Dataset Information

Infrared spectroscopy of pollen identifies plant species and genus as well as environmental conditions.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: It is imperative to have reliable and timely methodologies for analysis and monitoring of seed plants in order to determine climate-related plant processes. Moreover, impact of environment on plant fitness is predominantly based on studies of female functions, while the contribution of male gametophytes is mostly ignored due to missing data on pollen quality. We explored the use of infrared spectroscopy of pollen for an inexpensive and rapid characterization of plants. METHODOLOGY: The study was based on measurement of pollen samples by two Fourier transform infrared techniques: single reflectance attenuated total reflectance and transmission measurement of sample pellets. The experimental set, with a total of 813 samples, included five pollination seasons and 300 different plant species belonging to all principal spermatophyte clades (conifers, monocotyledons, eudicots, and magnoliids). RESULTS: The spectroscopic-based methodology enables detection of phylogenetic variations, including the separation of confamiliar and congeneric species. Furthermore, the methodology enables measurement of phenotypic plasticity by the detection of inter-annual variations within the populations. The spectral differences related to environment and taxonomy are interpreted biochemically, specifically variations of pollen lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and sporopollenins. The study shows large variations of absolute content of nutrients for congenital species pollinating in the same environmental conditions. Moreover, clear correlation between carbohydrate-to-protein ratio and pollination strategy has been detected. Infrared spectral database with respect to biochemical variation among the range of species, climate and biogeography will significantly improve comprehension of plant-environment interactions, including impact of global climate change on plant communities.

SUBMITTER: Zimmermann B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3991668 | biostudies-other | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Infrared spectroscopy of pollen identifies plant species and genus as well as environmental conditions.

Zimmermann Boris B Kohler Achim A

PloS one 20140418 4

<h4>Background</h4>It is imperative to have reliable and timely methodologies for analysis and monitoring of seed plants in order to determine climate-related plant processes. Moreover, impact of environment on plant fitness is predominantly based on studies of female functions, while the contribution of male gametophytes is mostly ignored due to missing data on pollen quality. We explored the use of infrared spectroscopy of pollen for an inexpensive and rapid characterization of plants.<h4>Meth ...[more]

PMID: 24748390

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Project description:Pesticide products containing glyphosate as a systemic active ingredient are some of the most extensively used herbicides worldwide. After spraying, residues have been found in nectar and pollen collected by bees foraging on treated plants. This dietary exposure to glyphosate could pose a hazard for flower-visiting animals including bees, and for the delivery of pollination services. Here, we evaluated whether glyphosate contaminates nectar and pollen of targeted crops and non-target wild plants. Oilseed rape was selected as focal crop species, and Rubus fruticosus growing in the hedgerows surrounding the crop was chosen as non-target plant species. Seven fields of oilseed rape, where a glyphosate-based product was applied, were chosen in east and southeast Ireland, and pollen and nectar were extracted from flowers sampled from the field at various intervals following glyphosate application. Pollen loads were taken from honeybees and bumblebees foraging on the crop at the same time. Glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) residues were extracted using acidified methanol and their concentrations in the samples were determined by a validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Glyphosate was detected in R. fruticosus nectar and pollen samples that were taken within a timeframe of two to seven days after the application on the crop as a desiccant. No glyphosate was detected when the application took place before or more than two months prior to our sampling in any of the evaluated matrices. The metabolite AMPA was not detected in any samples. To gain further insight into the potential extent of translocation within both plants and soil when a crop is desiccated using glyphosate before harvesting, and the potential impacts on bees, we recommend a longitudinal study of the presence and fate of glyphosate in non-target flowering plants growing nearby crop fields, over a period of several days after glyphosate application.

Dataset Information

Infrared spectroscopy of pollen identifies plant species and genus as well as environmental conditions.

Publications

Infrared spectroscopy of pollen identifies plant species and genus as well as environmental conditions.

Similar Datasets

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