Photosynthesis was affected considerably when the cultivars Zenith, Lacrosse, Usen and Co. 13 belonging to indica and japonica groups of rice were inoculated with physiological races IC₁₃ and ID₁ ofPyricularia oryzae Cav. The 21-day seedlings after inoculation withP. oryzae and uninoculated control were exposed to¹⁴CO₂ under natural sunlight (190 Wm^-2). The extent of reduction in photosynthetic rate in the cultivars varied on inoculation with different races ofP. oryzae used, the reduction being more apparent with race ID₁.

The distribution of endogenous gibberellin-like substances in individual organs ofZea mays L., cv. CE 250, plants was investigated during the transition from the vegetative to the generative phase of development. The gradient of the content of gibberellin-like substances and photosynthetic activity in leaf segments was followed in different parts of the Jeaves, as well as the changes in the content of gibberellin-like substances in leaf segments during an exposure in the light and in the dark. The gradient of the content of endogenous gibberellin-liko substances in the leaves, in the stem and in the spike is interpreted in terms of possible relationship of these compounds to the regulation of sink - source.

The determination of electrolyte leakage from the winter rape hypocotyls subjected to desiccation over C_aCl₂ under vacuum was found to be the proper and useful method for the estimation of the direct, water stress-induced injuries in the plant tissue. The described procedure of desiccation allows a differentiation between the tissue drought tolerance and the tissue ability to avoid water stress.

Excised tomato cotyledons were aseptically cultured in mannitol induced water stress solutions, and a number of changes were determined. Stressed cotyledons had less fresh weights than normal cotyledons throughout the experiment. Stressed cotyledons initially showed reduced proteins, RNA and chlorophyll contents as compared to normal cotyledons, but eventually showed increases which often surpassed values in normal cotyledons. Endogenous auxin and cytokinin activities were initially lower in stressed cotyledons than in normal cotyledons, but were later higher in stressed cotyledons than in normal cotyledons. Gibberellin changes were slight. Applications of exogenous kinetin were able to reverse the effects of stress in reducing fresh weights, proteins, RNA and chlorophyll contents. Applications of GA₃ only partially reverse stress Effects while IAA had no effects. Stressed cotyledons also senesced more slowly than normal cotyledons. The conclusion was reached that the cotyledons were initially injured by the stress but were able to adapt to the stress and that cytokinin activities were fundamental to the responses.

The diurnal changes in leaf water potential of rice, barley and wheat corresponded to changes in air temperature. The soil moisture did not affect the diurnal changes in leaf water potential of rice and only slightly affected that of barley and wheat.

Carotenoid content of tobacco tissue grown in suspension culture was significantly affected by 2 mg . 1-¹ I-naphthaleneacctic acid (NAA) and 500 mg . 1-¹ (2-chloroethyl)-trimethyl-ammonium chloride (CCC). CCC caused a 4-fold increase of carotenoid concentration in the tissue and a 2-fold increase of carotenoid accumulation per one cultural flask mainly due to the appearance of significant amounts of lycopene. In the absence of NAA the tissue contained a much smaller amount of carotenoids and CCC failed to induce lycopene accumulation.

Potato tuber tissues can incorporate mevalonic acid-2-14C into glycoalkaloids, namely α-chaconine and α-solanine. The percent incorporation of this labeled precursor into α-chaconine in light exposed tubers is more than that of mechanically injured tubers.

Crude extracts ofPisum sativum L. roots interfere with nitrite determination only slightly, boiled root extracts considerably, Crude leaf extracts can interfere with nitrite determination in some cases even more than boiled root extracts. The precipitate of zinc phosphate helps to remove from crude leaf extracts some but not all the interfering material. Heating does not increase the interference in adult leaf extracts but it increases it in the extracts of very youngPisutn sativum leaves.

The cytokinin bioassay based on retention of chlorophyll in excised oat leaf pieces is more sensitive to the synthetic cytokinins (6-benzylaminopurine and kinetin) than to the natural cytokinins (trans-zeatin and N⁶-[Δ²isopentenyl]adenine). This difference in sensitivity decreases with increasing length of leaf pieces (from 2 to 10 cm) and with increasing volume of application (from 5 μ1 to 25 μl). Application of the cytokinin solution to the basal and apical part of the 8 cm pieces decreases the sensitivity of the bioassay but has no significant effect on the relative activities of trans-zeatin and 6-benzylaminopurine. Using 7 cm pieces and 20 μl of solution the trans-zeatin and N⁶-(Δ₂-isopentenyl)-adenine can be detected at concentrations of 10^-5 M and 5 x 10^-5 M, respectively.

Glutamine synthetase (GS) level is positively influenced by exogenously supplied sucrose in isolated pea roots (similarly as nitrate reductase - NR), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) level negatively. Comparison with previous results shows that GS level decreases more slowly than NR level when sucrose is omitted from the medium; the rate of changes in GS level corresponds rather to that in GDH level. The increase in GDH level in the tips of isolated roots cultivated in the medium lacking sucrose stops after approx. 24 h, but continues for at least 72 h in more mature root parts. GS level decreases during the first 24 h in the tips of isolated roots (compared with roots of intact seedlings) cultivated both with sucrose and without it (without sucrose more), however it again rises in the course of further cultivation with sucrose. The differences in GS and GDH levels caused by omission of sucrose are small in isolated roots from which root tips were removed, the difference in NR level in decapitated roots is similar to that found in isolated roots with root tips left. Decapitated isolated roots cultivated without sucrose contain higher amounts of soluble sugars than corresponding roots with root tips left. These facts are dismissed with regard to sugar consumption, transport, and compartmentalisation, and with respect to production in root tips and other plant parts of unknown compounds involved in GS and GDH regulation. The results obtained suggest that GDH functions in pea roots in the deaminating direction.

The synthesis of tRNA was demonstrated in pollen ofNicotiana tabacum L. according to the incorporation of labeled uracil, adenosine and guanosine during 4 h of germination. tRNA was extracted from postribosomal supernatant and purified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The incorporation of guanosine was about 1.68 times higher than that of adenosine. This finding indicates that the whole tRNA chain is formed in pollen tubes.

The analyses for the content of endogenous gibberollins and auxins in leaves and adjacent stem internodia of intactBryophyllum crenatum plants revealed that the level of gibberellins increases in tho direction from the apex to the stem base, whereas in the case of auxins the trend in the increase is tho reverse. This corresponds to the results of morphological experiments, according to which the apical stem part appears as affected by phytohormones of an inhibitory character, the basal part as affected by stimulatory ones.

The effect was studied of chloride ions, added in the form of different salts, on nitrate reductase (NR) level in excised pea roots, on anaerobic nitrite production in an assay medium lacking both nitrate and n-propanol, on nitrate content in the roots, and on in vivo NR activity determined in an assay medium containing 5% n-propanol. The presence of Cl in nitrate containing nutrient solutions resulted in lower NR levels, however counterions supplied together with Cl tended to modify slightly this general trend. The negative effect of Cl ions was also apparent, when Cl ions were applied before nitrate ions. Anaerobic nitrite production in the medium lacking both nitrate and n-propanol was not influenced by chloride ions. Nitrate content in the roots was reduced in the presence of chloride both at 3 mM and 15 mM NO₃ in nutrient solutions; however, at 16 mM NO₃, nitrate content in the roots exoeeded even in the presence of 15 mM Cl nitrate content in those root segments which were cultivated in a nutrient solution with 6 mM nitrate, which is the concentration at which NR reaches the level of saturation in excised pea roots. The results obtained suggest that a special induction nitrate pool exists in plant cells besides the storage and metabolic nitrate pools.

The duration of the mitotic cycle and its individual phases was estimated in root meristems of isolated barley embryos and intact barley seedlings by means of pulse labelling with³H-thymidine and construction of labelled mitoses curve. The duration of the whole mitotic cycle in the cell population of root meristems of isolated barley embryos cultivated in the aerated liquid complete medium is 12.2 h. The mitotic cycle time of root meristems of intact barley seedlings, oultived in Petri dishes on wet blotting paper is 9.2 h. Most of root meristem cells belong to the fraction of rapidly proliferating cells, but this fraction exerts a high degree of variability by itself. Pulse treatment by³H-thymidine in our experimental conditions (74 kBq ml^-1 - or 2 μCi ml^-1, exposure 0.5 h) did not induoe any chromosomal aberrations in unlabelled cells and only a very low frequency of chromosomal aberrations in labelled cells. Measuring the cell population kinetics by pulse labelling with³H-thymidine can be used simultaneously with the study of induction of ohromosomal aberrations by mutagens.

Spraying of CCC (500 ppm) on wheat cv. Kalyan Sona-227 averted the adverse effect of soil moisture stress at the anthesis phase, by maintaining a higher level of chlorophyll, nucleic acids and protein content and acidity of the tissues. Treated plants after recovery from moisture stress yield even more than the untreated plants.

The blue-green algaPlectonema boryanum was chosen for a study of the properties of rRNA of procaryotic organisms. The process of rRNA species maturation was studied by labelling RNA with the isotope 32P.23 S and 16 S rRNA molecules each have their own precursors. Molecules with molecular weights of 1.65 X 10⁶ and 1.24xlO⁶ were identified as precursors of23 S rRNA, while the molecules 0.87 X 10⁶; 0.78 X 106 and 0.68 X 10⁶ were found to be precursors of the 16 S rRNA. No common polycistronic precursor could be found.
Experiments done with algae cultivated in light and in the dark confirmed the fact, that the rate of rRNA synthesis is reduced in the dark, without however stopping completely.

The content of bound proline sharply increased in proteins of different organs of young plants of winter rape and winter wheat exposed for 72 h to temperatures from 0 to 2 °C while it decreased only in root tips of wheat plants. Free proline which at 20 °C occurs in all plant organs only in trace amounts, accumulated considerably after 72 h exposure to low temperatures in the above-ground organs and only slightly in the roots. Free proline did not accumulate during the first 24 h at 0 to 2 °C in detached leaves of winter wheat but it was incorporated into newly synthetized proteins in which proline content increased after 6 h incubation to its maximum ( + 11.75% in comparison to control); the content of free glutamate sharply decreased during the first 6 h of incubation and the accumulation of bound glutamate was belated in comparison to that of bound proline. Sucrose infiltrated into detached leaves of winter wheat strongly stimulated proline incorporation into proteins at low temperatures, but it did not influence glutamate incorporation. The results suggest that the main reason for thede novo proline biosynthesis during the first six hours of hardening of the plants is the synthesis of proteins rich in proline; free proline accumulates later predominantly in the above-ground organs as a surplus. The above-ground organs are dehydrated in the course of the hardening process approximately to the same extent both in the light and in the dark, but proline content increases much less in the dark than in tho light.

The activity of L-tryptophan synthase (TS, E.C.4.2.1.20) was comparedin vivo in seedlings of plants high in L-tryptophan (L-trp) (pea and kohlrabi) and low in this amino acid (maize). In maize the TS was studied both in the normal and in the opaque-2 genotype that forms an endosperm richer in essential amino acids. The activity of TS was determined on the basis of the increase in radioactivity of the chromatographically purified L-trp-¹⁴C, synthetized after vacuum infiltration of L-serine-¹⁴C-(U) and ineubation for 24 h. As regards the TS activity in seedlings, maize is comparable to pea and kohlrabi; in contrast to this TS is less active in pea seedlings, which can be attributed to the presence of TS inhibitor (CHEN and BOLL 1969). In ripening maize kernels and leaves adjacent to the ear the TS activity is about 20 times lower than in seedlings. The differences in the activity of TS in the genotypes of maize could not be detected, even at the period of seed ripening. Therefore the differences in L-trp content in the investigated plants cannot be explained by a differing activity of TS. TS is probably not the determining regulator of L-trp level in plants, its activity is relatively high even in plants low in L-trp.

Excised tomato cotyledons subjected to mannitol induced water stress had more total sugars than normal cotyledons during injury but less total sugars than normal cotyledons in the adaptive phase. During water stress injury, protein and UNA synthesis were reduced, activities of beta-fructofuranosidase and phosphofructokinase were reduced but activities of proteases, ribonuclease, hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were increased. Additions of kinetin reversed the water stress effects on enzyme activities. It is concluded that during water stress injury, there was a fundamental reduction in cytokinin activities leading to the selective shift in the enzyme populations.

The rate of synthesis of RNA was studied under salt and water stresses created by the addition of four different salts and polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG-6000) in excised embryo axis of mung bean using^l4C-uracil. Iso-osmotio concentrations of salts and PEG resulted in differential effect on RNA synthesis. PEG inhibited, whereas salt stimulated incorporation of labelled uracil into RNA. Ionic differences on RNA synthesis were very clear as synthesis of RNA was more affected with sulphate than chloride and with sodium than potassium ions.

Trifluralin was found to induce isodiametric enlargement ofAllium cepa root tip cells in the elongation zone. It enhanced the endogenous oxygen uptake of the excised root tips. The herbicide was found to have no marked effect on the dry weight of the root tips. It is suggested that the herbicide may exert its effect onAllium cepa root tips through its enhancement of ethylene production.

Thein vitro embryoids ofEschscholzia californica do not form normal plantlets in cultures. However, 6-benzylaminopurine and gibberellic acid, when added to the medium, partially alleviate this inhibition. Experiments involving decotylization, and culture of embryoids at different stages, indicated the cardinal role of cotyledons in plumular growth.

The results of experiments conducted with autumn rye and summer wheat on sandy loam soil at the Institute for Cereal Production of the Martin-Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg (G.D.R.) have revealed that an increase in soil moisture improved the plant water balance, width of stomata, shoot growth, tiller density, leaf area and growth rate. Net assimilation rate, however, decreased with the increase in soil moisture above 50 per cent water holding capacity. Increased soil moisture improved contents of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus only during early stages of growth, but their uptake was not reduoed at maturity. Air conditioning irrigation proved superior in respect to all above mentioned characteristics, except the uptake of potassium, which decreased with air conditioning irrigation at higher soil moisture relations.