Journal of Ornamental Plants
Volume:1 Issue: 3, Spring 2011

Tissue culture is an attractive alternative for plant propagation. Micropropagation is a technique to ensure a constant and uniform source of ornamental plants. Matthiola incana is an important ornamental species mainly cultivate by seed. Matthiola incana seeds were germinated on solid MS medium without plant growth regulators. Shoot proliferation and root formation are possible using kinetin (Kn) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Shoot tips and leaf micro-cuttings derived from in vitro germinated seedlings were subcultured on solid MS medium containing Kn (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 mg l-1) and NAA (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 mg l-1) for shoot tips explants and Kn (0, 0.5 and 1 mg l-1) and NAA (0, 0.5 and 1 mg l-1) for leaf explants. Shoot tips media supplemented with 2 mg l-1 Kn without NAA and 2 mg l-1 NAA without Kn resulted in the best shoot length (1.20 cm) and root number (1.90), respectively. The callus was induced from most leaf media after four weeks of culture. MS mediums containing 0.5 mg l-1 Kn and 0.5 mg l-1. The largest number (1.94) and the highest length (16.60 mm) of roots were obtained in MS medium supplemented with 1 mg l-1 Kn + 0.5 mg l-1 NAA. NAA prevented root formation originated from callus with concentration of 1 mg l-1 + 0.5 and 1 mg l-1 Kn.

Medicinal plants are infected by fungal diseases. A four years survey indicated that, there are various fungal infections in roots and shoots of several medicinal plants that grown in Isfahan. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), rosemarry (Rosmarinus officinalis) and viper’s bugloss (Borago officinalis) plants were infected by Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani on roots, showing wilting and eventually plants death, though, F. culmorum was also isolated, but without pathogenicity on these hosts. The sage plants (Salvia officinalis) were also infected by F. solani considerably. Burdock plants (Aractium lappal) were infected not only by F.oxysporum and F.solani, but also Verticillium dahliae and V. albo- atrum and common balm (Melissa officinalisl) by F. solani. They were also simultaneously infected by Rhizoctonia solani. The aerial infections were mainly powdery mildews, downy mildews and rust. The naked seed pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo var. sterica) and common pumpkin (Cucurbita popo) were infected by Erysiphe cichoracearum and Sphaerotheca fuliginea., Johns-worth hypericum (Hypericum perforatum), by Leveillula guttiferatum and E. hypersici., estragon (Artemisia dracunculus) by E. artemisiae., bitter sweet (Solanum dulcamara) by E. beceleate., flixweld (Descurainia sophia) by E. communiis., marsh mallows (Althaea officinalis and Malva silvestris) by L. malvacearum., licoric (Glycyrrhiza globra) by L. leguminosar, dill (Anethum graveolens) and coriander (Coriandrum sativum) by L. umbelleferatum., downy mildews were observed on spinach (Spinacia oleracea) Peronospora farinosa, summer savory (Satureia hortensis) P. Lamii and waybread (Plantago major) P. alta. There was also rust diseases on medicinal plants including, estragon (Puccinia absinthi), wild thyme (Thymus serpllum) P. serpylli, P. mentha and also on pudding grass (Mentha pulegium) and peppermint (Mentha piperita) P. mentha. white rusts, Albugo candida, were also observed on some of the medicinal plants including, flixweld and mother’s heart (Capsella bursa-pastoris). The two species of Verticillium dahha and V. albo- atrum with lower frequency on some of the medicinal plants especially on lavander, rosemarry, pudding gross, pepper mint, castor (Ricinus communis) was found and there were typical symptoms on pepper mint. Rhizoctionia solani is an another fungal infecting agents, causing dry canker on roots and underground stems of some of the medicinal plants in this area.

In mulberry (Morus sp.), grown for its foliage, which is the sole food for the silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), evolving high yielding varieties is a long drawn and laborious process. One of the important selection parameter that has significant positive correlation with leaf yield is Total Shoot Length [TSL] of the mulberry plant. Measuring the length of all the shoots of the test genotypes to get the total shoot length during several stages of screening and evaluation requires enormous skilled manpower and time. The enormity of the task itself most often than not leads to inaccuracies. Due to multi-collinearity among the characters such as number of shoots, length of the longest shoot and total shoot length, the expression of these characters as a single entity could be more accurate and time saving if appropriate statistical relationships are established. In view of this, a regression relationship was derived and a model developed for estimating total shoot length by measuring only the length of longest shoot and number of shoots per plant. The model was tested with four mulberry varieties that are often used as checks in evaluation experiments and significantly high coefficient of determination [R2] ranging from 0.81 to 0.91 were recorded. Further, evaluation of the models with two mulberry genotypes grown under two distinctly different growing environments also showed no significant difference between the estimated and actual total shoot length. These tests confirmed the efficacy of the models across varieties and growing environments, thus paving way for reduction in drudgery, savings in time and resources in mulberry breeding programmes.

In order to investigation of vermicompost effect on growth and yield of marigold in pot medium, an experiment was done by a randomized compeletely block design in three raplications. Treatmnets were included control (30% v/v of soil plus 70% v/v of sand) and three levels of vermicompost (20, 40, 60 % v/v of vermicompost + 30% v/v of sand and soil) that applied in three lit. pots. Marigold seeds (Tagetes erecta cv.Tiashan) were planted in media. The shoots were cut and it was measured the bush heigh, the lateral branches, size and flower weight, dry weight of shoot, and the concertretion of nutrient elements. The results showed that added vermicompost to the growth media tend to improve the growth and yield of marigold than in the control. The Vermicompost (60%) had the highest weight, size and dry weight of shoot, but the maximum bush height was obtained by 20% vermicompost. The most lateral branches was belong to 40% vermicompost treatment. The results showed that the plants which cultivated on 60% vermicompost medium had the most amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium. The most amount of potassium was ralated to 40% vermicompost treatment.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of preservative solutions on vase life, number of bacteria in the end of stem and in vase solution of cut gerbera 'Double Dutch' and 'Red Explotion'. Cut flowers were pulse-treated with nano-silver (2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 mg L-1) and thymol (12.5, 25, 50, 75 or 100 mg L-1) + 5 % sucrose. Experiment was conducted in completely randomized design with 5 replications and 1 flower in each experimental unit. Flower were harvested from a commercial greenhouse and transported to laboratory with 22±1ºC temperature and 60±5% relative humidity. According to the results, these materials had positive effects on vase life of flowers. 6 mg L-1 nano-silver treatments in ‘Red Explotion’ cultivar had highest longevity (14 days). All treatments were effective on decreasing of bacteria in stem end and solution. In 4 and 6 mg L-1 SNP treatments was not any bacteria in vase solutions of ‘Red Explotion’ cultivar. Resulty showed that nano-silver can be use for increasing the vase life of cut gerbera ‘Double Dutch’ and ‘Red Explotion’.

Sericulture has played a very important role in the socio-economic empowerment of rural and semi-urban population. The eco-friendly nature of the industry, in addition to its employment generation potential, low investments and frequent returns, has rendered the industry as one of the most suitable land based economic activity, particularly in the context of global movement against environmental degradation and global warming. The present thrust in increasing silk production to meet the growing domestic and international demand however, cannot rely upon horizontal expansion. In light of the competition to mulberry from other food and commercial crops, it has become imperative to utilize marginal, problematic soils for mulberry cultivation. Although soil amendment and management is one of the feasible means, genetic improvement of crops towards tolerance to stress is more effective, less costly, non-polluting and longer lasting. The present study was conducted with six mulberry genotypes selected from a segregating population of 1152 hybrids on the basis of their relative performance in two diverse environments- (i) Optimum growing conditions, wherein the recommended inputs were provided and (ii) Stress conditions, wherein all inputs including irrigation were withdrawn. The six genotypes were further subjected evaluation under different stress conditions like, soil moisture stress, alkalinity and salinity along with control genotypes K-2 and V-1 maintained at optimal conditions. Significant variability was recorded among the genotypes in respect of Leaf yield response index [LYRI], Stress resistance index [SRI] and Varietal score [VS]. The results indicated a high degree of plasticity in G-6, which is now christened as RC-2 [Resource Constraint-2], that would assure sustained leaf production insevere water stress, alkaline and saline conditions. The genotype is recommended for cultivation by the marginal and small farmers for economic utilization of the problematic soils.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of banana extract (BE) on synchronous plantlet formation from seeds of Dendrobium lituiflorum Lindl. The seedlings formed on modified Knudson C (KC) medium supplemented with 20% (v/v) BE had significantly high fresh and dry weights. Morphologically uniform plantlets with elongated leaves and well developed roots were formed on KC medium with 20% (v/v) BE in comparison to KC medium without BE (control) after 30 d of fourth subculture. The plantlets so formed were subjected to in vitro hardening on agar-agar gelled medium, Luffa sponge and cocopeat: perlite (9:1) as support matrices, each containing one-half strength KC major salts and were successfully acclimatized under greenhouse conditions. Banana extract helps in synchronous plantlet formation in vitro which is not only beneficial for conservation purposes but also to the biotech industries as a large number of uniform plantlets can be obtained for transplantation, thereby, reducing the cost of production.

To study the effect of different substrates on growth and yield of gerbera, this experiment was carried out as randomized completely block design with 14 treatments and 3 replications. Treatments were as fallowing: fine sand, peat + fine sand (25%+ 75%), peat + fine sand (50% + 50%), perlite + peat (75% + 25%), perlite + peat (50% + 50%), perlite + peat (25% + 75%), perlite + peat + expanded clay (25% + 70% + 5%), perlite + peat + expanded clay (50 %+ 25% + 25%), perlite + peat + expanded clay (25%+ 50% + 25%), perlite + expanded clay (50%+ 50%), cocopeat, cocopeat + perlite (75% + 25%), cocopeat + perlite (50% + 50%), coco peat + perlite + expanded clay (50% + 25% + 25%), plants were fertilized with a same nutrient solution. Results showed that the growing medium containing perlite + peat + expanded clay (25% + 70% + 5%) was the best treatment. In thissubstrate, flower number, flower diameter, shoot diameter, stem neck diameter, flower height and vase life showed significant difference among growing media.