Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Department

Horticulture

Committee Chair

Sven Verlinden.

Abstract

Fresh weight, dry weight, and macronutrient content of corollas, ovaries, and styles were measured during the development and senescence of several wild-type and transgenic Petunia x hybrida plants. Flowers of age-related senescence exhibited growth, maintenance, and senescence phases during development. Flowers terminated by pollination-induced senescence exhibited only growth and senescence phases. Fresh and dry weight of Mitchell, V26, and SAG12-IPT corollas followed patterns previously observed in climacteric flowers. SAG12-IPT, a cytokinin overproducing plant, exhibited a prolonged maintenance phase compared to V26. A temporary increase in fresh weight, dry weight, and macronutrients of Mitchell corollas occurred at the expected onset of the ethylene climacteric of the flowers. Increases in ovary fresh weight, dry weight, and select macronutrient contents were concomitant with decreases in these same measurements of corollas, although corolla remobilization contributed only small amounts to the growth of ovaries during age-related and pollination-induced senescence.

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