FIXATION OF (CO2)-C-14 IN TISSUE CULTURED RED RASPBERRY PRIOR TO AND AFTER TRANSFER TO SOIL

The 14CO2 uptake of an aseptically cultured red raspberry clone was examined prior to and after transfer to soil. Individual leaves of transplants, both persistent from culture and new ones, were tested 5 wk after transplant for 14CO2 uptake capability. Transplant leaves of successive weekly age classes took up 14CO2 at increasing rates per unit area, displaying a spectrum of photosynthetic competence from low levels close to that of leaves from culture, to that of control plants. This is illustrative of acclimatization to the soil environment and was related to transplant light intensity.