Germination of primed seed under NaCl stress in wheat.

Copyright © 2012 Michael P. Fuller et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Soil salinity affects a large and increasing amount of arable land worldwide, and genetic and agronomic solutions to increasing salt tolerance are urgently needed. Experiments were conducted to improve wheat seed performance under salinity stress conditions after priming. An experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design of four replications for germination indices in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Caxton). Normal and primed seed with PEG6000 at −1MPa and five concentrations of NaCl (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200mM) were tested. Results indicate that priming seed significantly (P < 0.05) increased germination percentage at first count and final count, coefficient of velocity of germination, germination rate index, and mean germination time, while increasing of NaCl concentration significantly reduced it. Priming seed improved germination attributes at all NaCl concentration levels. The priming appeared to be able to overcome the effect of salt stress at 50 to 100mMand reduce the effect of NaCl at higher concentrations up to 200 mM. The primed seed gave both faster germination and led to higher germination when under salt stress. We conclude that using priming techniques can effectively enhance the germination seed under saline condition

Encapsulation of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var botrytis) microshoots as artificial seeds and their conversion and growth in commercial substrates

An effective protocol for the mass production of cauliflower microshoots was refined using the meristematic layer of cauliflower curd. After the meristematic layer was surface sterilized and shaved off, a commercial blender was used for homogenization and several blending treatments were tested in the range 15-120 s and 30 s was found to be optimal in terms of the amount explants produced and their subsequent growth ability. Explants were cultivated in S23 liquid medium (4.4 g L-1 MS (Murashige and Skoog) and 3% v/w sucrose) supplemented with several combinations of plant growth regulators (PGRs) including 1 and 2 mg L-1 of Kinetin in combination with three types of auxins (indole butyric acid (IBA), Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)), each at 1 and 2 mg L-1 concentration. The use of 2 mg L-1 Kinetin and 1 mg L-1 IBA gave the best results in terms of its effects on explant induction. Microshoots of different sizes were encapsulated in a sodium alginate matrix and the optimal stage suitable for the production of artificial seeds was assessed in terms of both subsequent conversion and plantlet viability. The feasibility of cultivating cauliflower artificial seeds in commercial substrates (compost, vermiculite, perlite and sand) irrigated with different solution mixtures including sterilized distilled water (SDW), PGRs-free S23 medium and S23 medium supplemented with Kinetin (1 and 2 mg L-1) and IBA or NAA at (1 and 2 mg L-1) was investigated. The use of 2 mg L-1 Kinetin and 2 mg L-1 NAA applied with S23 gave the optimal response with both perlite and compost. This study showed high growth capacity of cauliflower artificial seeds in commercial substrates which is considered a promising step for their direct use in vivo. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V

The painful rebirth of Libya’s mainstream news media (guest blog)

How are Libya’s journalists coping after the end of the Gaddaffi regime? Polis research fellow Fatima El-Issawi has been to find out. Here she gives a flavour of her trip

The role of Egyptian media in the coup

As a result of the collusion between the media and the current political regime, in Egypt there is a news blackout concerning the abuses against human rights. This is one of the conclusions of Fatima el Issawi, researcher for the think tank POLIS (London School of Economics), in this article that analyses the role of the media, and in particular presenters of television debate programmes, before and after the January 2011 revolution

Tunisian media in transition.

The Carnegie Papers, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and POLIS, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK

Is Libyan media more free after the revolution? (New research report)

Polis visiting research fellow Fatima el Issawi (@elIssawi) has just published the latest of her series of reports on Arab media in transition after the recent Political upheavals. Her latest is on Libya. Here she gives you a taste of the challenges and opportunities facing mainstream Libyan journalists

Artificial Seed Production from Encapsulated Microshoots of Cauliflower (Brassica oleraceae var botrytis)

A cost effective protocol for the production of cauliflower microshoots suitable for encapsulation was designed. Microshoots were encapsulated in sodium chloride matrices. The use of 2% of sodium alginate and 15 g/L of dehydrate calcium chloride produced the optimal quality of artificial seeds (rigidity, conversion rate and viability). Of the various plant growth regulator combinations used with the microshoot liquid culture medium, the use of 1 mg/L of IBA (indole butyric acid) and 1 mg/L Kinetin was found to be optimal in terms of the conversion rate and viability of artificial seeds. To standardize a medium composition of artificial endosperm of synthetic seeds, different concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators with S23 (4.4 MS + 30 g/L sucrose) medium were used in the beads to achieve optimum conversion rate and viability on an in-vitro medium. Whilst several combinations of plant growth regulators gave a conversion rate up to 100% (for example (0.5 mg/L Kinetin + 0.5 mg/L IBA), (1 mg/L Kinetin + 0.5 mg/L NAA (naphthaleneacetic acid)) and (1 mg/L Kinetin + 1 mg/L IAA (indole-3-acetic acid)), no significant effect on the viability of artificial seeds was found when these combinations were used. Artificial seeds were cultivated in a semi-solid medium containing several types and concentrations of auxin, 2 mg/L of IBA gave the best results in terms of artificial seed viability. However, artificial seed conversion rate was not significantly affected by the auxins and full conversion rate was obtained using many different treatments. This research indicated the feasibility of using artificial seeds as a promising alternative to seeds produced by traditional methodology

Tunisia: winter of politics, spring of media?

“It might be the winter of politics in Tunisia but it is definitely the spring of the media”: the statement by a Tunisian secular journalist disappointed by the victory of Islamists in the recent elections of the Constituent Assembly is very well reflective of the “awakening” of Tunisian media, long-time muzzled by the dictatorship of Zine el Abbidine Ben Ali. The opening of the media industry which used to be maliciously operated by a clientalist system run by Ben Ali’s family and friends, has inevitably turned into a complex reform process. Modernising the media industry towards accurate, balanced and plural journalism, is a tough challenge in Tunisia where, under a repressive legal umbrella and lack of media institutionalism and the minimal protection and job security for journalists, the industry was confined to praising the rulers and publishing their press releases. The legal and structural reform of the media industry proceed alongside the urgent task of introducing new media practices, improved editorial policies and a coherent set of ethics. Deeper challenges have emerged for a post-authoritarian media, the most important of which is the change in attitude and adaptation towards modernity necessary to better understand the complexity of modern media spheres. This challenge has yet to be met

All talk? Egypt’s complex media revolution (guest blog)

Polis Research Fellow, Fatima el Issawi reports on her latest field trip, to Egypt, as part of our project looking at Arab media in transition