Ososayensi baseNyuvesi yaseCalifornia bathole idatha yofuzo ezosiza izitshalo zokudla ezifana notamatisi nelayisi ziphile isikhathi eside, izikhathi ezinzima kakhulu zesomiso emhlabeni wethu oshisayo.
Phakathi neminyaka eyishumi edlule, ithimba labacwaningi lafuna ukwakha i-atlas yamangqamuzana yezimpande zezitshalo, lapho izitshalo ziqala ukubona imiphumela yesomiso nezinye izinsongo zemvelo. Ngokwenza kanjalo, bathola izakhi zofuzo ososayensi abangazisebenzisa ukuze bavikele izitshalo kulokhu kucindezeleka. Umsebenzi wabo, oshicilelwe ngoMeyi 20 kujenali Iseli, izuze izinga eliphezulu lokuqonda imisebenzi yezimpande ngoba yayihlanganisa idatha yofuzo evela kumaseli ahlukene ezimpande zikatamatisi ezitshalwe ngaphakathi nangaphandle.
“Imvamisa, abacwaningi benza izivivinyo zelebhu kanye ne-greenhouse, kodwa abalimi batshala izinto ensimini, futhi le datha ibheka amasampula asensimini futhi,” kusho u-Neelima Sinha, uprofesa wase-UC Davis wesayensi yezitshalo kanye nomlobi wephepha. Idatha iveze ulwazi mayelana nezakhi zofuzo ezitshela isitshalo ukuthi senze izinto ezintathu ezibalulekile.
I-Xylem iyimikhumbi engenalutho, efana nepayipi ehambisa amanzi nezakhi kusuka ezimpandeni kuze kufike emahlumela. Ngaphandle kokuthutha nge-xylem, lesi sitshalo asikwazi ukuzakhela ukudla kwaso nge-photosynthesis. "I-Xylem ibaluleke kakhulu ekuqiniseni izitshalo ngokumelene nesomiso kanye nosawoti nezinye izingcindezi," kusho umbhali ohamba phambili wocwaningo uSiobhan Brady, uprofesa wesayensi yezitshalo e-UC Davis.
Ngokulandelayo, ngaphandle kokuthuthwa kwamaminerali ezitshalo ku-xylem, abantu nezinye izilwane bebezoba namavithamini ambalwa kanye nezakhamzimba ezibalulekile ukuze siphile. Ngokungeziwe kwabanye abadlali abajwayelekile abadingekayo ukwenza i-xylem, kutholwe izakhi zofuzo ezintsha nezimangazayo.
Isethi yesibili eyisihluthulelo yezakhi zofuzo yilezo eziqondisa ungqimba lwangaphandle lwempande ukukhiqiza i-lignin ne-suberin. I-Suberin iyisithako esibalulekile kukhokho futhi izungeza amangqamuzana ezitshalo endaweni ewugqinsi, ibambe emanzini ngesikhathi sesomiso. Izitshalo ezifana notamatisi nelayisi zine-suberin ezimpandeni. Izithelo ze-apula zine-suberin ezungeze amaseli awo angaphandle. Noma yikuphi lapho kwenzeka khona, kuvimbela isitshalo ekulahlekelweni kwamanzi. I-Lignin iphinde ivikele amaseli amanzi futhi inikeze ukusekela komshini.
"I-Suberin ne-lignin ziyizinhlobo zemvelo zokuvikela isomiso, futhi manje njengoba izakhi zofuzo ezizifakela kulolu ngqimba oluthile lwamangqamuzana zikhonjiwe, lezi zinhlanganisela zingathuthukiswa," kusho umlobi ocwaningayo uJulia Bailey-Serres, i-UC. Riverside uprofesa wezofuzo. “Ngijabule ngokuthi sifunde okuningi ngezakhi zofuzo ezilawula lesi singqimba sokuvimbela umswakama. Kubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi sikwazi ukuthuthukisa ukubekezelela isomiso ezitshalweni,” kusho yena.
Izakhi zofuzo ezifaka ikhodi yezimpande zesitshalo ziphinde zafana ngokuphawulekayo phakathi kukatamatisi, irayisi, ne-Arabidopsis, imodeli yesitshalo esifana nokhula. I-meristem iyiphuzu elikhulayo lempande ngayinye, futhi iwumthombo wawo wonke amaseli akha impande.
"Yisifunda esizokwenza enye impande, futhi sisebenze njenge-stem cell niche," kusho u-Bailey-Serres. “Ichaza izici zezimpande ngokwazo, njengokuthi ziba nkulu kangakanani. Ukuba nolwazi ngayo kungasisiza ukuthi sakhe izimpande ezingcono.”
UBrady wachaza ukuthi lapho abalimi benesithakazelo esitshalweni esithile, bakhetha izitshalo ezinezici abangazibona, njengezithelo ezinkulu, ezikhangayo. Okunzima kakhulu ukuthi abalimi bakhethe izitshalo ezinezindawo ezingaphansi komhlaba abangakwazi ukuzibona.
"'Ingxenye efihliwe' yesitshalo, ngaphansi komhlaba, ibalulekile kubalimi ukuthi bayicabangele uma befuna ukukhulisa isitshalo ngempumelelo," kusho uBrady. “Ukwazi ukushintsha ukufaneleka kwezimpande zesitshalo kuzosisiza ukuthi sikhiqize izitshalo ezinezinto ezifiseleka kakhulu.”
Nakuba lolu cwaningo luhlaziye izitshalo ezintathu kuphela, ithimba likholelwa ukuthi okutholakele kungasetshenziswa kabanzi. “Utamatisi nelayisi kuhlukaniswe iminyaka engaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-125 yokuziphendukela kwemvelo, nokho sisakubona ukufana phakathi kwezakhi zofuzo ezilawula izici ezibalulekile,” kusho uBailey-Serres. "Kungenzeka ukuthi lokhu kufana kuyiqiniso nakwezinye izitshalo."