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Organic Compounds in Biochar Stimulate Arabidopsis Flowering

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Abstract

Biochar can affect plant growth and development, but how biochar affects flowering is unknown. To study the effects of biochar in soil on Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana L. (Heynh.)) flowering, rice husk biochar was prepared at three pyrolysis temperatures (350, 500, 650°C) and two residence times (1 and 2 h). Nutrient elements and organic compounds were measured in different biochars. Biochar leachates were also obtained. Arabidopsis flowering times, vegetative and reproductive growth, photoperiod pathway and the gibberellin 3 (GA3) pathway-related gene expression, and endogenous GA3 were measured. Different biochars had different types of nutrient elements and organic compounds. Compared without biochar, biochars prepared at higher pyrolysis temperatures (500 and 650°C) and a longer residence time (2 h) led to earlier flowering, increases in vegetative and reproductive growth, higher expression levels of photoperiod and GA3 pathway-related genes, and higher endogenous GA3 content. Arabidopsis treated with biochar prepared at 500°C for 2 h was the first to flower. Biochar leachates had slightly different effects from those of biochar, but those from biochar prepared at 350°C for 1 h and 500°C for 1 or 2 h also promoted flowering. The organic compounds contained in biochar can promote flowering in Arabidopsis. Biochar prepared under different conditions contained different organic compounds and therefore also had different influences on flowering. One of the reasonable mechanisms for biochar-promoted flowering in Arabidopsis was the upregulated expression of downstream gene APETALA1 (AP1) in the photoperiod and the GA3 pathways.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to “Youth Support Project of Liaoning Education Department in 2021”.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFE0192700); the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2021M693864); the Liaoning Province Doctoral Research Fund project (2021-BS-141); the Scientific Research Fund of the Education Department of Liaoning Province (LSNJC202020); and Science and Technology Plan Project of Shenyang (22-317-2-08).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agronomy College, Eastern Liaoning University, Dandong, China

    X. Liang, D. Yang & J. Yuan

  2. National Biochar Institute, Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China

    J. Meng & X. Yang

  3. Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Shenyang, Shenyang, China

    J. Meng & X. Yang

Authors
  1. X. Liang
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  2. J. Meng
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  3. X. Yang
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  4. D. Yang
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  5. J. Yuan
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Contributions

Jun Yuan, Xu Yang, Jun Meng, Dongxia Yang, and Xiao Liang designed and conducted the experiments; Xu Yang and JunYuan analyzed the data and interpreted the results; Jun Yuan wrote the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to X. Yang or J. Yuan.

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COMPLIANCE WITH ETHICAL STANDARDS

This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants as objects of research.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Abbreviation: SOC1—SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1; LFY—LEAFY; AP1—APETALA1; PHYA—phytochrome A; PHYB—phytochrome B; CRY1—cryptochrome 1; CRY2—cryptochrome 2; CO—CONSTANTS; FT—FLOWERING LOCUS T; FD—FLOWERING LOCUS D; AGL24—AGAMOUSLIKE24; GA3—GA REQUIRING 3.

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Liang, X., Meng, J., Yang, X. et al. Organic Compounds in Biochar Stimulate Arabidopsis Flowering. Russ J Plant Physiol 70, 24 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1021443722602816

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