scholarly journals Physiological and microclimatic consequences of variation in agricultural management of maize

2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-148
Author(s):  
Rosa Guadalupe Pérez-Hernández ◽  
Manuel Jesus Cach-Pérez ◽  
Rosaura Aparacio-Fabre ◽  
Hans Van der Wal ◽  
Ulises Rodríguez-Robles

Background: Maize is cultivated under different agricultural management systems, which influence the ecological dynamics of the crop, and therefore the physiology of the plant. Questions: What is the effect of different agricultural management on the microclimate and the physiology of maize plants? Studied species: Zea mays L. Study site and dates: Nacajuca, Tabasco, Mexico; January to April 2017. Methods: Physiological performance of maize plants and microclimatic variation in the crop area was characterized under three management systems: maize monoculture, maize-bean, and maize-bean-squash intercropping. Each treatment was established in three 100 m2 plots (300 m2 per treatment). Four measurements were taken between days 33 and 99 after maize sowing, to characterize five microclimatic parameters (relative air humidity, air and soil temperature, vapor-pressure deficit and soil volumetric water content) and nine physiological parameters (photosynthesis, transpiration, water use efficiency, stomatal conductance, electron transport rate, quantum efficiency of photosystem II, non-photochemical quenching, foliar water potential and chlorophyll content). Results: Maximum soil temperature was up to 4.4 ºC less in the maize-bean system than in the monoculture at 15:00 h; soil in the maize-bean-squash intercropping retained up to 45 % more water than the monoculture throughout the day. Photosynthesis and electron transport rate in the maize-bean intercropping was up to 32 % higher than in the monoculture. The highest non-photochemical quenching and transpiration rate were observed in the maize-bean-squash system. Conclusions: The maize-bean and maize-bean-squash combination provides maize plants with lower soil temperature and higher water availability, allowing them better physiological performance compared to monoculture.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yayla Sezginer ◽  
David J. Suggett ◽  
Robert W. Izett ◽  
Philippe D. Tortell

AbstractWe employed Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry for high-resolution mapping of marine phytoplankton photophysiology and primary productivity in the Lancaster Sound and Barrow Strait regions of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in the summer of 2019. Continuous ship-board analysis of chlorophyll a variable fluorescence demonstrated relatively low photochemical efficiency over most of the cruise-track, with the exception of localized regions within Barrow Strait where there was increased vertical mixing and proximity to land-based nutrient sources. Along the full transect, we observed strong non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence, with relaxation times longer than the 5-minute period used for dark acclimation. Such long-term quenching effects complicate continuous underway acquisition of fluorescence amplitude-based estimates of photosynthetic electron transport rates, which rely on dark acclimation of samples. As an alternative, we employed a new algorithm to derive electron transport rates based on analysis of fluorescence relaxation kinetics, which does not require dark acclimation. Direct comparison of kinetics- and amplitude-based electron transport rate measurements demonstrated kinetic-based estimates were, on average, 2-fold higher than amplitude-based values. The magnitude of decoupling between the two electron transport rate estimates increased in association with photophysiological diagnostics of nutrient stress. Discrepancies between electron transport rate estimates likely resulted from the use of different photophysiological parameters to derive the kinetics- and amplitude-based algorithms, and choice of numerical model used to fit variable fluorescence curves and analyze fluorescence kinetics under actinic light. Our results highlight environmental and methodological influences on fluorescence-based productivity estimates, and prompt discussion of best-practices for future underway fluorescence-based efforts to monitor phytoplankton photosynthesis.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne von Caemmerer

AbstractC4 plants play a key role in world agriculture. For example, C4 crops such as maize and sorghum are major contributors to both first and third world food production and the C4 grasses sugarcane; miscanthus and switchgrass are major plant sources of bioenergy. In the challenge to manipulate and enhance C4 photosynthesis, steady state models of leaf photosynthesis provide and important tool for gas exchange analysis and thought experiments that can explore photosynthetic pathway changes. Here the C4 photosynthetic model by von Caemmerer and Furbank (1999) has been updated with new kinetic parameterisation and temperature dependencies added. The parameterisation was derived from experiments on the C4 monocot, Setaria viridis, which for the first time provides a cohesive parametrisation. Mesophyll conductance and its temperature dependence have also been included, as this is an important step in the quantitative correlation between the initial slope of the CO2 response curve of CO2 assimilation and in vitro PEP carboxylase activity. Furthermore, the equations for chloroplast electron transport have been updated to include cyclic electron transport flow and equations have been added to calculate electron transport rate from measured CO2 assimilation rates.HighlightThe C4 photosynthesis model by von Caemmerer and Furbank (1999) has been updated. It now includes temperature dependencies and equations to calculate electron transport rate from measured CO2 assimilation rates.


Author(s):  
Roque de Carvalho Dias ◽  
Leandro Bianchi ◽  
Vitor Muller Anunciato ◽  
Leandro Tropaldi ◽  
Paulo Vinicius da Silva ◽  
...  

Abstract Mefenpyr-diethyl is a foliar-acting safener of the pyrazoline chemical group, and after its absorption, the metabolization and detoxification of herbicides occur in treated plants. Studies have demonstrated the protective effect of this safener for the herbicide fenoxaprop-P-ethyl in grass. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate whether a tank mixture of mefenpyr-diethyl has a protective response to haloxyfop-methyl in non-perennial bahiagrass. The experiment had a completely randomized design and was carried out in a greenhouse, using five replications with a 10x2 factorial scheme and ten doses of haloxyfop-methyl (0.00, 0.24, 0.49, 0.97, 1.95, 3.90, 7.79, 15.59, 31.28, and 62.35 g a.i. ha-1) in the presence or absence of a tank mixture of mefenpyr-diethyl (50 g a.i. ha-1). Phytotoxicity and electron transport rate (ETR) were evaluated at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after application (DAA), in addition to plant height and dry biomass at 28 DAA. In general, phytotoxicity increased due to the higher levels of the herbicide haloxyfop-methyl. The application of mefenpyr-diethyl, in turn, provided lower levels of phytotoxicity, as well as lower reductions in ETR, height, and dry biomass when compared to untreated plants. These results show the safener action of a tank mixture of mefenpyr-diethyl on low doses of haloxyfop-methyl in non-perennial bahiagrass.


Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 960
Author(s):  
Kuan-Hung Lin ◽  
Feng-Chi Shih ◽  
Meng-Yuan Huang ◽  
Jen-Hsien Weng

The objective of this work was to study physiological characteristics and photosynthetic apparatus in differentially pigmented leaves of three Chinese kale cultivars. Chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence and photochemical reflectance index (PRI) measurements in green, yellow-green, and dark-green cultivars in response to varying light intensities. As light intensity increased from 200 to 2000 photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), fraction of light absorbed in photosystem (PS) II and PRI values in all plants were strongly lowered, but fraction of light absorbed in PSII dissipated via thermal energy dissipation and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) values in all plants wereremarkably elevated.When plants were exposed to 200 PPFD, the values of fraction of light absorbed in PSII, utilized in photosynthetic electron transport(p), andfraction of light absorbed excitation energy in PSII dissipated via thermal energy dissipation (D), remained stable regardless of the changes in levels of Chla + b. Under 800 and 1200 PPFD, the values of p and electron transport rate (ETR) decreased, but D and NPQ increased as Chla + bcontent decreased, suggesting that decrease inChla + bcontent led to lower PSII efficiency and it became necessary to increase dissipate excess energy. On the contrary, in 2000 PPFD, leaves with lower Chla + bcontent had relatively higher p and electron transport rate (ETR) values and lower D level, as well as tended to increase more in NPQ but decrease more in PRI values. The consistent relations between PRI and NPQ suggest that NPQ is mainly consisted ofthe xanthophyll cycle-dependentenergy quenching.Yellow-green cultivar showed lower Chla + bcontent but high carotenoids/Chla + b ratio and had high light protection ability under high PPFD. The precise management of photosynthetic parameters in response to light intensity can maximize the growth and development of Chinese kale plants.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Lobos ◽  
Alejandro Escobar-Opazo ◽  
Félix Estrada ◽  
Sebastián Romero-Bravo ◽  
Miguel Garriga ◽  
...  

To overcome the environmental changes occurring now and predicted for the future, it is essential that fruit breeders develop cultivars with better physiological performance. During the last few decades, high-throughput plant phenotyping and phenomics have been developed primarily in cereal breeding programs. In this study, plant reflectance, at the level of the leaf, was used to assess several physiological traits in five Vaccinium spp. cultivars growing under four controlled conditions (no-stress, water deficit, heat stress, and combined stress). Two modeling methodologies [Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Partial Least Squares (PLS)] with or without (W/O) prior wavelength selection (multicollinearity, genetic algorithms, or in combination) were considered. PLS generated better estimates than MLR, although prior wavelength selection improved MLR predictions. When data from the environments were combined, PLS W/O gave the best assessment for most of the traits, while in individual environments, the results varied according to the trait and methodology considered. The highest validation predictions were obtained for chlorophyll a/b (R2Val ≤ 0.87), maximum electron transport rate (R2Val ≤ 0.60), and the irradiance at which the electron transport rate is saturated (R2Val ≤ 0.59). The results of this study, the first to model modulated chlorophyll fluorescence by reflectance, confirming the potential for implementing this tool in blueberry breeding programs, at least for the estimation of a number of important physiological traits. Additionally, the differential effects of the environment on the spectral signature of each cultivar shows this tool could be directly used to assess their tolerance to specific environments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 761-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changwei Zhang ◽  
Huiyu Wang ◽  
Yuanyuan Xu ◽  
Shuning Zhang ◽  
Jianjun Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Autopolyploids often show growth advantages over their diploid progenitors because of their increased photosynthetic activity; however, the underlying molecular basis of such mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to characterize autotetraploid pak choi (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis) at the physiological, cellular and molecular levels. Autotetraploid pak choi has thicker leaves than its diploid counterparts, with relatively larger intercellular spaces and cell size and greater grana thylakoid height. Photosynthetic data showed that the relative electron transport rate (rETR) was markedly higher in autotetraploid than in diploid pak choi. Transcriptomic data revealed that the expressions of genes involved in ‘photosynthesis’ biological process and ‘thylakoids’ cellular component were mainly regulated in autotetraploids. Overall, our findings suggested that the increased rETR in the thylakoids contributed to the increased photosynthetic capacity of autotetraploid leaves. Furthermore, we found that the enhanced rETR is associated with increased BrPetC expression, which is likely altered by histone modification. The ectopic expression of BrPetC in Arabidopsis thaliana led to increased rETR and biomass, which were decreased in BrPetC-silenced pak choi. Autotetraploid pak choi also shows altered hormone levels, which was likely responsible for the increased drought resistance and the impaired powdery mildew resistance of this lineage. Our findings further our understanding on how autotetraploidy provides growth advantages to plants.


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