Carbohydrate and Amino Acid Concentrations During Adventitious Root Primordium Development in Pinus Banksiana Lamb. Cuttings

Pinus banksiana Lamb. seedling cuttings were propagated with and without naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) treatment for 24 days. Needles, upper stems, and basal (1 cm) stems were sampled each 3 days and analyzed for total soluble amino acids, sucrose, glucose, total soluble reducing sugars, and starch. Total carbohydrate was calculated from data for starch, reducing sugars, and sucrose. Results indicated that the effects of auxin retarded translocation of amino acids from needles to upper stems, where use of amino acids was enhanced by auxin, during callusing-primordium development. Amino acid levels were always constant in basal stems. Total carbohydrate increased with time in needles, from where sugar was translocated to and accumulated in upper and basal stems. Auxin treatment enhanced the basipetal translocation of sugar and callusing-primordium development. Callusing-primordium development was positively related to total carbohydrate but not total amino acid concentrations in basal stems. Sucrose levels were the first to increase in basal stems, followed by levels of reducing sugars other than glucose. Results suggested that auxin directed basipetal transport of sugar. Forest Sci. 28:813-821.