Spores of Onoclea sensibilis were investigated for inhibition of germination by ethylene. A curve of germination against ethylene concentration indicated a “threshold” type of response, but percentage of spore germination was not influenced either by the density of the inoculum or by the presence of 1 % sucrose in the culture medium. Ethylene totally inhibited dark germination, but in white light reversal of inhibition was possible in about 50% of the germinating spores. Time‐course studies revealed that in imbibed spores ethylene inhibited germination in the first 3 ± 1 hr of illumination. Dose‐response curves of light intensity vs. germination indicated that the response to light differed in the presence and absence of ethylene. Recovery from inhibition was possible once ethylene was allowed to escape, and the rate of recovery was accelerated by light.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.A B S T R A C T Spores of Onoclea sensibilis were investigated for inhibition of germination by ethylene. A curve of germination against ethylene concentration indicated a "threshold" type of response, but percentage of spore germination was not influenced either by the density of the inoculum or by the presence of 1 % sucrose in the culture medium. Ethylene totally inhibited dark germination, but in white light reversal of inhibition was possible in about 50% of the germinating spores. Time-course studies revealed that in imbibed spores ethylene inhibited germination in the first 3 + 1 hr of illumination. Dose-response curves of light intensity vs. germination indicated that the response to light differed in the presence and absence of ethylene. Recovery from inhibition was possible once ethylene was allowed to escape, and the rate of recovery was accelerated by light.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. AB ST RACT Ethylene, a natural product of sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis L.) gametophytes, has been demonstrated to inhibit cell division in light-grown prothallia. When plants were grown on Knop's solution plus 1 % sucrose under 300 ft-c or more of white light, all ethylene concentrations from 1-1000 pl/liter reduced the rate of increase of cell number by about one-half. The over-all rate of increase of cell number was regulated by various environmental and chemical factors, but regardless of the rate established in control cultures, ethylene treatment of 1-1000 ,ul/liter produced a relative 50% depression of cell number. Ethylene was specific for inhibition of cell division and was not a general inhibitor of growth. The ethylene inhibition did not result from a reduction of photosynthesis or energy supply. Further demonstration of ethylene as the active gaseous component resulted when cultures were grown in small enclosed containers with an ethylene absorbent, mercuric perchlorate, and consequently the cell number of gametophytes was restored to the level of unenclosed controls. ETHYLENE
Seeds of pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L.), an underinvestigated species, were studied to determine optimal conditions for laboratory germination. Soaking seeds in acid solutions prior to sowing increased rates of germination. Concentrated (conc) H2SO4 was more effective than conc NO3 or conc HCl acids. Physiological evidence from seed germination studies suggests that autotoxicity, or intraspecific inhibition, exists in pokeweed, a species known to possess several biologically active compounds. Seed germination was investigated in the laboratory with aqueous extracts of vegetative and reproductive structures of the plant. The presence of extracts from most plant parts correlated with reduced or no germination by seeds of its own species, whereas the presence of distilled water correlated with high percentages of germination by control seeds. Whether diluted with water by 5‐fold (20% v/v) or undiluted, juice of pokeweed fruits completely inhibited the laboratory germination of pokeweed seeds. Also, extracts of freshly harvested mature leaves, stems, and immature fruits inhibited seed germination. However, results with root extracts, obtained from a single individual, depended more on concentration, since the highest concentration (50% v/v) inhibited germination, and lower concentrations (10 and 20% v/v) increased germination percentages over control samples. Results with extracts of juvenile leaves correlated with neither inhibition nor promotion of germination. Thus, except for juvenile leaves and the root, most extracts of the pokeweed plant inhibited seed germination with more mature structures exerting more inhibition and less mature structures exerting less or no inhibition. The ecological implication of autotoxicity is that seeds are more dispersed through time and space. In regard to seed germination by other species, especially those taxa known to possess biologically active compounds, these and other results suggest that the phenomenon of autotoxicity might be more widespread than previously suspected.
Three trials were undertaken to study storage conditions and handling procedures required to maximise the postharvest storage life of honeydew melons (Cucumis melo L. var. inodorus Naud.).Honeydew melons treated with chlorine (1000 mg/L), benomyl (250 mg/L) + guazatine (500 mg/L), shrink wrap (17 ym Cryovac XDR film), Semperfresh, wax, or combinations of these treatments were stored at 4 or 8�C, for 4 or 6 weeks. Benomyl plus guazatine reduced the development of storage rots associated with Alternaria and Fusarium spp. The use of shrink wrap and wax reduced water loss by melons but increased fungal infection in some cases. Shrink wrapping combined with the fungicide treatment effectively reduced the incidence of fungal breakdown in the storage period for up to 4 weeks. Wax coating with full strength Citruseal wax caused anaerobic tissue breakdown. Melons were affected by chilling injury at 4�C. Control of bacterial rots with benomyl + guazatine or with chlorine was variable. Semperfresh did not reduce the incidence of fungal breakdown or water loss from the melons. The results indicate that storage of honeydew melons for 4 weeks at 8�C by pretreating with fungicide is possible but the melons soften and rot after 6 weeks, making them unsaleable. Four weeks should be adequate to allow for sea freighting of honeydew melons to markets in South East Asia. Further research is required to determine the optimum storage temperature for honeydew melons.
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