Potato Flower Research Articles

Cloning and abiotic stress resistance analyses of a new proline-glycine-alaninehistidine-rich protein gene from Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.

Sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] is one of the top six most important crops in the world in terms of production. It has the capacity to tolerate marginal growing conditions better than most other crops. In this study, a proline- and glycine-rich protein encoding gene, IbPGAHRP1, was isolated and characterized from the transcriptome of sweet potato cultivar Xushu 18. Sequence analyses showed that proline, glycine, alanine, and histidine account for 62.6% of the total amino acid residues. Two proline-rich tandem repeats, an alanine-rich repeat, a histidine-rich tandem repeat, and five XYPP motifs were present in IbPGAHRP1. Sequence similarity analysis showed that IbPGAHRP1 shared 41% similarity with GmGPRP4, indicating that IbPGAHRP1 should be a GPRP-like protein and play an important role in stress resistance. RT-PCR results showed that IbPGAHRP1 was specifically expressed in the sweet potato flower. In vivo expression of IbPGAHRP1 demonstrated that it enhanced the cold and drought resistance in the yeast recombinant, but could not trigger the same changes in Escherichia coli. This study revealed that IbPGAHRP1 is a flower-specific gene and should play an important role in response to abiotic stresses.

Optimization of electrochemical detection of L-Ascorbic acid from Plant Food Supplements using screen printed transducers

The importance of Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in several biological processes, and during the last years as active compounds used in several pesticides (L-Ascorbic acid is used as a fungicide on glasshouse tomato, potato, and field and glasshouse flower bulbs) is a challenge for groups of researchers to develop new, rapid and sensitive method for its detection. Methods for the detection of Ascorbic acid (AA) were developed and optimised using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) analysis with modified carbon-printed electrodes with cobalt phthalocyanine. There was studied detection of Ascorbic acid in hydrochloric acid 2% as supporting media. Results showed that the method developed for Ascorbic acid analyses can be used to assay different samples as teas and plant food supplements containing different botanicals.

Metabolic profile of fragrant and non‐fragrant ornamental potato flowers (617.5)

Odoriferous floral organic compounds are important biological signaling agents. These compounds are often sought for their pleasant characteristics in perfumery and gardening. Wild samples of ornamental potato flower possessing an unexpected rose‐resembling odor (P population) were compared to unscented potato flowers of close relation (VER Population). Volatile small‐molecule analysis by GC/MS, coupled with spectral identification software, identified three volatiles connected to fragrance: β‐farnesol, phenethyl alcohol (PEA), and phenylacetaldehyde (PA). Standards of each compound were run to ensure proper identification by comparing retention time as well as fragmentation patterns. Additionally, concentrations of PA and PEA were obtained. Elevated PEA concentrations in the P population were found to accompany depressed PA. Conversely, decreased PEA was found in the VER population with increased PA.Phenacetaldehyde reductase (PAR), responsible for the conversion of phenylacetaldehyde reductase to phenethyl alcohol, is now being investigated using SDS‐PAGE with LC/MS. Preliminary results in SDS‐PAGE show that differential protein expression exists between the P and VER populations. Determining whether PAR is the culprit opens up characterization of the genotype of the P population. These findings can be important for designer plant breeding seeking to incorporate fragrant phenotypes.Grant Funding Source: Supported by UWSP College of Letters and Science

A Study of Methods to Use Local Communities through Book Cafes

This study looks into cultural characteristics of book cafes emerging in the Hongdae area and methods for the effective use of cultural space through the cases of Potato Flower Studio in Gangwon-do and of the changes of two markets ‘Gwangjang Market’ and ‘Tongin Market’ in Seoul. The cultural space is generally acknowledged as a place or facility where citizens can appreciate culture and arts or they can create or educate cultural products in life. As a potential space in the cultural space of a city, book cafes should be developed into a cultural space which can be easily accessed by publishers, Korean readers, and foreigners. It is required that a book cafe acts as a local community space with its characteristics, that is, a complex culture space. To find a utilization plan for book cafes, we conducted a comparative study with ‘Potato Flower Studio’ in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do which is the place connecting successfully with regional culture of the area. The cultural space should be changed to meet the needs of the time. This study investigates various methodologies to create a cultural space.

О формировании генеративной системы картофеля в горной зоне Таджикистана

The article presents the results of a study on the features on the formation of generative organs of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in mountainous areas of Tajikistan at a height of over 2700 meters above sea level. There is a difference in formation character of generative system of potato plants, depending on the genotype accessions. It was noted that the formation of flower buds on the total amount of from 5 to 95%, and the number of berries formed 1to 10 units /plant or from 7.7 to 20.6 % of the total number of flowers. Formation of berries of potato varieties in a little due to the amount of viable pollen grains per flower. The number of seeds in a berry varies from 51 to 150 units, and it is associated with the viability of the pollen grains of potato flower. One berry of potatoes in average contains about 96 pieces of seeds. It was determined that 16 % of potato accessions form less than 10 % have viable pollen grains, which is probably due to a partial cytoplasmic sterile pollen.

Does 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid induce flowering in sweet potato?

Most sweet potato cultivars grown in Zimbabwe are poor in agronomic and quality traits and require improvement through breeding. However, most cultivars rarely flower yet the flowers are crucial in genetic improvements. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different levels of 2, 4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on sweet potato flower induction. A 3*4 factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications was used. The first factor was landrace with three different landraces and the second factor was 2,4-D with four different concentrations (0, 100, 300 and 500 ppm). The 2,4-D was applied 50 days after planting. Sweet potato landraces that were sprayed with 2,4-D showed morphological and physiological disorders that included temporal drooping, petiole epinasty, stem splitting, shoot dieback and root swelling. Extensive morphological and physiological disorders were observed on landraces that were sprayed with the high levels of 2,4-D (300 and 500 ppm). However, within 30 days, all the landraces that were sprayed with 2,4-D managed to initiate buds and set flowers while the plants that were not sprayed did not flower at all. The Friedman’s tests showed no significant differences in bud and flower number among the treatment combinations used. Therefore the lowest concentration of 2,4-D (100 ppm) used in this study is probably close to the optimum concentration for flower induction in sweet potato. Although this concentration is not the actual optimum, at the moment this concentration can be used to induce flowering in sweet potato and thus allow sweet potato breeding initiatives to be launched. Key words : Sweet potato, 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, flowering, seed set.

Transcriptome Analysis to Identify Putative Floral-Specific Genes and Flowering Regulatory-Related Genes of Sweet Potato

Sweet potato flowers were collected for a transcriptome analysis to identify the putative floral-specific and flowering regulatory-related genes by using the RNA-sequencing technique. Pair-end short reads were de novo assembled by an integrated strategy, and then the floral transcriptome was carefully compared with several published vegetative transcriptomes. A total of 2595 putative floral-specific and 2928 putative vegetative-specific transcripts were detected. We also identified a large number of transcripts similar to the key genes in the flowering regulation network of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Cytokinins: Determinants of Sink Storage Ability

A new study demonstrates that storage organ formation can be induced in the axillary meristem of non-tuberizing plants by ectopic expression of the cytokinin biosynthetic gene LONELY GUY (LOG1).

Nature and Kinetic Architecture: The Development of a New Type of Transformable Structure for Temporary Applications

The contemplation of contemporary architectural designs shows an increasing demand for the development of more adaptable, flexible and transformable structures. This type of structures can adapt with different environmental conditions and meet different functions. This can help in reducing environmental waste and pollution associated with many buildings and above all can save on cost and time. Natural systems have inspired human being, since they began to build and design. Architects and designers have utilized nature as one of the main resources of information for the creation of innovative architectural spaces. One of the unique features of natural structures is the way that their components open and close in order to respond to a particular requirement or the environmental changes. This aspect has inspired many designers for the development of transformable architectural structures that can change their shape and geometry to be able to adapt with specific conditions. To make a way toward the design of transformable structure for temporary applications, the authors have developed a new type of adaptable structures according to natural forms. The proposed design applies the transformation principles that exist in potato's flower and the movement mechanisms used in a spider's leg. The design is able to fit to different topographies and have a potential to be folded to a very compact state in a very short period of time. The detailed design and the different configurations of the system applications will be presented in this paper. The result of the study shows that using modular triangular plates can create a changeable module that is not only able to respond to different functions and environmental changes but it is also able to shape different configuration to be able to respond to different user's ambitions. The compactability of this structure into 1/3 of its base dimensions; makes its transportation fast and with minimum costs. These capabilities make this structure suitable for temporary buildings such as exhibitions, temporary settlements or hospital in damaged areas.

Control of flowering and storage organ formation in potato by FLOWERING LOCUS T

Seasonal fluctuations in day length regulate important aspects of plant development such as the flowering transition or, in potato (Solanum tuberosum), the formation of tubers. Day length is sensed by the leaves, which produce a mobile signal transported to the shoot apex or underground stems to induce a flowering transition or, respectively, a tuberization transition. Work in Arabidopsis, tomato and rice (Oryza sativa) identified the mobile FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) protein as a main component of the long-range 'florigen', or flowering hormone, signal. Here we show that expression of the Hd3a gene, the FT orthologue in rice, induces strict short-day potato types to tuberize in long days. Tuber induction is graft transmissible and the Hd3a-GFP protein is detected in the stolons of grafted plants, transport of the fusion protein thus correlating with tuber formation. We provide evidence showing that the potato floral and tuberization transitions are controlled by two different FT-like paralogues (StSP3D and StSP6A) that respond to independent environmental cues, and show that an autorelay mechanism involving CONSTANS modulates expression of the tuberization-control StSP6A gene.

Ecological effects of continuous potato cropping on soil water

This paper presents a field experiment of continuous potato cropping for 1 year, 3 years, 6 years and 10 years with the aim of investigating biological characteristics of potato and dynamic variations in soil water. The experimental results indicate that with increasing year of continuous cropping, potato height, leaf area and net photosynthetic rate decrease. Pre- and post flowering is the water requirement peak of potato. Seasonal variation trends of soil water at different soil layers under different cropping durations are similar, but significantly differ among different cropping year treatments. For different cropping year treatments soils are dry in 40～60 cm soil layer during potato flowering stage, and with increasing year of continuous cropping, soil desiccation is aggravated. Under 6 and 10 years of continuous cropping, soil water content is 11.63% and 10.54% in 50 cm soil layer, gradually developing from light to medium desiccation. For 3 or more years of continuous potato cultivation, WUE decreases drastically. Rainfall in the hilly regions of South Ningxia, where soil layer is usually deep, complements soil water in the upper soil layers. However, deep soil water compensation is hardly realized under potato continuous cropping for more than 3 years. For more 3 years continuous potato cropping, negative ecological and environmental consequences of soil water shortage occur in study area.

CONSTANS delays flowering and affects tuber yield in potato

CONSTANS (CO) has a central role in the photoperiodic regulation of flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana. We show here that potato (Solanum tuberosum ssp. andigena) plants constitutively expressing Arabidopsis CO (pACo plants) flower late under all photoperiodic conditions tested. Exogenous application of gibberellic acid to pACo plants corrected their short stem phenotype but not their late flowering. To further understand the effect of CO in potato, we used three photoperiodic conditions: short days (SD), which strongly induce tuberisation of wild type plants, SD supplemented with a night break (SD+NB), which are moderately inductive, and tuberisation-inhibiting long days. Tuberisation of pACo plants was delayed under SD and very strongly delayed or completely inhibited under SD+NB, suggesting that CO affects an autonomous pathway controlling potato tuberisation. In addition, tuber yield, a trait of high agronomic relevance, was significantly increased in pACo plants expressing moderate CO levels. Our results indicate that CO affects flowering and stem elongation through distinct mechanisms and suggest that its effects on flowering and tuberisation in potato are photoperiod-independent.

The Canon of Potato Science: 42. Flowering

What is it? Flower formation represents a transition from the vegetative to the reproductive phase of development. Flowering is a phase in the life of a plant when the shoot meristem is induced to develop sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels instead of leaves. In this process two stages must be distinguished from each other: the induction of flowering and the differentiation of inflorescences and flowers. During flower induction plants must be exposed to certain external conditions for a defined period of time. The time interval is known as the induction period and the efficacious external conditions as the inductive conditions. The natural, inductive external conditions can, in many cases, be replaced by treatments with certain chemicals. The cultivated potato, like many other plants in higher latitudes, is a long-day plant. Potato flowers under long days, moderate temperature and high humidity. Potato is induced to flower by increased day length. Under low latitudes conditions, i.e. in tropical and sub-tropical conditions, potato is grown under short-day conditions. Although flower primordia of potato can rise in total darkness, a photoperiod of 14�18 h and night temperatures of 15�20 o C favour flower production and berry setting in potato. In the tropics and sub-tropics, conditions conducive to flowering and fruiting are available only at high altitude (> 1500 m above mean sea level) when the crop is grown during the summer season. Short-day environment suppresses flowering of potato. Temperature conditions also influence photoperiodic response.

Bitrophic and tritrophic effects of Bt Cry3A transgenic potato on beneficial, non-target, beetles

Insect-resistant transgenic plants have been suggested to have unpredictable effects on the biodiversity of the agro-ecosystem, including potential effects on insect natural enemies, beneficial in control of crop pests. Whilst carnivorous as adults, many of these predators may also consume plant tissues, in particular plant pollen and nectar. Coleoptera are important in terms of agro-ecological research not only because of the large number of species in this order, but also because of their role as biological control agents. Thus any detrimental impact on this group of insects would be highly undesirable. The effects of potato expressing the coleopteran-specific Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin Cry3A (Bt Cry3A) on the ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis and the carabid beetle Nebria brevicollis were investigated via the bitrophic interaction of the adult ladybird with potato flowers and the tritrophic interaction of the carabid consuming a non-target potato pest. Immunoassays confirmed accumulation of the transgene product in potato leaves and floral tissues (at levels of up to 0.01% (pollen) and 0.0285% (anthers) of total soluble protein). Despite H. axyridis and N. brevicollis belonging to the targeted insect order, no significant effects upon survival or overall body mass change of either beetle were observed. Furthermore, Bt Cry3A had no detrimental effects on reproductive fitness of either beetle species, either in terms of fecundity or subsequent egg viability. Behavioural analysis revealed no significant impact of Bt Cry3A on beetle activity or locomoter behaviour. Ligand blots indicate that this is due to either the absence of Bt-binding sites in brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) isolated from Nebria brevicollis, or in the case of Harmonia axyridis, the binding did not functionally lead to behavioural or physical effects.

Discrimination of higher plant calluses based on embryogenic capacity and taxonomic classification by pyrolysis mass spectrometry

Pyrolysis mass spectrometry (PyMS) is a rapid, simple, high-resolution analytical method based on thermal degradation of complex material in a vacuum, and has been widely applied to the discrimination of closely related microbial strains. Minimally prepared samples of embryogenic and non-embryogenic calluses derived from various higher plants (sweet potato, morning glory, Korean ginseng, Siberian ginseng, and balloon flower) were subjected to PyMS for spectral fingerprinting. A dendrogram based on the unweighted pair group method, with arithmetic mean of pyrolysis mass spectra, divided the calluses into Siberian ginseng embryogenic callus and the others, which were subsequently divided into embryogenic and non-embryogenic callus groups, regardless of plant species from which the calluses were derived. In the non-embryogenic callus group, the dendrogram was in agreement with the known taxonomy of the plants. These results indicate that PyMS analysis could be applied for discriminating plant calluses based on embryogenic capacity and taxonomic classification.

Effect of chitosan and a biocontrol streptomycete on field and potato tuber bacterial communities

Four treatments applied on potato seed tubers i.e. talc only, chitosan only, Streptomyces melanosporofaciens strain EF-76 in talc and S. melanosporofaciens strain EF-76 in chitosan were compared for their efficiency to reduce common scab incidence. As previously reported the joint application of the geldanamycin-producing S. melanosporofaciens strain EF-76 and chitosan was effective to control common scab of potato. Nevertheless, field application of S. melanosporofaciens EF-76 did not allow the selection of geldanamycin-resistant actinomycetes (GRA) in the bulk soil during the potato growing season. The number of GRA on harvested potato tubers was, however, significantly higher in treatments that contained chitosan than in other treatments suggesting that chitosan might promote the establishment of the antagonistic actinomycete on progeny tubers. Biolog EcoPlates were used to determine the metabolic profiles of the bacterial soil communities. A permutation MANOVA analysis detected significant differences within the metabolic profiles of the bacterial communities at the potato flowering period but not at the beginning of the season or a week before harvest. A combination of S. melanosporofaciens EF-76 and chitosan thus represents a promising tool against common scab, with low short-term impact on soil bacterial communities.

Induction of fertile flowers in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) by silver thiosulphate anionic complex

The effect of gibberellic acid containing mixtures, silver thiosulphate and extended photoperiod on flowering induction in 16 non-flowering potato genotypes and on flowering enhancement in 14 normally potato flowering genotypes was studied in sub-tropical plains of India during short-day autumn crop season of 2000–2001 and 2001–2002. Extended photoperiod alone was not successful in induction of flowering. Silver thiosulphate in combination with extended photoperiod effectively induced flowering in 16 potato genotypes studied for flowering induction. Induced flowers of some genotypes were male fertile. Normal berry setting was observed on induced flowers and seeds obtained from such berries germinated normally. Gibberellic acid containing treatments were not very effective in flower induction as they induced some flowering only in few genotypes. In the normally flowering genotypes silver thiosulphate enhanced maximum flowering and duration of flowering to a great extent.

The effect of MCPA and paclobutrazol on flowering, berry set, biomass production, tuber yield and quality of potato

The effects of MCPA and paclobutrazol on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) flowering, berry formation, dry matter production and allocation, tuber yield and quality were investigated under greenhouse and field conditions at the Experimental Farm of the University of Pretoria. Both MCPA and paclobutrazol were applied during early and full bud stage at rates of 0, 5.6,11.2, and 16.9 mg a.i. plant−1. Regardless of rates and stages of application MCPA and paclobutrazol prevented flowering and completely inhibited berry set. MCPA did not affect the number, yield, specific gravity and dry matter content of the tubers. Without affecting the number of tubers initiated, paclobutrazol increased tuber yield, specific gravity and dry matter content. MCPA decreased assimilate partitioning to the stems. Paclobutrazol treatment at early flower bud stage resulted in higher tuber yield than spraying during late flower bud stage. Paclobutrazol decreased assimilate partitioning to the leaves, stems, and roots while it increased partitioning to the tubers. A single foliar spray of MCPA or paclobutrazol at the early flower bud stage at a rate of 250g a.i. ha−1 reduced flower formation and completely inhibited berry set.

Inhibitory role of gibberellins in theobroxide-induced flowering of Pharbitis nil

Theobroxide, a novel active compound isolated from a fungus, has been reported previously to induce potato tuberization and flower bud formation in Pharbitis nil under non-inductive long-day conditions. Up to date, the action mechanism of theobroxide on flower-bud induction of P. nil, however, is still unknown. In the present study, we observed a reduction of the stem length, along with the induction of flower buds, in theobroxide-treated and short-day-grown P. nil plants. Also, the results showed that flower bud formation was delayed markedly in P. nil seedlings with removal of cotyledons or exposure to night break. The suppression effect of night-break and cotyledon-removal, however, was abolished completely by spraying theobroxide. Endogenous gibberellin(1/3) contents in P. nil plants treated with theobroxide or grown under short-day conditions were relatively lower, suggesting that gibberellins probably are negatively involved in theobroxide- and short-day-induced flower-bud formation of P. nil.

Candida kunwiensis sp. nov., a yeast associated with flowers and bumblebees.

A novel asexual ascomycetous yeast, Candida kunwiensis (SG99-26T = KCTC 17041T = CBS 9067T), was isolated from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) flowers in Korea and from the body surface of pollinating bumblebees in Germany. Comparative analysis of the D1/D2 domain of 26S rDNA of all available sequences for ascomycetous yeasts showed that the novel species was phylogenetically related to the genus Metschnikowia, but the sequence similarity was low. Morphologically and physiologically, C. kunwiensis in many ways resembles Metschnikowia pulcherrima, but can be distinguished from this species by its ability to assimilate lactic acid and its inability to produce pulcherrimin.