Relationships between Biomass and Phenolic Production in Grain Sorghum Grown under Different Conditions

Abstract

The total phenol pool (kg ha−1) of the aerial parts and roots of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. cv. CE145−66) crops and their relationships to dry matter and total phenol concentrations (g kg−1) were studied in four different data sets (2 sites × 2 yr for a total of 52 smallholder fields) in Senegal. The total phenol pool size varied from 4 to 156 kg ha−1 in the aerial parts and from 1 to 16 kg ha−1 in the roots. The phenol pool size was closely correlated with the amount of dry matter in both the aerial parts (r = 0.95, P<0.001) and the roots (r = 0.91, P<0.001). In contrast, the phenol concentrations varied less between fields than the dry matter content, and therefore had less impact on the phenol pool size. Using a N nutrition index (NNI) to assess the N nutrition of the sorghum crops, both phenol the pool and concentration were higher when N nutrition was better. Grain yield and the phenol pool of aerial parts were also positively correlated. The data indicate that the environmental factors that promote growth and grain yield also enhance the total phenol synthesis in sorghum vegetative parts.

Sedum groundcover variably enhances performance and phenolic concentrations of perennial culinary herbs in an urban edible green roof

“…The trend that we observed of an increase in the plant performance trait of dried plant biomass to be associated with increased phenolic concentrations is not in line with the dilution effect theory of chemical ecology that states that when growth conditions are favorable, less secondary chemicals will be produced as a resource trade off (Nurmi et al 1996;Riipi et al 2002). However, several other studies have found similar trends as in our study regarding the ability of plants to support both growth and defense (Briggs and Schultz 1990;Riipi et al 2002;Sene, Dore, and Gallet 2001). Additionally, our results are not in line with the optimal defense theory of chemical ecology…”

Effect of sorghum seedlings, and previous crop, on soil fluorescent Pseudomonas spp.

“…Phytotoxic compounds in sorghum stalks and leaves, such as phenolics or cyanogenic glucosides, may have contributed to this allelopathic effect (Halkier and Møller 1989;Sène et al 2001). In the present study, growth chamber assays were used to determine whether cycling of sorghum seedlings or cycling of wheat in soil previously cropped with sorghum genotypes would effect seedling growth.…”

Quantitative analysis of phenolics in selected crop species and biological activity of these compounds evaluated by sensitivity of Echinochloa crus-galli

“…The con cen tra tions of phenolics might have depended on the weather course. It is known that accu mu la tion of phenolics in plants are strongly as soci ated with the crop en vi ron ment (Guinn and Eindenbock 1982, Duke 1985, Hor ner 1990, SPne et al 2001. En vi ron men tal fac tors, in clud ing light and wa ter def i cit, in flu ence the syn the sis and conse quently the con cen tra tion of phenolics in the plant tis sue and in most cases en hance allelo chemicals pro duc tion.…”

“…Allelopathically ac tive compounds from plants act as nat u ral her bi cides and some have been ex plored as nat u ral sub sti tutes for com mer cial her bi cides (Duke et al 2000). The selec tion of ge no types with the en hanced allelochemical po ten tial, fo cused on the weed growth con trol ling prop er ties and in creas ing grain yields, has been car ried out in sev eral field crops (Putnam et al 1983, Rice 1984, Yenish et al 1996, SPne et al 2001. Some allelochemicals iso lated from higher plants in hibit pho to syn the sis and con se quently the pro duc tion and growth of com pet ing plants in clud ing weeds (Einhellig et al 1993, Gon za lez et al 1997, Smith and Doan 1999, Wu et al 1999.…”