Climate gradient and leaf carbon investment influence the effects of climate change on water use efficiency of forests: A meta-analysis.

Forest ecosystems cover a large area of the global land surface and are important carbon sinks. The water-carbon cycles of forests are prone to climate change, but uncertainties remain regarding the magnitude of water use efficiency (WUE) response to climate change and the underpinning mechanism driving WUE variation. We conducted a meta-analysis of the effects of elevated CO2 concentration (eCO2 ), drought and elevated temperature (eT) on the leaf- to plant-level WUE, covering 80 field studies and 95 tree species. The results showed that eCO2 increased leaf intrinsic and instantaneous WUE (WUEi, WUEt), whereas drought enhanced both leaf- and plant-level WUEs. eT increased WUEi but decreased carbon isotope-based WUE, possibly due to the influence of mesophyll conductance. Stimulated leaf-level WUE by drought showed a progressing trend with increasing latitude, while eCO2 -induced WUE enhancement showed decreasing trends after >40° N. These latitudinal gradients might influence the spatial pattern of climate and further drove WUE variation. Moreover, high leaf-level WUE under eCO2 and drought was accompanied by low leaf carbon contents. Such a trade-off between growth efficiency and defence suggests a potentially compromised tolerance to diseases and pests. These findings add important ecophysiological parameters into climate models to predict carbon-water cycles of forests.

Leaf water relations determine the trade-off between ozone resistance and stomatal functionality in urban tree species.

Urban trees possess different capacities to mitigate ozone (O3) pollution through stomatal uptake. Stomatal closure protects trees from oxidative damage but limits their growth. To date, it is unclear how plant hydraulic function affect stomatal behaviour and determine O3 resistance. We assessed gas exchange and hydraulic traits in three subtropical urban tree species, Celtis sinensis, Quercus acutissima, and Q. nuttallii, under nonfiltered ambient air (NF) and elevated O3 (NF60). NF60 decreased photosynthetic rate (An) and stomatal conductance (gs) only in Q. acutissima and Q. nuttallii. Maintained An in C. sinensis suggested high O3 resistance and was attributed to higher leaf capacitance at the full turgor. However, this species exhibited a reduced stomatal sensitivity to vapour pressure deficit and an increased minimal gs under NF60. Such stomatal dysfunction did not decrease intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE) due to a tight coupling of An and gs. Conversely, Q. acutissima and Q. nuttallii showed maintained stomatal sensitivity and increased WUE, primarily correlated with gs and leaf water relations, including relative water content and osmotic potential at turgor loss point. Our findings highlight a trade-off between O3 resistance and stomatal functionality, with efficient stomatal control reducing the risk of hydraulic failure under combined stresses.

Drought mitigates the adverse effects of O3 on plant photosynthesis rather than growth: A global meta-analysis considering plant functional types.

Tropospheric ozone (O3 ) is a phytotoxic air pollutant adversely affecting plant growth. High O3 exposures are often concurrent with summer drought. The effects of both stresses on plants are complex, and their interactions are not yet well understood. Here, we investigate whether drought can mitigate the negative effects of O3 on plant physiology and growth based on a meta-analysis. We found that drought mitigated the negative effects of O3 on plant photosynthesis, but the modification of the O3 effect on the whole-plant biomass by drought was not significant. This is explained by a compensatory response of water-deficient plants that leads to increased metabolic costs. Relative to water control condition, reduced water treatment decreased the effects of O3 on photosynthetic traits, and leaf and root biomass in deciduous broadleaf species, while all traits in evergreen coniferous species showed no significant response. This suggested that the mitigating effects of drought on the negative impacts of O3 on the deciduous broadleaf species were more extensive than on the evergreen coniferous ones. Therefore, to avoid over- or underestimations when assessing the impact of O3 on vegetation growth, soil moisture should be considered. These results contribute to a better understanding of terrestrial ecosystem responses under global change.

Phenology- and light-based parameterization of stomatal conductance model for urban woody species in northern China.

Surface ozone (O3) poses a significant threat to urban vegetation health, and assessing the O3 risk across woody species is of vital importance for maintaining the health of urban infrastructure. In the present study, Jarvis-type stomatal conductance model was parameterized for ten urban species in northern China. Incorporating the effects of time of day and diurnal O3 concentration significantly enhanced the model performance. For different plant functional types (greening trees, greening shrubs, and orchard-grown trees), three parameterizations were established to estimate stomatal O3 uptake (POD1, phytotoxic O3 dose over an hourly threshold of 1 nmol m-2 s-1). The differences in POD1 between greening trees and shrubs were primarily due to the difference in their stomatal sensitivity to light. Orchard-grown trees displayed the lowest O3 removal capacity (lowest value of POD1) because of their shorter growing season despite of high stomatal conductance. These results indicated that plant phenology and light responsiveness determined stomatal O3 uptake, and the three parameterizations developed here could be applicable to various urban species in northern regions. Among climatic factors for O3 risk assessment, O3 concentration was the most important factor determining annual variation of POD1, which was primarily driven by air temperature. However, when O3 pollution decreased, O3 concentration exhibited less dependence on temperature and more dependence on light. These findings provide crucial insights for urban policy-makers and environmental scientists aiming to mitigate O3 pollution effects and enhance urban vegetation health.

Soil Microbial Community Involved in Nitrogen Cycling in Rice Fields Treated with Antiozonant under Ambient Ozone.

Ethylenediurea (EDU) can effectively mitigate the crop yield loss caused by ozone (O3), a major, phytotoxic air pollutant. However, the relevant mechanisms are poorly understood, and the effect of EDU on soil ecosystems has not been comprehensively examined. In this study, a hybrid rice variety (Shenyou 63) was cultivated under ambient O3 and sprayed with 450 ppm EDU or water every 10 days. Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) showed that EDU had no significant effect on the microbial abundance in either rhizospheric or bulk soils. By applying both metagenomic sequencing and the direct assembly of nitrogen (N)-cycling genes, EDU was found to decrease the abundance of functional genes related to nitrification and denitrification processes. Moreover, EDU increased the abundance of genes involved in N-fixing. Although the abundance of some functional genes did not change significantly, nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and a principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) suggested that the microbial community structure involved in N cycling was altered by EDU. The relative abundances of nifH-and norB-harboring microbial genera in the rhizosphere responded differently to EDU, suggesting the existence of functional redundancy, which may play a key role in sustaining microbially mediated N-cycling under ambient O3. IMPORTANCE Ethylenediurea (EDU) is hitherto the most efficient phytoprotectant agent against O3 stress. However, the underlying biological mechanisms of its mode of action are not clear, and the effects of EDU on the environment are still unknown, limiting its large-scale application in agriculture. Due to its sensitivity to environmental changes, the microbial community can be used as an indicator to assess the environmental impacts of agricultural practices on soil quality. This study aimed to unravel the effects of EDU spray on the abundance, community structure, and ecological functions of microbial communities in the rhizosphere of rice plants. Our study provides a deep insight into the impact of EDU spray on microbial-mediated N cycling and the structure of N-cycling microbial communities. Our findings help to elucidate the mode of action of EDU in alleviating O3 stress in crops from the perspective of regulating the structure and function of the rhizospheric soil microbial community.

Variations in leaf anatomical characteristics drive the decrease of mesophyll conductance in poplar under elevated ozone.

Decline in mesophyll conductance (gm ) plays a key role in limiting photosynthesis in plants exposed to elevated ozone (O3 ). Leaf anatomical traits are known to influence gm , but the potential effects of O3 -induced changes in leaf anatomy on gm have not yet been clarified. Here, two poplar clones were exposed to elevated O3 . The effects of O3 on the photosynthetic capacity and anatomical characteristics were assessed to investigate the leaf anatomical properties that potentially affect gm . We also conducted global meta-analysis to explore the general response patterns of gm and leaf anatomy to O3 exposure. We found that the O3 -induced reduction in gm was critical in limiting leaf photosynthesis. Changes in liquid-phase conductance rather than gas-phase conductance drive the decline in gm under elevated O3, and this effect was associated with thicker cell walls and smaller chloroplast sizes. The effects of O3 on palisade and spongy mesophyll cell traits and their contributions to gm were highly genotype-dependent. Our results suggest that, while anatomical adjustments under elevated O3 may contribute to defense against O3 stress, they also cause declines in gm and photosynthesis. These results provide the first evidence of anatomical constraints on gm under elevated O3 .

A wider spectrum of avoidance and tolerance mechanisms explained ozone sensitivity of two white poplar ploidy levels.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Polyploidization can improve plant mass yield for bioenergy support, yet few studies have investigated ozone (O3) sensitivity linked to internal regulatory mechanisms at different ploidy levels. METHODS: Diploid and triploid Populus tomentosa plants were exposed to ambient and ambient plus 60 ppb [O3]. We explored their differences in sensitivity (leaf morphological, physiological and biochemical traits, and plant mass) as well as mechanisms of avoidance (stomatal conductance, xanthophyll cycle, thermal dissipation) and tolerance (ROS scavenging system) in response to O3 at two developmental phases. KEY RESULTS: Triploid plants had the highest plant growth under ambient O3, even under O3 fumigation. However, triploid plants were the most sensitive to O3 and under elevated O3 showed the largest decreases in photosynthetic capacity and performance, as well as increased shoot:root ratio, and the highest lipid peroxidation. Thus, plant mass production could be impacted in triploid plants under long-term O3 contamination. Both diploid and triploid plants reduced stomatal aperture in response to O3, thereby reducing O3 entrance, yet only in diploid plants was reduced stomatal aperture associated with minimal (non-significant) damage to photosynthetic pigments and lower lipid peroxidation. CONCLUSIONS: Tolerance mechanisms of plants of both ploidy levels mainly focused on the enzymatic reduction of hydrogen peroxide through catalase and peroxidase, yet these homeostatic regulatory mechanisms were higher in diploid plants. Our study recommends triploid white poplar as a bioenergy species only under short-term O3 contamination. Under continuously elevated O3 over the long term, diploid white poplar may perform better.

Elevated ozone inhibits isoprene emission of a diploid and a triploid genotype of Populus tomentosa by different mechanisms.

Ozone (O3) pollution affects plant growth and isoprene (ISO) emission. However, the response mechanism of isoprene emission rate (ISOrate) to elevated O3 (EO3) remains poorly understood. ISOrate was investigated in two genotypes (diploid and triploid) of Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr.) exposed to EO3 in an open top chamber system. The triploid genotype had higher photosynthetic rate (A) and stomatal conductance (gs) than the diploid one. EO3 significantly decreased A, gs, and ISOrate of middle and lower leaves in both genotypes. In the diploid genotype, the reduction of ISOrate was caused by a systematic decrease related to ISO synthesis capacity, as indicated by decreased contents of the isoprene precursor dimethylallyl diphosphate and decreased isoprene synthase protein and activity. On the other hand, the negative effect of O3 on ISOrate of the triploid genotype did not result from inhibited ISO synthesis capacity, but from increased ISO oxidative loss within the leaf. Our findings will be useful for breeding poplar genotypes with high yield and lower ISOrate, depending on local atmospheric volatile organic compound/NOx ratio, to cope with both the rising O3 concentrations and increasing biomass demand. They can also inform the incorporation of O3 effects into process-based models of isoprene emission.

Strategic roadmap to assess forest vulnerability under air pollution and climate change.

Although it is an integral part of global change, most of the research addressing the effects of climate change on forests have overlooked the role of environmental pollution. Similarly, most studies investigating the effects of air pollutants on forests have generally neglected the impacts of climate change. We review the current knowledge on combined air pollution and climate change effects on global forest ecosystems and identify several key research priorities as a roadmap for the future. Specifically, we recommend (1) the establishment of much denser array of monitoring sites, particularly in the South Hemisphere; (2) further integration of ground and satellite monitoring; (3) generation of flux-based standards and critical levels taking into account the sensitivity of dominant forest tree species; (4) long-term monitoring of N, S, P cycles and base cations deposition together at global scale; (5) intensification of experimental studies, addressing the combined effects of different abiotic factors on forests by assuring a better representation of taxonomic and functional diversity across the ~73,000 tree species on Earth; (6) more experimental focus on phenomics and genomics; (7) improved knowledge on key processes regulating the dynamics of radionuclides in forest systems; and (8) development of models integrating air pollution and climate change data from long-term monitoring programs.

Ozone modelling and mapping for risk assessment: An overview of different approaches for human and ecosystems health.

Tropospheric ozone (O3) is one of the most concernedair pollutants dueto its widespread impacts on land vegetated ecosystems and human health. Ozone is also the third greenhouse gas for radiative forcing. Consequently, it should be carefully and continuously monitored to estimate its potential adverse impacts especially inthose regions where concentrations are high. Continuous large-scale O3 concentrations measurement is crucial but may be unfeasible because of economic and practical limitations; therefore, quantifying the real impact of O3over large areas is currently an open challenge. Thus, one of the final objectives of O3 modelling is to reproduce maps of continuous concentrations (both spatially and temporally) and risk assessment for human and ecosystem health. We here reviewedthe most relevant approaches used for O3 modelling and mapping starting from the simplest geo-statistical approaches andincreasing in complexity up to simulations embedded into the global/regional circulation models and pro and cons of each mode are highlighted. The analysis showed that a simpler approach (mostly statistical models) is suitable for mappingO3concentrationsat the local scale, where enough O3concentration data are available. The associated error in mapping can be reduced by using more complex methodologies, based on co-variables. The models available at the regional or global level are used depending on the needed resolution and the domain where they are applied to. Increasing the resolution corresponds to an increase in the prediction but only up to a certain limit. However, with any approach, the ensemble models should be preferred.

Biodegradation of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid by Acinetobacter johnsonii FZ-5 and Klebsiella oxytoca FZ-8 under anaerobic conditions.

4-Hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA) is a common organic compound that is prevalent in the environment, and the persistence of 4-HBA residues results in exertion of pollution-related detrimental effects. Bioremediation is an effective method for the removal of 4-HBA from the environment. In this study, two bacterial strains FZ-5 and FZ-8 capable of utilizing 4-HBA as the sole carbon and energy source under anaerobic conditions were isolated from marine sediment samples. Phylogenetic analysis identified the two strains FZ-5 and FZ-8 as Acinetobacter johnsonii and Klebsiella oxytoca, respectively. The strains FZ-5 and FZ-8 degraded 2000 mg·L-1 4-HBA in 72 h with degradation rates of 71.04% and 80.10%, respectively. The optimum culture conditions for degradation by the strains and crude enzymes were also investigated. The strains FZ-5 and FZ-8 also exhibited the ability to degrade other lignin-derived compounds, such as protocatechuic acid, cinnamic acid, and vanillic acid. Immobilization of the two strains showed that they could be used for the bioremediation of 4-HBA in an aqueous environment. Soils inoculated with the strains FZ-5 and FZ-8 showed higher degradation of 4-HBA than the uninoculated soil, and the strains could survive efficiently in anaerobic soil. This is the first report of 4-HBA-degrading bacteria, belonging to the two genera, which showed degradation ability under anaerobic conditions. This study expound the strains could efficiently degrade 4-HBA in anaerobic soil and will help in the development of 4-HBA anaerobic bioremediation systems.

Ozone does not diminish the beneficial effects of arbuscular mycorrhizas on Medicago sativa L. in a low phosphorus soil.

Enriched surface ozone (O3) can impose harmful effects on plants. Conversely, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis can enhance plant tolerance to various environmental stresses and facilitate plant growth. The interaction of AM fungi and O3 on plant performance, however, seldom has been investigated. In this study, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was used as a test plant to study the effects of O3 and AM symbiosis on plant physiology and growth under two O3 levels (ambient air and elevated O3 with 60 nmol·mol-1 O3 enrichment) and three AM inoculation treatments (inoculation with exogenous or indigenous AM fungi and non-inoculation control). The results showed that elevated O3 decreased plant net photosynthetic rate and biomass, and increased malondialdehyde concentration, while AM inoculation (with both exogenous and indigenous AM fungi) could promote plant nutrient acquisition and growth irrespective of O3 levels. The positive effects of AM symbiosis on plant nutrient acquisition and antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase and peroxidase) activities were most likely offset by increased stomatal conductance and O3 intake. As a result, AM inoculation and O3 generally showed no significant interactions on plant performance: although elevated O3 did not diminish the beneficial effects of AM symbiosis on alfalfa plants, AM symbiosis also did not alleviate the harmful effects of O3 on plants.

Winter drainage and film mulching cultivation mitigated CH4 emission by regulating the function and structure of methanogenic archaeal and fermenting bacterial communities in paddy soil.

Winter flooding of harvested rice fields is a typical cropping system in mountainous areas, which emits considerable amounts of CH4. Plastic film mulching cultivation is recognized as an important rice cultivation practice in paddy field for water-saving irrigation. However, the effects of these managements on CH4 emissions in paddy soil and the underlying microbial mechanism are unclear. A field experiment was carried out with the application of winter drainage followed by traditional rice cultivation (WD), winter drainage followed by plastic film mulching cultivation (MC), as well as winter flooding followed by traditional rice cultivation (WF) as control in hilly paddy fields. We investigated the CH4 emissions, functional (CH4 production rate, 13C isotope) and structural (abundance, structure) responses of soil methanogenic archaeal and fermenting bacterial communities during rice season. Shifting the fields from WF into WD and MC substantially mitigated CH4 emissions by 62.3% and 59.2%, respectively, paralleled with the enhancement of soil Eh and the reductions of soil DOC content. Compared with WF, WD and MC both significantly decreased CH4 production rates and the copy numbers of mcrA gene. Moreover, an increasing contribution of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis (from 30.7% to 50.0%) to total CH4 production was observed during the conversion from WF to MC under an anaerobic incubation, paralleled with the decreased acetate content and increased δ13C values of acetate-methyl and total acetate. The communities of methanogenic archaea and fermenting bacteria strongly responded to the shift from WF to WD, while MC only showed significant effects on the methanogenic archaeal communities. Compared with WF, WD and MC significantly increased the relative abundance of Methanothrix, Methanosarcina and Methanocella, while those of Methanoregula, Massilia and Geobacter were decreased. The co-occurrence networks showed that WD and MC induced the loss of mixed methanogenic fermentation modules, indicating the decrease in functional biodiversity and redundancy of fermenting bacterial and methanogenic archaeal communities.The findings suggest that WD and MC approach mitigate CH4 emission by regulating the function and structure of methanogenic archaeal and fermenting bacterial communities in paddy soil, which represent the effective management strategies considering the water availability and CH4 mitigation in paddy-field agriculture.

Functional traits of poplar leaves and fine roots responses to ozone pollution under soil nitrogen addition.

Concurrent ground-level ozone (O3) pollution and anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition can markedly influence dynamics and productivity in forests. Most studies evaluating the functional traits responses of rapid-turnover organs to O3 have specifically examined leaves, despite fine roots are another major source of soil carbon and nutrient input in forest ecosystems. How elevated O3 levels impact fine root biomass and biochemistry remains to be resolved. This study was to assess poplar leaf and fine root biomass and biochemistry responses to five different levels of O3 pollution, while additionally examining whether four levels of soil N supplementation were sufficient to alter the impact of O3 on these two organs. Elevated O3 resulted in a more substantial reduction in fine root biomass than leaf biomass; relative to leaves, more biochemically-resistant components were present within fine root litter, which contained high concentrations of lignin, condensed tannins, and elevated C:N and lignin: N ratios that were associated with slower rates of litter decomposition. In contrast, leaves contained more labile components, including nonstructural carbohydrates and N, as well as a higher N:P ratio. Elevated O3 significantly reduced labile components and increased biochemically-resistant components in leaves, whereas they had minimal impact on fine root biochemistry. This suggests that O3 pollution has the potential to delay leaf litter decomposition and associated nutrient cycling. N addition largely failed to affect the impact of elevated O3 levels on leaves or fine root chemistry, suggesting that soil N supplementation is not a suitable approach to combating the impact of O3 pollution on key functional traits of poplars. These results indicate that the significant differences in the responses of leaves and fine roots to O3 pollution will result in marked changes in the relative belowground roles of these two litter sources within forest ecosystems, and such changes will independently of nitrogen load.

Uptake of nitrogen forms by diploid and triploid white poplar depends on seasonal carbon use strategy and elevated summer ozone.

The ability of plants to acquire soil nitrogen (N) sources is plastic in response to abiotic and biotic factors. However, information about how plant preferences among N forms changes in response to internal plant N demand through growth phases, or to environmental stress such as ozone (O3), is scarce. Diploid and triploid Chinese white poplar were used to investigate N form preferences at two key developmental periods (spring, summer) and in response to summer O3 (ambient, 60 ppb above ambient). We used stable isotopes to quantify NH4+, NO3- and glycine N-uptake rates. Carbon acquisition was recorded simultaneously. Both ploidy levels differed in growth, N form preferences, and N and C use strategies. Diploid white poplars grew faster in spring but slower in summer compared with triploids. Diploid white poplars also showed plasticity among N form preferences through the season, with no preferences in spring, and NO3- preferred in summer, while triploids showed an overall preference for NO3-. Carbon acquisition and NO3- uptake were inhibited in both ploidy levels of poplar at elevated O3, which also reduced diploid total N uptake. However, triploid white poplars alleviated N uptake reduction, switching to similar preferences among N forms. We conclude that N form preferences by white poplar are driven by internal C and N use in response to nutrient demands, and external factors such as O3.

Reduced photosynthetic thermal acclimation capacity under elevated ozone in poplar (Populus tremula) saplings.

The sensitivity of photosynthesis to temperature has been identified as a key uncertainty for projecting the magnitude of the terrestrial carbon cycle response to future climate change. Although thermal acclimation of photosynthesis under rising temperature has been reported in many tree species, whether tropospheric ozone (O3 ) affects the acclimation capacity remains unknown. In this study, temperature responses of photosynthesis (light-saturated rate of photosynthesis (Asat ), maximum rates of RuBP carboxylation (Vcmax ), and electron transport (Jmax ) and dark respiration (Rdark ) of Populus tremula exposed to ambient O3 (AO3 , maximum of 30 ppb) or elevated O3 (EO3 , maximum of 110 ppb) and ambient or elevated temperature (ambient +5°C) were investigated in solardomes. We found that the optimum temperature of Asat (ToptA ) significantly increased in response to warming. However, the thermal acclimation capacity was reduced by O3 exposure, as indicated by decreased ToptA , and temperature optima of Vcmax (ToptV ) and Jmax (ToptJ ) under EO3 . Changes in both stomatal conductance (gs ) and photosynthetic capacity (Vcmax and Jmax ) contributed to the shift of ToptA by warming and EO3 . Neither Rdark measured at 25°C ( R dark 25 ) nor the temperature response of Rdark was affected by warming, EO3 , or their combination. The responses of Asat , Vcmax , and Jmax to warming and EO3 were closely correlated with changes in leaf nitrogen (N) content and N use efficiency. Overall, warming stimulated growth (leaf biomass and tree height), whereas EO3 reduced growth (leaf and woody biomass). The findings indicate that thermal acclimation of Asat may be overestimated if the impact of O3 pollution is not taken into account.

Exogenous application of melatonin to plants, algae, and harvested products to sustain agricultural productivity and enhance nutritional and nutraceutical value: A meta-analysis.

Melatonin is produced by plants, algae, and animals. Worldwide studies show diverse positive effects of exogenous melatonin on plants, edible plant products, and algae, but the potential of melatonin to enhance food and feed systems through these positive effects remains largely unexplored. Through a meta-analysis of about 25,000 observations, we show for the first time that exogenous application of melatonin significantly increases crop productivity and yields, and enhances the nutritional and nutraceutical value of edible plant products and algae by regulating diverse biological functions. We demonstrate that melatonin can improve plants, edible plant products, and algae under various current climate change scenarios, environmental pollution factors, and other stresses by about 7% to nearly 30%, on average, depending on the stressor. We also analyze various technical/methodological factors influencing the desired outcomes and identify conditions that offer optimal enhancement. We show that the positive effect of melatonin on plants and edible plant products varies among species, genera, and families, and strongly depends on the concentration of melatonin and treatment duration. The effect of melatonin is slightly lower on the monocot clade Commelinids than on the eudicot clades Asterids and Rosids. We also show that its stimulatory effect on plants depends on cultivation system, with a larger effect obtained in hydroponic systems. However, it does not depend on application stage (seed or vegetative), application route (foliage, roots, or seed), and whether the cultivation system is ex vivo or in vivo. This is the first meta-analysis examining the effects of melatonin on plants, edible plant products, and algae, and offers a scientific and technical roadmap facilitating sustainable food and feed production through the application of exogenous melatonin.

Antifungal effect of volatile organic compounds produced by Pseudomonas chlororaphis subsp. aureofaciens SPS-41 on oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction of Ceratocystis fimbriata.

Ceratocystis fimbriata is the pathogen of black rot disease, which widely exists in sweet potato producing areas all over the world. The antifungal activity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by Pseudomonas chlororaphis subsp. aureofaciens SPS-41 against C. fimbriata was reported in our previous study. In this study, we attempted to reveal the underlying antifungal mechanism of SPS-41 volatiles. Our results showed that the VOCs released by SPS-41 caused the morphological change of hyphae, destroyed the integrity of cell membrane, reduced the content of ergosterol, and induced massive accumulation of reactive oxygen species in C. fimbriata cells. Furthermore, SPS-41 fumigation decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential, acetyl-CoA and pyruvate content of C. fimbriata cells, as well as the mitochondrial dehydrogenases activity. In addition, the VOCs generated by SPS-41 reduced the intracellular ATP content and increased the extracellular ATP content of C. fimbriata. In summary, SPS-41 fumigation exerted its antifungal activity by inducing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in C. fimbriata.

Biogenic volatile organic compound emissions from leaves and fruits of apple and peach trees during fruit development.

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are widely involved in a variety of atmospheric chemical processes due to their high reactivity and species diversity. To date, however, research on BVOCs in agroecosystems, particularly fruit trees, remains scarce despite their large cultivation area and economic interest. BVOC emissions from different organs (leaf or fruit) of apple and peach trees were investigated throughout the stages of fruit development (FS, fruit swelling; FC, fruit coloration; FM, fruit maturity; and FP, fruit postharvest) using a proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer. Results indicated that methanol was the most abundant compound emitted by the leaf (apple tree leaf 492.5 ± 47.9 ng/(g·hr), peach tree leaf 938.8 ±  154.5 ng/(g·hr)), followed by acetic acid and green leaf volatiles. Beside the above three compounds, acetaldehyde had an important contribution to the emissions from the fruit. Overall, the total BVOCs (sum of eight compounds studied in this paper) emitted by both leaf and fruit gradually decreased along the fruit development, although the effect was significant only for the leaf. The leaf (2020.8 ±  258.8 ng/(g·hr)) was a stronger BVOC emitter than the fruit (146.0 ± 45.7 ng/(g·hr)) (P = 0.006), and there were no significant differences in total BVOC emission rates between apple and peach trees. These findings contribute to our understanding on BVOC emissions from different plant organs and provide important insights into the variation of BVOC emissions across different fruit developmental stages.

Quantifying determinants of ozone detoxification by apoplastic ascorbate in peach (Prunus persica) leaves using a model of ozone transport and reaction.

Ascorbate in leaf apoplast (ASCapo ) reacts with ozone (O3 ) and thereby reduces O3 flux reaching plasmalemma (Fpl ). Some studies have shown significant protection of cells from O3 by ASCapo , while others have questioned its efficacy. Hypothesizing that the protection by ASCapo depends on other variables, we quantified determinants of O3 detoxification with a model of O3 transport and reaction in apoplast. The model determines ascorbic acid concentration in apoplast (AAapo ) using measured values of O3 concentration (co ), leaf tissue ascorbic acid concentration (AAleaf ), cell wall thickness (L3 ), apoplastic pH (pHapo ), and stomatal conductance (Gsw ). We compared the measured and model-estimated AAapo in leaves of peach (Prunus persica) grown in open-top chambers under non-filtered air (NF) and elevated (EO3 : NF + 80 ppb) O3 concentrations. The estimated AAapo in individual leaves agreed well with the measured values (R2  = .91). Analyses of the simulation results yielded the following findings: (a) The efficacy of O3 reduction with ASCapo as quantified by fractional reduction (ϕ3 ) of O3 flux at the surface of plasmalemma (Fpl ) was lowered from 70% in NF to 40% in EO3 due to the reduction of L3 . The EO3 reduced AAapo , but the lower Gsw and L3 in EO3 increased AAapo resulting in no significant change in AAapo due to EO3 . ϕ3 can be calculated with measured values of AAapo and L3 , and Fpl can be estimated with the measurement-based ϕ3 . (b) When c0 is increased, Fpl increased curvilinearly with the increase of Fst : nominal O3 flux via stomatal diffusion, exhibiting apparent threshold on Fst . The deviation of Fpl from Fst became greater when L3 , pHapo , and AAleaf were increased. The quantification of ϕ3 and Fpl using leaf traits shall facilitate the understanding of the mechanisms of differential plant sensitivity to O3 and improve quantification of the O3 impacts on plants.