Strategizing Agricultural Management for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation-Series II

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 32774

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Interests: nitrogen diagnosis; soil health; plant and soil nutrient management; drought; nitrogen-water interactions; sustainable cropping system; food security; climate change
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Guest Editor
Department of Ecology, College of Biology and the Environment. Nanjing Forestry University, 210037, Nanjing, China
Interests: biogeochemistry; GHGs; C-sequestration; stable isotopes; soil-microbial interactions; biochar; climate smart agriculture
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Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan 32200, Pakistan
Interests: agroclimatology; climate change impact assessment; crop-environment interaction; agroecology; cropping system; plant nutrition; food security
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last five decades, advancements in agriculture have made it possible to fulfill the global food, feed, and fiber demands of the highest ever world human population. However, maintaining the supply for the continuously increasing population is challenging due to extensive urbanization, drastic land degradation, and climate change. The latter is potentially the scariest threat of the 21st century for global food security, considering its detrimental effects on agricultural production. Global climate change has seriously affected agricultural production, while on the other hand, agriculture itself is continuously contributing to climate change through the increasing concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases. The urge for new inventions in agricultural technologies and management was never before as it is today to balance agricultural production and associated climate effects. Hence, changes in agriculture management are essential to cope with the challenges of maintaining the continuous increase in agricultural production, enhancing the resilience of crop production to climate change, and ensuring progress in climate change mitigation. However, the success of agricultural management-based climate change adaptation and mitigation requires the development of simple, cost-effective, and broadly adaptable methods. Therefore, strategizing agricultural management is imperative for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

To understand how strategizing agricultural management can help in climate change adaptation and mitigating its effects on agricultural production, the significant increase in the contribution from the scientific community in this research arena would play a key role. This proposed Special Issue of Agronomy will raise awareness and stimulate research in this field, primarily focusing on how agricultural management could help in tackling climate change. In this issue, we welcome scientific work in all forms of articles (original research, method, opinion, and reviews) related to innovative and controversial technologies with the potential to initiate the debate among peers. Moreover, we particularly invite high-risk and novel methodologies-based studies that transcend disciplinary boundaries to capture the current advancements. The proposed Special Issue will foster an open discussion on the prospects of climate change adaptation and mitigation. 

Papers are solicited on all areas directly related to these topics, including but not limited to:

  • Improved crop management to increase soil carbon storage;
  • Improved nitrogen fertilizer application techniques to reduce N2O emissions;
  • Improved rice production technologies to reduce CH4 emissions;
  • Improved manure management to reduce CH4 emissions;
  • Improved irrigation and water-harvesting techniques;
  • Improved crop varieties (early maturing, drought resistant, etc.);
  • Changing planting dates;
  • Incorporation of crop residues;
  • Crop rotation;
  • Mulch farming;
  • Reduced or zero tillage;
  • Use of cover crops;
  • Intercropping with legumes;
  • Appropriate use of plant nutrients;
  • Restoration of degraded land;
  • Promoting energy crops to replace fossil fuel use;
  • Agroforestry;
  • Recycling of bio-solids.

We hope you find the topic of this Special Issue interesting, and we look forward to your research contribution.

Dr. Syed Tahir Ata-Ul-Karim
Dr. Saadatullah Malghani 
Dr. Muhammad Ishaq Asif Rehmani 
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • agricultural management;
  • crop production;
  • cropping systems;
  • climate change;
  • climate-smart farming;
  • mitigation;
  • resilience;
  • adaptation;
  • greenhouse gas emissions;
  • synergies;
  • C-sequestration;
  • crop-environment interaction;
  • soil-microbial interactions;
  • agroclimatology

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 2400 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Drought Stress on Water Use Efficiency and Grain Productivity of Rice and Utilization of Genotypic Variability to Combat Climate Change
by Tajamul Hussain, Nurda Hussain, Muhammad Tahir, Aamir Raina, Sobia Ikram, Saliha Maqbool, Muhammad Fraz Ali and Saowapa Duangpan
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2518; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102518 - 15 Oct 2022
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4282
Abstract
Rice is an important cereal and drought stress is a critical abiotic stress that negatively influences the performance and productivity of rice crop, particularly under a changing climate scenario. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impacts of drought stress on [...] Read more.
Rice is an important cereal and drought stress is a critical abiotic stress that negatively influences the performance and productivity of rice crop, particularly under a changing climate scenario. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impacts of drought stress on grain productivity and water use efficiency of rice cultivars and to assess the genotypic variability among the tested cultivars. Two irrigation treatments including a control and drought stress were applied to the experiments during 2018–2019 and 2019–2020. The statistical evaluation included a comparison of means, genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation, path analysis, correlation assessment, hierarchical clustering of tested cultivars and principal component analysis. The results indicated that drought stress negatively affected the grain productivity of the rice cultivars. The grain productivity of the cultivars decreased, ranging between 21–45% and 21–52% in the first and second season, respectively. Similarly, water use efficiency was significantly decreased ranging between 7–53% and 21–55% during the first and the second season, respectively. The broad-sense heritability for grain productivity was differed under control and drought stress treatment, indicating that the chances of the transfer of grain-productivity-related traits could be affected during selection for stress tolerance. The correlation assessment indicated that the intensity of association among the evaluated parameters was higher under the control treatment. A maximum direct effect was observed by water consumption (1.76) under control whereas, by water use efficiency (1.09) under drought stress treatment on grain productivity in path analysis. Considering the water use efficiency as a desired trait for selection in path analysis, a maximum direct effect was observed by grain productivity under the control (0.68) and under drought treatment (0.88). Hom Pathum and Pathum Thani−1 were identified as highly tolerant cultivars in the hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis. It was concluded that the results obtained for the assessment of drought stress on grain productivity, water use efficiency and genotypic variability among these cultivars could be utilized in selection program for stress tolerance and the stress tolerant cultivars could be used for sustaining grain productivity to reduce the impacts of climate change. Full article
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17 pages, 3951 KiB  
Article
Research into Meteorological Drought in Poland during the Growing Season from 1951 to 2020 Using the Standardized Precipitation Index
by Robert Kalbarczyk and Eliza Kalbarczyk
Agronomy 2022, 12(9), 2035; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12092035 - 27 Aug 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1971
Abstract
Meteorological drought (MDr) causes considerable economic losses in many countries, including in relation to agriculture. To examine the diversity of seasonal meteorological drought in Poland, the study uses monthly precipitation sums in the period from March to November, collected from 74 [...] Read more.
Meteorological drought (MDr) causes considerable economic losses in many countries, including in relation to agriculture. To examine the diversity of seasonal meteorological drought in Poland, the study uses monthly precipitation sums in the period from March to November, collected from 74 ground-based meteorological stations in 1951–2020. The paper defines meteorological drought on the basis of the standardized precipitation index in three seasons (SPI-3) and differentiates three degrees of drought intensity: extreme, severe and moderate. The study also calculates the size of Poland’s area affected by meteorological drought (AAMDr) and determines the relationship between AAMDr and SPI-3. MDr in Poland occurred more frequently in spring and autumn (every 4–5 years) than in summer (every 7 years). In the areas affected by extreme drought, precipitation was below the average, mainly ≤50% of the climatic norm, and air temperature values were below or above the average of the climatic norm, mainly ranging from −1.0 to 1.0 °C. A significant negative correlation between AAMDr and SPI-3 indices was found. The obtained results could be useful for managing climatic risk and developing regional and local agriculture adaptation plans aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change. Full article
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17 pages, 2209 KiB  
Article
Optimized Phosphorus Application Alleviated Adverse Effects of Short-Term Low-Temperature Stress in Winter Wheat by Enhancing Photosynthesis and Improved Accumulation and Partitioning of Dry Matter
by Hui Xu, Zhaochen Wu, Bo Xu, Dongyue Sun, Muhammad Ahmad Hassan, Hongmei Cai, Yu Wu, Min Yu, Anheng Chen, Jincai Li and Xiang Chen
Agronomy 2022, 12(7), 1700; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12071700 - 18 Jul 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2570
Abstract
Low-temperature stress has become an important abiotic factor affecting high and stable wheat production. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to enhance low-temperature tolerance in wheat. A pot experiment was carried out using Yannong19 (YN19, a cold-tolerant cultivar) and Xinmai26 (XM26, [...] Read more.
Low-temperature stress has become an important abiotic factor affecting high and stable wheat production. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to enhance low-temperature tolerance in wheat. A pot experiment was carried out using Yannong19 (YN19, a cold-tolerant cultivar) and Xinmai26 (XM26, a cold-sensitive cultivar). We employed traditional phosphorus application (TPA, i.e., R1) and optimized phosphorus application (OPA, i.e., R2) methods. Plants undertook chilling (T1 at 4 °C) and freezing treatment (T2 at −4 °C) as well as ambient temperature (CK at 11 °C) during the anther differentiation period to investigate the effects of OPA and TPA on photosynthetic parameters and the accumulation and distribution of dry matter. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) of flag leaves decreased in low-temperature treatments, whereas intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci) increased. Compared with R1CK, Pn in R1T1 and R1T2 treatments was reduced by 26.8% and 42.2% in YN19 and 34.2% and 54.7% in XM26, respectively. In contrast, it increased by 6.5%, 8.9% and 12.7% in YN19 and 7.7%, 15.6% and 22.6% in XM26 for R2CK, R2T1 and R2T2 treatments, respectively, under OPA compared with TPA at the same temperature treatments. Moreover, low-temperature stress reduced dry matter accumulation at the reproductive growth stage. OPA increased dry matter accumulation of vegetative organs after the flowering stage and promoted the transportation of assimilates to grains. Hence, the grain number per spike (GNPS), 1000-grain weight (TGW) and yield per plant (YPP) increased. The low-temperature treatments of T1 and T2 caused yield losses of 24.1~64.1%, and the yield increased by 8.6~20.5% under OPA treatments among the two wheat cultivars. In brief, OPA enhances low-temperature tolerance in wheat, effectively improves wheat architecture and photosynthesis, increases GNPS and TGW and ultimately lessens yield losses. Full article
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17 pages, 2006 KiB  
Article
Direct and Residual Impacts of Olive-Mill Waste Application to Rice Soil on Greenhouse Gas Emission and Global Warming Potential under Mediterranean Conditions
by Damián Fernández-Rodríguez, David Paulo Fangueiro, David Peña Abades, Ángel Albarrán, Jose Manuel Rato-Nunes and Antonio López-Piñeiro
Agronomy 2022, 12(6), 1344; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061344 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2233
Abstract
The olive oil industry produces high amounts of waste, which need to be valorized in a more sustainable way as an alternative to its traditional use as an energy source, with high associated CO2 emissions. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one [...] Read more.
The olive oil industry produces high amounts of waste, which need to be valorized in a more sustainable way as an alternative to its traditional use as an energy source, with high associated CO2 emissions. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important crops for global food security; however, the traditional cropping systems under flooding lead to an important decrease of soil quality, as well as relevant emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). The aim of this study was to assess the GHG emission from rice fields amended with composted two-phase olive mill waste (C-TPOW), in Mediterranean conditions. A field experiment was carried in rice cultivated by the traditional system, either unamended (Control) or amended with C-TPOW (Compost). GHG emissions were measured over three years following a single C-TPOW application (80 Mg ha−1 only in the first year of study), so that the results found in the first and third years correspond to its direct and residual effects, respectively. Compost decreased CO2 emissions relative to Control by 13% and 20% in the first and third year after C-TPOW application, respectively. However, in the case of CH4 and N2O, increases in the total cumulative emission were recorded in Compost relative to Control throughout the study, in agreement with the highest β-glucosidase and urease activity observed in the amended soil. The values of global warming potential (GWP) and yield-scaled GWP increased by 14% and 11%, respectively, in Compost relative to Control in the first year, but no significant differences between treatments were observed three years after application for GWP and yield-scaled GWP. Therefore, the use of C-TPOW as soil amendment in rice fields could be a good option since its impact on GHG emissions seems to decrease over time, while the benefit for soil remained clear even after 3 years. Full article
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23 pages, 11903 KiB  
Article
Delineating the Crop-Land Dynamic due to Extreme Environment Using Landsat Datasets: A Case Study
by Bijay Halder, Jatisankar Bandyopadhyay, Haitham Abdulmohsin Afan, Maryam H. Naser, Salwan Ali Abed, Khaled Mohamed Khedher, Khaldoon T. Falih, Ravinesh Deo, Miklas Scholz and Zaher Mundher Yaseen
Agronomy 2022, 12(6), 1268; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061268 - 25 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2794
Abstract
Extreme climatic conditions and natural hazard-related phenomenon have been affecting coastal regions and riverine areas. Floods, cyclones, and climate change phenomena have hammered the natural environment and increased the land dynamic, socio-economic vulnerability, and food scarcity. Saltwater intrusion has also triggered cropland vulnerability [...] Read more.
Extreme climatic conditions and natural hazard-related phenomenon have been affecting coastal regions and riverine areas. Floods, cyclones, and climate change phenomena have hammered the natural environment and increased the land dynamic, socio-economic vulnerability, and food scarcity. Saltwater intrusion has also triggered cropland vulnerability and, therefore, increased the area of inland brackish water fishery. The cropland area has decreased due to low soil fertility; around 252.06 km2 of cropland area has been lost, and 326.58 km2 of water bodies or inland fishery area has been added in just thirty years in the selected blocks of the North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India. After saltwater intrusion, soil fertility appears to have been decreased and crop production has been greatly reduced. The cropland areas were 586.52 km2 (1990), 419.92 km2 (2000), 361.67 km2 (2010) and 334.46 km2 (2020). Gradually the water body areas were increased 156.21 km2 (1990), 328.15 km2 (2000), 397.77 km2 (2010) and 482.78 km2 (2020). The vegetated land area also decreased due to it being converted into inland fishery areas, and around 79.15 km2 were degraded during the last thirty years. The super cyclone Aila, along with other super cyclones and other environmental stresses, like water-logging, soil salinity, and irrigation water scarcity were the reasons for the development of the new fishery areas in the selected blocks. There is a need for proper planning for sustainable development of this area. Full article
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18 pages, 2162 KiB  
Article
Inducing Drought Tolerance in Wheat through Exopolysaccharide-Producing Rhizobacteria
by Muhammad Latif, Syed Asad Hussain Bukhari, Abdullah A. Alrajhi, Fahad S. Alotaibi, Maqshoof Ahmad, Ahmad Naeem Shahzad, Ahmed Z. Dewidar and Mohamed A. Mattar
Agronomy 2022, 12(5), 1140; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12051140 - 9 May 2022
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3463
Abstract
Wheat is the main staple food in the world, so it is the backbone of food security. Drought not only affects growth and development but also ultimately has a severe impact on the overall productivity of crop plants. Some bacteria are capable of [...] Read more.
Wheat is the main staple food in the world, so it is the backbone of food security. Drought not only affects growth and development but also ultimately has a severe impact on the overall productivity of crop plants. Some bacteria are capable of producing exopolysaccharides (EPS) as a survival mechanism, along with other metabolites, which help them survive in stressful conditions. The present study was conducted with the aim of inducing drought stress tolerance in wheat through EPS-producing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). In this regard, a series of laboratory bioassays were conducted with the aim to isolating, characterizing, and screening the EPS-producing PGPR capable of improving wheat growth under limited water conditions. Thirty rhizobacterial strains (LEW1–LEW30) were isolated from the rhizosphere of wheat. Ten isolates with EPS-producing ability were quantitatively tested for EPS production and IAA production ability. Four of the most efficient EPS-producing strains (LEW3, LEW9, LEW16, and LEW28) were evaluated for their drought tolerance ability along with quantitative production of EPS and IAA under polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000)-induced drought stress. The jar experiment was conducted under gnotobiotic conditions to examine the drought-tolerant wheat genotypes, and two wheat varieties (Johar-16, and Gold-16) were selected for further experiments. The selected varieties were inoculated with EPS-producing rhizobacterial strains and grown under control conditions at different stress levels (0, 2, 4, and 6% PEG-6000). The strain LEW16 showed better results for improving root morphology and seedling growth in both varieties. The maximum increase in germination, growth parameters, percentage, root diameter, root surface area, and root colonization was recorded in Johar-16 by inoculating LEW16 at 6% PEG-6000. Plant growth-promoting traits were tested on the top-performing strains (LEW3, LEW9, and LEW16). Through 16S rRNA sequencing, these strains were identified as Chryseobacterium sp. (LEW3), Acinetobacter sp. (LEW9), and Klebsiella sp. (LEW16), and they showed positive results for phosphorous and zinc solubilization as well as hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production. The partial sequencing results were submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) under the accession numbers MW829776, MW829777, and MW829778. These strains are recommended for their evaluation as potential bioinoculants for inducing drought stress tolerance in wheat. Full article
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18 pages, 2288 KiB  
Article
Farmers’ Perception and Efficacy of Adaptation Decisions to Climate Change
by Krishna Viswanatha Reddy, Venkatesh Paramesh, Vadivel Arunachalam, Bappa Das, P. Ramasundaram, Malay Pramanik, Shankarappa Sridhara, D. Damodar Reddy, Abed Alataway, Ahmed Z. Dewidar and Mohamed A. Mattar
Agronomy 2022, 12(5), 1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12051023 - 24 Apr 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4707
Abstract
Climate change is viewed as the main obstacle to agricultural development in developing countries. The high dependence on agriculture and allied sectors makes many countries vulnerable to the climate change phenomenon. There is a gap in macro and micro-level understanding of climate change. [...] Read more.
Climate change is viewed as the main obstacle to agricultural development in developing countries. The high dependence on agriculture and allied sectors makes many countries vulnerable to the climate change phenomenon. There is a gap in macro and micro-level understanding of climate change. Thoughtful farmers’ perceptions and impacts of climate change on farming are fundamental for developing various mitigation and adaptation strategies. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to understand the pattern of climate variability, farmers’ perceptions about climate change, and farmers’ adaptation strategies based on their socio-cultural background in the villages of Goa, on the west coast of India. The results reveal that about 62% of the sampled farmers have experienced climate change in terms of meteorological indicators such as increased average temperature, decreased total rainfall, delayed onset of monsoon, and an increase in the length of the summer season. The temperature trend analysis (0.009 °C/year) validated farmers’ perceptions, while the perception of rainfall differed (−1.49 mm/year). Farmers are convinced that climate change has affected their farming (declining crop and livestock productivity, water depletion, and other related farm operations). They strive to adapt to climate change through crop diversification, an integrated crop-livestock system, contingency crop planning, and the adaptation of new crops and varieties. This study could be helpful for policymakers to establish a climate-resilient agriculture system by ensuring timely availability of farm inputs, accurate weather forecasting, and encouraging insurance products for crop and livestock enterprises, which will help farmers cope with the changing climate to enhance their income and economic wellbeing. Further, adaption of integrated farming, agroforestry, and indigenous technical knowledge is imperative to combat the ill effects of climate change. Full article
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18 pages, 12477 KiB  
Article
Fertilizer Deep Placement Significantly Affected Yield, Rice Quality, 2-AP Biosynthesis and Physiological Characteristics of the Fragrant Rice Cultivars
by Pouwedeou Mouloumdema Potcho, Muhammad Imran, Tchalla Korohou, Nabieu Kamara and Xiangru Tang
Agronomy 2022, 12(1), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12010162 - 10 Jan 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2785
Abstract
The management of fertilizers in a context of climate change and the preservation of the environment is strongly related to the regulation and accumulation of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) in fragrant rice. However, the feasibility of such management strategies in terms of enhancing the accumulation [...] Read more.
The management of fertilizers in a context of climate change and the preservation of the environment is strongly related to the regulation and accumulation of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) in fragrant rice. However, the feasibility of such management strategies in terms of enhancing the accumulation of 2AP has not yet been explored in aromatic cultivars. Here, we investigated the impact of the application of two fertilizers at three depth (surface, 5 cm and 10 cm) levels of placements to improve the aromatic rice quality, including such aspects as the 2AP content-, protein-, amylose- and yield-related traits. For this purpose, two known rice cultivars, Basmati 385 (B-385) and Yunjingyou (YJY), were grown in pots during 2019 and 2020 under fluctuating climates. The deep application of fertilizer at 10 cm significantly affected the 2AP content with such values as 127.53 μg kg−1 and 111.91 μg kg−1 obtained for Fragrant Fertilizer (FF) and Urea in B-385 cultivar, and 126.5 μg kg−1 and 114.24 μg kg−1 being observed for FF and Urea in YJY, respectively, during 2019. In addition, values of 108.41 μg kg−1 and 117.35 μg kg−1 were recorded for FF and Urea in B-385, while 125.91-μg kg−1 and 90.71-μg kg−1 were measured for FF and Urea in YJY, respectively, during 2020. Similarly, B-385 had better 2AP content and yield-related traits, as well as amylose content and cooked rice elongation, as compared to the YJY rice cultivar. The 2AP accumulation and its related biochemical parameters, and their relationships in different plant tissues at different growth stages under FF and Urea treatments, were also improved. Further, the 2AP content and the P5C activity demonstrated strong correlations during the grain filling periods in both fragrant rice cultivars. In conclusion, our findings have the potential to provide useful information to farmers and agriculture extension workers in terms of the saving of fertilizers and the improvement of rice grain quality under fluctuating climate conditions. Full article
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13 pages, 2798 KiB  
Article
Starch Morphology and Metabolomic Analyses Reveal That the Effect of High Temperature on Cooked Rice Elongation and Expansion Varied in Indica and Japonica Rice Cultivars
by Nnaemeka Emmanuel Okpala, Mouloumdema Pouwedeou Potcho, Muhammad Imran, Tianyue An, Gegen Bao, Longxin He, Lin Li and Xiangru Tang
Agronomy 2021, 11(12), 2416; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122416 - 27 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2207
Abstract
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is mainly grouped into indica and japonica varieties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature on cooked rice elongation, cooked rice expansion, and rice fragrance. This study was conducted in three growth temperature [...] Read more.
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is mainly grouped into indica and japonica varieties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature on cooked rice elongation, cooked rice expansion, and rice fragrance. This study was conducted in three growth temperature chambers with indica cultivar Basmati 385 (B385) and japonica cultivar Yunjingyou (YJY). Grains of B385 grown in low-temperature regimes had the highest cooked rice elongation and expansion, whereas the grains of YJY grown in high-temperature regimes had the highest cooked rice elongation and expansion. Starch granules of B385 grown in low-temperature regimes were more compact and bigger, compared to grains grown in medium- and high-temperature regimes. Conversely, the starch granules of YJY grown in high-temperature regimes were more compact and bigger, compared to those grown in medium- and low-temperature regimes. Metabolomic analyses showed that temperature affected the rice metabolome and revealed that cyclohexanol could be responsible for the differences observed in cooked rice elongation and expansion percentage. However, in both B385 and YJY, grains from low-temperature regimes had the highest 2-AP content and the lowest expression levels of the badh2 gene. The findings of this study will be useful to rice breeders and producers. Full article
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Review

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22 pages, 1374 KiB  
Review
Melatonin: A Vital Pro-Tectant for Crops against Heat Stress: Mechanisms and Prospects
by Muhammad Umair Hassan, Rehab Y. Ghareeb, Muhammad Nawaz, Athar Mahmood, Adnan Noor Shah, Ahmed Abdel-Megeed, Nader R. Abdelsalam, Mohamed Hashem, Saad Alamri, Maryam A. Thabit and Sameer H. Qari
Agronomy 2022, 12(5), 1116; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12051116 - 5 May 2022
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 3578
Abstract
Heat stress (HS) is a serious environmental stress that negatively affects crop growth and productivity across the globe. The recent increase in atmospheric temperature caused by global warming has increased its intensity, which is a serious challenge that needs to be addressed. Plant [...] Read more.
Heat stress (HS) is a serious environmental stress that negatively affects crop growth and productivity across the globe. The recent increase in atmospheric temperature caused by global warming has increased its intensity, which is a serious challenge that needs to be addressed. Plant growth and development involves a series of physiological, metabolic, and biochemical processes that are negatively affected by heat-induced oxidative stress, disorganization of cellular membranes and disturbed plant water relations, nutrient uptake, photosynthetic efficiency, and antioxidant activities. Plant tolerance to abiotic stresses can be substantially increased by the application of bio-stimulants, without posing a threat to the ecosystem. Melatonin (MT) is a multi-functional signaling molecule that has the potential to protect plants from the adverse impacts of HS. MT protects the cellular membranes, maintains the leaf water content, and improves the water use efficiency (WUE) and nutrient homeostasis; thereby, improving plant growth and development under HS. Moreover, MT also improves gene expression, crosstalk of hormones, and osmolytes, and reduces the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by triggering the antioxidant defense system, which provides better resistance to HS. High endogenous MT increases genes expression and antioxidant activities to confer HS tolerance. Thus, it is important to understand the detailed mechanisms of both exogenous and endogenous MT, to induce HS tolerance in plants. This review highlights the versatile functions of MT in various plant responses, to improve HS tolerance. Moreover, we also discussed the MT crosstalk with other hormones, antioxidant potential of MT, and success stories of engineering MT to improve HS tolerance in plants. Additionally, we also identified various research gaps that need to be filled in future research using this important signaling molecule. Thus, this review will help the readers to learn more about MT under changing climatic conditions and will provide knowledge to develop heat tolerance in crops. Full article
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