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Van Haeften S, Campbell BC, Milic A, Addison-Smith E, Al Kouba J, Huete A, Beggs PJ, Davies JM. Environmental DNA analysis of airborne poaceae (grass) pollen reveals taxonomic diversity across seasons and climate zones. Environ Res 2024; 247:117983. [PMID: 38163541 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Grasses populate most biogeographical zones, and their diversity influences allergic sensitisation to pollen. Previously, the contribution of different Poaceae subfamilies to airborne pollen has mostly been inferred from historical herbarium records. We recently applied environmental (e)DNA metabarcoding at one subtropical site revealing that successive airborne grass pollen peaks were derived from repeated flowering of Chloridoid and Panicoid grasses over a season. This study aimed to compare spatiotemporal patterns in grass pollen exposure across seasons and climate zones. METHODS Airborne pollen concentrations across two austral pollen seasons spanning 2017-2019 at subtropical (Mutdapilly and Rocklea, Queensland) and temperate (Macquarie Park and Richmond, New South Wales) sites, were determined with a routine volumetric impaction sampler and counting by light microscopy. Poaceae rbcL metabarcode sequences amplified from daily pollen samples collected once per week were assigned to subfamily and genus using a ribosomal classifier and compared with Atlas of Living Australia sighting records. RESULTS eDNA analysis revealed distinct dominance patterns of grass pollen at various sites: Panicoid grasses prevailed in both subtropical Mutdapilly and temperate Macquarie Park, whilst Chloridoid grasses dominated the subtropical Rocklea site. Overall, subtropical sites showed significantly higher proportion of pollen from Chloridoid grasses than temperate sites, whereas the temperate sites showed a significantly higher proportion of pollen from Pooideae grasses than subtropical sites. Timing of airborne Pooid (spring), Panicoid and Chloridoid (late spring to autumn), and Arundinoid (autumn) pollen were significantly related to number of days from mid-winter. Proportions of eDNA for subfamilies correlated with distributions grass sighting records between climate zones. CONCLUSIONS eDNA analysis enabled finer taxonomic discernment of Poaceae pollen records across seasons and climate zones with implications for understanding adaptation of grasslands to climate change, and the complexity of pollen exposure for patients with allergic respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanice Van Haeften
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bradley C Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andelija Milic
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Addison-Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jane Al Kouba
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alfredo Huete
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul J Beggs
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Janet M Davies
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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Van Haeften S, Kang Y, Dudley C, Potgieter A, Robinson H, Dinglasan E, Wenham K, Noble T, Kelly L, Douglas CA, Hickey L, Smith MR. Fusarium wilt constrains mungbean yield due to reduction in source availability. AoB Plants 2024; 16:plae021. [PMID: 38650718 PMCID: PMC11034375 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plae021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Mungbean is an important source of plant protein for consumers and a high-value export crop for growers across Asia, Australia and Africa. However, many commercial cultivars are highly vulnerable to biotic stresses, which rapidly reduce yield within the season. Fusarium oxysporum is a soil-borne pathogen that is a growing concern for mungbean growers globally. This pathogen causes Fusarium wilt by infecting the root system of the plant resulting in devastating yield reductions. To understand the impact of Fusarium on mungbean development and productivity and to identify tolerant genotypes, a panel of 23 diverse accessions was studied. Field trials conducted in 2016 and 2021 in Warwick, Queensland, Australia under rainfed conditions investigated the variation in phenology, canopy and yield component traits under disease and disease-free conditions. Analyses revealed a high degree of genetic variation for all traits. By comparing the performance of these traits across these two environments, we identified key traits that underpin yield under disease and disease-free conditions. Aboveground biomass components at 50 % flowering were identified as significant drivers of yield development under disease-free conditions and when impacted by Fusarium resulted in up to 96 % yield reduction. Additionally, eight genotypes were identified to be tolerant to Fusarium. These genotypes were found to display differing phenological and morphological behaviours, thereby demonstrating the potential to breed tolerant lines with a range of diverse trait variations. The identification of tolerant genotypes that sustain yield under disease pressure may be exploited in crop improvement programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanice Van Haeften
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Yichen Kang
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Caitlin Dudley
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Andries Potgieter
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Hannah Robinson
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Eric Dinglasan
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Kylie Wenham
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Thomas Noble
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland, QLD 4370, Australia
| | - Lisa Kelly
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland, QLD 4370, Australia
| | - Colin A Douglas
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland, QLD 4370, Australia
| | - Lee Hickey
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Millicent R Smith
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, QLD 4067, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, QLD 4343, Australia
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Davies JM, Smith BA, Milic A, Campbell B, Van Haeften S, Burton P, Keaney B, Lampugnani ER, Vicendese D, Medek D, Huete A, Erbas B, Newbigin E, Katelaris CH, Haberle SG, Beggs PJ. The AusPollen partnership project: Allergenic airborne grass pollen seasonality and magnitude across temperate and subtropical eastern Australia, 2016-2020. Environ Res 2022; 214:113762. [PMID: 35779617 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Allergic rhinitis affects half a billion people globally, including a fifth of the Australian population. As the foremost outdoor allergen source, ambient grass pollen exposure is likely to be altered by climate change. The AusPollen Partnership aimed to standardize pollen monitoring and examine broad-scale biogeographical and meteorological factors influencing interannual variation in seasonality of grass pollen aerobiology in Australia. METHODS Daily airborne grass and other pollen concentrations in four eastern Australian cities separated by over 1700 km, were simultaneously monitored using Hirst-style samplers following the Australian Interim Pollen and Spore Monitoring Standard and Protocols over four seasons from 2016 to 2020. The grass seasonal pollen integral was determined. Gridded rainfall, temperature, and satellite-derived grassland sources up to 100 km from the monitoring site were analysed. RESULTS The complexity of grass pollen seasons was related to latitude with multiple major summer-autumn peaks in Brisbane, major spring and minor summer peaks in Sydney and Canberra, and single major spring peaks occurring in Melbourne. The subtropical site of Brisbane showed a higher proportion of grass out of total pollen than more temperate sites. The magnitude of the grass seasonal pollen integral was correlated with pasture greenness, rainfall and number of days over 30 °C, preceding and within the season, up to 100 km radii from monitoring sites. CONCLUSIONS Interannual fluctuations in Australian grass pollen season magnitude are strongly influenced by regional biogeography and both pre- and in-season weather. This first continental scale, Southern Hemisphere standardized aerobiology dataset forms the basis to track shifts in pollen seasonality, biodiversity and impacts on allergic respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet M Davies
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia; Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Office of Research, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Beth Addison Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andelija Milic
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bradley Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Shanice Van Haeften
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pamela Burton
- Department of Immunology, Campbelltown Hospital, Campbelltown, Sydney, New South Wales, 2751, Australia
| | - Benedict Keaney
- The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Edwin R Lampugnani
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Don Vicendese
- The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia; The Department of Mathematics and Statistics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Danielle Medek
- Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Queensland, 4215, Australia
| | - Alfredo Huete
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, 2007, Australia
| | - Bircan Erbas
- School of Public Health, LaTrobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Edward Newbigin
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Constance H Katelaris
- Department of Immunology, Campbelltown Hospital, Campbelltown, Sydney, New South Wales, 2751, Australia; School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2751, Australia
| | - Simon G Haberle
- The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Paul J Beggs
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
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Addison-Smith B, Milic A, Dwarakanath D, Simunovic M, Van Haeften S, Timbrell V, Davies JM. Medium-Term Increases in Ambient Grass Pollen Between 1994-1999 and 2016-2020 in a Subtropical Climate Zone. Front Allergy 2022; 2:705313. [PMID: 35387005 PMCID: PMC8974679 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2021.705313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Grass pollen is the major outdoor trigger of allergic respiratory diseases. Climate change is influencing pollen seasonality in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions, but many aspects of the effects on grass pollen remain unclear. Carbon dioxide and temperature rises could increase the distribution of subtropical grasses, however, medium term shifts in grass pollen in subtropical climates have not yet been analysed. This study investigates changes in grass pollen aerobiology in a subtropical city of Brisbane, Australia, between the two available monitoring periods, 1994-1999 and 2016-2020. Potential drivers of pollen change were examined including weather and satellite-derived vegetation indicators. The magnitude of the seasonal pollen index for grass showed almost a three-fold increase for 2016-2020 over 1994-1999. The number and proportion of high and extreme grass pollen days in the recent period increased compared to earlier monitoring. Statistically significant changes were also identified for distributions of CO2, satellite-derived seasonal vegetation health indices, and daily maximum temperatures, but not for minimum temperatures, daily rainfall, or seasonal fraction of green groundcover. Quarterly grass pollen levels were correlated with corresponding vegetation health indices, and with green groundcover fraction, suggesting that seasonal-scale plant health was higher in the latter period. The magnitude of grass pollen exposure in the subtropical region of Brisbane has increased markedly in the recent past, posing an increased environmental health threat. This study suggests the need for continuous pollen monitoring to track and respond to the possible effects of climate change on grass pollen loads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Addison-Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andelija Milic
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Divya Dwarakanath
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Marko Simunovic
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Shanice Van Haeften
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Victoria Timbrell
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Janet M Davies
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Office of Research, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Van Haeften S, Milic A, Addison‐Smith B, Butcher C, Davies JM. Grass Gazers: Using citizen science as a tool to facilitate practical and online science learning for secondary school students during the COVID-19 lockdown. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:3488-3500. [PMID: 33362921 PMCID: PMC7753511 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted educational systems worldwide during 2020, including primary and secondary schooling. To enable students of a local secondary school in Brisbane, Queensland, to continue with their practical agricultural science learning and facilitate online learning, a "Grass Gazers" citizen science scoping project was designed and rapidly implemented as a collaboration between the school and a multidisciplinary university research group focused on pollen allergy. Here, we reflect on the process of developing and implementing this project from the perspective of the school and the university. A learning package including modules on pollen identification, tracking grass species, measuring field greenness, using a citizen science data entry platform, forensic palynology, as well as video guides, risk assessment and feedback forms were generated. Junior agriculture science students participated in the learning via online lessons and independent data collection in their own local neighborhood and/or school grounds situated within urban environments. The university research group and school coordinator, operating in their own distributed work environments, had to develop, source, adopt, and/or adapt material rapidly to meet the unique requirements of the project. The experience allowed two-way knowledge exchange between the secondary and tertiary education sectors. Participating students were introduced to real-world research and were able to engage in outdoor learning during a time when online, indoor, desk-based learning dominated their studies. The unique context of restrictions imposed by the social isolation policies, as well as government Public Health and Department of Education directives, allowed the team to respond by adapting teaching and research activity to develop and trial learning modules and citizen science tools. The project provided a focus to motivate and connect teachers, academic staff, and school students during a difficult circumstance. Extension of this citizen project for the purposes of research and secondary school learning has the potential to offer ongoing benefits for grassland ecology data acquisition and student exposure to real-world science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanice Van Haeften
- School of Biomedical ScienceCentre Immunity and Infection Control and Centre for the EnvironmentSchool of Biomedical ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Andelija Milic
- School of Biomedical ScienceCentre Immunity and Infection Control and Centre for the EnvironmentSchool of Biomedical ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Beth Addison‐Smith
- School of Biomedical ScienceCentre Immunity and Infection Control and Centre for the EnvironmentSchool of Biomedical ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Christopher Butcher
- Agricultural Farm and Science Innovation CentreCorinda State High SchoolBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Janet Mary Davies
- School of Biomedical ScienceCentre Immunity and Infection Control and Centre for the EnvironmentSchool of Biomedical ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQldAustralia
- Office of ResearchMetro North Hospital and Health ServiceBrisbaneQldAustralia
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