Journal
NEW PHYTOLOGIST
Volume 194, Issue 1, Pages 70-82Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03979.x
Keywords
biomass production; modelling; non-isoprene emitting; outdoor conditions; Populus canescens
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Funding
- German Science Foundation (DFG) within the German joint research group [Schnitzler SCHN653/4, Polle PO362/13, FOR496]
- European Commission [FP7-211917]
- DAAD-CSC (German Academic Exchange Service - China Scholarship Council)
- University of Khartoum
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Depending on the atmospheric composition, isoprene emissions from plants can have a severe impact on air quality and regional climate. For the plant itself, isoprene can enhance stress tolerance and also interfere with the attraction of herbivores and parasitoids. Here, we tested the growth performance and fitness of Populus x canescens in which isoprene emission had been knocked down by RNA interference technology (PcISPS-RNAi plants) for two growing seasons under outdoor conditions. Neither the growth nor biomass yield of the PcISPS-RNAi poplars was impaired, and they were even temporarily enhanced compared with control poplars. Modelling of the annual carbon balances revealed a reduced carbon loss of 2.2% of the total gross primary production by the absence of isoprene emission, and a 6.9% enhanced net growth of PcISPS-RNAi poplars. However, the knock down in isoprene emission resulted in reduced susceptibility to fungal infection, whereas the attractiveness for herbivores was enhanced. The present study promises potential for the use of non- or low-isoprene-emitting poplars for more sustainable and environmentally friendly biomass production, as reducing isoprene emission will presumably have positive effects on regional climate and air quality.
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