Geum iranicum Khatamsaz (Rosaceae) is an endemic plant in Iran. The infusion and decoction of the plant have been used by local people for medicinal purposes. Our previous work on phytochemical studies on G. iranicum showed that the root was rich in sugars and sucrose was identified as a major one in it. In this study, the content of sucrose in the hydro-alcoholic (1:1) extract of the root of G...

†Background Aluminium (Al) toxicity is the most important soil constraint for plant growth and development in acid soils. The mechanism of Al-induced inhibition of root elongation is still not well understood, and it is a matter of debate whether the primary lesions of Al toxicity are apoplastic or symplastic. † Scope The present review focuses on the role of the apoplast in Al toxicity and res...

Major reforestation programs have been initiated on hillsides prone to erosion and landslides in China, but no framework exists to guide managers in the choice of plant species. We developed such a framework based on the suitability of given plant traits for fixing soil on steep slopes in western Yunnan, China. We examined the utility of 55 native and exotic species with regard to the services ...

The roots of terrestriaf plants are involved in the acquisition of water and nutrients, anchorage of the plant, synthesis of plant hormones, and storage functions. The development of a root system involves strategies that are common to the development of all plant organs, as well as certain aspects that are unique to roots. Despite the importance of roots and some unusual developmental characte...

Soil-dwelling insects commonly co-occur and feed simultaneously on belowground plant parts, yet patterns of damage and consequences for plant and insect performance remain poorly characterized. We tested how two species of root-feeding insects aff ect the performance of a perennial plant and the mass and survival of both conspecifi c and heterospecifi c insects. Because root damage is expected ...

A digitizer-microcomputer combination was utilized to determine soybean seedling response to population densities of M. incognita (Mi) under varied environmental conditions. Plant age, temperature, soil texture, and initial Mi inoculum (Pi) influenced the pattern of shoot and root growth. Effects of Mi on plant top growth were evident on plants inoculated 2 days after seeding, but generally wer...

The rhizosphere supports the development and activity of a huge and diversified microbial community, including microorganisms capable to promote plant growth. Among the latter, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) colonize roots of monocots and dicots, and enhance plant growth by direct and indirect mechanisms. Modification of root system architecture by PGPR implicates the production of...

Trichoderma spp. are common rhizosphere inhabitants widely used as biological control agents and their role as plant growth promoting fungi has been established. Although soil pH influences several fungal and plant functional traits such as growth and nutrition, little is known about its influence in rhizospheric or mutualistic interactions. The role of pH in the Trichoderma-Arabidopsis interac...

The bacterial endophyte Herbaspirillum frisingense GSF30(T) is a colonizer of several grasses grown in temperate climates, including the highly nitrogen-efficient perennial energy grass Miscanthus. Inoculation of Miscanthus sinensis seedlings with H. frisingense promoted root and shoot growth but had only a minor impact on nutrient concentrations. The bacterium affected the root architecture an...

Biocontrol traits of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), in terms of single and mixed species inoculum, against the root knot nematode Meloidogyne incongita in Impatiens balsamina L., were examined with and without mineral fertilization in a greenhouse pot experiment. At harvest, 60 days after sowing, general plant growth parameters and plant defense response in terms of antioxidant activity an...