Plants

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4 pages, 185 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Plants for Extreme and Changing Environments: Domestication, Evolution, Crop Breeding and Genetics

by Freddy Mora-Poblete and Eliemar Campostrini

Plants 2024, 13(21), 2975; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13212975 - 24 Oct 2024

Viewed by 618

Abstract

In this Special Issue, researchers investigated the genetic, physiological, and biological mechanisms that enable plants to thrive in challenging environmental conditions [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants for Extreme and Changing Environments: Domestication, Evolution, Crop Breeding and Genetics)

Research

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15 pages, 1430 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spectral-Based Classification of Genetically Differentiated Groups in Spring Wheat Grown under Contrasting Environments

by Paulina Ballesta, Carlos Maldonado, Freddy Mora-Poblete, Daniel Mieres-Castro, Alejandro del Pozo and Gustavo A. Lobos

Plants 2023, 12(3), 440; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030440 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1836

Abstract

The global concern about the gap between food production and consumption has intensified the research on the genetics, ecophysiology, and breeding of cereal crops. In this sense, several genetic studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of collections of germplasm [...] Read more.

The global concern about the gap between food production and consumption has intensified the research on the genetics, ecophysiology, and breeding of cereal crops. In this sense, several genetic studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of collections of germplasm accessions of major crops. In this study, a spectral-based classification approach for the assignment of wheat cultivars to genetically differentiated subpopulations (genetic structure) was carried out using a panel of 316 spring bread cultivars grown in two environments with different water regimes (rainfed and fully irrigated). For that, different machine-learning models were trained with foliar spectral and genetic information to assign the wheat cultivars to subpopulations. The results revealed that, in general, the hyperparameters ReLU (as the activation function), adam (as the optimizer), and a size batch of 10 give neural network models better accuracy. Genetically differentiated groups showed smaller differences in mean wavelengths under rainfed than under full irrigation, which coincided with a reduction in clustering accuracy in neural network models. The comparison of models indicated that the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) was significantly more accurate in classifying individuals into their respective subpopulations, with 92 and 93% of correct individual assignments in water-limited and fully irrigated environments, respectively, whereas 92% (full irrigation) and 78% (rainfed) of cultivars were correctly assigned to their respective classes by the multilayer perceptron method and partial least squares discriminant analysis, respectively. Notably, CNN did not show significant differences between both environments, which indicates stability in the prediction independent of the different water regimes. It is concluded that foliar spectral variation can be used to accurately infer the belonging of a cultivar to its respective genetically differentiated group, even considering radically different environments, which is highly desirable in the context of crop genetic resources management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants for Extreme and Changing Environments: Domestication, Evolution, Crop Breeding and Genetics)

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12 pages, 1625 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Germination Response of Datura stramonium L. to Different pH and Salinity Levels under Different Temperature Conditions

by Nebojša Nikolić, Valentina Šoštarčić, Laura Pismarović, Maja Šćepanović and Roberta Masin

Plants 2022, 11(23), 3259; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11233259 - 27 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1970

Abstract

Weeds can be one of the most severe threats to crop production, especially when they are widespread and highly adaptable. Part of the adaptive strategy of plants is the ability to germinate in different conditions. Germination is the first developmental phase of plant [...] Read more.

Weeds can be one of the most severe threats to crop production, especially when they are widespread and highly adaptable. Part of the adaptive strategy of plants is the ability to germinate in different conditions. Germination is the first developmental phase of plant life and is fundamental for its establishment. In this work, the germination of two populations of Datura stramonium L. at two different sites in Croatia (one cropped, the other non-agricultural) was tested under a wide range of salinity stress, 4, 8, 12, and 16 dS/m, and pH stress, values 1–9, at two temperature ranges of 15–25 °C and 18–30 °C. The results show that this species can tolerate high salinity, with a high number of seeds germinating, even under the highest level of saline stress and especially at higher temperatures: 21.7% of seeds germinated at 15–25 °C and 51.2% at 18–30 °C. D. stramonium also appears to be quite acid tolerant, with a significant reduction in germination only at pH 2, and no germination only at pH 1. Germination was always higher at higher temperatures, independently of abiotic stress. Although there were some differences between the two populations in the final germination percentages, they were similar in their responses to the abiotic stresses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants for Extreme and Changing Environments: Domestication, Evolution, Crop Breeding and Genetics)

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13 pages, 481 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genetic Behavior of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Germplasm Governing Heavy Metal Tolerance and Yield Traits under Wastewater Irrigation

by Shameem Raja, Fozia Farhat, Arneeb Tariq, Zaffar Malik, Rana Badar Aziz, Muhamamd Kamran, Mohsen Mohamed Elsharkawy, Asif Ali, Abdulrahman Al-Hashimi and Mohamed S. Elshikh

Plants 2022, 11(21), 2973; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11212973 - 3 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1839

Abstract

Wastewater irrigation is a substitute for surface water scarcity, but traces of heavy metals (HMs) result in deleterious implications for soil, crop productivity, and in humans. Crops presenting HMs tolerance in genetic behavior are important for producing tolerant genotypes cultivated under wastewater irrigation. [...] Read more.

Wastewater irrigation is a substitute for surface water scarcity, but traces of heavy metals (HMs) result in deleterious implications for soil, crop productivity, and in humans. Crops presenting HMs tolerance in genetic behavior are important for producing tolerant genotypes cultivated under wastewater irrigation. In the first part of this experiment, the results obtained previously are re-assessed in a hydroponic system and similar patterns and concentrations of HMs are found in different tomato organs. Following this trial, the tomato’s (Solanum lycopersicum L.) genetic basis of traits conferring HMs tolerance and yield are assessed when irrigated with waste or canal water. The North Carolina Mating II analysis illustrate the amount of gene action, nature, and inheritance pattern. Genetic components depict the involvement of non-additive, additive, and maternal genetic effects in HMs tolerance inheritance and yield. A noticeable increase in cumulative additive variance for the number of flowers (11,907.2) and the number of fruits (10,557.9) is recorded for tomato plants irrigated with wastewater, illustrating additive gene action. However, female and male (MSf/MSm) square ratios also show an association with cytoplasmic inheritance. For HMs tolerance, both additive and dominant variances appeared to be significant; cumulative dominance variance (4.83, 16.1, 4.69, 76.95, and 249.37) is higher compared to additive variance (0.18, 2.36, 0.19, −0.27, and 14.14) for nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn), respectively, indicating dominance gene action. The genotype RIOGRANDI accumulated and translocated fewer HMs to the aerial part of the plant compared to CLN-2418A and PB-017906, thus presenting a tolerant tomato genotype according to the hydroponic experiment. This also exhibited a differential pattern of gene action for HMs tolerance, suggesting that genotypes possess significant differences for HMs tolerance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants for Extreme and Changing Environments: Domestication, Evolution, Crop Breeding and Genetics)

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20 pages, 4776 KiB

Open AccessArticle

All Are in a Drought, but Some Stand Out: Multivariate Analysis in the Selection of Agronomic Efficient Popcorn Genotypes

by Jhean Torres Leite, Antônio Teixeira do Amaral Junior, Samuel Henrique Kamphorst, Valter Jário de Lima, Divino Rosa dos Santos Junior, Uéliton Oliveira Alves, Valdinei Cruz Azeredo, Jacymara Lopes Pereira, Rosimeire Barboza Bispo, Katia Fabiane Medeiros Schmidt, Flávia Nicácio Viana, Alexandre Pio Viana, Henrique Duarte Vieira, Helaine Christine Cancela Ramos, Rodrigo Moreira Ribeiro and Eliemar Campostrini

Plants 2022, 11(17), 2275; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11172275 - 31 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1636

Abstract

The search for productive germplasm adapted to adverse conditions is an important action to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. The aim was to identify the yield potential of 50 popcorn inbred lines grown in field conditions, in two crop seasons (CS), [...] Read more.

The search for productive germplasm adapted to adverse conditions is an important action to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. The aim was to identify the yield potential of 50 popcorn inbred lines grown in field conditions, in two crop seasons (CS), and under contrasting water conditions (WC). Morphoagronomic, physiological, and root system traits were evaluated. Joint and individual analyses of variance were performed, in addition to the multivariate GT bip-lot analysis. Expressive reductions between WC were observed in 100-grain weight (100 GW), popping expansion (PE), grain yield (GY), expanded popcorn volume per ha (EPV), row number per ear (RNE), plant height (PH), relative chlorophyll content (SPAD), and nitrogen balance index (NBI). It was found that the SPAD, 100 GW, GY, PE, and grain number per ear (GNE) traits had the most significant impact on the selection of genotypes. Regardless of WC and CS, the ideal lines were L294 and L688 for PE; L691 and L480 for GY; and L291 and L292 for both traits. SPAD, 100 GW, and GNE can contribute to the indirect selection. Our work contributes to understanding the damage caused by drought and the integration of traits for the indirect selection of drought-tolerant popcorn genotypes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants for Extreme and Changing Environments: Domestication, Evolution, Crop Breeding and Genetics)

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18 pages, 27142 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proteomic Profiling and Rhizosphere-Associated Microbial Communities Reveal Adaptive Mechanisms of Dioclea apurensis Kunth in Eastern Amazon’s Rehabilitating Minelands

by Sidney Vasconcelos do Nascimento, Paulo Henrique de Oliveira Costa, Hector Herrera, Cecílio Frois Caldeira, Markus Gastauer, Silvio Junio Ramos, Guilherme Oliveira and Rafael Borges da Silva Valadares

Plants 2022, 11(5), 712; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11050712 - 7 Mar 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2859

Abstract

Dioclea apurensis Kunth is native to ferruginous rocky outcrops (known as canga) in the eastern Amazon. Native cangas are considered hotspots of biological diversity and have one of the largest iron ore deposits in the world. There, D. apurensis can grow in [...] Read more.

Dioclea apurensis Kunth is native to ferruginous rocky outcrops (known as canga) in the eastern Amazon. Native cangas are considered hotspots of biological diversity and have one of the largest iron ore deposits in the world. There, D. apurensis can grow in post-mining areas where molecular mechanisms and rhizospheric interactions with soil microorganisms are expected to contribute to their establishment in rehabilitating minelands (RM). In this study, we compare the root proteomic profile and rhizosphere-associated bacterial and fungal communities of D. apurensis growing in canga and RM to characterize the main mechanisms that allow the growth and establishment in post-mining areas. The results showed that proteins involved in response to oxidative stress, drought, excess of iron, and phosphorus deficiency showed higher levels in canga and, therefore, helped explain its high establishment rates in RM. Rhizospheric selectivity of microorganisms was more evident in canga. The microbial community structure was mostly different between the two habitats, denoting that despite having its preferences, D. apurensis can associate with beneficial soil microorganisms without specificity. Therefore, its good performance in RM can also be improved or attributed to its ability to cope with beneficial soil-borne microorganisms. Native plants with such adaptations must be used to enhance the rehabilitation process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants for Extreme and Changing Environments: Domestication, Evolution, Crop Breeding and Genetics)

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26 pages, 3448 KiB

Open AccessArticle

PGPR-Mediated Salt Tolerance in Maize by Modulating Plant Physiology, Antioxidant Defense, Compatible Solutes Accumulation and Bio-Surfactant Producing Genes

by Baber Ali, Xiukang Wang, Muhammad Hamzah Saleem, Sumaira, Aqsa Hafeez, Muhammad Siddique Afridi, Shahid Khan, Zaib-Un-Nisa, Izhar Ullah, Antônio Teixeira do Amaral Júnior, Aishah Alatawi and Shafaqat Ali

Plants 2022, 11(3), 345; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11030345 - 27 Jan 2022

Cited by 160 | Viewed by 9439

Abstract

Salinity stress is a barrier to crop production, quality yield, and sustainable agriculture. The current study investigated the plant growth promotion, biochemical and molecular characterization of bacterial strain Enterobacter cloacae PM23 under salinity stress (i.e., 0, 300, 600, and 900 mM). E. cloacae [...] Read more.

Salinity stress is a barrier to crop production, quality yield, and sustainable agriculture. The current study investigated the plant growth promotion, biochemical and molecular characterization of bacterial strain Enterobacter cloacae PM23 under salinity stress (i.e., 0, 300, 600, and 900 mM). E. cloacae PM23 showed tolerance of up to 3 M NaCl when subjected to salinity stress. Antibiotic-resistant Iturin C (ItuC) and bio-surfactant-producing genes (sfp and srfAA) were amplified in E. cloacae PM23, indicating its multi-stress resistance potential under biotic and abiotic stresses. Moreover, the upregulation of stress-related genes (APX and SOD) helped to mitigate salinity stress and improved plant growth. Inoculation of E. cloacae PM23 enhanced plant growth, biomass, and photosynthetic pigments under salinity stress. Bacterial strain E. cloacae PM23 showed distinctive salinity tolerance and plant growth-promoting traits such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophore, ACC deaminase, and exopolysaccharides production under salinity stress. To alleviate salinity stress, E. cloacae PM23 inoculation enhanced radical scavenging capacity, relative water content, soluble sugars, proteins, total phenolic, and flavonoid content in maize compared to uninoculated (control) plants. Moreover, elevated levels of antioxidant enzymes and osmoprotectants (Free amino acids, glycine betaine, and proline) were noticed in E. cloacae PM23 inoculated plants compared to control plants. The inoculation of E. cloacae PM23 significantly reduced oxidative stress markers under salinity stress. These findings suggest that multi-stress tolerant E. cloacae PM23 could enhance plant growth by mitigating salt stress and provide a baseline and ecofriendly approach to address salinity stress for sustainable agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants for Extreme and Changing Environments: Domestication, Evolution, Crop Breeding and Genetics)

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9 pages, 475 KiB

Open AccessReview

Pangenomics and Crop Genome Adaptation in a Changing Climate

by Jakob Petereit, Philipp E. Bayer, William J. W. Thomas, Cassandria G. Tay Fernandez, Junrey Amas, Yueqi Zhang, Jacqueline Batley and David Edwards

Plants 2022, 11(15), 1949; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11151949 - 27 Jul 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2782

Abstract

During crop domestication and breeding, wild plant species have been shaped into modern high-yield crops and adapted to the main agro-ecological regions. However, climate change will impact crop productivity in these regions, and agriculture needs to adapt to support future food production. On [...] Read more.

During crop domestication and breeding, wild plant species have been shaped into modern high-yield crops and adapted to the main agro-ecological regions. However, climate change will impact crop productivity in these regions, and agriculture needs to adapt to support future food production. On a global scale, crop wild relatives grow in more diverse environments than crop species, and so may host genes that could support the adaptation of crops to new and variable environments. Through identification of individuals with increased climate resilience we may gain a greater understanding of the genomic basis for this resilience and transfer this to crops. Pangenome analysis can help to identify the genes underlying stress responses in individuals harbouring untapped genomic diversity in crop wild relatives. The information gained from the analysis of these pangenomes can then be applied towards breeding climate resilience into existing crops or to re-domesticating crops, combining environmental adaptation traits with crop productivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants for Extreme and Changing Environments: Domestication, Evolution, Crop Breeding and Genetics)

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