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Drought and Heat Stress Regulation on Crop Development and Yield

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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2021) | Viewed by 27226

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Raju Soolanayakanahally

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Guest Editor

Saskatoon Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X2, Canada
Interests: climate change; crop production; drought, heat stress; salinity; adaptation; yield; ecophysiology; hormones; phenotypic traits

Dr. M. S. Sheshshayee

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Guest Editor

Department of Crop Physiology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore 560065, India
Interests: plant drought stress physiology; genetics of drought tolerance; stable isotopes; marker assisted breeding

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Singular and combined abiotic stressors (drought, heat, irradiance) are major limitations affecting crop yields and ultimately the food and nutritional security. Hence, understanding crop responses to combined abiotic stressors is a pre-requisite to develop stress-resilient crops with high yield stability and nutritional quality. Crop plants cope with abiotic stressors by molecular, biochemical, ecophysiological and anatomical changes to mitigate stress effects. This understanding is crucial to device crop improvement strategies.

This Focus/Special Issue invites original research articles, opinion papers and short communications on the following topics:

Impact of abiotic stressors on metabolism and growth rates.
Adjustments in morpho-anatomical changes under stress environments.
Enhancement of crop resource use efficiency.
Use of stable isotopes.
Rapid high throughput phenotyping screening techniques of aboveground and belowground organs for physiological breeding.

Dr. Raju Soolanayakanahally
Dr. M. S. Sheshshayee
Guest Editors

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Keywords

climate change
crop production
drought, heat stress
adaptation
yield
ecophysiology
hormones
phenotypic traits

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 4206 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Drought Variability in Myanmar Based on the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and Its Impact on Crop Production

by Zin Mie Mie Sein, Xiefei Zhi, Faustin Katchele Ogou, Isaac Kwesi Nooni, Kenny T. C. Lim Kam Sian and Gnim Tchalim Gnitou

Agronomy 2021, 11(9), 1691; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11091691 - 25 Aug 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4889

Abstract

Drought research is an important aspect of drought disaster mitigation and adaptation. For this purpose, we used the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) to investigate the spatial-temporal pattern of drought and its impact on crop production. Using monthly precipitation (Precip) and temperature (Temp) data from 1986–2015 for 39 weather stations, the drought index was obtained for the time scale of 3, 6, and 12 months. The Mann–Kendall test was used to determine trends and rates of change. Precip and Temp anomalies were investigated using the regression analysis and compared with the drought index. The link between drought with large-scale atmospheric circulation anomalies using the Pearson correlation coefficient (R) was explored. Results showed a non-uniform spatial pattern of dryness and wetness which varied across Myanmar agro-ecological zones and under different time scales. Generally, results showed an increasing trend for the SPEI in the three-time scales, signifying a high tendency of decreased drought from 1986–2015. The fluctuations in dryness/wetness might linked to reduction crop production between 1986–1999 and 2005, 2008, 2010, 2013 cropping years. Results show relationship between main crops production and climate (teleconnection) factors. However, the low correlation values (i.e., <0.49) indicate the extent of the relationship within the natural variability. However, readers are urged to interpret this result cautiously as reductions in crop production may also be affected by other factors. We have demonstrated droughts evolution and trends using weather stations, thus providing useful information to aid policymakers in developing spatially relevant climate change adaptation and mitigation management plans for Myanmar. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drought and Heat Stress Regulation on Crop Development and Yield)

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21 pages, 3628 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Temporal Variability of Rainfall for Estimating Agro-Climatic Onset of Cropping Season over South Interior Karnataka, India

by Shivaramu Huchahanumegowdanapalya Sanjeevaiah, Kodandarama Shettygowdanadoddi Rudrappa, Mohankumar Thavakadahalli Lakshminarasappa, Lingaraj Huggi, Manjunatha Melekote Hanumanthaiah, Sowmya Dadireddihalli Venkatappa, Nagesha Lingegowda and Sheshshayee M. Sreeman

Agronomy 2021, 11(6), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11061135 - 2 Jun 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4097

Abstract

Annual, seasonal and intra-seasonal variations in rainfall affect crop production from land preparation to the realization of potential crop yield in a region. Particularly, the onset of the rainy season is most crucial for determining the sowing period. Statistical analysis (Modified Mann-Kendall aka MMK-test for trend and likelihood ratio test for shifting pattern) of 60 years rainfall of south interior Karnataka (SIK) inferred the presence of temporal variability in rainfall. There was a monotonic increase in rainfall of February, March, April, June and August months (a positive sign of MM-K (tau) value), with a negligible rate of change (Sen’s slope towards zero). Upon seasonal analysis, there was a significant increase in winter, pre-monsoon and monsoonal rainfall as compared to post-monsoonal rainfall (higher Sen’s slope for pre-monsoon), indicating a need for agronomic interventions for estimating an effective date of sowing for reducing risks of crop production. Further, the agro-climatic onset of cropping season was estimated by considering soil–crop–water relations. Earlier onset of cropping season was estimated based on thresholds of soil–crop–water relations, which highlights sowing of crops in advance (May 1st fortnight) instead of late (June 1st fortnight) to avoid crop losses due to early-season drought. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drought and Heat Stress Regulation on Crop Development and Yield)

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17 pages, 16338 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Regulation of Osmotic Balance and Increased Antioxidant Activities under Heat Stress in Abelmoschus esculentus L. Triggered by Exogenous Proline Application

by Rashid Hussain, Choudhary Muhammad Ayyub, Muhammad Rashid Shaheen, Sahar Rashid, Muhammad Nafees, Saif Ali, Madiha Butt, Mujahid Ali, Ambreen Maqsood, Sajid Fiaz, Sunny Ahmar, Tahir Mahmood and Freddy Mora-Poblete

Agronomy 2021, 11(4), 685; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11040685 - 3 Apr 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3571

Abstract

Keeping in view the yield losses instigated by heat stress in several crops, we carried out an experiment to explore the curative effect of exogenous applications of proline on the morpho-physiological, biochemical, and water-related attributes of okra genotypes under high-temperature stress (controlled conditions). Four contrasting genotypes C1, C2, C3, and C4 heat tolerant and heat sensitive genotypes were selected from a diverse panel of okra genotypes (n = 100) to examine plant responses to high-temperature stress and exogenous application of proline. Four-week-old seedlings were subjected to heat stress by gradually increasing the temperature of a growth chamber from 28/22 °C to 45/35 °C (day/night) and sprayed with an optimized proline concentration 2.5 mM. The experiment consisted of a factorial arrangement of treatments in a completely randomized design. The results showed that there were maximum increases in shoot length (32.7%), root length (58.9%), and shoot fresh (85.7%). The quantities of leaves per plant were increased by 52.9%, 123.6%, 82.5%, and 62.2% in C1, C2, C3, and C4 after proline application. On the other hand, only root fresh weight decreased in all genotypes after proline application by 23.1%, 20%, 266.7%, and 280.8% (C1, C2, C3, C4). A lower leaf temperature of 27.72 °C, minimum transpiration of 3.29 mmol m⁻² s⁻¹, maximum photosynthesis of 3.91 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹, and a maximum water use efficiency of 1.20 μmol CO₂ mmol H₂O were recorded in the genotypes C2, C1, C3, and C4, respectively. The highest enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase were 14.88, 0.31, and 0.15 U mg-protein in C2, C1, and C3, respectively. Maximum leaf proline, glycinebetaine, total free amino acids, and chlorophyll content 3.46 mg g⁻¹, 4.02 mg g⁻¹, 3.46 mg g⁻¹, and 46.89 (in C2), respectively, due to foliar applications of proline. Another important finding was that heat tolerance in okra was highly linked highly linked to genotypes’ genetic potential, having more water use efficiency, enzymatic activities, and physio-biochemical attributes under the foliar applications of proline. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drought and Heat Stress Regulation on Crop Development and Yield)

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18 pages, 7225 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Controlled Over-Expression of AtDREB1A Enhances Tolerance against Drought and Salinity in Rice

by Raveendran Muthurajan, Valarmathi Ramanathan, Abhijeet Bansilal Shillak, Suryawanshi Madhuri Pralhad, Chavan Neha Shankarrao, Hifzur Rahman, Rohit Kambale, Jagadeeshselvam Nallathambi, Sudha Tamilselvan and Parani Madasamy

Agronomy 2021, 11(1), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010159 - 16 Jan 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3142

Abstract

Engineering transcription factors (TF) hold promise in enhancing abiotic stress tolerance in plants. In this study, one of the popular rice varieties of South India, namely ADT 43, was engineered with a TF AtDREB1A driven by a stress-inducible rd29A promoter. PCR and Southern hybridization were employed to confirm the integration and copy number of the transgene. Transgenic lines (T₁) of ADT 43 showed enhanced tolerance to drought and salinity compared to the non-transgenic ADT 43. Transgenic lines were found to maintain higher RWC %, lower leaf temperature, and partially closed stomata, enabling better survival under stress conditions. qRT-PCR analysis revealed the strong induction of AtDREB1A transcripts during drought. Transgenic lines of ADT 43 exhibited increased germination and retention of chlorophyll in their leaves under salinity. Evaluation of transgenic lines under transgenic screen house conditions revealed that line # A16 exhibited on par agronomic performance against its non-transgenic counterpart under normal conditions. Under drought, non-transgenic ADT 43 showed >20% reduction in the total number of spikelets per panicle, whereas transgenic line # A16 registered only a 2% reduction. Non-transgenic ADT 43 recorded 80% yield reduction under drought, whereas line # A16 recorded only 54% yield loss. The above results demonstrated the effectiveness of controlled expression of DREB1A in regulating dehydration responses in rice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drought and Heat Stress Regulation on Crop Development and Yield)

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19 pages, 2014 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Morpho-Physiological Characterization of Diverse Rice Genotypes for Seedling Stage High- and Low-Temperature Tolerance

by Kambham Raja Reddy, Akanksha Seghal, Salah Jumaa, Raju Bheemanahalli, Naqeebullah Kakar, Edilberto D. Redoña, Chathurika Wijewardana, Firas Ahmed Alsajri, Daryl Chastain, Wei Gao, Shasthree Taduri and Ajaz A. Lone

Agronomy 2021, 11(1), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010112 - 8 Jan 2021

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4321

Abstract

Extreme temperatures are considered one of the main constraints that limit the growth and development of rice. We elucidated the root and shoot developmental plasticity of 64 rice genotypes during early seedling establishment, using the sunlit plant growth chambers at 22/14 (low), 30/22 (optimum), and 38/30 °C (high) day/night temperatures. Low temperature severely inhibited 23 traits, such as shoot (68%), root (57%), and physiological (35%) attributes. On the contrary, the high temperature positively affected most of the shoot (48%) and root (31%) traits, except root diameter and root/shoot ratio, compared with the optimum. Alternatively, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence-associated parameters declined under low (34%) and high (8%) temperatures. A weak correlation between cumulative high-temperature response index (CHTRI) and cumulative low-temperature response index (CLTRI) indicates the operation of different low- and high-temperature tolerance mechanisms at the early seedling stage. Groups of distinct rice genotypes associated with low or high-temperature tolerance were selected based on CHTRI and CLTRI. The genotypes that commonly performed well under low and high temperatures (IR65600-81-5-2-3, CT18593-1-7-2-2-5, RU1504114, RU1504122, Bowman, and INIA Tacuari) will be valuable genetic resources for breeders in developing early-season high- and low-temperature-tolerant genotypes for a broad range of both tropical and temperate rice-growing environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drought and Heat Stress Regulation on Crop Development and Yield)

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18 pages, 2068 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genotype-by-Environment Interaction Effects under Heat Stress in Tropical Maize

by Vinayan Madhumal Thayil, Pervez H. Zaidi, Kaliyamoorthy Seetharam, Reshmi Rani Das, Sudarsanam Viswanadh, Salahuddin Ahmed, Mohammad Alamgir Miah, Kesab B. Koirala, Mahendra Prasad Tripathi, Mohammad Arshad, Kamal Pandey, Ramesh Chaurasia, Prakash H. Kuchanur, Ayyanagouda Patil and Shyam S. Mandal

Agronomy 2020, 10(12), 1998; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121998 - 19 Dec 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3182

Abstract

Spring maize area has emerged as a niche market in South Asia. Production of maize during this post-rainy season is often challenged due to heat stress. Therefore, incorporating heat stress resilience is an important trait for incorporation in maize hybrids selected for deployment in this season. However, due to the significant genotype × environment interaction (GEI) effects under heat stress, the major challenge lies in identifying maize genotypes with improved stable performance across locations and years. In the present study, we attempted to identify the key weather variables responsible for significant GEI effects, and identify maize hybrids with stable performance under heat stress across locations/years. The study details the evaluation of a set of prereleased advanced maize hybrids across heat stress vulnerable locations in South Asia during the spring seasons of 2015, 2016 and 2017. Using factorial regression, we identified that relative humidity (RH) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) as the two most important environmental covariates contributing to the large GEI observed on grain yield under heat stress. The study also identified reproductive stage, starting from tassel emergence to early grain-filling stage, as the most critical crop stage highly susceptible to heat stress. Across-site/year evaluation resulted in identification of six high yielding heat stress resilient hybrids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drought and Heat Stress Regulation on Crop Development and Yield)

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21 pages, 2485 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Growth and Yield Characteristics of Mid-Season Hybrid Rice under Different Yield Levels

by Xiaolong Zhong, Bingbing Zhao, Manyu Huang, Hafiz Athar Hussain, Saddam Hussain, Linjun Cai, Han Yun, Guanghua He and Changwei Zhang

Agronomy 2020, 10(12), 1876; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121876 - 27 Nov 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2811

Abstract

Analysis of growth and yield characteristics of rice with different yield levels is very important for the breeding of high-yield rice cultivators. To investigate the yield components’ variation, morphological characteristics of the panicles, leaves, and stems of rice varieties under different yield levels, a two-year field experiment was conducted in Chongqing China. The 20 mid-season Indica hybrid rice varieties were classified into three groups based on yield, comprising high-yield group (HG), mid-yield group (MG), and low-yield group (LG). The main reason for the superior yield of HG is that the varieties of this group had a significantly higher number of effective panicles per unit area than the MG and LG. In plant type factors, the leaf type factors were the most important reason causing yield difference of HG, MG, and LG. The average leaf roll index, average leaf length to width ratio, average leaf base angle, average leaf droop angle, and average leaf pillow distance of the upper three leaves were significantly or significantly negatively correlated with the yield, while the average leaf width, average leaf area, and the average distance of leaf edge were significantly or significantly positively correlated with yield, and the leaf droop angle was the most important plant type factor affecting the yield. Based on these results, we further quantified the plant type factors of HG and constructed an ideal plant type model for high-yield hybrid mid-season rice. Theoretical and practical basis could be provided for breeding mid-season Indica hybrid rice with super-high yield in the future to ensure food security. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drought and Heat Stress Regulation on Crop Development and Yield)

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