The virus origin of a Czechoslovak isolate of potato witches' broom disease is discounted: electron micrographs of ultrathin section of phloem tissues from plants infected with potato witches' broom disease demonstratedMycoplasma-like bodies, spherical or elongated showing binary fission and fragmentation. The minute corpuscles have a diameter of about 50-60 nm, the largest bodies of 1000 nm. The width of elongated filamentous structures is about 200 nm, most oval bodies have a diameter of 250 nm. A weak tetracycline treatment of diseased plants causes a delay of symptom development; a strong dose of tetracycline (applied by means of the wick method into the stem) inhibits symptom appearance completely. Tetracycline produces a phytotoxic effect inhibiting the growth of tomato plants and causing (at higher concentrations) necrosis and death of these plants. There is a note in the paper dealing with the term "mycoplasma". The word mycoplasma in the sense ofEriksson (1897) or ofMereschkowsky (1910) does not correspond to the genus nameMycoplasma Nowak (1929).

The content of carbohydrates and activities of phosphatases onN. tabacum cv. 'Samsun' inoculated with Y-virus were studied. Dynamic manner of the systematic studies allowed to find new immediate connections. The results of this experiments with the results of our previous investigations gived the explanations of the varying content of carbohydrates in the tissues. The investigated time period of 10 day were divided into 2 parts with breaking point arround fourth day. During the first part at the decreased activity of hexokinases and at the increased activity of phosphatases the accumulation of saccharides in tissues was observed. During the second part slightly increased activity of phosphatases could not supply to the very stimulated kinases the sufficient amount of carbohydrates so that the content of saccharides considerably was being reduced untill the rate of the control plants.

Using the quantitative serological method of double diffusion in agar, the amount of sugar beet yellows virus in the leaves of sugar beet was investigated and the possibility of an accurate serological analysis was examined at certain time periods in the course of vegetation. In sugar beets infected artificially at the beginning of the vegetation period the increase of the titre has a fluctuating course at first. In August, after the intensive growth of plants is over, the virus content maintains on a relatively high degree, increasing further toward the end of vegetation. For a reliable virus analysis the sap can be diluted approximately in the ratio 1/128. The table presented enables one to determine the probable accuracy of the serological analysis at the individual time periods during the vegetation of sugar beet.

1) At a so-called natural anaerobiosis during the first 48 hours of germination the concentration of ethanol in pea tissues increases (according to the cultivation conditions) up to 40 μmol per gram fresh weight.
2) In a nitrogen atmosphere the content of ethanol in pea seedlings increases as well, and after a 90 hour incubation in N₂ it can reach even 100 μmol ethanol per gram fresh weight. In older plants the content increases the most markedly in cotyledons, but considerable amounts were revealed also in stems and roots. Its increase in vegetative organs of plants cultivated both in light and darkness is more or less identical. Ethylalcohol can be formed by the vegetative organs themselves, as proved by the increase of this metabolite in plants deprived of reserve organs; in addition, however, it is evidently transported into them from reserve parts. Ethanol formed under anaerobiosis is catabolyzed after transferring plants to the air.

Aneuploids have been identified cytomorphologically in progenies from triploid and diploid-triploid crosses. 30 trisomics, 2 double trisomics, 1 tetrasomic, and 2 higher aneuploids were obtained. Some of the aneuploids were found to be different from those reported earlier and higher aneuploids carried eight extra chromosomes. The plants with one extra chromosome occurred more frequently (67%) than the other aneuploid types.
The changes in morphological traits such as a reduction in the amount of growth and the size of leaf etc. distinguished aneuploids from diploids. In the higher aneuploids the plant parts were highly exaggerated and pollen sterility was very high. The chromosomal counts in acetocarmine squashes confirmed the presence of extra chromosome(s). Aneuploids particularly trisomics were found to be promising and may lead to the production of commercially viable plants.

Formation of stems both in callus tissue isolated from hypocotyl and in apical meristems culture of carnation plants (Dianthus caryophyllus L. ev. "Grenadin white, yellow, scarlet red, dark red and pink") was evokedin vitro using chemically defined medium. The rooted stems were transferred into pots and cultivated under natural conditions.

The water potential (Ψ _w ) and the water saturation deficit (δW_sat) in leaves of different insertion levels of potted kale plants were simultaneously measured. In non-wilting plantsδW_sat gradually decreased andΨ _w slightly increased from the upper to the lower leaves. During the wilting of the plants induced by decreasing of soil moistureΨw practically decreased paralelly in all the leaves but the same decrease ofΨ _w was connected with the lowest increase ofδW_sat in upper leaves and the highest increase ofδW_sat in lower leaves. Not only the values ofΨ _w andδW_sat but also their relationship varied considerably with the leaf insertion levels.

CO₂ uptake (P _N ) and water vapour efflux (E) through adaxial and abaxial surfaces were measured separately and the corresponding diffusive resistances for water vapour (r₁) were calculated in leaves of different insertion levels during vegetative growth of tobacco plants. Relatively higher values of the abaxialP_N/E ratio in comparison with the adaxial one were found in agreement with relatively higherE_ad/E_ab coefficients and the distribution of the gas exchange in plants in all measurements carried out. Because of the more rapid decrease of theP _N rates as compared with theE rates theP_N/E ratios of both surfaces decreased gradually from young to old leaves. The decreasing values ofE_ad/E_ab andP_N,ab/P_N,ab coefficients showed thatr_1,ab increased with the age of the leaves more quickly thanr_1,ab.

The influence of Cu²⁺ ions (in the form of CuCl₂) in the concentration range 10^-3 to 10^-6 M on the content and biosynthesis of indole glucosinolates glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin has been studied on etiolated seedlings of rape (Brassica napus var.arvensis(Lam.) Thell.). Ions Cu²⁺ acted on the seedlings either chronically from the beginning of the germination or acutely, during 3 to 72 h, on seven days old seedlings. The biosynthesis of both glucosinolates was followed by the incorporation of³⁵S from Na₂³⁵SO₄ into them in hypocotyl segments from seven days old intact etiolated seedlings. After the entry of small amounts of Cu²⁺ ions into the plants, stimulation of the glucosinolates formation occurs, as was found after three h action of Cu²⁺ ions. After the entry of a greater amount of Cu²⁺ ions into the plant, harmful effects appear, as was found after chronic two days action or after 24 and 48 hours acute action of Cu²⁺ ions. Later further stimulation of glucosinolate formation occurs, probably due to enhanced metabolism during reparation processes, as was manifested after chronic action of Cu²⁺ ions lasting four and eight days. The optimal effect of copper was found mainly in the concentration range 5×10^-4 M to 10^-5 M.
Ions Cu²⁺ in higher concentration increased the uptake of sulphate ions by hypocotyl segments, and in lower concentrations increased the incorporation of³⁵S from³⁵SO₄^2- into the proteins.

Pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV) was isolated from disea sed field pea (Pisum sativum L.ssp. arvense A.Gr.) and broad bean (Faba vulgaris Moench) plants grown as filed crops at Bohumilice in Bohemia. The virus proved to be pathogenic for the following plant species:Pisum sativum L. cv. Raman,Faba vulgaris Moench,Lens culinaris Med.,Vicia sativa L.,Lathyrus odoratus L.,Glycine soja L.,Phaseolus vulgaris L.,Chenopodium amaranticolor Coste andReyn,Nicotiana clevelandi Gray,Trifolium incarnatum L. The dilution end point of the isolate was higher in pea plants (10^-4) than in broad bean plants (10^-2). The thermal inactivation point was 65-68° and the longevityin vitro between 10 and 14 days. According to the host range, symptoms on pea plants and physical properties the virus isolate studied resembles some isolates described in the U.S.A. and represents a PEMV strain different from those reported so far in Czechoslovakia.

Third internodes or whole stems of 7-days old etiolated pea plants were extracted and the content of gibberellin-like substances and inhibitors has been determined. Extracts were found to contain four or five different gibberellin-like substances, some of which are chromatographically similar to GA₃. The content of gibberellins has been high in young internodes and decreased along with the internodes elongation. Brief red light irradiation brings about quantitative changes in gibberellin content, depending also on the length of internodes. The extracts contain acidic and neutral inhibitors which interfere with the response to GA₃. The content of the inhibitors does not seem to be affected by the ageing of internodes or by the light treatment.

During the histochemical investigation of dehydrogenases in the developing shoot apex of wheat plants it was found that the morphologically similar cells of the peripheral meristem may be differentiated according to the differential activity of alcohol dehydrogenase. While the enzyme was not present or exhibited a very small activity only in the tissue of leaf primordia it was highly active in the cells of bud primordia irrespective of the degree of their development and their differential physiological determination.

The interaction between exogenous 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (Ethrel, CEPA) and auxin (both native and synthetic-IAA) was studied on pea and bean seedlings, potato tubers, and processed flax plants. After the addition of ethrel the inhibiting effect of IAA was decreased in all objects and it was found that the concentration of the growth of the regulators played an important role. The growth response of a part of flax hypocotyl, as induced by exogenous auxin produced in the cotyledon, was reversed by ethrel, too. The application of ethrel on the epicotyl apex in beans resulted in the lost of apical dominance of epicotyl and in the growth of lateral buds together with the epicotyl. When stimulating the growth, ethrel reverses the inhibitions through the decrease in the auxin content (from an inhibiting, supraoptimum level to an optimum one which already stimulates growth). In objects with a low content of endogenous auxin the ethrel induced the decrease in the auxin content and shows an inhibiting effect on growth.

An increase in the number of amino acids inAmaranthus viridis plants infected with pigweed mosaic virus was found.

Leaf angles, frequency distribution of leaf area inclinations, leaf area index, amount of intercepted radiation, biological, vegetative and grain yields and grain yield proportion of biological yield were determined in maize stands of two population densities, 55 555 plants ha^-1 (S₁), and 80 000 plants ha^-1 (S₂). Also the effect of the artificial change of leaf angle upon these indices was studied. We classified normal maize stand (N) as the interstage between a planophile and a plagiophile type of canopy, that with artificially changed leaf angle (V) as an erectophile type of canopy. The relative interception of the incoming radiation in the variantsV S₁ andV S₂ was lower than in the variantsN S₁ andN S₂. The variantsV in comparison with variants N increased grain yield and biological yield.

Under the conditions applied in our laboratory 4 1/2 days old plants ofChenopodium rubrum require 2-3 photoperiodic cycles for maximal flowering response, whereas 2 1/2 days old plants are able to flower after having obtained a single inductive cycle. The period length of the free-running rhythm of flowering observed in 2 1/2 days old plants after a single transfer from light to darkness is 30h and the first peak of flowering occurs at about hour 12 in darkness. When a cycle consisting of 16h darkness and 8h light or of 8h darkness and 8h light precedes the long dark period the rhythm is rephased. Rephasing is greater when the light commenced to act on the positive slope of the first peak of the free running rhythm than when it impinged on the negative slope. With an 8h interruption of darkness by light rhythm phase is controlled by the light-on, as well as by the light-off signal. Feeding 0.4 M glucose during the long period of darkness enhanced the amplitude of the flowering response and, moreover, substituted for one photoperiodic cycle.

The area ofPlectranthus fructicosus leaves of different origin and cultivation (seedlings, vegetatively propagated plants from growth chambers with different climates, isolated rooted leaves) fitted in average the equationA=L B k. The coefficientk, however, varies during the ontogenesis of the leaves and the plant according to changes in leaf shape from 0.865 to 0.642.

Phototropic sensitivity of forest wood seedlings to lateral illumination was proposed as an early assay for distinquishing various ecotypes of woody plants of the same species. Statistical analysis showed that results were significantly influenced by heterogenity of experimental material caused by an interference of phototropic movements and natural oscillations of hypocotyl. Both movements of pine seedlings (Pinus silvestris L.) were registered by phase photography and their mechanism was analyzed. The apical part of growing hypocotyl illuminated from above oscillates in a space spiral with frequency 3.3 h at mean growth rate 0.66 mm h^-1. The mean size of spiral amplitudes is 2.9 mm. The oscillation rhythm is disturbed after the lateral illumination and a phase shift was observed as a result. A new oscillation rhythm with frequency 3.9 h and mean growth rate 0.69 mm h^-1 was stabilized after a period of time equal to one nutation turn. Oscillation amplitudes were increased to 4.3 mm.
In addition to the radiation intensity the appearance of the phototropic response to light pulse is first of all effected by the actual position of the apical part of hypocotyl in the course of endogenous circumnutations. A uniform plant material for the early assay may be obtained by selection of seedlings which are at the beginning of lateral illumination in the same phase of nutation rhythm. Under such conditions the deviations of longitudinal axis of oscillating spirals characterize the actual phototropic curvature.

In dialyzed extracts from winter wheat plants transamination reactions occurred between asparagine and α-ketoglutaric acid (L-asparagine+2-oxoacid=2-oxosuccinamate+ +amino acid; 2. 6. 1. 14). Reactions with pyruvate exhibited a very low activity. Besides transamination products,i. e. glutamate and alanine, aspartic acid was formed in both reactions. Deamidation was more intensive in the weak reaction asparagine-alanine and less intensive in the asparagine-glutamate reaction.
When calculated per dry weight unit the activity was the same in plants of all variants (three experimental variants-Knop, potassium humate, water). A higher, activity was found in root dialysates; however, a highly significant difference could be observed only between shoots and roots of Knop variant. When evaluating results in terms of protein content we found a significant difference between mineral variant (Knop-the lowest activity) and both deficient variants (potassium humate, water-the highest activity). Thus the highest growth activity was in connection with the lowest transamination activity and vice versa, which was the same as in transaminations of aspartic acid. In the case of asparagine, too, one can consider the possibility of its utilization via transamination for biosynthesis of glutamic acid in plants which have, for reasons of nutrition, a low level of this metabolically important amino acid.

A simple modification of a laboratory gravimetric technique for the study of transpiration of intact plants is described, by which the process can be followed continually. The plants are grown in light vessels on a light "keramzite" or other suitable medium, either alone or in combination with agar gel. The mineral component provides for the necessary cultivation properties of the medium, whereas agar gel ensures steady and undisturbed water relations in longer experiments.
The calculation of the transpiration intensity per unite of time is described. For reliable results the number of samples must be lange chough, so that the coefficient of variation does exceed 10 per cent. The determination of the transpiration is sufficiently exact even without a correction for changes in dry solids, the absolute increments in dry solids during the time interval studied being of a smaller order of magnitude than the values of transpiration. The results are expressed per fresh weight of the transpiring unite, by which an undisturbed transpiration study of a longer duration is rendered possible and the effects on the plant are excluded.

The development of temporary water stress during the day-light hours, characterized by a decrease of the values of the water potential (ϕ_w) and increase of the values of water saturation deficit (ΔW_sat) was found not only in the leaves of intact kale plants but also in cut leaves with their petioles immersed in water. These results indicate that the leaf resistance to water transport could not be supposed as negligible. The same decrease of ϕ _w was accompanied with the higher increase of ΔW_sat in cut leaves than in leavesin situ.

The photosynthetic rate in leaf discs (P_LD) ofPrunus laurocerasus L. plants taken up from leaves of various ages was measured under constant temperature (20±0.5°C) CO₂ concentration in air (0.03%) complete water saturation and irradiance (71 W m² PhAR). TheP_LD is the highest in mature leaves of the current year. The extent of depression in the second and further years depends on the degree of habitat shading. In a slightly shaded habitat (60 to 73% daily sum of photosynthetically active radiation-PhAR) it decreases by almost 50% in the second year. In a deeply shaded habitat (22.5-28.2% daily sum PhAR) the depression amounts to 31.7% in the second year in the third and fourth years to 61.7 and 73.2% respectively.

Chimeral plants with variegated leaf blades were obtained by induction of organogenesis in primocultures of leaf explants ofNicotiana tabacum L. cv. Burley 49, chlorophyll mutation White Seedling. Only green plants regenerated from primocultures of explants taken from dark green leaf areas of the chimeras. The possibility of a multicellular initiation of chimera regeneration from tissue cultures is discussed.

The time courses of the synthesis of diamine oxidase in pea plants grown for 14 days either in the light or in the dark are similar with the highest increase in activity occurring in the cotyledons and in the shoots during the first 6 to 8 days. Plants grown in the dark showed a 2- to 3-fold higher enzyme activity than plants grown in the light. Pea diamine oxidase could bein vivo efficiently inhibited by substrate analogues 1,4-diamino-2-butanone and 1,5-diamino-3-pentanone. The first compound inhibited proportionally to its concentration the growth of etiolated pea plants, but its instability makes an unequivocal interpretation of the results difficult. On the other hand, 1,5-diamino-3-pentanone a stable and more efficient diamine oxidase inhibitor depressed the growth of pea seedlings only at concentrations as high as 5 mM and 10 mM, at which the growth of cress seedlings not containing diamine oxidase was also strongly depressed. The results obtained indicate that tryptamine oxidation catalyzed by diamine oxidase is not involved in the main metabolic pathway leading from tryptophan to indoleacetate in pea plants.

Studying relationships between tobacco mosaic virus reproduction, anthocyanin biosynthesis and phosphorus content in cultivation medium, it was found thatMartin's (1958) finding of an indirect proportion between anthocyanin and virus synthesis is valid even under the complicated conditions of pathological anthocyanin formation induced by phosphorus deficiency. A decrease of anthocyanin biosynthesis with simultaneous stimulation of virus reproduction takes place at temperatures below 20°C. Increased anthocyanin biosynthesis accompanied with the inhibition of virus reproduction occurs at temperatures above 20°C. The obtained results suggest that enzyme systems and substrates participating in considerably increased anthocyanin biosynthesis induced by phosphorus deficiency, differ from those taking part in anthocyanin synthesis induced by virus infection.
The enhanced phosphorus content in the cultivation medium does not influence anthocyanin biosynthesis significantly. Nevertheless, a highly significant inhibition of tobacco mosaic virus reproduction takes place at temperatures above 20°C. This inhibition may be in correlation with some other metabolic systems affected probably by the enhanced phosphorus concentration in the nutrient medium.

Cauliflower plants in the juvenile phase treated on the leaf surface and at the apex with Morphactin solution (100 mg 1^-1) and this concentration failed to develop a curd and also to come to flowering. Instead of a curd the axis formed a conical or dome-shaped structure bearing 'nodal' rings. The number of rings increased with growth of the axis which either formed or did not form a small curd-like structure, which generally dried without flower formation.

The fungusLentinus tigrinus was cultivated in a synthetic medium. During vegetative growth of mycelium and differentiation of fruiting bodies samples serving for determination of endogenous growth regulators were collected. The material was extracted with methanol, separated by chromatography and the isolated fractions were tested. Substances of auxin type were assayed with coleoptile segments of oat plants, gibberellins by measuring the hypocotyl growth in the lettuce and cytokinins from the degree of chlorophyll decomposition in the leaf segments of barley. Very low content of auxins was found in all phases of growth and differentiation of the fungus. The content of gibberellin substances was relatively high during the whole life of the fungus. The highest content is found in the vegetative mycelium and in the differentiated fruiting body, especially in the cap; it decreases during the differentiation of fruiting bodies. The content of cytokinins is equally high and the pattern of its change resembles that of the gibberellins. Its maximum is reached in young vegetative mycelium, it decreases when fruiting bodies are formed and when they are growing. Minimum is reached in the differentiated stalk, where also the amount of inhibitions is the highest.
Experimental results show that during differentiation of fruiting bodies and their morphogenesis not only gibberellins and cytokinins are of importance, but also substances of an inhibitory character. A relatively high amounts of these substances was secreted into the cultivation medium. In a synthetic nutrient solution they may be easily demonstrated.

Using hydroponic cultures, the effect of high concentrations (10^-3 m) of 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) in the root medium on the water balance of 8-9 week old plants ofPisum sativum L. and of 9-10 week-old plants ofSinapis alba L. was studied. The water balance was determined in the light and in the dark gravimetrically by measuring the intensity of water uptake and transpiration in plants cultivated by the method of root bridges according to Werner. MCPA present in the root medium in illuminated plants decreased rapidly the intensity of both the uptake and the loss components of the water balance. In permanent darkness, MCPA brought about an increase in the intensity of uptake of water and of transpiration. Simultaneous determination of water uptake and transpiration showed that the intensity of transpiration remained higher than the intensity of water uptake. This indicates that in the presence of MCPA in the root medium the relationship between the uptake and the loss components of water balance is not quantitatively equal, enboth in the light and in the dark. The existing disproportion results in the formation of a passive water balance of plants.

Beginning with the second inductive cycle the rate of nucleic acid (NA) synthesis in cotyledons and apical buds ofChenopodium rubrum is higher at the end of the dark period or 4h following transfer of the plants to light in induced plants than in non-induced ones. This is due to an increase in all NA fractions. The greatest difference between NA synthesis in induced and non-induced plants was observed at the end of the second (or sometimes third) inductivecycle. In the subsequent cycles the difference decreased or disappeared eventually. During photoperiodic induction NA synthesis shows a diurnal rhythm with a peak at the end of the dark and at the beginning of the light period. Rhythmicity of NA synthesis is endogenous. The period length of the endogenous oscillation is about 18 h. Interruption of the dark period by light causea amplitude of the first oscillation to be reduced and delays the appearance of the second peak. NA synthesis did not show rhythmicity in plants grown in continuous light. The significance of the observed phenomena for photoperiodic induction is being discussed.

The application of surface-active agents (SAA) - acrylate latexes (PVAE), synthetic fatty acids (SFA) and fatty alcohols (SFS), urea-formaldehyde resins (UF) and silicones (HS) - on leaves or into soil, induced an increase in photosynthetic rate, in the ratio of rates of photosynthesis and transpiration and in yields, with a simultaneous decrease in respiration rate. Energy dissipation into heat was minimal in treated plants.