Desiccation, cryopreservation and water relations parameters of white spruce (Picea glauca) and interior spruce (Picea glauca x engelmannii complex) somatic embryos.

Effects of drying and cryopreservation on survival of spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss and Picea glauca x engelmannii complex) somatic embryos (SEs) were investigated with the aim of developing simple and robust protocols for embryo storage. Somatic embryos dried over salt solutions of known water potential (Psi) survived removal of virtually all free water, to a relative water content (RWC) of approximately 0.13, a value similar to that for spruce zygotic embryos from dry seed. Desiccated SEs also survived subsequent freezing in liquid nitrogen, without the addition of cryoprotectant or pre-culture steps. Highest survival (> 80%) after freezing in liquid nitrogen was in embryos pre-dried to Psi of -15 to -20 MPa, which yielded RWC close to predicted bound (apoplastic) water values. Low (< 35%) or no survival after freezing was observed in embryos pretreated at higher Psi (above -5 MPa) or at very low Psi (-540 MPa, using silica gel), respectively.

A whole-plant cuvette system to measure short-term responses of conifer seedlings to environmental change.

A computer-controlled whole-plant cuvette system is described that allows precise and independent control of temperature (+/- 0.05 degrees C), vapor pressure (+/- 0.02 kPa), CO(2) concentration (+/- 2 micro mol mol(-1)) and photosynthetic photon flux density (+/- 5 micro mol m(-2) s(-1)), and allows the continuous measurement of net photosynthesis and transpiration rates. Vapor pressure is controlled by circulating chamber air through a CaSO(4) desiccant column supported on a digital balance. Transpiration rate is calculated from the change in desiccant mass with time. Photosynthesis rate is measured by integrating the output of a mass flow controller used to inject CO(2) into the chamber to compensate for that assimilated by the plant. The control system can be driven by set points that can be varied, for example, as a function of time, or held constant. We were able to simulate weather data obtained from climate stations and accurately follow, in real time, the output of sensors measuring outside conditions. Experiments on well-watered one- and two-year-old nursery-raised western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) seedlings showed that if the mean daily temperature was increased from 20 to 22 degrees C with vapor pressure remaining constant at 1 kPa, CO(2) concentrations must almost double to compensate for the decrease in net photosynthesis rate.