Evaluating wild grapevine tolerance to copper toxicity

We evaluate copper tolerance and accumulation in Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris in populations from a copper contaminated site and an uncontaminated site, and in the grapevine rootstock "41B", investigating the effects of copper (0-23. mM) on growth, photosynthetic performance and mineral nutrient content. The highest Cu treatment induced nutrient imbalances and inhibited photosynthetic function, causing a drastic reduction in growth in the three study plants. Effective concentration was higher than 23. mM Cu in the wild grapevines and around 9. mM in the "41B" plants. The wild grapevine accessions studied controlled root Cu concentration more efficiently than is the case with the "41B" rootstock and must be considered Cu-tolerant. Wild grapevines from the Cu-contaminated site present certain physiological characteristics that make them relatively more suitable for exploitation in the genetic improvement of vines against conditions of excess Cu, compared to wild grapevine populations from uncontaminated site

Soil physicochemical properties associated with the yield and phytochemical composition of the edible halophyte Crithmum maritimum

There is growing interest in the consumption of halophytes due to their excellent nutritional profile and antioxidant properties, and because their cultivation offers viable alternatives in the face of irreversible global salinization of soils. Nevertheless, abiotic factors strongly influence their phytochemical composition, and little is known about how growing conditions can produce plants with the best nutritional and functional properties. Crithmum maritimum is an edible halophyte with antioxidant properties and considerable potential for sustainable agriculture in marginal environments. However, it is found naturally in contrasting habitats with a wide range of soil physicochemical properties and the extent to which edaphic factors can influence plant performance, accumulation of phytochemicals and their quality remains unknown. We investigated the influence of soil physicochemical properties (texture, pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter content and mineral element concentrations) on growth and reproductive performance, nutritional traits, and the accumulation of specific metabolites in C. maritimum. Soil, leaf and seed samples were taken from eight C. maritimum populations located on the southern coasts of Spain and Portugal. We found greater vegetative growth and seed production in coarser, sandier soils with lower microelement concentrations. The nutritional traits of leaves varied, with soil organic matter and macronutrient content associated with reduced leaf Na, protein and phenolic (mainly flavonoid) concentrations, whereas soils with lower pH and Fe concentrations, and higher clay content yielded plants with lower leaf Zn concentration and greater accumulation of hydroxycinnamic acids. The nutritional value of the seed oil composition appeared to be enhanced in soils with coarser texture and lower microelement concentrations. The accumulation of specific phenolic compounds in the seed was influenced by a wide range of soil properties including texture, pH and some microelements. These findings from a wide range of natural populations will inform the commercial cultivation of C. maritimum, particularly in the economic exploitation of poorly utilized, saline soils

Efecto de la variabilidad de las propiedades físico-químicas del suelo en el rendimiento de la halófita costera Crithmum maritimum L.

Póster presentado en el XV Congreso Nacional de la AEET. "El valor de la naturaleza par una sociedad global"18-21 de octubre, Plasencia, CáceresEl hinojo marino (Crithmum maritimum L.) es una planta halófita perenne perteneciente a la familia Apiaceae, típica de ecosistemas costeros de Europa Occidental. Dada su elevada calidad nutricional para consumo humano, en los últimos años diferentes estudios han resaltado su potencial como cultivo comercial para la agricultura salina, una alternativa sostenible y prometedora ante la creciente salinización de las tierras agrícolas. Sin embargo, existe una falta de información referente a los rangos de tolerancia de la especie frente a los principales factores ambientales ligados a su cultivo, a lo que se suman diversas dificultades prácticas ligadas al cultivo de una especie no domesticada. Además, varios estudios han puesto de manifiesto un alto grado de variabilidad en los rangos de tolerancia a la sal, así como en el perfil nutricional en función de la procedencia geográfica del material. En este estudio se analizó el rendimiento de la especie (en términos de crecimiento, productividad, éxito reproductivo y calidad nutricional) en relación a las propiedades físico-químicas del suelo (pH, conductividad eléctrica, textura, contenido en materia orgánica y macro- y micronutrientes) en siete poblaciones naturales, representativas de los diferentes tipos de hábitat de la especie, localizadas en el sur de la Península Ibérica. Los resultados de este estudio permiten avanzar en el conocimiento ecológico y los mecanismos de tolerancia de las halófitas frente a diferentes factores abióticos, como la salinidad y la riqueza nutricional del suelo, aportando asimismo información relevante de cara a la valorización de la especie para su explotación en agricultura salinaN

Differences in nutrient composition of sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum) grown in different habitats and optimally controlled growing conditions

10 páginas.- 1 figura.- 5 tablas.- referenciasCrithmum maritimum L. is an edible halophyte with large potential in human nutrition field. However, it is unclear whether its nutritional value is maintained throughout the contrasting habitats where it commonly grows (cliffs, sandy and rocky beaches) and the nutritional profile of cultivated plants still remains uncertain. In this work, we provided for the first time a comparison of the nutritional profile of C. maritimum across its different type of habitats in the south of Spain and between wild plants and plant material under optimal growing conditions. The protein, amino acids, lipids, fatty acids, minerals composition and phenolic content of plants were analysed. Plants under field conditions exhibited a nutritionally balanced composition (3.8–6.2 g protein/100 g DW, 4.9–7.5 mg lipids/g WW, 3.9–5.0 g Na/100 g DW), with high phenolic content (30.2–48.0 mg/g DW) regardless of the variability of the contrasting habitats. In contrast, under optimal conditions, C. maritimum showed a greater protein and lipid content (10.2 g/100 g DW and 9.6 mg/g WW, respectively), and lower sodium accumulation (1.2 g/100 g DW), allowing a greater consumption of this halophyte without exceeding the daily intake recommendations. Conversely, phenolics were strongly decreased in these plants (6.1 mg/g DW) likely due to the absence of stress factors. © 2021 Elsevier Inc.This work was financially supported by two grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RTI2018-099260-A- I00 to J. Cambroll é and RTI2018-099322-B-100 to X. Moreira).Peer reviewe

Evaluating wild grapevine tolerance to copper toxicity

8 páginas.-- 4 figuras.-- 1 tablas.-- 36 referencias© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. We evaluate copper tolerance and accumulation in Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris in populations from a copper contaminated site and an uncontaminated site, and in the grapevine rootstock >41B>, investigating the effects of copper (0-23. mM) on growth, photosynthetic performance and mineral nutrient content. The highest Cu treatment induced nutrient imbalances and inhibited photosynthetic function, causing a drastic reduction in growth in the three study plants. Effective concentration was higher than 23. mM Cu in the wild grapevines and around 9. mM in the >41B> plants. The wild grapevine accessions studied controlled root Cu concentration more efficiently than is the case with the >41B> rootstock and must be considered Cu-tolerant. Wild grapevines from the Cu-contaminated site present certain physiological characteristics that make them relatively more suitable for exploitation in the genetic improvement of vines against conditions of excess Cu, compared to wild grapevine populations from uncontaminated sites.We thank the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) for financial support (Project 201140E122) and the Seville University Glasshouse General Service for their collaboration. J. Cambrollé thanks the University of Seville for a research contract (IV Plan Propio de Investigación, research projects ref. 5/2012). We are also grateful to María del Mar Parra for technical assistance and to Mr. K. MacMillan for revision of the English version of the manuscript.Peer Reviewe

Assessing the effect of copper on growth, copper accumulation and physiological responses of grazing species Atriplex halimus: Ecotoxicological implications

Tolerance of plants to elevated concentrations of heavy metals in growth media and in its tissues leads to high degrees of metal bioaccumulation, which may pose a risk for humans and animals alike. Therefore, bio-accumulating plants need thorough evaluation from an environmental health point of view. A glasshouse experiment concerning the xerohalophyte Atriplex halimus was carried out to determine its tolerance and capacity to accumulate copper. We investigated the effect of Cu from 0 to 30mmoll-1 on the growth, photosynthetic apparatus and nutrient uptake of A. halimus by measuring gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and photoinhibition. We also determined total Cu, sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, and nitrogen content in the plant. Our results indicated that A. halimus presented a high resistance to Cu-induced stress, since the plants were able to survive at concentrations higher than 15mmoll-1 Cu. However, this capacity was not reflected in its ability to accumulate and tolerate greater amounts of Cu in its tissues, since clear phytotoxicity symptoms were detected at tissue concentrations greater than 38mgkg-1 Cu. Thus, Cu increment caused a reduction in A. halimus growth, which was related to a decrease in net photosynthetic rate. This reduction was associated with the adverse effect of Cu on the photochemical apparatus and the reduction in the absorption of essential nutrients. The high resistance of A. halimus was largely related with the capacity of this species to avoid the absorption of great amounts of Cu. For all the above reasons, A. halimus could have the characteristics of a Cu-exclusion plant.Peer Reviewe

Physiological responses to soil lime in wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris)

Lime-induced chlorosis is a widespread nutritional disorder affecting grapevines cultivated in calcareous soils. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the response of Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris to soil lime by evaluating the effects of a range of soil CaCO3 contents (0-60%) on plant growth, nutrient content (iron, potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus) and photosynthetic performance (gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and photosynthetic pigments). The highest soil CaCO3 concentration induced nutrient imbalances and significantly inhibited photosynthetic function, causing a reduction in carbon gain and consequently, a drastic growth reduction and high mortality. However, all the plants survived external CaCO3 contents of up to 40%, and reduction in growth at 20% CaCO3 was slightly lower than that recorded in several previously studied lime-tolerant varieties of grapevine. Plants grown at 20% CaCO3 maintained net photosynthesis values of around 6μmolm-2s-1, a similar chlorophyll content to that of the control plants and dawn Fv/Fm values close to the optimal values for unstressed plants. Up to the 40% CaCO3 treatment, the study species was capable of maintaining Fe uptake by the roots and translocation to leaves, while controlling the nutritional status of N and P. Our study indicates that the studied population of V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris could provide a source of genetic diversity for lime tolerance improvement in grapevine.CSIC 201140E12

Grazing exclosure increases fruit and seed production but reduces seed viability in Myrtus communis

Plants have compensating mechanisms to alleviate the loss of vegetative and reproductive tissues by herbivores. In this study, we evaluated how reproductive traits (size and production of fruit and seed, as well as germination and viability of seeds) of Myrtus communis (myrtle) were affected by goat grazing exclosure of forest understory in the Doñana Natural Park. One hundred and fifty myrtles were selected in three sites with similar environmental characteristics, although with a different length of grazing exclusion: (1) exclosure for 2 years (GE2); (2) exclosure for 3 years (GE3); and (3) long ago grazed plots (GE15): non-accessible to goat for at least 15 years. Fruit production, fruit and seed morphology and seed viability and germination were evaluated. Length of exclosure to goats increased fruit production, mass and volume of the fruits and seed, and endocarp mass. However, seed viability was higher in more recently grazed plots (70–90%) than in GE15 plots (51%). The final balance of viable/germinable seeds produced by an average sized myrtle in each treatment showed that the recently grazed myrtles (GE2) produced nearly five times less seeds (1200) than the myrtles grazed 15 years ago (5500). However, myrtles recovered the ability to produce viable seeds quickly, almost tripling, each year of non-grazing the number of viable/germinable seeds. The results of this study indicated that goat grazing could affect regeneration of myrtle because it reduced reproduction output and the number of viable propagules. Future studies should evaluate other related ecological aspects, such as fruit consumption by potential frugivores and seed dispersal (distance and place of seed deposition)