Author
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ELLIOTT, VERNON |
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Submitted to: International Symposium on Microbiology of Aerial Plant Surfaces
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 8/3/2000 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Seasonal patterns of epiphytic microbial growth on plants can provide important population level information about plant- microbe interactions analogous to the disease progress curves of pathogens. Unfortunately, the high variability of microbial population dynamics, especially when viewed over short time periods, makes these patterns difficult to identify. A model was developed to isolate the long term patterns and to use these long term patterns to characterize population dynamics. Key model parameters represented the carrying capacity, the rate of approach to carrying capacity, and the time at which the carrying capacity was reached. To evaluate this modeling approach on different hosts and under different environments, bacterial populations from peanut, cotton, and soybean were measured over several seasons. Analysis revealed that populations followed several long term patterns. In some cases, populations tended to increase quickly to the carrying capacity and then maintain an equilibrium at the carrying capacity. In other cases, populations approached the carrying capacity more gradually. Interactions between host and environment appeared to influence population dynamics. Population dynamics were also influenced by cultivar of the host. This model allows for isolation and characterization of the long term, seasonal patterns of epiphytic population development on plants and should prove useful in understanding plant microbe interactions on a population level. |
