Plant neighbor detection and allelochemical response are driven by root-secreted signaling chemicals.

Plant neighbor detection and response strategies are important mediators of interactions among species. Despite increasing knowledge of neighbor detection and response involving plant volatiles, less is known about how soil-borne signaling chemicals may act belowground in plant-plant interactions. Here, we experimentally demonstrate neighbor detection and allelopathic responses between wheat and 100 other plant species via belowground signaling. Wheat can detect both conspecific and heterospecific neighbors and responds by increasing allelochemical production. Furthermore, we show that (-)-loliolide and jasmonic acid are present in root exudates from a diverse range of species and are able to trigger allelochemical production in wheat. These findings suggest that root-secreted (-)-loliolide and jasmonic acid are involved in plant neighbor detection and allelochemical response and may be widespread mediators of belowground plant-plant interactions.

A broadleaf species enhances an autotoxic conifers growth through belowground chemical interactions.

Plants may affect the performance of neighboring plants either positively or negatively through interspecific and intraspecific interactions. Productivity of mixed-species systems is ultimately the net result of positive and negative interactions among the component species. Despite increasing knowledge of positive interactions occurring in mixed-species tree systems, relatively little is known about the mechanisms underlying such interactions. Based on data from 25-year-old experimental stands in situ and a series of controlled experiments, we test the hypothesis that a broadleaf, non-N fixing species, Michelia macclurei, facilitates the performance of an autotoxic conifer Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) through belowground chemical interactions. Chinese fir roots released the allelochemical cyclic dipeptide (6-hydroxy-1,3-dimethyl-8-nonadecyl-[1,4]-diazocane- 2,5-diketone) into the soil environment, resulting in self-growth inhibition, and deterioration of soil microorganisms that improve P availability. However, when grown with M. macclurei the growth of Chinese fir was consistently enhanced. In particular, Chinese fir enhanced root growth and distribution in deep soil layers. When compared with monocultures of Chinese fir, the presence of M. macclurei reduced release and increased degradation of cyclic dipeptide in the soil, resulting in a shift from self-inhibition to chemical facilitation. This association also improved the soil microbial community by increasing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and induced the production of Chinese fir roots. We conclude that interspecific interactions are less negative than intraspecific ones between non-N fixing broadleaf and autotoxic conifer species. The impacts are generated by reducing allelochemical levels, enhancing belowground mutualisms, improving soil properties, and changing root distributions as well as the net effects of all the processes within the soil. In particular, allelochemical context alters the consequences of the belowground ecological interactions with a novel mechanism: reduction of self-inhibition through reduced release and increased degradation of an autotoxic compound in the mixed-species plantations. Such a mechanism would be useful in reforestation programs undertaken to rehabilitate forest plantations that suffer from problems associated with autotoxicity.

Allelobiosis in the interference of allelopathic wheat with weeds.

BACKGROUND: Plants may chemically affect the performance of neighbouring plants through allelopathy, allelobiosis or both. In spite of increasing knowledge about allelobiosis, defined as the signalling interactions mediated by non-toxic chemicals involved in plant-plant interactions, the phenomenon has received relatively little attention in the scientific literature. This study examined the role of allelobiosis in the interference of allelopathic wheat with weeds. RESULTS: Allelopathic wheat inhibited the growth of five weed species tested, and the allelochemical (2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one) production of wheat was elicited in the presence of these weeds, even with root segregation. The inhibition and allelochemical levels varied greatly with the mixed species density. Increased inhibition and allelochemical levels occurred at low and medium densities but declined at high densities. All the root exudates and their components of jasmonic acid and salicylic acid from five weeds stimulated allelochemical production. Furthermore, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid were found in plants, root exudates and rhizosphere soils, regardless of weed species, indicating their participation in the signalling interactions defined as allelobiosis. CONCLUSION: Through root-secreted chemical signals, allelopathic wheat can detect competing weeds and respond by increased allelochemical levels to inhibit them, providing an advantage for its own growth. Allelopathy and allelobiosis are two probably inseparable processes that occur together in wheat-weed chemical interactions. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Mobility and microbial activity of allelochemicals in soil.

The action of allelochemicals in soil needs their presence in the vicinity of the target plants. Using a soil TLC combined with bioassay approach, the mobility of 10 typical allelochemicals was evaluated. Ferulic, p-hydroxymandelic, p-hydroxybenzoic, and vanillic acids always had the lowest mobility (Rf < 0.1), whereas phenolic aldehyde and lactone (vanillin and coumarin) showed the highest mobility (Rf > 0.5). The Rf values of daidzein, 1α-angeloyloxycarotol, DIMBOA, and m-tyrosine ranged from 0.24 to 0.32. Binary mixtures of these allelochemicals led to an increase in mobility factors for selected combinations. Phospholipid fatty acid profiling indicated that there were different soil microbial communities in the segments containing allelochemicals residues in the developed TLC soil layer. A difference in microbial community structure occurred between two nitrogenous DIMBOA and m-tyrosine and another eight allelochemicals. The results suggest that the soil activity of allelochemicals on bioassay species and microbial communities depends on their mobility in soil.

[Characteristics of soil microbial community structure in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation].

By using dilution plate, fumigation extraction, and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) methods, this paper studied the quantities of soil microbial populations and the characteristics of soil microbial community structure in a Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantation converted from an evergreen broadleaved forest. The results showed that, during the vegetation change from evergreen broadleaved forest to Chinese fir plantation, the microbial biomass carbon and the quantities of culturable bacteria and actinomyces were decreased. The total PLFAs, bacterial PLFAs, and fungi PLFAs in the woodland soil from Chinese fir plantation were decreased by 49.4%, 52.4%, 46.6%, simultaneously. And G+ and G- bacterial PLFAs in Chinese fir plantation were lower than in evergreen broadleaved forest. As compared with those in rhizosphere soil from Chinese fir plantation, the microbial biomass carbon and the quantities of culturable bacteria and actinomyces in bulk soil were decreased. The total PLFAs, bacterial PLFAs, and G+ and G- bacterial PLFAs in the rhizosphere soil were increased, while the ratio of fungal to bacterial PLFAs was lowered. The principal component analysis of the soil microbial community structure indicated that the first principal component (PC1) and the second principal component (PC2) together accounted for 78.2% of total variation of soil microbial community structure. This study showed there were some differences in the soil microbial community structure between evergreen broadleaved forest and Chinese fir plantation.