Growth and structural responses of primary roots of Zea mays L. to aluminium chloride were studied. The treatment of seedlings with 50 µM AlCl₃ resulted in high accumulation of Al, partial inhibition of root growth, occurrence of surface lesions in peripheral tissues, root thickening caused by expansion of inner cortical cells, reduced root cap length, extensive vacuolation, cell distortion, and increased synthesis of callose within 24 h.

Alterations in essential oil gland number, distribution and fine structure, and the oil content in the leaf of Mentha arvensis L. were examined during its growth and senescence. Accumulation of essential oil occurred predominantly during the rapid leaf expansion phase followed by a similar decline. The oil gland (trichome) number increased upto leaf maturation and declined thereafter. Initially, cuticle remains tightly apposed to the secretory head of oil glands but progressively a sub-cuticular space appears to be created for the oil. Considerable enlargement of vacuole with ageing is witnessed, whereas cytoplasm gradually decreases to a thin peripheral layer. Some secretory cells from senescing leaf were found almost empty, having only a few remnant oil droplets.

Growth parameters (leaf area, length of shoot and root, water content and dry matter accumulation), contents of reducing sugars and saccharose as well as activities of α- and β-amylases of castor bean and maize seedlings and adult plants supplemented with 0.5 μg g^-1 and 2.5 μg g^-1 of metribuzin either alone or in combination with 50 μg g^-1 NaCl, were increased significantly whereas at high concentrations (5 and 10 μg g^-1) of herbicide, an opposite response was apparent. On the other hand, polysaccharide content and invertase activity of castor bean and maize seedlings and adult plants were significantly decreased in response to low concentrations (0.5 and 2.5 μg g^-1) of metribuzin and increased significantly at high concentrations (5 and 10 μg g^-1) of the herbicide either alone or in combination with 50 μg g^-1 NaCl. Total carbohydrate contents of castor bean and maize seedlings and whole plants treated with herbicide either alone or in combination with NaCl did not change significantly. Growth parameters, carbohydrate fractions contents and activities of enzymes in both castor bean and maize seedlings and whole plants treated with herbicide alone were consistently higher than those values detected in plants treated with herbicide in combination with NaCl.

Simulated acid rain (SAR) combined with higher concentration of aluminium (SAR+Al) influenced the ecophysiology of three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in both the germination and symbiotic phases of their life cycle. Acaulospora tuberculata, an isolate from the soil with low pH, exhibited a higher tolerance to environmental stress as compared to Glomus mosseae and G. fistulosum. This higher tolerance may be related to the edaphic conditions of soil of the isolate origin. The histochemical staining of the alkaline phosphatase and NADH-diaphorase activities in the extraradical mycelium (ERM) of the AMF proved to be more sensitive indication of negative effects of the SAR or SAR+Al stress compared to commonly measured parameters of the AMF such as mycorrhizal colonisation or growth of the ERM.

The net assimilation rate (NAR), relative growth rate (RGR) and yield were negatively correlated with different exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) levels; maximum reduction in NAR, RGR and yield was observed at 30 ESP. However, the cultivar NDP-2 showed maximum percent reduction in all the characters at 30 ESP as compared to cultivars NDP-7 and Rachna.

An attempt to reduce the production cost on tissue cultured plants, photoautotrophic culture of a high value orchid Dendrobium was established under CO2-enriched conditions. The shoot length and the number of leaves were almost equal in plantlets grown on medium with 2 % sucrose or without sucrose and under normal or enhanced (40 g m-3) CO2 concentration, whereas the fresh and dry masses were higher in cultures grown in sucrose containing media or under CO2 enrichment. Development of roots was observed only on media without sucrose, but CO2 enrichment did not have significant effects on in vitro rootings.

Spirodela polyrhiza L. Schleid. plants developed anthocyanin (AC) on the abaxial frond surface when grown on Hoagland nutrient solution diluted 1:≥40; AC content was maximum at 1:80 dilution. Till 1:20 dilution there was no or very little AC formation. The formation of AC seems to rely on the availability of excess carbon skeleton in relation to nitrogen in plants. Thus, addition of saccharose to 1:20 diluted medium resulted in a concentration-dependent AC formation. Also fructose, glucose, mannitol, and sorbitol induced AC synthesis. Conversely, urea and ammonium nitrate, when added to the 1:80 diluted medium, suppressed the AC formation. Omission of micronutrients from the growth medium led to the formation of a little amount of AC whereas polyethylene glycol and Cd treatments were ineffective. AC produced under starvation (7 d on distilled water) did not get turned over upon the transfer of plants to nutrient sufficient (1:5 diluted medium) conditions indicating that AC formed does not serve as a reversible C-reserve.

The constitutive expression of peroxidase isoenzymes which are capable of oxidizing 4-hydroxystilbenes was studied during the growth cycle of suspension cell cultures from grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Monastrell) berries. the results showed that the growth of suspension cell cultures is accompanied by the constitutive expression of the peroxidase isoenzymes HSPrx 1 and HSPrx 2, previously characterised by their properties for oxidizing 4-hydroxystilbene, the expression of these isoenzymes being characteristic of Monastrell vines brought to a resistant state. However, although the differential catalytic properties of these grapevine isoenzymes are also shown by the horseradish peroxidase, no immunological relationships have been found between the peroxidases from either source.

Plants of bean (Vicia faba L. cv. Calvor 103) were salt-stressed with NaCl and CaCl₂ in concentrations inducing soil osmotic potentials (ψ_soil) from 0 to -1.2 MPa and were sprayed with proline (8.7 µM) and glycinebetaine (8.5 µM) solutions. Bean plants respond to increasing soil salinity by decreased leaf relative water content and osmotic potential. Salinity decreased the contents of dry mass, chlorophyll, soluble and hydrolysable sugars, soluble proteins and enhanced content of total free amino acids, Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Cl^-. The ratio of K⁺/Na⁺ was decreased on salinization. The membranes of leaf discs from salt-stressed plants appeared to be less stable under heat stress (51 °C) than that of unstressed plants. The reverse was true for discs placed under dehydration stress (40 % polyethylene glycol 6000). Proline and glycinebetaine application reduced membrane injury, improved K⁺ uptake and growth. Also both solutes increased chlorophyll contents.

Increasing salinity of growth medium induced a reduction in growth and transpiration rate. The concentrations of chlorophylls and carotenoids were increased in most cases in broad bean leaves while in pea plants they remained more or less unchanged with the rise of salinization up to 80mM NaCl. Thereabove a significant decrease in these contents was observed. A stimulation of the net photosynthetic rate of pea was observed at the lowest levels of NaCl but at the highest levels inhibitory effect was recorded. In broad bean all salinization levels inhibited photosynthetic activity, but dark respiration of both plant species was stimulated. The content of Na⁺ in the roots and shoots of both species increased at increasing salinity. In broad bean, Ca²⁺ concentration in shoots and K⁺ and Ca²⁺ contents of roots increased at increasing salinization, while in pea plants, the content of K⁺ and Ca²⁺ was almost unaffected by salinity. Salinity induced an increase in the content of these ions in pea roots. Mg²⁺ content in shoots and roots of both broad bean and pea decreased at increasing salinity except in roots of pea, where it was generally increased.

The effect of four bacterial and six fungal species on nodulation and growth ofVicia faba cv. Giza 3 inoculated withRhizobium leguminosarum biovarviceae strain RCR 1001 were assessed in a pot experiment.Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Aspergillus niger andA. quadriliniatus either alive cells or sterile filtrate significantly promoted nodulation, growth and nitrogen accumulation. Heat-killed cells had no effect.

The embryonic axes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) seeds were used to quantify 1-(malonyl)aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (MACC), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), ethylene and some related enzymes during the initial 18 h imbibition period (anaerobic growth phase). Longer cold storage (stratification) of seeds produced higher levels of MACC and ACC. Maximum accumulation of MACC and malonyl-transferase activity occurred after 5 h of growth but MACC levels later became insignificant. ACC-synthase activity and endogenous ACC seem to reach a maximum 2 h after MACC accumulation. MACC-hydrolase activity was measured"in-vitro" and reached a maximum after 5.5 h of growth. These results suggest that endogenous MACC did not seem to be an end product; it may be involved in ACC production and the regulation of ethylene production before the emergence of the radicle. Ethylene-forming enzyme (EFE) activity reached a maximum after 12 h and ethylene production after 18 h of growth. The physiological implications of this temporal separation of MACC, ACC, ethylene and related enzymes is discussed.

Plants of Vigna mungo raised from seeds presoaked in salicylic acid (0.0, 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 mM) and nodulated with the cowpea strain of Rhizobium leguminosarum were analysed 15 and 30 d after sowing. The foliar nitrate and nitrite contents were varying but soluble protein and total nitrogen contents were lower in treated than control plants. Nitrate reductase activity was increased at the two lower concentrations of 0.01 and 0.1 mM but was inhibited at the highest concentration used (1.0 mM). The number of nodules, their leghemoglobin and protein contents and nitrogenase activity of roots were reduced.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) ranging in molecular masses from 14 to 110 kDa were induced in embryonic axes of germinating Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh seeds after exposure to 40 °C for 1 or 2 h. At 45 °C, there was a marked decline in synthesis of HSPs. A close relationship was observed between HSPs induced and the growth of the germinating seeds. Pretreatment of germinating seeds at 40 °C for 1 h or 45 °C for 10 min followed by incubation at 28 °C for 3 h led to considerable thermotolerance (45 °C, 2 h) and the recovery of protein synthesis.

Stem internodes with axillary buds were excised from 5-year old trees ofFicus benjamina cv. Exotica. The effect of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), gibberellic acid (GA₃), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on shoot growth and proliferationin vitro was investigated. Multiple shoots were developed after 3-4 weeks from stem internodes with axillary buds incubated in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with phloroglucinol (PG) and BAP. Optimum shoot proliferation took place in the presence of 1.0 mg l^-1 BAP. Shoots obtained could be elongated in a medium with 0.5 mg l^-1 GA₃ prior to their rooting. The root initiation was successfully induced on MS medium either with IAA at 0.5-0.1 mg l^-1 or in plant growth regulator-free medium. All rooted plantlets were subsequently transferred to a peat, humus and perlite mixture in a culture room with high humidity and covered with plastic bags. After one month the plantlets were established for growing in a greenhouse.

Growth analysis indicated that carbon gain in the alpine succulentSedum album tended to take place early during the growing season. Leaf water potential remained unchanged for a considerable length of time after the imposition of water stress in the field. Induction of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) by protracted water stress occurred before any signs of stress could be observed in the leaves, and appeared to be influenced by a complex interaction of environmental conditions including temperature and duration of sunshine. Increased levels of proline and betaine towards the end of the growing season appeared to reflect seasonal changes.

Eight-day-old bean plants, grown in a nutrient solution, were sprayed with 10^-5, 10^-4, 10^-3, and 10^-2 M atrazine. The lipid changes in primary and trifoliate leaves were studied 6 d after the herbicide application. The atrazine treatment inhibited the growth of the trifoliate leaves, and decreased photosynthetic and transpiration rates, the stomatal conductance, and the total lipid content. Atrazine treatment increased 16:0 and 18:3 acids and decreased trans-3-hexadecenoic and 18:2 acids in the phospholipids. The herbicide also increased 16:0 and 18:1 acids in glycolipids and decreased 18:3 acid in monogalactosyl diacylglycerols and digalactosyl diacylglycerols. In most cases the marked changes in fatty acid composition of the main lipid classes were observed at 10^-4 and 10^-3 M atrazine.

Addition of either abscisic acid (ABA) or kinetin at 10^-6 M to salinized media (20-120mM NaCl) induced remarkable effects on growth ofPhaseolus vulgaris plants. Whereas ABA inhibited the plant growth and the rate of transpiration, kinetin induced stimulation of both parameters. Moreover, ABA increased proline and phosphorus concentrations in the salinized plants whilst kinetin decreased them.
ABA induced stimulation of the transport of K, Ca and Cl from root to shoot, accumulation of K, Na and Cl in root cells and inhibits the transport of Na and accumulation of Ca. Kinetin appeared to inhibit the transport and accumulation of Na and Cl, transport of K, and stimulates the accumulation of K and Ca as well as the transport of Ca. The highest influence of both ABA and kinetin was mostly observed when these hormones were used in combination with the highest concentration of NaCl (120 mM) in the medium.

The influence of N, P, K supply on the contents of dry mass, chlorophyll (a+b), vitamin C, saccharides and the activities of peroxidase (E.C. 1.11.1.7), catalase (E.C. 1.11.1.6), and acid phosphatase (E.C.3.1.3.2) in leaves of celery plants during their growth stages was investigated. A correlation between the amount of N, P, K and the chemical composition and catalytic activities of enzymes was found.

Pre-submergence reserve saccharides was found adequate to substantiate the survival of tolerant cultivar under flooding. Survival percentage declined in both tolerant and susceptible cultivars with less saccharide content. However, it was more apparent in susceptible cultivar. Plant height, fresh and dry mass of shoots, leaf mass/area ratio and starch content per plant before flooding showed significant positive association with submergence tolerance. Hence, the improved seedling vigour could be used to increase submergence tolerance.

Shoot and root fresh and dry matters and their Cu content were determined in 7-d-old seedlings of Triticum aestivum L. cv. Alkora treated with Cu (10,20, 40 µg cm-3) and Si (500 µg cm-3). Si significantly reduced the toxic effect of Cu on fresh and dry matter production of wheat seedlings. Moreover, plants treated with Cu and Si absorbed less Cu from the solution and had higher water content in shoots and roots than that treated with Cu only.

In vitro response of six tomato genotypes to different copper concentrations was studied. Cu was toxic to tomato explants at a relatively high concentration (100 µM), which reduced callus growth and shoot regeneration. Peto-86 followed by UC-97-3 were more tolerant to copper than the other genotypes. Cu (100 µM) induced the synthesis of eight new proteins (70.86 - 14.78 kD) in Peto-86 and six in Western Improve (46.43 - 14.78 kD) and UC-97-3 (77.69 - 14.78 kD). Cu-stress reduced the expression of some enzymatic bands of alcohol dehydrogenase and esterase, meanwhile, one peroxidase band at the locus Prx-1 was newly expressed under Cu-treatment.

Growthof Atriplex amnicola P.G. Wilson was not affected by different levels (10, 100, and 200 mM) of NaCI. Na concentrations in roots and shoots increased significantly at higher levels of NaCI. K/Na ratios in plant parts were higher compared to those in the external solutions, indicating selectivity for K over Na. P uptake, as determined using³²P, was not affected by increasing NaCl in the root medium.

An efficient micropropagation protocol was developed for an important medicinal plant, Plantago major L. For this purpose, it is recommended to culture shoot-tips on modified MS medium [412.5 mg dm-3 NH4NO3 and 340 mg dm-3 KH2PO4] supplemented with 50 g dm-3 glucose and 0.5 μM 6-benzylaminopurine. Maximum rooting frequency was obtained at 1 μM naphthaleneacetic acid.

Biochanin A, luteolin, naringenin and quercetin significantly decreased the percentage of root segments bearing the intraradical proliferating hyphae of Glomus fistulosum at the concentrations up to 10 µmol dm^-3. The growth of hyphae was inhibited by biochanin A and luteolin whereas no significant effects of quercetin and naringenin were observed.

French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Contender) plants at five developmental stages (4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 d after sowing) were exposed to one of three treatments: 1 - 25 °C (control), 2 - exposure to chilling at 10 °C only for 2 d prior to sampling, and 3 - long-term exposure to chilling at 10 °C. Short- and long-term chilling decreased plant growth. Higher concentrations of ascorbate and glutathione were found in the chilling-treated plants throughout the different period of growth in comparison with those in the control plants. The activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase increased in the chilling-treated seedlings while activities of catalase and peroxidase and of β-carotene content decreased in young chilling-treated plants and slightly increased in older ones.