Alkaloids are a class of secondary metabolites that play multifaceted roles in plant physiology, including defense mechanisms and interactions with other organisms. The alkaloids from Piper retrofractum (Javanese long pepper) fruits offer potential alternatives to synthetic pesticides due to their natural origin and insecticide properties. However, information on particular alkaloid biosynthesis pathways is required to enhance individual alkaloid production via metabolic engineering. Here, we perform HPLC profiling to demonstrate that fruit ripening influences the alkaloid diversity in P. retrofractum. De novo transcriptomic profiling of young, green mature, and red ripened fruits revealed that the piperine biosynthesis pathway genes were highly upregulated in the mature fruits. However, an enhanced accumulation of methyl piperate and guineensine in the ripened fruit was observed, entailing ripening-related differential gene expression to synchronize the alkaloid biosyntheses. Gene expression clustering and functional enrichment analysis identified a large group of genes involved in diverse biosynthetic processes explicitly enriched in the ripened fruits. A cohort of genes encoding for “Alkaloid Biosynthesis”, remarkably upregulated in the ripening fruits, indicates they may function directly in alkaloid diversity during a later stage of fruit development. This study provides the basis for metabolic engineering to enhance alkaloid diversity and production.
{"title":"Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Genes Associated with Alkaloid Diversity in Javanese Long Pepper (Piper retrofractum) Fruits","authors":"Methat Meechuen, Lalita Pimsawang, Tanapon Chaisan, Sompid Samipak, Wanchai Pluempanupat, Piyada Juntawong","doi":"10.3390/ijpb14040066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb14040066","url":null,"abstract":"Alkaloids are a class of secondary metabolites that play multifaceted roles in plant physiology, including defense mechanisms and interactions with other organisms. The alkaloids from Piper retrofractum (Javanese long pepper) fruits offer potential alternatives to synthetic pesticides due to their natural origin and insecticide properties. However, information on particular alkaloid biosynthesis pathways is required to enhance individual alkaloid production via metabolic engineering. Here, we perform HPLC profiling to demonstrate that fruit ripening influences the alkaloid diversity in P. retrofractum. De novo transcriptomic profiling of young, green mature, and red ripened fruits revealed that the piperine biosynthesis pathway genes were highly upregulated in the mature fruits. However, an enhanced accumulation of methyl piperate and guineensine in the ripened fruit was observed, entailing ripening-related differential gene expression to synchronize the alkaloid biosyntheses. Gene expression clustering and functional enrichment analysis identified a large group of genes involved in diverse biosynthetic processes explicitly enriched in the ripened fruits. A cohort of genes encoding for “Alkaloid Biosynthesis”, remarkably upregulated in the ripening fruits, indicates they may function directly in alkaloid diversity during a later stage of fruit development. This study provides the basis for metabolic engineering to enhance alkaloid diversity and production.","PeriodicalId":38827,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plant Biology","volume":"299 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135351196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: In the search of a rapid and representative method for the approximate calculation of culture density and cell content of useful pigments, the study of absorption spectra of cultures of the dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae, the haptophyte Isochrysis galbana, the chlorophyte Nephroselmis sp., and the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. were selected as representative species of different taxa. Methods: The experimental cultures were established in small volumes by the discontinuous method under 20–21 °C, salinity of 30 or 40 ppt, and 2000 or 8000 lux illumination, and the absorbance spectra, density of the culture and concentration of the extracted pigments chlorophyll, total carotenoids, and phycocyanin were recorded during cultivation. Results: Algal density can be predicted sufficiently correctly because the regression equation of the correlation of the OD value of 750 nm from each absorption spectrum and the measured algal biomass was very strong. The same is true for the corresponding correlations between OD 750 nm and the detected pigments. Conclusions: Absorption spectra of microalgal cultures can be a simple, inexpensive, and non-invasive method for the growers to obtain the necessary information for predicting the right time to collect an ideal combination of maximum biomass and useful pigments, provided that the interpretation of the spectra is performed according to the method described herein.
{"title":"Absorption Spectra as Predictors of Algal Biomass and Pigment Content of the Cultured Microalgae Amphidinium carterae, Isochrysis galbana, Nephroselmis sp., and Anabaena sp.","authors":"George N. Hotos, Vlasoula Bekiari","doi":"10.3390/ijpb14040065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb14040065","url":null,"abstract":"Background: In the search of a rapid and representative method for the approximate calculation of culture density and cell content of useful pigments, the study of absorption spectra of cultures of the dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae, the haptophyte Isochrysis galbana, the chlorophyte Nephroselmis sp., and the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. were selected as representative species of different taxa. Methods: The experimental cultures were established in small volumes by the discontinuous method under 20–21 °C, salinity of 30 or 40 ppt, and 2000 or 8000 lux illumination, and the absorbance spectra, density of the culture and concentration of the extracted pigments chlorophyll, total carotenoids, and phycocyanin were recorded during cultivation. Results: Algal density can be predicted sufficiently correctly because the regression equation of the correlation of the OD value of 750 nm from each absorption spectrum and the measured algal biomass was very strong. The same is true for the corresponding correlations between OD 750 nm and the detected pigments. Conclusions: Absorption spectra of microalgal cultures can be a simple, inexpensive, and non-invasive method for the growers to obtain the necessary information for predicting the right time to collect an ideal combination of maximum biomass and useful pigments, provided that the interpretation of the spectra is performed according to the method described herein.","PeriodicalId":38827,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plant Biology","volume":"42 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134960860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carlos Abel Ramírez-Estrada, Esteban Sánchez, María Antonia Flores-Córdova, Sandra Pérez-Álvarez, Linda Citlalli Noperi-Mosqueda, Celia Chávez-Mendoza
Climate change has prompted agri-food systems to explore new strategies for improving the production of crops in a sustainable manner. This includes green bean, the most important legume in the world for its nutritional value. The use of omeprazole (OMP) and melatonin (MEL) has been proposed as innovative strategy for crop improvement when they are applied as biostimulants. However, although their role in the growth of several species has been studied, the results in photosynthetic efficiency parameters are still scarce. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of OMP and MEL on biomass, yield, SPAD values, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching (qP), non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), quantum yield of photosystem II (PhiPSII), and electron transport rate (ETR) in bean plants. Treatments were applied separately at doses of 1, 10, and 100 µM, plus a control without application. The results obtained indicate that OMP and MEL were able to increase biomass; yield; SPAD values; and qP, Fv/Fm, and PhiPSII coefficients. Finally, it is concluded that foliar application of OMP and MEL at a dose of 1 and 10 µM can increase photosynthetic efficiency and decrease photoinhibition, which is reflected in higher biomass accumulation and yield in green bean plants cv. Strike.
{"title":"Photosynthetic Efficiency in Green Bean Plants through the Application of Omeprazole and Melatonin at Low Doses","authors":"Carlos Abel Ramírez-Estrada, Esteban Sánchez, María Antonia Flores-Córdova, Sandra Pérez-Álvarez, Linda Citlalli Noperi-Mosqueda, Celia Chávez-Mendoza","doi":"10.3390/ijpb14040064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb14040064","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change has prompted agri-food systems to explore new strategies for improving the production of crops in a sustainable manner. This includes green bean, the most important legume in the world for its nutritional value. The use of omeprazole (OMP) and melatonin (MEL) has been proposed as innovative strategy for crop improvement when they are applied as biostimulants. However, although their role in the growth of several species has been studied, the results in photosynthetic efficiency parameters are still scarce. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of OMP and MEL on biomass, yield, SPAD values, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching (qP), non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), quantum yield of photosystem II (PhiPSII), and electron transport rate (ETR) in bean plants. Treatments were applied separately at doses of 1, 10, and 100 µM, plus a control without application. The results obtained indicate that OMP and MEL were able to increase biomass; yield; SPAD values; and qP, Fv/Fm, and PhiPSII coefficients. Finally, it is concluded that foliar application of OMP and MEL at a dose of 1 and 10 µM can increase photosynthetic efficiency and decrease photoinhibition, which is reflected in higher biomass accumulation and yield in green bean plants cv. Strike.","PeriodicalId":38827,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plant Biology","volume":"6 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134961012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aziz Tikent, Salah Laaraj, Ahmed Marhri, Mohamed Taibi, Amine Elbouzidi, Ibtissame Khalid, Mohamed Bouhrim, Kaoutar Elfazazi, Ahmed Elamrani, Mohamed Addi
The eastern region of Morocco is renowned for the production of two varieties of figs, Ghoudane (GD) and Chetoui (CH), which are characterized by their high productivity and quality. To ensure a profitable selling price, producers often dry these figs, a process that not only increases their storage capability but also enhances their nutritional and health benefits. The aim of this study was to investigate the composition and potential health benefits of dried GD and CH figs. The findings of this study reveal that both varieties of dried figs have a rich composition of sugars, lipids, proteins, vegetable fibers, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and other nutrients. Moreover, both GD and CH figs that have been sun-dried meet the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s standard in terms of dry matter and diameter. However, their marketability and commercial quality as dried figs are only classified as Category I or lower-caliber figs. In terms of color, CH figs are lighter and brighter than their GD counterparts, making them more appealing to consumers. Furthermore, this study investigated the extraction of polyphenols and flavonoids from both dried fig varieties using different solvents. Distilled water was found to be the best extraction solvent for polyphenols in both varieties, with GD figs showing a higher content (483.6 mg GAE/100 g) than CH figs (408.3 mg GAE/100 g). Meanwhile, ethanol was found to be the best extraction solvent for flavonoids, with GD figs (180.2 mg of QE/100 g) showing a higher content than CH figs (122.9 mg of QE/100 g). In addition, the majority of the extracts, particularly the ethanol extracts, showed high efficiency against the tested bacteria and yeast. Notably, dried GD figs had higher amounts of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared to dried CH figs. The study also revealed high correlations between phytochemical content and both antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. In conclusion, this study highlights the nutritional and health benefits of dried figs, particularly the GD variety, and their potential as a natural source of antimicrobial compounds. The findings suggest that dried figs could be an alternative source of natural antimicrobial agents for various applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.
{"title":"The Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Two Sun-Dried Fig Varieties (Ficus carica L.) Produced in Eastern Morocco and the Investigation of Pomological, Colorimetric, and Phytochemical Characteristics for Improved Valorization","authors":"Aziz Tikent, Salah Laaraj, Ahmed Marhri, Mohamed Taibi, Amine Elbouzidi, Ibtissame Khalid, Mohamed Bouhrim, Kaoutar Elfazazi, Ahmed Elamrani, Mohamed Addi","doi":"10.3390/ijpb14030063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb14030063","url":null,"abstract":"The eastern region of Morocco is renowned for the production of two varieties of figs, Ghoudane (GD) and Chetoui (CH), which are characterized by their high productivity and quality. To ensure a profitable selling price, producers often dry these figs, a process that not only increases their storage capability but also enhances their nutritional and health benefits. The aim of this study was to investigate the composition and potential health benefits of dried GD and CH figs. The findings of this study reveal that both varieties of dried figs have a rich composition of sugars, lipids, proteins, vegetable fibers, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and other nutrients. Moreover, both GD and CH figs that have been sun-dried meet the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s standard in terms of dry matter and diameter. However, their marketability and commercial quality as dried figs are only classified as Category I or lower-caliber figs. In terms of color, CH figs are lighter and brighter than their GD counterparts, making them more appealing to consumers. Furthermore, this study investigated the extraction of polyphenols and flavonoids from both dried fig varieties using different solvents. Distilled water was found to be the best extraction solvent for polyphenols in both varieties, with GD figs showing a higher content (483.6 mg GAE/100 g) than CH figs (408.3 mg GAE/100 g). Meanwhile, ethanol was found to be the best extraction solvent for flavonoids, with GD figs (180.2 mg of QE/100 g) showing a higher content than CH figs (122.9 mg of QE/100 g). In addition, the majority of the extracts, particularly the ethanol extracts, showed high efficiency against the tested bacteria and yeast. Notably, dried GD figs had higher amounts of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared to dried CH figs. The study also revealed high correlations between phytochemical content and both antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. In conclusion, this study highlights the nutritional and health benefits of dried figs, particularly the GD variety, and their potential as a natural source of antimicrobial compounds. The findings suggest that dried figs could be an alternative source of natural antimicrobial agents for various applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.","PeriodicalId":38827,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plant Biology","volume":"23 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135202513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The International Journal of Plant Biology is embarking on an exciting new journey as we expand our horizons and delve deeper into the multifaceted world of plant science [...]
{"title":"Updated Sections and Scope of the International Journal of Plant Biology (IJPB)","authors":"Adriano Sofo","doi":"10.3390/ijpb14030061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb14030061","url":null,"abstract":"The International Journal of Plant Biology is embarking on an exciting new journey as we expand our horizons and delve deeper into the multifaceted world of plant science [...]","PeriodicalId":38827,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plant Biology","volume":"66 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134911734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Krishna Ghimire, Vincent Peta, Heike Bücking, Melanie Caffe
Endophytic bacteria are known to influence vital activities of host plants. Endophytes can promote plant growth and provide a defense response against pathogens. The use of endophytes in crop production has the potential to reduce the application of fertilizer and pesticide input and thus improve the sustainability of crop production. In this study, we investigated the effects of seed inoculation with non-native endophytic bacteria, harvested from Brassica carinata, on oat (Avena sativa L.) growth with root vigor assays and greenhouse experiments. For root vigor assay experiments, seeds of two different oat cultivars were treated with 16 endophytic bacteria previously shown to promote growth benefits on multiple crop species. For the greenhouse experiments, the effect of seed inoculation with bacterial isolates was evaluated on ten oat cultivars at two fertilization levels. The root vigor assay showed that multiple isolates, including Bacillus licheniformis, Enterobacter kobei, B. halotolerans, B. cereus, B. aryabhattai, and Lysinibacillus fusiformis, had a positive effect on seedling root growth in one of the two oat cultivars. In the other cultivar, the bacterial isolates had either no effect or a negative effect on root growth. Greenhouse studies showed that the magnitude and direction of the effect of bacterial inoculation on oat growth varied with fertilization levels, bacterial strain, and oat cultivar. However, we identified two cultivars that were more responsive to bacterial inoculation than the others and for which bacterial inoculation of seed resulted in enhanced growth in several traits under both reduced and full nitrogen levels, and this response was observed for the two isolates tested. Our results show that inoculating oat seeds with non-native bacterial endophytes can promote root and shoot growth in oats. Developing biofertilizers that are effective across crop species, crop cultivars, and environmental conditions may be possible if cultivars are selected for their responsiveness across multiple bacterial isolates and in multiple growing environments. Overall, this study indicates that non-native endophytes could be considered for the development of biofertilizers with effectiveness across crop species.
{"title":"Effect of Non-Native Endophytic Bacteria on Oat (Avena sativa L.) Growth","authors":"Krishna Ghimire, Vincent Peta, Heike Bücking, Melanie Caffe","doi":"10.3390/ijpb14030062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb14030062","url":null,"abstract":"Endophytic bacteria are known to influence vital activities of host plants. Endophytes can promote plant growth and provide a defense response against pathogens. The use of endophytes in crop production has the potential to reduce the application of fertilizer and pesticide input and thus improve the sustainability of crop production. In this study, we investigated the effects of seed inoculation with non-native endophytic bacteria, harvested from Brassica carinata, on oat (Avena sativa L.) growth with root vigor assays and greenhouse experiments. For root vigor assay experiments, seeds of two different oat cultivars were treated with 16 endophytic bacteria previously shown to promote growth benefits on multiple crop species. For the greenhouse experiments, the effect of seed inoculation with bacterial isolates was evaluated on ten oat cultivars at two fertilization levels. The root vigor assay showed that multiple isolates, including Bacillus licheniformis, Enterobacter kobei, B. halotolerans, B. cereus, B. aryabhattai, and Lysinibacillus fusiformis, had a positive effect on seedling root growth in one of the two oat cultivars. In the other cultivar, the bacterial isolates had either no effect or a negative effect on root growth. Greenhouse studies showed that the magnitude and direction of the effect of bacterial inoculation on oat growth varied with fertilization levels, bacterial strain, and oat cultivar. However, we identified two cultivars that were more responsive to bacterial inoculation than the others and for which bacterial inoculation of seed resulted in enhanced growth in several traits under both reduced and full nitrogen levels, and this response was observed for the two isolates tested. Our results show that inoculating oat seeds with non-native bacterial endophytes can promote root and shoot growth in oats. Developing biofertilizers that are effective across crop species, crop cultivars, and environmental conditions may be possible if cultivars are selected for their responsiveness across multiple bacterial isolates and in multiple growing environments. Overall, this study indicates that non-native endophytes could be considered for the development of biofertilizers with effectiveness across crop species.","PeriodicalId":38827,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plant Biology","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134913679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Sahli, Jalal Kassout, V. Boselli, Hassan Ennouni, Soufian Chakkour, Khalil Kadaoui, Mhammad Houssni, M. Ater
Moroccan populations of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaerth. (Betulaceae) are found at the southern limit of the species’ range and are represented by tetraploid cytotypes with no available pollen data. The objective of this study was to assess the morphological and morphometric variability of the pollen, specifically focusing on pollen diameters and the number of apertures. To achieve this, we sampled 11 populations that are representative of the Moroccan distribution area of this species. We employed a hierarchical sampling design (11 populations, 10 trees per population, and from 30 to 300 pollen grains per tree, depending on the character measured) to examine different levels of variability: interpopulation, intrapopulation, and intraindividual. The results demonstrate that there is no discernible difference in the morphology or size of the pollen among the Moroccan tetraploid populations. However, we observed a high degree of intraspecific variability in pollen morphometric traits, but most of this variability is associated with the intraindividual level.
{"title":"Pollen Variability of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaerth. (Betulaceae) from Southern Range Edge Populations in Northern Morocco","authors":"A. Sahli, Jalal Kassout, V. Boselli, Hassan Ennouni, Soufian Chakkour, Khalil Kadaoui, Mhammad Houssni, M. Ater","doi":"10.3390/ijpb14030059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb14030059","url":null,"abstract":"Moroccan populations of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaerth. (Betulaceae) are found at the southern limit of the species’ range and are represented by tetraploid cytotypes with no available pollen data. The objective of this study was to assess the morphological and morphometric variability of the pollen, specifically focusing on pollen diameters and the number of apertures. To achieve this, we sampled 11 populations that are representative of the Moroccan distribution area of this species. We employed a hierarchical sampling design (11 populations, 10 trees per population, and from 30 to 300 pollen grains per tree, depending on the character measured) to examine different levels of variability: interpopulation, intrapopulation, and intraindividual. The results demonstrate that there is no discernible difference in the morphology or size of the pollen among the Moroccan tetraploid populations. However, we observed a high degree of intraspecific variability in pollen morphometric traits, but most of this variability is associated with the intraindividual level.","PeriodicalId":38827,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plant Biology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76422932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L. F. Reuling, A. Toczydlowski, R. Slesak, M. Windmuller-Campione
Drought is a major stressor of tree seedlings regarding both natural and artificial regeneration, especially in excessively drained, sandy outwash soils. While climate change is expected to cause an increase in the total annual precipitation in the Upper Midwest, USA, the timing of the precipitation is predicted to result in longer periods of drought during the growing season. Biochar, a material created through the pyrolysis of organic matter, such as wood waste, has been proposed as a soil amendment that may increase the water holding capacity of a soil. Biochar has mostly been studied in agricultural settings, and less is known about the impact of biochar on forest soils and tree seedlings. We used a greenhouse experiment to test the ability of biochar to improve the drought tolerance of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) seedlings via increased soil water holding capacity. The seedlings were planted in sandy soil treated with three levels of biochar (none, 3% by weight, and 6% by weight) in two experiments, one manipulating the timing of drought onset and the other controlling the amount of water that seedlings received. Our results showed no significant effects of biochar on seedling survival, growth, or physiology under drought conditions. While this outcome did not support the hypothesis that biochar would increase seedling performance, the biochar amendments did not negatively affect seedlings, indicating that biochar may be added to soil for carbon storage without having negative short-term impacts on tree seedlings.
{"title":"Effects of Biochar on Drought Tolerance of Pinus banksiana Seedlings","authors":"L. F. Reuling, A. Toczydlowski, R. Slesak, M. Windmuller-Campione","doi":"10.3390/ijpb14030060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb14030060","url":null,"abstract":"Drought is a major stressor of tree seedlings regarding both natural and artificial regeneration, especially in excessively drained, sandy outwash soils. While climate change is expected to cause an increase in the total annual precipitation in the Upper Midwest, USA, the timing of the precipitation is predicted to result in longer periods of drought during the growing season. Biochar, a material created through the pyrolysis of organic matter, such as wood waste, has been proposed as a soil amendment that may increase the water holding capacity of a soil. Biochar has mostly been studied in agricultural settings, and less is known about the impact of biochar on forest soils and tree seedlings. We used a greenhouse experiment to test the ability of biochar to improve the drought tolerance of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) seedlings via increased soil water holding capacity. The seedlings were planted in sandy soil treated with three levels of biochar (none, 3% by weight, and 6% by weight) in two experiments, one manipulating the timing of drought onset and the other controlling the amount of water that seedlings received. Our results showed no significant effects of biochar on seedling survival, growth, or physiology under drought conditions. While this outcome did not support the hypothesis that biochar would increase seedling performance, the biochar amendments did not negatively affect seedlings, indicating that biochar may be added to soil for carbon storage without having negative short-term impacts on tree seedlings.","PeriodicalId":38827,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plant Biology","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79134664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The organic layer of forest soils (forest floor) provides important ecosystem functions and serves as a habitat for soil organisms. This review provides an overview of research on humus forms of moist and wet forest stands based on a systematic literature review. Detailed information was collected from around 80 articles and books. It was examined whether the articles include the chemical, physical, or biological properties of humus forms. In addition, selected topics associated with and often used in relation to moist or wet humus forms, like information on morphological properties or information on specific classification systems, are considered. In general, it was found that many articles include the importance of moist or wet humus forms in their classification system. However, there was less or insufficient explanation on morphological properties. The humus forms on poorly drained or even waterlogged sites differ from humus forms on well-drained sites because the water factor affects the processes and thus the morphology very much. High soil moisture (=water saturation) means periodically anaerobic conditions in mineral soil and also very often in organic layers. Hence, soil organic carbon and soil organisms are affected. Especially, the recent literature often deals with climate change and soil organic carbon in moist and wet forest stands.
{"title":"Humus Forms of Moist and Wet Forest Stands. A Review","authors":"Tina Frank, H. Brauckmann, G. Broll","doi":"10.3390/ijpb14030058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb14030058","url":null,"abstract":"The organic layer of forest soils (forest floor) provides important ecosystem functions and serves as a habitat for soil organisms. This review provides an overview of research on humus forms of moist and wet forest stands based on a systematic literature review. Detailed information was collected from around 80 articles and books. It was examined whether the articles include the chemical, physical, or biological properties of humus forms. In addition, selected topics associated with and often used in relation to moist or wet humus forms, like information on morphological properties or information on specific classification systems, are considered. In general, it was found that many articles include the importance of moist or wet humus forms in their classification system. However, there was less or insufficient explanation on morphological properties. The humus forms on poorly drained or even waterlogged sites differ from humus forms on well-drained sites because the water factor affects the processes and thus the morphology very much. High soil moisture (=water saturation) means periodically anaerobic conditions in mineral soil and also very often in organic layers. Hence, soil organic carbon and soil organisms are affected. Especially, the recent literature often deals with climate change and soil organic carbon in moist and wet forest stands.","PeriodicalId":38827,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plant Biology","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74768605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laila Lahrizi, F. Errachidi, D. Ousaaid, Lahsen El Ghadraoui
Adaptation plasticity constitutes a key factor in the development of such plants under different ecoclimatic conditions. The current study was designed to determine the morphological and phenotypic variability of Ajuga iva collected from distinct geographical locations in Morocco and their phenolic content. Four samples of Ajuga iva were collected to evaluate the morphological variability and adaptability to ensure the sustainable growth of this medicinal plant known for its unique biological properties. Eleven morphological parameters were selected, including length, width, number, distance, and the thickness of different parts, as well as total phenolic content. Statistical tools, such as principal component analysis, and correlation were used to assess the change in the parameters under study based on the geographical origin. Treatment of the obtained results revealed a high variability of morphological parameters of different samples according to the site and altitude, and the interaction between the studied factors. The sample collected from Jbel Zerhoun registered the highest values of the following morphological parameters: APL (12.47 ± 2.09 cm), UPL (6.56 ± 0.40 cm), APW (3.28 ± 1.59 g), UPW (1.24 ± 0.19 g), LW (0.40 ± 0.10 cm), LN (44 ± 4), and NN (21.33 ± 2.51). The samples collected from an altitude above 1000 m showed the highest values of different morphological parameters (aerial part length and weight, underground part weight, leaf number and weight, and node number) and registered the maximum of TPC (124.12 mg GAE/g, 128.86 mg GAE/g, and 164.75 mg GAE/g for samples collected from Immouzzer Kander, Jbel Zerhoun, and Azrou, respectively). Therefore, the samples from high elevations can resist environmental critical conditions by the emergence of different biochemical processes to synthesize bioactive compounds with multifaceted effects.
{"title":"Morphological Variability and Adaptability and Phenolic Content of Ajuga iva Collected from Distinct Moroccan Geographical Locations","authors":"Laila Lahrizi, F. Errachidi, D. Ousaaid, Lahsen El Ghadraoui","doi":"10.3390/ijpb14030057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb14030057","url":null,"abstract":"Adaptation plasticity constitutes a key factor in the development of such plants under different ecoclimatic conditions. The current study was designed to determine the morphological and phenotypic variability of Ajuga iva collected from distinct geographical locations in Morocco and their phenolic content. Four samples of Ajuga iva were collected to evaluate the morphological variability and adaptability to ensure the sustainable growth of this medicinal plant known for its unique biological properties. Eleven morphological parameters were selected, including length, width, number, distance, and the thickness of different parts, as well as total phenolic content. Statistical tools, such as principal component analysis, and correlation were used to assess the change in the parameters under study based on the geographical origin. Treatment of the obtained results revealed a high variability of morphological parameters of different samples according to the site and altitude, and the interaction between the studied factors. The sample collected from Jbel Zerhoun registered the highest values of the following morphological parameters: APL (12.47 ± 2.09 cm), UPL (6.56 ± 0.40 cm), APW (3.28 ± 1.59 g), UPW (1.24 ± 0.19 g), LW (0.40 ± 0.10 cm), LN (44 ± 4), and NN (21.33 ± 2.51). The samples collected from an altitude above 1000 m showed the highest values of different morphological parameters (aerial part length and weight, underground part weight, leaf number and weight, and node number) and registered the maximum of TPC (124.12 mg GAE/g, 128.86 mg GAE/g, and 164.75 mg GAE/g for samples collected from Immouzzer Kander, Jbel Zerhoun, and Azrou, respectively). Therefore, the samples from high elevations can resist environmental critical conditions by the emergence of different biochemical processes to synthesize bioactive compounds with multifaceted effects.","PeriodicalId":38827,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plant Biology","volume":"90 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81939641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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