Jonathon Jasinski - Botany 2010

In Vitro Assessment of Allelopathy in the Invasive Aquatic Fern Salvinia molesta. Co-authors: Michael E. Kane and Ryan Dickson.

Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell (Salviniaceae), an invasive heterosporous floating aquatic fern species native to Brazil, rapidly forms thick dense floating mats that reduce or eliminate native aquatic flora and fauna. This species has caused significant economic and ecological problems in New Zealand, Australia, and South America and has since become established in the United States. Vegetative growth of S. molesta cultured in vitro in liquid ½ strength Murashige & Skoog mineral salts and 30 g/liter sucrose was assessed. Actively growing plants browned by week 6 and died by 8 weeks culture. Growth was inhibited 68% after 3 weeks when plants were re-inoculated onto aged medium supplemented with 30 g/L sucrose. Frond and branch production and fresh weight were positively correlated with aged culture medium dilution (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0X). Since large medium volumes were used, this response could not simply be due to depletion of medium components. The possibility that S. molesta may produce allelochemicals which inhibit growth of aquatic plants was further explored by co-culturing Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle or Myriophyllym heterophyllum Michx. with S. molesta. Results of the co-culture experiments were inconclusive for the presence of allelopathic interactions.

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Science & Technology

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• Jonathon
• Jasinski
• Poster
• Botany
• 2010