ALBERT

Notes: A simple and rapid method for the detection of triazine resistant plants is reported, based on chlorophyll fluorescence. Leaf discs were floated in phosphate buffer solution with and without 10−4 M alrazine for 2–4 h. Subsequently, the relative leaf chlorophyll fluorescence (LCF) was measured with a plant productivity fluorometer. Following herbicide uptake LCF in triazine susceptible plants was 2–3 times greater than in the untreated controls; no such LCF changes were observed in triazine resistant plants. Concentration and time course studies were conducted on several species having triazine susceptible and resistant biotypes. The use of this method for field extension purposes is described.

Notes: Atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylaminol-6-(isopropyl-amino)-s-triazine] resistant biotypes of lamb's quarters (Chenopodium athum L) were reported in the maize growing areas of Ontario, where the herbicide had been used fur a number of years. Field samples from four locations proved tolerant to higber than recommended rates of atrazine in controlled environment screening trials. A resistant biotype was not killed with up to 40 kg/ha atrazine. Diuron at 5 x10-5 M inhibited the Hill reaction with isolated chloroplasts of resisiant and susceptible biotypes of lamb's-quarters. However, with 10-4 M atrazine, the photochemical activity was inhibited in chloroplasts isolated from the susceptible biotype but not in chloroplasts from the resisiant biotype. With maize chloroplasts, inhibition with 10-4 M atrazine was the same as with the susceptible biotype of lamb's-quarters. These studies suggested that a new mechanism of intraspecific resistance in lamb's quarters to atrazine was involved, other than differences in uptake, translocation and metabolism reported with interspecific comparisons involving the s-triazines and other herbicides, It was also concluded that atrazine and diuron did not have precisely the same mechanism of action as photosynthetic inhibitors with lamb's-quarters, and that external and or internal structure or function of chloroplasts in relation to atrazine inhibition can vary significantly even in biotypes of the same species.

Notes: Leaf chlorophyll fluorescence (LCF) of atrazine-susceptible Sinapis arvensis L. (wild mustard) biotype was greatly increased (119–181%)and the Hill reaction activity of isolated chloroplasts was inhibited by 104 M of either atrazine, metribuzin or diuron. In contrast the LCF as well as photochemical activity of the chloroplasts of resistant biotype remained unaffected by 104 M atrazine. However, in response to 104 M metribuzin, LCF of the resistant biotype increased by 43% and Hill reaction activity of the chloroplasts was partially blocked. Complete inhibition of the Hill reaction and a 96% LCF increase in response to diuron indicated that the atrazine-resistant S. arvensis biotype had no tolerance to diuron. Similar chloroplast photoreaction responses were observed when the known atrazine-susceptible and resistant Brassica campestris L. (bird's rape) biotypes and B. napus L. cv. Laurentian (rutabaga) genotypes were subjected to the triazine and urea herbicides. These results indicate that resistance to atrazine, in the resistant S. arvensis biotype, is based in the chloroplasts and could involve a selective modification of the PS II complex with respect to the triazine herbicides. Résistance chloroplastique aux herbicides de la famille des triazines chez Sinapsis arvensis L. (moutarde des champs)Chez un biotype de Sinapis arvensis L. (Moutarde des champs) sensible à l'atrazinc. la fluorescence chlorphyllienne des feuilles était fortement augmentée (de 119 à 181%), et la réaction de Hill des chioroplastes isolés, fortement diminuée, par des traitements à l'atrazinc. la métribuzine ou le diuron 104 M. Par contre, ni la fluorescence chlorophyllienne ni la réaction de Hill n'étaient affectées par de l'atrazine 104 M chez un biotype résistant. Toutefois, en réponse à de la métribuzine 104 M, la fluorescence chlorophyllienne du biotype résistant était augmentée de 43%, et la réaction de Hill chez les chioroplastes était partiellement bloquée. L'inhibition complète de la réaction de Hill et une augmentation de 96% de la fluorescence chlorophyllienne après traitement au diuron indiquaient que le biotype de S. arvensis résistant à l'atrazine ne manifestait pas de tolérance à l'égard du diuron. Par comparaison, des réponses chloroplasliques similaires ont été obtenues lorsque des biotypes de Brassica campestris L. (navette des oiseaux) et des génotypes de B. napus L. cv Laurentian (rutabaga) sensibles ou résistants à l'atrazinc ont été traités par des herbicides de la famille des triazines et des urées substituées. Ces résultats montrent que la résistance à l'atrazine, chez le biotype S. arvensisétudié, est un caractère chloroplastique et implique probablement une modification sélective du complexe PS II à l'égard des triazines. Chlaraplastenresistenz gegen Triazinherbizide bei Sinapis arvensis L. (Ackersenf)Bei atrazinempfindlichen Biotypen von Sinapis arvensis L. wurde die Blattchlorophyll-Fluores-zenz (LCF) in isolierten Chloroplasten durch 104m Atrazin, Metribuzin oder Diuron stark gesteigert (119–181%), die Hillreaktion aber gehemmt. In resistenten Biotypen hingegen blieben LCF und die photochemische Aktivität durch 10−4m Atrazin unbeeinflusst. Resistente Biotypen reagierten auf 10−4m Metribuzin mit einer Erhöhung der LCF um 43% während die Hillreaktion in den Chloroplasten teilweise blockiert wurde. Eine komplette Hemmung der Hillreaktion und eine um 96% gesteigerte LCF durch Diuron weisen darauf hin, dass atrazinresistente Biotypen von S. arvensis gegenüber Diuron nicht resestent sind. Aehnliche Veränderungen der Photoreaktionen in Chloroplasten konnten beobachtet werden, wenn atrazinemp-findliche und -resistente Brassica campestris L., Biotypen (Ackerkohl) und B. napus L. cv. Laurentian, Genotypen (Kohlrübe) Triazin- und Harnstoffherbiziden exponiert wurden. Diese Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass die Ursache der Unempfindlichkeit gegenüber Atrazin bei den resistenten S. arvensis-Biotypen in den Chloroplasten liegt und dass eine selektive Veränderung des PS II Komplexes in Bezug auf die Triazinherbizide eingeleitet werden kann.

Notes: Summary Triazine resistant Brassica napus ssp. oleifera and ssp. rapifera were hybridized to cultivars of B. oleracea ssp. italica, ssp. botrytis, ssp. capitata and ssp. fimbriata. The interspecific embryos did not survive in vivo but could be rescued in vitro using a culture medium developed by Monnier (1973). The embryos did not grow directly into normal plants but were successfully regenerated using the protocol developed by Keller (1984). Hybridization efficiency ranged from 0 to 2.64 hybrids per pollination. Interspecific embryo abortion may be related to abnormal endosperm development.

Notes: Summary F1 hybrids of triazine resistant Brassica napus and triazine susceptible B. oleracea were morphologically intermediate to the parent species. Of 49 hybrids examined, 44 had 28 chromosomes, two had 37, one had 38 and two had 56. The 38-chromosome plant was thought to be a matromorph, the others, A1C1C (28), A1C1CC (37) or A1A1C1C1CC (56) type hybrids. Pollen stainability averaged 9.0% in the sesquidiploid, 32.0% in the tetraploids and 89.5% in the hexaploids. All the interspecific hybrids were resistant to 1.0×10-4 mol L-1 atrazine. The sesquidiploid hybrids produced gametes with chromosome numbers ranging from 9 to 17 and the tetraploid hybrid gametes had chromosome numbers from 15 to 22. Most hybrids produced self-seed. The partial fertility of these hybrids may permit their backcrossing to one or both parents.

Notes: Summary Atrazine resistant Brassica napus × B. oleracea F1 hybrids were backcrossed to both parental species. The backcrosses to B. napus produced seeds in both directions but results were much better when the F1 hybrid was the pollen parent. Backcrosses to B. oleracea failed completely but BC1s were rescued by embryo culture both from a tetraploid hybrid (2n = 4x = 37; A1C1CC) and sesquidiploid hybrids (2n = 3x = 8; A1C1C). Progeny of crosses between the tetraploid hybrid and B. oleracea had between 25 and 28 chromosomes. That of crosses between the sesquidiploid hybrid and B. oleracea had between 21 and 27. A few plants that had chromosome counts outside the expected range may have originated from either diploid parthenogenesis, unreduced gametes or spontaneous chromosome doubling during in vitro culture. Pollen stainability of the BC1s ranged from 0% to 91.5%. All the BC1s to B. oleracea were resistant to atrazine.

Notes: Summary Eight triazine resistant (Brassica napus x B. oleracea) ♀ x B. oleracea ♂ interspecific hybrids with chromosome numbers ranging from 25 to 27 were backcrossed a second time to B. oleracea but no seed was formed. However, in vitro embryo rescue on 77 developing ovules yielded nine BC2 plants with chromosome numbers between 19 and 25 and in which the herbicide resistance was still strongly expressed. Three of these plants (NOH-8B2B1, 2n=20; NOH-8B2B3 and NOH-8B2B4, 2n=19) were backcrossed again to B. oleracea. Two of the three plants produced seed which germinated to produce triazine resistan BBC3s with 18, 19 or 20 chromosomes. The triazine resistant B. campestris cytoplasm has now been stabilized in B. oleracea.

Notes: Summary Seed tuber production fromin vitro potato plantlets and cuttings was conducted in large propagation beds in a greenhouse. Propagules of wholein vitro plantlets (WIP), plantlets with apical (ACR) and lateral (LCR) cuttings removed, the rooted apical cuttings (RAC) and rooted lateral cuttings (RLC) were planted at three densities of 25, 49 and 100 plants per m2. The plantlets from which cuttings were removed (ACR and LCR) produced more tubers than the rooted cuttings (RAC and RLC); however, the most tubers were produced by WIP. RAC produced highest tuber yields followed by WIP and RLC. Intact WIP and plantlets with cuttings removed (ACR and LCR) produced twice as many tubers 〈40 g as those from rooted cuttings (RAC and RLC). The yield (kg/m2) as well as the number of tubers per m2 increased with the increasing planting density within the densities tested.

Notes: Summary A greenhouse minituber production system involving low inputs of in vitro potato plantlets and propagation media is described, in vitro plantlets of six potato cultivars were sectioned into nodal cuttings and separately planted into moist peat based growing medium in shallow plastic trays. Cultivar differences were evident with respect to node viability, shoot regrowth and minituber yields. Nodal viability for shoot regrowth varied between 80–100%. Maximum shoot heights were recorded with whole in vitro plantlets (WIP) and the terminal Node-5 cluster. All cuttings produced minitubers. The terminal Node-5 cutting and WIP produced significantly larger minitubers 〉3.0 g as compared to single node cuttings. Greater numbers of minitubers were produced by the cvs Norchip, Red Pontiac and Conestoga as compared to cvs Eramosa. G8610-4PY and Shepody. Total numbers of minitubers were 3 to 5 times higher from each in vitro plantlet that was sectioned into nodal cuttings as compared with intact WIP: the yield ratios depended on cultivar.