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Schrijvers-Gonlag M, Skarpe C, Julkunen-Tiitto R, Poléo ABS. Phenolic concentrations and carbon/nitrogen ratio in annual shoots of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) after simulated herbivory. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298229. [PMID: 38437193 PMCID: PMC10911626 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Herbivory can be reduced by the production of defense compounds (secondary metabolites), but generally defenses are costly, and growth is prioritized over defense. While defense compounds may deter herbivory, nutrients may promote it. In a field study in boreal forest in Norway, we investigated how simulated herbivory affected concentrations of phenolics (generally a defense) and the carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio in annual shoots of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), a deciduous clonal dwarf shrub whose vegetative and generative parts provide forage for many boreal forest animals. We measured concentrations of total tannins, individual phenolics, nitrogen and carbon following several types and intensities of herbivory. We identified 22 phenolics: 15 flavonoids, 1 hydroquinone and 6 phenolic acids. After high levels of herbivory, the total tannin concentration and the concentration of these 22 phenolics together (called total phenolic concentration) were significantly lower in bilberry annual shoots than in the control (natural herbivory at low to intermediate levels). Low-intensive herbivory, including severe defoliation, gave no significantly different total tannin or total phenolic concentration compared with the control. Many individual phenolics followed this pattern, while phenolic acids (deterring insect herbivory) showed little response to the treatments: their concentrations were maintained after both low-intensive and severe herbivory. Contrary to our predictions, we found no significant difference in C/N ratio between treatments. Neither the Carbon:Nutrient Balance hypothesis nor the Optimal Defense hypotheses, theories predicting plant resource allocation to secondary compounds, can be used to predict changes in phenolic concentrations (including total tannin concentration) in bilberry annual shoots after herbivory: in this situation, carbon is primarily used for other functions (e.g., maintenance, growth, reproduction) than defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Schrijvers-Gonlag
- Campus Evenstad, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
| | - Christina Skarpe
- Campus Evenstad, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
| | - Riitta Julkunen-Tiitto
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Antonio B. S. Poléo
- Campus Evenstad, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
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Edger PP, Iorizzo M, Bassil NV, Benevenuto J, Ferrão LFV, Giongo L, Hummer K, Lawas LMF, Leisner CP, Li C, Munoz PR, Ashrafi H, Atucha A, Babiker EM, Canales E, Chagné D, DeVetter L, Ehlenfeldt M, Espley RV, Gallardo K, Günther CS, Hardigan M, Hulse-Kemp AM, Jacobs M, Lila MA, Luby C, Main D, Mengist MF, Owens GL, Perkins-Veazie P, Polashock J, Pottorff M, Rowland LJ, Sims CA, Song GQ, Spencer J, Vorsa N, Yocca AE, Zalapa J. There and back again; historical perspective and future directions for Vaccinium breeding and research studies. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:uhac083. [PMID: 35611183 PMCID: PMC9123236 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) contains a wide diversity of culturally and economically important berry crop species. Consumer demand and scientific research in blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) have increased worldwide over the crops' relatively short domestication history (~100 years). Other species, including bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), and ohelo berry (Vaccinium reticulatum) are largely still harvested from the wild but with crop improvement efforts underway. Here, we present a review article on these Vaccinium berry crops on topics that span taxonomy to genetics and genomics to breeding. We highlight the accomplishments made thus far for each of these crops, along their journey from the wild, and propose research areas and questions that will require investments by the community over the coming decades to guide future crop improvement efforts. New tools and resources are needed to underpin the development of superior cultivars that are not only more resilient to various environmental stresses and higher yielding, but also produce fruit that continue to meet a variety of consumer preferences, including fruit quality and health related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick P Edger
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- MSU AgBioResearch, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Massimo Iorizzo
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC USA
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Nahla V Bassil
- USDA-ARS, National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Juliana Benevenuto
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Luis Felipe V Ferrão
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lara Giongo
- Fondazione Edmund Mach - Research and Innovation CentreItaly
| | - Kim Hummer
- USDA-ARS, National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Lovely Mae F Lawas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Courtney P Leisner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Changying Li
- Phenomics and Plant Robotics Center, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - Patricio R Munoz
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Hamid Ashrafi
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Amaya Atucha
- Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Ebrahiem M Babiker
- USDA-ARS Southern Horticultural Laboratory, Poplarville, MS 39470-0287, USA
| | - Elizabeth Canales
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - David Chagné
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Lisa DeVetter
- Department of Horticulture, Washington State University Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center, Mount Vernon, WA, 98221, USA
| | - Mark Ehlenfeldt
- SEBS, Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ 01019 USA
| | - Richard V Espley
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Karina Gallardo
- School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University, Puyallup, WA 98371, USA
| | - Catrin S Günther
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Michael Hardigan
- USDA-ARS, Horticulture Crops Research Unit, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Amanda M Hulse-Kemp
- USDA-ARS, Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - MacKenzie Jacobs
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Mary Ann Lila
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC USA
| | - Claire Luby
- USDA-ARS, Horticulture Crops Research Unit, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Dorrie Main
- Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99163, USA
| | - Molla F Mengist
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC USA
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | | | | | - James Polashock
- SEBS, Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ 01019 USA
| | - Marti Pottorff
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC USA
| | - Lisa J Rowland
- USDA-ARS, Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Charles A Sims
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Guo-qing Song
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jessica Spencer
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Nicholi Vorsa
- SEBS, Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ 01019 USA
| | - Alan E Yocca
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Juan Zalapa
- USDA-ARS, VCRU, Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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