Bark salicylates and condensed tannins reduce vole browsing amongst cultivated dark-leaved willows (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Salix myrsinifolia</Emphasis>) |
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Authors: | Susanne Heiska Olli-Pekka Tikkanen Matti Rousi Riitta Julkunen-Tiitto |
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Institution: | (1) Natural Product Research Laboratories, Faculty of Biosciences, University of Joensuu, P.O.Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland;(2) Faculty of Forest Sciences, University of Joensuu, P.O.Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland;(3) Punkaharju Research Station, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Finlandiantie 18, FI-58450 Punkaharju, Finland |
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Abstract: | Summary. Vole feeding amongst herbal willows that have a high concentration of salicylates in their bark and leaves, and may therefore
be cultivated for use as raw material for herbal medicine was tested in the field and in laboratory conditions. Eight clones
of dark-leaved willow (Salix myrsinifolia Salisb.) were cultivated for two years with six different methods combining three fertilisation levels (none, low and high),
black plastic mulch applied for suppressing weed competition and unmulched control. Samples for the laboratory feeding trial
were taken from the unfertilised plants during willow winter dormancy and twigs were fed to 16 voles as a multi-choice experiment.
The bark area removed was calculated from image analysis of the material left by the voles. The diameter and the bark thickness
of the twigs were measured. Concentrations of salicin, salicortin, HCH-salicortin, picein, triandrin, triandrin derivative,
gallocatechin, (+)-catechin, luteolin-7-glucoside, hyperin, total condensed tannins and total nitrogen were measured from
the twigs fed to voles in the laboratory. Browsing by a natural population of voles amongst winter-dormant willows was measured
in the field. In the laboratory, voles browsed on 80% of the twigs and in the field voles browsed on 33% of the twigs. Vole
feeding followed similar patterns in the field and in the laboratory experiment; feeding was clearly higher amongst the plants
grown in unmulched control compared to those in plastic mulch. The same clones, 1, 2 and 6 were preferred in both experiments.
Voles preferred thin twigs to thick ones. Feeding correlated negatively with concentrations of salicylates and tannins. As
vole feeding seems to be highly affected by willow cultivation method and plant genotype, careful selection of cultivated
clones and cultivation methods can enhance the reliability of herbal willow cultivation. |
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Keywords: | Herbal willow cultivation plastic mulch bark phenolics herbivory Salix myrsinifolia Salisb Microtus agrestis L |
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