Summary
The concentration of phenols, procyanidins, and protein in pine foliage was determined at two and eight weeks following mechanical defoliation of 0, 25, 50, and 75%. Changes in both mature and immature ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws, foliage were monitored. The lowest level of defoliation (25%) produced the largest increase in phenols; 75% defoliation caused the largest increase in procyanidins. The number of phenolic compounds in mature foliage doubled following 25% defoliation. Maximum protein production also occurred at moderate defaliation levels. Mechanical defoliation had a significant effect on the production of all compounds tested. The implications of these results for induced resistance research are discussed.
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Wagner, M.R., Evans, P.D. Defoliation increases nutritional quality and allelochemics of pine seedlings. Oecologia 67, 235–237 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384291
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384291