The influence of phosphorus fertilization, drought, fungal species, and nonsterile soil on mycorrhizal growth response in tall grass prairie plants

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 1199-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. Daniels Hetrick ◽  
D. Gerschefske Kitt ◽  
G. Thompson Wilson

In a series of experiments, factors effecting mycorrhizal growth response in prairie plants were examined. Two prairie grasses (Andropogon gerardii Vitman and Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash) and two forb species (Petalostemum purpureum (Venten) Rydb. and Liatris punctata Hook) benefited significantly from Glomus etunicatum Becker & Gerd. inoculation in fumigated or steamed soil. This benefit from mycorrhizae is probably related to phorphorus availability, since addition of 100 ppm phosphorus overcame the mycorrhizal growth response. No stimulation of growth occurred from additional vesicular–arbuscular, mycorrhizal inoculum to nonsterile soil. Neither was growth in nonsterile soil comparable to that achieved in inoculated, sterilized soil, suggesting a suppression of mycorrhizal growth response in nonsterile soil. In a related experiment addition of 1 or 10% nonsterile soil to sterilized, inoculated soil resulted in significantly reduced plant growth and greatly diminished mycorrhizal root colonization. Thus, soil microorganisms may suppress mycorrhizal growth responses, explaining the lack of mycorrhizal growth response observed in nonsterile soil. Of the four mycorrhizal fungi compared (Gigaspora rosea Nicol. & Schenk, Glomus deserticolum Trappe, Bloss & Menge, Glomus etunicatum Becker & Gerd., and Glomus mosseae (Nicol. & Gerd.) Gerd. & Trappe), the two indigenous species most stimulated plant growth. Under severe moisture stress (−4500 kPa) a significant mycorrhizal growth response was evident for G. etunicatum, but not for G. deserticolum inoculated plants. Growth response does not necessarily suggest drought tolerance, since the magnitude of response was similar in adequately watered and severely draughted plants.

HortScience ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 1362-1367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josh B. Henry ◽  
Ingram McCall ◽  
Brian Jackson ◽  
Brian E. Whipker

A series of experiments investigated the effects of increasing phosphate–phosphorus (P) concentrations on the growth and development of four horticultural species. In experiment 1, petunia [Petunia atkinsiana (Sweet) D. Don ex W.H. Baxter] plants were grown using eight P concentrations, and we found that the upper bound for plant growth was at 8.72–9.08 mg·L−1 P, whereas concentrations ≤2.5 mg·L−1 P caused P deficiency symptoms. Experiment 2 investigated P growth response in two cultivars each of New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri W. Bull) and vinca [Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don]. Growth for these plants was maximized with 6.43–12.42 mg·L−1 P. In experiment 3, ornamental peppers (Capsicum annuum L. ‘Tango Red’) were given an initial concentration of P for 6 weeks and then switched to 0 mg·L−1 P to observe whether plants could be supplied with sufficient levels of P, and finished without P to keep them compact. Plants switched to restricted P began developing P deficiency symptoms within 3 weeks; however, restricting P successfully limited plant growth. These experiments indicated that current P fertilization regimens exceed the P requirements of these bedding plants, and depending on species, concentrations of 5–15 mg·L−1 P maximize growth.


1994 ◽  
Vol 119 (5) ◽  
pp. 903-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Hopper ◽  
P. Allen Hammer ◽  
James R. Wilson

This paper details the development and verification of ROSESIM, a computer simulation model of the growth of `Royalty' roses (Rosa hybrida L.) based on experimentally observed growth responses from pinch until flowering under 15 combinations of constant photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), day temperature (DT), and night temperature (NT). Selected according to a rotatable central composite design, these treatment combinations represent commercial greenhouse conditions during the winter and spring in the midwestern United States; each selected condition was maintained in an environmental growth chamber having 12-hour photoperiods. ROSESIM incorporates regression models of four flower development characteristics (days from pinch to visible bud, first color, sepal reflex, and flowering) that are full quadratic polynomials in PPF, DT, and NT. ROSESIM also incorporates mathematical models of nine plant growth characteristics (stem length and the following fresh and dry weights: stem, leaf, flower, and total) based on data recorded every 10 days and at flowering. At each design point, a cubic regression in time (days from pinch) estimated the plant growth characteristics on intermediate days; then difference equations were developed to predict the resulting daily growth increments as third-degree polynomial functions of days from pinch, PPF, DT, and NT. ROSESIM was verified by plotting against time each simulated plant growth characteristic and the associated experimental observations for the eight factorial design points defining the region of interest. Moreover, one-way analysis of variance procedures were applied to the differences between ROSESIM predictions and the corresponding observed means for all 15 treatment combinations. At 20 days from pinch, significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed for all nine plant growth characteristics. At 30 and 40 days from pinch, only flower fresh and dry weights yielded significant differences; at flowering, none of the 13 selected responses yielded significant differences. These graphical and statistical comparisons provide good evidence of ROSESIM's ability to predict the growth response of `Royalty' roses over a wide range of constant environmental conditions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 543-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid H. Franke-Whittle ◽  
Marina Fernández-Delgado Juárez ◽  
Heribert Insam ◽  
Simon Schweizer ◽  
Andreas Naef ◽  
...  

AbstractA study on locally available composts in Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland was conducted to investigate the potential of these non-chemical based tools to increase soil health in orchards afflicted by apple replant disease (ARD). A total of 26 different composts (six to seven per country) were chosen for the study. Composts were divided into ten types according to the waste materials used as substrates in the composting process. Growth reduction is the main symptom associated with replant disease; therefore compost performance was evaluated based on the growth responses of apple rootstock plantlets in compost-amended soils in pots. These greenhouse trials were performed in one research station per country, located in an intensive apple-growing area, and soil was taken from an apple orchard affected by replanting disease. Plant growth response was measured as shoot elongation at the end of each greenhouse trial, and results showed increases in growth compared with the respective controls of 2–26% in 20 out of 26 composts evaluated. The heterogeneous nature of the composts most likely attributed to the finding that similar compost types originating from the different countries had varying effects on plant growth. Overall, no significant changes in chemical and biological properties were observed in amended soils as compared with non-amended controls. The high soil resilience was in part expected given the good organic matter content in the original soils (>2%). The bacterial communities of the composts were investigated using the COMPOCHIP microarray, and analyses showed that differences in plant growth response were mainly attributed to the microbial changes introduced into the soil through composts rather than to changes in soil chemical and biological parameters. However, the bacterial communities of composts appeared to be more influenced by geographical origin than by compost type. The results have shown that soil amendment with composts generated from locally produced wastes have the potential to reduce the effects of ARD, although the effects appear to be both compost and soil specific.


HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 750C-750
Author(s):  
Mark T.F. Highland* ◽  
Daniel C. Sclar ◽  
Elaine R. Ingham ◽  
Karen L. Gartley ◽  
James E. Swasey

Compost has great potential for use in horticulture; however, the relationship between compost feedstock materials and resultant compost characteristics must be well understood. Research examining plant growth response from the addition of compost to container growing media is limited. This research had two parts: the first part examined the relationship between compost feedstock materials and resultant mature compost characteristics. The second part investigated plant growth responses when compost replaced the peat component of container growing media. Two feedstock treatments were aerobically composted in turned windrows. Compost characteristics examined include pH, EC, C:N Ratio, Solvita Maturity, and several biological characteristics (total and active bacteria, total and active fungi, protozoa, spore forming bacteria, E. coli O157:H7, and total coliformic bacteria). To examine plant growth response, compost was substituted for peat (from 0%-40% by total volume) in container growing media. Crops tested were Antirrhinum majus `Rocket White', Viola × wittrockiana `Crown Azure', Oriental Hybrid Lilium `Siberia', and Chrysanthemum × grandiflorum `Yellow Kodiak'. Quantitative plant growth response measurements (shoot fresh and dry weight, percent root necrosis, flower number, and flower size) were recorded and compared by treatment. Despite initial feedstock differences between the two compost treatments, both resulted in similar compost biology and species richness. Coliformic bacteria and E. coli O157:H7 levels were below detection limits in final compost. Choice of compost feedstock materials had a significant effect on the chemical characteristics of the finished product. Compost replacement for peat resulted in plant growth greater than or equal to those of the control treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Nordkvist ◽  
Maartje J. Klapwijk ◽  
La rs Edenius ◽  
Christer Björkman

AbstractMost plants are subjected to damage from multiple species of herbivores, and the combined impact on plant growth can be non-additive. Since plant response to herbivores tends to be species specific, and change with repeated damage, the outcome likely depend on the sequence and number of attacks. There is a high likelihood of non-additive effects on plant growth by damage from mammals and insects, as mammalian herbivory can alter insect herbivore damage levels, yet few studies have explored this. We report the growth response of young Scots pine trees to sequential mammal and insect herbivory, varying the sequence and number of damage events, using an ungulate-pine-sawfly system. Combined sawfly and ungulate herbivory had both additive and non-additive effects on pine growth—the growth response depended on the combination of ungulate browsing and sawfly defoliation (significant interaction effect). Repeated sawfly herbivory reduced growth (compared to single defoliation) on un-browsed trees. However, on browsed trees, depending on when sawfly defoliation was combined with browsing, trees exposed to repeated sawfly herbivory had both higher, lower and the same growth as trees exposed to a single defoliation event. We conclude that the sequence of attacks by multiple herbivores determine plant growth response.


Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 370
Author(s):  
Murugesan Chandrasekaran

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate symbionts of higher plants which increase the growth and nutrient uptake of host plants. The primary objective was initiated based on analyzing the enormity of optimal effects upon AMF inoculation in a comparative bias between mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants stipulated on plant biomass and nutrient uptake. Consequently, in accomplishing the above-mentioned objective a vast literature was collected, analyzed, and evaluated to establish a weighted meta-analysis irrespective of AMF species, plant species, family and functional group, and experimental conditions in the context of beneficial effects of AMF. I found a significant increase in the shoot, root, and total biomass by 36.3%, 28.5%, and, 29.7%, respectively. Moreover, mycorrhizal plants significantly increased phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium uptake by 36.3%, 22.1%, and 18.5%, respectively. Affirmatively upon cross-verification studies, plant growth parameters intensification was accredited to AMF (Rhizophagus fasciculatus followed by Funniliforme mosseae), plants (Triticum aestivum followed by Solanum lycopersicum), and plant functional groups (dicot, herbs, and perennial) were the additional vital important significant predictor variables of plant growth responses. Therefore, the meta-analysis concluded that the emancipated prominent root characteristics, increased morphological traits that eventually help the host plants for efficient phosphorus uptake, thereby enhancing plant biomass. The present analysis can be rationalized for any plant stress and assessment of any microbial agent that contributes to plant growth promotion.


2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing Teng ◽  
Lei Ba ◽  
Deli Wang ◽  
Ling Wang ◽  
Jushan Liu

Many studies indicated that saliva from herbivores might be involved in plant growth responses when plants have been grazed. However, there is currently no general agreement on whether saliva can affect plant growth. Our aims were to determine the growth response of plants to sheep saliva after defoliation under diverse environmental conditions (different sward structures), and whether the effect of saliva is influenced by time (duration) after its application. We conducted field experiments with clipping treatments and the application of sheep saliva to the damaged parts of tillers to simulate sheep grazing on the perennial grass Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvelev during the early growing seasons. Results demonstrated that clipping with saliva application significantly increased tiller numbers 8 weeks after treatments in comparison with clipping alone. A key finding is that the effect of sheep saliva on plant growth was short-lived. Clipping with saliva application increased leaf weight in the second week, while clipping alone had no effect. Moreover, clipping with saliva application promoted the elongation of new leaves (not the old ones) in the first week whereas clipping alone was ineffective. Results also showed that there were no differences between clipping with saliva application and clipping alone for relative height growth rate and aboveground biomass. Therefore, we concluded that saliva application to clipping treatment would produce an additional effect compared to clipping alone for the plant and the positive effects are time dependent. The additional effects primarily embodied in the individual level of plant, such as the changes of leaf weight and leaf length. Beyond the level, the effects of saliva only produced many more tiller numbers rather than the accumulation of aboveground biomass.


1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 141-141
Author(s):  
M H Davies ◽  
D W Deakin

It is important that venison competes with other red meats in efficiency and cost of production. The growth responses of farmed red deer during the first 15-18 months of life have been well defined under a wide range of feeding and daylength regimes (Davies, 1995). However there is a need to examine less intensive systems of production which aim to maximise growth from grazed grass, following various growth-restriction feeding regimes during winter. The objective of this experiment was to quantify the growth response in 16-24 month old hinds fed two contrasting feeding regimes during their second winter, followed by a period at pasture.


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