Genotype and environmental effects on ginsenoside content among eight wild populations of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) were investigated. Root concentrations of six ginsenosides were determined at the time of collection of plants from the wild (T0) and 2 years (T2) after transplanting roots from each of the eight populations to each of two different forest garden locations. Both location and population had significant effects on root and shoot growth. Overall, ginsenoside Rb1 was most abundant, followed by Rg1 and Re. Concentrations of Rg1 and Re were inversely related among and within populations. The relative ranking of populations differed depending upon the particular ginsenoside and sampling time. The relative importance of genotype and environment was not the same for all ginsenosides. Ginsenoside Re was influenced by population but not location, whereas Rb1, Rc, and Rb2 were influenced only by location (environment), while Rg1 and Rd were influenced by both. Ginsenoside levels were consistently lower, but growth was consistently higher at the more intensively managed garden location.

The effects of ethylene and auxin on the morphology and anatomy of root organ cultures of Pinus mugo Turra var. mugo were investigated to test the hypothesis that changes in root morphology associated with formation of ectomycorrhizae may be related to ethylene produced by ectomycorrhizal fungi or by host plant roots in response to fungus‐produced auxin. Morphological changes characteristic of mycorrhizal infection include dichotomous branching of lateral roots, inhibition of root hair formation and enlargement of cortical cells. Lateral roots on non‐mycorrhizal root organ cultures, grown in a defined medium, underwent dichtotomous branching while root hair formation was inhibited in response to the ethylene released by 50 and 100 μM ethephon (2‐chloroethylphosphonic acid), but no effect on cortical cell dimensions was observed. The auxin, naphthaleneacetic acid (1 and 10 μM) also stimulated dichotomous branching and inhibited root hair formation, but to a lesser extent and with a greater lag time than ethephon. Auxin‐stimulated ethylene production by root organ cultures was demonstrated. This appeared to be responsible, at least in part, for the auxin‐induced dichotomous branching since the ethylene action inhibitor, silver thiosulfate (0.1 mM) inhibited the response to auxin by 35%.

The response of understory species to elevated temperatures is not well understood but is important because these plants are highly sensitive to their growth conditions. Three-year-old plants of Panax quinquefolius, an understory herb endemic to the eastern deciduous forests of North America, were grown in a greenhouse at 25/20°C (day/night) or 30/25°C for one growing season and analyzed each month. Plants grown at high temperatures had an early onset of leaf senescence and therefore accumulated less carbon. From May to July, P. quinquefolius grown at high temperatures had decreased photosynthesis (52%), stomatal conductance (60%), and root and total biomass (33% and 28%, respectively) compared to plants grown at low temperatures. As P. quinquefolius prepared to overwinter, plants grown at high temperatures had less root biomass (53%) than plants in low temperatures. The amount of storage-root ginsenosides was unaffected by temperature, and differences in storage root size may explain why plants grown at high temperatures had greater concentrations of storage root ginsenosides (49%) than plants grown at low temperatures. Panax quinquefolius is clearly sensitive to a 5°C increase in temperature, and therefore other understory species may be negatively impacted by future increases in global temperature.

A protocol is presented that enables a propagator to produce field-sized blueberry transplants within 6 months of obtaining microshoots from tissue culture. The protocol involves subjecting microshoots to ex vitro rooting in a fog chamber under 100 μmol·m–2·s–1 photosynthetic photon flux for 7 weeks, transferring plants to a fog tunnel for 2 weeks, then to a greenhouse for 7 more weeks. Plant survival and rooting of cultivars Berkeley (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) and Northsky (Vaccinium angustifolium ×corymbosum) were near 100% under these conditions. Plantlets in fog chambers receiving 100 μmol·m–2·s–1 grew rapidly, while those at lower irradiance levels grew more slowly, and supplemental CO2 enhanced growth only at 50 μmol·m–2·s–1. Growth rates slowed when plants were moved into the fog tunnel; but by the end of 16 weeks, plants that were under high irradiance in the fog chamber had root systems that were 15 to 30 times larger than plants under low irradiance. Within 6 months, these plants were 30 to 60 cm tall and suitable for field planting.