Hydraulic conductance and soil water potential at the soil-root interface of Pinus pinaster seedlings inoculated with different dikaryons of Pisolithus sp

Seedlings of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) were inoculated with different dikaryons of Pisolithus sp. from South Africa to determine the influence of extension of the extramatrical phase and diameter of the mycelial strands on water relations parameters including xylem water potential (Psi(x)), soil water potential at the soil-root interface (Psi(s)) and hydraulic conductance (L(p)) during and after a period of water stress. Seedlings inoculated with dikaryons having an extensive extramatrical phase and large diameter mycelial strands showed higher Psi(s) (-2 MPa) during severe water stress than seedlings inoculated with dikaryons producing fine hyphae and sparse extramatrical phases (-3.8 MPa). Seedlings inoculated with strand-forming dikaryons recovered faster from water stress than did non-inoculated seedlings or seedlings inoculated with non-strand-forming dikaryons. Architectural aspects of the extramatrical phase, including the presence of large diameter mycelial strands or fine hyphae, influenced the soil-root contact and the water relations of an inoculated host plant. When water stress was not limiting, the architecture of the extramatrical phase did not have a large effect on Psi(s). It is suggested that the architecture of the extramatrical phase influences the resistance to water flow through the soil-root interface and that large mycelial strands increase the water flow by bridging the gap between the soil and the root. These changes in physiology indicate that dikaryons can improve the survival of Pinus pinaster under dry conditions.     

Growth response of Pinus pinaster Ait. to climatic variables in central Spanish forests

? The effect of climatic variables (temperature and precipitation) on radial growth of the Mediterranean Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) was studied using dendrochronological techniques in the Iberian Peninsula.

? Ten tree-ring width chronologies, along the central distribution area of the species, were built. Chronology variability was analysed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for the period 1952–2005.

? The first principal component (PC1) explained 56% of tree-growth variability. Tree-growth association with climate was analysed at regional and local scales using correlation coefficient and bootstrapped response functions.

? Radial growth at both scales was positively correlated with rainfall during and prior to the growing season at all sites, and with summer rainfall before the growing season at five sites. Mean temperature effect changed according to the sampling site, from non-significant at the highest sites to significant (positive relationship in winter) at the lowest sites. Growth season temperature also had a negative effect.

? The Kalman filter was applied to estimate changing association between growth and climate over-time. Results suggested a change in association, initiated in the 80s, from non-significant to significant (*p < 0.05) at six of the sampling sites.

? Pinus pinaster is an accurate species for analysing tree-growth association with climate and for studying plant behaviour under global change conditions.

     

Optimization of seasonality and mother plant nutrition for vegetative propagation of Pinus pinaster Ait

Due to the high economic importance of Pinus pinaster Ait., there is considerable interest in developing, improving and extending the use of its families for mass clonal propagation and in breeding programmes. In the current study, we evaluated shoot growth, rooting ability and mini-cuttings production of P. pinaster in response to nitrogen fertilization and seasons. We compared eight half-sib families of P. pinaster from Asturias and Galicia (Northern Iberian Peninsula), searching for useful parameters and growing conditions to be included in a mass propagation program for clonal family forestry. We fertilized P. pinaster seedling mother plants kept in a greenhouse with three levels of nitrogen: high (HN), medium (MN) and low (LN) to evaluate rooting ability of mini-cuttings. In addition, we evaluated the maximal potential production of rooted mini-cuttings considering nine cycles of propagation over 1?year, also using three levels of nitrogen. The HN treatment significantly influenced the rooting process, with length, area and volume of roots all being positively affected. Spring was the most favourable season for mini-cuttings in the HN treatment. This study provides valuable new information to optimize the clonal propagation protocol for P. pinaster and shows that the mini-cuttings technique has great potential in mass scale cloning, providing high quality sprout production and well-formed new plants.     

Resin tapping in Pinus pinaster: effects on growth and response function to climate

Pinus pinaster is of great ecological and economic importance and has traditionally been subjected to intensive uses such as wood and resin extraction. In the last decade, dendrochronological methods are increasingly being used to analyze the effects of climatic factors on the growth of the maritime pine, although tapped trees were generally avoided because it was thought that their growth was affected by resin extraction. In Spain, however, it is hard to find a long-lived forest of P. pinaster that has not been subjected to tapping for resin. In the present paper, we performed dendrochronological analyses of this species from wood cores and cross sections taken from both resin-tapped trees and resin-untapped trees killed by a fire in 2008 in the central Iberian region. On the one hand, we reconstructed the history of forest management by means of analysis of resin scars in the cross sections of resin-tapped trees. This facet of dendrochronological dating had not heretofore been developed, and little is therefore known about it. We dated 46 scars, which indicate a history of intensive resin extraction in the 1920–1950 period. Moreover, we attempted to answer the question: Have the old resin extractions in P. pinaster precluded the use of their growth rings for dendrochronological and dendroclimatic studies? We found that resin extraction did not alter general short-wavelength variability, and we developed a local chronology with all synchronized series, and the response function with respect to climate is similar to other oldest P. pinaster forests studied in Spain. The information we have recorded can be of use for providing tools to land managers for interpreting forest dynamics in resin-tapped regions.     

赤松幼苗接种菌根真菌生长效应的初步研究

以赤松幼苗接种松茸菌进行盆栽和圃地栽培试验,研究菌根菌感染数量和菌根菌对苗木生长效应的影响。结果表明:在盆栽条件下,三种处理根系菌根真菌的感染指数分别为80、50、3,截根接种和不截根接种分别为对照的26.7倍和16.7倍,且截根处理是不截根的1.6倍;幼苗苗高、地径生长量显著提高,干重比对照分别增加33.3%和18.5%。在圃地条件下,截根接种与不截根接种的幼苗苗高、地径生长量比对照分别提高5.4%、4.2%和14.9%、6.9%。     

Growth and water relations of three geographically separate origins of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) under saline conditions

Water relations and growth of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) were investigated in 2-year-old seedlings of French ('Landes'), Iberian ('Iberian') and Moroccan ('Tamjoute') origin raised for 67 days in a flowing solution culture system containing 0, 50, 150 or 250 mM NaCl. Height growth, and stem, needle and root dry matter were reduced by salinity with minor differences among geographic origins. Predawn needle water potential was decreased by salinity and corresponded approximately to the osmotic potential of the nutrient solution. Stomatal conductance was reduced according to the amount of salinity applied. Whole-plant hydraulic conductance was also reduced, even when expressed on a root dry weight basis. The osmotic potential of xylem sap was five- to sixfold lower than that of the nutrient solution. Seedlings of the most southerly origin (Tamjoute) exhibited a greater ability to decrease osmotic potential under saline conditions than seedlings of more northerly origin (Landes and Iberian) as a result of higher mineral cation transport to the shoot.     

Righting response of artificially inclined maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) saplings to wind loading

To determine if trees respond to dynamic and static loading in the same manner, 2-year-old maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) trees were subjected to different types of mechanical loading in the field. One block of trees (the control) were kept in pots and planted in the field at an angle of 0 or 45 degrees to the vertical. A similar block of leaning potted trees was planted nearby and subjected to frequent, unilateral wind loading for a period of 1 s every 2 min. Half the leaning trees were oriented toward the direction of wind loading and half were oriented along the axis of wind loading. The stem profile was measured three times during the growing season to quantify the rate of stem straightening. Compression wood formation and stem shape were measured in all plants. No differences in mean height or diameter were observed between blocks and all leaning trees straightened, but not at the same rate. Although no difference in the rate of apical straightening occurred between control and wind-treated trees, the righting response of the basal part of the stem of leaning trees subjected to wind was four times greater than that of leaning trees without wind. No differences in the righting response were observed between leaning trees growing toward and trees growing away from the source of wind. No significant differences in compression wood formation were found between control trees and wind-treated trees, indicating that other factors must determine the reorientation rate of leaning trees. Results are discussed with reference to the quality of compression wood in conifers and the mechanotransductive pathway in plants.     

不同水肥对海岸松轻基质容器苗生长的影响

对1年生海岸松轻基质容器苗进行不同的水肥处理试验,结果表明,A1B1组合(每天浇水1次,施史丹利控释复合肥0.1g·盆-1)处理时,海岸松轻基质容器苗质量最好;水分为海岸松容器苗生长的限制因子.     

Functional and genetic characterization of gas exchange and intrinsic water use efficiency in a full-sib family of Pinus pinaster Ait. in response to drought

Drought is an important environmental factor in Mediterranean ecosystems affecting seedling recruitment, productivity or susceptibility to fires and pathogens. Studying water use efficiency in these environments is crucial due to its adaptive value allowing trees to cope with low water availability. We studied the phenotypic variability and genetic control of intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE(i)) and related traits in a full-sib family of Pinus pinaster under drought imposition. We detected significant differences in WUE(i) between clones of the same family and moderate heritability estimates that indicate some degree of genetic control over this trait. Stomatal conductance to water vapor was the trait most affected by drought imposition and it showed the strongest influence in WUE(i). Stomatal conductance to water vapor and specific leaf area (SLA) were the traits with highest heritabilities and they showed a significant genetic correlation with WUE(i), suggesting that selection of needles with low SLA values will improve WUE(i) in this species by reducing water losses through stomatal control.     

Growth, survival, and genetic variability of Austrian pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) seedlings in response to water deficit

Drought is one of the crucial factors limiting plant growth and is expected to become even more limiting in many regions as the effects of climate change increase. Knowledge of genetic adaptation to environmental factors can help develop strategies for successful reforestation in arid terrain. In this study, Austrian pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) seedlings grown from seed collected from 40 open-pollinated families from five Balkan Peninsula provenances were evaluated for survival and growth under imposed drought. Within each provenance, seed was collected from an extremely harsh habitat and from a favorable habitat. One-year-old seedlings, from each provenance, habitat type and open pollinated family were transplanted into three “stressbeds”, each designed to simulate different levels of water availability by filling with varying ratios of crushed stone and soil. Seedling height growth and survival were recorded every 20–30?days from April–September. In all provenances, seedlings grown from seed originating from the harsh habitats had lower survival regardless of stressbed treatment compared to those grown from seed collected from favorable habitats, with the exception of one population from the Vi?egrad provenance which had high survival rates throughout. Overall height growth was very low and did not follow consistent patterns among treatment groups. Cluster analyses of survival data showed that populations from a similar habitat generally grouped together, regardless of provenance. The lowest and highest survival values were found in seedlings from harsh habitats, while those from the favorable habitats clustered in the mid-range. These results suggest that higher seed quality from productive stands may be the most influential factor determining seedling vigor under drought stress and that genetic adaptation to drought was not detected in adjacent populations having different habitat conditions.     

稳态营养与Pt菌根化在湿地松育苗中的应用

在苗圃地培育湿地松苗木 ,分别进行 4种处理 :①稳态营养 Pt菌剂 ;②不施肥 Pt菌剂 ;③稳态营养 松林土 ;④常规施肥 松林土。生长季末测定苗木的高度和地径。测定各小区标准木的叶、茎、根鲜重及干重 ,侧根条数和总长。按“十分法”目测吸收根外生菌根感染率。观测结果表明 ,湿地松苗木形成外生菌根的能力较强 ,无论是人工接种还是天然感染 ,菌根感染率均超过 85 % ,其中稳态营养下 ,人工接种Pt菌剂感染率最高 ,可达94 8%。稳态营养人工接种Pt菌剂处理的苗木生长最佳 ;稳态营养下松林土处理的苗木其次 ;人工接种Pt菌剂但不施肥处理的苗木再次 ;常规施肥 松林土处理最差。如稳态营养人工接种Pt菌剂处理与人工接种Pt菌剂但不施肥处理相比较 ,苗木的株高、地径分别提高 2 0 5 %、14 0 % ;侧根条数及总长分别提高 2 5 6 %、4 0 9% ;叶、茎、根、整株鲜重分别提高 34 6 %、4 3 7%、38 8%、37 0 % ;各部分干重分别提高 2 5 7%、38 6 %、4 2 4 %、32 7%。稳态营养人工接种Pt菌剂处理与常规施肥松林土处理相比较 ,各项指标的差异更加明显。充分体现了稳态营养与Pt菌根化的综合效应 ,同时说明稳态营养条件下 ,靠松林土感染真菌形成菌根也能获得较好的生长结果。但是 ,仅靠人工接种优良菌剂 ,不科学     

Growth and soluble proteins of cell cultures derived from explants and protoplasts of Pinus pinaster cotyledons

Pinus pinaster Ait. cell suspension cultures were derived from chopped cotyledons and from cotyledon protoplasts. When transferred after 12 weeks in culture, growth of both cell types showed a lag of 5 days followed by an exponential phase of 14 days for the protoplast-derived cells and 23 days for the organ-derived cells. During the exponential growth phase, packed cell volume of protoplast-derived cultures increased 7-fold and that of organ-derived cultures 13-fold. During the stationary phase, the diameters of protoplast-derived cells averaged 80 microm and those of organ-derived cells 100 microm. After 30 days, the media containing protoplast-derived and organ-derived cells decreased in osmolarity by 50 and 120 mOs per kg water, respectively, and in pH by 1.4 and 2.0 units, respectively. Throughout the growth cycle, protein content per unit of packed cell volume was always at least 35% higher in the protoplast-derived cultures than in the organ-derived cultures. Two-dimensional electrophoretic separation of soluble proteins revealed three peptides present in protoplast-derived cells that were absent from organ-derived cells and two peptides present in organ-derived cells that were absent from protoplast-derived cells. Other peptides differed quantitatively between the cell types.     

Steady-state nutrition of Pinus resinosa seedlings: response to nutrient loading, irrigation and hardening regimes

To test effects of fertilization on late-season growth and nutrient content of container-grown red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.), seedlings were subjected to a factorial combination of two fertilization regimes (exponentially increasing concentrations providing 25 (1N) and 75 (3N) mg N seedling(-1), respectively) and two irrigation regimes (well-watered and water-stressed) followed by drought-hardening or nonhardening. The fertilization treatments gave rise to steady-state nutrition in the seedlings during the prehardening phase. The 3N treatment increased macronutrient uptake significantly more than dry matter production, particularly in the roots, giving rise to what has been called luxury consumption of nutrients, or nutrient loading. Nutrient loading was higher in well-watered seedlings than in water-stressed seedlings. Among well-watered seedlings, relative growth rate of nutrient-loaded seedlings was more sensitive to drought during the hardening phase than that of nonloaded seedlings. However, when watering was resumed at the end of the hardening treatment, the relative growth rate of the nutrient-loaded seedlings (421%) exceeded that of the nonloaded seedlings (213%). Nitrogen accumulation was also higher in nutrient-loaded seedlings than in nonloaded seedlings during the post-hardening phase.     

Growth response of Moringa oleifera (Lam) to water stress and to arid bioclimatic conditions

Agroforestry Systems - A major challenge in agroforestry is the selection of the plant species involved in the systems. This issue is drawing more attention lately due to the changing climate...     

Adventitious sprouting of Pinus leiophylla in response to salt stress

Context

Although adventitious shoots are produced in many tree species in response to injury, little is known about the effects of salinity on sprouting.

Aims

The main objective was to examine the sprouting capacity of Pinus leiophylla seedlings in relation to injury and physiological changes induced by NaCl.

Methods

Seedlings were grown in controlled-environment growth rooms and treated with 0, 100, 150, and 200 mM NaCl. Numbers of adventitious shoots were recorded and growth and physiological parameters measured after 64 days of treatments and following a 30-day recovery period.

Results

NaCl treatments triggered sprouting of adventitious shoots, mainly in the lower parts of the stems. However, fewer sprouts were induced by 200 mM NaCl compared with the lower concentration treatments. These changes were accompanied by needle necrosis, decreased chlorophyll concentrations, seedling dry mass, and stem diameter. Stomatal conductance, net photosynthesis, and root hydraulic conductance decreased with increasing NaCl concentrations and did not return to the control levels after 30 days of stress relief.

Conclusions

Pinus leiophylla has the regeneration potential when exposed to salinity. However, very high salt concentrations induce severe physiological impairments and, consequently, a decrease of this regeneration potential.     

不同磷水平条件下彩色豆马勃对加勒比松苗木生长的作用*

将彩色豆马勃Ｃｏｋｅｒ ｅｔ ｃｏｕｃｈ子实体制成孢子悬浮液菌剂，在６个Ｐ水平处理上，接种加勒比松容器苗，育苗及造林试验的结果表明，接种苗木的生长优于未接种的，根径和干重两项指标尤为明显。Ｐ肥对容器苗的生长有明显作用，适宜的Ｐ浓度会促进菌根化苗木的生长。总体来说，在Ｐ浓度０．５％－７．０％的范围内，接种彩色豆马勃的处理最为理想。     

Osmotic adjustment in three-year-old seedlings of five provenances of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) in response to drought

Three-year-old seedlings of five provenances of Pinus pinaster Ait. that differed in climatic conditions at their geographical origin were subjected to decreasing soil water availability. The degree of needle osmotic adjustment (OA) was estimated based on logarithmic plots of needle relative water content (RWC) against needle osmotic potential (Psi(pi)); i.e., lnRWC versus -ln(-Psi(pi)). There were significant differences among provenances in active OA (0.13 to 0.30 MPa for a decrease in RWC to 80%), and a clear negative relationship was found between OA and precipitation (650 to 1280 mm of mean annual rainfall) at the geographical origins of the provenances. A high osmoregulatory capacity contributes to the maintainance of positive turgor at low water potentials. We conclude that OA is one of the mechanisms underlying adaptation to drought in P. pinaster. Solute accumulation was about 2.3 times higher in the provenance from the driest site than in the provenance from the wettest site. The contribution of osmotic adjustment to differences in drought tolerance mechanisms among provenances is discussed.     

Growth and nutrition of containerized Pinus Resinosa seedlings at varying moisture regimes

Containerized red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) seedlings were grown over a 16-week rotation at different irrigation treatments to assess moisture stress on plant growth and nutrition, and to evaluate container capacity as a guide for irrigation. Wet, moist and dry moisture regimes were induced by watering trees to the container capacity weight of the growing medium after declining to respective 92, 73 and 57% of this reference weight. The seedlings received the same amount of fertilizer over the growth period. Maximum shoot and root growth was attained under the wet moisture regime, but biomass was reduced 21 and 43% for the moist and dry regimes. Plant nutrient concentrations were not significantly affected by watering treatment, and vector diagnosis of dry matter production and element composition indicated that macronutrients were non-limiting. Seedling nutrient uptake however, was significantly diminished by moisture stress which was attributed to decreased root growth and lower mass flow and diffusion of nutrients when moisture availability was reduced in the peat rooting media. Container capacity was found to be a sensitive reference for judging the watering requirements of greenhouse-grown containerized seedlings. The method can be relatively easily applied on an operational basis.     

Growth, nutrition, photosynthesis and transpiration responses of longleaf pine seedlings to light, water and nitrogen

Early growth and physiology of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) seedlings were studied in response to light, water and nitrogen under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted with 1-year-old seedlings grown in 11.3 l pots. The experimental design was a split-plot factorial with two levels (low and high) of each of the factors, replicated in three blocks. The four factorial combinations of water and nitrogen were randomly applied to 15 pots (sub-plots) in each of the light treatment (main plot). Data were collected on survival, root collar diameter (RCD), and height on a monthly basis. Biomass (shoot, root and needle), leaf area index, specific needle area, and needle nutrient (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) concentrations were determined following final harvest after 16 months. Physiological data (net photosynthesis and transpiration) were collected monthly from March to July during the second growing season.

Height and RCD were significantly influenced by nitrogen and water and by the interaction between them with no apparent effect of light. Seedlings grew 93% taller in the high nitrogen and well watered (HNWW) treatment compared to the low nitrogen and water stressed (LNWS) treatment. Similarly, a significant increase (78%) in RCD was observed for seedlings in the HNWW treatment over the LNWS treatment. Light, along with water and nitrogen, played an important role in seedling biomass growth, especially when water was not limiting. Biomass partitioning (as measured by root:shoot ratio) was affected only by nitrogen and water. Nutrient stress had a greater influence on carbon allocation (69% increase in root:shoot ratio) than water stress (19% increase). Net photosynthesis (P_net) was significantly higher for seedlings in the high resource than in the low resource treatments with significant light×water and nitrogen×water interactions. Transpiration rate was higher (75%) under the WW treatment compared to the WS treatment. Longleaf pine seedlings grown under the LNWW treatment had the lowest foliar nitrogen (0.71%) whereas seedlings in the HNWS treatment had the highest (1.46%). Increasing the availability of light (through larger canopy openings or controlling midstory density) and soil nitrogen (through fertilization) may not result in greater P_net and improved seedling growth unless soil water is not limiting.     

Seasonal water stress and the resistance of Pinus yunnanensis to a bark-beetle-associated fungus

We examined the influence of seasonal water stress on the resistance of Pinus yunnanensis (Franch.) to inoculation with Leptographium yunnanense, a pathogenic fungus associated with the aggressive bark beetle, Tomicus n. sp. Experiments took place between October 1997 and November 1999 in two plots located at the top and at the foot of a hill in Shaogiu, China, a region characterized by dry winters and wet summers. Following isolated and mass fungal inoculations, we observed the reaction zone length, fungal growth in the phloem, and the occlusion, blue-staining and specific hydraulic conductivity of the sapwood. Measurements of soil and needle water contents and predawn needle water potentials confirmed that trees were subject to mild water stress during winter, especially at the drier hilltop site. Measures of tree resistance to fungal infection of phloem and sapwood were congruent and indicated that trees were most susceptible to inoculation during the wet summer, especially at the lower-elevation plot. Specific hydraulic conductivity decreased after inoculation in summer. The results indicate that mild seasonal water stress is not likely responsible for the recent extensive damage to young P. yunnanensis stands by Tomicus n. sp. in the vicinity of our study plots. Rather, the results suggest that mild water stress enhances tree resistance to fungal pathogens associated with Tomicus n. sp.