Article
Environmental Sciences
Delphine Renard, Lucie Mahaut, Frederik Noack
Summary: Weather extremes like droughts and heat waves are becoming more frequent globally, impacting agricultural production and food security. Increasing crop diversity at the country level can help mitigate the negative effects of these extreme weather events on agricultural outputs.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Nuohan Xu, Danyan Qiu, Zhenyan Zhang, Yan Wang, Bingfeng Chen, Qi Zhang, Tingzhang Wang, Wenjie Hong, Ning-Yi Zhou, Josep Penuelas, Michael Gillings, Yong-Guan Zhu, Haifeng Qian
Summary: Oceans contain a large amount of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), but their traits and expression in response to environmental factors are not well understood. This study analyzed metagenomes and metatranscriptomes and found that the distribution and abundance of ARGs vary with latitude and depth. The core marine resistome mainly confers glycopeptide and multidrug resistance. Anthropogenic activity may affect the expression of ARGs by altering environmental factors. Machine-learning models predict that the expression of marine ARGs will change significantly in the future. Certain ARGs play a dual role in antibiotic resistance and element cycling. Comprehensive understanding of their functions is necessary to determine whether changes in ARG expression are beneficial or harmful.
Article
Entomology
Sanford D. Eigenbrode, Subodh Adhikari, Erica Kistner-Thomas, Lisa Neven
Summary: Climate change will have complex and variable effects on insect pests and pollinators in agriculture and forestry systems, including changes in their geographic ranges, voltinism, abundance, and phenology. These effects can increase pest pressure or reduce pollination, depending on climatic conditions and other drivers. In addition, producers are modifying production systems in response to climate change, which can have substantial impacts on insect communities.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Agronomy
Gourav Sharma, Swati Shrestha, Sudip Kunwar, Te-Ming Tseng
Summary: Weeds are a major constraint to crop production, with herbicides being an effective method to control them. However, over-reliance on herbicides can lead to environmental and health issues. Crop diversification is a sustainable approach to managing weeds, reducing weed density and increasing resilience to climate change while improving crop yields. Challenges to adopting diversified cropping systems include technological innovations, government policies, and market conditions.
Review
Plant Sciences
Vincent Vadez, Raphael Pilloni, Alexandre Grondin, Amir Hajjarpoor, Hatem Belhouchette, Youssef Brouziyne, Ghani Chehbouni, Mohamed Hakim Kharrou, Rim Zitouna-Chebbi, Insaf Mekki, Jerome Molenat, Frederic Jacob, Jerome Bossuet
Summary: Water scarcity is expected to become a major issue in the 21st century due to competing needs in civil, industrial, and agricultural sectors. Improving water use efficiency at different scales, from plants to landscapes, is crucial to address this issue. Factors such as crop variety, farm management practices, and ecosystem functions must be considered to improve water use efficiency. This interdisciplinary review analyzes approaches to water use efficiency at different scales and considers trade-offs.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guoyong Leng
Summary: The study found that drought has a probabilistic impact on US maize yield, with irrigation reducing yield loss risk. The diverse risk distribution patterns under different drought intensities emphasize the necessity of better representing drought effects at local scales.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Tony W. Carr, Siyabusa Mkuhlani, Alcade C. Segnon, Zakari Ali, Robert Zougmore, Alan D. Dangour, Rosemary Green, Pauline Scheelbeek
Summary: This study systematically reviewed the impact of climate change on major staple crop yields in West Africa and analyzed the potential of common agricultural adaptation strategies. The results showed that crop yields declined by a median of 6% due to climate change in all scenarios analyzed. However, by adopting adaptation strategies such as optimized planting dates and resilient crop varieties, crop yields affected by climate change could be increased by 13%. Increased fertilizer use did not mitigate the impact of climate change on crops but could substantially increase yields. The study suggests that a combination of increased fertilizer use and adopting cropping practices that take advantage of favorable climate conditions has great potential to protect and enhance future crop production in West Africa.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Ye-Geon Kim, Hyun-Hwa Park, Hyo-Jin Lee, Hee-Kwon Kim, Yong-In Kuk
Summary: Climate change has resulted in disruptions to food systems, with a particularly alarming impact on global nutrition due to decreased grain production and reduced protein content and quality. This study examines the effects of temperature on barley growth and yield at different stages in four different climate areas. The research findings highlight variations in growth parameters, yield levels, soil composition, and mineral content between the group areas. The study concludes that certain areas are still not suitable for barley cultivation despite climate change.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ethan D. Coffel, Corey Lesk, Jonathan M. Winter, Erich C. Osterberg, Justin S. Mankin
Summary: Maize and soy production in the US has increased rapidly, reducing crop-damaging high temperatures. Agricultural intensification has created a crop-climate feedback, where increased crop production cools the local climate and benefits crop yields. The increased production of maize and soy has reduced warming effects and boosted crop yields, but a stagnation in production could expose crops to more harmful heat extremes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rose Z. Abramoff, Philippe Ciais, Peng Zhu, Toshihiro Hasegawa, Hitomi Wakatsuki, David Makowski
Summary: Simulations of crop yield under climate change show significant variations depending on models, locations, species, management strategies, and Representative Concentration Pathways. A meta-model based on site-level simulations was developed to understand the effects of climate and adaptation on yield change for maize, rice, wheat, and soybean. The study found that adaptation plays a crucial role in mitigating projected yield losses under the RCP4.5 scenario, with most influential factors being adaptation strategy and climate change. These results highlight the importance of implementing adequate adaptation strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change on crop yields.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christopher Lyon, Erin E. Saupe, Christopher J. Smith, Daniel J. Hill, Andrew P. Beckerman, Lindsay C. Stringer, Robert Marchant, James McKay, Ariane Burke, Paul O'Higgins, Alexander M. Dunhill, Bethany J. Allen, Julien Riel-Salvatore, Tracy Aze
Summary: Anthropogenic activity is altering Earth's climate and ecosystems in ways that could be dangerous and disruptive to humans. The rise in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere is projected to have lasting effects beyond 2100. This calls for a need to focus on long-term planning and policy measures to address the impacts of climate change.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Martynas Rusteika, Lina Skinuliene
Summary: The aim of the study is to analyze the expectations of crop insurance system participants and to reveal the reasons for encouraging/discouraging farms in insuring their crops in Lithuania. The manufacture of agriculture production products is the most sensitive to meteorological conditions, with risks such as winterkill, hail, storms, and droughts. While additional means (optimization of crop structure, changes in growing technologies) can reduce the reliable harm of extreme climate change, it is only technical, organizational means (crop insurance) that can mostly reduce the loss of production.
Article
Agronomy
Jinsil Choi, Jonghan Ko, Kyu-Nam An, Saeed A. Qaisrani, Jong-Oh Ban, Dong-Kwan Kim
Summary: This study simulated regional variation in staple crop yields in Chonnam Province, ROK under climate change using crop models, and successfully demonstrated that the simulated yields matched with measured data. The research highlighted the effectiveness of the GCSM system in simulating the spatiotemporal variations in the impact of climate change on staple crop yield.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Davide Cammarano, Bing Liu, Leilei Liu, Alexander C. Ruane, Yan Zhu
Summary: This study aimed to analyze the impacts of 1.5 and 2.0 degrees C scenarios on UK winter wheat through simulations, showing a potential increase in wheat yield by 2-8% under projected climate conditions. Farmers will need to take adaptation measures such as adjusting planting times and using climate-ready varieties to close the gap between future production and potential yield.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
James A. Franke, Christoph Mueller, Sara Minoli, Joshua Elliott, Christian Folberth, Charles Gardner, Tobias Hank, Roberto Cesar Izaurralde, Jonas Jaegermeyr, Curtis D. Jones, Wenfeng Liu, Stefan Olin, Thomas A. M. Pugh, Alex C. Ruane, Haynes Stephens, Florian Zabel, Elisabeth J. Moyer
Summary: Modern food production is concentrated in global breadbaskets, and it is uncertain whether these peak production regions will shift poleward as the climate warms. Research suggests that with adaptations in management practices, such as adjusting planting dates and selecting adaptive cultivars, yield losses can be mitigated and peak productivity zones can shift towards the poles.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jamie M. Waterman, Casey R. Hall, Meena Mikhael, Christopher Cazzonelli, Susan E. Hartley, Scott N. Johnson
Summary: The study found that silicon accumulation in plants can alleviate both biotic and abiotic stresses, particularly insect herbivory. It is suggested that silicon accumulation may be induced through activation of the jasmonic acid pathway. Additionally, the research demonstrated that increased silicon accumulation affects plant phytohormones and carbon-based defences, with this relationship also being influenced by herbivory.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Scott N. Johnson, Susan E. Hartley, James M. W. Ryalls, Adam Frew, Casey R. Hall
Summary: Plants deploy chemical and physical defenses against arthropod herbivores, with silicon playing a crucial role in these defenses. Silicon enrichment in plants can lower JA induction levels and induce physical defenses, negatively impacting chewing herbivores. These silicon-based defenses are herbivore-specific and more effective against chewing herbivores compared to fluid feeders.
Article
Ecology
Rebecca K. Vandegeer, Ximena Cibils-Stewart, Richard Wuhrer, Susan E. Hartley, David T. Tissue, Scott N. Johnson
Summary: Climate change-induced alterations in precipitation patterns may result in water-deficit stress in plants, affecting leaf characteristics and impacting herbivorous arthropods. The study suggests that silicon can significantly reduce the growth rate of herbivorous insects, with leaf traits primarily affected by water-deficit stress.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Tarikul Islam, Ben D. Moore, Scott N. Johnson
Summary: Silicon accumulation in plants is recognized as an effective defense against herbivores like spider mites, and can also impact the attraction of predatory mites. The study found that providing silicon to plants suppressed spider mite damage, and increased the attraction of predatory mites to plants experiencing herbivory.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ximena Cibils-Stewart, Wade J. Mace, Alison J. Popay, Fernando A. Lattanzi, Susan (Sue) E. Hartley, Casey R. Hall, Jeff R. Powell, Scott N. Johnson
Summary: Grasses have developed various mechanisms to resist herbivory, including accumulating silicon and associating with Epichloe-endophytes. The interaction between silicon and endophytes plays a crucial role in antiherbivore defenses in grasses.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Plant Sciences
Adam Frew, Pedro M. Antunes, Duncan D. Cameron, Susan E. Hartley, Scott N. Johnson, Matthias C. Rillig, Alison E. Bennett
Article
Biology
Scott N. Johnson, Ximena Cibils-Stewart, Jamie M. Waterman, Fikadu N. Biru, Rhiannon C. Rowe, Susan E. Hartley
Summary: This study found that elevated CO2 concentrations can promote plant growth and cause wheat to change its allocation of anti-herbivore defences. Despite lower levels of silicon, resistance to the global pest Helicoverpa armigera remained. Overall, shifts in defence allocation under future climate change may not compromise herbivore resistance in wheat.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Rocky Putra, Jamie M. Waterman, Ulrike Mathesius, Dominika Wojtalewicz, Jeff R. Powell, Susan E. Hartley, Scott N. Johnson
Summary: Silicon supplementation has positive effects on nodulation and functional traits of Medicago truncatula, especially when the association with rhizobia is relatively inefficient. Silicon may play a more prominent role in rhizobial functionality than previously thought.
Article
Agronomy
Scott N. Johnson, Jeff R. Powell, Adam Frew, Ximena Cibils-Stewart
Summary: In this study, the two-way interaction between root microbial symbionts, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and silicon accumulation in plants was investigated. The results showed that silicon accumulation suppressed colonisation by AM fungi, especially in plants with high silicon accumulation capacity.
Article
Entomology
Tarikul Islam, Ben D. Moore, Scott N. Johnson
Summary: A study found that silicon (Si) affects interspecific interactions between chewing and sap-feeding insect herbivores. Si reduces the growth rate of chewing caterpillars but increases aphid abundance. The growth rate of caterpillars and aphid abundance are negatively correlated, and the reduced caterpillar growth rate on Si plants benefits aphid colonization. In addition, insect attack induces the accumulation of silicon in plants. Caterpillars prefer aphid-attacked -Si plants, while aphids prefer caterpillar-attacked +Si plants.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Felix de Tombeur, John A. Raven, Aurele Toussaint, Hans Lambers, Julia Cooke, Sue E. Hartley, Scott N. Johnson, Sylvain Coq, Ofir Katz, Jorg Schaller, Cyrille Violle
Summary: Despite previous studies focusing on Si supply and stress mitigation, the ecological significance of Si in plant biology and ecology remains understudied and challenging to capture. This paper highlights the high costs of Si accumulation and explores its potential links to fitness components, environment, and ecosystem functioning. The authors propose that Si may play a greater role in trait-based ecology than currently recognized, but knowledge gaps hinder understanding of its contribution to clade success and biome expansion.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Scott N. Johnson, Craig V. M. Barton, Fikadu N. Biru, Tarikul Islam, Wade J. Mace, Rhiannon C. Rowe, Ximena Cibils-Stewart
Summary: In a field setting, elevated atmospheric CO2 and silicon supplementation increased plant biomass, while herbivory reduced it and induced silicon accumulation. However, increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations resulted in decreased shoot silicon concentrations. Additionally, endophytic fungi negatively impacted phosphorus uptake.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Scott N. Johnson, Rebecca K. Vandegeer, Justin O. Borevitz, Susan E. Hartley, David T. Tissue, Casey R. Hall
Summary: A common garden experiment using 57 accessions of Brachypodium distachyon from different Mediterranean locations showed a negative correlation between silicon accumulation and temperature variables, as well as precipitation seasonality. However, these relationships were only observed in low-silicon soils and not in silicon-supplemented soils. These findings suggest that geographical origin and prevailing climatic conditions may influence patterns of silicon accumulation in grasses.
Article
Ecology
X. Cibils-Stewart, R. Putra, T. Islam, D. J. Fanna, R. Wuhrer, W. J. Mace, S. E. Hartley, A. J. Popay, S. N. Johnson
Summary: Plants use silicon accumulation and Epichloe-endophytes as defences against insect herbivores, but it is unclear how this affects Si-deposition on leaf surface and their impacts on insect feeding efficiency and immunity. This study found that plants with endophytes and Si supply showed increased Si concentrations, but this negatively affected herbivore feeding efficiency and immunity.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
J. M. W. Ryalls, A. N. Gherlenda, R. C. Rowe, B. D. Moore, S. N. Johnson
Summary: The accumulation of silicon (Si) has anti-herbivore defensive properties in grasses, and this study shows that Si supplementation can enhance anti-herbivore properties in lucerne (Medicago sativa) as well. Si supplementation increases plant mass and root nodulation, reduces feeding success of weevils, and can stimulate multiple anti-herbivore properties when combined with jasmonic acid application.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
