Skip to main content
Log in

Gibberellins do not act against abscisic acid in the regulation of bulb dormancy of Allium wakegi Araki

  • Published:
Plant Growth Regulation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Abscisic acid (ABA) is involved in bulb dormancy of Alliumwakegi Araki. We examined the antagonistic role of gibberellins(GAs)against ABA in the regulation of this dormancy. The concentrations of ABA andGAs in the basal leaf sheaths or bulbs of A. wakegi cv.Kiharawase were investigated during growth in the field and postharveststorage.The concentration of ABA in the basal leaf sheaths began to increase about onemonth before they began to swell, reached a maximum shortly after bulbharvesting, and decreased during postharvest storage. The plants showed bulbdormancy accompanied with the change in ABA concentration. GA1,GA3, GA4, GA12, GA15, GA19, and GA20 were identified in the basal leaf sheaths of A. wakegi from Kovats retention indices (KRI) andfull-scan mass spectra by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS)analysis. The concentrations of all classes of GAs in the basal leaf sheathsestimated by the dwarf rice micro-drop assay increased transitorily shortlybefore they began to swell, and decreased rapidly during bulb development. Bulbdormancy had already been induced when the concentration of the GAs becamemaximum. All the GAs in the bulbs remained at a low level during postharveststorage, when bulbs were gradually released from dormancy. The concentrationsof GA1+3, GA4, GA15, and GA20 inthe bulbs increased after sprouting of the bulbs planted in moist vermiculite.Hence, the state of bulb dormancy is considered to be independent of the GAconcentrations of in the basal leaf sheaths or bulbs of A.wakegi.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arguello J.A., Bottini R., Luna R., de Bottini G.A. and Racca R.W. 1983. Dormancy in garlic (Allium sativum L.) cv. Rosado Paraguayo I. Levels of growth substances in seed cloves under storage. Plant Cell Physiol. 24: 1559–1563.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arguello J.A., deBottini G.A., Luna R. and Bottini R. 1986. Dormancy in garlic (Allium sativum L.) cv. Rosado Paraguayo II. The onset of the process during plant ontogeny. Plant Cell Physiol. 27: 553–557.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fong F., Smith J.D. and Koehler D.E. 1983. Early events in maize seed development. Plant Physiol. 73: 899–901.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grappin P., Bouinot D., Sotta B., Miginiac E. and Jullien M. 2000. Control of seed dormancy in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia: postimbibition abscisic acid synthesis imposes dormancy maintenance. Planta. 210: 279–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karssen C.M., Brinkhorst-van der Swan D.L.C., Breekland A.E. and Koorneef M. 1983. Induction of dormancy during seed development by endogenous abscisic acid: studies on abscisic acid deficient genotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Planta 157: 158–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karssen C.M. and Laçka E. 1986. A revision of the hormone balance theory of seed dormancy: Studies on gibberellin and/or abscisic acid-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. In: Bopp M. (ed.), Plant Growth Substances 1985. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 315–323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kato T. 1966. Physiological studies on the bulbing and dormancy of onion plant. VII. Effects of some environmental factors and chemicals on the dormant process of bulbs. J. Japan. Soc. Hort. Sci. 35: 49–56 (in Japanese with English summary).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim K.-S., Davelaar E. and De Klerk G.-J. 1994. Abscisic acid controls dormancy development and bulb formation in lily plantlets regenerated in vitro. Physiol. Plant. 90: 59–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koshioka M., Nishijima T. and Yamazaki H. 1996. Endogenous gibberellins in the immature seeds of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). J. Plant Physiol. 149: 129–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koussa M., Broquedis M. and Bouard J. 1994. Changes of abscisic acid level during the development of grapevine latent buds, particularly in the phase of dormancy break. Vitis 33: 63–67 (in French with English summary).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuraishi S., Yamashita D., Sakurai N. and Hasegawa S. 1989. Changes of abscisic acid and auxin as related to dormancy breaking of Allium wakegi bulblets by vacuum infiltration and BA treatment. J. Plant Growth Regul. 8: 3–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Page-Degivry M.-T. and Garello G. 1992. In situ abscisic acid synthesis. A requirement for induction of embryo dormancy in Helianthus annuus. Plant Physiol. 98: 1386–1390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahotiere S., Herner R.C. and Dennis F.D. 1976. Effects of applied growth substances on growth of shoot apices exiced from onions in rest. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 101: 211–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neil S.J., Horgan R. and Parry A.D. 1986. The carotenoid and abscisic acid content of viviparous kernels and seedlings of Zea mays L. Planta 169: 87–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nishijima T. and Katsura N. 1989. A modified micro-drop bioassay using dwarf rice for detection of femromol quantities of gibberellins. Plant Physiol. 30: 623–627.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okubo H., Adaniya S., Takahashi K. and Fujieda K. 1981. Studies on the bulb formation of Allium wakegi Araki. J. Japan Soc. Hort. Sci. 50: 37–43 (in Japanese with English summary).

    Google Scholar 

  • Quebedeaux B., Sweetser P.B. and Rowell J.C. 1976. Abscisic acid levels in soybean reproductive structures during development. Plant Physiol. 58: 363–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross J.D. 1984. Metabolic aspects of dormancy. In: Murray D.R. (ed.), Seed Physiology (Vol 2) Germination and reserve mobilization. Academic Press, Sydney, pp. 45–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross J.D. and Bradbeer J.W. 1971. Studies in seed dormancy. V. The content of endogenous gibberellins in seeds of Corylus avellana L. Planta 100: 288–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suttle J.C. and Hultstrand J.F. 1994. Role of endogenous abscisic acid in potato microtuber dormancy. Plant Physiol. 105: 891–896.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tashiro Y., Oyama T., Iwamoto Y., Noda R. and Miyazaki S. 1995. Identification of maternal and paternal plants of Allium wakegi Araki by RFLP analysis of chloroplast DNA. J. Japan. Soc. Hort. Sci. 63: 819–824.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas T.H. 1969. The role of growth substances in the regulation of onion bulb dormancy. J. Exp. Bot. 20: 124–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Onckelen H., Caubergs R., Horemans S. and De Greef J.A. 1980. Metabolism of abscisic acid in developing seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris L. and its correlation to germination and α-amylase activity. J. Exp. Bot. 31: 913–920.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wareing P.F. and Saunders P.F. 1971. Hormones and dormancy. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 22: 261–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamazaki H., Nishijima T. and Koshioka M. 1995. Changes in abscisic acid content and water status in bulbs of Allium wakegi Araki throughout the year. J. Japan. Soc. Hort. Sci. 64: 589–598.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamazaki H., Nishijima T., Yamato Y., Koshioka M. and Miura M. 1999a. Involvement of abscisic acid (ABA) in bulb dormancy of Allium wakegi Araki. I. Endogenous levels of ABA in relation to bulb dormancy and effects of exogenous ABA and fluridone. Plant Growth Gegul. 29: 189–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamazaki H., Nishijima T., Yamato Y., Hamano M., Koshioka M. and Miura M. 1999b. Involvement of abscisic acid in bulb dormancy of Allium wakegi Araki. II. A comparison between dormant and nondormant cultivars. Plant Growth Gegul. 29: 195–200.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hiroko Yamazaki.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yamazaki, H., Nishijima, T., Koshioka, M. et al. Gibberellins do not act against abscisic acid in the regulation of bulb dormancy of Allium wakegi Araki. Plant Growth Regulation 36, 223–229 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016577529378

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016577529378

Navigation