DIFFERENT RESPONSES INDUCED BY BICARBONATE AND IRON DEFICIENCY ON MICROSHOOTS OF QUINCE AND PEAR

The effects of bicarbonate-induced chlorosis and iron deficiency were investigated using shoots of quince clone ‘MA’ and pear cultivar Conference in in vitro culture.
The ability of ‘Conference’ to reduce the pH value of media was higher than that of clone ‘MA’ at day 12; the difference of H+ extrusion between the two genotypes was less evident under all treatments, although ‘Conference’ maintained a higher degree of acidification at day 24. Bicarbonate and iron deficiency decreased total chlorophyll content in clone ‘MA’, with a probable interaction, while in ‘Conference’ a strong decrement of chlorophyll content was only detected under iron absence.
Fresh weight increment was affected only in clone ‘MA’ by Fe-limiting conditions.
Apical dominance was increased by all stress conditions in clone ‘MA’, while in ‘Conference’ a significative increment in apical dominance was observed only under Fe deficiency and bicarbonate treatment.
All the data show that in vitro techniques can help to unravel physiological mechanisms that undergo the strategies of plant adaptation to calcareous soils: the most common markers used for iron chlorosis are differently affected by iron availability and potassium bicarbonate in both species.

VIII International Symposium on Pear

R. Muleo, M. Fisichella, C. Iacona, R. Viti, F. Cinelli

Pyrus communis, Cydonia oblonga, micropropagation, iron chlorosis

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.596.117