Long-term Aluminum Exposure Effects on Physiological and Biochemical Features of Highbush Blueberry Cultivars

Abstract

<jats:p>We compared the aluminum tolerance of two highbush blueberry (<jats:italic>Vaccinium corymbosum</jats:italic>) cultivars, Legacy and Bluegold, grown in a greenhouse in Hoagland's solution with increasing concentrations of Al (0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μ<jats:sc>m</jats:sc>) for 7 to 20 days, using root lipid peroxidation (LP), radical scavenging activity (RSA), Al uptake by roots, and relative growth rate (RGR) as criteria. Leaf physiological [photochemical and non-photochemical parameters of photosystem II (PSII)] and biochemical (pigments, LP, RSA, and total soluble carbohydrates) responses to Al stress were also analyzed and then a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. The results indicated that ‘Bluegold’ showed the highest Al uptake and LP in roots and a lower RGR in contrast to ‘Legacy’. The photochemical parameters were more affected in ‘Bluegold’ than in ‘Legacy’, particularly at the beginning of the experiment. At this point, a sharp increase in RSA was found in ‘Legacy’. According to these parameters, ‘Legacy’ was more Al tolerant than ‘Bluegold’. PCA revealed that among the underlying processes affected by Al toxicity in the highbush blueberry, the photochemical efficiency of PSII followed by modifications of photosynthetic pigment contents are of greatest significance after long-term Al stress. Additionally, RSA plays an important role in the long-term acclimation response mechanisms to Al stress in highbush blueberry leaves.</jats:p>

Fluorescence phenotyping in blueberry breeding for genotype selection under drought conditions, with or without heat stress

“…showed decreases in Fv/Fm and the quantum efficiency of PSII (ФPS II) and increased F 0 parameters, together with an increase in ROS. Reyes-Díaz et al (2010) used fluorescence measurements to determine the resistance to aluminum (Al) in 'Legacy' and 'Bluegold', and found that Fv/Fm showed no significant differences between Al treatments, while ETR and ФPS II drastically decreased in 'Bluegold' (cv. susceptible), whereas in 'Liberty' (cv.…”

Plant Hormones under Challenging Environmental Factors

“…Aluminum is the third most abundant element in the Earth's crust. Plants exposed to Al stress modify their physiological, biochemical, and morphological characteristics, depending on species or genotype, severity of Al toxicity, and the degree of Al tolerance (Delhaize and Ryan 1995 ;Reyes-Díaz et al 2010 ). In acid soils, the Al dynamic plays an important role in low pH exclusively, leaving available Al forms such as phytotoxic Al 1+ , Al 2+ , and Al 3+ , potentiating both stresses.…”

Distinct physiological and metabolic reprogramming by highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) cultivars revealed during long‐term UV‐B radiation

“…The high antioxidant attributes of its fruits, as well as its high economic returns, have positioned the blueberry as an important crop in this region (Ribera et al ). Our previous studies have shown different capacities of cultivars to respond to the abiotic stresses such as aluminum and manganese toxicities frequently found in south‐central Chile (Reyes‐Díaz et al , , Rojas‐Lillo et al ). In these studies, we demonstrated that some V .…”