Seed germination is the initial step of seedling development in plants. Seed priming with salts has been used to synchronise seed germination. In general, a long-term treatment with a relatively high salt concentration, such as 1 M NaCl, is employed. To improve the e ciency of this treatment, we examined the e ect of seed priming with a lower NaCl concentration than conventional method in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Tomato seeds were soaked for 24 h at 25°C in the dark in 100-1000 mM of NaCl solution (NaCl-priming) or distilled water (hydro-priming). To estimate the e ect of NaCl-priming on seed germination and subsequent seedling growth, the germination rate, seedling emergence, plant height, and hypocotyl and root length were investigated under NaCl-, hydro-and non-priming treatments. At 4 d a er sowing, the seedling emergence was markedly promoted by 300 mM of NaCl-priming. e NaCl-priming also signi cantly enhanced the seed germination rate at 48 h a er sowing. Seedling growth, as indicated by plant height, stem diameter and hypocotyl and root length, was promoted by NaCl-priming. ese results suggest that priming with low saline has similar e ects as conventional priming methods. A comprehensive gene expression analysis showed that the genes related to seedling growth and stress responses were up-regulated by NaCl-priming at 144 h a er the start of the treatment, followed by advanced and uniform seed germination. e seedlings exhibited an increased tolerance to Ralstonia solanacearum, the causative agent of bacterial wilt of tomato, compared with the hydro-primed and non-primed seedling.
The effects of pinching and lowering on cucumber yield and yield components were investigated. A short-term experiment was conducted on 3 cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cultivars grown hydroponically in a greenhouse from July to October 2011. Pinching plants were pinched at above 20 leaves on a main branch and at the 2nd leaf on the first lateral branches. Lowering plants were pinched at above 15-19 leaves on a main branch and not pinched on 4 lateral branches that were lowered with their growth. The fresh fruit yield of pinching plants in all cultivars was higher than in lowering plants. The high fresh fruit yield was caused by the high dry weight yield, and the high dry weight yield was caused by the high dry matter production and distribution of it to fruits. Total dry matter production was correlated with light interception at 40 days after transplanting, but was correlated with light use efficiency, i.e., dry matter production per intercepted light, during the entire experimental period.Key Words:dry matter distribution, dry matter production, leaf area index, light interception, plant factory
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