Use of infrared thermography for monitoring crassulacean acid metabolism

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bronwyn J. Barkla ◽  
Timothy Rhodes

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is an alternative carbon fixation pathway that imparts high water-use efficiency in plants adapted to warm, semiarid climates. With concerns that global warming will negatively influence crop production, turning agricultural focus towards CAM plants may provide a solution to increase productivity using either unconventional crops on marginal land or incorporating CAM molecular mechanisms into conventional crops and improving water-use efficiency. For this to be feasible, deeper insights into CAM pathway regulation are essential. To facilitate this research new tools which simplify procedures for detecting and measuring CAM are needed. Here we describe a non-invasive, non-destructive, simplified method using infrared thermography for monitoring CAM in the annual desert succulent Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. via detection of changes in leaf temperature brought about by the absence of transpiration due to daytime reduction in stomatal conductance. This method is sensitive, measuring temperature differences of ± 1°C, can be used in both the field and green house and is not restricted by leaf architecture. It offers an alternative to the commonly used gas exchange methods to measure CAM that are technically difficult to acquire and require the use of expensive and cumbersome equipment.

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (18) ◽  
pp. 4363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Natália Pereira ◽  
John C. Cushman

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is characterized by nocturnal CO2 uptake and concentration, reduced photorespiration, and increased water-use efficiency (WUE) when compared to C3 and C4 plants. Plants can perform different types of CAM and the magnitude and duration of CAM expression can change based upon several abiotic conditions, including nutrient availability. Here, we summarize the abiotic factors that are associated with an increase in CAM expression with an emphasis on the relationship between CAM photosynthesis and nutrient availability, with particular focus on nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. Additionally, we examine nitrogen uptake and assimilation as this macronutrient has received the greatest amount of attention in studies using CAM species. We also discuss the preference of CAM species for different organic and inorganic sources of nitrogen, including nitrate, ammonium, glutamine, and urea. Lastly, we make recommendations for future research areas to better understand the relationship between macronutrients and CAM and how their interaction might improve nutrient and water-use efficiency in order to increase the growth and yield of CAM plants, especially CAM crops that may become increasingly important as global climate change continues.


2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Winter ◽  
Jorge Aranda ◽  
Joseph A. M. Holtum

The relationship between water-use efficiency, measured as the transpiration ratio (g H2O transpired g–1 above- plus below-ground dry mass accumulated), and 13C / 12C ratio (expressed as δ13C value) of bulk biomass carbon was compared in 15 plant species growing under tropical conditions at two field sites in the Republic of Panama. The species included five constitutive crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) species [Aloe vera (L.) Webb & Berth., Ananas comosus (L.) Merr., Euphorbia tirucalli L., Kalanchoë daigremontiana Hamet et Perr., Kalanchoë pinnata (Lam.) Pers.], two species of tropical C3 trees (Tectona grandis Linn. f. and Swietenia macrophylla King), one C4 species (Zea mays L.), and seven arborescent species of the neotropical genus Clusia, of which two exhibited pronounced CAM. The transpiration ratios of the C3 and CAM species, which ranged between 496 g H2O g–1 dry mass in the C3–CAM species Clusia pratensis Seeman to 54 g H2O g–1 dry mass in the constitutive CAM species Aloe vera, correlated strongly with δ13C values and nocturnal CO2 gain suggesting that δ13C value can be used to estimate both water-use efficiency and the proportion of CO2 gained by CAM species during the light and the dark integrated over the lifetime of the tissues.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 327-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne M. Borland ◽  
James Hartwell ◽  
David J. Weston ◽  
Karen A. Schlauch ◽  
Timothy J. Tschaplinski ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Stella Eggels ◽  
Sonja Blankenagel ◽  
Chris-Carolin Schön ◽  
Viktoriya Avramova

Abstract Key message Carbon isotope discrimination is a promising trait for indirect screening for improved water use efficiency of C4 crops. Abstract In the context of a changing climate, drought is one of the major factors limiting plant growth and yield. Hence, breeding efforts are directed toward improving water use efficiency (WUE) as a key factor in climate resilience and sustainability of crop production. As WUE is a complex trait and its evaluation is rather resource consuming, proxy traits, which are easier to screen and reliably reflect variation in WUE, are needed. In C3 crops, a trait established to be indicative for WUE is the carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of plant material, which reflects the preferential assimilation of the lighter carbon isotope 12C over 13C during photosynthesis. In C4 crops, carbon fixation is more complex and δ13C thus depends on many more factors than in C3 crops. Recent physiological and genetic studies indicate a correlation between δ13C and WUE also in C4 crops, as well as a colocalization of quantitative trait loci for the two traits. Moreover, significant intraspecific variation as well as a medium to high heritability of δ13C has been shown in some of the main C4 crops, such as maize, sorghum and sugarcane, indicating its potential for indirect selection and breeding. Further research on physiological, genetic and environmental components influencing δ13C is needed to support its application in improving WUE and making C4 crops resilient to climate change.


2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Kröbel ◽  
R. Lemke ◽  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
R. Zentner ◽  
B. McConkey ◽  
...  

Kröbel, R., Lemke, R., Campbell, C. A., Zentner, R., McConkey, B., Steppuhn, H., De Jong, R. and Wang, H. 2014. Water use efficiency of spring wheat in the semi-arid Canadian prairies: Effect of legume green manure, type of spring wheat, and cropping frequency. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 223–235. In the semi-arid Canadian prairie, water is the main determinant of crop production; thus its efficient use is of major agronomic interest. Previous research in this region has demonstrated that the most meaningful way to measure water use efficiency (WUE) is to use either precipitation use efficiency (PUE) or a modified WUE that accounts for the inefficient use of water in cropping systems that include summer fallow. In this paper, we use these efficiency measures to determine how cropping frequency, inclusion of a legume green manure, and the type of spring wheat [high-yielding Canada Prairie Spring (CPS) vs. Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS)] influence WUE using 25 yr of data (1987–2011) from the “New Rotation” experiment conducted at Swift Current, Saskatchewan. This is a well-fertilized study that uses minimum and no-tillage techniques and snow management to enhance soil water capture. We compare these results to those from a 39-yr “Old Rotation” experiment, also at Swift Current, which uses conventional tillage management. Our results confirmed the positive effect on WUE of cropping intensity, and of CPS wheat compared with CWRS wheat, while demonstrating the negative effect on WUE of a green manure crop in wheat-based rotations in semiarid conditions. Furthermore, we identified a likely advantage of using reduced tillage coupled with water conserving snow management techniques for enhancing the efficiency of water use.


2014 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. RATHORE ◽  
N. S. NATHAWAT ◽  
B. MEEL ◽  
B. M. YADAV ◽  
J. P. SINGH

SUMMARYThe choice of an appropriate cropping system is critical to maintaining or enhancing agricultural sustainability. Yield, profitability and water use efficiency are important factors for determining suitability of cropping systems in hot arid region. In a two-year field experiment (2009/10–2010/11) on loam sandy soils of Bikaner, India, the production potential, profitability and water use efficiency (WUE) of five cropping systems (groundnut–wheat, groundnut–isabgol, groundnut–chickpea, cluster bean–wheat and mung bean–wheat) each at six nutrient application rate (NAR) i.e. 0, 25, 50, 75, 100% recommended dose of N and P (NP) and 100% NP + S were evaluated. The cropping systems varied significantly in terms of productivity, profitability and WUEs. Averaged across nutrient application regimes, groundnut–wheat rotation gave 300–1620 kg ha−1 and 957–3365 kg ha−1 higher grain and biomass yields, respectively, than other cropping systems. The mean annual net returns were highest for the mung bean–wheat system, which returned 32–57% higher net return than other cropping systems. The mung bean–wheat and cluster bean–wheat systems had higher WUE in terms of yields than other cropping systems. The mung bean–wheat system recorded 35–63% higher WUE in monetary terms compared with other systems. Nutrients application improved yields, profit and WUEs of cropping systems. Averaged across years and cropping systems, the application of 100% NP improved grain yields, returns and WUE by 1.7, 3.9 and 1.6 times than no application of nutrients. The results suggest that the profitability and WUEs of crop production in this hot arid environment can be improved, compared with groundnut–wheat cropping, by substituting groundnut by mung bean and nutrients application.


2019 ◽  
pp. 13-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Ahsan Zahoor ◽  
Shakeel Ahmad ◽  
Ashfaq Ahmad ◽  
Aftab Wajid ◽  
Tasneem Khaliq ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Shafiq ◽  
Iqbal Hassan . ◽  
Zahid Hussain .

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 446-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente de PR da Silva ◽  
Inajá Francisco de Sousa ◽  
Alexandra L Tavares ◽  
Thieres George F da Silva ◽  
Bernardo B da Silva ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The water scarcity is expected to intensify in the future and irrigation becomes an essential component of crop production, especially in arid and semiarid regions, where the available water resources are limited. Four field experiments were carried out at tropical environment in Brazil in 2013 and 2014, in order to evaluate the effect of planting date on crop evapotranspiration (ETc), crop coefficient (Kc), growth parameters and water use efficiency (WUE) of coriander (Coriandrum sativum) plants. The planting dates occurred during winter, spring, summer and autumn growing seasons. ETc was obtained through the soil water balance method and the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) through the Penman-Monteith method, using data collected from an automatic weather station located close to the experimental area. The results of the research showed that the mean values of coriander ETc and Kc were 139.8 mm and 0.87, respectively. Coriander water demand is higher in the summer growing season and lower in the winter; however, its yield is higher in the autumn and lower in the winter. Coriander has higher yield and development of its growth variables in the autumn growing season. The results also indicated that the interannual climate variations had significant effects on most growth variables, as yield, ETc and Kc of coriander grown in tropical environment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 781-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D.B. Leakey ◽  
John N. Ferguson ◽  
Charles P. Pignon ◽  
Alex Wu ◽  
Zhenong Jin ◽  
...  

The ratio of plant carbon gain to water use, known as water use efficiency (WUE), has long been recognized as a key constraint on crop production and an important target for crop improvement. WUE is a physiologically and genetically complex trait that can be defined at a range of scales. Many component traits directly influence WUE, including photosynthesis, stomatal and mesophyll conductances, and canopy structure. Interactions of carbon and water relations with diverse aspects of the environment and crop development also modulate WUE. As a consequence, enhancing WUE by breeding or biotechnology has proven challenging but not impossible. This review aims to synthesize new knowledge of WUE arising from advances in phenotyping, modeling, physiology, genetics, and molecular biology in the context of classical theoretical principles. In addition, we discuss how rising atmospheric CO2concentration has created and will continue to create opportunities for enhancing WUE by modifying the trade-off between photosynthesis and transpiration.


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