TORABINEJAD, JAVAD*, MARTYN, M. CALDWELL, AND JAMES, D. FRY. Department of Rangeland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230. - Morphological and flowering time responses of seven ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana and their F1 hybrids to supplementary ultraviolet-B radiation.
In a partial diallel mating design, seven ecotypes of Arabidopsis
thaliana, from wide geographical locations in Europe, were
examined along with their F1 hybrids for their response to
supplementary ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Morphological characters
included plant height, number of shoots and branches, and rosette
diameter. Reproductive and total dry mass and time of flowering were
also examined. The plants under treatment received 8-12
KJD-1 of biologically effective UV-B radiation while the
control plants did not receive any UV-B radiation. Although strong
genotype effects were observed for all the characters, a significant
treatment effect was detected only for height and the reproductive
mass. This effect was marginal for rosette diameter and the total dry
mass. Significant genotype X treatment interactions were found for
height, rosette diameter, and the reproductive mass. Except for time
of flowering, highly significant values were found for the genotype X
replication interactions.
Key words: Arabidopsis thaliana, diallel mating design, ultraviolet-B radiation