Testing fertilizer, gypsum, planting season and varieties of wild leek (Allium tricoccum) in forest farming system

Light acclimation strategies change from summer green to spring ephemeral as wild‐leek plants age

“…However, the response of leaf senescence to a change in light availability might also be due to the inability of spring ephemerals to acclimate their leaves to lower light conditions as the season progresses. We observed some plasticity of the chl a/b ratio within a growing season, but only for seedlings, whereas mature wild-leek plants can modulate their chl a/b ratio in response to alteration of the light environment, but only from one season to another ( Bernatchez et al, 2013 ). We would also expect shade-acclimating leaves to improve their ambient photosynthetic activity slightly within a few weeks of exposure to low-light conditions, as do summer greens ( Rothstein and Zak, 2001 ), but mature wild-leek plants did not exhibit any improvement ( Fig.…”

Late canopy closure delays senescence and promotes growth of the spring ephemeral wild leek (Allium tricoccum)

“…C as a function of total light reaching the plot during the season confirmed that wild leek did acclimate to the light conditions and that mean photosynthetic rates increased with light availability, as would be expected for leaves that are acclimated to higher light conditions (Nobel, 1991). Light acclimation most likely took place following a first growing season under the new growth conditions, as mature wild leek do not acclimate their leaves within a single season (Bernatchez et al, 2013;Dion et al, 2016). This acclimation to light availability could explain the increased bulb size that was reported for plots receiving more light throughout the growing season, along with delayed leaf senescence in these plots.…”

Sustainable leaf harvesting and effects of plant density on wild leek cultivation plots and natural stands in Southern Quebec, Canada

“…), the natural ecosystem where wild leek occurs most often in southern Quebec. Soils of the four sites for the Leaf harvesting experiment were thoroughly detailed by Bernatchez et al (2013), along with light available in the understory during summer. The Planting density experiment was set up on sites B and C of Bernatchez et al (2013), nearby the other transplanted plots.…”

“…Soils of the four sites for the Leaf harvesting experiment were thoroughly detailed by Bernatchez et al (2013), along with light available in the understory during summer. The Planting density experiment was set up on sites B and C of Bernatchez et al (2013), nearby the other transplanted plots. None of those sites had been exploited for agriculture, but there has been maple syrup production in site B, and there still is in site C. Site B and C are subjected to some thinning while site D is located in a conservation area.…”

“…Recent studies have shown this species to be a good candidate for forest farming (Davis and Greenfield 2002;Facemire 2008;Bernatchez et al 2013), which could help alleviate harvesting pressure on natural populations (Chamberlain et al 2009). Although forest farming may improve sustainability of forest herb exploitation, we need to significantly improve yield and reduce maintenance costs in forest farming systems to ensure their long-term success in eastern North America (Burkhart and Jacobson 2009).…”