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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) drive nutrient foraging in the clonal woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca

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A Commentary to this article was published on 04 August 2016

Abstract

Background and Aims

It was previously demonstrated that stolons of Fragaria vesca respond to patches of varying nutrient quality; however, the mechanism of patch-detection remained unknown. Here we provide support for a process by which F. vesca perceives nutrient-rich patches, consistent with nutrient foraging prior to rooting.

Methods

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from unsterilized and sterilized field substrates were collected and analyzed by stir-bar headspace extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using a method modified for soil and litter systems. Selected compounds were chosen to represent unsterilized and sterilized field substrates. These synthetic volatile compound mixtures were then applied to neutral substrate to test the ability of F. vesca to choose between unsterilized versus sterilized substrates.

Results

Primary stolons exhibited chemotropism towards unsterilized (natural) substrates and grew away from the sterilized volatile substrates when the alternate choice was a negative control. We conclude that the presence of carboxylic acids tends to stimulate stolon elongation and chemotropism while aldehydes, ketones and monoterpenes tend to suppress it.

Conclusions

We provide evidence that developing stolons of F. vesca forage for nutrient-rich patches via volatile cues similar to those emitted from the soil through microflora activity.

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Acknowledgments

Funding was provided by the Indiana University Graduate School with partial support from the Lilly Chemistry Alumni Funds (to MVN). Assistance in greenhouse maintenance was provided by the Indiana University Greenhouse Staff. Wesley Beaulieu from the Indiana University Statistical Consulting Center provided assistance with statistical analysis. J. Alexander Eilts provided the original F. vesca clone. We give a special thanks to Andrew Bruce for his assistance in the greenhouse and Ross Wilkerson for help with graphical development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Indiana University, Jordan Hall Rm 142, 1001 E. Third Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

    Erica M. Waters & Maxine A. Watson

  2. Institute for Pheromone Research and Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

    Helena A. Soini & Milos V. Novotny

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  1. Erica M. Waters
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  2. Helena A. Soini
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Correspondence to Erica M. Waters.

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Waters, E.M., Soini, H.A., Novotny, M.V. et al. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) drive nutrient foraging in the clonal woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca . Plant Soil 407, 261–274 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2934-x

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