Abstract
Ethylenediurea (EDU) is a synthetic chemical known to protect plants from the phytotoxic effects of tropospheric ozone (O3). Although many studies have proposed the use of EDU for studying the O3 effects under field conditions, its mechanism of action is not fully understood, and it is unclear whether it exerts a specific antiozonant action, or if it may also interact with other oxidative stresses. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of EDU on forest species in a Mediterranean environment where, during summer, vegetation is exposed to multiple oxidative stresses, such as O3 and drought. The experiment was conducted on Fraxinus ornus L. (Manna ash) plants growing in six mesocosms, three maintained under full irrigation, while the other three were subjected to drought for 84 days. In each mesocosm, three plants were sprayed every 15 days with 450 ppm EDU. Gas exchange and chlorophyll “a” fluorescence measurements carried out through the experimental period highlighted that EDU did not affect stomatal conductance and had an ameliorative effect on the functionality of drought-stressed plants, thus suggesting that it may act as a generic antioxidant. The implications of these findings for the applicability of EDU in field studies are discussed.
Highlights
IntroductionIt is widely acknowledged that current tropospheric ozone (O3 ) levels have the potential to cause foliar injury, growth and yield reductions of crops and natural vegetation [1,2]
Gas exchange and chlorophyll “a” fluorescence measurements carried out through the experimental period highlighted that EDU did not affect stomatal conductance and had an ameliorative effect on the functionality of drought-stressed plants, suggesting that it may act as a generic antioxidant
It is widely acknowledged that current tropospheric ozone (O3 ) levels have the potential to cause foliar injury, growth and yield reductions of crops and natural vegetation [1,2]
Summary
It is widely acknowledged that current tropospheric ozone (O3 ) levels have the potential to cause foliar injury, growth and yield reductions of crops and natural vegetation [1,2]. Since most of these studies were carried out in laboratory or semi-controlled environments, a robust determination of the O3 impact on forests, under realistic field conditions, is still missing [4]. In this regard, the southern part of Europe requires special research efforts [5,6]. Besides being characterized by a strong photochemical activity that favors the O3 formation process, the typical Mediterranean climate in this region determines the co-occurrence of multiple environmental stress factors [7,8,9], among which drought requires particular attention [10].
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