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Physiology of Tropical and Subtropical Tree Species
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Physiology of Tropical and Subtropical Tree Species

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 March 2023) | Viewed by 6707

Special Issue Editor

Dr. François F Barbier

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Guest Editor
School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
Interests: shoot branching; bud outgrowth; sugar signalling; apical dominance; plant architecture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tremendous technological advances made within the last decades have increased our knowledge of plant physiology dramatically and rapidly, largely utilising annual model plant species. This knowledge has also been translated to perennial model species such as poplar or apple trees, in order to discover mechanisms specific to a perennial lifestyle. However, the majority of these model species are limited to temperate species, limiting our understanding of tree physiology in tropical and subtropical climates.

Knowledge of tropical and subtropical tree physiology is crucial in the improvement of crop management and breeding, particularly in countries relying on these crops for their economies and to feed their populations. Research in tropical and subtropical species at the molecular level is often challenging due to the composition of their tissues. However, the democratisation of sequencing technologies has played a key role in enabling the increase in gene discovery, gene expression analyses and large-scale genomics projects for these species.

This Special Issue will highlight advances in the research concerning the physiology of tropical and subtropical tree species. Emphasis will be given to physiological processes relevant to crop phenology and developmental processes critical for crop yield (e.g., flowering, architecture and alternate bearing). Studies highlighting the conserved and differentiated mechanisms between temperate and tropical species are encouraged, and novel methods and protocols developed for tropical and subtropical species will be considered.

Dr. François F Barbier
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • tropical and subtropical plant physiology
  • tree phenology
  • dormancy
  • flowering
  • bud break and bud burst
  • shoot and canopy architecture
  • fruit development
  • alternate bearing and fruit drop

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 6374 KiB  
Article
Molecular Cues for Phenological Events in the Flowering Cycle in Avocado
by Muhammad Umair Ahsan, Francois Barbier, Alice Hayward, Rosanna Powell, Helen Hofman, Siegrid Carola Parfitt, John Wilkie, Christine Anne Beveridge and Neena Mitter
Plants 2023, 12(12), 2304; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122304 - 13 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1684
Abstract
Reproductively mature horticultural trees undergo an annual flowering cycle that repeats each year of their reproductive life. This annual flowering cycle is critical for horticultural tree productivity. However, the molecular events underlying the regulation of flowering in tropical tree crops such as avocado [...] Read more.
Reproductively mature horticultural trees undergo an annual flowering cycle that repeats each year of their reproductive life. This annual flowering cycle is critical for horticultural tree productivity. However, the molecular events underlying the regulation of flowering in tropical tree crops such as avocado are not fully understood or documented. In this study, we investigated the potential molecular cues regulating the yearly flowering cycle in avocado for two consecutive crop cycles. Homologues of flowering-related genes were identified and assessed for their expression profiles in various tissues throughout the year. Avocado homologues of known floral genes FT, AP1, LFY, FUL, SPL9, CO and SEP2/AGL4 were upregulated at the typical time of floral induction for avocado trees growing in Queensland, Australia. We suggest these are potential candidate markers for floral initiation in these crops. In addition, DAM and DRM1, which are associated with endodormancy, were downregulated at the time of floral bud break. In this study, a positive correlation between CO activation and FT in avocado leaves to regulate flowering was not seen. Furthermore, the SOC1-SPL4 model described in annual plants appears to be conserved in avocado. Lastly, no correlation of juvenility-related miRNAs miR156, miR172 with any phenological event was observed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology of Tropical and Subtropical Tree Species)
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10 pages, 1683 KiB  
Article
Differential Hydraulic Properties and Primary Metabolism in Fine Root of Avocado Trees Rootstocks
by Clemens P. Beyer, Cesar Barrientos-Sanhueza, Excequel Ponce, Romina Pedreschi, Italo F. Cuneo and Juan E. Alvaro
Plants 2022, 11(8), 1059; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11081059 - 13 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1638
Abstract
Avocados (Persea americana Mill.) are one of the crops with the highest water footprints in Chile and the production is at risk due to severe and frequent droughts. The current production is mostly based on sexually (seed) propagated rootstocks, while clonally propagated [...] Read more.
Avocados (Persea americana Mill.) are one of the crops with the highest water footprints in Chile and the production is at risk due to severe and frequent droughts. The current production is mostly based on sexually (seed) propagated rootstocks, while clonally propagated rootstocks are on the rise. In a recent study, we found differences in aerial, root growth and water use efficiency between trees grown on these two different rootstocks under controlled continuous fertigation and environmental conditions. In this study, we further describe possible mechanisms which drive the differences. Avocado cv. “Hass” grafted on “Dusa” (D, clonally propagated) and “Mexicola” (M, sexually propagated) rootstocks and different root segments (3, 5 and 8 cm from root tip) were investigated using a combination of hydraulic measurements and polar metabolite (GC-MS) techniques. The results show significant differences in root hydraulic properties, indicating that “Mexicola” fine roots have higher water uptake capacity. The polar metabolites analysis revealed 13 compounds significantly different between rootstocks while nine were found significantly different among root segments. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed differences between rootstocks and root segments. The data presented here highlight the importance of considering key physiological knowledge in avocado rootstocks breeding programs to be better prepared for future challenging environmental conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology of Tropical and Subtropical Tree Species)
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9 pages, 4101 KiB  
Communication
Leaf Vein Morphological Variation in Four Endangered Neotropical Magnolia Species along an Elevation Gradient in the Mexican Tropical Montane Cloud Forests
by Ernesto C. Rodríguez-Ramírez, Leccinum J. García-Morales, Othón Alcántara-Ayala, J. Antonio Vázquez-García and Isolda Luna-Vega
Plants 2021, 10(12), 2595; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122595 - 26 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2067
Abstract
Climatic variations influence the adaptive capacity of trees within tropical montane cloud forests species. Phenology studies have dominated current studies on tree species. Leaf vein morphology has been related to specific climatic oscillations and varies within species along altitudinal gradients. We tested that [...] Read more.
Climatic variations influence the adaptive capacity of trees within tropical montane cloud forests species. Phenology studies have dominated current studies on tree species. Leaf vein morphology has been related to specific climatic oscillations and varies within species along altitudinal gradients. We tested that certain Neotropical broad leaf Magnolia species might be more vulnerable to leaf vein adaptation to moisture than others, as they would be more resilient to the hydric deficit. We assessed that leaf vein trait variations (vein density, primary vein size, vein length, and leaf base angle) among four Magnolia species (Magnolia nuevoleonensis, M. alejandrae, M. rzedowskiana, and Magnolia vovidesii) through the Mexican Tropical montane cloud forest with different elevation gradient and specific climatic factors. The temperature, precipitation, and potential evaporation differed significantly among Magnolia species. We detected that M. rzedowskiana and M. vovidesii with longer leaves at higher altitude sites are adapted to higher humidity conditions, and that M. nuevoleonensis and M. alejandrae inhabiting lower altitude sites are better adjusted to the hydric deficit. Our results advance efforts to identify the Magnolia species most vulnerable to climate change effects, which must focus priorities for conservation of this ecosystem, particularly in the Mexican tropical montane cloud forests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology of Tropical and Subtropical Tree Species)
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