Sara Adrián López Andrade

• Professor
• Professor (Assistant) at State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)

Most tropical forests show a low phosphorus (P) concentration in the soil, which limits plant growth and development. Phosphate transporters and regulatory elements, including transcription factors, are involved in the uptake and transport of P from the soil into root cells and other plant organs, and responses to plant P status. To better understa...

Small pots limit root and shoot growth in several plant species. In this work, we investigated the effect of pot size (1.7 L and 7 L) on nodulation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum and soybean growth. Small pots restricted the growth of shoots and roots of inoculated and non-inoculated plants and reduced the number of nodules, confirming that pot size...

Plants can modify soil properties over time through interactions with soil microorganisms, creating a legacy that may influence subsequent plant growth. This study investigates how soil vegetation covers affect growth and nutrient uptake and phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N)use efficiencies in two eucalypt species, and the impact of new plant cultiva...

Phosphorus (P) often limits plant growth and development because its availability in most soils is low, mainly in tropical soils. Various phosphate transporters and regulatory elements, including transcription factors, are involved in the uptake and transport of P from the soil into root cells and to other plant organs. The split-root technique was...

Understanding how phosphorus (P) deficiency during the reproductive phase of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merril] affects nitrogen (N) acquisition via biological N fixation (BNF), and seed yield per unit of the accumulated nutrient remains incomplete. Soybean plants were fertigated with a sufficient concentration of P in the nutrient solution (500 µmo...

Plant-derived products rely heavily on the availability of phosphorus (P) in the soil. With reserves of P-rocks being limited, there is a growing demand to enhance the efficiency of P utilization by crops. Eucalypts, an important economic crop in many countries, is a source of timber, coal, essence oils, and cellulose. After identifying low P toler...

Phosphorus (P) often limits plant growth and development because its availability in most soils is low, mainly in tropical soils. Various phosphate transporters and regulatory elements, including transcription factors, are involved in the uptake and transport of P from the soil into root cells and to other plant organs. The split-root technique was...

In regions of low soil phosphorus (P) availability, such as many tropical and subtropical regions, the cultivation of eucalypts is common due to their adaptation to P-constrained soils. As in other trees, the molecular mechanisms underlying the phosphate starvation response (PSR) in eucalypts remain poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate...

Wood formation is a complex process. The cell wall is formed by a number of polymers whose biosynthesis is controlled by several genes. These polymers crosslink to each other to give strength to the cell wall. Additionally, apoptosis takes place for xylem formation. As woody plants are exposed to seasonal variations, meaning that water, light, and...

The coffee sector is estimated to have a retail market value in excess of USD 83 billion, and over 125 million jobs have been created in the global coffee chain. The coffee specialty market has recently increased significantly, generating opportunities to certify coffee beans produced by sustainable practices. This avoids practices potentially harm...

This study is the first to investigate the speciation and spatial distribution patterns of manganese (Mn) accumulated at elevated concentrations in Eucalyptus leaves by X-ray fluorescence (µ-XRF) and absorption near-edge spectroscopy (µ-XANES). Eucalyptus tereticornis is a tree species with great economic value and potential to accumulate and toler...

Background and aims Tropical soils often present two issues that can hinder plant growth: low phosphorus (P) and high manganese (Mn) availability. Eucalyptus tereticornis is frequently cultivated in such soils. We investigated the effects of Mn in E. tereticornis under contrasting soil P availability and hypothesized that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM...

Background and aim: We aimed to contribute with the foundation to adopt foliar P fertilization on soybean. Methods: Treatments were a combination of contrasting postflowering root P supply versus foliar application of phosphate (Pi) or phosphite (Phi). Results: Pi improved grain yield of P-limited plants, while Phi was detrimental because of negati...

Phosphorus (P) is a vital nutrient for plant growth. P availability is generally low in soils, and plant responses to low P availability need to be better understood. In a previous study, we studied the growth and physiological responses of 24 species to low P availability in the soil and verified of eucalypts, five (Eucalyptus acmenoides, E. grand...

A significant proportion of the carbon fixed by plants is transported to the roots and exuded to the rhizosphere. Exudates may have important roles in the rhizosphere, such as desorbing labile phosphorus (P) or mobilizing manganese (Mn) and other metal cations. This study evaluated the root exudation profiles of seedlings of 15 eucalypt species in...

Tropical soils are highly-weathered acidic soils and frequently present two intersecting problems that can be detrimental to plant development: low phosphorus (P) and high manganese (Mn) availability. Mn can be phytotoxic, damaging the photosynthetic apparatus and/or competing with other nutrients. Eucalyptus grandis is often cultivated in such soi...

Soil phosphorus (P) availability may limit plant growth and alter root-soil interactions and rhizosphere microbial community composition. The composition of the rhizosphere microbial community can also be shaped by plant genotype. In this study, we examined the rhizosphere microbial communities of young plants of 24 species of eucalypts (22 Eucalyp...

Cadmium (Cd) can accumulate in vegetables and enter into the food chain. The intensive production of leafy vegetables usually uses excessive amounts of fertilizers which may bring environmental and health damages. This study investigates the relationship between high rates of fertilization with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) and th...

Key message Eucalypt seedlings differently modulate root morphology in response to phosphorus availability, with changes in the length or density of root hairs being more common that changes in root length. Abstract Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development and thus can restrict biomass accumulation when it is at low...

The development and productivity of plants are governed by their genetic background, nutrient input, and the microbial communities they host, i.e. the holobiont. Accordingly, engineering beneficial root microbiomes has emerged as a novel and sustainable approach to crop production with reduced nutrient input. Here, we tested the effects of six bact...

Plant growth is related to the amount of nutrients that it can acquire and it can be limited by poor root development and nutrient uptake, and low efficiency of nutrient use. Nutrients are not distributed evenly throughout the soil around roots, causing plants to put in action the functioning of the various local and systemic signaling pathways to...

Manganese (Mn) is a nutrient that can cause phytotoxicity if above a threshold concentration. Acid soils are prone to excessive Mn levels that under certain environmental conditions may increase availability and exacerbate deleterious effects on plants. Apart from oxidative stress, excess Mn usually affects photosynthetic apparatus. Nonetheless, so...

Beneficial plant–microbe interactions lead to physiological and biochemical changes that may result in plant-growth promotion. This study evaluated the effect of the interaction between sugarcane and endophytic bacterial strains on plant physiological and biochemical responses under two levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization. Six strains of endophyti...

Intercropping involves cultivating two or more crops in a field simultaneously, and is mainly practiced in regions where soils are relatively degraded. Intercropping is receiving increasing global interest as an agricultural practice as farmers strive to be more sustainable and maintain soil health (Glaze-Corcoran et al., 2020). Early research focu...

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are claimed to not only improve plant fitness but also alleviate plant stress. In this study, we evaluated the effect of five PGPB strains on plantlet growth and nutrient and aluminum (Al) uptake under acid soil conditions characterized by low P and K nutrient availability and high metal and aluminum (Al) bioa...

Roots acquire phosphorus (P) as orthophosphate (Pi) through phosphate transporters of the PHT1 family with different affinities to Pi, a process significantly influenced by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis. However, scarce P availability may constrain nodulation and performance in legumes. Soybean (Glycine max) is an ideal model to study tripa...

Tropical Montane Forests are unique climate-influenced ecosystems with a vital role for some ecosystem services, of which one of the most important is soil carbon storage. Changes in forest cover affect forest structure, composition and functioning, but little is known about how such changes influence the belowground carbon content. In this study,...

Increasing biodiversity is an important issue in more secure and sustainable agriculture. Diversified systems are more resilient to climate change, environmental stresses and enhance soil health, nutrient cycling and nutrient use efficiency. In tropical agroecosystems, cover crops and intercrops are an alternative toward a more diverse and sustaina...

Summary. – Nickel (Ni) is a micro-nutrient demanded in very low amounts by plants and poorly studied in coffee. Coffee seedlings received Ni via soil and foliar spray, and were evaluated for growth, biochemical parameters and nutrient contents in stems and roots both in leaves developed before and after Ni application. Both forms of Ni application...

Due to diverse human activities zinc (Zn) may reach phytotoxic levels in the soil. Here, we evaluated the differential sensibility of three Brazilian tree species from the Fabaceae to increasing soil Zn concentrations and its physiological response to cope with excess Zn. A greenhouse experiment was conducted with the species: Mimosa caesalpiniaefo...

Plant growth on harsh substrates (habitat specialization) requires specific traits to cope with stressful conditions. We tested whether traits related to nutrient acquisition (root colonization by fungal symbionts, and plant morphological and physiological specializations), and nutrient use (leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations and N...

Background and aims Twenty-four species of eucalypts were studied regarding their ability to grow under low P and their responsiveness to P inputs. Methods Growth and photosynthesis-related parameters were evaluated. Results Growth of all species was influenced by low P availability. No significant correlation was found between leaf P concentrati...

Endophytic fungi are those that inhabit within organs and tissues without causing damage, while mycorrhizal fungi develop hyphal complexes called pelotons within cortical cells of orchid roots. Although abundant and frequent in all plant organs, the role of endophytic fungi has been neglected in relation to orchid’s early development. Pogoniopsis s...

During the germination of orchid seeds occurs the formation of the protocorm, a coniform structure. Orchid seeds need to be associated with mycorrhizal fungi for protocorm development. This fungi form pelotons inside living plant cells. However, little is known about the role of non-mycorrhizal fungi for germination in Orchidaceae. Pogoniopsis sche...

Endophytic microorganisms are those that inhabit the interior of healthy plant organs and tissues. Endophytic fungi are known to have properties of interest to plants as protection against pathogens. Pogoniopsis schenckii Cogn. is a rare, mycoheterotrophic and achlorophyllous orchid that develops under organic matter in dense forests. The objective...

Understanding the mechanisms that underlie the generation of beta‐diversity remains a challenge in ecology. Underground plant adaptations to environmental gradients have received relatively little attention. We studied plant nutrient‐acquisition strategies and nutrient‐use efficiency at three stages of pedogenesis in infertile soils from campos rup...

Soil contamination with metal(oid)s is of concern due to deleterious effects on ecosystems, plant and human health. This study aimed at determining the potential of jack bean, Canavalia ensiformis, to be used as phytoremediator of soils contaminated with Pb, Zn and As from past mining activities in the Ribeira Valley, Brazil. A pot experiment was c...

Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is one of the most ubiquitous plant symbioses, contributing to overall plant performance through nutritional and non-nutritional benefits. As result of mycorrhization, the active compounds derived from plants may be altered both quantitatively and qualitatively. The species Mikania glomerata Spreng. and Mikania laevigata...

Introdução – A mineração é uma atividade econômica importante no Brasil, entretanto pode gerar resíduos com potencial para contaminar solos. Na região do Vale do Ribeira, SP/PR, atividades minerárias operantes no século passado causaram contaminação de solos de áreas adjacentes aos rios por descarte inapropriado de rejeito de minério enriquecido em...

Soybean is a good model to study tripartite symbiosis between plants, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and rhizobia. Scarce phosphorus availability may constrain nodulation and plant performance. Depending on P deficiency severity AM may overcome plant P demand and positively influence P uptake, nodulation and N2 fixation or result in not net benefits...

Environmental contamination has become a concerning issue worldwide due to number of risks it poses to human health and ecosystem functioning. Contaminants present in soils or waters can go up through the trophic chain via microbial or plant incorporation. Bio/Phytoremediation is an emerging technology for large-scale removal or detoxification of c...

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are nutrients that frequently limit plant performance and crop yield. Currently, awareness of the importance of plant-microbe interactions in plant nutrient acquisition and growth promotion persist, particularly under stressful conditions, such as those resulting from P scarcity. The aim of the present study was to e...

Environmental contamination has become a concerning issue worldwide due to number of risks it poses to human health and ecosystem functioning. Contaminants present in soils or waters can go up through the trophic chain via microbial or plant incorporation. Bio/Phytoremediation is an emerging technology for large-scale removal or detoxification of c...

Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are plant nutrients; however, intracellular concentration must be kept within the sufficiency limits in order to adequately maintain metabolic functions. Like other organisms, plants have metallothioneins (MTs), which are cysteine-rich peptides that have been associated with metal homeostasis and detoxification because of...

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) in soybean is highly efficient in Brazil, with rhizobia providing the plant with most of the nitrogen demand through the symbiotic association. However, SNF and soybean growth are limited by phosphorus availability, which is low in most tropical soils. Nodulated soybean can synergistically associate with arbuscular...

The metalloid arsenic (As) increases in agricultural soils because of anthropogenic activities and may have phytotoxic effects depending on the available concentrations. Plant performance can be improved by arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) association under challenging conditions, such as those caused by excessive soil As levels. In this study, the influ...

Soil contamination by lead (Pb) is a problem due to the persistence of this element on soil. High amounts of Pb in soil impair plant establishment, however some plants may increase tolerance to heavy metals when colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The leguminous plant, Calopogonium mucunoides, is Pb-sensitive that is tolerant to Pb whe...

Root-zone temperature affects several physiological processes, but its influence on alkaloid biosynthesis and accumulation in plants has not yet been evaluated. Here we studied the effect of different root-zone temperatures on Catharanthus roseus and Nicotiana tabacum, which produce a variety of alkaloids. C. roseus produces different alkaloids in...

Soil contamination by heavy metals is a serious problem to humans due to its high level of toxicity. The heavy metal lead (Pb) is commonly used in industries and if the disposal of residues that contain this element is not done properly may result in tragic consequences to the organisms. In this experiment we assessed the potential of a forrage leg...

Heavy metals (HMs) are environmental pollutants of great concern to humans because of their high potential toxicity. Lead is a HM that is present in the soil in very small amounts, but anthropogenic activities have increased its content in some locations, which can make these areas unproductive or inappropriate for crop production. However, there a...

Frequently disregarded, plant associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can influence plant specialized metabolism with important ecological and/or economic implications. In this study, we report on both the influence of mycorrhization on the content of a wide range of alkaloids and differential gene expression of some enzymes involved i...

Molecules released by soil microorganisms, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), trigger plant responses prior to any physical contact. Here, it is shown that disrupted spores (DS) homogenates and exudates from germinating spores (GS) of Glomus etunicatum caused marked alterations in the content of the tobacco alkaloids nicotine, anabasine, a...

A poluição do solo com metais pesados tem aumentado significativamente nos últimos anos, devido à ação antrópica. Diversas técnicas podem ser utilizadas para reverter ou minimizar a condição de contaminação do solo, porém muitas delas são prejudiciais ao solo. Uma alternativa é a utilização da fitorremediação, já que as plantas possuem a capacidade...

Studies on mycorrhizal symbiosis effects on metal accumulation and plant tolerance are not common in perennial crops under metal stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of mycorrhization on coffee seedlings under Cu and Zn stress. Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) uptake and some biochemical and physiological traits were studied i...

The influence of jack bean [Canavalia ensiformis (L.) D.C.] mycorrhization, by the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus etunicatum, in response to increasing Cu concentrations in soil (0, 50, 150 and 450 mg dm−3) was studied. In the highest Cu dose, mycorrhiza decreased Cu concentrations in plant organs and promoted biomass accumulation. In ad...

Despite previous research on mycorrhizal association with plants, the data on associations with coffee (Coffea species) are very sparse despite the great economic importance of this crop for many tropical developing countries. The present paper reviews the main aspects of the association between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and coffee plants....

The influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on Canavalia ensiformis growth, nutrient and Zn uptake, and on some physiological parameters in response to increasing soil Zn concentrations was studied. Treatments were applied in seven replicates in a 2 x 4 factorial design, consisting of the inoculation or not with the AMF Glomus e...

The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on cadmium (Cd) accumulation and on the possible attenuation of Cd stress was studied in maize plants (Zea mays L. var. Exceller). Plants inoculated or not with Glomus macrocarpum were exposed to Cd (0-20 µmol L-1), at two P levels (5 and 10 mg L-1) in the nutrient solution. The experiment was conducte...

In order to investigate the cadmium (Cd) accumulation patterns and possible alleviation of Cd stress by mycorrhization, sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.) were grown in the presence or absence of Cd (20 micromol L(-1)) and inoculated or not inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus intraradices. No visual symptoms of Cd ph...

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of Ni addition (0, 2.3, 10.5, 47 and 210 mg kg-1), in the presence and absence of lime, on: common beans development, Ni phytoavailability, and soil biological characteristics. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using a sample of a Rhodic Hapludox. Rate of 210 mg kg-1 of Ni caused plant death in bo...

Theaim of this work was to evaluate the effect of Ni addition (0, 2.3, 10.5, 47 and 210mgkg-1), in the presence and absence of lime, on: common beans development, Niphytoavailability, and soil biological characteristics. Agreenhouse experiment was conducted using a sample of a Rhodic Hapludox. Rate of 210mgkg-1 of Ni caused plant death in both the...

ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF COFFEE PLANTLETS USING DIFFERENT ORGANIC SUBSTRATES A greenhouse experiment with an alleatory factorial 9 x 4 scheme was carried out to evaluate the effects of different substrates and species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the development of coffee plants, cultivar Catuaí Amarelo, IAC 62...

A greenhouse experiment with an alleatory factorial 9 x 4 scheme was carried out to evaluate the effects of different substrates and species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the development of coffee plants, cultivar Catuaí Amarelo, IAC 62. Nine substrates were used: seven commercial organic substrates – four substrates containing composted...

A contaminação do solo por metais potencialmente tóxicos e outros poluentes de fontes industriais pode se tornar um sério problema ambiental. Alguns resíduos da indústria siderúrgica tem potencial para serem usados na agricultura como fonte de micronutrientes. Entretanto, esse uso agrícola possui como limitação a presença de metais pesados, os quai...

The effect of cadmium (Cd) on mycorrhizal association and on shoot and root Cd concentration was investigated in jackbean plants under hydroponic conditions. The treatments consisted of the inoculation of three different species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), Glomus etunicatum, G. intraradices and G. macrocarpum, and a non-inoculated contro...

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da adição de chumbo (Pb) ao solo na biomassa e atividade microbianas do solo sob influência da rizosfera de soja micorrizada. Otrabalho foi realizado em casa de vegetação, com delineamento inteiramente casualizado num esquema fatorial 4x2x2 utilizando-se 0, 150, 300 e 600mg dm-3 de Pb, inoculação ou nã...

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of lead addition on soil microbial biomass and activity under the influence of the rhizosphere of mycorrhizal soybean. The experimental design was completely randomized and arranged in a 4x2x2 factorial scheme, using 0, 150, 300 and 600mg dm-3, inoculation or not of the arbuscular mycorrhizal f...

The influence of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus macrocarpum Tul. and Tul. on Bradyrhizobium-inoculated soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill var. IAC-14) growth, nutrients and Pb uptake was studied in soils with different levels of Pb. Mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants were grown in a soil amended with 0, 150, 300 and 600 mg dm−3 of...

Existem divergências sobre o efeito do fungo micorrízico arbuscular (FMA) na absorção de metais pesados pelas plantas. Isso pode ser atribuído não só às diferenças na disponibilidade do metal no solo, espécie de FMA e de planta, mas também às possíveis interações que ocorrem entre estes e os demais fatores ambientais. Realizou-se um experimento em...

Existem divergências sobre o efeito do fungo micorrízico arbuscular (FMA) na absorção de metais pesados pelas plantas. Isso pode ser atribuído não só às diferenças na disponibilidade do metal no solo, espécie de FMA e de planta, mas também às possíveis interações que ocorrem entre estes e os demais fatores ambientais. Realizou-se um experimento em...