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Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 53, No. 374, pp. 1603-1611, July 1, 2002
© 2002 Oxford University Press

Bud abortion in tulip bulbs studied by magnetic resonance imaging

Received 19 November 2001; Accepted 11 March 2002

M. G. van Kilsdonk4,1,2, K. Nicolay2, J. M. Franssen3 and C. Kollöffel1

1 Plant Biology, Utrecht University, Sorbonnelaan 16, NL-3584 CA Utrecht, The Netherlands
2 Exp. In Vivo NMR, Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
3 Applied Plant Research, Research Unit Flower Bulbs, Lisse, The Netherlands

4 To whom correspondence should be addressed. Fax: +31 30 251 8366. E-mail: M.G.vanKilsdonk{at}bio.uu.nl

After storage and subsequent planting of flower bulbs, the flower bud frequently appears to be aborted. This physiological aberration is probably caused by a change in the water status of the bulb and may be initiated during storage. The development of bud abortion in tulip bulbs was studied during long-term dry storage of the bulbs at 5 °C. The anatomy of individual tulip bulbs was followed non-invasively with T2-weighted NMR imaging, which allowed the monitoring of the growth of the shoot and daughter bulbs. Quantitative maps of T1 and T2 relaxation times of individual bulbs were used to assess regional changes in the water status of different tissues. Parallel to the NMR measurements, bulbs were planted to assess the ultimate flower quality. Moreover, water content, osmolality of tissue sap and ion leakage of excised shoot and scale tissues were determined to obtain information about the water status and viability of the bulbs. Significant decreases during long-term storage were found in T1 and T2 relaxation times in the shoot and particularly in the stamens. An increase in the osmolality of tissue sap and the decrease in relaxation times in the shoot below a certain threshold value attained after 24 weeks of storage, could be indicative for the emergence of bud abortion in tulips.

Key words: Key words: Bud abortion, MRI, storage, T1, T2, tulip bulb, water status.


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