Elemental content of Vietnamese rice. Part 1. Sampling, analysis and comparison with previous studies.

Various rice samples were collected in Vietnam from the Red River region, and some other parts of the country as well as from Yanco, NSW, Australia. The rice samples were analysed for 14 elements (P, K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Zn, Fe, Cu, Al, Na, Ni, As, Mo, and Cd) by ICP-AES, ICP-MS and FAAS. The analytical procedures were carefully controlled and validated using the rice flour certified material (NIES No 10). In general, the results showed that Vietnamese rice has elemental concentration ranges similar to those of the Australian and other overseas rice. However, analyses for some elements are characteristic of some Vietnamese and Australian rice samples. Thus, Vietnamese rice shows somewhat higher levels of P, K and Mg than rice samples from other countries; Mn could be a marker for the Australian rice grown in the Yanco region, and the analysed Australian samples were also very low in Cd (< 0.003 mg kg-1). An unusual distribution of Ni, present in higher concentrations in the white rice samples than in the brown ones, was observed for some Vietnamese rice samples.

The combination of polima cms and cytoplasmic triazine resistance in Brassica napus.

Protoplast fusion was used to combine cytoplasmic triazine resistance (ctr) and Polima type cytoplasmic male sterility (cms) in Brassica napus. The cybrids produced constitute the major biological input required for the production of commercial single-cross hybrid rapeseed bearing cytoplasmic triazine resistance. The results also indicate that Polima cms is associated with the mitochondrial genome.

Protoplast culture and plant regeneration from Brassica carinata Braun.

Protoplasts isolated from hypocotyls of three-day-old seedlings of Brassica carinata (Braun) cv R-2128 were cultured in a modified Nitsch and Nitsch liquid medium containing 13% sucrose, 0.4% Ficoll, 0.25 mg/l BA, 0.5 mg/l NAA and 0.5 mg/l 2,4-D. The density of medium caused the protoplasts and the developing microcalli to float on the surface of the liquid medium whereas all debris and lysed cells sank to the bottom of the culture plate. After 4-6 weeks developing microcalli were approximately 0.5 mm in diameter and were transferred onto MS medium containing 3% sucrose, 0.4% agarose, 200 mg/l casein hydrolysate, 5 mg/l BA and 0.5 mg/l NAA, pH 5.7. Approximately 20% of the calli transferred to this medium produced plantlets.

A simple culture method for Brassica hypototyl protoplasts.

Hypocotyl protoplasts from oil rape, Brassica napus L. cv. Isuzu were cultured in the dark at 25°C in a modified Nitsch and Nitsch medium containing 13% sucrose, 5 g/l Ficoll, 0.5 mg/l BAP, 1 mg/l NAA and 0.5 mg/l 2-4 D. Protoplasts floated on the surface of the medium and developed into microcolonies 0.5 mm in diameter in 4-6 weeks. The microcolonies also remained on the surface of the medium. Transfer to MS medium supplemented with 200 mg/l casein hydrolysate, 5mg/l BAP, 0.5 mg/l NAA and solidified with 0.6% agarose induced shoot regeneration in 3-4 weeks.