DARES · Associational resistance and neighbor recognition of in common dandelion roots
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2016-03-01 → 2018-02-28
- EU contribution
- €187,420
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Associational resistance and neighbor recognition of in common dandelion roots
Plants grow and interact in diverse and heterogeneous communities. Interactions with their neighbors not only affect growth and reproduction but also defensive investment and herbivore resistance. So-called “associational” effects are common and widespread. While the impacts and mechanisms of associational effect on above ground plant-herbivore interactions have been studied extensively, they have rarely been investigated below ground. Investigating how roots recognize and respond to signals from neighboring plants is crucial to understanding plant community dynamics in nature. The overall research objective of DARES was to investigate the impact and mechanism of associational effect on root defenses of Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion) and on performance of its root feeder Melolontha melolontha (white grub). Specifically, we asked three questions: (1) How does the presence of neighboring plants affect T. officinale root defenses and M. melolontha larval performance? (2) What is the general mechanism of neighbor recognition by T. officinale - below ground volatiles or root exudates? (3) Which chemical compounds of neighbors does T. officinale respond to?
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Plants are able to recognize the chemical cues from neighbors and modulate their investment into growth and defense accordingly. While the effects and mechanisms of neighbor recognition on above ground plant-herbivore interactions have been studied extensively, they have rarely been investigated below ground, despite the importance of root herbivores and root-root signaling. The key objectives of DARES are 1) to investigate how does the presence of conspecific and heterospecific neighbors affects the root metabolism and defenses of Taraxacum officinale and its resistance against its main natural enemy, the white grub Melolontha melolotha, 2) to identify the type of chemical information that T. officinale uses to recognize neighbors (above ground volatiles, below ground volatiles or root exudates), and 3) to identify the chemical compounds from neighboring plants that T. officinale responds to. The results of DARES will allow me to assess the importance of associational resistance for below ground interactions. Furthermore, the gained knowledge will help to employ plant-based control strategies of T. officinale as a weed and M. melolontha as a grassland pest.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITAET BERN · BernCoordinatorSwitzerland
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union