RESUMEN.En la selva, la dinámica de disturbios de origen natural o humano genera cambios en la cobertura arbórea y en la cantidad y la calidad de luz que llega al sotobosque. Los cambios debidos a los disturbios representan un continuo de condiciones microambientales que garantizan la coexistencia de las especies. El conocimiento de los requerimientos de las especies y la evaluación de los microambientes óptimos para su supervivencia y crecimiento permite planificar estrategias de manejo a fin de recuperar áreas forestales degradadas. Trabajamos en un bosque nativo ubicado en San Antonio, Misiones, con una especie nativa de alto valor ecológico y maderero: Cabralea canjerana (Vell.) Mart. (cancharana). El objetivo fue evaluar el establecimiento de esta especie bajo diferentes intensidades de cobertura de dosel del bosque. Se establecieron 2 ensayos: uno en macetas, en el que se evaluó la supervivencia y el crecimiento de plantas expuestas a dos condiciones de cobertura natural contrastantes, y otro con plantación a campo en un gradiente de cobertura generado por claros naturales. En ambos ensayos, más de 90% de las plantas de cancharana se establecieron inicialmente en un gradiente muy amplio de cobertura. En macetas, las plantas sin cobertura (sol pleno) fueron afectadas por heladas durante el invierno. A 4 años de realizada la plantación en los claros, la supervivencia fue de 70% y la mayor mortalidad se registró en microambientes con menor incidencia de luz. Concluimos que se puede enriquecer el bosque nativo con cancharana, que el microambiente no afecta la supervivencia durante el primer año, pero que el crecimiento posterior es mayor en posiciones con menor cobertura. La especie tolera cambios abruptos de cobertura, por lo que la limpieza del sotobosque y la apertura de claros benefician su crecimiento.

Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) is a species native to the subtropical regions of South America. Despite being an important crop for the region, there are few studies on the use of microorganisms to improve the growth of seedlings in the nursery stage. The objective of this study was to isolate spore-forming endophytic bacteria with plant growth promoting properties associated with yerba mate seedlings and determine their phytobeneficial effect under controlled laboratory conditions. Isolates were selected based on their sporulation capacity and evaluated for in vitro plant growth promoting properties (nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, production of siderophores and synthesis of indolic compounds). Yerba mate seedlings were inoculated with the most promising isolates, which were identified via analyses of the sequence of their 16S rDNA gene as Bacillus circulans (12RS3) and Bacillus altitudinis (19RS3, T5S-T4). After 120 days plants showed higher root dry weight when inoculated with isolate 19RS3 and higher shoot dry weight with 19RS3 and T5S-T4. In conclusion, further studies to determine the ability of these isolates to adapt to the climatic conditions and to survive amidst the native soil microflora in yerba mate cultivated native soils, will be crucial for developing such strains as biofertilizer.

No abstract

Rust produced by Melampsora sp. is considered one of the most relevant diseases in poplar plantations. Growth reduction in poplar plantations takes place because rust, like other pathogens, alters leaf physiology. There is not a complete evaluation of several of the physiological traits that can be affected by rust at leaf level. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate, in an integrative way and in the same pathosystem, which physiological processes are affected when Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh. leaves are infected by rust (Melampsora medusae Thümen). Leaves of two clones with different susceptibility to rust were analyzed. Field and pot experiments were performed, and several physiological traits were measured in healthy and infected leaves. We conclude that rust affects leaf mesophyll integrity, and so water movement in the leaf in liquid phase is affected. As a consequence, gas exchange is reduced, affecting both carbon fixation and transpiration. However, there is an increase in respiration rate, probably due to plant and fungal respiration. The increase in respiration rate is important in the reduction of net photosynthetic rate, but also some damage in the photosynthetic apparatus limits leaf capacity to fix carbon. The decrease in chlorophyll content would start later and seems not to explain the reduction in net photosynthetic rate. Both clones, although they have different susceptibility to rust, are affected in the same physiological mechanisms.