August 2012
Articles
August 2012 [6(8) 2012]
Table of Contents
August 2012 [6(8) 2012]
Table of Contents
Southern Cross Publishing Group©2012
Australia
Australia
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Exogenous phytic acid inhibits early growth of wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.) by decreasing superoxide anion derived from NADPH oxidase Jing Hong-juan, Zhang Lu, Li Huan-qing, Shao Ke-jia, Wu Hao, Wang Yue-sheng, He Guang-yuan, Tan Xiao-rong College of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China China-UK HUST-RRes Genetic Engineering and Genomics Joint Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology,Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China Abstract Reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially H2O2 and O2-., are found to be a signal of regulating plant development in recent years. PA is a famous anti-nutrient factor and antioxidant. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of exogenous phytic acid (PA, C6H18O24P6) on seed germination and early seedling growth in wheat, and to determine whether ROS are involved in it. Seeds of wheat were grown in PA and the production of H2O2 and O2-. were detected in leaves and roots of six-day-seedling. Results show that exogenous PA depresses the early wheat seedling growth (leaves expansion and root tip-growth) in a dose dependent manner and reduces O2-. production in leaves and roots whereas does not affect germination and H2O2 production. To verify whether the growth inhibition by PA results from the decrease in the production of O2-., exogenous O2-. combined with PA was used to treat wheat seeds, and the production of H2O2 and O2-., the activities of NADPH oxidase, POD and SOD were investigated. Results show that exogenous O2-. reverses markedly the inhibition of early seedling growth by PA and the production of O2-. rather than H2O2 was increased by exogenous O2-.. PA alone decreases the activities of POD and NADPH oxidase in leaves and O2-. can recover them partially. Therefore, exogenous PA restrains early development of wheat seedlings by reduction of O2-. derived from NADPH oxidase and it also indicates that O2-. plays a vital role in leave expansion and root tip-growth of wheat seedlings. Pages 1221-1227 | Full Text PDF |
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Heavy metal uptake and translocation by mangium (Acacia mangium) from sewage sludge contaminated soil Nik M. Majid, M.M. Islam and Lydia Mathew Department of Forest Management, Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Abstract There are so many potentially harmful substances found in sludge particularly heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, copper, mercury, zinc, iron and aluminum). Many are known to cause cancer and other diseases. Certain compounds found in sludge have been identified to harm the reproductive systems of fish and other aquatic life. These contaminants need to be cleaned up for a safe environment. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of Acacia mangium as a phytoremediator to absorb heavy metals from sewage sludge contaminated soils. Acacia mangium seedlings were planted on six different growth media (soil + sludge) were: T0 (100% soil, control), T1 (80% soil+20% sludge), T2(60% soil+40% sludge), T3(40% soil+60% sludge), T4(20% soil+80% sludge) and T5 (100% sludge). The highest growth performance such as height, basal diameter and number of leaves was found in 40% soil+60% sludge. Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were highly concentrated in the stems, chromium (Cr) and copper (Cu) in the roots, while zinc (Zn) was concentrated in both leaves and stems. A. mangium seems to have a high potential to absorb high amounts of Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr and Cu in the leaves, stems and roots. A. mangium showed high translocation factor and low bioconcentration factor values in the sludge contaminated soil as well as it was able to tolerate and accumulate high concentrations of heavy metals. The roots of A. mangium were found to be suitable for the absorption of heavy metals in contaminated soils. Therefore, this species can be a good phtyoremediator for sewage sludge contaminated soil and to mitigate soil pollution. Pages 1228-1235 | Full Text PDF |
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Analysis of molecular marker-based characterization and genetic variation in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Sakina Khanam, Arjun Sham, Jeffrey L. Bennetzen and Mohammed A. M. Aly Department of Arid land Agriculture, Faculty of Food and Agriculture. United Arab Emirates University, P. O. Box 17555, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE Crop Physiology Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, P. O. Box 4, Mymensingh-2200, Bangladesh Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-7223, USA Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt Abstract Date palm breeding is challenging because of its long juvenility and dioecity. Genetic variation between cultivars is a pre-requisite to develop improved varieties. DNA fingerprinting is an effective method for date palm cultivar identification, examining genetic diversity and phylogenetic analysis. This review discusses the different markers used in DNA fingerprinting and phylogeny analysis of date palm varieties and the advances achieved. The date palm fingerprint analyses reported so far are neither comprehensive nor particularly clear because of variable variety nomenclature, a large number of uninvestigated new introductions, and uneven geographic sampling, which itself leads to inconsistent nomenclature. Most of the molecular markers utilized such as RAPD, RFLP, AFLP, ISSR and SSR have some limitations related to their cost, ease of use, robustness, dominance/co dominance and polymorphism level. Nuclear Microsatellite or (SSR) markers seem to be fulfill most of the requirements to achieve accurate analysis of date palm fingerprints and phylogeny. The need for coordinated international, or at least regional, efforts to establish a comprehensive DNA fingerprint data set and phylogeny of all date palm cultivars is discussed in this review. Pages 1236-1244 | Full Text PDF |
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Effects of complex organic additives on improving the growth of PLBs of Vanda Kasem’s Delight Pavallekoodi Gnasekaran, Ranjetta Poobathy, Maziah Mahmood, Mohd. Razip Samian and Sreeramanan Subramaniam School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Minden Heights, 11800, Penang, Malaysia Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Abstract The effects of potato, papaya, and tomato organic extracts, prepared at various concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20 and 30%) were examined for the successful proliferation of in vitro Vanda Kasem’s Delight (VKD) orchid’s protocorm-like bodies (PLBs). Results obtained indicated that the growth of PLBs treated with organic extracts was significantly different compared to that of the control which lacked both carbon source and plant growth regulators. The use of Vacin and Went (VW) medium supplemented with coconut water and organic extracts appreciably enhanced the proliferation of PLBs of VKD, although no significant differences were detected among the treatments. It was concluded that VW medium, when supplemented with coconut water and 20% tomato extract, produced the highest proliferation rate for PLBs of VKD. Observations from this treatment included the production of healthy, green and fresh-looking PLBs, and a reduction in the occurrence of culture browning. Therefore, this treatment has successfully resolved problems involving the long reproductive cycle and slower proliferation nature of VKD orchid plant. Pages 1245-1248 | Full Text PDF |
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Evaluation of composted green waste fertigation through surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems on pot marigold plants (Calendula officinalis L.) grown on sandy soil Khalid M. Elhindi Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia Vegetable and Floriculture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Egypt Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of composting in sandy soil using surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems on the growth, quality and chemical composition of Calendula officinalis plants and soil fertility after harvesting. For this purpose, field experiments were conducted at the Dirab experimental farm in the College of Food Sciences and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia during the winter growing seasons of 2010 and 2011. A split plot experimental design was used with three replicates, and the main plots were presented with irrigation systems, i.e., surface and subsurface drip irrigation, while the subplots were presented with composted green waste additives at 0, 30, 60, 120 kg ha-1. The results showed that increasing compost application rates of up to 120 kg ha-1 enhanced the vegetative growth, flowering parameter and chemical composition in plants. The increased composting rates were associated with reduced nutrient leaching, which was reflected by increasing macronutrient concentrations in the plants and in the soil after harvesting. The subsurface drip irrigation system was more efficient than surface drip irrigation in improving the growth, quality and chemical composition of plants, and the fertility of the soil after harvesting. Pages 1249-1259 | Full Text PDF |
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Achene morphology of Turkish Carthamus species Burcu Tarikahya Hacioglu, Yusuf Arslan, Ilhan Subasi, Duran Katar, Ali Savas Bülbül, Talip Çeter Central Research Institute for Field Crops, Republic of Turkey Food Agricultural and Livestock Ministry, Sehit Cem Ersever street 9-11, Yenimahalle, Ankara-Turkey Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Agriculture, Baglar Campus, Ziraat street, Kütahya road 26160 Eskisehir-Turkey Bartin University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 74100 Bartin-Turkey Kastamonu University, Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Biology, Kuzeykent District, Orgeneral Atilla Ates Pasa street No:15 Kastamonu-Turkey Abstract The present paper represents the macro and micro-characters of the achenes of Carthamus (Asteraceae) species naturally growing in Turkey. A diagnostic identification key, descriptions and images of achenes were given. SEM investigation of seed coat sculpturing revealed 3 distinct types of surface structure: I: Striate, II: Irregularly striate and III: Finely striate. Our research shows that achene morphology is of great value for taxonomist and for plant breeders for identification of Turkish Carthamus species without the need of herbarium specimen. Pages 1260-1264 | Full Text PDF | Supplementary data |
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Effects of legume type, planting pattern and time of establishment on growth and yield of sweet sorghum-legume intercropping Muhammad Arshad and S.L. Ranamukhaarachchi Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand Abstract Sweet sorghum is a popular grain crop grown in water stress prone areas in the world. Its sole stand leaves ample resources untapped. This study evaluated the feasibility of intercropping sweet sorghum using eight intercropping patterns composed of 2 x 2 x 2 factorial combinations of two legumes (viz. mung bean and soybean), two row patterns [viz. alternate single row (ASR) and double row (ADR)] and two seeding times (simultaneous and staggered seeding) with sole crops of sweet sorghum, mung bean and soybean in a randomized complete block design with three replicates during dry and wet seasons (2009-2010). Plant height, leaf area index (LAI) and grain yield between sole and intercropping were compared. The results showed that growth and grain yield of sweet sorghum were significantly (p = 0.001) reduced when intercropped with mung bean in both the seasons, except the yield with ASR pattern and staggered seeding in the dry season. However with soybean, sweet sorghum established in staggered seeding increased the grain yield in both ASR and ADR patterns in the dry season (5.5 t ha-1), and at par in the wet season compared to its sole crop (5.4 t ha-1). All intercropping patterns had land equivalent ratio (LER) above unity. Overall outputs of carbohydrate, protein, fat, and total digestible energy during the dry season were increased by 0.4, 0.4, and 0.3 t, and 22 MJ ha-1, respectively, and during the wet season by 0.1, 0.4 and 0.2 t and 14 MJ ha-1, respectively, in sweet sorghum-soybean intercropping compared to sole cropped sweet sorghum. Pages 1265-1274 | Full Text PDF | Supplementary data |
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Variation of carbohydrates and macronutrients during the flowering stage in canola (Brasscia napus L.) plants with contrasting seed oil content Shuijin Hua, Huasheng Yu, Yaofeng Zhang, Baogang Lin, Houdong Ding, Dongqing Zhang, Yun Ren and Zhong-Hua Chen Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, P. R.China Huzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Huzhou, 313000, P. R.China School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, 2751 NSW, Australia Abstract Determination of dynamics of the physiological traits that affect the seed oil content in canola (Brassica napus L.) is essential for high seed oil content breeding programs. The main purpose of the present experiments was to explore the relationship between seed oil content and carbohydrates, N and P content of various canola aboveground tissues during flowering stage using two recombinant inbred lines RILs. Two field experiments were performed simultaneously in both 2010 and 2011. In experiment 1, seed yield and quality were compared between two RILs with contrasting seed oil content, that is, high oil content line (HOCL) and low oil content line (LOCL) at 50.4% and 41.4%, respectively. In experiment 2, our results showed the HOCL produced markedly more biomass in the reproductive organs by 9.9% and 30% at 35 days after anthesis (DAA) in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Furthermore, compared with LOCL, HOCL accumulated higher fructose, sucrose, and P content in the reproductive organs at the late flowering stage, with an average increment of 85.0%, 31.1%, and 12.4% at 35 DAA, respectively. However, the mean N content in the reproductive organs of HOCL was 17.27% lower than that in LOCL at 35DAA. These results reveal the importance of the higher reproductive organ C/N ratio in the regulation of the higher seed oil content of HOCL.Therefore, the C/N ratio of the reproductive organ may be a useful physiological indicator to screen canola lines for high seed oil content in future breeding program. Pages 1275-1282 | Full Text PDF | Supplementary data |
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Accumulation of desirable alleles for southern leaf blight (SLB) in maize (Zea mays L.) under the epiphytotic of Helminthosporium maydis Farhan Ali, Mareeya Muneer, Jie Xu, Durrishahwar, Hidayat ur Rahman, Yanli Lu, Waseem Hassan, Hidayat Ullah, Muhammad Noor, Iltaf Ullah, Jianbing Yan Cereal Crops Research Institute, Pirsabak, Nowshera, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa, Pakistan National key laboratory of Crop Improvement and Genetics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan China Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, Sichuan, China Faculty of Agriculture, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan Pakistan College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China Abstract To accumulate desirable alleles for southern leaf blight (SLB) resistance and for grain yield, 76 inbred lines were evaluated under the epiphytotic of Helminthosporium maydis. Highly significant differences (P<0.01) were observed among the lines for SLB severity, area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) and grain yield. The broad sense heritability (hBS) obtained for SLB was 0.59, whereas it was 0.91 and 0.61 for AUDPC and grain yield, respectively. Selection differential (S) was positive for grain yield (835 kg ha-1) and was negative for SLB severity (-0.61) and AUDPC (-164.7), indicating a declining trend for these two disease parameters. On the other hand regression analysis also showed a negative effect for disease severity on the total grain yield and R2 value was 0.1933. A negative correlation was observed for yield and SLB showing the importance of increase resistance to boost up the production of maize crop. The cycle of recurrent selection (RS) showed a reliable gain from selection while the expected response showed the extent of improvement in the next generation for SLB, AUDPC and other related parameters. On the basis of frequency distribution curve, the desirable lines for SLB resistance have been shown in different categories. This study revealed the effectiveness of RS for enhancing resistance against SLB and improvement of grain yield in maize crop. Using these parameters sufficient evidence were found for required variability in maize germplasm that can be manipulated in desirable direction for the welfare of humanity. Pages 1283-1289 | Full Text PDF |
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Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated introduction of polygalacturonase inhibiting protein 2 gene (PvPGIP2) from Phaseolus vulgaris into sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Reza Mohammadzadeh, Mohammadreza Zamani, Mostafa Motallebi, Peyman Norouzi, Esmat Jourabchi, Manuel Benedetti and Giulia De Lorenzo National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, I.R. of Iran Sugar Beet Seed Institute (SBSI), Karaj, I.R. of Iran Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “C. Darwin”, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Rome, Italy Department of Biology, University of Maraghe, Maraghe, I.R. of Iran Abstract Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is an important industrial crop, the yield of which is strongly affected by numerous diseases caused by fungal pathogens. To the aim of developing transgenic plants resistant to fungi, two transgenic diploid sugar beet genotypes expressing the gene encoding the polygalacturonase inhibiting protein 2 of Phaseolus vulgaris (PvPGIP2) were generated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. PGIPs are plant cell wall leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins that bind to and inhibit fungal polygalacturonase (PG), thus slowing down the plant cell wall degradation and limiting fungal colonization of the plant tissues. Leaf blade explants carrying the bases of regenerated shoots, a highly regenerative tissue, were used for transformation. PCR screening using specific primers showed the presence of the transgene in more than 40% of the regenerated kanamycin-resistant plants. A transformation rate of 4.4-4.2% (depending on the genotype) was achieved as revealed by agarose diffusion assay of the PvPGIP2 activity in the crude protein extracts of shoot tissues. The intact integration of the transgene cassette into the genome was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. The inhibitory activity against Fusarium phyllophilum polygalacturonase (FpPG) was found at various levels in several transgenic plants. No alterations of growth and development of the transgenic plants were observed. Pages 1290-1297 | Full Text PDF |
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Effects of drought and recovery from drought stress on above ground and root growth, and water use efficiency in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) Nisachon Jangpromma, Sompong Thammasirirak, Prasit Jaisil and Patcharin Songsri Protein and Proteomics Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand Department of Plant Science and Agricultural Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand Abstract Physiological traits associated with drought tolerance are useful as surrogate traits for drought tolerance. Information on the association of root traits and water use efficiency (WUE) and plant growth in sugarcane is rather limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate genotypic variation for root traits, WUE and growth characters of above ground parts of sugarcane. A 2 × 10 factorial experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with two replications for three pots per experimental unit in a greenhouse during January to May 2009. Ten sugarcane cultivars were assigned as factor A and two water regimes (well-watered control and water stress at early growth stage) were assigned as factor B. Data were recorded for root length, root surface area, root volume, root dry weight and relative rate of height growth (RHG) at 10 days after dehydration (100 days after planting; DAP) and 10 days after recovery (110 DAP). Data for water use efficiency and root dry weight were recorded at 110 DAP. Stalk diameter was measured at 90 DAP, 100 DAP and 110 DAP. Drought significantly reduced stalk diameter, biomass, root length, root surface area, root volume and root dry weight, but it did not significantly affect root/shoot ratio, WUE, and RHG. Higher phenotypic variations for root traits were observed after recovery and variation of WUE and biomass were also significant. Associations of root traits with biomass and WUE were higher after recovery than before initiation of drought and at drought. The genotypes 03-4-425 and Phill66-07 had higher WUE and large root systems. Root traits are useful as surrogate traits for WUE in sugarcane. Pages 1298-1304 | Full Text PDF |
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Induction of different types of callus and somatic embryogenesis in various explants of Sainfoin (Onobrychis sativa) Sadegh Mohajer, Rosna Mat Taha, Arash Khorasani and Jamilah Syafawati Yaacob Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Abstract To explore the potential for in vitro rapid regeneration of Sainfoin (Onobrychis sativa), different concentrations of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP), 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and BAP combined with Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) were evaluated for their effects on the induction of somatic embryos from leaf, stem and root explants. Different explants were cultured on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 mg/l) of each kind of hormone. Callus induction percentage, fresh weight, color and texture of the callus were assessed after 11 and 22 days of culture. The optimum medium for the proliferation of embryogenic calli from leaf and root explants was MS supplemented with 2.5 mg/L BAP and 0.5 mg/L NAA. Concentrations of 2.5 mg/L BAP and 1.5 mg/L IBA also had a remarkable effect on root and stem explants. The best concentration to produce callus from stem explants was 0.5 mg/L BAP and 1 mg/L IBA. Results of mean comparison showed that BAP and NAA were more effective on different explants than BAP and IBA. Results of the double staining method proved that somatic embryogenesis occurred in the most concentrations of BAP and NAA. Under microscopic observations, the different developmental stages of the embryos (globular, heart, torpedo and cotyledonary) were revealed together in callus cells, indicating that the most tested hormone combinations were effective for somatic embryogenesis formation in this species. Root explants formed torpedo and cotyledonary stages faster than leaf and stem explants in the most combinations. the most calli from root explants were cream colored and friable, while calli were compact and light green from leaf and stem explants. Some combinations gave direct regeneration and (3 mg/L BAP and 2 mg/L IBA) in stem explants and (0.5 mg/L BAP and 2.5 mg/L IBA) in leaf explants had the highest number of shoots with average of 21 and 27 shoots per callus. The developed protocol established the production of different callus types from leaf, stem and root explants and plant regeneration through somatic embryogenesis. Pages 1305-1313 | Full Text PDF |
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Exogenous nitric oxide alleviates high temperature induced oxidative stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings by modulating the antioxidant defense and glyoxalase system Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Kamrun Nahar, Md. Mahabub Alam and Masayuki Fujita Laboratory of Plant Stress Responses, Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, 2393 Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa 761-0795, Japan Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh Department of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh Abstract We investigated the protective role of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) in alleviating high atmospheric temperature induced damages of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Pradip) seedlings. Heat treatment (38 °C) alone or in combination with 0.5 mM SNP (a NO donor) was applied with nutrient solution on 8-d-old hydroponically grown wheat seedlings for a period of 24 h and 48 h. Heat stress significantly decreased the Chl content and increased the lipid peroxidation (MDA) and H2O2 levels in time depending manners. Ascorbate (AsA) content markedly decreased upon heat treatment but glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) content increased. Heat treatment resulted in an increase of the activities of antioxidant enzymes - ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione S-transferase (GST). The activities of glyoxalase enzymes also increased upon heat stress. Exogenous NO supplementation in the seedlings had little influence on the nonenzymatic and enzymatic components compared to the control. However, supplementation of heat-treated seedlings with SNP significantly reduced the high temperature induced lipid peroxidation, H2O2 content and increased the content of Chl, AsA and GSH as well as the GSH/GSSG ratio. Heat treated seedlings which were supplemented with SNP also upregulated the activities of APX, MDHAR, DHAR, GR, GST, CAT and Gly I. This study concludes that an exogenous supply of NO protects wheat seedlings from high temperature induced oxidative stress by upregulating antioxidant defense and methylglyoxal (MG) detoxification system. Pages 1314-1323 | Full Text PDF |