Proceedings of the XLV Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy - 26/29 September, 2001

ISBN 88-900622-1-5

Poster Abstract

PRELIMINARY RESULTS ON THE EFFECT OF MAGNETIC FIELDS ON ANTHER CULTURE OF CITRUS CLEMENTINA HORT. EX TAN.

GERMANÀ M.A.*, CHIANCONE, B.**, MELATI M.R.***, FIRETTO A.***

* Istituto di Ricerca per la Genetica degli Agrumi.C.N.R.c/o Facoltà di Agraria, Viale delle Scienze 11 90128, Palermo

agermana@unipa.it

** Dipartimento di Colture Arboree, Università degli Studi di Palermo

*** Dipartimento di Scienze Botaniche, Università degli Studi di Palermo

magnetic fields, anther culture, haploid, Citrus

Exposure to electromagnetic fields seems to modify the biological behaviour of seeds, roots, pollen grains and buds of several plants. This procedure has been also suggested as a tool to improve the utilization of plant species (Firetto et al., 2000, Petruszewski S., 1996).

Since the first haploid embryogenic calli production and plantlet regeneration by anther culture of C. clementina cv. Nules, was reported (Germanà et al., 1994), several studies have been carried out to improve both the frequency of microspore embryogenesis and the percentage of plantlet regeneration. To enlarge the number of respondant genotypes and to improve the induction rate (the frequency of pollen grains which form embryoids) are fundamental goals in order to take practical advantage of the haploid potential in Citrus breeding. Successful recovery of haploids depends on several factors like genotype, pre-treatment, pollen development stage, media composition and cultural conditions.

This research has been carried out to investigate the effect of two intensity levels of magnetic field on the response of Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan. anthers in vitro cultured.

Flower buds, collected at the uninucleate stage, after a cold pretreatment were exposed to magnetic fields provided by an E104B/EPR Varian electromagnet. Two intensities, 30 mT and 80 mT, of magnetic fields were tested, both with a exposure duration of 15 seconds. In the control no magnetic field was applied to the floral buds.

The floral buds were then surface sterilized and anthers were aseptically removed and placed in culture. Ten replicates (Petri dish) with forty explants (anthers/Petri dish) per replicate were arranged for each experimental treatment (400 anthers per treatment).

Cytological observations on microspores were performed to observe the nuclear divisions.

The number of anthers that did not develop, swollen, or producing calli and embryoids were recorded in each Petri dish.

The percentage of anthers producing callus resulted increased by the exposure to the magnetic field.

References

Firetto A., Li Vigni I., Melati M.R. Effect of magnetic fields on seedlings growth and cyto-morphogenesis in Sinapis alba L. Acta Bot. Gallica, in press.

Germanà MA, Wang YY, Barbagallo MG, Iannolino G, Crescimanno FG (1994) Recovery of haploid and diploid plantlets from anther culture of Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan. and Citrus reticulata Blanco. J Hort Science 69: 473-480

Petruszewski S. (1996) Effect of magnetic biostimulation of wheat seeds on germination, yeld and proteins. Int. Agrophysics, 10:51-55.