Plants of the Siberian Flora exposition of the N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden RAS, listed in the Red Book of Russia

The strategy and key principles of setting up natural flora exhibits were conceptualized by the founder and first manager of the Flora Department, Prof. M. Kultiasov based on the ecological and historical method of plant introduction. The Siberian flora exhibit was among the first created by the Laboratory. Nowadays it comprises 111 species (131 specimens) belonging to 68 genera of 39 families of plants. This collection includes 5 species of plants listed in the Red Data Book of Russia, namely Anemonastrum baicalense (Turcz.) Mosyakin, Cotoneaster acutifolius Turcz., Erythronium sibiricum (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Krylov, Paeonia tenuifolia L., Leuzea carthamoides (Willd.) DC. By category of rareness, out of five these species, one (Paeonia tenuifolia) belongs to Category Two (threatened) and four species (Anemonastrum baicalense, Cotoneaster acutifolius, Erythronium sibiricum, Leuzea carthamoides) belong to Category Three (rare). By category of integrated introductory resistance, all the species introduced may be categorized as ‘resistant in a controlled environment’. Keywords: PLANT INTRODUCTION, NATIVE FLORA OF THE SIBERIA, RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS, RED DATA BOOK OF RUSSIA, MOSCOW, N. V. TSITSIN MAIN BOTANICAL GARDEN RAS

Direct Infusion Metabolomics of the Photosystem and Chlorophyll Related Metabolites within a Drought Tolerant Plant Introduction of Glycine max

Drought is the most prolific form of abiotic stress that legumes and cereal plants alike can endure, and the planting of an improper cultivar at the beginning of a season can cause unexpected losses up to fifty percent under water deficient conditions. Herein, a plant introduction (PI) of an exotic cultivar of soybean (Glycine max), PI 567731, which demonstrates a slow wilting (SW) canopy phenotype in maturity group III, was profiled under drought conditions in field trials in Missouri against a drought susceptible check cultivar, Pana. Metabolomic profiling was carried out on samples of leaves from each of these cultivars at V5 and R2 growth stages both while irrigated and while under drought stress for three weeks. PI 567731 was observed to have differential phytochemical content, and enhanced levels of chlorophyll (Chl) a/b and pheophytin (Pheo) were profiled by direct infusion electrospray Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Indicating drought induced changes of the photosystem and photosynthetic capabilities alongside water preservation strategies are important within the SW phenotype drought response. Subsequent multivariate analysis was able to form predictive models, encompassing the variance of growth and drought stress of the cultivar. Moreover, the existence of unique Chl-related metabolites (CRM) (m/z > 900) were confirmed through tandem mass spectrometry. The resultant coordination of fatty acids to the core of the porphyrin ring was observed and played an unknown role in the proliferation of the photosynthesis. However, the relative ratio of the most abundant CRM is undisturbed by drought stress in PI 567731, in contrast to the drought susceptible cultivar. These results provide key insights into drought related metabolic mechanisms.

Scanning the horizon for invasive plant threats to Florida, USA

Early detection and eradication of invasive plants are more cost-effective than managing well-established invasive plant populations and their impacts. However, there is high uncertainty around which taxa are likely to become invasive in a given area. Horizon scanning, which pairs rapid risk assessment with consensus building among experts, can help identify invasion threats. We performed a horizon scan of potential invasive plant threats to Florida, USA—a state with a high influx of introduced species, conditions that are favorable for plant establishment, and a history of negative impacts from invasive plants. We began with a list of 2128 non-native plant species and subspecies that are crop pests or invasive somewhere in the world and used publicly available data to prioritize 100 taxa for rapid risk assessment. We derived overall invasion risk scores by evaluating the likelihood and certainty of each of the 100 taxa arriving, establishing, and having an impact in Florida. Through the rapid risk assessments and a consensus-building discussion, we identified six plant taxa with high overall risk scores ranging from 75 to 100 out of a possible 125. The six taxa are globally distributed, easily transported to new areas, found in regions with climates similar to Florida’s, and can impact native plant communities, human health, or agriculture. We recommend more thorough risk assessments for each of these six species and, if appropriate, policy and management actions to limit invasive plant introduction and establishment in Florida.

Mobilization of fruit, small fruit and nut crop genetic resources in Belarus

Background. Natural populations of fruit and small fruit plants in Belarus and their specific and varietal composition for a long time attracted the attention of pomologists and breeders. Identification and mobilization of unique local forms and landraces as genetic sources of useful traits as well as monitoring duplicate collections will contribute to their more effective use in breeding practice to develop competitive domestic cultivars of various crops and reveal the adaptability of foreign cultivars to the conditions of Belarus.Methods. The itinerary of the collecting mission passed through 6 regions of the Republic of Belarus (Gomel, Minsk, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Brest, and Grodno) in 2012–2017.Results. As a result, 221 samples of fruit, small fruit and nut plants were collected, including 18 rootstocks of fruit crops. By 2021, 105 unique landraces were tested in the plant introduction and quarantine nursery and planted in the field gene bank, including 28 accessions of apple, 33 of pear, 11 of sour cherry, 5 of sweet cherry, 9 of plum, 8 of apricot, 1 of almond, 2 of hazel, 3 of garden strawberry, 1 of black chokeberry, 1 of viburnum, and 1 of bird cherry. There are plans to use the obtained accessions in breeding practice assources of valuable agronomic traits (high winter hardiness, high yield, resistance to a set of plant pathogens, etc.).

Experience of introduction of coniferous plants in the conditions of dry steppe

В Волгоградской области единственным аборигенным представителем хвойных древесных растений является J. sabina L., существования популяции одного представителя хвойных свидетельствует об однородности дендрофлоры, что может привести к деструкции экосистемы в целом. Интродукция растений как инструмент на пути к достижению биоразнообразия дендрофлоры, является наиболее практичным и перспективным методом в условиях сухой степи. Целью исследования, являлось проведение биоэкологической оценки и жизненного состояния хвойных древесных растений, а также определение степени интродукционной устойчивости условиях сухой степи. Проведена оценка шести интродуцированных древесных растений в дендроколлекциях ФНЦ Агроэкологии РАН: Juniperus virginiana L., J. communis L., J. sabina L., Thuja occidentalis L, Platycladus orientalis(L.) Franco, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Milb) Franco. Определены сроки наступления и длительность основных фенологических фаз методикой фенологических наблюдений ГБС. При отклонении среднегодовой температуре воздуха выше нормы на 1,05 ºС и годовой суммы осадков 75% от нормы, длительность проявления периода вегетации составила у J. sabina L. – 58 дней, самый короткий период у J. communis L. – 41 день, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Milb) Franco 55 дней, J. virgiana L. – 56 дней, T. occidentalis L. – 71 день, P. orientalis (L.) Franco – 68 дней. В рамках эколого-биологической оценки были исследованы такие показатели как зимостойкость, засухоустойчивость, характер пыления и семеношения. Отдельно был исследован семенной материал методом определения массы 1000 семян. Также была дана оценка декоративности, по которой определялась специфика применения того или иного вида для целей озеленения. В результате проведенных исследований рассчитали значения акклиматизационного числа для каждого вида, по которому определена степень интродукционной устойчивости в условиях сухой степи. В ходе проделанной работы даны практические рекомендации по посадке хвойных деревьев кустарников для целей озеленения. In the Volgograd region, the only native representative of coniferous woody plants is J. sabina L., the existence of a population of one representative of coniferous plants indicates the homogeneity of the dendroflora, which can lead to the destruction of the ecosystem as a whole. Plant introduction as a tool on the way to achieving dendroflora biodiversity is the most practical and promising method in the conditions of the dry steppe. The aim of the study was to conduct a bioecological assessment of the life condition of coniferous woody plants, as well as to determine the degree of introduction resistance in the conditions of the dry steppe. Six introduced woody plants were evaluated in the dendrocollections of the Federal Research Center of Agroecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Juniperus virginianaL., J. communis L., J. sabina L., Thuja occidentalis L, Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Milb) Franco. The timing of the onset and duration of the main phenological phases were determined by the method of phenological observations of HBS. With the deviation of the average annual air temperature above the norm by 1.05 ° C and the annual precipitation of 75% of the norm, the duration of the vegetation period was 58 days for J. sabina L., 41 days for J. communis L., 55 days for Pseudotsuga menziesii (Milb) Franco, 56 days for J. virgiana L., 71 days for T. occidentalis L., and 68 days for P. orientalis (L.) Franco. As part of the ecological and biological assessment, such indicators as winter hardiness, drought resistance, the nature of dusting and seed-bearing were studied. Separately, the seed material was examined by the method of determining the mass of 1000 seeds. There was also an assessment of decorativeness, which determined the specifics of the use of a particular type for landscaping purposes. As a result of the conducted studies, the values of the acclimatization number for each species were calculated, according to which the degree of introduction resistance in the conditions of the dry steppe was determined. In the course of the work done, practical recommendations are given for planting coniferous trees and shrubs for landscaping purposes.

Inheritance of Antibiosis Resistance to the Dectes Stem Borer, Dectes texanus, in Soybean PI165673

Dectes texanus larvae girdles the stems of soybean and cultivated sunflowers causing significant yield losses in North America. The soybean Plant Introduction (PI) 165673 exhibits antibiosis resistance to the larval stage. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the inheritance of D. texanus resistance in PI165673; (2) evaluate PI165673 antibiosis resistance before 21 d post infestation; (3) evaluate girdling damage in PI16563 at the end of the season. K07-1544/PI165673 F2 and F2:3 populations were tested for resistance to D. texanus in 2011 and 2012, and PI165673 antibiosis resistance and girdling damage were evaluated in 2014. Segregation for resistance to D. texanus and heritability estimates in the F2 and F2:3 populations indicated that resistance was controlled by two genes with dominant and recessive epistasis. Antibiosis evaluations indicated: (1) PI165673 contained lower number of larvae and eggs relative to the number of oviposition punctures at 15 d post infestation; (2) the proportion of first-instar larvae was higher in PI165673 at 15 d post infestation; (3) larvae reach the sixth-instar stage in PI165673. None of the PI165673 plants were girdled at the end of the season. Identification of additional sources of D. texanus resistance is required to impair larval development in the stem.

Homoclimate of Iceland’s meteorological stations for comparison with the homoclimate of some northern countries

In many fields including agroclimatology, pedology, plant introduction, environmental health and agricultural transfer, detection of areas of similar climate is of significant interest. Numerical methods including cluster analysis, similarity measures, and other techniques were used to compare climatic data from Islandian meteorological stations to classify them according to similar homoclimate. Using Euclidean distance and City-block (Manhattan) distance, data from Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Alaska state of the USA were analyzed to reveal homoclime. One of the conclusions from the study is that Iceland has a similar climate to Alaska and Norway. Climate change is already affecting agriculture, with effects unevenly distributed across the world. These changes will undoubtedly lead to a reconsideration of the question of allocation of appropriate agricultural crops to given areas and evaluation of bioclimatic resources in territories with similar climate. Results from this study are related to the territory of Iceland, but the approach to classify meteorological stations according to similar homoclimate and reveal homoclime in selected territories is applicable everywhere in the world.

Plants of the exposition of the flora of the Far East of the N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden RAS, listed in the Red Book of Russia

At present, the exposition of the flora of the Far East of the GBS RAS is represented by 626 specimens of 379 species belonging to 197 genera belonging to 76 families. The collection includes 20 plant species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation: Adlumia asiatica Ohwi, Aralia continentalis Kitag., Aralia cordata Thunb., Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom., Betula schmidtii Regel, Deutzia glabrata Kom., Dioscorea nipponica , Epimedium macrosepalum Stearn, Hydrangea petiolaris Siebold & Zucc., Iris ensata Thunb., Kalopanax septemlobus Koidz., Larix gmelinii var. olgensis (A. Henry) Ostenf. & Syrach, Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Paeonia obovata Maxim., Prinsepia sinensis (Oliv.) Hallier, Quercus dentata Thunb., Rhododendron schlippenbachii Maxim., Sanguisorba magnifica I. Schischk. & Kom., Rhodiola rosea L. Taxus cuspidata Siebold & Zucc. The tested species belong to the following categories: 1 - endangered (Aristolochia manshuriensis, Sanguisorba magnifica), 2 - decreasing in numbers and / or distribution (Adlumia asiatica, Aralia continentalis, A. cordata, Deutzia glabrata, Dioscorea gippmeonica, Larix gmelinii var.olgensis, Paeonia lactiflora, Prinsepia sinensis, Rhododendron schlippenbachii). The remaining 9 species belong to category 3 - rare plant species. According to the integrated indicator of introduction resistance, all tested species can be classified as resistant and highly resistant under culture conditions. Keywords: PLANT INTRODUCTION, NATIVE FLORA OF THE FAR EAST, RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS, RED DATA BOOK OF RUSSIA, MOSCOW, N. V. TSITSIN MAIN BOTANICAL GARDEN RAS

Distribution and Virulence Phenotypes of Soybean Cyst Nematode (Heterodera glycines) based upon Host Differentials in Jilin Province

Jilin is the dominant soybean production province in China. Soybean cyst nematode [Heterodera glycines] (SCN) is one of the most important yield-limiting factors in soybean production. Information about the distribution and virulence phenotypes of SCN in soybean fields are essential for optimizing varieties choice in the region. The distribution and virulence phenotypes of SCN in 141 soil samples from 38 cites (cities, counties and towns) across Jilin province were investigated. One hundred and four (73.76%) of the samples from all 38 cities (counties, towns) tested positive for SCN and SCN population densities were more than 5 cysts/100 mL soil in 53 samples from 27 cities (counties, towns). In those 53 samples, we identified 7 races and 12 Heterodera glycines (HG) types, with Race 3 and HG Type 7 being the most dominant genotypes. Of all the genotypes identified, Race10 and HG Type 1.7 were found for the first time in China, and HG Type 3.4.5.7 was the first reported worldwide. Thirty-eight SCN populations (34.5%) were virulent on plant introduction (PI) 548316 (#7) and 15 of them had female indices (FI) ≥ 10% on Pickett. PI 548316 and Pickett were not recommended as parents of breeding against cyst nematode in Jilin province. Peking-type resistance sources were preferred to pi88788-type in Jilin province. In addition, it was found neither the race nor HG scheme is sufficient for differentiating SCN populations in Jilin province, nor the combination of the two methods is recommended for studying the genetic diversity of SCN in Jilin province. That is, Pickett which was removed in HG scheme should be included not as an indicator line but just to separate different races from the same HG type. © 2021 Friends Science Publishers