Pueraria montana var. lobata (Fabaceae), commonly named "kudzu", is one of the 100 worst invasive species in the world (1). It is a perennial deciduous semi-woody climber and crawling vine native to Asia and probably to some western Pacific Islands (2). Kudzu has been exported all over the world with dietary, pharmaceutical, foraging, ornamental and habitat-restoring purposes (2). Today its invasive range includes all continents even if the severity of its impact varies among countries (1); beyond climate, the past rate of cultivation likely represents the key factor of spreading in new areas (3). According to the Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014, Member Countries of the European Union have the obligation to prevent, control and, when possible, eradicate this plant; in Europe, kudzu is considered a serious pest in Switzerland and Italy and it is naturalized in Ukraine (1). Where kudzu grows uncontrolled, its impact is highly destructive for ecosystems as well as for human activities (e.g. damages to structures, buildings, forestry industry, crops). Due to its fast growth and ability of persisting in poor soils, kudzu forms massive and wide monospecific stands, transforming colonized ecosystems both at biotic and abiotic level (4). Reported impacts to native flora are usually related to its ability to: smother plants by growing on them; outcompete for resources and light, thanks to a very fast growth rate and effective allocation of resources; change edaphic parameters through a radical symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria (4). Nonetheless, the wide array of observed impacts, allelopathic effect of kudzu has been poorly investigated. Allochemical compounds in kudzu have been studied mainly with bioprospecting intents (natural biocide; 5) and results are not thorough of understanding the interactions in nature. The presence of allochemicals in plant tissues as well as the field observation of inhibition zone or the decrease in number of species can be only preliminary indicators of an allelopathic interaction. Thus, in order to fully understand the real impact of P. montana var. lobata, we analysed the effect of litter (leaf and stem mulch) and viable runners of kudzu on native species (target species) common in open habitat, as those colonized by kudzu, by two different types of greenhouse bioassays. Target plants have been sown in universal potting soil, at 20° C, with 12 hours cycle of alternating light/darkness. Inhibitory effects have been investigated by measuring number of internodes, leaf area, final height and dry weight of seedling root and shoot during their development in “litter test”, whereas it was estimated by evaluating seed germination and shoot and root final height and dry biomass in "runner test". Preliminary results showed that both kudzu litter and runner affected the growth and the final biomass of the target species. However, the magnitude of the effect was species specific. Further experiments are underway to better demonstrate and assess the negative impact of P. montana var. lobata on local flora related to the release of allochemicals.

Montagnani, C., Gentili, R., Citterio, S. (2017). Kudzu: subtle threat to native flora of a clear invasive alien plant. In 112° Congresso della Società Botanica Italiana IV INTERNATIONAL PLANT SCIENCE CONFERENCE (IPSC) ABSTRACTS.

Kudzu: subtle threat to native flora of a clear invasive alien plant

Montagnani, C
;
Gentili, RF;Citterio, S
2017

Abstract

Pueraria montana var. lobata (Fabaceae), commonly named "kudzu", is one of the 100 worst invasive species in the world (1). It is a perennial deciduous semi-woody climber and crawling vine native to Asia and probably to some western Pacific Islands (2). Kudzu has been exported all over the world with dietary, pharmaceutical, foraging, ornamental and habitat-restoring purposes (2). Today its invasive range includes all continents even if the severity of its impact varies among countries (1); beyond climate, the past rate of cultivation likely represents the key factor of spreading in new areas (3). According to the Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014, Member Countries of the European Union have the obligation to prevent, control and, when possible, eradicate this plant; in Europe, kudzu is considered a serious pest in Switzerland and Italy and it is naturalized in Ukraine (1). Where kudzu grows uncontrolled, its impact is highly destructive for ecosystems as well as for human activities (e.g. damages to structures, buildings, forestry industry, crops). Due to its fast growth and ability of persisting in poor soils, kudzu forms massive and wide monospecific stands, transforming colonized ecosystems both at biotic and abiotic level (4). Reported impacts to native flora are usually related to its ability to: smother plants by growing on them; outcompete for resources and light, thanks to a very fast growth rate and effective allocation of resources; change edaphic parameters through a radical symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria (4). Nonetheless, the wide array of observed impacts, allelopathic effect of kudzu has been poorly investigated. Allochemical compounds in kudzu have been studied mainly with bioprospecting intents (natural biocide; 5) and results are not thorough of understanding the interactions in nature. The presence of allochemicals in plant tissues as well as the field observation of inhibition zone or the decrease in number of species can be only preliminary indicators of an allelopathic interaction. Thus, in order to fully understand the real impact of P. montana var. lobata, we analysed the effect of litter (leaf and stem mulch) and viable runners of kudzu on native species (target species) common in open habitat, as those colonized by kudzu, by two different types of greenhouse bioassays. Target plants have been sown in universal potting soil, at 20° C, with 12 hours cycle of alternating light/darkness. Inhibitory effects have been investigated by measuring number of internodes, leaf area, final height and dry weight of seedling root and shoot during their development in “litter test”, whereas it was estimated by evaluating seed germination and shoot and root final height and dry biomass in "runner test". Preliminary results showed that both kudzu litter and runner affected the growth and the final biomass of the target species. However, the magnitude of the effect was species specific. Further experiments are underway to better demonstrate and assess the negative impact of P. montana var. lobata on local flora related to the release of allochemicals.
abstract + slide
Pueraria, allelopathy, kudzu
English
Congresso della società botanica italiana onlus iv international plant science conference (ipsc)
2017
112° Congresso della Società Botanica Italiana IV INTERNATIONAL PLANT SCIENCE CONFERENCE (IPSC) ABSTRACTS
978-88-85915-21-3
2017
none
Montagnani, C., Gentili, R., Citterio, S. (2017). Kudzu: subtle threat to native flora of a clear invasive alien plant. In 112° Congresso della Società Botanica Italiana IV INTERNATIONAL PLANT SCIENCE CONFERENCE (IPSC) ABSTRACTS.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/219876
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