Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-xm8r8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-16T17:22:02.841Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A method of estimating the cold hardiness of cereals by measuring electrical conductance after freezing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

G. Jenkins
Affiliation:
Plant Breeding Institute, Trumpington, Cambridge
A. P. Roffey
Affiliation:
Plant Breeding Institute, Trumpington, Cambridge

Summary

A technique is described in which cereal seedlings after germination and hardening under controlled conditions in a growth chamber were subjected to freezing in tubes immersed in a solution of ethylene glycol. Susceptibility to freezing was estimated by measuring electrical conductance on the linear 0–100 scale of a standard ‘Avometer’ using platinum probes inserted near the base of the lamina of the first leaf. The use of the technique is illustrated by two experiments with winter barley cultivars chosento represent a wide range of winter hardiness. Although significant cultivar differences in mean conductance existed prior to freezing, adequate differentiation was obtained by measurements after freezing only. The differentiation of these cultivars on mean conductance values after freezing was well correlated with their established winter hardiness.

It is concluded that the technique is sufficiently sensitive for the preliminary screening of early generation material but that, because of significant cultivar × hardening-duration interactions, advanced breeding lines should be tested over a range of hardening and freezing regimes.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bingham, J. & Jenkins, G. (1965). Techniques for assessing the cold resistance of cereals in the selection of hybrid material. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 65, 201–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brach, E. J. & Mason, W. J. (1965). A stable multivibrator for measuring impedance of plant leaves and stems. Canadian Journal of Botany 43, 995–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dantuma, G. (1958). Breeding wheat and barley for winter hardiness. Euphytica 7, 189–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dantuma, G. & Andrews, J. E. (1960). Differential response of certain barley and wheat varieties to hardening and freezing during sprouting. Canadian Journal of Botany 38, 133–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dexter, S. T. (1932). Studies of the hardiness of plants: a modification of the Newton pressure method for small samples. Plant Physiology 7, 721–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dexter, S. T. (1956). The evaluation of crop plants for winter hardiness. Advances in Agronomy 8, 203—39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenham, C. G. & Daday, H. (1957). Electrical determination of cold hardiness in Trifolium repens L. and Medicago sativa L. Nature 180, 541–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jenkins, G. (1969). Transgressive segregation for frost resistance in hexaploid oats. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 73, 477–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, C. J. (1971). Selection for cold resistance in wheat populations by means of exosmosis. Hereditas 69, 297.Google Scholar
Koch, H. D. (1973). Genetic variability of frost hardiness in winter barley and some remarks on ecological aspects. Proceedings of a Colloquium on the winter hardiness of cereals Oct. 31–Nov. 3, 1972, Agricultural Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Science.Google Scholar
Koch, H. D. & Lehmann, C. O. (1966). Resistenzeigenschraften im Gersten und Weizensortiment Gatersleben 7. Prufung der Frostresistenz von Wintergersten im kunstlichen Gefrier versuch. Kulturpflanze 14, 263–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koczowska, I. (1969). Comparison of certain methods of testing for frost hardiness of winter barley under laboratory conditions. Zeszyty Naukowe Wyzszej Szkoly Rolniczes Olsztynie 25, 967–84.Google Scholar
Lazenry, A. & Rogers, H. H. (1963). A technique for herbage management studies under controlled low temperature. Crop Science 3, 179–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olien, C. R. (1967). Freezing stresses and survival. Annual Review of Plant Physiology 18, 387408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, D. W. A. & Grant, M. N. (1968). Changes in cold hardiness accompanying development in winter wheat. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 48, 369–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwarzbach, E. (1972). Frosthartebestimmungen in Kreuzungen zwischen Sommer und Wintergersten durch Messung des elektrischen Widerstandes gefrosteter Keimpflanzen. Bericht über die Arbeitstagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Saatzuchlleiter, pp. 5481.Google Scholar
Walton, P. D. (1973). Electrical impedance of the tissue of grasses receiving cold treatments. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 53, 125–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilner, J. (1967). Changes in electric resistance of living and injured tissues of apple shoots during winter and spring. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 47, 469–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar