Modern maize hybrids in Northeast China exhibit increased yield potential and resource use efficiency despite adverse climate change

The impact of global changes on food security is of serious concern. Breeding novel crop cultivars adaptable to climate change is one potential solution, but this approach requires an understanding of complex adaptive traits for climate‐change conditions. In this study, plant growth, nitrogen (N) uptake, and yield in relation to climatic resource use efficiency of nine representative maize cultivars released between 1973 and 2000 in China were investigated in a 2‐year field experiment under three N applications. The Hybrid‐Maize model was used to simulate maize yield potential in the period from 1973 to 2011. During the past four decades, the total thermal time (growing degree days) increased whereas the total precipitation and sunshine hours decreased. This climate change led to a reduction of maize potential yield by an average of 12.9% across different hybrids. However, the potential yield of individual hybrids increased by 118.5 kg ha^?1 yr^?1 with increasing year of release. From 1973 to 2000, the use efficiency of sunshine hours, thermal time, and precipitation resources increased by 37%, 40%, and 41%, respectively. The late developed hybrids showed less reduction in yield potential in current climate conditions than old cultivars, indicating some adaptation to new conditions. Since the mid‐1990s, however, the yield impact of climate change exhibited little change, and even a slight worsening for new cultivars. Modern breeding increased ear fertility and grain‐filling rate, and delayed leaf senescence without modification in net photosynthetic rate. The trade‐off associated with delayed leaf senescence was decreased grain N concentration rather than increased plant N uptake, therefore N agronomic efficiency increased simultaneously. It is concluded that modern maize hybrids tolerate the climatic changes mainly by constitutively optimizing plant productivity. Maize breeding programs in the future should pay more attention to cope with the limiting climate factors specifically.     

Photosynthesis and photoprotective strategies in Laurus nobilis L. and Quercus ilex L. under summer drought and winter cold

Abstract

Photosynthesis and photoprotective mechanisms were investigated in the field on Laurus nobilis L. and Quercus ilex L. leaves exposed to summer drought (July) and winter cold (February) conditions compared with no-stress conditions (May). In July, net photosynthetic rate (A) and stomatal conductance (g _s) decreased significantly compared with May in both species; conversely the highest ETR/A ratio and no difference in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) was observed. In February A, g _s and ETR/A declined compared with May but the highest NPQ were found in both species. Our data suggest that during summer, an increase of photochemical alternative pathways to carbon reduction, were able to effectively protect the photosynthetic apparatus under drought. In winter, the thermal dissipation of excess absorbed light constitutes the main safety valve for the photosynthetic apparatus.     

Temperature stress and survival ability of Mediterranean sclerophyllous plants

ABSTRACT

The Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summer periods, and low winter temperatures and episodic frosts in northern, altitudinal and continental districts, demands from evergreen broadleaved woody plants an adequate and flexible acclimation to the climatic constraints.

In this brief survey on some responses of Mediterranean sclerophylls to temperature stress, the following is presented and discussed: criteria for cold and heat limits of photosynthetic function; winter depression and summer photoinactivation of photosynthesis; peculiar patterns of tissue freezing of scleromorphous leaves and limits of frost resistance of various plant parts and ontogenetic stages; heat impairment of chloroplasts and thermotolerance of sclerophyllous species; survival capacity and recovery after damage. Risks of damage to plants in relation to stressful temperatures in Mediterranean regions are estimated. Cold stress and drought stress indices, according to Mitrakos (1980), have been applied to characterise different localities in Italy. Additionally, a heat stress index for the Mediterranean region is proposed. Future research topics are suggested.     

基于DSSAT模型对豫北地区夏玉米灌溉制度的优化模拟

合理的灌溉制度是提高农业水资源利用效率、保证夏玉米高产稳产的前提。采用农业技术转化决策系统(DSSAT,Decision Support System for Agrotechno1ogy Transfer)探究了河南省北部地区夏玉米不同降水年型下的最优灌溉制度。经过参数的校正和验证,归一化均方根误差(nRMSE)、均方根误差(RMSE)和一致性指数(d)均表现出模拟值与实测值的吻合度很好,DSSAT-maize模型可以准确模拟夏玉米物候期、地上部分生物量、产量和土壤水分状况。然后基于模型模拟了不同灌溉处理下的夏玉米生产潜力,从而评估夏玉米缺水量,并对比分析不同生育时期灌水对产量的影响确定最优灌溉时期,综合考虑产量和水分利用效率确定最优灌溉制度。结果表明:夏玉米生长季的缺水量年际间差异显著,多年平均值为38.91 mm,波动范围为0—193.03 mm。在丰水年,不需要灌溉;在平水年,开花期灌水30 mm;在枯水年,开花期和灌浆期灌水50 mm;在特别干旱年,苗期、拔节期和开花期至少灌水180 mm。优化的灌溉制度下丰水年、平水年和枯水年的WUE达到最高且产量分别占其最高产量的100%、99.72%和97.89%,实现了作物高产节水协同提高的目标。     

干旱条件下夏玉米地-气温差的影响因素及其模拟

地-气温差指标表征作物水分亏缺状况已经被广泛研究,但地-气温差随作物生育进程的变化特征及其影响因子的观测研究仍较少,制约着地-气温差的准确模拟.基于夏玉米2014年三叶期和2015年拔节期的5个灌溉水分控制试验资料的研究表明: 随着夏玉米生育进程的推进,土壤水分的变化显著影响了夏玉米农田的地-气温差,土壤水分亏缺越严重,地-气温差越高.在整个水分处理期间,归一化植被指数是地-气温差的主要影响因子且两者呈显著的线性关系,但不同生育期地-气温差还受其他因子的影响:三叶期后受冠层吸收光合有效辐射比影响且呈显著的线性关系,三叶期至拔节期则受土壤相对湿度和空气相对湿度的影响且呈显著的线性关系.在此基础上,基于2014年试验资料建立了夏玉米全生育期地-气温差模拟模型、营养生长期地-气温差模拟模型和生殖生长期地-气温差模拟模型,并利用2015年夏玉米拔节期5个灌溉水分控制试验资料进行了模型验证,结果表明,夏玉米全生育期地-气温差模型可以解释2015年地-气温差变异的63%,但地-气温差分生育期模拟模型,即营养生长期地-气温差模拟模型和生殖生长期地-气温差模拟模型综合的模拟结果则可解释2015年地-气温差变异的79%.研究结果为基于地-气温差的作物干旱指标定量评估作物干旱提供了依据.     

深松和秸秆还田对甘肃引黄灌区土壤物理性状和玉米生产的影响

通过在甘肃引黄灌区灰钙土2015—2017年的田间试验,研究深松35 cm秸秆还田、深松35 cm秸秆不还田与传统旋耕秸秆不还田对土壤紧实度、容重、入渗率和0～100 cm土层土壤水分、玉米产量、养分吸收量的影响.结果表明: 与深松35 cm秸秆不还田及旋耕秸秆不还田相比,深松35 cm秸秆还田使0～40 cm土层土壤紧实度和容重降低最明显,2017年收获后紧实度与容重较2015年试验前分别下降42.6%、7.0%,且2016和2017年播种前与收获后0～40 cm土层紧实度和容重的变幅最小,紧实度变异系数平均为6.1%,容重为3.2%,土壤入渗率较旋耕秸秆不还田提高33.6%;深松35 cm秸秆还田可显著提高春秋两季0～100 cm土层剖面含水量,降低剖面水分变异,0～100 cm土层土壤贮水量较旋耕秸秆不还田春季增加15.5%,秋季增加5.6%,水分利用效率提高32.4%;此外,深松35 cm秸秆还田能促进玉米生产,较旋耕秸秆不还田的经济产量两年平均分别增产25.6%,生物产量提升33.3%,玉米氮、磷、钾养分吸收量分别提高49.6%、51.5%和37.6%.综上,深松35 cm秸秆还田能改善物理土壤特性,稳定耕层物理性状,提高0～100 cm土层剖面水分含量及春秋两季土壤平均贮水量,降低水分变异,是促进玉米水肥高效利用,实现高产的最优措施,为甘肃引黄灌区耕层构建技术的深入研究提供理论依据.     

Leveraging GWAS data to identify metabolic pathways and networks involved in maize lipid biosynthesis

Maize (Zea mays mays) oil is a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (FAs) and energy, making it a valuable resource for human food, animal feed, and bio‐energy. Although this trait has been studied via conventional genome‐wide association study (GWAS), the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)‐trait associations generated by GWAS may miss the underlying associations when traits are based on many genes, each with small effects that can be overshadowed by genetic background and environmental variation. Detecting these SNPs statistically is also limited by the levels set for false discovery rate. A complementary pathways analysis that emphasizes the cumulative aspects of SNP‐trait associations, rather than just the significance of single SNPs, was performed to understand the balance of lipid metabolism, conversion, and catabolism in this study. This pathway analysis indicated that acyl‐lipid pathways, including biosynthesis of wax esters, sphingolipids, phospholipids and flavonoids, along with FA and triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis, were important for increasing oil and FA content. The allelic variation found among the genes involved in many degradation pathways, and many biosynthesis pathways leading from FAs and carbon partitioning pathways, was critical for determining final FA content, changing FA ratios and, ultimately, to final oil content. The pathways and pathway networks identified in this study, and especially the acyl‐lipid associated pathways identified beyond what had been found with GWAS alone, provide a real opportunity to precisely and efficiently manipulate high‐oil maize genetic improvement.