Geographical variation in alkaloid production in Conium maculatum populations experiencing differential herbivory by Agonopterix alstroemeriana

Conium maculatum, a Eurasian weed naturalized in North America, contains high concentrations of piperidine alkaloids, which act as chemical defenses against herbivores. In the United States, C. maculatum was largely free from herbivory until approximately 30 years ago, when it was re-associated via accidental introduction with a monophagous European herbivore, the oecophorid caterpillar Agonopterix alstroemeriana. At present, A. alstroemeriana is found in a continuum of re-association time and intensities with C. maculatum across the continent; in the Pacific Northwest, A. alstroemeriana can cause severe damage, resulting in some cases in complete defoliation. Studies in biological control and invasion biology have yet to determine whether plants re-associated with a significant herbivore from the area of indigeneity increase their chemical defense investment in areas of introduction. In this study, we compared three locations in the U.S. (New York, Washington and Illinois) where C. maculatum experiences different levels of herbivory by A. alstroemeriana to determine the association between the intensity of the interaction, as measured by damage, and chemical defense production. Total alkaloid production in C. maculatum was positively correlated with A. alstroemeriana herbivory levels; plants from New York and Washington, with higher herbivory levels, invested two and four times more N to alkaloid synthesis than did plants from Illinois. Individual plants with lower concentrations of alkaloids from a single location in Illinois experienced more damage by A. alstroemeriana, suggestive of a preference on the part of the insect for plants with less chemical defense. These results suggest that A. alstroemeriana may act either as a selective agent or inducing agent for C. maculatum and increase its toxicity in its introduced range

Biochar versus hydrochar as growth media constituents for ornamental plant cultivation

[EN] Biochar and hydrochar have been proposed as novel materials for providing soilless growth media. However, much more knowledge is required before reliable advice can be given on the use of these materials for this purpose. Depending on the material and the technology applied (pyrolysis or hydrothermal carbonization), phytotoxicity and greenhouse gas emissions have been found for certain chars. In this study, our aim was to assess the feasibility of three chars as substrate constituents. We compared two biochars, one from forest waste and the other from olive mill waste, and a hydrochar from forest waste. We studied how chars affected substrate characteristics, plant performance, water economy and respiratory CO2 emission. Substrates containing biochar from forest waste showed the best characteristics, with good air/water relationships and adequate electrical conductivity. Those with biochar from olive mill waste were highly saline and, consequently, low quality. The substrates with hydrochar retained too much water and were poorly aerated, presenting high CO2 concentrations due to high respiratory activity. Plants performed well only when grown in substrates containing a maximum of 25 % biochar from forest waste or hydrochar. After analyzing the char characteristics, we concluded that biochar from forest waste could be safely used as a substrate constituent and is environmentally friendly when applied due to its low salinity and low CO2 emission. However, biochar from olive mill waste and hydrochar need to be improved before they can be used as substrate constituents.This study was funded by the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Projects on New Multidisciplinary Research; PAID-05-12). We thank Molly Marcus-McBride for supervising the English.Fornes Sebastiá, F.; Belda Navarro, RM. (2018). Biochar versus hydrochar as growth media constituents for ornamental plant cultivation. Scientia Agricola (Online). 75(4):304-312. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-992X-2017-0062S304312754Abad, M., Noguera, P., & Burés, S. (2001). National inventory of organic wastes for use as growing media for ornamental potted plant production: case study in Spain. Bioresource Technology, 77(2), 197-200. doi:10.1016/s0960-8524(00)00152-8Bargmann, I., Martens, R., Rillig, M. C., Kruse, A., & Kücke, M. (2013). Hydrochar amendment promotes microbial immobilization of mineral nitrogen. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 177(1), 59-67. doi:10.1002/jpln.201300154Bargmann, I., Rillig, M. C., Buss, W., Kruse, A., & Kuecke, M. (2013). Hydrochar and Biochar Effects on Germination of Spring Barley. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 199(5), 360-373. doi:10.1111/jac.12024Bedussi, F., Zaccheo, P., & Crippa, L. (2015). Pattern of pore water nutrients in planted and non-planted soilless substrates as affected by the addition of biochars from wood gasification. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 51(5), 625-635. doi:10.1007/s00374-015-1011-6Belda, R. M., Lidón, A., & Fornes, F. (2016). Biochars and hydrochars as substrate constituents for soilless growth of myrtle and mastic. Industrial Crops and Products, 94, 132-142. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2016.08.024Costello, R. C., & Sullivan, D. M. (2013). Determining the pH Buffering Capacity of Compost Via Titration with Dilute Sulfuric Acid. Waste and Biomass Valorization, 5(3), 505-513. doi:10.1007/s12649-013-9279-yFernandes, C., & Corá, J. E. (2004). Bulk density and relationship air/water of horticultural substrate. Scientia Agricola, 61(4), 446-450. doi:10.1590/s0103-90162004000400015Fornes, F., Belda, R. M., Carrión, C., Noguera, V., García-Agustín, P., & Abad, M. (2007). Pre-conditioning ornamental plants to drought by means of saline water irrigation as related to salinity tolerance. Scientia Horticulturae, 113(1), 52-59. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2007.01.008Fornes, F., Belda, R. M., & Lidón, A. (2015). Analysis of two biochars and one hydrochar from different feedstock: focus set on environmental, nutritional and horticultural considerations. Journal of Cleaner Production, 86, 40-48. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.08.057Fornes, F., & Belda, R. M. (2017). Acidification with nitric acid improves chemical characteristics and reduces phytotoxicity of alkaline chars. Journal of Environmental Management, 191, 237-243. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.01.026Fornes, F., Belda, R. M., Fernández de Córdova, P., & Cebolla-Cornejo, J. (2017). Assessment of biochar and hydrochar as minor to major constituents of growing media for containerized tomato production. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 97(11), 3675-3684. doi:10.1002/jsfa.8227Fornes, F., Carrión, C., García-de-la-Fuente, R., Puchades, R., & Abad, M. (2010). Leaching composted lignocellulosic wastes to prepare container media: Feasibility and environmental concerns. Journal of Environmental Management, 91(8), 1747-1755. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.03.017GARCIADELAFUENTE, R., CARRION, C., BOTELLA, S., FORNES, F., NOGUERA, V., & ABAD, M. (2007). Biological oxidation of elemental sulphur added to three composts from different feedstocks to reduce their pH for horticultural purposes. Bioresource Technology, 98(18), 3561-3569. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2006.11.008Genty, B., Briantais, J.-M., & Baker, N. R. (1989). The relationship between the quantum yield of photosynthetic electron transport and quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects, 990(1), 87-92. doi:10.1016/s0304-4165(89)80016-9Hoitink, H. A. J., Stone, A. G., & Han, D. Y. (1997). Suppression of Plant Diseases by Composts. HortScience, 32(2), 184-187. doi:10.21273/hortsci.32.2.184Libra, J. A., Ro, K. S., Kammann, C., Funke, A., Berge, N. D., Neubauer, Y., … Emmerich, K.-H. (2011). Hydrothermal carbonization of biomass residuals: a comparative review of the chemistry, processes and applications of wet and dry pyrolysis. Biofuels, 2(1), 71-106. doi:10.4155/bfs.10.81Mazuela, P., Salas, M. del C., & Urrestarazu, M. (2005). Vegetable Waste Compost as Substrate for Melon. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 36(11-12), 1557-1572. doi:10.1081/css-200059054Méndez, A., Paz-Ferreiro, J., Gil, E., & Gascó, G. (2015). The effect of paper sludge and biochar addition on brown peat and coir based growing media properties. Scientia Horticulturae, 193, 225-230. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2015.07.032Nieto, A., Gascó, G., Paz-Ferreiro, J., Fernández, J. M., Plaza, C., & Méndez, A. (2016). The effect of pruning waste and biochar addition on brown peat based growing media properties. Scientia Horticulturae, 199, 142-148. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2015.12.012Sáez, J. A., Belda, R. M., Bernal, M. P., & Fornes, F. (2016). Biochar improves agro-environmental aspects of pig slurry compost as a substrate for crops with energy and remediation uses. Industrial Crops and Products, 94, 97-106. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2016.08.035Smith, B. R., Fisher, P. R., & Argo, W. R. (2004). Growth and Pigment Content of Container-grown Impatiens and Petunia in Relation to Root Substrate pH and Applied Micronutrient Concentration. HortScience, 39(6), 1421-1425. doi:10.21273/hortsci.39.6.1421Solaiman, Z. M., Murphy, D. V., & Abbott, L. K. (2011). Biochars influence seed germination and early growth of seedlings. Plant and Soil, 353(1-2), 273-287. doi:10.1007/s11104-011-1031-4Steiner, C., & Harttung, T. (2014). Biochar as a growing media additive and peat substitute. Solid Earth, 5(2), 995-999. doi:10.5194/se-5-995-2014Tian, Y., Sun, X., Li, S., Wang, H., Wang, L., Cao, J., & Zhang, L. (2012). Biochar made from green waste as peat substitute in growth media for Calathea rotundifola cv. Fasciata. Scientia Horticulturae, 143, 15-18. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2012.05.018Vaughn, S. F., Eller, F. J., Evangelista, R. L., Moser, B. R., Lee, E., Wagner, R. E., & Peterson, S. C. (2015). Evaluation of biochar-anaerobic potato digestate mixtures as renewable components of horticultural potting media. Industrial Crops and Products, 65, 467-471. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2014.10.04

Geographical variation in alkaloid production in Conium maculatum populations experiencing differential herbivory by Agonopterix alstroemeriana

Conium maculatum, a Eurasian weed naturalized in North America, contains high concentrations of piperidine alkaloids, which act as chemical defenses against herbivores. In the United States, C. maculatum was largely free from herbivory until approximately 30 years ago, when it was re-associated via accidental introduction with a monophagous European herbivore, the oecophorid caterpillar Agonopterix alstroemeriana. At present, A. alstroemeriana is found in a continuum of re-association time and intensities with C. maculatum across the continent; in the Pacific Northwest, A. alstroemeriana can cause severe damage, resulting in some cases in complete defoliation. Studies in biological control and invasion biology have yet to determine whether plants re-associated with a significant herbivore from the area of indigeneity increase their chemical defense investment in areas of introduction. In this study, we compared three locations in the U.S. (New York, Washington and Illinois) where C. maculatum experiences different levels of herbivory by A. alstroemeriana to determine the association between the intensity of the interaction, as measured by damage, and chemical defense production. Total alkaloid production in C. maculatum was positively correlated with A. alstroemeriana herbivory levels; plants from New York and Washington, with higher herbivory levels, invested two and four times more N to alkaloid synthesis than did plants from Illinois. Individual plants with lower concentrations of alkaloids from a single location in Illinois experienced more damage by A. alstroemeriana, suggestive of a preference on the part of the insect for plants with less chemical defense. These results suggest that A. alstroemeriana may act either as a selective agent or inducing agent for C. maculatum and increase its toxicity in its introduced range