Methyl salicylate fumigation increases monoterpene emission rates

5 páginas, 2 figurasWe aimed to assess the potential effects of fumigation by methyl salicylate (MeSA) on plant monoterpene production and emissions. We evaluated monoterpene production and emissions both by chromatographic and proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry at the whole plant- and leaf-scales, in MeSa-fumigated (ca. 60 mm3 m-3 in air) and control (without MeSa fumigation) holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) plants exposed to temperatures ranging from 25 to 50 ºC. The MeSa-fumigated plants showed ca. 3 - 4-fold greater leaf monoterpene concentrations and emission rates than the control plants between the temperatures of 25 to 45 ºC.This research was partly supported by Spanish MCYT grants CGL2004-01402/BOS and CGL2006-04025/BOS. We also gratefully acknowledge the partial funding from the ISONET European Commission contract MC-RTN-CT-2003-504720Peer reviewe