How Tropospheric Ozone Influences the Allelopathy of Woody Species: Some Experimental Approaches
Roshchina Victoria Vladimirovna
Issue:
Volume 8, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
71-79
Received:
26 February 2020
Accepted:
22 July 2020
Published:
19 August 2020
Abstract: Plants undergo a high concentration of tropospheric ozone formed mainly as a result of industrial and automobile pollution that may act on allelopathic relations in biocenosis. The problem was considered in first experiments modeling in test reactions with leaf leachates from 10 woody species as plant-donors, exposed to ozone, and able to influence on herbs (plant-acceptors) grown under their canopy. The effects were dependent on the duration and the intensity exposure to ozone. The color and the autofluorescence of the woody plant leaves with secretory cells contained allelochemicals changed under the ozone treatment. The effects of water extracts (models of rain leachates) from leaves of woody species exposed to ozone on the seed germination of herb Lavatera trimestris (Malvaceae), plant-acceptor of allelochemicals, differed from untreated samples. This showed a possible transformation of allelochemicals or/and the formation of new similar exometabolites after the ozone treatment. In the fluorescence spectra of whole leaves, the maxima, peculiar to phenols, were found at different experiments, while peaks related to terpenes disappeared in ozonated samples. Under acute or chronic ozone exposure the formation of biogenic amines (dopamine and histamine) known as allelochemicals was observed in leaf cells. These test-reactions on tropospheric ozone stress could be used in the analysis of allelopathic relations in urban conditions.
Abstract: Plants undergo a high concentration of tropospheric ozone formed mainly as a result of industrial and automobile pollution that may act on allelopathic relations in biocenosis. The problem was considered in first experiments modeling in test reactions with leaf leachates from 10 woody species as plant-donors, exposed to ozone, and able to influence...
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Impact of Climate Change on the Diversity and Distribution of Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw) Cheesman) in Ethiopia: A Review
Abera Jaleta,
Bikila Tesfa Kebeda,
Temesgen Olani Abdisa
Issue:
Volume 8, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
80-86
Received:
21 February 2020
Accepted:
17 March 2020
Published:
25 August 2020
Abstract: The aim of this review paper is to review the impact of climate change on diversity and distribution of enset in Ethiopia and to suggest the gabs for future research. Climate change impacts will disproportionately affect sub-Saharan African countries such as Ethiopia because their economies are highly dependent on climate-sensitive activities such as rain-fed agriculture. In Ethiopia, climate change and associated extreme events are causing significant damage to life, property, natural resources and the economy by affecting climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture. Of the influence of climate change in Ethiopia crop species diversity and distribution is the current issue to deal with. Big genetic erosion and limitation of production of crops toward the high lands parts of the country in general and enset in particular is under way. Species distributions are determined by a range of different factors, among which climate is one of the most important ones. Climate change based distribution of enset is currently observed in Ethiopia. In some part of the country the enset production is shifting to the high land areas due to the changing climatic conditions. Some of the clones are struggling for tolerance of the changing environment, while others shift toward higher altitude; the others are unable to withstand the changing climatic condition and are enforced to die. Recent climate change has become one of the main drivers of shifts in the geographical distributions and diversity of enset species in Ethiopia. Therefore, urgent and appropriate actions are needed within various scenarios of climate change impacts on biodiversity and species distribution of enset.
Abstract: The aim of this review paper is to review the impact of climate change on diversity and distribution of enset in Ethiopia and to suggest the gabs for future research. Climate change impacts will disproportionately affect sub-Saharan African countries such as Ethiopia because their economies are highly dependent on climate-sensitive activities such ...
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Field Evaluation of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes for Stripe Rust (Puccinia striiformis W.) Resistance in Arsi Highlands, South -Eastern-Ethiopia
Getnet Muche Abebele,
Merkuz Abera Admasu,
Bekele Hundie Agdu
Issue:
Volume 8, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
87-97
Received:
21 May 2020
Accepted:
28 June 2020
Published:
31 August 2020
Abstract: Wheat is one of the world's foremost crops where its production is growing yearly. However, the emerged virulent stripe rust races at one point of the world spread to the rest of wheat producing countries by wind as well as human travels and damaged popular resistant wheat cultivars thereby posed food insecurity. This study was carried out with the aim to identify possible sources of stripe rust resistance among Ethiopian bread wheat pipelines for durable resistance breeding. Twenty-eight advanced bread wheat pipelines, local susceptible and resistant check cultivars Kubsa and Wane respectively were field tested in randomized complete block design with three replications across two stripe rust hot-spot locations for their slow rusting characteristics. Slow rusting resistance at the adult-plant stage was assessed through the determination of final rust severity (FRS), average coefficient of infection (ACI), and relative area under disease progressive curve (rAUDPC). Among the twenty-eight, 24, 2 and 2 genotypes displayed high, moderate and low level of slow rusting over two locations respectively. The results revealed that wheat lines, ETBW- 8858, ETBW-8870, ETBW-8583, ETBW-8668, ETBW-8595, ETBW-8684, ETBW-9548, ETBW-9549, ETBW-9552, ETBW-9554, ETBW-9558, ETBW-9559, ETBW-9560, ETBW-875, ETBW-8802, ETBW-8862, ETBW-8804, ETBW-8896, ETBW-9556, ETBW-9557, ETBW-8991, ETBW-9486, ETBW-9556 and ETBW-9561 had low values of FRS, ACI and rAUDPC and were regarded as good slow rusting lines. Strong positive correlations were observed between different parameters of slow rusting. As compared with susceptible, resistant check variety and other test lines, three lines namely. ETBW-8684; ETBW-9558 and ETBW-8751 are high yielders and could be released for production. Twenty-four lines with high and moderate levels of slow rusting and expected to possess both major and minor resistance genes could be used for durable stripe rust resistance breeding in wheat. Nevertheless, the exact resistant genes contented in suggested lines shall be confirmed through seedling phenotyping and molecular approaches.
Abstract: Wheat is one of the world's foremost crops where its production is growing yearly. However, the emerged virulent stripe rust races at one point of the world spread to the rest of wheat producing countries by wind as well as human travels and damaged popular resistant wheat cultivars thereby posed food insecurity. This study was carried out with the...
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Understanding Plant Blindness – Students’ Inherent Interest of Plants in Higher Education
Sven Peter Batke,
Thom Dallimore,
John Bostock
Issue:
Volume 8, Issue 4, August 2020
Pages:
98-105
Received:
7 August 2020
Accepted:
20 August 2020
Published:
31 August 2020
Abstract: ‘Plant-blindness’ (PB) is the inability to see or notice plants in one’s own environment. There has been growing concerns amongst biologists that PB is becoming an increasing issue in young university students. However, currently we are still lacking detailed quantitative data that would allow us to determine the exact underlying causes for this trend. In order to contribute to our understanding of PB, we aimed to quantify PB in undergraduate university students by deriving a PB score from face-to-face quizzes. A total of 88 undergraduate students in Biology were surveyed. Students were more likely to correctly identify and recognize animals over plants in a series of picture tests. There was a weak positive correlation (p=0.03, r2=0.24) between the students’ awareness of plants in their natural environment and their exposure to plant biology during pre-university schooling. Most students (65.9%) believed that the inclusion of plants within university course contents increased their interest. Within this group, 30.6% indicated that because of this newly developed interest, they have chosen more relevant plant science modules. These results suggest that there is an inherent interest of plants in students surveyed in this study. However, this interest needs to be carefully nurtured throughout their educational progression. We proposed six areas to combat PB.
Abstract: ‘Plant-blindness’ (PB) is the inability to see or notice plants in one’s own environment. There has been growing concerns amongst biologists that PB is becoming an increasing issue in young university students. However, currently we are still lacking detailed quantitative data that would allow us to determine the exact underlying causes for this tr...
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