Sprouting Value Index and Viability Percentage： An Integrated Measure of Vegetative Planting Material

Rooting ability of indole 3-butyric acid （IBA）-induced stem cuttings in vegetative regeneration experiments depends on various parameters, which can be entrenched using sprouting value index （SVI）, a mathematical approach. In this study, field studies were carried out in Tabebuia rosea to generate clonal planting stock regeneration using three rooting medium at a location in Central Kerala, Peninsular India, for three consecutive years from October 2014 till June 2016 at four months regular intervals. Three IBA concentrations, viz., 200, 500 and 1,000 ppm, have been used and the data obtained was evaluated using SVI method in order to establish the suitable medium, which gives the maximum rooting results. Control cuttings did not record rooting in any of the trials. The high SVI was obtained when stem root cuttings planted in root trainers with coir pith compost （RTCP） for all the three concentration of IBA applied. Sprouting percentage was marked up and the delay in completion of sprouting/rooting initiation decreased by the use of IBA treatment.

Effect of Selenium on Root Oxidizing Ability and Yield of Rice under Ferrous Stress

To study the effects of selenium on root oxidizing ability and yield of rice under ferrous stress, a pot culture experiment was conducted, the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and the concentration of malonaldelyde (MDA) were determined. The root oxidizing ability and yield characters of rice were examined. Results showed that appropriate amount of Se enhanced the activity of glutathione peroxidase and the oxidizing ability of rice roots significantly, reduced the concentration of MDA, increased 1000-grain weight of rice, F = 26.96**, decreased empty and blighted grain rate, increased the rice yield, F = 11.53**, and enhanced the rice resistance under ferrous stress.

Effects of Selenium on Lipid Peroxidation and Oxidizing Ability of Rice Roots under Ferrous Stress

Water culture experiment was conducted to study the effects of selenium(Se) on glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) activity,reduced glutathione(GSH) concentration and the accumulation of malonaldehyde(MDA),the product of lipid peroxidation in rice seedling,as well as the effect of se on oxidizing ability of roots under ferrous stress.Results showed that appropriate amount of se significantly increased GSH-Px activity in rice leaves,F=5.5 *,enhanced the amount of GSH and oxidizing ability of roots and reduced the concentration of MDA,F=4.9 *.Compared with Se0+Fe treatment,Se treatments increased the dry matter weight of rice seedling from 10.06% to 10.43%,F=4.09 *.

Clonal propagation of Bambusa vulgaris by leafy branch cuttings

Bambusa vulgaris Schrad ex wendl is a widely cultivated bamboo species in rural Bangladesh for its versatile uses. The vegetative propagation becomes the only viable alternative for this species because B. vulgaris does not set seed after sparse flowering, which makes seedling progenies unavailable. A low-cost propagation trial was conducted to explore the clonal propagation techniques for the species with two types of small branch cuttings, nodal leafy cuttings and tip cuttings. The cuttings, after treating with 0, 0.1%, 0.4%, and 0.8% IBA solutions, were kept in non-mist propagator to let them to root for assessing the rooting ability. The cuttings were rooted in four weeks and were allowed to grow in the polybags for 10 months under nursery condition to assess their steckling capacity. The study reveals that both types of branch cuttings are able to develop roots, shoots, to survive and to form rhizome under the nursery condition. Rooting ability of the cuttings was significantly enhanced by the application of rooting hormone - IBA. The highest rooting percentage in nodal leafy cuttings and the tip cuttings （56.67% and 51.0%, respectively） were observed in 0.8% IBA treatment, followed by 0.4% IBA and the lowest （34.3% and 30.0%, respectively） was in control. The highest number of root developed per cutting （9.77 and 8.33 in nodal leafy cuttings and the tip cuttings, respectively） was also obtained from the cuttings treated with 0.8% IBA solution, followed 0.4% IBA treatment and the lowest （3.1 and 2.1, respectively） was in the cuttings without treatment. However, the length of the longest root varied significantly neither with the cutting types nor the concentrations of IBA solution. Survival percentage of the stecklings in nursery condition was significantly enhanced by IBA.

Clonal propagation of guava (Psidium guajava Linn.) by stem cutting from mature stockplants

The study describes the scope of clonal propagation of guava (Psidium guajava Linn.) by stem cutting collected from mature stockplants. Cuttings were treated with 0, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.8% IBA solution and rooted in the non-mist propagator. Rooted cuttings were allowed to grow in the polybags filled with soil and cow-dung mixed in the ratio of 3: 1 (by volume) for three months to assess the steckling capacity and initial growth performance. The study reveals that the species is amenable for clonal propagation by mature stem cutting. The highest rooting percentage (60%) was observed in the cuttings treated with 0.4% IBA solution followed by 0.2% IBA and the lowest was in controlled cuttings. The maximum number of primary root (32.7) was developed in the cuttings treated with 0.8% IBA solution followed by 0.4% IBA and the lowest was in the cuttings without IBA treatment. The highest survival percentage (70.9) was observed in the cuttings rooted with 0.4% IBA treatment and the lowest (58.3) was in the cuttings without any treatment. However, there was no significant variation in height growth of cutlings due to IBA treatments in rooting.

Influences of antibiotics on plantlet regeneration via organogenesis in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.)

Three antibiotics ampicillin, carbenicillin, and cefotaxime were evaluated for their effects on induction, growth, and differentiation of organogenic calli, as well as rooting of regenerated shoots of three loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) genotypes. Of the antibiotics administered, cefotaxime maximally increased the frequency of callus formation and growth rate of organogenic calli, carbenicillin maximally increased the frequency of shoot regeneration and the average number of adventitious shoots per piece of organogenic callus, ampicillin maximally decreased the rooting frequency of regenerated shoots and mean number of roots per regenerated shoot, in comparison with antibiotic-free media. Compared with the control, ampicillin minimally increased the frequency of callus formation, cefotaxime minimally increased the frequency of shoot regeneration, and carbenicillin mini-mally decreased the rooting frequency of regenerated shoots in three loblolly pine genotypes tested. All three antibiotics in-creased the frequencies of callus formation and shoot regeneration, and reduced the rooting frequency of regenerated shoots suggested that the establishment of an efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation protocol for stable integra-tion of foreign genes into loblolly pine need to select a suitable antibiotic. This investigation could be useful for optimizing genetic transformation of conifers.

Morphology and leaf nutrition of introduced Robinia pseudoacacia clones

In order to study and popularize clones from the introduced Robinia pseudoacacia, morphological charac- teristics and leaf nutrition of samples of a three-year-old stand were observed and analyzed during its growing season. Combined with data on rooting ability, height and basal diameter, comparisons were made on morphological characteris- tics, growth traits and leaf nutrition of 11 introduced R. pseudoacacia clones （two from Hungary and nine from South Ko- rea） and two domestic clones, The results show that there are significant differences in growth and morphological char- acteristics among the 13 clones, but no significant differences in the contents of crude protein and crude fibers in the leaves （p 〉 0.05）. Height and basal diameter growth of clones B and G were recorded as the fastest, while clone H1 was the slowest. Clone H2 had the largest leaflets, three times as large as other clones, while K4 had the heaviest dry weight per 100 leaflets because of its thick leaves. The 13 clones can be divided into four classes based on the number of leaf- lets per compound leaf, i.e., 1-3, 13-17, 15-23 and 21-25. There were significant differences in thorn size： H2, with the largest leaflets had the smallest thorns. While of course all clones produced roots, there were significant differences; clones 2N, K5 and B had many adventitious roots, while clones K3, K4 and H1 had few. Correlation between content of crude protein and （length x width of leaf） was positive （p 〈 0.05）, while correlations of the content of crude protein, with the number of leaflets per compound leaf, petiole length of compound leaf and thorn length were negative （p 〈 0.01）. Plant height and basal diameter were positively correlated with each other （p 〈 0.01） and negatively correlated with base width of thorns （p 〈 0.05）.