Mistletoe ecophysiology: host–parasite interactionsThis review is one of a collection of papers based on a presentation from the Stem and Shoot Fungal Pathogens and Parasitic Plants: the Values of Biological Diversity session of the XXII International Union of Forestry Research Organization World Congress meeting held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in 2005.

Botany ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Glatzel ◽  
B. W. Geils

Mistletoes are highly specialized perennial flowering plants adapted to parasitic life on aerial parts of their hosts. In our discussion on the physiological interactions between parasite and host, we focus on water relations, mineral nutrition, and the effect of host vigour. When host photosynthesis is greatest, the xylem water potential of the host is most negative. To maintain a flux gradient and avoid stomatal closure and wilting, the mistletoe must tolerate a more negative water potential than the host. Succulent leaves enhance water storage and allow mistletoes to rehydrate before their hosts rehydrate. Mistletoe infections may disrupt the host stomatal control system, causing early and oscillating closure of host stomata, thereby diminishing host photosynthetic gain. Mistletoes lack the active uptake of minerals of a typical plant root system and rely upon the haustorium to connect with the host for the essentially one-way flow of photosynthates and nutrients from host to parasite. Modest growth rates, tolerance, succulence, and rapid leaf turnover are some means by which mistletoes avoid mineral deficiency or excess. We propose high concentrations of some mobile elements in the mistletoe by comparison with the host result not from active uptake, but from the inevitable accumulation by a parasite that utilizes host phloem sap. The relationship between host condition and mistletoe performance varies by situation and over time. In some cases, the host can outgrow the mistletoe, but favorable host status can also accelerate mistletoe growth. A better understanding of the mistletoe–host interaction can be utilized in improved management of infested forest plantations for resource production as well as for conservation of biodiversity and endangered species.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohanned Abdalla ◽  
Andrea Carminati ◽  
Gaochao Cai ◽  
Mathieu Javaux ◽  
Mutez Ahmed

<p>The fundamental question as to what triggers stomatal closure during soil drying remains contentious. Thus, we urgently need to improve our understanding of stomatal response to water deficits in soil and atmosphere.<strong> </strong>Here, we investigated the role of soil-plant hydraulic conductance (K<sub>sp</sub>) on transpiration (E) and stomata regulation. We used a root pressure chamber to measure the relation between E, leaf xylem water potential (ψ<sub>leaf-x</sub>) and soil water potential (ψ<sub>soil</sub>) in tomato. Additional measurements of ψ<sub>leaf-x</sub> were performed with unpressurized plants. A soil-plant hydraulic model was used to simulate E(ψ<sub>leaf-x</sub>) for decreasing ψ<sub>soil</sub>. In wet soils, E(ψ<sub>leaf-x</sub>) had a constant slope while in dry soils the slope decreased, with ψ<sub>leaf-x</sub> rapidly and nonlinearly decreasing for moderate increases in E. The ψ<sub>leaf-x</sub> measured in pressurized and unpressurized plants matched well, which indicates that the shoot hydraulic conductance did not decrease during soil drying and that the decrease in K<sub>sp</sub> is caused by a decrease in soil-root conductance. The decrease of E matched well the onset of hydraulic nonlinearity. Our findings demonstrate that stomatal closure prevents the drop in ψ<sub>leaf-x</sub> caused by a decrease in K<sub>sp</sub> and elucidate a strong correlation between stomatal regulation and belowground hydraulic limitation.</p>


Author(s):  
Yawen Lu ◽  
Yuxing Wang ◽  
Zhanjie Chen ◽  
Awais Khan ◽  
Carl Salvaggio ◽  
...  

Botany ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. Ostry ◽  
G. Laflamme

Forest health is described and perceived in different ways by the general public, land owners, managers, politicians, and scientists, depending on their values and objectives. Native tree pathogens and diseases are often associated with negative impacts even though damage is limited or not widespread. Too often, the concepts of tree health and forest health are used interchangeably and are not related to scale. Similar to fire, occurrences of disease outbreaks focus on the negative effects. However, native pathogens often exist in equilibrium with natural forest communities so their critical ecological roles are not easily discernible. Examined holistically, native fungi and diseases, dead and dying trees, and the many complex ecological interactions among them provide valuable benefits that ultimately contribute to sustainable, healthy forest ecosystems.


Lab on a Chip ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Moussus ◽  
Matthias Meier

High resolution live imaging promises new insights into the cellular and molecular dynamics of the plant root system in response to external cues. Microfluidic platforms are valuable analytical tools that...


Botany ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Reid ◽  
Simon F. Shamoun

Many mistletoe species are pests in agricultural and forest ecosystems throughout the world. Mistletoes are unusual “weeds” as they are generally endemic to areas where they achieve pest status and, therefore, classical biological control and broad-scale herbicidal control are usually impractical. In North American coniferous forests, dwarf mistletoe ( Arceuthobium spp.) infection results in major commercial losses and poses a public liability in recreation settings. Hyperparasitic fungi have potential as biological control agents of dwarf mistletoe, including species which attack shoots, berries, and the endophytic systems of dwarf mistletoe. Development of an inundative biological control strategy will be useful in situations where traditional silvicultural control is impractical or undesirable. In southern Australia, farm eucalypts are often attacked and killed by mistletoes ( Amyema spp.) in grazed landscapes where tree decline and biodiversity loss are major forms of land degradation. Although long-term strategies to achieve a balance between mistletoe and host abundance are promoted, many graziers want short-term options to treat severely infected trees. Recent research has revisited the efficiency and efficacy of silvicultural treatments and selective herbicides in appropriate situations. The results of recent research on these diverse management strategies in North America and Australia are summarized.


2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara de Menezes de Assis Gomes ◽  
Ana Maria Magalhães Andrade Lagôa ◽  
Camilo Lázaro Medina ◽  
Eduardo Caruso Machado ◽  
Marcos Antônio Machado

Thirty-month-old 'Pêra' orange trees grafted on 'Rangpur' lemon trees grown in 100 L pots were submitted to water stress by the suspension of irrigation. CO2 assimilation (A), transpiration (E) and stomatal conductance (g s) values declined from the seventh day of stress, although the leaf water potential at 6:00 a.m. (psipd) and at 2:00 p.m. (psi2) began to decline from the fifth day of water deficiency. The CO2 intercellular concentration (Ci) of water-stressed plants increased from the seventh day, reaching a maximum concentration on the day of most severe stress. The carboxylation efficiency, as revealed by the ratio A/Ci was low on this day and did not show the same values of non-stressed plants even after ten days of rewatering. After five days of rewatering only psi pd and psi2 were similar to control plants while A, E and g s were still different. When psi2 decreases, there was a trend for increasing abscisic acid (ABA) concentration in the leaves. Similarly, stomatal conductance was found to decrease as a function of decreasing psi2. ABA accumulation and stomatal closure occurred when psi2 was lower than -1.0 MPa. Water stress in 'Pera´ orange trees increased abscisic acid content with consequent stomatal closure and decreased psi2 values.


Plant Disease ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Liu ◽  
H. D. Luo ◽  
W. Z. Tan ◽  
L. Hu

Conyza sumatrensis (Asteraceae), an annual or biennial plant, is native to North and South America. It is an invasive, noxious weed that is widespread in southern and southeastern China. It invades farm land and causes great losses to dry land crops, including wheat, corn, and beans. It also reduces biological diversity by crowding out native plants in the infested areas (3,4). During a search for fungal pathogens that could serve as potential biological control agents of C. sumatrensis, a leaf spot disease was observed in 2010 in Chongqing, China. An isolate (SMBC22) of a highly virulent fungus was obtained from diseased leaves. Pathogenicity tests were performed by placing 6-mm-diameter mycelial disks of 7-day-old potato dextrose agar (PDA) cultures of SMBC22 on leaves of 15 healthy greenhouse-grown plants of C. sumatrensis; the same number of control plants was treated with sterile PDA disks. Treated plants were covered with plastic bags for 24 h and maintained in a growth chamber with daily average temperatures of 24 to 26°C, continuous light (3,100 lux), and high relative humidity (>90%). Lesions similar to those observed in the field were first obvious on the SMBC22-inoculated leaves 3 days after inoculation. Symptoms became severe 7 to 9 days after inoculation. Control plants remained healthy. The fungus was reisolated from inoculated and diseased leaves and it was morphologically the same as SMBC22. The pathogenicity test was conducted three times. A survey of 10 southern and southeastern Chinese provinces revealed that the disease was widespread and it attacked leaves and stems of seedlings and mature plants of C. sumatrensis. Lesions on leaves were initially small, circular, and water soaked. The typical lesion was ovoid or fusiform, dark brown, and surrounded by a yellow halo. The spots coalesced to form large lesions and plants were often completely blighted. Fungal colonies of SMBC22 on PDA plates were initially white and turned dark gray. Colonies were circular with smooth edges with obvious rings of pycnidia on the surface. Aerial hyphae were short and dense. Pycnidia, black and immersed or semi-immersed in the medium, were visible after 12 days of incubation. Pycnidia were 72 to 140 μm in diameter. Conidia were produced in the pycnidia and were hyaline, unicellular, ellipsoidal, and 4.4 to 6.1 × 1.6 to 2.2 μm. To confirm identification of the fungus, genomic DNA was extracted from mycelia of a 7-day-old culture on PDA at 25°C (2). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene of rDNA was amplified using primers ITS4/ITS5. The gene sequence was 524 bp long and registered in NCBI GenBank (No. HQ645974). BLAST analysis showed that the current sequence had 99% homology to an isolate of Phoma macrostoma (DQ 404792) from Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) in Canada and reported to cause chlorotic symptoms on that host plant (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. macrostoma causing disease on C. sumatrensis in China. P. macrostoma, thought of as a biocontrol agent of broadleaf weeds in Canada, has been patented in the United States. The current isolate of P. macrostoma is considered as a potential biocontrol agent of C. sumatrensis. References: (1) P. R. Graupner et al. J. Nat. Prod. 66:1558, 2004. (2) S. Takamatsu et al. Mycoscience 42:135, 2001. (3) W. Z. Tan et al. Page 177 in: Manual of Emergency Control Technology Invasive Pests in China. G. L. Zhang, ed. Science Press, Beijing, 2010. (4) C. Wang et al. J. Wuhan Bot. Res. 28:90, 2010.


2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Czerski

An easily operated apparatus was constructed (figs. 1,2) allowing to register the amount of the aqueous solution absorbed by a planet root system. The device allows for simultaneous registering of the solution absorption by two plants. The recording of a definite volume of the absorbed solution can be controlled within wide limits. Experiments (figs. 3,4) confirmed the efficiency of the apparatus.


1994 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick M. Bates ◽  
Alex X. Niemiera

Abstract Desiccation during storage and reestablishment is a major factor contributing to poor regrowth of transplanted bare-root trees. The effect of overhead mist irrigation on reducing post transplant water stress in Norway maple (Acer platanoides L. ‘Emerald Lustre’) and Yoshino cherry (Prunus x yedoensis) was examined. Bare-root Norway maple (desiccation tolerant) and Yoshino cherry (desiccation sensitive) trees were transplanted into pine bark-filled containers and subjected to mist or non-mist treatments. Stem xylem water potential, relative water content, and survivability were determined. Xylem water potential increased (became less negative) for misted maple and cherry trees. Water potential increased for non-misted maple and decreased for non-misted cherry trees. Twenty-seven percent of non-misted cherries were evaluated as nonmarketable due to stem dieback compared to 0% for misted trees. Results of this study indicate that mist irrigation effectively reduces desiccation damage for desiccation sensitive species such as cherries and hawthorns.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Christophe Domec ◽  
Sari Palmroth ◽  
Ram Oren

Silvicultural practices (e.g., nitrogen addition through fertilization) and environmental changes (e.g., elevated [CO2]) may alter needle structure, impacting mass and energy exchange between the biosphere and atmosphere through alteration of stomatal function. Hydraulic resistances in leaves, controlling the mass and energy exchanges, occur both in the xylem and in the flow paths across the mesophyll to evaporation sites, and therefore largely depends on the structure of the leaf. We used the Free-Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment, providing a unique setting for assessing the interaction effects of [CO2] and nitrogen (N) supply to examine how leaf morphological and anatomical characteristics control leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees subjected to ambient or elevated (+200 ppmv) CO2 concentrations (CO2a and CO2e, respectively) and to soil nitrogen amendment (N). Our study revealed that CO2e decreased the number of tracheids per needle, and increased the distance from the xylem vascular bundle to the stomata cavities, perturbing the leaf hydraulic system. Both treatments induced a decrease in Kleaf, and CO2e also decreased leaf extravascular conductance (Kextravascular), the conductance to water flow from the xylem to the leaf-internal air space. Decline in Kleaf under CO2e was driven by the decline in Kextravascular, potentially due to longer path for water movement through the mesophyll, explaining the decline in stomatal conductance (gs) observed under CO2e. This suggests that the distance from vascular conduits to stomata sub-cavity was a major constraint of leaf water transport. Across treatments our results showed that needle vein conductivity was slightly more limited by the lumen than by the bordered-pits, the latter accounting for 30-45% of vein resistance. CO2e-induced reduction in Kleaf was also consistent with an increased resistance to xylem collapse due to thicker cell wall. In addition, stomatal closure corresponded to the water potential inducing a reduction in 50% of leaf vascular conductance (Kvascular) via xylem wall rupture. The water potential that was estimated to induce complete xylem wall collapse was related to the water potential at turgor loss. Our study provided a framework for understanding the interaction between CO2e and N availability in affecting leaf anatomy, and the mechanisms for the response of Kleaf to the treatments. These mechanisms can be incorporated into predictive models of gs, critical for estimating forest productivity in water limited environments in current and future climates and a landscape composed of sites of a range in soil N fertility. 


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