Ultraviolet-B Radiation Alters Soybean Growth and Seed Quality

Research on the effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on soybean seed quality is limited. The objective of this study was to quantify UV-B doses, 0, 5, 10 & 15 kJ•m–2•d–1, on soybean growth and seed quality. The experiment was conducted in the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Research (SPAR) facility. Chambers located at the R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Facility of Mississippi State University, Mississippi, USA, were used. Each SPAR chamber consists of a steel soil bin to accommodate the root system, a Plexiglas chamber to accommodate plant canopy and a heating, and cooling system connected to air ducts that pass conditioned air to cause leaf flutter through the plant canopy. The SPAR units, supported by an environmental monitoring and control systems, are networked to provide automatic acquisition and storage of the data, monitored every 10 seconds throughout the day and night. Soybean cultivar Pioneer 93Y92 (maturity group IV, Roundup Ready) was used in the study. The desired UV-B radiation was supplied by square-wave UV-B supplementation systems under near ambient PAR and delivered to plants for eight hours, each day, from 08:00 to 16:00 h by eight fluorescent UV-313 lamps. The results showed that increased UV-B did not influence many of the growth parameters because the treatments were imposed at mid-fruiting period. Seed quality parameters that are important for seed industry and human and animal nutrition were all affected by UV-B. Protein and palmitic and oleic acids declined linearly, while oil and linoleic and linolenic acid contents increased with increased UV-B. Sucrose, stachyose, and stearic acid contents showed quadratic trends, increased to about 4 - 5 kJ of UV-B and declined at higher doses. Thus, both current and projected UV-B radiation levels can modify soybean growth and seed quality. The functional algorithms developed in this study could be useful to develop UV-B- specific sub-models for soybean farm management and in policy decision areas.

Nitrogen Application Rate and Genotype Effects on Switchgrass Production and Chemical Characteristics

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is considered as an important biofuel crop but further studies on factors that may have an effect on agronomic performance and energy attributes are needed to help elucidate management strategies for the crop. A 2-yr field study at the Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station, Raymond, Mississippi, USA, quantified the effects of four N application rates and four genotypes on biomass yield, ethanol yield, and nutrient removal of switchgrass. Biomass yield response to N rate was linear in 2008 and quadratic in 2009. Among genotypes, biomass yield averaged across N rate and years, ranked lowland NF/GA992 (13.9 Mg·ha-1) = lowland NF/GA001 (13.4 Mg·ha-1) > lowland Alamo (11.5 Mg·ha-1) > upland Cave-in-Rock (6.1 Mg·ha-1). There was no effect of N rate on tissue mineral concentrations but there was an N rate effect on Ca and Mg removal. Also, N use (biomass yield produced per unit N applied) and recovery (N removed in biomass) declined as N rate increased. Total ethanol yield was the greatest in Alamo (165.8 L·Mg-1) and averaged 162.0 L·Mg-1 for the other three genotypes. Total ethanol production was related more to biomass yield than chemical composition differences and was similar among lowland genotypes but different from Cave-in-Rock in 2008 (1.7 vs. 0.9 kL·ha-1) and 2009 (2.6 vs. 1.1 kL·ha-1). Feedstock grown from lowland Alamo, NF/GA001 or NF/GA992 produced greater biomass yield and ethanol as well as greater N use efficiency and recovery. These results indicate that there is opportunity to increase switchgrass biomass production through genotype selection and N management.

Reproductive Performance and Fiber Quality Responses of Cotton to Potassium Nutrition

Potassium (K) deficiency affects cotton growth and development and fiber properties. An experiment was conducted in an outdoor pot culture facility by imposing four potassium stress treatments (100%, 40%, 20% and 0% of optimum K level) prior to flowering during 2010 and 2011 growing season. Upland cotton cultivar, TM-1, was seeded in the pots comprised of fine sand as rooting medium. Flowers and bolls were tagged daily to estimate boll maturation period (BMP). Leaf samples were collected every four days from flowering to maturity to estimate leaf K content. Plant height and node numbers were recorded from emergence to 21 days after treatment. Photosynthesis and stomatal conductance were measured weekly from day of treatment imposition to physiological maturity at an interval of seven days. Stem, leaf, and boll dry-component weights, and boll numbers were recorded at the end of the experiment in each year. From each boll, the lint samples were collected and grouped based on average leaf potassium concentration during BMP, and fiber quality parameters were recorded for each group in each treatment. At high K deficient (0 K) condition, total biomass declined by 27% and 28% in years 2010 and 2011, respectively. Significantly, lower numbers of bolls were retained per plant at 0 K stress treatment during both the years. Leaf photosynthesis (r2 = 0.92) and stomatal conductance (r2 = 0.80) declined with declining leaf K levels. Fiber length, strength, micronaire, and uniformity declined linearly with decrease in leaf K content. Weaker fibers with medium length were produced under K-deficient conditions with micronaire values in the discount range. Fiber uniformity, however, did not decline with decrease in leaf K. The identified leaf K status-specific relationships for fiber properties could be used to improve management practices under potassium deficiency and to develop new sub-routines of the existing cotton simulation models. New and improved models will be useful not only in management, but also in arena of policy decisions including future climate change impact assessment analysis.

Impacts of <i>S</i>-Metolachlor Application Timing on Sweetpotato Growth and Development

S-metolachlor is used to control/suppress yellow nutsedge, annual grasses and several broadleaf weeds in sweetpotato. However, a decline in storage root quality is suspected when excessive rainfall occurs within 24-h after application. A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the effect of S-metolachlor application timing on sweetpotato growth and development. S-metolachlor treatments (0 and 1 kg·ha-1) were applied over-the-top at 0, 5 and ten days after transplanting (DAT) and a simulated rainfall treatment delivered 25 mm of rain, 51 mm·h-1 intensity, immediately after herbicide application. Plants were harvested at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 80 DAT. During the first four harvests, roots were scanned and analyzed with WinRHIZO-Pro image analysis system to estimate root number, length, volume, and surface area along with aboveground growth parameters. At the final harvest, plant growth and biomass components, and quality of storage roots were recorded. Plants treated with S-metolachlor on day 0 and 5 DAT were significantly less than those of 10 DAT and untreated control for all measured parameters for the initial 20 days of plant growth. Even though vine length, leaf number, stem biomass, and total storage roots were not different among the treatments at 80 DAT, all other plant components and total biomass production and leaf area development for plants treated at 0 and 5 DAT were significantly (P < 0.05) less than from those of 10 DAT and the untreated control. Marketable storage root conversion efficiency declined by 18% and 16% for plants treated at 0 and 5 DAT, respectively, relative to the untreated check. These results indicate that delaying S-metolachlor application to 10 DAT will be less damaging to sweetpotato growth and development, particularly marketable storage roots and yield.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Intraspecific Variation and Thermotolerance Classification Using in Vitro Seed Germination Assay

Cardinal temperatures for plant processes have been used for thermotolerance screening of geNotypes, geoclimatic adaptability determination and pheNological prediction. Current simulation models for switchgrass (Panicum virga-tum L.) utilize single cardinal temperatures across geNotypes for both vegetative and reproductive processes although intra-specific variation exists among geNotypes. An experiment was conducted to estimate the cardinal temperatures for seed germination of 14 diverse switchgrass geNotypes and to classify geNotypes for temperature tolerance. Strati-fied seeds of each geNotype were germinated at eight constant temperatures from 10oC to 45oC under a constant light intensity of 35 μmol m-2 s-1 for 12 h d-1. Germination was recorded at 6-h intervals in all treatments. Maximum seed germination (MSG) and germination rate (GR), estimated by fitting Sigmoidal function to germination-time series data, varied among geNotypes. Quadratic and bilinear models best described the MSG and GR responses to temperature, respectively. The mean cardinal temperatures, Tmin, Topt and Tmax, were 8.1, 26.6, and 45.1oC for MSG and 11.1, 33.1, and 46.0oC for GR, respectively. Cardinal temperatures for MSG and GR;however, varied significantly among geNotypes. GeNotypes were classified as sensitive (‘Cave-in-rock’, ‘Dacotah’, ‘Expresso’, ‘Forestburg’, ‘Kanlow’, ‘Sunburst’, ‘Trailblazer’, and ‘Warrior’), intermediate (‘Alamo’, ‘Blackwell’, ‘Carthage’, ‘Shawnee’, and ‘Shelter’) and tolerant (‘Summer’) to high temperature based on cumulative temperature response index (CTRI) estimated by summing individual response indices estimated from the MSG and GR cardinal temperatures. Similarly, geNotypes were also classified as sensitive (Alamo, Blackwell, Carthage, Dacotah, Shawnee, Shelter, and Summer), moderately sensitive (Cave-in-rock, Forestburg, Kanlow, Sunburst, and Warrior), moderately tolerant (Trailblazer), and tolerant (Expresso) to low temperatures. The cardinal temperature estimates would be useful to improve switchgrass models for field applications. Additionally, the identified cold- and heat-tolerant geNotypes can be selected for niche environments and in switchgrass breeding programs to develop new geNotypes for low and high temperature environments.

Quantifying and Validating Soybean Seed Emergence Model as a Function of Temperature

Developing a model for soybean seed emergence offers a tool producers could use for planting date options and in predicting seedling emergence. In this study, temperature effects on soybean seed emergence were quantified, modeled, and validated. The data for seed emergence model development was generated at varying temperatures, 20&deg;C/12&deg;C, 25&deg;C/17&deg;C, 30&deg;C/22&deg;C, 35&deg;C/27&deg;C, and 40&deg;C/32&deg;C, on two soybean cultivars, Asgrow AG5332 and Progeny P 5333 RY. Time for 50% emergence (t50%) was recorded, and seed emergence rate (SER) was estimated as reciprocal to time at each temperature in both the cultivars. No differences were observed between the cultivars in their response to temperature. A quadratic model (QM) best described the relationship between t50% and SGR and temperature (R2 = 0.93). Two sets of experiments were conducted to validate the model. In Experiment 1, 17 time-series planting date studies with the same cultivars were used by utilizing diurnal and seasonal changes in temperature conditions. In the second experiment, sunlit growth chambers with 3 different day/night temperatures, low—20&deg;C/12&deg;C, optimum—30&deg;C/22&deg;C, and high—40&deg;C/32&deg;C, and 64 soybean cultivars belonging MG III, IV, and V, were used. Air temperature and t50 were recorded, and SGR was estimated in all experiments. No differences were recorded among the cultivars for t50% and SGR, but differences were observed among seeding date and temperature experiments. We tested QM and traditionally used Growing Degree Days models against the data collected in validation experiments. Both the model simulations predictions agreed closely with the observed data. Based on model statistics, R2, root mean square errors (RMSE), and comparison of observations and predictions to assess model performance, the QM model performed better than the GDD model for soybean seed emergence under a wide range of cultivars and environmental conditions.

Sweetpotato [<i>Ipomoea batatas</i>(L.) Lam.] Response to <i>S</i>-Metolachlor and Rainfall under Three Temperature Regimes

The S-metolachlor is used to control/suppress yellow nutsedge, annual grasses, and several broadleaf weeds in sweetpotato. However, when used under adverse environmental conditions, it may lead to crop injury. Information is limited on the effect of S-metolachlor application followed immediately by rainfall on sweetpotato growth and development under different temperature regimes. The objective of this study was to determine sweetpotato response to S-metolachlor under low, optimum, and high temperatures with no rainfall and rainfall immediately after application. Sweetpotato slips were transplanted to sandy loam soil-filled pots. Half of the pots were subjected to 38 mm rainfall at 50.8 mm·h-1 intensity within the first 24 h after POST-transplant S-metolachlor application at 0, 0.86, 1.72, 2.58 and 3.44 kg·ha-1. The pots were moved into sunlit, computer-controlled plant growth chambers that were maintained at their respective temperatures for 61 days. Plant growth, development and plant-component dry weights and quantity of storage roots were recorded at harvest. Storage root yield was highest at the optimum temperature and declined at low and high temperature conditions. Shoot, root, and total plant biomass yield declined with increasing concentration of S-metolachlor across temperature conditions. In addition, storage root yield decline was S-metolachlor rate-dependent and aggravated by a rainfall event immediately after herbicide treatment across temperatures tested. These results can be used to weigh the risk of potential crop injury against the benefits of S-metolachlor when making management decisions as well as considering weather forecast information to avoid herbicide application coinciding with adverse weather conditions such as excessive rainfall event.

Morpho-Physiological Characterization of Glyphosate-Resistant and -Susceptible Horseweed (Conyza canadensis) Biotypes of US Midsouth

Horseweed is traditionally considered a non-cropland weed. However, populations resistant to glyphosate have eventually become established in no-till agronomic cropping systems. Growth chamber and greenhouse experiments were conducted to compare selected biological and physiological parameters of glyphosate-resistant (GR) and -susceptible (GS) horseweed biotypes from Mississippi with a broader goal of fitness characterization in these biotypes. Vegetative growth parameters (number of leaves, rosette diameter and area, shoot and root fresh weights) were recorded weekly from 5 to 11 wk after emergence and reproductive attributes [days to bolting (production of a flowering stalk) and flowering] and senescence were measured for both GR and GS biotypes under high (24°C/20°C) and low (18°C/12°C) temperature regimes, both with a 13-h light period. Physiological traits such as net photosynthesis, phenolic content, and cell membrane thermostability, all in the presence and absence of glyphosate, and leaf content of divalent cations such as Ca2+ and Mg2+ were assayed in the two biotypes under the high temperature regime. All horseweed vegetative growth parameters except root fresh weight were higher in the high temperature regime compared to that in low temperature regime in both biotypes. Number of leaves, rosette diameter and area, shoot and root fresh weight were 40 vs. 35, 9.3 vs. 8.7 cm, 51 vs. 43 cm2, 3.7 vs. 3.2 g, and 3.5 vs. 4.2 g under high and low temperature conditions, respectively, when averaged across biotypes and weekly measurements. All growth parameters listed above were higher for the GR biotype compared to the GS biotype. Number of leaves, rosette diameter and area, shoot and root fresh weight were 38 vs. 37, 9.1 vs. 8.9 cm, 50.2 vs. 44 cm2, 3.9 vs. 3.1 g, and 4.3 vs. 3.5 g for GR and GS biotypes, respectively, averaged across the temperature treatments and weekly measurements. Reproductive developmental data of these biotypes indicated that the GS biotype bolted earlier than the GR biotype. The GS biotype had more phenolic content and exhibited higher cell membrane thermostability, but less net photosynthetic rate compared to the GR biotype. At 48 h after treatment with glyphosate, there was no change in phenolic content of both GR and GS biotypes. However, glyphosate reduced cell membrane thermostability and net photosynthetic rate more in the GS biotype than that in the GR biotype. Chemical analysis of GR and GS leaf tissue did not reveal any differences in levels of divalent cations such as Ca2+ and Mg2+. Further studies are needed to determine if some of the differences between the two biotypes observed above relate to fitness variation in a natural environment.

Interactive effects of carbon dioxide, low temperature, and ultrav｜olet-B radiation on cotton seedling root and shoot morphology and growth

Interactive effects of multiple environmental stresses are predicted to have a negative effect on cotton growth and development and these effects will be exacerbated in the future climate. The objectives of this study were to test the hypothesis that cotton cultivars differ in their responses to multiple environmental factors of （CO2） [400 and 750 μmol.mol 1 （＋（CO2）], temperature [28/20 and 20/12℃ （-T）], and UV-B radiation [0 and 10 kJ. m2. d ^-1（＋ UV- B）]. A genetic and molecular standard （TM-1） and three modern cotton cultivars （DP1522B2XE PHY496W3R, and ST4747GLB2） were grown in eight sunlit, controlled environment chambers with control treatment 400 μmol.mol^-1 [CO2], 28/21℃ temperature, and 0 kJ UV B. The results showed significant differences among the cultivars for most of the shoot and root parameters. Plants grown under low temperature alone or as a combination with ＋ UV B treatment caused more detrimental effects on root and shoot vigor. Although the elevated CO2 treatments weakened the damaging effects of higher UV-B levels on cotton growth on all cultivars, increased CO2 could not mask the negative effects of low temperature. When comparing all cultivars, genetic standard TM-1 produced the smallest values for the majority of traits under CO2, UV-B, and low temperature either alone or in combination with other treatments. Based on principal component analysis, the four cultivars were classified as tolerant （DP1522B2XF）, intermediate （PHY496W3R and ST4747GLB2） and sensitive （TM-1） to multiple environmental stresses.Low temperature was identified as the most damaging treatment to cotton early seedling vigor while elevated CO2 caused the least. Existing variability of cotton cultivars in response tomultiple environmental stresses could allow for selection of cultivars with the best coping ability and higher lint yield for future climate change environments.