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Metabolism and Enzymology

Ethylene Production by Attached Leaves or Intact Shoots of Tobacco Cultivars Differing in Their Speed of Yellowing during Curing ¹

Department of Plant Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2P5

Using an open air flow system, differences in the yellowing rate of leaves during curing were assessed in relation to ethylene production by shoots of intact seedlings or attached mature leaves of 60 day old tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants. The rate of ethylene evolution from the leaves of the fast yellowing cultivars was significantly higher than in the slow yellowing ones. The same differences were obtained with shoots of intact seedlings. The findings suggest that it is possible to use ethylene production by seedlings as a selection criterion in screening for genotypic differences in the rate of yellowing. The ability of carbon dioxide (1%) to enhance ethylene production by attached leaves was significant in a slow, but not in a fast yellowing cultivar. However, similar amounts of ethylene were produced on administration of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid to a slow and a fast yellowing cultivar. Exposure of attached leaves to exogenous ethylene (0.1 microliter per liter) accelerated the loss of chlorophyll and protein. This treatment was effective only for slightly yellow leaves and not for fully expanded green ones. The significance and possible use of ethylene in the flue-curing process are discussed.

³ Present Address: Centre for Agrobiological Research (CABO), P.O. Box 14, 6700, AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.

¹ We gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada in the form of a Research Associateship for A. A. A. and a grant-in-aid A1451 to M. S. S.

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