ABSTRACT
Blueberries are valued for their taste and their high nutritional benefits, including their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In vitro culturing is an alternative method for clonal propagation, and has been used in many biotechnological studies. Most blueberry research is concentrated on highbush and lowbush taxa (Vaccinium corymbosum and Vaccinium angustifolium respectively), with only limited investigations of rabbiteye cultivars (Vaccinium virgatum) that are more suitable for subtropical climates and regions with warmer winters as a result of climate change. There is therefore a need to determine in vitro protocols for that species and group of cultivars. We examined here adventitious shoot regeneration in the 'Delite' rabbiteye blueberry cultivar. Leaf explants were cultured in vitro in Woody Plant Medium (WPM), and the effects of different thidiazuron (TDZ) concentrations, the orientation of the leaf (adaxial or abaxial surface in contact with the medium), and two portions of the leaf segment (basal or apical) were examined. De novo shoot development was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. All concentrations of TDZ used showed similar survival and regeneration rates; 0.5 µM TDZ showed high efficiency in regenerating adventitious shoots (100%, with 57 adventitious shoots/explant), as did the adaxial surface in contact with the medium using either the apical or the basal portion of the leaf (97% shoot regeneration, 47.5 adventitious shoots/explant). Anatomical analyses showed direct and indirect organogenesis. The shoots developed leaf primordia with stomata, trichomes, and well-developed vascular tissues, with further elongation and rooting of the plants. We therefore describe here a high-efficiency regeneration method through de novo shoot organogenesis using TDZ in foliar explants of rabbiteye blueberry, with direct and indirect organogenesis.
ABSTRACT
Abstract We conducted a taxonomical study of epiphytic diatoms on the macrophytes Polygonum hydropiperoides, Ludwigia peruviana and Alternanthera philoxeroides collected in the mesotrophic reservoir Piraquara II flooded in 2009, located in the state of Paraná. A total of 135 infrageneric taxa were identified, among them five at generic level and other five are first records to the state. We provided illustration, valve metrics, meristics limits and taxonomic reference for each taxon. Also, life forms and species frequency are given. The most frequent diatoms totalized 15.3% of total identified taxa and sporadic species represented 54.7%. Achnanthidium minutissimum (Kützing) Czarnecki and Brachysira neoexilis Lange-Bertalot occurred in more than 90% of analyzed samples. Among the very frequent diatoms we found other species included in Achnantidium, Fragilaria and Eunotia. The solitary Discotella stelligera (Cleve & Grunow) Houk & Klee and the short chain Aulacoseira tenella (Nygaard) Simonsen are free living species that entangle among diatoms from the biofilm.
Resumo Realizamos um estudo taxonômico das diatomáceas epifíticas nas macrófitas: Polygonum hydropiperoides, Ludwigia peruviana e Alternanthera philoxeroides, coletadas no reservatório Piraquara II, uma represa urbana mesotrófica inundada em 2009, localizado no estado do Paraná. Um total de 135 táxons infragenéricos foi determinado, entre os quais cinco foram citações pioneiras para o Estado. Ilustrações, limites métricos, merísticos e referências taxonômicas para cada táxon foram providenciadas. Também, dados sobre formas de vida e frequência das espécies foram adicionados. As diatomáceas mais frequentes totalizaram 15,3% dos táxons determinados e as espécies esporádicas representaram 54%. Achnanthidium minutissimum (Kützing) Czarnecki and Brachysira neoexilis Lange-Bertalot ocorreram em mais de 90% das amostras analisadas. Dentre as diatomáceas muito frequentes encontram-se outras espécies de Achnanthidium, Fragilaria e Eunotia. Discostella stelligera (Cleve & Grunow) Houk & Klee, uma diatomácea solitária, e Aulacoseira tenella (Nygaard) Simonsen, com cadeias curtas, são espécies livres que se emaranham entre as diatomáceas do biofilme.
