Journal Article

Soil biotic impact on plant species shoot chemistry and hyperspectral reflectance patterns

Mirka Macel, Andrew K. Skidmore, Martin Schlerf, Wim H. van der Putten, Sabrina Carvalho

2012

Overview

Recent studies revealed that plant–soil biotic interactions may cause changes in above-ground plant chemistry. It would be a new step in below-ground–above-ground interaction research if such above-ground chemistry changes could be efficiently detected. Here we test how hyperspectral reflectance may be used to study such plant–soil biotic interactions in a nondestructive and rapid way. The native plant species Jacobaea vulgaris and Jacobaea erucifolius, and the exotic invader Senecio inaequidens were grown in different soil biotic conditions. Biomass, chemical content and shoot reflectance between 400 and 2500 nm wavelengths were determined. The data were analysed with multivariate statistics. Exposing the plants to soil biota enhanced the content of defence compounds. The highest increase (400%) was observed for the exotic invader S. inaequidens. Chemical and spectral data enabled plant species to be classified with an accuracy > 85%. Plants grown in different soil conditions were classified with 50–60% correctness. Our data suggest that soil microorganisms can affect plant chemistry and spectral reflectance. Further studies should test the potential to study plant–soil biotic interactions in the field. Such techniques could help to monitor, among other things, where invasive exotic plant species develop biotic resistance or the development of hotspots of crop soil diseases.

• Publisher: New Phytologist Trust,Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subject: accumulation / Asteraceae - growth & development / Biomass / Biota / borne pathogens / Carbon - analysis / Chemistry / Chlorophyll - analysis / Chlorophyll A / community / discrimination / Flowers & plants / forest / Herbivores / hyperspectral reflectance / Indigenous plants / Indigenous species / Introduced plants / Introduced Species / invader / Invasive plants / Invasive species / Jacobaea / Jacobaea vulgaris / leaf / Linear discriminant analysis / Microorganisms / Multivariate analysis / Nitrogen - analysis / plant biochemistry / Plant Shoots - chemistry / Plant Shoots - growth & development / Plant species / Plants / prediction / pyrrolizidine alkaloids / quality / Reflectance / Senecio / Senecio - growth & development / Senecio inaequidens / Soil / Soil biochemistry / soil biota / Soil chemistry / Soil classification / Soil conditions / Soil ecology / Soil Microbiology / Soil microorganisms / Soil sterilization / Soil treatment / Soils / Species / Species classification / spectral analysis / Spectral reflectance / spectroscopy / Spectrum Analysis - methods / Statistical methods / Wavelengths