ELICE16INDURES ®: a plant immune-priming activator targeting jasmonate metabolism via TIFY and RHOMBOID proteins in Hordeum vulgare

Priming activity of plant-based allelochemicals is advanced research nowadays meaning a high potential in sustainable agriculture. The ELICE16INDURES® (RIMPH LTD, Hungary) plant conditioner of CO2 botanical extracts is rich in plant-active ingredients such as phenolic compounds, alkaloids, and flavonoids formulated in small multilamellar liposomes. This product was investigated in autumn barley (Hordeum vulgare). Field experiments of ELICE16INDURES showed augmented NDVI values interconnected with higher photosynthetic activity and yield increase. Background of the better vitality of plants was investigated by whole genomic gene expression profiling and showed an enhanced response to wounding, jasmonic acid, oxidative detoxification, and chloroplast activity. Among top 50 differentially expressed genes the TIFY domain protein TIFY11B and RHOMBOID-like protein 2 related to JA signaling were up-regulated in field-collected samples. Phytotron experiments of barley were set up to validate and evaluate the transcriptomic effect of ELICE16INDURES. Well-studied priming active agents such as salicylic acid and beta-aminobutyric acid were compared with ELICE16INDURES and confirmed as priming inducer material with positive regulation of TIFY11B, TIFY3B, TIFY9, TIF10A, and RHOMBOID like protein 2 by using NGS GEx and RT-qPCR methods.

Photothermal response of sympodium development and flowering in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) under controlled conditions

In two phytotron experiments with different potato cultivars (experiment 1: cv. Atzimba and Van Gogh; experiment 2: cv. Spunta and Desiree), a study was made of the effects of temperature (15-27 degrees C) and photoperiod (long day, LD, or short day, SD) on sympodial development and shoot, leaf and flower production. In experiment 1, data on the entire shoot were collected, whereas in experiment 2 only leaf and flower production of the main and secondary stems were measured. In experiment 1, increasing the temperature in both SD and LD treatments, and increasing the photoperiod at 15 degrees C increased the number of lateral shoots, and the numbers of inflorescences and leaves of the sympodium and of the entire shoot. In experiment 2, the number of flower primordia and survival of flower primordia of individual inflorescences increased with the photoperiod and with temperature up to 23 degrees. At 27 degrees, flower development was suppressed. Total leaf and flower production per plant were largely a function of lateral shoot production. Increasing temperature and photoperiod increased the number of leaves of individual shoots in most treatments. However, the effects on leaf and flower production of individual shoots were relatively small, except for the effect of a temperature increase from 23 to 27 degrees in experiment 2. The photoperiodic response of the time till flowering of individual shoots was facultative SD or daylength-neutral, depending on the cultivar and stem position.

Submergence of Rice. II. Adverse Effects of Low CO2 Concentrations

Submergence of rice in water at low CO2 concentrations was studied in phytotron experiments using plants in the 3rd to 4th leaf stage. Cultivars known to differ in tolerance to complete submergence were adversely affected by the same mechanisms but to a different degree. Submergence for 4-12 days either reduced dry weight production of the whole plant by 6 to 10 fold or even resulted in a loss of dry weight. Nevertheless, the emerging leaf elongated, and both ethanol insoluble material and protein content increased with time. These increases were associated with translocation of dry matter and nitrogen from expanded to expanding leaves. Submergence also reduced concentrations of soluble sugars and starch in all plant parts by 4 to 12 fold. In contrast, concentrations of potassium and free amino acids in shoots were either the same or, in the case of the emerging leaf, higher than in plants which were not submerged. These results indicate (i) these solutes were not limiting growth and (ii) the tissues retained their semipermeability to these solutes during submergence. Insufficient capacity of root metabolism in submerged plants was indicated by low rates of respiration, which persisted in the presence of glucose, and by a low ability to consume ethanol. A model is presented on the adverse effects of submergence of rice which considers possible interactions between CO2, low O2 and high ethylene concentrations.

AVAILABILITY OF SUBSOIL SULPHATES TO BARLEY AND RAPESEED

Increased use of sulphur (S) fertilizers in southern Alberta led to a series of field and phytotron experiments to investigate the importance of S fertilizers and the role of subsoil reserves of sulphate sulphur (SO4-S) for barley (Hordeum vulgare) and rapeseed (Brassica napus). Two types of experiments were conducted. In the field-plot studies, barley was grown on dryland soils low in surface SO4-S but underlain by subsoil high in SO4-S. Neither elemental nor SO4 forms of S significantly increased barley yields in a series of 10 experiments on those soils. The comparisons were made at three levels of N fertilizers. In a series of lysimeter studies, three successive crops were grown in soil low in inorganic S (2.0 μg SO4-S∙g−1), or soil supplemented with 25 μg 35SO4-S∙g−1 soil at specified depths in the lysimeters. Barley was adequately supplied with S from SO4-S at a depth of 54–72 cm. It obtained 55% of its S from a high SO4-S (25 μg∙g−1) layer of soil at that depth, although 40 days growth were required before the S was effectively utilized. Five times as much S was taken up by the barley when the entire soil received an additional 25 μg SO4-S∙g−1 as when only the 54- to 72-cm depth was supplemented; however, the yields were unaffected. Most of the excess S was retained in the straw. Rapeseed took up an increasing amount of SO4-S as the proportion of the lysimeters that initially contained SO4-S was increased. Rapeseed was also able to utilize SO4-S from a depth of 54–72 cm. Rapeseed showed deficiency symptoms when most of the added and soil reserves of S had been depleted by previous crops; its growth habit became indeterminate and seeds did not develop. Although total dry matter yield was not greatly affected, seed yield was markedly reduced in S-deficient rapeseed. Rapeseed took up 10 times as much S as did barley when the S supply was just adequate for seed production. Although rapeseed had a much higher S requirement than barley, both crops were adequately supplied by subsoil reserves of SO4-S under the field and controlled environment conditions studied. The studies suggest that fertilizer recommendations should be based on soil analysis to a depth of at least 60 cm. Key words: Sulphur fertilizer, sulphates, 35S, barley, rapeseed, nutrient uptake

Effect of a switch in photoperiod on the reproductive development of temperate hybrids of maize.

The reaction of maize to a switch in light phase was investigated in 3 phytotron experiments. Number of leaves was increased by a long-day phase (20 h) before tassel initiation but was not affected thereafter. Reproductive development was delayed by long days before tassel initiation and slowed down by long days after tassel initiation but ear development was affected more than tassel development. The time lag between anthesis and silking increased when short days (12 h) were followed by long days and the opposite was true when long days were followed by short days. Direct responses to photoperiod such as number of leaves and tassel branches occurred over a rather short time. Indirect effects such as area of leaves, ht. of plant and length of the ear shoot were max. when daylength no longer affected the number of leaves. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)

Effect of Quantity of Light on the Early Growth and Development of the Peanut1

The effects of the quantity and quality of radiation must be determined over a period of time in order to model the growth and development of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.). Two phytotron experiments were conducted in which light intensity and the duration of light were varied and Florigiant peanuts grown. Dry weights of leaflets, petioles and stems, leaf area, and number of flowers of young noncompetitive plants were measured at four-to five-day intervals over a 39- or 46-day growth period. Top dry weight increased curvilinearly with increasing photosynthetically active radiation becoming asymptotic above about 23 E m−2 day−1. Leaf area differed due to light treatment much as did top dry weight but differences in light did affect the leaf area per gram of leaflet and the leaflet to top ratio. That the latter also was related to top weight should be useful in modeling. The main stems were quite elongated under the low light treatments but light quality may be a factor in this response. The number of flowers was markedly reduced as less light was received by the plants. Regression techniques were used to fit an equation to describe a daily radiation factor that can be used in a simulation model. This daily radiation factor compared well with those from field estimates. These relations emphasize the importance of radiation only at quite low light levels. There was no apparent interaction between intensity and duration so use of total light should be valid.