JXB Advance Access originally published online on June 30, 2009
Journal of Experimental Botany 2009 60(13):3655-3664; doi:10.1093/jxb/erp212
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RESEARCH PAPER |
Low temperature induces different cold sensitivity in two poplar clones (Populusxcanadensis Mönch I-214 and P. deltoides Marsh. Dvina)
1EcoGeoFor Lab, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Ambiente e il Territorio (STAT), Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Pesche, Italy
2Laboratorio Xilogenesi, Istituto Valorizzazione Legno e Specie Arboree, IVaLSA-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
3Unità di Ricerca per le Produzioni Legnose Fuori Foresta-CRA, Strada per Frassineto, 15033 Casale Monferrato (AL), Italy
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: tognetti{at}unimol.it
Changes of stem diameter were continuously monitored during winter in two field-grown poplar clones, using automatic point dendrometers. The objective of this study was to find an analytical solution to seasonal synchronization of stem diameter oscillations and low air temperatures. The study identified to what extent and with what frequency low air temperature induced stem diameter variation in Dvina (P. deltoides) and I-214 (Populusxcanadensis) poplar clones, after exposure to summer drought. The patterns of reversible stem shrinkage were related to the cycles of low air temperature. Hourly and daily evidence showed that I-214 was more sensitive to low air temperatures than Dvina. The analysis of raw data and graphic details implemented with the study of derivative tests allowed an increase in the general sensitivity of the investigation applied to describe the response of poplar clones to environmental conditions. Given these diameter fluctuation patterns, automatic point dendrometers were confirmed to be a reliable non-invasive method for testing the sensitivity of diameter variation to cold temperature. Variation in rate and duration of daily stem shrinkage in response to low air temperature in winter appeared to occur independently of the effects of water deficit suffered by plants the previous summer.
Key words: Cold acclimation, low temperature, poplar, stem shrinkage
Received 10 March 2009; Revised 19 May 2009 Accepted 3 June 2009