The Pivotal Role of Phenological Stage Enhanced by Plant Origin Preparations in the Process of Rhizogenesis of Rosa ‘Hurdal’ Stem Cuttings

Some biostimulants, including plant origin preparations, act similarly to plant hormones. Moreover, the supplementation of known and unknown rooting cofactors can stimulate rhizogenesis in cuttings. The aim of this research was to assess the response of difficult-to-root and long-rooting stem cuttings of the once-blooming old variety Rosa ‘Hurdal’ to preparations of plant origin. The hypothesis was that plant origin preparations could enhance rooting processes by inhibiting chlorophyll a/b degradation in leaves and postponing leaf senescence, simultaneously increasing the quality of cuttings. The one-bud stem cuttings were made in four phenological stages: (H1) flower buds closed, (H2) open flowers, (H3) just after petal fall, (H4) 7-14 days after petal shedding. They were treated with either standard commercial powder preparations containing 0.4% indolebutyric acid (IBA) or 0.2% naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) as well as with commercial plant origin preparations that this work will henceforth refer to as: Algae Extract, Organic Preparation, and Plant Extract. The cuttings were evaluated after 12 weeks of rooting them in two substrates: peat-perlite and peat-sand (v:v; 1:1). Mean root percentages for both substrates were noted after preparation from stage H1 (74.5 %), H2 (59.5 %), H3 (50.8 %) shoots. The H4 cuttings didn’t root at all and were not considered further. The means for all phenology stages together were the highest by the use of 0.6 % Algae Extract, 0.012 % and 0.02 % Organic Preparation, 0.2 % and 0.4 % Plant Extract. The lowest means were reported for the control cuttings as well as NAA and IBA treatment. Plant origin preparations encouraged growth parameters but did not unequivocally inhibit the decrease of chlorophyll content in the cuttings’ leaves. Rooting percentage depended on the quality of cuttings as well as chlorophyll a/b and soluble protein content in leaves in both rooting substrates.

The Role of Plant Origin Preparations and Phenological Stage in Anatomy Structure Changes in the Rhizogenesis of Rosa “Hurdal”

Most old roses are difficult to root when propagated by cuttings. This research focused on the response of stem cuttings of Rosa “Hurdal” to plant origin preparations used as rhizogenesis enhancers through changes to the anatomical structure of the basal part of the stem. Cuttings derived from shoots in four phenological stages were prepared for the experiment: flower buds closed (H1); fully flowering (H2); immediately after petals have fallen (H3); 7–14 days after petals have fallen (H4). The cuttings were treated with 0.4% indole butyric acid (IBA; Ukorzeniacz Aaqua) or 0.2% naphthalene acetic acid (NAA; Ukorzeniacz Baqua), and with plant origin preparations: Algae extract (Bio Rhizotonic), Organic preparation (Root JuiceTM), and Plant extract (Bio Roots). A high rooting percentage in comparison to the control (27.5%) was obtained after treatments of the H1 cuttings with Algae extract (90%), Organic preparation (80%), and Plant extract (75%). The H4 cuttings did not root, probably as a result of an overgrowing callus and limited xylem formation. The anatomical structure of the shoot differed in subsequent phenological stages during the period of rooting in various ways, depending on the rooting enhancer used for treatment. Numerous correlations between rooting percentage and anatomical structure were proved, including the key role of vascular bundles in increasing rooting percentage by widening the vessel diameter.

DAFS-25k impact on cattle’s thyroid hormonal status

The paper studies the impact of selenium organic preparation DAFS-25k on thyroid capacity in pregnant cows. A stud farm which the work is done in is a biogeochemical province distinguished by a sharp deficit of selenium and iodine in the diet. DAFS-25k had been implanted into the animals subcutaneously during 1 month 30 days before the predicted calving. A sterile 0.6 % DAFS-25k oil solution was used in doses containing 2 mg/cow/day, 6 mg/cow/day and 12 mg/cow/day. It was found that the cows’ diet is deficient in iodine and selenium by 63 and 82 % respectively. Daily use of selenium in DAFS-25k in the dose range causes a decrease in the concentration of free thyroxine due to deiodination activating by selenium dependent deiodinases of the first and second types. Consequently, there is a progressive increase in the blood content of total triiodothyronine in all experimental animals as relating to the background values. In this case, the concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone decreases in blood serum by the 30th day according to the principle of negative feedback. In control animals, an increase in the serum concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone reached the point 1.8 by the 30th day, total triiodothyronine increased by 14 and 19 % by the 21st day and the 30th day respectively, while the concentration of free thyroxine was reduced by 19 % by the 30th day. The use of selenium in the setting of iodine deficiency leads to aggravation of iodine deficiency.

Morphological composition and rate of growth of the sward from birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) treated with organic fertilizer alfalfa blend

The study was conducted during the 2007-2009 period in the experimental field of IMSA-Troyan. The aim was to determine the influence of the organic product alfalfa blend on the rate of growth of the sward from the birdsfoot trefoil. The organic preparation alfalfa blend was tested on a candidate variety of birdsfoot trefoil with the following factors and fertilizing rates: Factor A - dates of harvesting: ?1 - budding stage, ?2 - early flowering stage, Factor ? - rates of fertilizing with leaf fertilizers: ?0 - no fertilizing, ?1 - leaf fertilizing at the dose of 1 l/ha, ?2 - leaf fertilizing at the dose of 2 l/ha, ?3 - leaf fertilizing at the dose of 3 l/ha. The birdsfoot trefoil treatment with an organic fertilizer as a cultivar factor exerted an effect on the height and morphological composition of the sward. As in the three years of study and on average over a significant influence on plant height was the stage of harvest than the dose of organic fertilizer. In flowering stage and during the three experimental years and three doses of the plants are higher than those harvested in the phase budding treated with the same doses. The strong positive correlation established between the height and the leaves (r = 0.5734) and low positive correlation between the leaves and the generative organs (r = 0.3370); between dry mass yield and the height (r = 0.2740) and the stems.