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Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Skogforsk can demonstrate that granular plants propagated by the method of cloning somatic embryos are better able to deal with snowbag attacks than cultivated plants in a traditional way. This is probably the propagation process that triggers the defense capability, which means that the discovery is of great interest to plant protection issues.
Will be genetically identical
During the propagation of coniferous plants by somatic embryogenesis, the cells of the embryos develop into seeds to form several genetically identical individuals. During the process, they are initially cultured in a nutritional solution and exposed to high doses of certain growth hormones. With this technique, it is possible to quickly propagate a plant with good genetic properties and obtain a large amount of seedlings. The method is therefore of great interest to the forest industry, and in Sweden technical development for the production of commercial plants is under way.
"Our finding that plants produced with the help of somatic embryos were also more resistant to re-verification attacks makes the technology even more interesting," said Adriana Puentes, first author of the study and researcher at SLU.
Somatic spruce embryos develop into several identical individuals in a petri dish. Picture: Eva Persson
The discovery is based on a complete base. Granular plants produced with somatic embryos of 50 half-sisters were compared to the seedlings of these same half-sisters in three large field trials, commissioned by Skogforsk in southern Sweden. The initial goal was to see if there were differences in growth depending on the crop growing.
Technology was of importance
The researchers used two of the trials to study spinal cord attacks, but mainly expected differences between different families of half-sisters – without the plant's production technique being significant.
"We were very surprised to find that plants developed with somatic embryos had always been better managed by cheesecake attacks.We had to look again.But it was so clear and we had two big experiments that have shown the same, "says Göran Nordlander, co-author and professor at SLU.
Less attacked by the snowballs
Plants propagated by somatic embryos were attacked by cuttings about 10% less and when attacked, the amount of rodents was about 25% less than that of the seedlings. Depending on the location of the plant and other factors, one can expect that the effect will increase or decrease, but this effect is clearly so important that it is important for forestry.
During the production process of plants with somatic embryos, hormones are used at high levels. This means a stress similar to that which occurs when one 's attack to pests. Researchers believe that the plant has a better defense than seedlings or can react more quickly to future attacks.
"We believe that the increased defense capacity of the plants produced by this method is a general phenomenon and that this detection can therefore be important for the protection of plants in many different fields, for example, the method of growing bananas, cocoa , grapes and other conifers such as larch are used, and we want to continue to study the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, "said Adriana Puentes.
The study is published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Plant Science.
L & # 39; section:
Puentes, A., Högberg, K.-A., Björklund, N. and Nordlander, G. 2018. New ways for plant protection: The spread of plants by somatic embryogenesis increases the resistance to feeding of plants. insects.
Contact:
Adriana Puentes, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), [email protected]
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