C$; Tm), and high warming treatment ($+3.2^{\circ}C$; Th) conditions. The final germination percentage, mean germination time and germination rate of two oak species increased by the warming treatment, and the increase in Q. serrata was higher than that in Q. mongolica. Root collar diameter, seedling height, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, root dry weight, and total biomass were the highest in Tm treatment. Butthey were not significantly different in the Th treatment. In the Th treatment, Q. serrata had significantly higher H/D ratio, S/R ratio, and low root mass ratio (RMR) compared with control plot. Q. mongolica had lower RMR and higher S/R ratio in the Tm and Th treatments compared with control plot. Therefore, growth of Q. mongolica are expected to be more vulnerable to warming than that of Q. serrata. The main findings of this study, species-specific responses to experimental warming, could be applied to predict ecosystem changes from global warming. From the result of this study, we could deduce that temperature rise would increase germination of Q. serrata and Q. mongolica and consequently contribute to increase establishment rate in the early growth stage of the plants. But we have to consider diverse variables to understand properly the effects that global warming influences germination in natural condition. Treatment of global warming in the medium level increased the growth and the biomass of both Q. serrata and Q. mongolica. But the result of treatment in the high level showed different aspects. In particular, Q. mongolica, which grows in cooler zones of higher elevation on mountains or northward in latitude, responded more sensitively. Synthesized the results mentioned above, continuous global warming would function in stable establishment of both plants unfavorably. Compared the responses of both sample plants on temperature rise, Q. serrata increased germination rate more than Q. mongolica and Q. mongolica responded more sensitively than Q. serrata in biomass allocation with the increase of temperature. It was estimated that these results would due to a difference of microclimate originated from the spatial distribution of both plants.

Effect of Light-Quality Control on Growth of Ledebouriella seseloides Grown in Plant Factory of an Artificial Light Type (인공광 식물공장내 광질 제어가 방풍나물 생장에 미치는 영향)

  • Heo, Jeong-Wook;Kim, Dong-Eok;Han, Kil-Su;Kim, Sook-Jong
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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    • v.32 no.3
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    • pp.193-200
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    • 2013
  • BACKGROUND: Plant factory system of an artificial light type using Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs), fluorescent light, or metal halide lamp instead of sun light is an ultimated method for plant production without any pesticides regardless of seasonal changes. The plant factory is also completely isolated from outside environmental conditions such as a light, temperature, or humidity compared to conventional greenhouse. Light-environment control such as a quality or quantity in the plant factory system is essential for improving the growth and development of plant species. However, there was little report that the effects of various light qualities provided by LEDs on Ledebouriella seseloides growth under the plant factory system. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ledebouriella seseloides seedlings transplanted at urethane sponge were grown in the plant factory system of a horizontal type with LED artificial lights for 90 days. Yamazaki solution for hydroponic culture of the seedlings was regularly irrigated by the deep flow technique (DFT) system on the culture gutters. Electrical Conductivity (EC) and pH of the solution was recorded at 1.4 ds/m and 5.8 in average, respectively during the experimental period. Number of unfolded leaves, leaf length, shoot fresh and dry weight of the seedlings were three times measured in every 30 days after beginning of the experiment. Blue LEDs, red LEDs, and fluorescent lights inside the plant factory were used as light sources. Conventional fluorescent lamps were considered as a control. In all the treatment, light intensity was maintained at $100{\mu}mol/m^2/s$ on the culture bed. Fresh weight of the seedlings was 3.7 times greater in the treatment with the mixture radiation of fluorescent light and blue+red LEDs (1:3 in energy ratio; Treatment FLBR13) than in fluorescent light treatment (Treatment FL). In FLBR13 treatment, dry weight per seedling was two times greater than in FL or BR11 treatment of blue+red LEDs (1:3 in energy ratio; Treatment BR11) during the culture period. Increasing in number of unfolded leaves was also significantly affected by the FLBR13 treatment comparing with BR11 treatment. CONCLUSION(S): Hydroponic culture of Ledebouriella seseloides seedlings was successfully achieved in the plant factory system with mixture lights of blue, red LEDs and fluorescent lights. Shoot growth of the seedlings was significantly promoted by the FLBR13 with the mixture radiation of fluorescent light, blue, and red LEDs under 1:3 mixture ratio of blue and red LEDs during the experimental period compared to conventional light conditions.

Disinfection of Fusarium-infected Rice Seeds by Prochloraz and Gaseous Chlorine Dioxide

  • Jeon, Young-ah;Lee, Young-yi;Lee, Ho-sun;Sung, Jung-sook;Lee, Seokyoung
    • 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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    • 2014.10a
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    • pp.25-25
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    • 2014
  • Three species of Fusarium, F. fujikuroi, F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum, are known to be associated with bakanae disease of rice [1, 2]. F. fujikuroi infects rice flowers and survive in endosperm and embryo of the seeds. Infected seed is an important source of primary inoculum of pathogens [3]. Seeds of rice (Oryza sativa cv. Boramchan) collected from bakanae-infected field were found to be 96% infected with Fusarium sp., 52% with F. fujikuroi, 42% with F. verticillioides, and 12% with F. proliferatum as determined by incubation method and species-specific PCR assays. F. fujikuroi was detected at lemma/palea, endosperm and embryo whereas F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum were recovered only from lemma/palea by means of component plating test. Seed disinfection methods have been developed to control bakanae disease and prochloraz has been most widely used for rice seeds. Two chemicals formulated with prochloraz (PC 1) and prochloraz + hexaconazole (PC 2) that inhibit biosynthesis of ergosterol strongly reduced the incidence of Fusarium spp. on selective media to 4.7% and 2.0%, respectively. Disease symptoms of rice seedlings in nursery soil were alleviated by chemical treatment; seedlings with elongated leaves or wide angle between leaf and stem were strikingly reduced from 15.6 to 3.2% (PC 1) and 0 (PC 2), stem rots were reduced from 56.9 to 26.2% (PC 1) and 32.1% (PC 2), and normal seedling increased from 0.4 to 13.3% (PC 2). Prochloraz has some disadvantages and risks such as the occurrence of tolerant pathogens [4] and effects on the sterol synthesis in animals and humans [5]. For these reasons, it is necessary to develop new disinfection method that do not induce fungal tolerance and are safe to humans and animals. Chlorine dioxide ($ClO_2$), that is less toxic, produces no harmful byproducts, and has high oxidizing power, has been reported to be effective at disinfection of several phytopathogenic fungi including Colletotrichum spp. and Alternaria spp. [6]. Gaseous $ClO_2$ applied to rice seeds at a concentration of 20 ppm strongly suppressed mycelial growth of Fusarium fujikuroi, F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum. The incidence of Fusarium spp. in dry seed with 8.7% seed moisture content (SMC) tended to decrease as the concentration of $ClO_2$ increased from 20 to 40 ppm. Applying 40 ppm $ClO_2$ at 90% relative humidity, incidence was reduced to 5.3% and resulted in significant reduction of disease symptoms on MS media. In nursery soil, stem rot was reduced from 56.9 to 15.4% and the number of normal seedlings increased from 0.4 to 25.5%. With water-soaked seeds (33.1% SMC) holding moisture in the endosperm and embryo, the effectiveness of disinfection using $ClO_2$ increased, even when treated with only 20 ppm for four hours. This suggests that moisture was a key element for action of $ClO_2$. Removal of the palea and lemma from seeds significantly decreased the incidence of Fusarium spp. to 3.0%. Seed germination appeared to decrease slightly by water-soaking at $30^{\circ}C$ because of increased SMC and by physical damage of embryos from hulling. These results indicate that the use of gaseous $ClO_2$ was effective as a means to disinfect rice seeds infected with Fusarium spp. and that moisture around the pathogens in the seed was an important factor for the action of $ClO_2$. Further investigations should be conducted to ascertain the best conditions for complete disinfection of Fusarium spp. that infect deep site of rice seeds.

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Growth and Branch Characteristics of 35 Half-sib Families in a Seed Orchard of Quercus acutissima (상수리나무 채종원에서 수형목 풍매차대 35가계의 생장 및 가지특성)

  • Cheon, Byoung-Hwan;Kang, Kyu-Suk;Han, Sang-Urk;Oh, Chang-Young;Kim, Chang-Soo;Kim, Kae-Hwan
    • Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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    • v.41 no.3
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    • pp.228-235
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    • 2009
  • Growth and branch characteristics of 35 half-sib families were surveyed in a seedling seed orchard of Quercus acutissima at ages 10 and 12. The averages of height, DBH (diameter at breast height), branch height, crown width, branch angle and stem straightness at age 12 were 9.96 m, 14.50 cm, 1.04 m, 6.80 m, $18.82^{\circ}$ and 2.58, respectively. Families of 075 and 052 showed superior height growth and 0511 and 0517 were inferior ones. For DBH growth, 075 and 0413 were best families and 0725 and 0511 were inferior families. Pearson's product moment and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were all positive for all growth traits except branch angle at ages 10 and 12. This result showed that the families with good height and DBH growth were also superior in stem straightness. In ANOVA, there was a highly significant difference among families in height, DBH, cylindric volume and stem straightness. Branch height, crown width and branch angle were also significantly different among families. Family heritability was higher than individual heritability at ages 10 and 12. Height, DBH and stem straightness were under strong genetic control, showing high family heritability. This implies that high genetic gain could be expected by family selection. Expected genetic gain for each trait was estimated based on the family selection. The highest genetic gain was expected for the traits of branch angle, height and DBH because of the large phenotypic standard deviation and the high family heritability. The growth performance and branch characteristics were weighted by the magnitude of genetic variation and heritability. The weighted values were then subjected to estimate family breeding values. This family breeding value would be applied as a criterion in the genetic thinning of the seed orchard.

Growth Responses of Potted Gerbera 'Sunny Lemon' under Non-Nutrient Solution Recycling System by Media and Nutrient Contents (비순환식 분화 양액재배시 배지와 양액함량에 따른 거베라 'Sunny Lemon'의 생육반응)

  • Kil, Mi-Jung;Shim, Myung-Sun;Park, Sang-Kun;Shin, Hak-Gi;Jung, Jae-A;Kwon, Young-Soon
    • Journal of agriculture & life science
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    • v.45 no.6
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    • pp.73-80
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    • 2011
  • To investigate the characteristics of plant growth and flower quality of gerbera 'Sunny Lemon' by amount of nutrient solution, young seedling plants, 'Sunny Lemon' were transplanted to rock-wool and medium of peat moss and perlite mixed with 1 to 2 and they were acclimatized in greenhouse during about 1 month. Nutrient solution supplied to the plants is sonneveld solution of 1/2 concentration and treatments launched June 24, 2010 when average plant height was $20{\pm}1cm$. Nutrient contents as a standard for starting point of irrigation by time domain reflectometry (TDR) were determined with 60-65%, 70-75%, and 80-85%. Results of growth during vegetative growth, plant height, leaf width and leaf number increased by 10% in rockwool, but they were not significantly different. As for plant growth depending on nutrient content, 80-85% treatment showed the highest values. Leaf number increased by 60%, and leaf width and plant height had a about 40% increase than initial growth. Effectiveness for flower quality, yield and days to flowering were superior when nutrient content of media was higher than in the others. Especially, average days to flowering in 80-85% content was advanced by 7-10 days compared to the day in 60-65% treatment. The total amount of nutrient supply per plant was higher in mixed medium than in rockwool, but change patterns of EC and pH were enhanced in rockwool. Based on our results, we recommended that growth, cut flower, and yield of gerbera 'Sunny Lemon' were more effective when nutrient content of mixed medium was maintained at 80-85%.

The Study on Conservation and Management of Natural Habitat of Spleenworts on Samdo Island (Asplenium antiquum Makino), Jeju (Natural Monument No. 18) (천연기념물 제주 삼도 파초일엽 자생지 생육 및 관리 현황 연구)

  • Shin, Jin-Ho;Kim, Han;Lee, Na-Ra;Son, Ji-Won
    • Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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    • v.33 no.3
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    • pp.280-291
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    • 2019
  • A. antiquum, first observed in Jeju Samdo Island in 1949, was designated as the Natural Monument No. 18 in December 1962 in recognition of its academic value. In Korea, it grows in nature only in Samdo in Jeju Island. Although its natural habitat was greatly damaged and almost destroyed due to firewood, stealing, etc. After the emancipation, it has been maintained by the transplantation and restoration. The site observed by this study has been managed as a restricted area since 2011. Since it has been about 20 years since the restoration of the native site in the 2000s, it is necessary to check the official management history records, such as the origin of transplantation and restoration to monitor the changes in the growth status and to control the habitat. As the results of this study, we have secured the records of cultural property management history, such as the identification of native species and the transplantation and restoration records. We also examined the change of the growth and development of A. antiquum 20 years after the restoration. There are no official records of the individuals transplanted to the restored natural habitat of A. antiquum in the 1970s and 1980s, and there was a controversy about the nativeness of those individuals that were restored and transplanted in 1974 since they were Japanese individuals. The studies of identifying native as the results of this study, we have secured the records of cultural property management history, such as the identification of native species and the transplantation and restoration records. We also examined the change of the growth and development of A. antiquum 20 years after the restoration. There are two sites in natural habitat in Samdo Island. A total of 65 individuals grow in three layers on three stone walls in a site while 29 individuals grow in two columns in the other site. A. antiquum grows in an evergreen broad-leaved forest dominated by Neolitsea sericea, and we did not find any other individuals of naturally growing A. antiquum outside the investigated site. This study checked the distribution of A. antiquum seedlings observed initially after the restoration. There were more than 300 seedling individuals, and we selected three densely populated sites for monitoring. There were 23 A. antiquum seedlings with 4 - 17 leaves per individual and the leaf length of 0.5 - 20 cm in monitoring site 1. There were 88 individuals with 5 - 6 leaves per individual and the leaf length of 1.3 - 10.4 cm in monitoring site 2 while there were 22 individuals with 5 - 9 leaves per individual and the leaf length of 4.5 - 12.1 cm in monitoring site 3. Although the natural habitat of A. antiquum was designated as a restricted public area in 2011, there is a high possibility that the habitat can be damaged because some activities, such as fishing and scuba diving are allowed. Therefore, it is necessary to enforce the law strictly, to provide sufficient education for the preservation of natural treasures, and to present accurate information about cultural assets.

Studies on the Propagation of the Freshwater Prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense (De Haan) Reared in the Laboratory (담수산 징거미새우, Macrobrachium nipponense (De Haan)의 증${\cdot}$양식에 관한 생물학적 기초연구 1. 생식생태에 관한 연구)

  • Kwon Chin-Soo;Lee Bok-Kyu
    • Journal of Aquaculture
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    • v.4 no.1
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    • pp.31-66
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    • 1991
  • This paper deals with the reproductive ecology e.g., number of the pre-spawning moults, morphological characteristics of the pre-spawning moult the common moult, daily ration druing a molting cycle mating behavior, structures of spermatozoa and spermatophore, structure of vas deferens, mechanisms of the oviposition and brooding into the egg-chambers, a suitable time for the artificial mating and fertilization, time sequence of the oviposition and brooding into egg-chambers from the copulation, responses to temperature and chlorinity on the egg development and hatching, effect of temperatures on duration of egg development, physical mechanism of the egg hatching, to make an attempt for the artificial spawning and brooding to establish a suitable system of the artificial seedling-production for the aquaculture. 1. Females molted commonly $8{\~}10$ times at an interval of $17{\~}18$ days at $28^{\circ}C,\;3.26\~4.35\%_{\circ}$ while the prespawning moltings were $4{\~}5$ times at an interval of $13{\~}14$ days. The suitable state for artificial copulation was within 14 hours elapsed from the prespawning moltings (most suitable state was within 8 hours). Males discharged a gelatinous spermatophore and placed it on the females sternum during copulation. Oviposition was seen $6{\~}17$ hours after copulation. External fertilization was considered to take place at oviposition. Fertilized eggs held in egg-chambers forming between pleopods were about $5000{\~}6000$ in females those sizes about 6.5 cm in body length. 2. Eggs immediately after oviposition were elliptic shape, measuring $0.58{\times}0.48$ mm up to hatching. Their sizes increased with egg development and finally reached $0.85{\times}0.54$ mm up to hatching. The relationship between the long axis of the egg(Y in U) and days elapsed(X) was expressed as Y= 5.60194 + 0.007358X. The eggs performed superficial cleavage and their cleavage furrows became visible at the 4-daughter-nucleus stage. The eggs showed normal development up to hatching at water temperature range of $22{\~}30^{\circ}C$ (optimum temperature : $26{\~}28^{\circ}C$) and at chlorinity range of $0.00\~6.64\%_{\circ}$ (optimun chlorinity : $2.21{\%}_{\circ}$). The relationship between incubation period (Y in days) and water temperature(X in $^{\circ}C$) could be expressed as Y= 50.803-1.3555X. The eggs hatched $12{\~}13$ days after oviposition at $28.0{\~}28.6^{\circ}C$ 3. The pre-spawning moltings were appreciably different in the morphologic structure from those of common moltings. Breeding setae and dresses were formed on the thoracic regions, abdominal epimerae and the bases of the first to fourth pleopods in order to prepare and support oviposition, transfering and supporting eggs in egg-chambers up to hatching. These supplementary breeding organs were observed only at reproductive seasons.

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Improving Corsican pine somatic embryo maturation: comparison of somatic and zygotic embryo morphology and germination

  • Wtpsk, Senarath;Shaw, D.S.;Lee, Kui-Jae;Lee, Wang-Hyu
    • Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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    • 2003.04a
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    • pp.61-62
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    • 2003
  • Clonal propagation of high-value forest trees through somatic embryogenesis (SE) has the potential to rapidly capture the benefits of breeding or genetic engineering programs and to improve raw material uniformity and quality. A major barrier to the commercialization of this technology is the low quality of the resulting embryos. Several factors limit commercialization of SE for Corsican pine, including low initiation rates, low culture survival, culture decline causing low or no embryo production, and inability of somatic embryos to fully mature, resulting in low germination and reduced vigour of somatic seedlings. The objective was to develop a Corsican pine maturation medium that would produce cotyledonary embryos capable of germination. Treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance, and significant differences between treatments determined by multiple range test at P=0.05. Corsican pine (Pinus nigra var. maritima) cultures were initiated on modified !P6 medium. Modifications of the same media were used for culture multiplication and maintenance. Embryogenic cultures were maintained on the same medium semi solidified with 2.5 g/l Gelrite. A maturation medium, capable of promoting the development of Corsican pine somatic embryos that can germinate, is a combination of iP6 modified salts, 2% maltose, 13% polyethylene glycol (PEG), 5 mg!l abscisic acid (ABA), and 2.5 g/l Gelrite. After initiation and once enough tissue developed they were grown in liquid medium. Embryogenic cell suspensions were established by adding 0.951.05 g of 10- to 14-day-old semisolid-grown embryogenic tissue to 9 ml of liquid maintenance media in a 250ml Erlenmeyer flask. Cultures were then incubated in the dark at 2022$^{\circ}$C and rotated at 120 rpm. After 2.53 months on maturation medium, somatic embryos were selected that exhibited normal embryo shape. Ten embryos were placed horizontally on 20 ml of either germination medium ($\frac{2}{1}$strength Murashige and Skoog (1962) salts with 2.5 g/l activated charcoal) or same medium with copper sulphate adjusted to 0.25 mg/1 to compensate for copper adsorption by activated carbon. 2% and 4% maltose was substituted by 7.5% and 13% PEG respectively to improve the yield of the embryos. Substitution of' maltose with PEG was clearly beneficial to embryo development. When 2% of the maltose was replaced with 7.5% PEG, many embryos developed to large bullet-shaped embryos. At latter stages of development most embryos callused and stopped development. A few short, barrel-shaped cotyledonary embryos formed that were covered by callus on the sides and base. When 4% of the maltose was removed and substituted with 13% PEG, the embryos developed further, emerging from the callus and increasing yield slightly. Microscopic examination of the cultures showed differing morphologies, varying from mostly single cells or clumps to well-formed somatic embryos that resembled early zygotic embryos only liquid cultures with organized early-stag. A procedure for converting and acclimating germinants to growth in soil and greenhouse conditions is also tested. Seedling conversion and growth were highly related to the quality of the germinant at the time of planting. Germinants with larger shoots, longer, straighter hypocotyls and longer roots performed best. When mature zygotic embryos germinate the root emerges, before or coincident with the shoot. In contrast, somatic embryos germinate in reverse sequence, with the cotyledons greening first, then shoot emergence and then, much later, if at all, the appearance of the root. Somatic seedlings, produced from the maturation medium, showed 100% survival when planted in a field setting. Somatic seedlings showed normal yearly growth relative to standard seedlings from natural seed.

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