biomass and nutrient dynamics of dendropthoe

8/14/2019 Biomass and Nutrient Dynamics of Dendropthoe

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Biomass and nutrient dynamics of mistletoe (Dendrophthoe

falcata) and neem (Azadirachta indica) seedlings

K. S. T. K. Karunaichamy, K. Paliwal* ,and

P. A. Ar**

Exploitation Studies, Rubber Research Institute of India,

Kottayam 686 009, India

*epartment of !lant Sciences, School of "iolo#ical Sciences, $adurai Kamara% &ni'ersity, $adurai 6() 0(, India

**+aculty of +orestry and En'ironmental $ana#ement, &ni'ersity of e- "runs-ic., +redericton, ", /anada E" 6/(

Growth and tissue concentration of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca),magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na) were measured for Dendrophthoe falcata(L.F.) ttingsh., whichis a hemiparasitic mistletoe growing on its hostAzadirachta indica!. "uss. seedlings, or neem

seedlings. #he shoot length and root length of the host seedlings were significantl$ reduced(P% &.&') after mistletoe infection. iomass of the infectedA. indicaseedling components (leaes,stem and root) was also significantl$ (P% &.&') reduced. Mineral nutrient concentrations of N, P,K, Mg and Na were significantl$ higher (P% &.&') in mistletoe leaes than in the leaes of *othuninfected and infected host, whereas Ca concentration in mistletoe leaes was significantl$higher (P% &.&') than in the leaes of its host. Continued mistletoe growth +ills the host, and themistletoe as well.

HEMIPARASITICmistletoes of the Loranthaceae tap the xylem vessels of their hosts toobtain water an minerals b!t pro!ce" to at least a certain extent" their own s!pply ofassimilate#$ Many types of mistletoes are fo!n in tropical re%ions" sprea from one hosttree to another by fr!%ivoro!s birs$ &or example" a sin%le taxon 'Dicaeum

erythrohynchos" Latham$(" also )nown as Tic)el*s flower pec)er is responsible for thesee ispersal of D. falcata'L$&$( Ettin%sh$ 'Loranthaceae( amon%A. indicaA$ +!ss$'Meliaceae( in so!thern Inia$ This bir fees on D. falcataanA. indicafr!its ali)e ansees are place on host plants by excretion or re%!r%itation ,$

Trees that carrie a %reater n!mber of mistletoe plants in the branch showe are!ction in iameter an %rowth$ The evelopment of mistletoe plants on the host treeis a ynamic process which necessarily leas to the eath of the host tree$ The wholeprocess may last for a ecae or so$ Mistletoes" consiere to be hemiparasites" infecttrees by tappin% into the host xylem to %ain access to water an n!trients -$ .ften"mistletoes have hi%her n!trient concentrations than their host/"0$ The ob1ective of thisst!y was to oc!ment %rowth per

2&or corresponence$ 'e3mail4 ec5pronet$rweb$com(


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formance an n!trient concentrations '6" P" 7" Ca" M%" 6a( of D. falcataan D. falcatainfecteA. indicaseelin%s$

The experiment was one at the 8iomass Research Centre" Ma!rai '90:;6 latit!e;E lon%it!e($ 6eem sees were soa)e for ,/ h an then place into polythene

ba%s$ After see %ermination" seelin%s were thinne to one seelin% per ba%" an wereallowe to %row for /0 ays$ Sees of the hemiparasitic an%iosperm 'D. falcata( werecollecte from host tree branches after the birs swallowe the fr!it an excrete orre%!r%itate$ These sees were separate an )ept on the stem of host seelin%s" onesee per stem$

After -> ays of mistletoe %rowth" ten seelin%s of !ninfecte an infecte plants wereharveste$ The root collar iameter of !ninfecte an infecte host seelin%s wasmeas!re !sin% a vernier calliper$ The biomass of host seelin%s an mistletoes wasetermine after separation$ Samples were oven3rie an mille in preparation formineral analysis of 6" P" 7" Ca" M% an 6a$ Concentrations of the elements 6 an P

were etermine after 71elahl i%estion with a contin!o!s flow a!toanalyser '?ra)oInternational Lt$" @inchester" Hampshire" 7($ Concentrations of 7" Ca" M% an 6awere etermine with an aciic plant i%est '#>4/4# ratio of H6. -" HCl.-an H,S./($The i%est was filtere '@hatman no$ /,(" an analyse with an atomic absorptionspectrophotometer 'Per)in3Elmer 0>>>" 6orwal)" Connectic!t" SA($ The St!entB6ewmanB7e!ls test was !se to comp!te the least si%nificant ifference 'LS( at 90Dlevel for m!ltiple ran%e test$ ifferences were consiere si%nificant at a level belowP >$>0$

Mean %rowth val!es of !ninfecte seelin%s" infecte seelin%s" an mistletoe areshown in Table #$ As inicate" the host shoot len%th" root len%th an root collar

iameter" an biomass of infecte seelin%s were all si%nificantly re!ce 'P >$>0($Shoot len%th in the infecte host seelin%s was %enerally lower than in the !ninfectehost seelin%s '!p to three times($ This clearly inicates that xylem3tappin% mistletoehave %reater infl!ence after infectin% the host seelin%s$ Parasitic plants tap into thexylem of the host plants followin% attachment" an the ha!stori!m penetrates the

#a*le . ?rowth performance of mistletoe 'D. falcata( %rowin% onits host 'A. indica( seelin%s


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Figure . Chan%es in the biomass of plant components of mistletoe 'Dendrophthoefalcata( %rowin% on its host 'Azadirachta indica( seelin%s$ H" !ninfecte host seelin%s$>0$

host primarily to obtain water an n!trients from it-$ The biomass of infecte hostseelin%s are si%nificantly ecrease 'P >$>0( after -> ays of infection '&i%!re #($The biomass of hemiparasitic mistletoe plant components are si%nificantly hi%her'P >$>0( than the infecte host seelin%s$ 8iomass re!ctions amo!nte to /:D inshoot" 0#D in leaves an /=D in roots of infecte A. indicaseelin%s$ The mistletoebiomass exceee infecte host biomass by /-D for shoot" an =-D for leaves$ Themistletoe oes not have a root system an co!l be epenent on the host for wateran minerals$ After the mistletoe infects host seelin%s" the chan%es in host leaf area"leaf n!mber" re!ction in %rowth performance an biomass reflect the physiolo%ical anmetabolic pert!rbation in!ce by the parasite$ Competition for water" inor%anic ionsan metabolites is the simplest explanation for loss in host pro!ction$


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Concentration of certain minerals '6" P" 7" Ca" M% an 6a( in plant components of!ninfecte seelin%s" infecte seelin%s an mistletoe is shown in &i%!re ,$ The

ha!stori!m of mistletoe plants penetrates the host primarily to obtain minerals anwater from it$ The n!trient concentration of 6" P" 7" M% an 6a in the leaves of mistletoewas si%nificantly hi%her 'P >$>0( than the leaves of !ninfecte an infecte A. indicaseelin%s$ Similarly" the n!trient concentration of 6" P an Ca in the leaves of!ninfecte seelin%s was si%nificantly hi%her 'P >$>0( than in the leaves of infecteseelin%s$ Elemental concentration ecrease in the followin% orer4Ca 6 7 M% P 6a$ Elemental concentrations were %enerally hi%her in mistletoestems than in infecteA. indicastems" except for 6 an M%$ Leaf n!trientconcentrations were %enerally hi%her 'P >$>0( in !ninfecteA. indicaseelin%s than ininfecteA. indicaseelin%s 'Table ,($ &or 7" M% an 6a" there were no si%nificantifferences between the leaves of infecte an !ninfecteA. indicaseelin%s$ 6o

si%nificant ifference in the leaf Ca concentration was fo!n between mistletoe an!ninfecte seelin%s ofA. indica$

ifferences between elemental concentrations for mistletoe an its host are tho!%ht tores!lt from ifferential translocation of elements within the host phloem =$ Theconcentrations of some elements" notably 7 are partic!larly elevate in mistletoeleaves0$ Hi%her 7 concentration in the leaves is a conseJ!ence of hi%h transpirationrates an the lac) of a retranslocation system:$ Ma1or cations have lowereconcentrations in mistletoe infecte branches" b!t it has not been establishe that thisca!ses any ion3eficiency isease9$ Mistletoe infection may lea to 6 eficiency in hostplants#>$ 6!trient acJ!isition may play a vital role in the re%!lation of assimilate transport

in mistletoes$

An extraorinary phenomenon is seen in the fr!its of the mistletoe" which stron%lyresemble those of the host fr!it$ Therefore" specialiKation wo!l attract the fr!%ivoro!sthat isperse the sees more efficiently$ Sees of D. falcatawere efecate in slimymasses by birs on partic!lar s!bstrates li)e branches in orer to s!rvive an %row$ Theres!lts of this st!y inicate that the mistletoe affectsA. indicaseelin% %rowth byre!cin% the n!trient concentrations within the host plants$ This re!ction isaccompanie by a re!ction in seelin% %rowth$ The %rowth of the mistletoe on A.indicaseelin%s" ca!ses little apparent chan%es in the initial sta%es b!t after a month ofinfection %ra!ally the host an parasite can be evastate$ &!rther st!ies nee to

evise strate%ies to control the mistletoe which poses a menance to this importantwooy species$

1 Kui%t, 21, The Biology of Parasitic Flowering Plants, &ni'ersity of /alifornia !ress, "er.eley, 969, p1 (361(1 a'idar, !1, Oecologia, 98, !", (45(41

1 /alder, $1, in The Biology of Mistletoeseds /alder, $1 and "ernhardt, !17, cademic !ress, e- or., 98, pp1 541


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31 :amont, "1 "1, in The Biology of Mistletoeseds /alder, $1 and "ernhardt, !17, cademic !ress, e- or., 98, pp1 8)5(031

)1 Karunaichamy, K1 S1 ;1 K1, !ali-al, K1 and atara%an, K1,Proc. Indian Natl. Sci. Acad. Part B1, 99, #$, )0)5)01

61 Ste-art,

biomass and nutrient dynamics of dendropthoe

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