Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T05:15:23.524Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Detection of Neighboring Weeds Alters Soybean Seedling Roots and Nodulation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Jessica Gal
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Agriculture, Crop Science Building, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, NIG2W1, Canada
Maha Afifi
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Agriculture, Crop Science Building, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, NIG2W1, Canada
Elizabeth Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Agriculture, Crop Science Building, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, NIG2W1, Canada
Lewis Lukens
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Agriculture, Crop Science Building, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, NIG2W1, Canada
Clarence J. Swanton*
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Agriculture, Crop Science Building, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, NIG2W1, Canada
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: cswanton@uoguelph.ca

Abstract

Crop and weed competition studies rarely determine how plant-to-plant interactions alter the structure and physiology of crop roots. Soybean has the ability to detect neighboring weeds and to alter growth patterns including the allocation of resources to root growth. In this study, we hypothesized that low red : far red light ratio (R : FR) reflected from aboveground vegetative tissue of neighboring weeds would alter soybean root morphology and reduce root biomass and nodule number. All experiments were conducted under controlled conditions in which resources of light, water, and nutrients were nonlimiting. Low R : FR reflected from aboveground neighboring weeds reduced soybean seedling root length, surface area, and volume, including the number of nodules per plant. An accumulation of H2O2, an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content, a reduction in flavonoid content, and a decrease in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)–radicle scavenging activity were observed. The reduction in flavonoid content was accompanied by a decrease in the transcription of GmIFS and GmN93 and an increase in transcript levels of several antioxidant genes. These molecular and physiological changes may have a physiological cost to the soybean plant, which may limit the plant's ability to respond to subsequent abiotic and biotic stresses that will occur under field conditions.

Type
Weed Biology and Ecology
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Abe, N, Murata, T, Hirota, A (1998) Novel DPPH radicle scavengers, bisorbicillinol and demethyltrichodimerol, from a fungus. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 62:661666 Google Scholar
Afifi, M, Swanton, CJ (2011) Maize seed and stem roots differ in response to neighboring weeds. Weed Res 51:442450 Google Scholar
Afifi, M, Swanton, CJ (2012) Early physiological mechanisms of weed competition. Weed Sci 60:542551 Google Scholar
Balatti, PA, Montaldi, ER (1986) Effects of red and far red lights on nodulation and nitrogen fixation in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) Plant Soil 92:427430 Google Scholar
Ballaré, CL, Casal, JJ (2000) Light signals perceived by crop and weed plants. Field Crops Res 67:149160 Google Scholar
Ballaré, CL, Casal, JJ, Kendrick, RE (1991) Responses of light-grown wild-type and long-hypocotyl mutant cucumber seedlings to natural and simulated shade light. Photochem Photobiol 54:819826 Google Scholar
Ballaré, CL, Sánchez, RA, Scopel, AL, Casal, JJ, Ghersa, CM (1987) Early detection of neighbour plants by phytochrome perception of spectral changes in reflected sunlight. Plant Cell Environ 10:551557 Google Scholar
Ballaré, CL, Scopel, A, Sanchez, RA (1990) Far-red radiation reflected from adjacent leaves—an early signal of competition in plant canopies. Science 247:329332 Google Scholar
Barceló, J, Poschenrieder, C (2002) Fast root growth responses, root exudates, and internal detoxification as clues to the mechanisms of aluminium toxicity and resistance: a review. Environ Exp Bot 48:7592 Google Scholar
Casal, JJ, Sánchez, RA, Deregibus, VA (1987) Tillering responses of Lolium multiflorum plants to changes of red/far-red ratio typical of sparse canopies. J Exp Bot 38:14321439 Google Scholar
Folta, KM, Maruhnich, SA (2007) Green light: a signal to slow down or stop. J Exp Bot 58:30993111 Google Scholar
Gill, SS, Tuteja, G (2010) Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant machinery in abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. Plant Physiol Biochem 48:909930 Google Scholar
Green-Tracewicz, E, Page, ER, Swanton, CJ (2011) Shade avoidance in soybean reduces branching and increases plant-to-plant variability in biomass and yield per plant. Weed Sci 59:4349 Google Scholar
Green-Tracewicz, E, Page, ER, Swanton, CJ (2012) Light quality and the critical period for weed control in soybean. Weed Sci 60:8691 Google Scholar
Halliwell, B, Gutteridge, JMC (1984) Oxygen toxicity, oxygen radicles, transition metals and disease. Biochem J 219:114 Google Scholar
Hara, M, Terashima, S, Fukaya, T, Kuboi, T (2003) Enhancement of cold tolerance and inhibition of lipid peroxidation by citrus dehydrin in transgenic tobacco. Planta 217:290298 Google Scholar
Hunt, PG, Kasperbauer, MJ, Matheny, TA (1989) Soybean seedling growth responses to light reflected from different colored soil surfaces. Crop Sci 29:130133 Google Scholar
Hunt, PG, Kasperbauer, MJ, Matheny, TA (1990) Influence of Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain and far-red/red canopy light ratios on nodulation of soybean. Crop Sci 30:1396–1308Google Scholar
Kasperbauer, MJ (1987) Far-red light reflection from green leaves and effects on phytochrome-mediated assimilate partitioning under field conditions. Plant Physiol 85:350354 Google Scholar
Kasperbauer, MJ, Hunt, PG (1994) Shoot/root assimilate allocation and nodulation of Vigna unguiculata seedlings as influenced by shoot light environment. Plant Soil 161:97101 Google Scholar
Kasperbauer, MJ, Hunt, PG, Sojka, RE (1984) Photosynthate partitioning and nodule formation in soybean plants that received red or far-red light at the end of the photosynthetic period. Plant Physiol 61:549554 Google Scholar
Kasperbauer, MJ, Karlen, DL (1986) Light-mediated bioregulation of tillering and photosynthate partitioning in wheat. Physiol Plant 66:159163 Google Scholar
Kasperbauer, MJ, Karlen, DL (1994) Plant spacing and reflected far-red light effects on phytochrome-regulated photosynthate allocation in corn seedlings. Crop Sci 34:15641569 Google Scholar
Lie, TA (1969) Non-photosynthetic effects of red and far-red light on root-nodule formation by leguminous plants. Plant and Soil 30:391404 Google Scholar
Liu, JG, Mahoney, KJ, Sikkema, PH, Swanton, CJ (2009) The importance of light quality in crop-weed competition. Weed Res 49:217224 Google Scholar
Livak, KJ, Schmittgen, TD (2001) Analysis of relative gene expression data using real-time quantitative PCR and the 2–ΔΔC T method. Methods 25:402408 Google Scholar
Matthews, BF, Beard, H, Brewer, E, Kabir, S, MacDonald, MH, Youssef, RM (2014) Arabidopsis genes, AtNPR1, AtTGA2 and AtPR-5, confer partial resistance to soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) when over expressed in transgenic soybean roots. BMC Plant Biol 14:96.Google Scholar
Mittler, R (2002) Oxidative stress, antioxidants and stress tolerance. Trends Plant Sci 7:405410 Google Scholar
Page, ER, Liu, W, Cerrudo, D, Lee, EA, Swanton, CJ (2011) Shade avoidance influences stress tolerance in maize. Weed Sci 59:326334 Google Scholar
Page, ER, Tollenaar, M, Lee, EA, Lukens, L, Swanton, CJ (2009) Does shade avoidance underlie the critical period for weed control in maize (Zea mays L.). Weed Res 49:563571 Google Scholar
Patel, VR, Patel, PR, Kajal, SS (2010) Antioxidant activity of some selected medicinal plants in western region of India. Adv Biol Res 4:2326 Google Scholar
Patterson, BD, MacRae, EA, Ferguson, IB (1984) Estimation of hydrogen peroxide in plant extracts using titanium (IV). Anal Biochem 139:487492 Google Scholar
Pecháčková, S (1999) Root response to above-ground light quality. Plant Ecol 141:6777 Google Scholar
Pierik, R, de Wit, M (2013) Shade avoidance: phytochrome signalling and other aboveground neighbour detection cues. J Exp Bot 65:28592871 Google Scholar
Pierik, R, Whitelam, GC, Voesenek, LACJ, deKroon, H, Visser, EJW (2004) Canopy studies on ethylene-insensitive tobacco identify ethylene as a novel element in blue light and plant–plant signalling. Plant J 38:310319 Google Scholar
Reddy, PM, Kouchi, H, Ladha, JK (1998) Isolation, analysis and expression of homologues of the soybean early nodulin gene GmENOD93 (GmN93) from rice. Biochim Biophys Acta 1443:386392 Google Scholar
Ryan, KG, Swinny, EE, Markham, KR, Winefield, C (2002) Flavonoid gene expression and UV photoprotection in transgenic and mutant Petunia leaves. Phytochem 59:2332 Google Scholar
Sharma, P, Jha, AB, Dubey, RS, Pessarakli, M (2012) Reactive oxygen species, oxidative damage, and antioxidative defense mechanism in plants under stressful conditions. J Bot 2012:126 Google Scholar
Sheehy, JE, Vazzana, C, Minchin, FR (1983) Light quality, symbiotic nitrogen fixation and growth in white clover plants. Plant Soil 73:117128 Google Scholar
Skálová, H, Vosátka, M (1998) Growth response of three Festuca rubra clones to light quality and arbuscular mychorrhiza. Folia Geobot 33:159169 Google Scholar
Sparkes, DL, Berry, P, King, M (2008) Effects of shade on root characters associated with lodging in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Ann Appl Biol 152:389395 Google Scholar
Subramanian, S, Stacey, G, Yu, O (2006) Endogenous isoflavones are essential for the establishment of symbiosis between soybean and Bradyrhizobium japonicum . Plant J 48:261273 Google Scholar
Subramanian, S, Stacey, G, Yu, O (2007) Distinct, crucial roles of flavonoids during legume nodulation. Trends Plant Sci 12:282285 Google Scholar
Tanou, G, Molassiotis, A, Diamantidis, G (2009) Hydrogen peroxide- and nitric oxide-induced systemic antioxidant prime-like activity under NaCl-stress and stress-free conditions in citrus plants. J Plant Physiol 166:19041913 Google Scholar
Tattini, M, Galardi, C, Pinelli, P, Massai, R, Remorini, D, Agati, G (2004) Differential accumulation of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamates in leaves of Ligustrum vulgare under excess light and drought stress. New Phytol 163:547561 Google Scholar
Taylor, LP, Grotewold, E (2005) Flavonoids as developmental regulators. Plant Biol 8:317323 Google Scholar
Tollenaar, M (1989) Response of dry matter accumulation in maize to temperature. I. Dry matter partitioning. Crop Sci 29:12391246 Google Scholar
Treutter, D (2006) Significance of flavonoids in plant resistance: a review. Environ Chem Lett 4:147157 Google Scholar
Wang, Y, Maruhnich, SA, Mageroy, MH, Justice, JR, Folta, KM (2013) Phototropin 1 and cryptochrome action in response to green light in combination with other wavelengths. Planta 237:225237 Google Scholar
Yang, F, Huang, S, Gao, R, Liu, W, Yong, T, Wang, X, Wu, X, Yang, W (2014) Growth of soybean seedlings in relay strip intercropping systems in relation to light quantity and red : far-red ratio. Field Crops Res 155:245253 Google Scholar
Yoo, D, Hara, T, Fujita, N, Noguchi, T, Takahashi, S, Nakayama, T (2013) Transcription analyses of GmICHG, a gene coding for β-glucosidase that catalyzes the specific hydrolysis of isoflavone conjugates in Glycine max (L.) Merr. Plant Sci 208:1019 Google Scholar