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Fine-root system development and susceptibility to pathogen colonization

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Abstract

Root development may exert control on plant–pathogen interactions with soil-borne pathogens by shaping the spatial and temporal availability of susceptible tissues and in turn the impact of pathogen colonization on root function. To evaluate the relationship between root development and resistance to apple replant disease (ARD) pathogens, pathogen abundance was compared across root branching orders in a bioassay with two rootstock genotypes, M.26 (highly susceptible) and CG.210 (less susceptible). Root growth, anatomical development and secondary metabolite production were evaluated as tissue resistance mechanisms. ARD pathogens primarily colonized first and second order roots, which corresponded with cortical tissue senescence and loss in second and third order roots. Defense compounds were differentially allocated across root branching orders, while defense induction or stress response was only detected in first order and pioneer roots. Our results suggest disease development is based largely on fine-root tip attrition. In accordance, the less susceptible rootstock supported lower ARD pathogen abundance and altered defense compound production in first order and pioneer roots and maintained higher rates of root growth in both the ARD soil and pasteurized control compared to the more susceptible. Thus, this rootstock’s ability to maintain shoot growth in replant soil may be attributable to relative replant pathogen resistance in distal root branches as well as tolerance of infection based on rates of root growth.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank John Zhao and Meghan Horne for the many hours of help with sampling and processing materials, Rayko Halitschke (Cornell University) for assistance with the HPLC analysis, and North American Plants, LLC, Gennaro Fazio (USDA-ARS) and Herb Aldwinkle (Cornell University) for providing explants in tissue culture and thank Mark Mazzola (USDA-ARS) for providing the Rhizoctonia AG-5 culture. Alex Paya (Cornell University) provided line drawings for Fig. 7. This research was supported in part by the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station federal formula funds, Project No. NYC-448 received from the National Institutes for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), US Department of Agriculture, and the Cornell University Arthur Boller Fund. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the US Department of Agriculture.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Horticulture, Cornell University, 134A Plant Science Building, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Bryan Emmett & Taryn L. Bauerle

  2. Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University, 323 Plant Science Building, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Eric B. Nelson

  3. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 445 Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Andre Kessler

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  1. Bryan Emmett
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  4. Taryn L. Bauerle
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Correspondence to Taryn L. Bauerle.

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Emmett, B., Nelson, E.B., Kessler, A. et al. Fine-root system development and susceptibility to pathogen colonization. Planta 239, 325–340 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-013-1989-7

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