Abstract
ABSTRACTProtein-precipitating polyphenolics (PPPs) serve as a plant defense against herbivory, increasing with stress. We studied how varying intensities of simulated and Melanoplus differentialis herbivory affected (1) PPP concentration; (2) protein bound by PPP (PB); and (3) N concentration of panicled tick-clover (Desmodium paniculatum; PTC) and sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata; SL) leaf regrowth. Leaves of PTC that were submitted to simulated herbivory had lesser (p ≤ .05 for all significant differences) PPP concentration than the control for most treatments. For PTC, PPP concentration decreased with increasing herbivory intensity for both herbivory types. For SL, PPP was similar between herbivory types for Harvest 1 but not for 2, decreasing as herbivory intensity increased for both herbivory types. Simulated herbivory resulted in lower PB concentrations for PTC and SL compared to the grasshopper herbivory. Nitrogen concentration was similar for PTC and SL between herbivory types but variable among degree of herbivory. Herbivory type affects PPP.
Highlights
Phenolics are plant secondary metabolic compounds that may serve as a defensive response to herbivory (Levin 1971; Boudet 2007; Khoddami et al 2013)
Plants exposed to grasshopper herbivory were defoliated differently compared to the simulated treatments
Panicled tick-clover (PTC) N content was similar between mechanical and grasshopper herbivory, they differed within herbivory types
Summary
Phenolics are plant secondary metabolic compounds that may serve as a defensive response to herbivory (Levin 1971; Boudet 2007; Khoddami et al 2013). Proanthocyanidins include polymers of phenolic acids (ellagic acid) called tannins (Levin 1971; Chung et al 1998; Khoddami et al 2013). Condensed tannins are very reactive compounds with both oxidative and protein-binding activities (Naumann et al 2013). These activities may be regulated by structural differences, which could affect ruminant protein utilization (Naumann et al 2013). Condensed tannins suppress plant, gastrointestinal, and fecal parasites (Levin 1971; Appel 1993; Haring et al 2007; Acero et al 2010; Littlefield et al 2011)
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