Field Dodder: Life Cycle and Interaction
with Host Plants
5
Marija Sarić-Krsmanović
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
2 Biology and Ecology Characters of Field Dodder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
3 Cuscuta Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
3.1 Seed Germination and Searching for a Host Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
3.2 Attachment and Haustorium Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
4 Consequences of Field Dodder and Host Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 108
4.1 Impact on Host-Parasite Metabolites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
4.2 Impact on Host Pigment Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
4.3 Impact on Host Chlorophyll Fluorescence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
4.4 Impact on Host Mineral Nutrient Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
4.5 Impact on Host Anatomical Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
5 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Abstract
Cuscuta as a generalist type of holoparasitic plant interacts with various host
plants in different manners, and all Cuscuta species depend (absolutely) on host
plants to complete their life cycle. Field dodder is a parasitic plant that attaches to
stems and leaves of broadleaf plants, including weeds, field crops, vegetables, and
ornamentals, across most agricultural regions of the world. Most hosts of Cuscuta
plants are passive, only a few hosts are known to show clear resistance (e.g.,
Ipomoea sp.). Unlike other weeds occurring in anthropogenic habitats that have
been well-studied in their taxonomic, biological, and ecological aspects, as well
as their anatomical and physiological properties to some extent, the parasitic
flowering species of the genus Cuscuta have been examined very scarcely despite
the great damage that they are able to cause. More extensive research is required
M. Sarić-Krsmanović (*)
Institute of Pesticides and Environmental Protection, Belgrade, Serbia
e-mail: marijasaric.msaric@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
J.-M. Mérillon, K. G. Ramawat (eds.), Co-Evolution of Secondary Metabolites,
Reference Series in Phytochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96397-6_58
101
with Host Plants
5
Marija Sarić-Krsmanović
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
2 Biology and Ecology Characters of Field Dodder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
3 Cuscuta Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
3.1 Seed Germination and Searching for a Host Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
3.2 Attachment and Haustorium Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
4 Consequences of Field Dodder and Host Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 108
4.1 Impact on Host-Parasite Metabolites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
4.2 Impact on Host Pigment Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
4.3 Impact on Host Chlorophyll Fluorescence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
4.4 Impact on Host Mineral Nutrient Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
4.5 Impact on Host Anatomical Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
5 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Abstract
Cuscuta as a generalist type of holoparasitic plant interacts with various host
plants in different manners, and all Cuscuta species depend (absolutely) on host
plants to complete their life cycle. Field dodder is a parasitic plant that attaches to
stems and leaves of broadleaf plants, including weeds, field crops, vegetables, and
ornamentals, across most agricultural regions of the world. Most hosts of Cuscuta
plants are passive, only a few hosts are known to show clear resistance (e.g.,
Ipomoea sp.). Unlike other weeds occurring in anthropogenic habitats that have
been well-studied in their taxonomic, biological, and ecological aspects, as well
as their anatomical and physiological properties to some extent, the parasitic
flowering species of the genus Cuscuta have been examined very scarcely despite
the great damage that they are able to cause. More extensive research is required
M. Sarić-Krsmanović (*)
Institute of Pesticides and Environmental Protection, Belgrade, Serbia
e-mail: marijasaric.msaric@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
J.-M. Mérillon, K. G. Ramawat (eds.), Co-Evolution of Secondary Metabolites,
Reference Series in Phytochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96397-6_58
101