Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
5-8-2024 11:00 AM
End Date
5-8-2024 1:00 PM
Subjects
Sedum, Green roofs (Gardening), Parasitism
Advisor
Richard Hugo
Student Level
Undergraduate
Abstract
Sedums are commonly selected for green roof applications due to their horizontal growth, heat and drought tolerance, water-storage capacity, and heat absorption. A potential threat to sedum health is the presence of parasitic Orobanche. Orobanche are a genus of parasitic plants that extract nutrients, water and carbohydrates from its host via root attachments. This study seeks to investigate Orobanche parasitism on the four most abundant sedum species on a Portland State University green roof in relation to soil composition. Four sedum species were propagated in clear plastic compact-disc (CD) cases containing either mineral substrate, Miracle Gro, or a seedling mix, and half were inculcated with Orobanche seeds. Sedum root lengths were observed using a macro photo lens, while Orobanche germination and attachment was observed using a dissecting microscope. Initial results show that Orobanche germination and attachment was ubiquitous in the mineral substrate but minimal in the Miracle Gro, but that sedum species does not impact Orobanche attachment. Maximum Sedum root length was greatest in the seedling mix and lowest in the mineral substrate. Further data collection will focus on the emergence of additional Orobanche attachments, their growth, and the effects their presence and growth has on the different sedums.
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Included in
Observing Orobanche Uniflora Parasitism of Four Sedum Species in Relation to Soil Composition
Sedums are commonly selected for green roof applications due to their horizontal growth, heat and drought tolerance, water-storage capacity, and heat absorption. A potential threat to sedum health is the presence of parasitic Orobanche. Orobanche are a genus of parasitic plants that extract nutrients, water and carbohydrates from its host via root attachments. This study seeks to investigate Orobanche parasitism on the four most abundant sedum species on a Portland State University green roof in relation to soil composition. Four sedum species were propagated in clear plastic compact-disc (CD) cases containing either mineral substrate, Miracle Gro, or a seedling mix, and half were inculcated with Orobanche seeds. Sedum root lengths were observed using a macro photo lens, while Orobanche germination and attachment was observed using a dissecting microscope. Initial results show that Orobanche germination and attachment was ubiquitous in the mineral substrate but minimal in the Miracle Gro, but that sedum species does not impact Orobanche attachment. Maximum Sedum root length was greatest in the seedling mix and lowest in the mineral substrate. Further data collection will focus on the emergence of additional Orobanche attachments, their growth, and the effects their presence and growth has on the different sedums.