Is arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal addition beneficial to potato systems? A meta-analysis.

The application of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi has been reported to confer multiple agronomic benefits to crop plants including cereals, vegetables, and fruit trees, as well as to improve soil structure and health. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate whether AM fungal addition enhances potato yield. We further examined whether several experimental conditions (type of experiment, inoculation method, and source of AM fungi) and potato cultivar may explain the outcomes.

Floral ultraviolet absorbance area responds plastically to ultraviolet irradiance in .

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is known to have significant effects on the development and performance of plants, including flowers. In multiple species, UV-absorbing floral patterns are associated with environmental conditions such as the solar UV exposure they typically receive. However, it is not known whether plants can increase the UV-absorbing areas found on petals plastically when in a high-UV environment.

Meta-analysis of global soil data identifies robust indicators for short-term changes in soil organic carbon stock following land use change.

The restoration of degraded lands and minimizing the degradation of productive lands are at the forefront of many environmental land management schemes around the world. A key indicator of soil productivity is soil organic carbon (SOC), which influences the provision of most soil ecosystem services. A major challenge in direct measurement of changes in SOC stock is that it is difficult to detect within a short timeframe relevant to land managers.

Paternal arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal status affects DNA methylation in seeds.

Most land plants grow in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in their roots and these fungi can cause transgenerational effects on plants' offspring. These may be caused by changes in DNA methylation of the offspring. In this study, we compared the amount of global DNA methylation in seeds of the gynodioecious plant in relation to the gender and the AMF status of the parents producing the seeds.

Sexually-trimorphic interactions with colour polymorphism determine nectar quality in a herbaceous perennial.

Amongst gynodioecious plant breeding systems, there can exist intermediate morphs with a reduction in their male function (i.e. reduced number of functional anthers).

Light availability affects sex lability in a gynodioecious plant.

Premise Of The Study: Sex lability (i.e., gender diphasy) in plants is classically linked to the larger resource needs associated with the female sexual function (i.

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and maternal plant sex on seed germination and early plant establishment.

Unlabelled: •

Premise Of The Study: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi usually enhance overall plant performance, yet their effects on seed germination and early plant establishment, crucial steps in plant cycles, are generally overlooked. In gynodioecious species, sexual dimorphism in these traits has been reported, with females producing seeds that germinate at a faster rate than seeds from hermaphrodites.•

Methods: Using the gynodioecious plant Geranium sylvaticum, I investigated in a greenhouse experiment whether the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal spores affects seed germination and early plant establishment, examining at the same time whether the sex of the mother producing the seeds also influences these parameters and whether sex-specific interactions between these two factors exist.

Absence of sex differential plasticity to light availability during seed maturation in Geranium sylvaticum.

Sex-differential plasticity (SDP) hypothesis suggests that since hermaphrodites gain fitness through both pollen and seed production they may have evolved a higher degree of plasticity in their reproductive strategy compared to females which achieve fitness only through seed production. SDP may explain the difference in seed production observed between sexes in gynodioecious species in response to resource (nutrients or water) availability. In harsh environments, hermaphrodites decrease seed production whereas females keep it relatively similar regardless of the environmental conditions.

Arctic arbuscular mycorrhizal spore community and viability after storage in cold conditions.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form probably the most widespread symbiosis on earth and are found across all ecosystems including the Arctic regions. In the Arctic, the prevalent harsh cold conditions experienced by both host plants and fungi may have selected for AMF species with long-surviving spores, the principal means for dispersal and survival. However, basic knowledge about their viability is lacking.

Transgenerational effects of plant sex and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.

In gynodioecious plants, females are predicted to produce more and/or better offspring than hermaphrodites in order to be maintained in the same population. In the field, the roots of both sexes are usually colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Transgenerational effects of mycorrhizal symbiosis are largely unknown, although theoretically expected.

Nectar sugar production across floral phases in the Gynodioecious Protandrous Plant Geranium sylvaticum [corrected].

Many zoophilous plants attract their pollinators by offering nectar as a reward. In gynodioecious plants (i.e.

Dioecious species and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses: the case of Antennaria dioica.

Sex-specific interactions with herbivores and pollinators have been observed in female and male plants of dioecious species. However, only a limited number of studies have revised sex-specific patterns in mycorrhizal symbiosis. To test whether female and male plants of Antennaria dioica differ in their relationship with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, we examined the temporal and spatial variation in AM fungi in female, male and non-reproductive A.

Differential competitive ability between sexes in the dioecious Antennaria dioica (Asteraceae).

Background And Aims: Differences in competitive ability between the sexes of dioecious plants are expected as a result of allocation trade-offs associated with sex-differential reproductive costs. However, the available data on competitive ability in dioecious plants are scarce and contradictory. In this study sexual competition was evaluated using the dioecious plant Antennaria dioica in a common garden transplantation experiment.

Mycorrhizal benefit differs among the sexes in a gynodioecious species.

Both plant sex and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis influence resource acquisition and allocation in plants, but the interaction between these two components is not well established. As the different plant sexes differ in their resource needs and allocation patterns, it is logical to presume that they might differ in their relationship with AM as well. We investigate whether the association with AM symbiosis is different according to the host plant sex in the gynodioecious Geranium sylvaticum, of which, besides female and hermaphrodite plants, intermediate plants are also recognized.

Sex-specific responses to mycorrhiza in a dioecious species.

In most studies about dioecious plants, the role of arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) and the potential sex-specific differences between the plant hosts have been overlooked. Because plant sexes frequently differ in drought tolerance and AM fungal colonization provides higher resistance to drought, we investigated whether the relation of mycorrhizal fungi with either male or female Antennaria dioica plants differs using a factorial experiment. We hypothesized that because AM usually increase growth rate and male plants usually grow larger than females, males should gain more benefit from the mycorrhizal symbiosis in terms of mineral nutrition and water supply.

A receptor-binding-based bioassay to determine the potency of a plasmid biopharmaceutical encoding VEGF-C.

Over the last decade biological assays (bioassays) have gained much importance for quality control in biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Here we describe the development and validation of a bioassay to determine the biological activity (potency) of the plasmid biopharmaceutical pVGI.1 which encodes the VEGF-C (VEGF-2) protein.