Breeding of frosthardy rhododendrons

In 1973 a Rhododendron breeding program was started at the Department of Plant Breeding, University of Helsinki. The program was based on the extremely hardy rhododendron material that had been naturally selected at Arboretum Mustila. The aim was to create new frosthardy cultivars that could tolerate minimum temperatures below —35°C in mid-winter. Rhododendron brachycarpum subsp. tigerstedtii Nitz. was used as the maternal parent in the majority of crosses. Also R. smirnowii and R. catawbiense were used as sources for winter hardiness. Totally 148 different combinations were done between species, species and hybrids and between hybrids. The total number of matings was 496. Over 20 000 seedlings were obtained and a total of 13 752 plants were planted in field trials on eight different test sites between 1975—1979. After two extremely cold winters, 1984/85 and 86/87, about 60 % of the plants died or were severely damaged. R. brachycarpum subsp. tigerstedtii crosses with either R. smirnowii or R. calawbiense gave the best genetic material for better climatic adaptation. The progenies of these crosses survived without any severe damage when minimum temperature was as low as 37°C. Tissue culture methods were developed and used in vegetative propagation of selected ortets. By the end of 1987 six clones have been released as new cultivars for commercial propagation

What proportion of prescription items dispensed in community pharmacies are eligible for the New Medicine Service?

Background: The payment structure for the New Medicine Service (NMS) in England is based on the assumption that 0.5% of prescription items dispensed in community pharmacies are eligible for the service. This assumption is based on a theoretical calculation. This study aimed to find out the actual proportion of prescription items eligible for the NMS dispensed in community pharmacies in order to compare this with the theoretical assumption. The study also aimed to investigate whether the proportion of prescription items eligible for the NMS is affected by pharmacies’ proximity to GP practices. Methods: The study collected data from eight pharmacies in Nottingham belonging to the same large chain of pharmacies. Pharmacies were grouped by distance from the nearest GP practice and sampled to reflect the distribution by distance of all pharmacies in Nottingham. Data on one thousand consecutive prescription items were collected from each pharmacy and the number of NMS eligible items recorded. All NHS prescriptions were included in the sample. Data were analysed and proportions calculated with 95% confidence intervals used to compare the study results against the theoretical figure of 0.5% of prescription items being eligible for the NMS. Results: A total of 8005 prescription items were collected (a minimum of 1000 items per pharmacy) of which 17 items were eligible to receive the service. The study found that 0.25% (95% confidence intervals: 0.14% to 0.36%) of prescription items were eligible for the NMS which differs significantly from the theoretical assumption of 0.5%. The opportunity rate for the service was lower, 0.21% (95% confidence intervals: 0.10% to 0.32%) of items, as some items eligible for the NMS did not translate into opportunities to offer the service. Of all the prescription items collected in the pharmacies, 28% were collected by patient representatives. Conclusions: The results of this study show that the proportion of items eligible for the NMS dispensed in community pharmacies is lower than the Department of Health assumption of 0.5%. This study did not find a significant difference in the rate of NMS opportunities between pharmacies located close to GP practices compared to those further away

Cryopreservation techniques and their application in vegetatively propagated crop plants in Finland

Cryopreservation protocols have been introduced as techniques for germplasm preservation of vegetatively propagated horticultural and staple food crops. In Finland, cryopreservation has been studied since 1990s, beginning with cryopreservation of forest tree breeding material and since 2004 on cryopreservation of genetic resources of horticultural plants and potato. Priority was given to cryopreservation of raspberry (Rubus ideaus L.), strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and the possibility to use cryotherapy in eradication of raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) from in vitro cultures were studied on raspberry. Modified droplet vitrification cryopreservation protocols were designed for raspberry and strawberry and cryotherapy combined with thermotherapy was proven to be a successful application to eliminate RBDV from infected raspberries. Cryotherapy method can be applied for a large scale elimination of viruses from plant germplasm and from candidate nuclear stock in a certified plant production scheme. Routine use of cryotechniques in germplasm preservation of vegetatively propagated horticultural plants was started. Besides for long term germplasm preservation, cryopreservation techniques can be applied also for maintenance of mother stocks in certified plant production schemes and in commercial plant production. Cryopreservation of potato shoot tips needs additional detailed research to obtain sufficient recovery and regrowth rates.

Rooting and weaning of apple rootstock YP

Rooting and weaning of the Finnish apple rootstock YP were studied. Rooting was affected by carbohydrate type of the in vitro medium and age of the shoots. The highest rooting rate was achieved when either 30 g/l sucrose or glucose was used in the rooting medium and shoots were maintained for 5-7 wk on proliferation medium. Shoots > 7 wk rapidly lost their ability to root. In preliminary experiments VA-mycorrhizal inoculation had a positive effect on growth during weaning and subsequent development in the greenhouse.L'enracinement et le sevrage du porte-greffe de pommier finnois YP. L'enracinement et le sevrage du porte-greffe finnois YP ont été étudiés. L'enracinement est influencé par le glucide du milieu et l'âge des tiges. Le meilleur taux d'enracinement a été obtenu avec du sucrose ou du glucose à 30 g/l dans le milieu d'enracinement et quand les tiges ont été conservées pendant 5-7 semaines sur le milieu de prolifération. Les tiges plus vieilles que 7 semaines perdent rapidement leur aptitude à s'enraciner. Dans des essais préliminaires, l'inoculation par des mycorrhizes vasculaires arbusculaires a eu un effet positif sur la croissance pendant le sevrage et sur le développement ultérieur en serre

Breeding of frosthardy rhododendrons

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