Application of the Maryblyt Model for the Infection of Fire Blight on Apple Trees at Chungju, Jecheon, and Eumsung during 2015-2020

To preventively control fire blight in apple trees and determine policies regarding field monitoring, the Maryblyt ver. 7.1 model (MARYBLYT) was evaluated in the cities of Chungju, Jecheon, and Eumseong in Korea from 2015 to 2020. The number of blossom infection alerts was the highest in 2020 and the lowest in 2017 and 2018. And the common feature of MARYBLYT blossom infection risks during the flowering period was that the time of BIR-High or BIR-Infection alerts was the same regardless of location. The flowering periods of the trees required to operate the model varied according to the year and geographic location. The model predicts the risk of “Infection” during the flowering periods, and recommends the appropriate times to control blossom infection. In 2020, when flower blight was severe, the difference between the expected date of blossom blight symptoms presented by MARYBLYT and the date of actual symptom detection was only 1-3 days, implying that MARYBLYT is highly accurate. As the model was originally developed based on data obtained from the eastern region of the United States, which has a climate similar to that of Korea, this model can be used in Korea. To improve field utilization, however, the entire flowering period of multiple apple varieties needs to be considered when the model is applied. MARYBLYT is believed to be a useful tool for determining when to control and monitor apple cultivation areas that suffer from serious fire blight problems.

Phenology and morphological flower of Prunus cerasoides Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don

Prunus cerasoides Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don, known as Himalayan cherry, is an ornamental plant that collected in Cibodas Botanical Garden. Moreover, the environment might be affecting the flowering period and morphological of P. cerasoides. This study was conducted in Cibodas Botanical Garden. It was aimed to evaluate the trend of the flowering period of P. cerasoides in Cibodas Botanical Garden during 20 years (2001-2020). The observation occurred five times, i.e. in 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015, and 2020. The results showed that P. cerasoides was able to flower two times in a year, but the period were not always the same every year. Generally, the flowering times of P. cerasoides in the first period was in January-February on 2001, 2004, 2010, and 2015, but in the second period, P. cerasoides experienced different flowering periods which is August 2001, June-August 2004, August-October 2010, and July-October 2015 with very rare/little (1%-30%) to rare/moderate (31%-60%) of flowers. In 2020, there was a significant shifting of the flowering period that P. cerasoides was flowering from March to June and the second period of flowering in October. The fruit only occurred in 2010 and 2015 with very rare/little fruit intensity (1%-30%) to rare/moderate (31%-60%).

Soil Water Availability Changes in Amount and Timing Favor the Growth and Competitiveness of Grass Than a Co-dominant Legume in Their Mixtures

The grasslands on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China are expected to be particularly responsive to the size and frequency changes of extreme precipitation events because their ecological processes are largely driven by distinct soil moisture pulses. However, the plant growth and competitiveness of co-dominant species in response to the changes in the amount and timing of soil water are still unclear. Thus, two co-dominant species, Bothriochloa ischaemum and Lespedeza davurica, were grown in seven mixture ratios under three watering regimes [80 ± 5% pot soil capacity (FC) (high watering), 60 ± 5% FC (moderate watering), and 40 ± 5% FC (low watering)] in a pot experiment. The soil water contents were rapidly improved from low to moderate water and from moderate to high water, respectively, at the heading, flowering, and maturity stages of B. ischaemum, and were maintained until the end of the growing season of each species. The biomass production of both species increased significantly with the increased soil water contents, particularly at the heading and flowering periods, with a more pronounced increase in B. ischaemum in the mixtures. The root/shoot ratio of both species was decreased when the soil water availability increased at the heading or flowering periods. The total biomass production, water use efficiency (WUE), and relative yield total (RYT) increased gradually with the increase of B. ischaemum in the mixtures. The relative competition intensity was below zero in B. ischaemum, and above zero in L. davurica. The competitive balance index calculated for B. ischaemum was increased with the increase of the soil water contents. Bothriochloa ischaemum responded more positively to the periodical increase in soil water availability than L. davurica, indicating that the abundance of B. ischaemum could increase in relatively wet seasons or plenty-rainfall periods. In addition, the mixture ratio of 10:2 (B. ischaemum to L. davurica) was the most compatible combination for the improved biomass production, WUE, and RYTs across all soil water treatments.

Climate shapes flowering periods across plant communities

AimClimate shapes the composition and function of plant communities globally, but it remains unclear how this influence extends to floral traits. Flowering phenology, or the time period in which a species flowers, has well-studied relationships with climatic signals at the species level but has rarely been explored at a cross-community and continental scale. Here, we characterise the distribution of flowering periods (months of flowering) across continental plant communities encompassing six biomes, and determine the influence of climate on community flowering period lengths.LocationAustraliaTaxonFlowering plantsMethodsWe combined plant composition and abundance data from 629 standardised floristic surveys (AusPlots) with data on flowering period from the AusTraits database and additional primary literature for 2,983 species. We assessed abundance-weighted community mean flowering periods across biomes and tested their relationship with climatic annual means and the predictability of climate conditions using regression models.ResultsCombined, temperature and precipitation (annual mean and predictability) explain 29% of variation in continental community flowering period. Plant communities with higher mean temperatures and lower mean precipitation have longer mean flowering periods. Moreover, plant communities in climates with predictable temperatures and, to a lesser extent, predictable precipitation have shorter mean flowering periods. Flowering period varies by biome, being longest in deserts and shortest in alpine and montane communities. For instance, desert communities experience low and unpredictable precipitation and high, unpredictable temperatures and have longer mean flowering periods, with desert species typically flowering at any time of year in response to rain.Main conclusionsOur findings demonstrate the role of current climate conditions in shaping flowering periods across biomes, with implications under climate change. Shifts in flowering periods across climatic gradients reflect changes in plant strategies, affecting patterns of plant growth and reproduction as well as the availability of floral resources across the landscape.

Validation of Hosta alata (Asparagaceae) as a new species and its phylogenetic affinity

Molecular phylogenetic studies of Hosta pulchella (Asparagaceae) and its relatives, which are native to Japan, have been conducted and resulted in a highly resolved phylogeny. Specifically, the relationship of H. pulchella to H. alata Hatusima, nom. nud. is investigated. These data include genome-wide SNPs obtained through conducting multiplexed ISSR genotyping by sequencing (MIG-seq). Based on these phylogenetic results, morphological observations, distribution, and differences in flowering periods of H. alata collections sympatric with H. pulchella, we find the two species closely related, but distinct. As such, we formally describe Hosta alatasp. nov. from the Oita Prefecture of Kyushu island, southwestern Japan.

Variation of Morphological, Agronomic and Chemical Composition Traits of Local Hazelnuts Collected in Northern Spain

Hazelnut is a traditional crop in northern Spain, where it grows wild as well as being cultivated. A field collection of 41 local and 17 non-local accessions, including 15 well-known cultivars, was established at SERIDA in Villaviciosa, Spain. Here, phenotypic variation was documented for phenological and morphological traits and chemical composition. A large degree of variation for most morphological and phenological traits, except nut maturity date, was revealed. Estimates of broad-sense heritability were high (>0.75) for most of the assessed characters, except for the first male bloom date (0.65), male and female flowering periods (0.40, 0.31), kernel weight (0.69), and kernel percentage (0.33). Local accessions produced smaller nuts and kernels than well-known cultivars but with higher kernel percentage. Limited overlapping between the male and female flowering periods (dychogamy) was observed, except for ‘Forcinas 1’, ‘Forcinas 2’, and ‘Morell’. The local accessions generally exhibited significantly later male and female flowering compared with the reference cultivars. The local materials showed similar nutritional values to those reported previously for hazelnut. Moreover, the local accessions presented average values similar to the non-local accessions for total fat, ash and carbohydrate contents, as well as energy value, but their protein contents were lower. Their oils were rich in functional compounds, such as unsaturated fatty acids (average: 90.1%), tocopherols (514 mg/kg) and squalene (294.3 mg/kg). A hierarchical clustering on principal components analysis grouped the accessions and differentiated eight local accessions from the rest, including the landrace ‘Casina’. This finding provides potential new cultivars, as well as sources of desirable traits, for European hazelnut breeding programs.

Determining the temporal interaction of Camellia cultivar flowering periods and camellia petal blight disease presence in Auckland, New Zealand

Botanic gardens hold diverse and valuable living collections that provide a number of research, conservation and education opportunities. Auckland Botanic Gardens (ABG) has an internationally significant collection of species and cultivar camellias that have been used for scientific research into understanding which species are susceptible to camellia petal blight. ABG has surveyed all cultivars and species in its collection over multiple years to identify which camellias are affected by petal blight and which avoid it, based on their flowering period. A total of 363 camellias were assessed for petal blight over 6 years of surveying. It was found that 245 cultivars and 6 species were susceptible to the disease, while 68 cultivars and 32 species did not display any visual symptoms. These are important findings, as enthusiasts and breeders alike may use them to inform their respective interests.

Phenology of Petersianthus Macrocarpus from 2017 to 2020 and Risk of Pollinosis in Dictrict of Abidjan

Petersianthus macrocarpus is a plant species whose pollens are potentially allergenic. This plant is present from the coast to the centre of the country. The objective of this study is to prevent populations from being exposed to the pollens of Petersianthus macrocarpus. Specifically, it was a question of defining the flowering of Petersianthus macrocarpus, evaluating the impact of the climate on this flowering and listing the populations most exposed to P. macrocarpus pollens. The study took place in Abidjan, in the commune of Yopougon, specifically in South Niangon, from September 2017 to June 2020. Sampling by quadrat allowed to determine the number of individuals, the cover, the density and the frequency of the vegetation. Floral phenology was carried out by weekly observations using binoculars. The coverage in each quadrat was 1 and the frequency 100%. Individuals less than 6 m high did not bear any flowers. Two flowering periods were observed in the years 2017 to 2019. The first was from April to June, the second from November to January. However, there was no flowering from April to June in 2020. The evolution of rainfall in 2020 was not identical to that of the three previous years. The phenology of Petersianthus macrocarpus presents periods of high risk of pollinosis and is influenced by rainfall. Increasing wind speed exposes new populations to pollen. The installation of pollen collectors is certainly necessary to establish the pollen calendar of Petersianthus macrocarpus in Côte d’Ivoire.

Sexual dimorphism in the dioecious monocot Lomandra leucocephala ssp. robusta and its potential ecosystem and conservation significance

Dioecious plants constitute 7% of all angiosperm species, yet they occur in many habitat types, partially through the deployment of sexual dimorphisms that assist in reproduction. In the present work, the dioecious monocot Lomandra leucocephala ssp. robusta (Asparagaceae: Lomandroideae) was studied to understand how sexual dimorphisms can assist species conservation and inform us of a species’ potential significance in an ecosystem. Floral display was sexually dimorphic, as male inflorescences were displayed more prominently and more conspicuously in UV range. Male nectar analysed by thin-layer chromatography contained a higher glucose content than female nectar. However, both sexes contained hexose-rich nectar, a common indicator of generalist pollination, which was supported by observations of floral visitors. Floral extract comparison conducted via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that male extracts contained more compounds that potentially convey greater resistance to biotic and abiotic threats. Chemical comparison of leaves by high performance liquid chromatography with peak area ratio analysis revealed this technique could be used as a tool for gender identification of individuals during non-flowering periods. Due to the generalist pollination mechanisms of L. leucocephala ssp. robusta, may have an important role in the conservation and support of local insect populations. The presence of chemical biotic and abiotic resistance may also make L. leucocephala ssp. robusta a significant contributor to the ongoing stabilisation of the sand dunes. Conservation efforts required for L. leucocephala ssp. robusta are likely to be minimal, as pollination services are provided by a diversity of pollinating taxa, including introduced species, which will be abundant regardless of variable flowering periods. Further observational study of L. leucocephala ssp. robusta pollinators and differences in pollinator visitation behaviours between sexes is recommended to better understand efficient pollination for the species, and potentially reveal a greater extent of ecosystem benefit for this species.