Title: | Exogenous nitrogen enhances poplar resistance to leaf herbivory and pathogen infection after exposure to soil cadmium stress |
Author(s): | Chen J; Qin S; Tang J; Chen G; Xie J; Chen L; Han S; Wang X; Zhu T; Liu Y; Lin T; |
Address: | "Key Laboratory of National Forestry & Grassland Administration on Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China. College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China. Key Laboratory of National Forestry & Grassland Administration on Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China. Electronic address: tlin@sicau.edu.cn" |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111688 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1090-2414 (Electronic) 0147-6513 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Elemental defense hypothesis suggests that toxic metals accumulated in plant tissues could enhance plant defense against herbivores and pathogens. Since over-accumulation of metals in plant organs will pose negative effects on plant health, it is necessary to find a way to alleviate metal-induced toxicity in plants while keeping or even improving plant resistance. Exogenous nitrogen (N) application was reported to have such alleviation effect while stimulating metal accumulation in plant tissues. In this study, we examined whether soil N addition in three different doses to a poplar species under cadmium (Cd) stress can simultaneously improve plant growth and resistance to four herbivorous insects and a leaf pathogen. The results showed that N application to Cd-amended soil prominently enhanced plant growth and leaf Cd accumulation. While N addition in three doses all remarkably reduced herbivore growth than control plants, only the highest N dose exerted stronger inhibition than the sole Cd-treated plants. In the paired-choice experiment, plants supplied with the highest N dose showed an enhanced deterrent effect on herbivore preference than plants exposed to sole Cd. Furthermore, plant resistance to the leaf pathogen infection was strongly enhanced as the levels of N addition increased. Leaf sugar and three main defensive chemicals were not affected by N application implied that such enhanced effect of N on plant resistance was due to increased leaf Cd accumulation. Our results suggested that the application of exogenous N over a certain amount could enhance the resistance of Cd-treated plants to leaf herbivory and pathogen infection" |
Keywords: | Animals Cadmium/metabolism/*toxicity Herbivory/drug effects Lepidoptera/drug effects Nitrogen/*pharmacology Pestalotiopsis/growth & development Plant Diseases/microbiology/prevention & control Plant Leaves/*drug effects/growth & development/microbiology P; |
Notes: | "MedlineChen, Jiaping Qin, Siyu Tang, Jiayao Chen, Gang Xie, Jiulong Chen, Lianghua Han, Shan Wang, Xuegui Zhu, Tianhui Liu, Yinggao Lin, Tiantian eng Netherlands 2021/01/06 Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2021 Jan 15; 208:111688. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111688. Epub 2020 Dec 10" |