Pre-sowing seed treatment with physical stressors induces changes in amount of secondary metabolites in needles of Picea abies seedlings

Edited by prof. Asta RaupelienėTree resistance to pathogens is related to the general viability of trees, their growth energy, and ability to synthesize andto mobilize secondary metabolites (SMs), usually phenolic compounds, in tissues. The total phenolic content(TPC)in Norway spruce needles was determined during two vegetation seasons in order to compare the chemicalbackgroundand abilityof different Norway spruce half-sib familiesto synthesize TPC in response to seed treatment with physical stressors:cold plasma for 1 and 2 min (CP1, CP2) and electromagnetic field for 2 min (EMF2). TPC in seedling needles significantly differed between affected and control groups, but differences werestronger exerted during the first year of vegetation.In the first vegetation season, the strongest positive effectson TPC synthesis wereinduced byEMF2treatmentin 463 and 577 half-sib families, by CP1 treatment −in 457 half-sib family and by CP2 treatment −in 541 half-sib family; in the second vegetation season strongest effects were detected in CP1treated 457 half-sib family and in CP2 treated548 and 477 half-sib families. The half-sib families of Picea abieswith higher TPC induced byseed treatment with different physical stressors could bemore resistant to pathogensand diseases.The variance component of family for TPC variated from 14±10 % till 17±11 %, and was significant. The interaction of genotype and environment on TPC was as high as 49 ± 20%Gamtos mokslų fakultetasKauno technologijos universitetasLietuvos agrarinių ir miškų mokslų centro filialas Miškų institutasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta