Pot culture experiments were conducted using different NaCl concentrations to assess their impact on the growth and metabolic changes in senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl.). Five treatments (0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 mM NaCl) were given to the plants at three phenological stages, i.e. at pre-flowering, (45 days after sowing, DAS); flowering (75 DAS) and post-flowering (90 DAS) stages. A significant reduction in the biomass and length of the roots and shoots, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, the total chlorophyll content, protein content, nitrate reductase activity, and reduced nitrogen content of the leaves was observed at each phenological stage with each salt concentration applied. Contrary to this, proline and nitrate contents of the leaves increased markedly. The post-flowering stage was most sensitive to NaCl treatment.

When growing in the field, plants are exposed to the effect of heavy metals as soon as the seed comes into contact with the soil solution. Therefore, we found important to study the effect of Cd and Ni on maize exposed to these heavy metals since sowing. The aim of this work was to examine which anatomical changes are induced by continuous intoxication of young maize root system with 0.1 mM Cd and Ni, thus modifying its growth and capacity for water and nutrient uptake. Concomitantly, the effect on concentration and distribution of Cd, Ni and some essential ions (Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn) was studied.

The present study evaluated the effects of chilling, partial desiccation, cotyledon excision and successive subculture of microspore-derived embryos on plant development in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). The results showed that out of the five media, all the genotypes showed the best response when the embryos were cultured on the half-strength Murashige and Skoog medium with 2.0 mg dm^-3 benzylaminopurine. A cold treatment for 3 or 5 d further increased frequencies of embryo germination (90.0 %) and plantlet development (58.46 %). Desiccation for one day also increased the embryo germination and plantlet development in all genotypes tested. Cutting the cotyledons of the embryos at late cotyledonary stage significantly increased the frequency of plantlet development. The highest rate of plantlet development was obtained from cultures of embryos sampled with size of less than 4.0 mm. The successive subculture further improved the germination and development of plantlets from embryos. In the genotype ZJU452, the rate of plantlet development reached 99.78 % after the second subculture of embryos.

Nicotiana tabacum 1 (NT-1) cells were transformed with four different expression cassettes of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The transformed nature of the cells was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The expression levels were assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expressivities varied among the different cassettes and the maximum expression of 16.6 ng g^-1(f.m.) of cells was noted in pEFEHER transformed cells. Salicylic acid (100 µM) treatment resulted in 1.8 fold increase of expression in pEFEHBS transformed cells. The effect of different concentrations of kanamycin and geneticin was studied on the growth of transformed cells and HBsAg expression. The cell growth was optimum at lower concentrations of the antibiotics, and the maximum expression was noted at 200 mg dm^-3 of kanamycin.

The study presents the comparative analyses of endogenous contents of auxin (IAA), cytokinins (CKs), polyamines (PAs), and phenolic acids (PhAs) in apical and basal parts of elm multiplicated shoots with regard to the organogenic potential. The shoot-forming capacity was higher in the apical part than in the basal part. However, the timing of root formation was in the apical type of explant significantly delayed (compared with the organogenic potential of basal part). Significantly higher contents of free bases, ribosides and ribotides of isopentenyl adenine, zeatin and dihydrozeatin that were found in the apical segments, might be considered as the most important factor affecting in vitro shoot formation. The content of endogenous free IAA was approximately three times higher in the basal shoot parts than in the apical parts. The amounts of putrescine and spermidine were higher in the apical part which generally contains less differentiated tissues than the basal part of shoot. The predominant PhA in both types of explants was caffeic acid, and concentrations of other PhAs decreased in the following order: p-coumaric, ferulic, sinapic, vanillic, chlorogenic, p-hydroxybenzoic and gallic acids. The contents of all determined PhAs in their free forms and higher contents of glycoside-bound p-coumaric, ferulic and sinapic acids, precursors for lignin biosynthesis, were found in the basal parts.

In vitro regeneration of Trifolium glomeratum, a leguminous forage species, was attempted through leaf, petiole, cotyledon, hypocotyl, collar and root explants and two media combinations. Root and collar explants showed no callus induction. Medium with 0.05 mg dm^-3 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 0.10 mg dm^-3 N⁶-benzyladenine (BA) was more effective for hypocotyl explant whereas cotyledon and petiole explant were more responsive to 5.0 mg dm^-3 NAA and 1.0 mg dm^-3 BA. Friable, green calli obtained from petiole explant on this medium showed organogenetic potential. Modified root-inducing medium having 0.21 mg dm^-3 indole-3-acetic acid and 2.5 % sucrose was successful for root induction and plantlets were successfully transferred to field after hardening and Rhizobium inoculation.

Leaf morphology, longevity, and demography were examined in Quercus ilex and Phillyrea latifolia growing in a holm oak forest in Prades mountains (northeast Spain). Four plots (10 × 15 m) of this forest were submitted to an experimental drought during three years (soil moisture was reduced about 15 %). Leaf area, thickness and leaf mass per area ratio (LMA) were measured in sun and shade leaves of both species. Leaf longevity, the mean number of current-year shoots produced per previous-year shoot (Sn/Sn-1), the mean number of current-year leaves per previous-year shoot (Ln/Sn-1), and the percentage of previous-year shoots that developed new ones were measured once a year, just after leaf flushing. LMA and leaf thickness increased since leaf unfolding except in summer periods, when stomatal closure imposed low photosynthetic rates and leaves consumed their reserves. LMA, leaf area, and leaf thickness were higher in Q. ilex than in P. latifolia, but leaf density was higher in the latter species. Drought reduced the leaf thickness and the LMA of both species ca. 2.5 %. Drought also increased leaf shedding up to ca. 20 % in Phillyrea latifolia and decreased it up to ca. 20 % in Q. ilex. In the later species, Sn/Sn-1 decreased by 32 %, Ln/Sn-1 by 41 %, percentage of shoots developed new ones by 26 %, and leaf area by 17 %. Thus the decrease of leaf number and area was stronger in the less drought-resistant Q. ilex, which, under increasingly drier conditions, might lose its current competitive advantage in these Mediterranean holm oak forests.

A rapid and efficient in vitro plant regeneration method was developed for Aristolochia indica. Multiple shoot formation was induced from shoot tip and nodal explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 1 - 6 mg dm^-3 2-isopentenyl-adenine (2-iP) or 1 - 4 mg dm^-3 6-benzyladenine (BA). Maximum number of shoots were induced with 5 mg dm^-3 2-iP alone (about 12 - 14 shoots). Shoot differentiation occurred directly from the leaf bases as well as from the internodes when cultured on 1 - 4 mg dm^-3 BA and 0.8 - 2 mg dm^-3 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) containing medium. Regeneration from the callus occurred when the calli initiated on MS medium containing 0.6 - 4 mg dm^-3 NAA in combination with 0.8 - 3 mg dm^-3 BA were transferred to 1 - 6 mg dm^-3 BA alone containing medium. Elongated shoots were separated and rooted in MS medium containing 1 mg dm^-3 indole-3-butyric acid. These were then transferred to soil after gradual acclimatization.

Rhizobacteria belonging to Bacillus sp. were isolated from the rhizosphere of green gram (Vigna radiata). Seed inoculation with the rhizobacteria showed stunting effect on root growth whereas four Bacillus strains caused stimulation of shoot growth at both 4 and 7 d of observations. Coinoculation of some Bacillus strains with effective Bradyrhizobium strain S24 resulted in enhanced nodulation and plant growth of green gram. The shoot dry mass (ratio to uninoculated control) varied from 1.32 to 6.33 at day 30 and from 1.28 to 3.55 at day 40 of plant growth. Nodule promoting effect after 40 d of plant growth was observed with majority of Bacillus strains except for MRS9 and MRS26. Maximum gains in nodulation, nitrogenase activity and plant growth were observed with Bacillus strains MRS12, MRS18, MRS22 and MRS27 after 40 d of plant growth, suggesting the usefulness of introduced rhizobacteria in improving crop productivity.

In this study, seven cDNA fragments of genes, differentially expressed in ovaries after pollination in Cymbidium hybridium, were identified and characterized by mRNA differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR). Four (CDD-313, CDD-272, CDD-265, CDD-243) among these seven cDNA fragments showed no significant homology with ESTs or genes in the databases of NCBI; another three (CDD-193, CDD-218, CDD-470) showed significant homologies with sequences encoding components of an ABC-type transporter, a GTPase and 40S ribosomal S3 proteins (RPS3), respectively. The differential expression patterns of them were confirmed by reverse Northern dot blot analysis. More interestingly, CDD-470 appeared to be present and highly expressed in the pollinated ovaries and encoded a new factor of RPS3 participating in cell growth and proliferation. We deduced that this 40s ribosomal S3 like protein was involved in ovary development of orchids.

The phytoremediation is an environment friendly, green technology that is cost effective and energetically inexpensive. Metal hyperaccumulator plants are used to remove metal from terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. The technique makes use of the intrinsic capacity of plants to accumulate metal and transport them to shoots, ability to form phytochelatins in roots and sequester the metal ions. Harbouring the genes that are considered as signatures for the tolerance and hyperaccumulation from identified hyperaccumulator plant species into the transgenic plants provide a platform to develop the technology with the help of genetic engineering. This would result in transgenics that may have large biomass and fast growth a quality essential for removal of metal from soil quickly and in large quantities. Despite so much of a potential, the progress in the field of developing transgenic phytoremediator plant species is rather slow. This can be attributed to the lack of our understanding of complex interactions in the soil and indigenous mechanisms in the plants that allow metal translocation, accumulation and removal from a site. The review focuses on the work carried out in the field of metal phytoremediation from contaminated soil. The paper concludes with an assessment of the current status of technology development and its future prospects with emphasis on a combinatorial approach.

Wild-type and the handshake (has) mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana were analyzed. Compared to the wild-type, has mutants display a number of morphological alterations, which can largely be traced back to altered meristem function. Analyses of apical meristem of mutant plants showed that mutation affected meristem structure and patterns of STM expression.

Influence of increased K supply on growth and nutrient content in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) under severe water stress was assessed in a pot experiment under glasshouse conditions. Nineteen-day-old plants of two lines, ICMV94133 and WCA-78 were subjected for 30 d to 235, 352.5, and 470 mg(K) kg^-1(soil) and two water regimes (100 and 30% field capacity). Increasing soil K supply did not alleviate the adverse effect of water deficit on the growth of two lines of pearl millet. Accumulation of N and K in the shoots of both lines was higher under water deficit than that under well-watered conditions, but such effect was not observed for P or Ca.

Forty-five-days old plants of Indian senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl.) were subjected to 0-500 µM lead acetate (Pb-Ac) in pot culture. Changes in contents of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), ascorbate, glutathione, proline, sennosides (a+b), and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), and catalase (CAT) were studied at pre-flowering (60 d after sawing, DAS), flowering (90 DAS) and post-flowering (120 DAS) stages of plant development. Compared with the controls, the Pb-Ac treated plants showed an increase in contents of TBARS, dehydroascorbate, oxidized and total glutathione at all stages of growth. However, sennoside yield and contents of ascorbate and reduced form of glutathione declined. Proline content increased at 60 DAS but declined thereafter. Activities of SOD, APX, GR and CAT were markedly increased. Sennoside content was higher at 60 and 90 DAS but lower at 120 DAS, compared to the control.

Young plants of a rhizomatous grass Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth were grown from seed in nutrient solutions containing nitrogen in concentrations 0.1, 1.0, and 10 mM. After six weeks of cultivation the plants were defoliated and changes in growth parameters and in content of storage compounds were measured in the course of regrowth under highly reduced nitrogen availability. Plants grown at higher nitrogen supply before defoliation had higher amount of all types of nitrogen storage compounds (nitrates, free amino acids, soluble proteins), which was beneficial for their regrowth rate, in spite of lower content of storage saccharides. Amino acids and soluble proteins from roots and stubble bases were the most important sources of storage compounds for regrowth of the shoot. Faster growth of plants with higher N content was mediated by greater leaf area expansion and greater number of leaves. In plants with lower contents of N compounds number of green leaves decreased after defoliation significantly and senescing leaves presumably served as N source for other growing organs. Results suggest that internal N reserves can support regrowth of plants after defoliation even under fluctuating external N availability. Faster regrowth of C. epigejos with more reserves was mediated mainly by changes in plant morphogenesis.

High efficiency shoot regeneration was achieved through leaflet and cotyledon derived calli in Cassia angustifolia - an important medicinal plant. Dark brown compact callus was induced at the cut ends of the explants on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium augmented with 1 µM N⁶-benzyladenine (BA) + 1 µM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Such callus pieces on transfer to cytokinins (BA or kinetin) supplemented medium differentiated shoots within 10 - 15 d. Of the two cytokinins, 5 µM BA was optimum for eliciting morphogenic response in 83.33 and 70.83 % cultures with an average of 4.16 ± 0.47 and 3.70 ± 0.56 shoots in cotyledon and leaflet derived calli, respectively. The addition of 0.5 µM α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) to MS + 5 µM BA further elevated the maximum average number of shoots to 12.08 ± 1.04 and 5.37 ± 0.52 for cotyledon and leaflet calli, respectively. The excised shoots were transferred to a rooting medium containing either IAA (indole-3-acetic acid), IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) or NAA. Nearly 95 % shoots developed an average of 5.4 ± 0.41 roots on half strength MS medium supplemented with 10 µM IBA.

Plantlet regeneration through shoot formation from young leaf explant-derived callus of Camptotheca acuminata is described. Calli were obtained by placing leaf explants on Woody plant medium (WPM) supplemented with various concentrations of 6-benzyladenine (BA) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Callus induction was observed in all media evaluated. On the shoot induction medium, the callus induced on the WPM medium containing 19.8 μM BA and 5.8 μM NAA was the most effective, providing high shoot regeneration frequency (70.3 %) as well as the highest number of shoots (11.2 shoots explant^-1). The good rooting percentage and root quality (98 %, 5.9 roots shoot^-1) were achieved on WPM medium supplemented with 9.6 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). 96 % of the in vitro rooted plantlets with well developed shoots and roots survived transfer to soil.

The aim of this work was to estimate genetic variability for in vitro culture response of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of the genus Lycopersicon. The callus percentage (C), the regeneration percentage (R) and the productivity rate (PR) were evaluated 45 d after culture initiation in a set of 16 elite tomato RILs and their parents. The narrow sense heritability (h²) values were 0.38 ± 0.04 for C, 0.46 ± 0.04 for R, and 0.28 ± 0.03 for R, while the genetic correlation (r _g ) values were -0.96 ± 0.07 between C and R, 0.81 ± 0.14 between PR and R, and -0.79 ± 0.16 between PR and C. Three AFLP markers associated to the in vitro traits were identified.

Time-lapse monitoring using infrared imaging revealed a distinct change in circumnutatory behaviour of Arabidopsis inflorescence stems by dark treatment, which drastically increased curvature and decreased nutation frequency. Re-irradiation during dark treatment had different effect on the nutation frequency and the curvature, suggesting that radiation condition controls them through different mechanism.

Transgenic rice plants in which the content of dienoic fatty acids was increased as a result of co-suppression of fatty acid desaturase were more tolerant to high temperatures than untransformed wild-type plants, as judged by growth rate and chlorophyll content. When untransformed wild-type and transgenic rice seedlings were incubated at 35 °C, seedlings of the transgenic rice lines showed approximately 1.6 and 2.1 times the growth of untransformed wild-type seedlings, as assayed by shoot and root mass, respectively. The chlorophyll content of the transgenic leaves after 9 d at 35 °C was also higher than that of wild-type rice. The maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem 2 was also higher in transgenic plants than in wild-type plants upon high temperature stress.

Seedlings of the salt sensitive wheat cultivar C-306 evolved more ethylene than the salt tolerant cultivar Kharchia-65 under different levels of both chloride- and sulphate-dominated types of salinity. Pre-sowing seed soaking treatments with kinetin, gibberellic acid and to a lesser extent indole-3-acetic acid alleviated salt stress effects as apparent from seedling dry mass. Treated seedlings also evolved more ethylene both under saline and non-saline conditions. Ethrel did not affect seedling growth as well as ethylene production. Abscisic acid inhibited seedling growth and ethylene production under both types of salinity.

A reliable method for the long-term conservation of date palm tissue cultures is described. In vitro shoot bud and callus culture were successfully stored for 12 months at 5°C in the dark. At this conditions high percent of cultures remained viable without serious signs of senescence. However, the growth rate decreased as storage period increased. The role of sorbitol as osmotic agent in storage was examined. Health shoot bud cultures were obtained after 6 months of storage on medium containing 40 g dm^-3 sorbitol. This period extended for 9 months in case of callus cultures.

The plant growth retardant, paclobutrazol at 8.5 or 17.0 μM concentrations effectively inhibited the stem elongation and primary leaf expansion of bean seedlings. Although the retardant reduced the relative water content in well-watered plants, the water and pressure potentials remained high in the primary leaves. K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ contents in the primary leaves of the paclobutrazol-treated plants were not significantly different from those in the control. The stomatal density increased on both surfaces but the length of guard cells was not reduced significantly on the adaxial epidermes of the paclobutrazol-treated primary leaves. The inhibitory effect of paclobutrazol on the abaxial stomatal conductances became more pronounced with time during the light period but the adaxial surfaces displayed similar or slightly higher conductances than those of the control. The transpiration rate on a unit area basis did not change significantly or increased in the treated leaves thus the reduced water loss of paclobutrazol-treated plants was due to the reduced leaf area. Stomatal conductances of the adaxial surfaces responded more intensively to exogenous abscisic acid and the total leaf conductance decreased faster with increasing ABA concentration in the control than in the paclobutrazol-treated leaves. Paclobutrazol, an effective inhibitor of phytosterol biosynthesis, not only amplified the stomatal differentiation but increased the differences between the adaxial and abaxial stomatal conductances of the primary leaves.

Two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes differing in their sensitivity to water deficit (stress tolerant - C306 and stress susceptible - HD2329) were subjected to osmotic stress for 7 d using polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000; osmotic potential -1.0 MPa), at initial vegetative growth. The plants were either supplemented with 1 mM CaCl₂ (Ca²⁺) alone or along with verapamil (VP; calcium channel blocker) to investigate the involvement of calcium in governing osmoregulation. Relative elongation rate (RER), dry matter (DM) production, water potential (Ψ_w), electrolyte leakage (EL), contents of proline (Pro) and glycine betaine (GB) and activities of γ-glutamyl kinase (GK) and proline oxidase (PO) in shoots and roots were examined during stress period. C306 showed relatively higher accumulation of Pro while HD2329 accumulated more GB under stress. RER, DM and Ψ_w were relatively higher in C306 than HD2329. Roots compared to shoots showed lower content of osmolytes but had faster rate of their accumulation. Presence of Ca²⁺ in the medium increased the activity of GK and decreased that of PO while in the presence of its inhibitor, decrease in activity of both the enzymes was observed. Ca²⁺ appeared to reduce the damaging effect of stress by elevating the content of Pro and GB, improving the water status and growth of seedlings and minimizing the injury to membranes. The protective effect of Ca²⁺ was observed to be more in HD2329 than C306.

Multiple shoot regeneration from the cut plumular ends of embryo axes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) was evaluated on Murashige and Skoog medium having different concentrations of thidiazuron (TDZ) (0.1 to 10.0 mg dm^-3) 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) (0.5 and 1.0 mg dm^-3), kinetin (0.5 and 1.0 mg dm^-3) or zeatin (2.0 and 4.0 mg dm^-3). TDZ (0.2 mg dm^-3) was found to be the most effective cytokinin as it produced multiple shoots in 100 % of the explants from genotypes C235, ICC5166, ICC12269, ICC4951, ICC11531, BG256 and a local cultivar. Shoots were elongated on growth regulator-free medium, and rooted on growth regulator-free medium containing 1/4 MS salts + full vitamins + 3 % sucrose. Plantlets formed were acclimatized for 12 - 15 d in MS medium with a gradual reduction in sucrose concentration and transferred into pots filled with soil and kept in the field; this resulted in more than 70 % survival. The plants developed normally and produced fertile flowers and set seeds. Low temperatures, maximum 19.0 °C, and minimum 8.2 °C, during the first 15 d of transfer favoured survival on transfer to pots.

Fully expanded leaves of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) growing with either complete or nitrogen-deficient nutrient solution were analysed for leaf water status, gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence during the vegetative and reproductive phases. N-deficiency did not affect leaf water relations but did decrease light saturated photosynthetic rate as well as stomatal conductance in the vegetative stage. A lower variable to maximum fluorescence ratio (Fv/Fm) was found in N-limited plants which also showed an increase in leaf starch content and in starch to sucrose ratio. The inhibition of photosynthesis and the alteration of photosynthates partitioning were responsible for the growth reduction in N-stressed plants. During the reproductive phase the limitation of photosynthesis may be due to a large accumulation of starch which determines both a decrease in the carbon demand from the sinks and a decrease in CO2 conductance in the mesophyll.

To test whether different nitrogen form (nitrate or ammonium) in substrate can alter the response to elevated partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂) plants of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. Bastion) were grown from seeds in growth chambers under pCO₂ of either 35 Pa (ambient, CA) or 70 Pa (elevated, CE) in a hydroponic system (with nutrient and pH control) for 24 d. Nitrogen was supplied as ammonium, nitrate or an equimolar mixture of both N forms. Under CE plants grew faster than their counterparts under CA during the first 14 d but after 23 d of cultivation stimulation disappeared. Despite the strong positive effect of mixed forms of N on plant growth, the beneficial effect of CE was similar to that in the other two N treatments. However, the almost alike final growth response to CE had different underlying mechanisms in different N treatments. Plants supplied with nitrate as a sole source of nitrogen had lower leaf mass ratio but much higher specific leaf area compared to plants supplied with ammonium. The decrease in the content of leaf organic N (per unit of structural dry mass) under CE was found only in leaves of plants supplied with ammonium on day 14. Nevertheless, the available form of N evidently contributes to changes of leaf N content under CE. The high levels of N and non-structural saccharides in plants supplied with ammonium at CE suggest that the CO₂ response of these plants was controlled by factors other than amount of available carbon and nitrogen.

Pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the possible interaction of salinity (osmotic potential -0.3, -0.9 and -1.2 MPa) and occurrence of Azospirillum lipoferum or exogenous gibberellic acid (GA₃) (100 µg g^-1) on growth and some physiological parameters of maize. ¹⁵N-uptake as well as the percentage of nitrogen derived from ¹⁵N-fertilizer were decreased by increasing the NaCl concentrations and completely inhibited at concentrations corresponding to osmotic potentials -0.9 and -1.2 MPa. The percentage of nitrogen originating from N₂ fixation was significantly correlated to the total counts of Azospirillum cells that colonized the histosphere. At high NaCl concentrations although no significant changes in N % in shoot dry mass either in inoculated or uninoculated plants were observed, the total N-yield [mg(N) pot^-1] was decreased. Fresh and dry shoot mass significantly increased by Azospirillum inoculation. Azospirillum and GA₃ treatments were positively correlated with most of the parameters analysed. Azospirillum inoculation or GA3 application at NaCl concentrations up to -1.2 MPa significantly increased the chlorophyll, K, Ca, soluble saccharides and protein contents as compared with control plants.

The experiment was made by using different concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG) or salt solutions to decrease the osmotic potential of the growth medium to reveal the response of mung bean (Vigna radiata) to water and salt stresses. No germination (emergence of the seedling) occurred at medium osmotic potential lower than -1.0 MPa in all treatments. It was found that the activity of α-amylase and protease, and contents of proline, saccharides and the soluble proteins decreased in the germinating seeds during 3-d stress. However, after 10-d stress, the contents of organic solutes and the activity of the hydrolytic enzymes increased. Growth, chlorophyll content and mineral uptake were also significantly reduced under stress. The seedlings under water stress induced by PEG were affected much more than under salinity. This may be due to the maintenance of a higher succulence under salt stress than under PEG-induced water stress.

Dry matter production of shoots and roots and the diurnal fluctuation of titratable acidity of single leaves were investigated in the CAM plant Agave attenuata during the first 70 d after germination. The plants were grown either in vermiculite sub-irrigated with a nutrient solution or in in vitro cultures on an inorganic nutrient agar. Two types of culture tube covers were used: either airtight closures or polypropylene caps with membranes permeable to air.
In the earliest ontogenetic phases of development (cotyledon and primary leaf stage), the plants were already able to carry out considerable nocturnal organic acid accumulation. In vitro cultivated plants, from the beginning of their development, were also capable of diurnal acid fluctuation, though of distinctly weaker activity than the pot plants. The mean relative growth rates (RGR) of pot culture plantlets approached a third of perennial herbaceous plants. Plantlets grown in in vitro culture reached only half to the one quarter of the RGR of pot plants. The reduced yield could be attributed to the low CO2 supply in the culture tubes and the less than optimal water and nutrient supply in the agar medium.