The objectives of this work were to determine the effect of nodulation on dry matter, reduced-N, and phosphorus accumulation and partitioning in above-ground vegetative parts and pods of field-grown soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Harosoy).From comparison of nodulated and nonnodulated isolines, it was estimated that nodulated plants attained 81 and 71% of total-plant (above ground) N from up...

Up to now, the potential underlying molecular mechanisms by which maize (Zea mays L.) plants elicit defense responses by infestation with a phloem feeding insect whitefly [Bemisia tabaci (Genn.)] have been barely elucidated against (a)biotic stresses. To fill this gap of current knowledge maize plants were infested with whitefly and these plants were subsequently assessed the levels of water lo...

In nature, plants and their pollinating and/or seed-dispersing animals form complex interaction networks. The commonly observed pattern of links between specialists and generalists in these networks has been predicted to promote species coexistence. Plants also build highly species-rich mutualistic networks below ground with root-associated fungi, and the structure of these plant-fungus network...

1. Environmental cues associated with prey are known to increase predator foraging efficiency. Ladybird larvae are major predators of aphids. The sugary excretion of aphids (honeydew) has been proposed to serve as a prey-associated cue for ladybird larvae. 2. Ladybird larvae are regularly found on the ground moving between plants or after falling off plants. The use of prey-associated cues woul...

1. Initial herbivory and induced plant responses can influence subsequent aboveand below-ground herbivore attack. When two life stages of the same herbivore damage different plant parts sequentially, there is strong potential for plants to respond with induced plant defence against the later attacker. Alternatively, the earlier attacker could manipulate the host plant to facilitate the later-fe...

Plant biomass is known to increase in response to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (pCO2); however, no experiments have quantified the trajectory of crop fertilization across the full range of pCO2 levels estimated for the next 300 years. Here we quantify the aboveand below-ground biomass response of Raphanus sativus (common radish) across eight pCO2 levels ranging from 348 to 1791 ppmv. ...

1. Indirect plant defences are well documented for the above-ground constituents of plants. Although less investigated to date, below-ground defences that mediate multitrophic interactions are equally important. Entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernema diaprepesi) are attracted to herbivore-induced volatiles from Swingle var. (Citrus paradisi · Poncirus trifoliata) when fed upon by root weevil,D...