Abstract Detail

Developmental and Structural Section

Tra, Kimberly [1], Mendoza, Herbert [1], Perumal, John [2].

The Effects of Gibberellic Acid on the Germination of Muhlenbergia rigens (Deer grass) from the Santa Rosa Ecological Preserve.

Muhlenbergia rigens is a perennial bunch grass belonging to the family Poaceae. It is native to California and is commonly known as deer grass. The amount of research conducted on M. rigens has been limited in spite of its ecological importance in the region. In our preliminary experiments, we observed that the seeds of M. rigens had very low rates of germination even in controlled environmental conditions. There was less than 2 percent germination from a batch of 400 seeds placed in Petri dishes. These seeds were exposed to 10 hours of light and 14 hours of dark at varying temperatures and watered daily. Our study was focused on the effects of GA on the germination of M. rigens. GA has been widely used in the stimulation of germination and is also a naturally occurring hormone that contributes immensely to the development of plants. In order to better understand the germination process in M. rigens we will vary the concentrations of GA. Although water, light, and temperature play a vital role in the process of growth, GA regulates protein synthesis as well as stem elongation. Five hundred seeds of M. rigens were randomly chosen from batches of seeds collected in 2003 and 2004. These seeds were placed in five Petri dishes, each dish containing a hundred seeds. Five different regimes of GA concentrations (0.30 M, 0.60 M, 0.90 M, 1.20M and 1.50M) were imposed. Ten milliliters of GA were placed in each dish initially and kept under constant light and temperature conditions and the seeds were watered daily. Light, water and temperature were controlled by placing the dishes on a lab bench at the constant temperature of approximately 22 degrees Celsius, watering as needed. The Petri dishes were placed in a 10-hour light and 14-hour dark environment and monitored daily.

1 - La Sierra University, Biology, 4500 Riverwalk Pwy, Riverside, California, 92515, USA
2 - 4500 Riverwalk Pwky, Biology Department Palmer Hall, Riverside, California, 92515, USA

Keywords:
Gibberellic acid
enviromental conditions
Muhlenbergia rigens.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 33-15
Location: Salon C, D & E - Gov Ballroom/Hilton
Date: Tuesday, August 16th, 2005
Time: 12:30 PM
Abstract ID:311