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Title: Effects of ozone on two varieties of tobacco pollen and on the conidia of the fungus Monilinia fructicola

Book ·
OSTI ID:5474027

Tobacco plants have been widely used as biological indicators of ozone. The variety Bel W-3 is extremely susceptible to ambient levels of O/sub 3/ (1-15 pphm), whereas the variety Bel B is resistant at these concentrations. Experiments were performed to determine whether the pollen of these two varieties exhibited the same response. Similar tests were also conducted on the macroconidia of the fungus causing brown rot of stone fruits. The O/sub 3/ analysis was done with 1% potassium iodide dissolved in a neutral buffer consisting of 0.1 M disodium hydrogen phosphate and 0.1 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate. The O/sub 3/ liberated iodine from the iodide solution and the absorbance was determined in a spectrophotometer at 352 millimicron. The pollen grains were cultured at a temperature of 30/sup 0/C in a medium of 21% sucrose and 91 ppm boron. The macroconidia of Monilinia fructicola were incubated at 25/sup 0/C in a medium of 0.01 M succinic acid and 0.01 citric acid in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer. With the system as described, O/sub 3/ at ambient levels appeared to have little effect on the macroconidia or on the pollen of Bel W-3 and Bel B. At higher concentrations, the O/sub 3/ stimulated the percentage of germination and the growth of the macroconidia and the pollen grains of both varieties. 63 references.

Research Organization:
Delaware Univ., Newark (USA)
OSTI ID:
5474027
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English