Jasmonate-induced Changes in Flavonoid Metabolism in Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Leaves

The effects of jasmonic acid (JA) on secondary metabolism in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were investigated. A reversed-phase HPLC analysis revealed that the amount of a particular compound increased in excised barley leaf segments that had been treated with JA. This compound was purified and identified as 6´´´-feruloylsaponarin (1) by spectroscopic analyses and alkaline hydrolysis. A related compound, 6´´´-sinapoylsaponarin (2), was also found to accumulate in excised leaves independently of the JA treatment. The accumulation of these compounds was accompanied by a decrease in the saponarin (3) content. [8,9-¹³C]p-Coumaric acid and [2,3,4,5,6-²H]L-phenylalanine were effectively incorporated into the hydroxycinnamoyl moieties in 1 and 2, while the degree of incorporation of the labeled precursors into the saponarin part was small. These findings indicate that the hydroxycinnamoyl moieties of 1 and 2 are synthesized de novo from phenylalanine via the phenylpropanoid pathway, and that the saponarin part is mainly provided by the constitutive pool of 3.     

Modelling shifts in agroclimate and crop cultivar response under climate change

This paper aims: (i) to identify at national scale areas where crop yield formation is currently most prone to climate‐induced stresses, (ii) to evaluate how the severity of these stresses is likely to develop in time and space, and (iii) to appraise and quantify the performance of two strategies for adapting crop cultivation to a wide range of (uncertain) climate change projections. To this end we made use of extensive climate, crop, and soil data, and of two modelling tools: N‐AgriCLIM and the WOFOST crop simulation model. N‐AgriCLIM was developed for the automatic generation of indicators describing basic agroclimatic conditions and was applied over the whole of Finland. WOFOST was used to simulate detailed crop responses at four representative locations. N‐AgriCLIM calculations have been performed nationally for 3829 grid boxes at a 10 × 10 km resolution and for 32 climate scenarios. Ranges of projected shifts in indicator values for heat, drought and other crop‐relevant stresses across the scenarios vary widely – so do the spatial patterns of change. Overall, under reference climate the most risk‐prone areas for spring cereals are found in south‐west Finland, shifting to south‐east Finland towards the end of this century. Conditions for grass are likely to improve. WOFOST simulation results suggest that CO₂ fertilization and adjusted sowing combined can lead to small yield increases of current barley cultivars under most climate scenarios on favourable soils, but not under extreme climate scenarios and poor soils. This information can be valuable for appraising alternative adaptation strategies. It facilitates the identification of regions in which climatic changes might be rapid or otherwise notable for crop production, requiring a more detailed evaluation of adaptation measures. The results also suggest that utilizing the diversity of cultivar responses seems beneficial given the high uncertainty in climate change projections.     

Crop presence,but not genetic diversity,impacts on the rare arable plant Valerianella rimosa

Background: Intensive farming affects farmland biodiversity, and some arable plants in particular. Increasing crop genetic diversity can increase crop productivity or resilience and could also benefit rare arable plants.

Aims: We examined whether barley presence, sowing density and genetic diversity impacted the rare plant Valerianella rimosa and explored possible underlying mechanisms.

Methods: In a field study near Dundee, Scotland, we sowed plots of five single barley genotypes, and all five genotypes combined, at three densities; we also had barley-free plots. Valerianella seeds were sown into half of all plots. Measured responses included early-season cover and harvest biomass of barley and common weeds, abiotic parameters (soil moisture, light) and establishment, biomass and seed production by V. rimosa.

Results: Barley presence promoted V. rimosa establishment early in the growing season, but without barley density or genetic diversity effects. By harvest, the impact of barley presence on V. rimosa abundance was lost; there were no effects on Valerianella seed production. Barley negatively impacted common weeds, but V. rimosa did not benefit from any indirect facilitation by barley, being bigger without barley.

Conclusions: Early beneficial effects of barley on V. rimosa abundance appear offset by late-season competition. However, limited impacts of barley on V. rimosa reproductive success, and negative impacts on common weeds, indicate crops might play a role in conservation management of rare arable plants by creating space in the weed community.     

Genetic association with high‐resolution climate data reveals selection footprints in the genomes of barley landraces across the Iberian Peninsula

Landraces are local populations of crop plants adapted to a particular environment. Extant landraces are surviving genetic archives, keeping signatures of the selection processes experienced by them until settling in their current niches. This study intends to establish relationships between genetic diversity of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) landraces collected in Spain and the climate of their collection sites. A high‐resolution climatic data set (5 × 5 km spatial, 1‐day temporal grid) was computed from over 2,000 temperature and 7,000 precipitation stations across peninsular Spain. This data set, spanning the period 1981–2010, was used to derive agroclimatic variables meaningful for cereal production at the collection sites of 135 barley landraces. Variables summarize temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration, potential vernalization and frost probability at different times of the year and time scales (season and month). SNP genotyping of the landraces was carried out combining Illumina Infinium assays and genotyping‐by‐sequencing, yielding 9,920 biallelic markers (7,479 with position on the barley reference genome). The association of these SNPs with agroclimatic variables was analysed at two levels of genetic diversity, with and without taking into account population structure. The whole data sets and analysis pipelines are documented and available at https://eead-csic-compbio.github.io/barley-agroclimatic-association . We found differential adaptation of the germplasm groups identified to be dominated by reactions to cold temperature and late‐season frost occurrence, as well as to water availability. Several significant associations pointing at specific adaptations to agroclimatic features related to temperature and water availability were observed, and candidate genes underlying some of the main regions are proposed.     

Exome sequences and multi‐environment field trials elucidate the genetic basis of adaptation in barley

Broadening the genetic base of crops is crucial for developing varieties to respond to global agricultural challenges such as climate change. Here, we analysed a diverse panel of 371 domesticated lines of the model crop barley to explore the genetics of crop adaptation. We first collected exome sequence data and phenotypes of key life history traits from contrasting multi‐environment common garden trials. Then we applied refined statistical methods, including some based on exomic haplotype states, for genotype‐by‐environment (G×E) modelling. Sub‐populations defined from exomic profiles were coincident with barley's biology, geography and history, and explained a high proportion of trial phenotypic variance. Clear G×E interactions indicated adaptation profiles that varied for landraces and cultivars. Exploration of circadian clock‐related genes, associated with the environmentally adaptive days to heading trait (crucial for the crop's spread from the Fertile Crescent), illustrated complexities in G×E effect directions, and the importance of latitudinally based genic context in the expression of large‐effect alleles. Our analysis supports a gene‐level scientific understanding of crop adaption and leads to practical opportunities for crop improvement, allowing the prioritisation of genomic regions and particular sets of lines for breeding efforts seeking to cope with climate change and other stresses.     

有色大麦种质芽期耐盐性鉴定

以44份有色大麦种质为试材,通过测定发芽势、发芽率、发芽指数、萌发活力指数结合两个颜色指标YU(颜色亮度和浓度)进行芽期的耐盐性鉴定,并运用相关性分析、主成分分析、聚类分析等方法对有色大麦材料进行多指标耐盐性综合评价。结果表明,发芽率和发芽指数对盐胁迫响应最为敏感,芽长和根长对盐胁迫响应较为迟钝;粒色亮度与耐盐性综合评价F值呈显著负相关;粒色浓度与耐盐性综合评价F值呈显著正相关;综合指标F值相关分析表明,颜色越深,耐盐性越强;用综合指标F值,可将44份有色大麦分为4类,其中强耐盐材料包括XZDM-1401、XZDM-1404、XZDM-1543、XZDM-1546等4份,中等耐盐性包括XZDM-926、XZDM-957、XZDM-972等16份,弱耐盐性包括XZDM-815、XZDM-1606、XZDM-1030等12份,敏盐性包括XZDM-973、XZDM-1042、XZDM-1318等12份。     

Genetic Diversity Analysis of Tibetan Wild Barley Using SSR Markers

One hundred and six accessions of wild barley collected from Tibet, China, including 50 entries of the two-rowed wild barley Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum (HS), 29 entries of the six-rowed wild barley Hordeum vulgare ssp. agriocrithon (HA), and 27 entries of the six-rowed wild barley Hordeum vulgare ssp. agriocrithon var. lagunculiforme (HL), were analyzed using 30 SSR markers selected from the seven barley linkage groups for studying genetic diversity and evolutionary relationship of the three subspecies of Tibetan wild barley to cultivated barley in China. Over the 30 genetic loci that were studied, 229 alleles were identified among the 106 accessions, of which 70 were common alleles. H. vulgare ssp. spontaneum possesses about thrice more private alleles (2.83 alleles/locus) than HS (0.93 alleles/locus), whereas almost no private alleles were detected in HL. The genetic diversity among-subspecies is much higher than that within-subspecies. Generally, the genetic diversity among the three subspecies is of the order HS > HL > HA. Phylogenetic analysis of the 106 accessions showed that all the accessions of HS and HA was clustered in their own groups, whereas the 27 accessions of HL were separated into two groups (14 entries with group HS and the rest with group HA). This indicated that HL was an intermediate form between HS and HA. Based on this study and previous works, we suggested that Chinese cultivated barley might evolve from HS via HL to HA.     

转TrxS基因啤酒大麦种子中硫氧还蛋白h与淀粉酶活性变化

导入TrxS基因后,转基因大麦籽粒的硫氧还蛋白h活性明显提高;淀粉酶活性也明显提高,其中α-淀粉酶活性在开花后30d提高了3倍以上,随着籽粒的发育,转基因对α-淀粉酶活性影响作用减少,对β-淀粉酶活性的影响有同样的趋势;转基因大麦种子发芽势明显提高。说明TrxS基因有望改善啤酒大麦的制麦特性和品质特性。     

In vitro regeneration of cereals based on multiple shoot induction from mature embryos in response to thidiazuron

The in vitro competency of mature cereal embryos (winter, spring and durum wheats, oat, barley and triticale) was assessed for direct multiple shoot production on culture media containing the plant growth regulators, thidiazuron (TDZ) and/or 6–benzylaminopurine (BAP). Mature embryos of CDC Dancer oat showed the best response, with 69 shoots per explant on culture medium containing a combination of 4.5 μM TDZ and 4.4 μM BAP. TDZ alone induced about 16 shoots per explant from the oat. Among the wheat genotypes, durum wheat showed the most number of shoots (35) per explant on culture medium containing 4.5 μM of TDZ and 4.4 μM of BAP. With TDZ alone, shoot regeneration for durum wheat ranged from 27–32 shoots per explant. The regeneration frequency from the three winter wheat genotypes ranged from 11–25 shoots per explant and was highest on culture medium containing 9.1 μM TDZ and 4.4 μM BAP. The latter culture medium was also effective for a triticale genotype, inducing 34 shoots per explant. The regeneration from mature embryos of barley genotypes ranged from 5–9 shoots per explant. The mature embryos of all the cereals tested could be used for in vitro regeneration with TDZ and TDZ+BAP combinations.