Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are expected to have an important role in plant adaptation to high temperatures. The impacts of increasing night-time temperature on daytime terpenoid emissions and related gene expression in silver birch (Betula pendula) and European aspen (Populus tremula) clones were studied. The plants were grown under five different night-time temperatures (6, 10, 14, 18, and 22 °C) while daytime temperature was kept at a constant 22 °C. VOC emissions were collected during the daytime and analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In birch, emissions per leaf area of the C11 homoterpene 4,8-dimethy1-nona-1,3,7-triene (DMNT) and several sesquiterpenes were consistently increased with increasing night-time temperature. Total sesquiterpene (SQT) emissions showed an increase at higher temperatures. In aspen, emissions of DMNT and β-ocimene increased from 6 °C to 14 °C, while several other monoterpenes and the SQTs (Z,E)-α-farnesene and (E,E)-α-farnesene increased up to 18 °C. Total monoterpene and sesquiterpene emission peaked at 18 °C, whereas isoprene emissions decreased at 22 °C. Leaf area increased across the temperature range of 6–22 °C by 32% in birch and by 59% in aspen. Specific leaf area (SLA) was also increased in both species. The genetic regulation of VOC emissions seems to be very complex, as indicated by several inverse relationships between emission profiles and expression of several regulatory genes (DXR, DXS, and IPP). The study indicates that increasing night temperature may strongly affect the quantity and quality of daytime VOC emissions of northern deciduous trees.

Downy mildew disease caused by Peronospora sparsa, also known as ÔdryberryÕ disease, is a serious threat to the cultivation of arctic bramble (Rubus arcticus) and boysenberry (Rubus spp. hybrid). A quantitative and sensitive screening method is necessary for the breeding of downy mildew resistant cultivars and for determining efficient disease control methods. A quantitative real-time PCR method using SYBR Ò Green I fluorescent dye was developed for the analysis of P. sparsa in arctic bramble, other Rubus species and roses. Primers were designed to amplify a P. sparsa specific 94-bp fragment from the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1) and a 140-bp fragment from a conserved region of plant 5.8S ribosomal DNA, which served as an internal control in the samples. Linear amplification from genomic DNA and control plasmids was achieved with both primers, and even 37 fg of P. sparsa conidial DNA was detected. In the samples collected from the field, quantities as low as 0.2 ppm of P. sparsa DNA in plant DNA were detected, thus enabling the diagnosis of weak and latent infections. Arctic bramble cvs Pima, Mespi and Mesma, all showing distinct foliar symptoms, were tested to assess the relative amount of downy mildew DNA present. The symptoms and the amount of P. sparsa DNA detected correlated only in cv. Pima, indicating that visual inspection of symptoms is not a reliable method for assessing the extent of tissue infection. The number of conidiophores of P. sparsa on in vitro inoculated leaves of two arctic bramble cultivars correlated with the results obtained by real-time PCR.Abbreviations: bp -base pair; Ct -threshold cycle; ITS -internal transcribed spacer; rDNA -ribosomal DNA