The involvement of gibberellins in the control of flowering of sunflower was studied by direct application of GA3 to the apex of the plants, analysis of the endogenous levels of gibberellin-like substances at different plant ages, and indirectly by the application of paclobutrazol, an inhibitor of gibberellin synthesis. GA3 speeded-up flower initiation and floral apex development. The time of GA3 application was more critical than the amount of GA3 applied. The endogenous levels of gibberellin-like compounds increased significantly by day 15 after sowing. The application of paclobutrazol markedly delayed floral initiation and this effect was also dependent on plant age. Both GA3 and paclobutrazol had their greatest effects between 10 and 20 days after sowing suggesting that an increase in gibberellins in that time period plays a role in floral initiation.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of water stress on the germination of Coffea arabica seeds and the growth and development of plants from these seeds. Seeds of the cultivars Bourbon Vermelho, Mundo Novo, and BA-10 were placed to germinate in the dark at 30 ºC in the presence and absence of 100 g/L of polyethylene glycol 6000. The water stress applied delayed the beginning of seed germination by seven days in relation to seeds of the control, which had achieved responses of up to 50%, but there were no differences between the treatments at the end of the experiment. Furthermore, the length of the primary root in seeds germinated under water stress was less than in the control treatment, especially for the cultivar Mundo Novo. Plants of the cultivars Bourbon Vermelho and Mundo Novo developed from seeds previously germinated under water stress exhibited reduced height and fewer leaf pairs than those from the control, whereas ‘BA-10’ responded in a similar way in both treatments. Thus, the cultivars Bourbon Vermelho and Mundo Novo were more sensitive to the water stress applied in the germination phase than ‘BA-10’.

Kohleria eriantha has rhizomes which are underground stems with buds enclosed by modified leaves, that store starch. The buds of this rhizome can develop in two morphological patterns: an aerial shoot (similar to the mother plant) or a rhizome, depending on the water level present in the substrate. Development of the shoot was inhibited by low water availability (1 mL) in the substrate. It was verified that ethylene and ABA were involved in controlling the development of the rhizome pattern under low water availability. Treatments with ethrel, PEG and ABA induced shoot development whereas treatments with AgNO3 or AVG inhibited shoot development. Increased ethylene and ABA were observed under conditions that inhibited shoot development. Moreover, it is suggested that ABA may induce the production of ethylene in the sections of the rhizome under low water availability.

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RESUMO -(Efeito da temperatura e do teor de umidade na iniciação e desenvolvimento do rizoma de Kohleria eriantha (Benth.) Hanst. (Gesneriaceae)). Kohleria eriantha (Benth.) Hanst. pertence à família Gesneriaceae e possui órgão subterrâneo, que está associado à reprodução vegetativa. Este órgão apresenta gemas envoltas por folhas modificadas, as quais armazenam amido. Em seções do rizoma (1,5 a 2,0cm compr.) contendo seis gemas, só uma gema geralmente brota. Esta pode diferenciar-se em dois padrões morfológicos: parte aérea ou rizoma. Em seções mantidas em substrato com baixo teor de umidade (1mL de água) ou em sua ausência, houve brotação do padrão rizoma, em seções em substrato com elevado teor de umidade (12mL de água), brotação do padrão parte aérea. A temperatura de 20ºC também favoreceu a brotação do padrão rizoma, independente do volume de água do substrato. Seções também desenvolveram o padrão rizoma em substrato com adição de solução de polietilenoglicol 6000 (PEG), nas concentrações de 161,2; 235,2 e 340,0g/L, que geraram os potenciais de -3, -6 e -12 MPa, respectivamente. Seções mantidas em substrato com baixo teor de umidade (1mL de água) apresentaram redução de massa seca e elevada concentração osmótica em relação àquelas em substrato com elevado teor de umidade. Verificou-se que a formação do padrão rizoma foi influenciada pelos fatores teor de umidade e temperatura. Sugere-se que a brotação do padrão rizoma foi induzida pelo baixo potencial hídrico nas seções, quando mantidas em substrato com baixo teor de umidade. Além disto, evidenciou-se que as gemas do rizoma de Kohleria eriantha apresentam elevado grau de plasticidade.Palavras-chave: brotação, concentração osmótica, padrão morfológico, PEG, teor de umidade ABSTRACT -(Effect of temperature and the water content in the initiation and developmental of the rhizome of Kohleria eriantha (Benth.) Hanst. (Gesneriaceae)). Kohleria eriantha (Benth.) Hanst is a plant belonging to the family Gesneriaceae, with an underground organ, which is associated with vegetative reproduction. This organ is a rhizome, whose stem bears buds covered with modified leaves that store up starch. In small sections of this rhizome, containing six buds (1.5 to 2.0cm long), only one bud sprouted. The sprouted bud could be differentiated into two morphological pattern: aerial part or rhizome. Sprouting of the rhizome pattern occurred in sections kept on substrate with low water content (1mL of water), or lacking water, whereas sprouting of the aerial part pattern occurred in sections on substrate with high water content (12mL of water). Temperature at 20ºC also stimulated sprouting of the rhizome pattern, regardless of the water volume in the substrate. Sprouting of the rhizome pattern occurred still in sections on substrate to which polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) solution was added at the concentrations of 161.2, 235.2 and 340.0g/L, resulting in potentials of -3, -6 and -12 MPa, respectively. Sections kept on substrate with low water content (1 ml of water) showed a reduction ...

This study evaluated the effect of different concentrations of 2-isopentenyladenine (2-iP) on the direct somatic embryogenesis capacity of the Mundo Novo cultivar of Coffea arabica. Leaf explants were cultivated with half the MS salt concentration and the addition of sucrose (20gL-1) and 2-iP (0; 2.5; 5; 7.5 and 10µM). The 2-iP doses of 7.5 and 10µM produced the greatest responses with respect to the percentage of explants with embryogenic structures and the size of the embryogenic structures. However, the greatest production of somatic embryos occurred on the explants treated with 10µM of 2-iP, followed by 7.5µM, whereas their production was absent or reduced with 0 and 5µM, respectively.