Radicle Number Research Articles

Studying the effect of heterosis and predicting the prospects of hybrid spring wheat populations in breeding for productivity and drought resistance

Background. In combination breeding, information about the degree of superiority of hybrids in productivity and drought resistance over their parents in early generations, as well as the possibility of preserving their advantages in subsequent generations, are of great practical interest.Materials and methods. In 2018–2021, 16 hybrid populations of spring bread wheat of the 1st through 4th generations, obtained from intraspecific crosses among parent cultivars, were studied at the Federal Agricultural Research Center of the NorthEast. The hybrids and their parents were tested in the field for productivity and in the laboratory for drought resistance. Inheritance types were determined by the degree of phenotypic dominance of plant characters. Statistical processing of the results was carried out using correlation and variance analyses.Results. Hybrids that demonstrated heterosis in the number of grains per ear had an advantage on this basis in subsequent generations. The inheritance type of the 1000 grain weight did not determine the level of this character in older generation hybrids. There was a change in the type of inheritance for the number of radicles during the transition from normal to stressful conditions. Hybrids that showed heterosis in seedling weight in the control and the experiment were distinguished by higher rates in subsequent generations. A significant negative correlation was found between grain yield and the number of radicles formed with a lack of moisture, and a positive correlation between grain yield and the weight of seedlings. Seven promising hybrid combinations fusing productivity with drought resistance were identified.Conclusion. The analysis of hybrids from early generations according to the degree of phenotypic dominance of the number of grains per ear and number of radicles in the experiment, and the weight of seedlings in the control and the experiment can be quite informative for use in breeding programs.

Growth responses and genetic variation among highly ecologically diverse spring wheat genotypes grown under seawater stress.

Most of the freshwaters worldwide are used for agriculture. Freshwater sources are expected to decline and will not suffice to support the food production needed for the growing population. Therefore, growing crops with seawater might constitute a solution. However, very little work has been done on the effect of seawater stress on wheat, an important cereal crop. The present study aimed to determine whether particular wheat genotypes provided better resistance to seawater stress. A set of 80 highly diverse spring wheat genotypes collected from different countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America was exposed to 50% seawater stress at the early growth stage. Four seeding shoot and root traits were scored for all genotypes. High genetic variations were found among all genotypes for the epicotyl length (EL), hypocotyl length (HL), number of radicles (NOR), and fresh weight (FW). Eight genotypes with high-performance scores of seedling traits were selected. The correlation analyses revealed highly significant correlations among all traits scored in this study. The strongest correlation was found between the NOR and the other seeding traits. Thus, the NOR might be an important adaptive trait for seawater tolerance. The genetic diversity among all genotypes was investigated based on genetic distance. A wide range of genetic distances among all genotypes was found. There was also a great genetic distance among the eight selected genotypes. In particular, the genetic distance between ATRI 5310 (France) and the other seven genotypes was the greatest. Such high genetic diversity might be utilized to select highly divergent genotypes for crossing in a future breeding program. The present study provides very useful information on the presence of different genetic resources in wheat for seawater tolerance.

Role of L-Ornithine in Mitigation of Salt Stress In Allium Cepa L.

Effects of L-ornithine (150 mg/l) on the germination, seedling growth, mitotic index, chromosome aberrations and micronucleus frequency of Allium cepa L. bulbs germinated at 0.125 M salinity were studied. The radicle number of the group III bulbs germinated in the medium with ornithine alone as compared to ones of the group I (control) bulbs which germinated in distilled water medium. But, their germination percentage, radicle length and fresh weight were statistically the same as ones of the group I bulbs. Besides, the micronucleus frequency and chromosomal abnormalities in the root-tip meristematic cells of the group III bulbs showed increased germination compared to ones of the group I bulbs. However, their mitotic index statistically showed the same value as the group I bulbs. Salt stress significantly inhibited the germination and seedling growth of A. cepa bulbs. Moreover, it reduced the mitotic index in the root-meristem cells of the bulbs and fairly increased the number of chromosome aberrations and micronucleus frequency. On the other hand, the inhibitive effect of salt on the germination, seedling growth, mitotic index and micronucleus frequency was dramatically alleviated in varying degrees by ornithine application. But, it was ineffective in reducing the detrimental effect of salinity on the chromosome aberrations. The germination percentage, radicle lenght, radicle number, fresh weight, mitotic index, micronucleus frequency and chromosomal aberrations of the group II seedlings grown in 0.125 M salinity were 27%, 13.5 mm, 18.4, 7.1 g, 5.5, 18.3 and 60.8%, respectively while these values became 68%, 16.4 mm, 16.4, 10.5 g, 15.6, 7.6 and 74.8% in the group IV seedlings treated with L-ornithine. Bangladesh J. Bot. 50(4): 1165-1171, 2021 (December)

Allelopathic Effects of Essential Oils on Seed Germination of Barley and Wheat.

In this study, we evaluated the allelopathic effects of essential oils (EOs) from six different plant species, namely, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), English thyme (Thymus vulgaris), lovage (Levisticum officinale), costmary (Chrysanthemum balsamita), and cumin (Cuminum cyminum), on seed germination and seedling growth of barley (Hordeum vulgare) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). The main constituents of the EOs of L. angustifolia were 47.0% linalool acetate and 28.4% linalool; H. officinalis’ main constituents were 39.8% cis-pinocamphone, 9.8% trans-pinocamphone, 11.4% β-pinene, and 7.5% β-phellandrene; T. vulgaris’ were 38.2% para-cymene, 25.6% thymol, and 13.6% γ-terpinene; L. officinale’s were 64.8% α-terpinyl acetate and 14.7% β-phellandrene; C. balsamita’s were 43.7% camphor, 32.4% trans-thujone, and 11.6% camphene; C. cyminum’s were 49.6% cumin aldehyde, 10.4% para-cymene, 11.6% α-terpinen-7-al, and 9.1% β-pinene. All six EOs exhibited an allelopathic effect and suppressed the seed germination and seedling development of wheat and barley; however, the concentrations that exhibited a suppressing effect were different among the plants. C. cyminum EO completely suppressed both barley and wheat germination at 10-, 30-, and 90-µL application rates, making it the most effective treatment among the tested EOs. C. balsamita’s and H. officinalis’ EOs at 30 and 90 µL application rates completely suppressed barley and wheat radicles per seed, radicle length (mm), seedling height (mm), and germination (%). L. angustifolia’s EOs at 30- and 90-µL and T. vulgaris’ EO at 90 µL application rates also completely suppressed barley and wheat radicles per seed, radicle length (mm), seedling height (mm), and germination (%). C. balsamita’s, H. officinalis’, L. angustifolia’s, and T. vulgaris’ EOs at a 10 µL application rate reduced barley radicle length, seedling height, and % germination relative to the control. Wheat seed germination % was completely suppressed by the application of L. angustifolia’s and T. vulgaris’ EOs at 30 and 90 µL, while T. vulgaris’ EO at 10 µL rate reduced the germination relative to the control. Interestingly, C. balsamita and H. officinalis at 10 µL did not reduce wheat germination; however, they did reduce the number of radicles per seed, radicle length (mm), seedling height (mm), germination (%), and vigor index. Furthermore, L. officinale’s EO reduced the measured indices (radicles per seed, radicle length, seedling height, and vigor index) at the 10, 30, and 90 µL application rates relative to the non-treated control; however, none of the application rates of L. officinale’s EO had a suppression effect on wheat germination. This study demonstrated the allelopathic effects of the EOs of six different herbal plant species on seed germination of barley and winter wheat. The results can be utilized in the development of commercial products for controlling pre-harvest sprouting of wheat and barley. Further research is needed to verify the results under field conditions.

Differences in the Seed Germination of Leymus chinensis (Poaceae) Ecotypes Reveal Distinct Strategies for Coping With Salinity Stress: A Common Garden Experiment

Soil salinity is important abiotic stress affecting various ecosystems worldwide such as grassland. Distinct ecotypes often evolve within species by natural selection to facilitate adaptation to different types of environmental stress. Leymus chinensis is a perennial rhizomatous grass that is widely distributed in the eastern Eurasian steppe; it has two main ecotypes, namely, yellow-green (YG) and gray-green (GG), which differ in their strategy for coping with salinity stress. Few studies have examined the seed germination of the two ecotypes under salinity stress. In this study, the seed germination and seedling growth of two ecotypes of L. chinensis in response to different levels of salinity (NaCl) stress [0 (control), 20, 50, 100, and 200 mM] were examined. Then, ungerminated seeds were placed under normal conditions to evaluate seedling growth following exposure to salt stress (i.e., regermination). The germination percentage was significantly higher, and the mean germination time was significantly shorter in the GG ecotype than in the YG ecotype at all NaCl concentrations. As the salinity level increased, the radicle length of the two ecotypes decreased; however, GG had longer radicles and a higher number of radicles, even at 200 mM NaCl when no radicle protruding from the seed coat was detected in YG. The shoot length of GG was significantly longer than that of YG at all NaCl levels. After salinity stress was removed, the seed germination percentage increased as the original concentration of NaCl applied increased, but the total germination percentage did not significantly differ among NaCl concentrations. The total seed germination percentage of GG was approximately 80%, whereas that of the YG was approximately 20%. The seedling length of regerminated seeds for both GG and YG was similar. The thousand-grain weight of GG was significantly higher than that of YG. GG was more salt-tolerant than YG and might be better capable of surviving in harsher environments, suggesting that GG might be particularly useful for saline grassland restoration.

Pengaruh Priming pada Vigor Benih Kedelai (Glycine max. [L] Merrill) yang Dikecambahkan pada Tanah Masam

The need of soybeans continuously increases due to the increasing of human population. The germination of soybeans seeds in the acid soil such as ultisol soil often experienced barrier. One of the ways to improve seed germination in the acid soils is to give priming treatment on the seeds. The research was conducted in the green house of the Integrated Field Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, the University of Lampung. It was conducted from December 2020 to March 2021. The research used factorial treatment that was applied in the Completely Random Design with three replicates. The Tukey’s Honestly Significance Difference with 5% level of significance was used to compare the average of treaments. Data analyzing was done by using R studio statistics program. The first factor was kinds of priming which consisted of without priming as a controle, water priming within 12 hours, KNO3 1% within 3 hours, KNO3 2% within 6 hours, GA3 50 ppm within 14 hours, GA3 100 ppm within 14 hours, and PEG 7,5% within 24 hours. The second factor was three soybean seed varieties, i.e. Anjasmoro, Burangrang, and Grobogan. Results showed that Giberelin priming of 50 ppm for 14 hours was the best priming in seedling emergence in the ultisol soils. The Burangrang soybean seeds showed the best T50% and the number of radicles appeared in the first day. The Anjasmoro soybean seeds showed the best response in the dry weight of normal seedling and hypocotyls lenght of normal seedling in the ultisol soils.Key Words: Priming, soybean, ultisol, variety

Effect of pesticide treatment of spring wheat plots on seed yields

Introduction. High-quality varietal seeds, which can ensure a gain of 0.2–0.4 t/ha in the yields from their offspring, is one of the most important and cost-effective means to increase the gross grain collection of grain.
 Purpose. To study productive capacities of spring wheat seeds depending on treatment of fields with fungicides and insecticides.
 Materials and methods. The following indicators were evaluated: swelling activity, germination energy, laboratory germinability, initial growth strength, coleoptile length and the number of radicles. Seed samples that after pesticide treatment had showed the best results were tested in field experiments for productive capacities. The experimental plot area was 10 m2, in six replications. Seeds were sown with a seeder SN-10Ts after soybean with a seeding rate of 5 million germinable seeds per hectare. Spring wheat seeds produced in the experimental plots, which were treated with fungicides Akula (0.6 L/ha) and Soligor 425 EC (0.6 L/ha) and insecticides Fas (0.15 L/ha) and Karate Zeon 050 CS (0.15 L/ha) in organogenesis stages VI, VIII and X, were evaluated for productive capacities. The study was carried out on varieties MIP Zlata, Bozhena, MIP Raiduzhna and Diana.
 Results and discussion. Over the study years, the gain in the yields of spring wheat varieties grown from seeds of fungicide-treated plants was 0.23–0.36 t/ha; the gain in the yields of spring wheat varieties grown from seeds of insecticide-treated plants was – 0.24-0.31 t/ha. Pesticide-treated parental plants produced seeds with increased productive capacities: when such seeds were sown, the field germinability increased by 3-5%, and the plant survival – by 5-7%.
 Conclusions. The results indicate that the treatment of vegetating plants of spring wheat varieties in seed plots with fungicides and insecticides is a reliable way to obtain seeds with high productive capacities

Analysis of melatonin regulation of germination and antioxidant metabolism in different wheat cultivars under polyethylene glycol stress

Melatonin is effective in enhancing various abiotic stress resistances of plants. However, its underlying mechanisms in drought-resistance in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is not clear. The goal of this work was to investigate the effect of melatonin on seed germination and to evaluate leaf antioxidant physiology for two wheat varieties. Experiments included 20% PEG, melatonin plus 20% PEG and a control using two contrasting wheat varieties (JM22– drought sensitive and HG35– drought resistant). Melatonin levels were 0, 1, 10, 100 and 300 μmol L-1. Results revealed that 300 μmol L-1 of melatonin alleviated the negative effect of water stress on germination and increased radicle length, radicle number, and plumule length of the germinated seeds. Principal component analysis showed a significant change in amino acid content during germination and this change was dependent on melatonin concentration and the variety. Lysine (Lys) content in wheat seeds under the PEG plus 300 μmol L-1 melatonin treatment increased compared with that of the seeds under PEG alone. There was a significant and positive correlation between Lys content and morphological index of germination. During seedling growth, soluble protein was involved in osmotic adjustment and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was increased to mitigate the damage in the cytomembrane of JM 22 leaf under 300 μmol L-1 melatonin plus PEG treatment. The effect of melatonin was dependent on SOD activity increasing significantly for HG35—a drought resistant variety. The results of this work lays a foundation for further studies to determine if melatonin can be economically used to mitigate the impact of dry planting conditions on wheat productivity in North China Plain.

Cytogenetical and Physiological Effects of L-tryptophan in Onion (Allium cepa L.) Exposed to Salt Stress

In this study, 10 mg L–1 L-tryptophan effects on the seedling growth (fresh weight, radicle length and radicle number), seed germination, chromosomal aberrations and mitotic activity in Allium cepa L. germinated in salinity (0.175 M NaCl) conditions were investigated. In only L-tryptophan medium, the radicle length and radicle number of the seedlings were partially reduced compared to the control seedlings grown in the pure water medium, the germination percentage and fresh weight indicate statistically the same values as the control. Moreover, the chromosomal aberrations and mitotic index in the root tip meristem cells of Allium cepa seeds germinated in alone L-tryptophan medium showed increase compared to the control seeds germinated in the pure water medium. On the other hand, salt stress significantly inhibited the germination rate, radicle length, radicle number and fresh weight of Allium cepa L. In addition, it important reduced the mitotic index (activity) and increased the chromosomal aberrations in root tip meristems of the seeds. Nevertheless, the inhibitory effects of salt stress on all the mentioned parameters were dramatically alleviated by L-tryptophan application. The germination percentage, radicle length, radicle number, fresh weight, mitotic index and chromosomal aberrations of the seedlings grown in 0.175 M salinity were 23%, 10.3 mm, 12.7, 7 g, 1.2 and 17% respectively, while these values became 77%, 15.3 mm, 16.7, 15.2 g, 11.6 and 14.6% in the seedlings treated with 10 mg L–1 L-tryptophan.

The Effects of Green Tea Leaf Extract on Cytogenetical and Physiological Parameters of Allium cepa L. exposed to Salinity

The aim of this study investigated the effects of 50 mg L-1 green tea leaf extract in decreasing harmful effects of 0.175 M salinity stress on the mitotic activity, chromosomal aberrations, seedling growth (fresh weight, radicle length and radicle number), micronucleus frequency which is the simplest indicator, the most effective of cytological damage and bulb germination of A. cepa L. In only green tea leaf extract medium, the radicle length and radicle number of bulbs were partially reduced compared to the control bulbs germinated in the distilled water medium. While their germination percentage and fresh weight statistically indicated the same values. Besides, the mitotic index and chromosomal abnormalities in the root tip meristematic cells of Allium cepa bulbs germinated in alone green tea leaf extract medium increased compared to germinated control bulbs in the distilled water medium, whereas the micronucleus frequency showed statistically the same value compared to the control. In other words, it can be said that salt stress significantly inhibited the seedling growth and bulb germination of Allium cepa. What’s more, it significantly reduced the mitotic index in the root tip meristems of the bulbs and increased the number of chromosomal abnormalities and micronuclues frequency. On the other hand, inhibitory effects of salt on the mitotic activity, seedling growth, bulb germination, chromosomal abnormalities and micronuclues frequency significantly decreased with the application of green tea leaf extract. The germination percentage, radicle lenght, radicle number, fresh weight, mitotic index, micronuclues frequency and chromosomal aberrations of the seedlings grown in 0.175 M salinity were 23 %, 10.3 mm, 12.7, 7 g, 1.2 %, 13 % and 17 % respectively, while these values became 75 %, 13.4 mm, 17.2, 13.8 g, 6.3 %, 9 % and 9.3 % in the seedlings treated with 50 mg L-1 green tea leaf extract.

Cytogenetic and Physiologic Efficacies of Grape Seed Extract in Allium cepa L. Seeds Exposed to Salinity

In this study, effects of grape seed extract (GSE) on the seedling growth (fresh weight, radicle length, radicle number), seed germination, mitotic activity, chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and micronucleus frequency (MN) in Allium cepa L. seeds germinated in both saline and normal conditions investigated. In only GSE medium, althought the radicle number and radicle length of seeds partially reduced compared to the control seeds germinated in distilled water medium, the fresh weight partly ascended and germination percentage indicate statistically the same value as the control. Besides, whereas the mitotic index in root-tip meristems of A. cepa seeds germinated in alone GSE medium showed increase compared to the control seeds, CA and MN showed statistically the same values compared to the control. On the other hand, salt stress significantly inhibited the seedling growth and seed germination of A. cepa. What’s more, it reduced significantly the mitotic index in root-tip meristems of the seeds and escalated the number of CA and MN, which is the simplest indicator and the most effective of cytological damage. Contrariwise, inhibitive effects of salt on the mitotic activity, seedling growth, seed germination and CA significantly decreased with application of GSE but, GSE was inefficient in reducing of salt damage on MN.

Dışsal Glisin Uygulamasıyla Allium cepa L.'da Tuz Teşvikli Stresin Hafifletilmesi

In this study, the role of glycine on the mitotic index, chromosome aberrations, micronucleus frequency as cytogenetic parameters and on the seed germination, radicle length, radicle number, fresh weight as physiological parameters in Allium cepa L. seeds exposed to saltness were studied. Salinity displayed a significant inhibitory effect on the seedling growth and seed germination of Allium cepa. Furthermore, salinity reduced significantly the mitotic index in A. cepa root tip cells and ascended number of chromosomal aberrations and frequency of micronucleus which is the simplest indicator, the most effective of cytological damage. On the other hand, the restricting effects of salinity on the seed germination, mitotic activity, chromosomal aberrations and seedling growth were alleviated dramatically in varying degrees by glycine application, but glycine was ineffective in reducing of salt damage on the micronucleus frequency.

Effects of sodium hypochlorite on some physiological and cytogenetical parameters in Allium cepa L. exposed to salt stress

The effects of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) on the seed germination, seedling growth (radicle length, radicle number and fresh weight), mitotic activity and chromosomal aberrations of Allium cepa L. germinated under salt stress were studied. Salt stress considerably inhibited the seed germination and seedling growth of A. cepa. Furthermore, it markedly reduced the mitotic index in root tip meristems of the seeds and increased the number of chromosomal aberrations. Whereas, the detrimental effects of salt on the seed germination, seedling growth, mitotic activitiy and chromosomal aberrations were dramatically alleviated in varying degrees by NaClO application.

Effects of humic acid pretreatment on some physiological and anatomical parameters of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) exposed to salt stress

The effects of humic acid (HA) pretreatment on the seed germination, seedling growth and leaf anatomy of barley under both normal and saline conditions were studied. HA application partly reduced the final germination percentage, coleoptile percentage, radicle lenght, radicle number and fresh weight of barley germinated under normal conditions while it showed statistically the same effect as the control on the coleoptile length. In parallel with concentration rise, salt inhibited the seed germination and seedling growth of barley. The inhibitive effect of salt on the seed germination and seedling growth was alleviated in varying degrees by HA pretreatment. Moreover, salinity of the medium caused changes in the leaf anatomy of seedlings. HA affected in different degrees the various parameters of leaf anatomy of barley seedlings grown in both normal and saline conditions, and this difference was statistically important.

Effects of Ginkgo biloba L. extract on the seed germination, seedling growth and leaf anatomy of barley under saline conditions

Effects of Ginkgo biloba L. extract on the seed germination, seedling growth and leaf anatomy of barley under saline conditions were studied. In parallel with concentration rise, salt stress inhibited the seed germination and seedling growth of barley. The inhibitive effect of salt on the germination and coleoptile percentage was alleviated in varying degrees, and dramatically, by Ginkgo biloba application. However, it became ineffective in alleviating of salt inhibition on the radicle, coleoptile length, radicle number and fresh weight of barley seedlings. On the other hand, it was observed that Ginkgo biloba extract affected in different degrees the various parameters of leaf anatomy of barley seedlings, and this difference was statistically important. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjb.v44i1.22733 Bangladesh J. Bot. 44(1): 117-123, 2015 (March)

Effects of salicylic acid pretreatment on the seed germination, seedling growth and leaf anatomy of barley under saline conditions

In this work, the effects of salicylic acid pretreatment on the seed germination, seedling growth (coleoptile percentage, radicle length, coleoptile length, radicle number and fresh weight) and leaf anatomy of barley under saline conditions were studied. In parallel with concentration rise, salt stress inhibited the germination and seedling growth of barley seeds. The inhibitive effect of salt on seed germination and seedling growth was alleviated in varying degrees, and dramatically, by salicylic acid pretreatment. On the other hand, it was determined that the mentioned plant growth regulator affected in different degrees on the various parameters of leaf anatomy of barley seedlings, and this difference was statistically important.

Overexpression of GmDREB1 improves salt tolerance in transgenic wheat and leaf protein response to high salinity

The transcription factor dehydration-responsive element binding protein (DREB) is able to improve tolerance to abiotic stress in plants by regulating the expression of downstream genes involved in environmental stress resistance. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the salt tolerance of GmDREB1 transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and to evaluate its physiological and protein responses to salt stress. Compared with the wild type, the transgenic lines overexpressing GmDREB1 showed longer coleoptiles and radicles and a greater radicle number at the germination stage, as well as greater root length, fresh weight, and tiller number per plant at the seedling stage. The yield-related traits of transgenic lines were also improved compared with the wild type, indicating enhanced salt tolerance in transgenic lines overexpressing GmDREB1. Proteomics analysis revealed that osmotic- and oxidative-stress-related proteins were up-regulated in transgenic wheat leaves under salt stress conditions. Transgenic wheat had higher levels of proline and betaine and lower levels of malondialdehyde and relative electrolyte leakage than the wild type. These results suggest that GmDREB1 regulates the expression of osmotic- and oxidative-stress-related proteins that reduce the occurrence of cell injury caused by high salinity, thus improving the salt tolerance of transgenic wheat.

Influence of seed nitrogen content and biofertilizer priming on wheat germination in salinity stress conditions

In order to study the effects of seed nitrogen content and biofertilizer priming on germination indices of wheat seeds under salinity stress, a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with four replications was conducted in 2009. Experimental factors consisted of: (1) the application of different nitrogen fertilizer rates (0, 55, 110 and 165 kg ha−1 N) on parent plants; (2) priming of achieved seeds by biofertilizers (Nitragin, Biophosphorus and distilled water); and (3) different levels of salinity produced by NaCl (0, −0.4, −0.8 and −1.2 MPa). Germination percentage, germination rate, mean germination time, germination index, radicle and plumule length, radicle and plumule dry weight and radicle number per seedling were measured. Nitrogen application increased seed nitrogen content in parent plants. All germination indices decreased with increasing in salinity levels. Biofertilizer priming, especially Nitragin, had a positive effect on germination percentage, radicle number and radicle and plumule length in most salinity levels. The highest values for germination factors were related to achieved seeds from parent plants that were treated with 110 kg ha−1 N. Overall, application of middle levels of N fertilizer (55 and 110 kg ha−1 N) on parent plants combined with seed priming with Nitragin biofertilizer improved the germination indices of wheat under salinity stress.

The effect of soil extracts from a monoculture of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown under different tillage systems on the germination of its seeds

The present experiment was carried out in the period 2006-2008. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of aqueous soil extracts from the soil of a spring wheat monoculture on seed germination energy and capacity, the length of the first leaf and of the longest radicle as well as the number of radicles. Moreover, the content of 0-dihydroxyphenols in the soil was compared in the last year of the study. The soil used to prepare the solutions came from a field experiment established on medium heavy mixed rendzina soil. Spring wheat, cv. Zebra, was grown using plough tillage and two conservation tillage methods in the presence of undersown crops (red clover, Westerwolds ryegrass) and stubble crops (lacy phacelia, white mustard). Germination energy of the seeds watered with the soil extracts from the ploughed plots was significantly higher than this trait in the seeds watered with the extracts from the conservation tillage treatments with spring disking of the catch crops. Germination energy and capacity of spring wheat in the control treatment watered with distilled water were significantly higher compared to the other treatments under evaluation. Spring wheat watered with the aqueous extract prepared from the soil obtained from the plough tillage treatment produced a significantly longer first leaf compared to the treatments in which both conservation tillage methods had been used. The shortest leaf and the lowest number of radicles were produced by the seedlings watered with the soil extract from the treatment with the white clover stubble crop. Radicle length was not significantly differentiated by the soil extracts under consideration. The content of 0-dihydroxyphenols in the rendzina soil determined during the spring period was higher than that determined in the autumn. The content of 0-dihydroxyphenols in the soil was lower in the conservation tillage treatments with autumn incorporation of the catch crops than in the plots in which plough tillage and conservation tillage with spring disking of the catch crops had been used. The type of catch crop used did not have a significant effect on the soil content of these compounds. At the same time, it was found that the treatments in which the catch crops had been sown tended to have higher contents of these compounds compared to the plots without catch crops.

Heparanase Enhances Early Hepatocyte Inclusion in the Recipient Liver after Transplantation in Partially Hepatectomized Rats

Hepatocyte transplantation is an emerging approach for the treatment of liver diseases. However, broad clinical application of this method has been limited by restricted source of cells and low efficiency of cell integration within the recipient liver. Heparanase cleaves heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the extracellular matrix and basement membrane, activity that affects cellular invasion associated with cancer metastasis and inflammation. This activity has a multifunctional effect on cell-cell interaction, cell adhesion, and angiogenesis. All these factors are important for successful integration of transplanted hepatocytes. Male donor hepatocytes pretreated with heparanase or untreated were transplanted into recipient female rat spleen following partial hepatectomy. Engraftment efficacy was evaluated by PCR for Y chromosome, histology and PCNA, and heparanase immunohistochemistry. In addition, proliferative activity of hepatocytes in vitro was determined by bromodeoxyuridine immunostaining. The number of heparanase-treated cells detected in the recipient liver was significantly increased three- to fivefold within 24-48 h posttransplantation and twofold at 14 days compared with untreated cells. The transplanted hepatocytes treated with heparanase were clearly seen inside portal vein radicles as cell aggregates up to 72 h posttransplantation. The number of portal radicles filled with heparanase-treated hepatocytes was increased compared to control early after transplantation. Heparanase treatment enhanced hepatocyte and sinusoidal endothelial cell proliferation in the liver, and hepatocyte proliferation within the spleen tissue. Preliminary in vitro studies with isolated hepatocytes treated with heparanase showed increased proliferative activity within 24-48 h of cell culture. These results suggest that preincubation of hepatocytes with heparanase increases the presence of hepatocytes within the recipient liver early following cell transplantation and stimulates both hepatocyte and sinusoidal endothelial cell proliferation.