The ability of many animals to recognize kin has allowed them to evolve diverse cooperative behaviours; such ability is less well studied for plants. Many plants, including Artemisia tridentata, have been found to respond to volatile cues emitted by experimentally wounded neighbours to increase levels of resistance to herbivory. We report that this communication was more effective among A. tridentata plants that were more closely related based on microsatellite markers. Plants in the field that received cues from experimentally clipped close relatives experienced less leaf herbivory over the growing season than those that received cues from clipped neighbours that were more distantly related. These results indicate that plants can respond differently to cues from kin, making it less likely that emitters will aid strangers and making it more likely that receivers will respond to cues from relatives. More effective defence adds to a growing list of favourable consequences of kin recognition for plants.
Hydration of three commercial hydrophilic polyacrylamide gels in deionized water ranged from 340 to 420 g per gram of gel. Hydration was progressively inhibited by fertilizer salt concentrations from 0 to 20 meq·liter-1. Hydration of the gels in the presence of divalent cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) and monovalent cations (K+ and NH4+) at 20 meq·liter-1 was reduced to ≈10% and 20% of maximum, respectively. The valence of the accompanying anion did not affect hydration. Gel hydration was unaffected by urea over the range of 2 to 20 mm. Sequential rinses of the hydrated gels with deionized water completely reversed the inhibition due to the monovalent, but not the divalent, cations. The electroconductivity (EC) of the external solution increased during gel hydration. In the presence of fertilizer salts, the physical properties of a 2 redwood sawdust : 1 sand (v/v) container mix were unaffected by hydrophilic gel additions of 1.2 and 2.4 kg·m-3 (1 × and 2 × the recommended rate, respectively).
Hydration of a commercial hydrophilic polyacrylamide gel in 20 meq Ca(NO3)2/liter was reduced to <10% of the maximum hydration in deionized water. Repeated soaking with deionized water to remove soluble salts restored hydration to ≈ 30% of maximum. Incorporating KNO3 at concentrations ranging from 5 to 40 meq·liter-1 with the Ca(NO3)2 in the hydration solution partially reversed the Ca2+ inhibition of hydration following repeated soaking. Potential hydrogel hydration increased to 50% of maximum with 40 meq K+/liter. Potassium nitrate supplied separately following hydration in Ca(NO3)2 was much more effective at reversing Ca2+ inhibition of hydrogel hydration than joint application. Potential hydrogel hydration (following repeated soaking) was doubled after treatment with 5 meq KNO3/liter and reached 77% of maximum at 40 meq KNO3/liter.
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