The intensity of respiration and heat emission from seedlings of Festuca pratensis (Hud.) and Hordeum vulgare L. during pathogenesis caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoem

Abstract

The presented work was conducted on seedlings of spring barley and meadow fescue which differ in the degree of sensitivity to leaf spot pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoem. The seedling reaction to inoculation with mycelium and conidia was examined in glasshouse conditions on the basis of respiration intensity and heat production. The leaf respiration was measured using Clark-type electrode, while heat emission was evaluated by means of isotermic microcalorimeter. The measurements were performed after 1, 3, 6, 10, 24, 48, 72, 168 and 240 hours since the inoculation moment.

Leaves of meadow fescue were characterized by the most intense respiration at the 6^th hour, while barley leaves at the 24^th and 72^nd hour after inoculation. In the case of meadow fescue the greatest heat production was noted in the period between 24 and 168 hours after inoculation. Simultaneously, at the 48^th hour the smallest rate of respiration was observed. Barley leaves emitted the greatest amount of heat only in the first 3 hours of the pathogenesis. In these hours the smallest respiration rate was noted. The observed, opposing reaction of respiration intensity and heat emission in the infected seedlings of both species may illustrate a disorder in metabolic processes in plants during pathogenesis. The plants studied differed in the time of their reaction to pathogen attack: barley responded earlier in heat production, while fescue extended respiration rate in the first hours after inoculation. This is clearly observable, when coefficients of metabolic inefficiency (heat rates per mole O₂) are compared. In the case of barley the highest rates were noticed just after inoculation, whereas in fescue at the 48^th hour. In both species attack of pathogen caused high metabolic efficiency.