The Effect of Abscisic Acid on the Freezing Tolerance of Callus Cultures of Lotus corniculatus L.

The effects of growth temperature (2 degrees C and 24 degrees C), abscisic acid (ABA) concentration, duration of exposure to ABA, and light were assessed for their ability to induce acclimation to freezing temperatures in callus cultures of Lotus corniculatus L. cv Leo, a perennial forage legume. The maximal expression of freezing tolerance was achieved on B(5) media containing 10(-5) molar ABA, at 24 degrees C for 7 or 14 days. Under these culture conditions, the freezing tolerance of the callus approximated that observed in field grown plants. In contrast, low temperatures (2 degrees C) induced only a limited degree of freezing tolerance in these cultures. Viability was assessed by tetrazolium reduction and by regrowth of the callus. The two assays often differed in their estimates of absolute freezing tolerance. Regression analysis of the temperature profile suggested that there may be two or more distinct populations of cells differing in freezing tolerance, which may have contributed to the variability between viability assays.