Page 164 - Zbornik_Konf_2019

https://doi.org/10.15414/2019.9788055220703

4 International Scientific Conference Abstracts Book
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MILLIMETER RADIATION AS A FACTOR INCREASING VIABILITY OF COLLECTION
ACCESSIONS OF MEDICINAL PLANTS UNDER EX SITU CONSERVATION
Liudmila Corlateanu, Anatolie Ganea, Serghei Maslobrod

Institute of Genetics, Physiology and Plant Protection, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Chisinau,
Moldova; E-mail.: lcorlateanu@yahoo.com
One of the important tasks of plant gene banks includes conservation of the collection
accessions of crop plants in ex situ collections. During the long-term storage, complex
physiological and biochemical processes of aging occur in seeds resulting in a decrease of
viability, which in some cases leads to the loss of germinability. Therefore it is vitally
important to apply methods of exogenous influence on seeds after their long-term storage in
order to stimulate germination.
These studies were conducted to investigate the influence of one of the essential
physical factors i.e. millimeter radiation (MMR) on the processes of seed germination of
medicinal plants under the conditions of ex situ conservation.
Test objects included seeds of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) and purple echinacea
(Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench). We studied the separate effect of millimeter radiation
(wavelength of 5.6 mm; power density of 6.6 mW/cm ; exposures of 8 and 30 min) and
2
combined effect of MMR and low temperature (LT) (2–4 °C) on seeds after their long-term
storage in the plant gene bank. Factors were applied in direct (MMR+LT) and reverse
(LT+MMR) combinations with the purpose to reveal protective and reparative effects of
millimeter radiation on old seeds. If MMR is applied to seeds before they are exposed to
unfavorable factor, their increased viability will be indicative of the protective effect on seeds;
if MMR is applied to seeds after the influence of unfavorable factor, then it will be all about the
reparative effect of MMR. Influence of MMR and LT on morphophysiological and biochemical
parameters of seeds and seedlings (germinating power and germinability of seeds, radicle
length, fresh and dry biomass of seedlings, electrolyte release from seeds, activity of
peroxidase enzyme in seedling radicles) was determined in control (fresh seeds) and in
experiment (seeds after long-term storage).
These parameters showed stimulation of growth processes in seeds and seedlings
following treatment of seeds with millimeter radiation. The use of MMR exposure of 8 and 30
min for safflower seeds resulted in an increase of seed germinability by 1.2 and 1.3 times, for
echinacea seeds – by 5.8 and 7.5%. Radicle length of safflower seeds was 1.4 times higher
than control after MMR exposure of 30 min, radicle length of echinacea seeds was 1.2 times
higher. Values of dry biomass of safflower and echinacea seedlings after MMR exposure of 30
min were 1.2 and 1.5 times higher than control, respectively. Protective and reparative effects
of millimeter radiation were observed, especially with 30-min exposure. Quantitatively, the
protective effect of MMR manifested better; both effects indicate the increase of seed viability
with the help of MMR during the period when the seeds are affected by abiotic stress (LT).
This method can be recommended for the increasing of seed viability of some medicinal
plants under ex situ conservation.
Keywords: medicinal plants, millimeter radiation, germinating power, germinability, radicle length,
peroxidase activity.

|164 4 International Scientific Conference Agrobiodiversity Nutrition, Health and Quality of Human and Bees Life
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September 11–13, 2019