Ecological and physiological implications of a vernalization requirement for flowering in creeping herbaceous perennial plants

多年生匍匐草本植物开花春化要求的生态和生理意义

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-05549
• 负责人: White, Scott
• 金额: $ 1.68万
• 依托单位: Dalhousie University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=711728
• 关键词: Ecological; physiological; implications; vernalization; requirement

Creeping herbaceous perennial plants commonly occur as weeds in agricultural and natural ecosystems in Canada, with many species causing significant economic losses in agriculture and environmental damage in natural ecosystems. Reproducing by seeds and vegetative reproductive structures, these plants have complex life histories and must maintain a balance between flowering and non-flowering meristems to sustain the perennial growth habit. This balance is maintained through the production of dormant or non-dormant buds on vegetative reproductive structures, or through the production of vegetative and flowering shoots, or ramets. Mechanisms regulating ramet development vary, but vernalization (cold exposure) is thought to play a role in some species and has been confirmed in the creeping herbaceous perennial plant red sorrel. Successful management of these plants requires extensive knowledge of the mechanisms regulating plant reproductive biology, and the physiological, ecological, and management implications of vernalization in perennial weeds has not been explored. Red sorrel commonly occurs as a weed in many plant communities in Atlantic Canada, making it a good model species for studying the implications of vernalization in creeping herbaceous perennial weeds. The overall goal of this research is to increase our understanding of the reproductive biology of creeping herbaceous perennial plants, with particular emphasis on the role of vernalization in regulating plant growth and development. In the short term (1 to 5 years), I will use greenhouse and field experiments to determine i) the effects of juvenility and seed and root bud vernalization on flowering, ii) the effect of ramet emergence timing on vernalization response and flowering, iii) the timing of flower primordia formation in vernalized ramets, and iv) if ramets flower repeatedly prior to senescence. Over the long term (5 to 10 years), I want to determine i) if the flower stimulus can be transferred between interconnected ramets, ii) the nature of genetic changes associated with vernalization in creeping herbaceous perennial plants, and iii) the effects of a ramet vernalization requirement on whole-plant growth and development. This research will contribute new knowledge on the role of vernalization in regulating ramet development, whole-plant growth, and population maintenance of creeping herbaceous perennial plants. Additional benefits, however, will arise from the research as our model species is an economically important weed. As such, my research will contribute knowledge that will improve perennial weed management in natural and agricultural plant communities in Northeastern North America. The rationale for this research is that vernalization has unique implications for plant growth and development in creeping herbaceous perennial plants, and that red sorrel is a good model plant species to study this.

匍匐草本多年生植物在加拿大的农业和自然生态系统中普遍以杂草的形式存在，许多物种对农业造成了重大的经济损失，对自然生态系统造成了环境破坏。这些植物通过种子和营养生殖结构繁殖，具有复杂的生活史，必须保持开花和非开花分生组织之间的平衡，以维持多年生的生长习惯。这种平衡是通过在营养生殖结构上产生休眠或非休眠芽，或通过产生营养和开花芽或分株来维持的。