Giovannini Luca, Del Boccio Pierpaolo, Pagliarani Chiara, Chitarra Walter, Conte Adriano, Montesano Vincenzo, Petrozza Angelo, Summerer Stephan, Cellini Francesco, Cañizares Eva, Spanos Alexandros, Bergese Francesco, Sillo Fabiano, Vergine Marzia, Vita Federico, De Rose Silvia, González-Guzmán Miguel, Fotopoulos Vasileios, Arbona Vicent, Balestrini Raffaella
Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council (CNR-IPSP), Strada delle Cacce 73, Torino 10135, Italy.
Research Centre for Viticulture and Enology - Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-VE), Via XXVIII Aprile 26, Conegliano (TV) 31015, Italy.
FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2025 Jan 10;372. doi: 10.1093/femsle/fnaf064.
This study explores the effects of natural seed priming compounds (i.e. chitosan alone and in combination with salicylic acid or melatonin) with the symbiosis of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the capability of two Italian tomato varieties (Principe Borghese and San Marzano nano) to withstand water deprivation through high-throughput plant phenotyping technology. Plant responses have been automatically evaluated by integrating physiological, morpho-biometric, and biochemical data. Under water deprivation, AMF-inoculated plants exhibited enhanced physiological performance, by reducing oxidative damage and improving stomatal function. Digital phenotyping provides a non-invasive approach to assess the effects of external factors, such as the impact of mycorrhizal fungi on plant development. RGB (visible light) imaging enables the analysis of morphological traits like plant size and growth patterns, and of colorimetric changes used as a proxy of physiological responses. Biochemical analyses revealed increased carotenoid and flavonoid content in chitosan + salicylic acid-treated plants with AMF, particularly in Principe Borghese. Genotype-dependent differences were evident in terms of fruit production, where Principe Borghese plants showed significantly more red fruits in presence of AM fungus. The results underline the potential of combined AMF and natural compound application as a sustainable strategy for improving tomato resilience to water stress, contributing to resource-efficient agricultural practices and climate change mitigation.
本研究通过高通量植物表型技术，探究了天然种子引发化合物（即单独的壳聚糖以及与水杨酸或褪黑素组合的壳聚糖）与丛枝菌根真菌（AMF）共生对两个意大利番茄品种（博尔盖塞王子和圣马扎诺纳米）耐受水分亏缺能力的影响。通过整合生理、形态生物计量和生化数据，自动评估了植物的反应。在水分亏缺条件下，接种AMF的植物通过减少氧化损伤和改善气孔功能，表现出增强的生理性能。数字表型分析提供了一种非侵入性方法，用于评估外部因素的影响，例如菌根真菌对植物发育的影响。RGB（可见光）成像能够分析植物大小和生长模式等形态特征，以及用作生理反应指标的比色变化。生化分析表明，在接种AMF的壳聚糖+水杨酸处理的植物中，类胡萝卜素和黄酮类化合物含量增加，尤其是在博尔盖塞王子品种中。在果实产量方面，基因型依赖性差异明显，在有AM真菌存在的情况下，博尔盖塞王子品种植物结出的红色果实明显更多。结果强调了联合应用AMF和天然化合物作为提高番茄对水分胁迫恢复力的可持续策略的潜力，有助于实现资源高效的农业实践和缓解气候变化。
