Alien plant species regularly and simultaneously invade agricultural landscapes and ecosystems; however, the effects of co-invasion on crop production and native biodiversity have rarely been studied. Secondary metabolites produced by alien plants may be allelopathic; if they enter the soil, they may be transported by agricultural activities, negatively affecting crop yield and biodiversity. It is unknown whether substances from different alien species in combination have a greater impact on crops and wild plants than if they are from only one of the alien species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmoke is one of the fire-related cues that can alter vegetation communities' compositions, by promoting or excluding different plant species. For over 30 years, smoke-derived compounds have been a hot topic in plant and crop physiology. Research in this field was initiated in fire-prone areas in Australia, South Africa and some countries of both Americas, mostly with Mediterranean-type climates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGiant goldenrod ( Aiton) is one of the most invasive plant species occurring in Europe. Since little is known about the molecular mechanisms contributing to its invasiveness, we examined the natural dynamics of the content of rhizome compounds, which can be crucial for plant resistance and adaptation to environmental stress. We focused on rhizomes because they are the main vector of giant goldenrod dispersion in invaded lands.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLight increases the germinability of positively photoblastic seeds and inhibits the germination of negative ones. In an area where plant-generated smoke from fire is a periodically occurring environmental factor, smoke chemicals can affect the germination of seeds, including those that are photoblastically sensitive. Moreover, as smoke and its compounds, mostly karrikin 1, KAR1, have been used for priming the seeds of many species, including photoblastic ones, a systematic review of papers dealing with the phenomenon was conducted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiological invasions are a major human induced global change that is threatening global biodiversity by homogenizing the world's fauna and flora. Species spread because humans have moved species across geographical boundaries and have changed ecological factors that structure ecosystems, such as nitrogen deposition, disturbance, etc. Many biological invasions are caused accidentally, as a byproduct of human travel and commerce driven product shipping.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this study was to investigate whether the content of cell wall-bound phenolics can simultaneously influence both the productivity and the water status of triticale under soil drought conditions. Two parallel treatments were carried out. The T1 treatment involved plants being subjected to soil drought twice, during the tillering phase and then during the flowering phase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe relationship between the ability to accumulate heavy metals (represented by Cd and Zn) and to synthesize bioactive compounds (represented by glucosinolates [GLS]) was investigated in two cabbage cultivars. Plants were grown in the greenhouse of a phytotron under controlled conditions in soils spiked with two different Zn or Cd concentrations. The measurements of Cd and Zn contents in soil and cabbage (leaf) samples were performed by atomic absorption spectroscopy, whereas GLS levels in cabbage were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.
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