Article
Plant Sciences
Hui Gao, Xiaoman Suo, Ling Zhao, Xinlei Ma, Ruhong Cheng, Genping Wang, Haoshan Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the evolution and expression patterns of MADS genes in Setaria and Panicum virgatum. SiMADS51 and SiMADS64 may play a role in the ABA-dependent drought response pathway. The MADS gene family, which regulates plant growth, reproduction, and responses to abiotic stress, was analyzed in foxtail millet, green millet, and switchgrass using bioinformatics. Phylogenetic analysis categorized the genes into M and MIKC types, with similar motif distribution and gene structure. The expansion of this gene family was mainly due to segmental duplication, while a shrinking trend was observed in the three species. Purifying selection and positive selection sites were identified in the MADS genes, and many promoters contained stress and hormonal response-related cis-elements. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analysis supported changes in SiMADS gene expression under various treatments. This study provides new insights into the evolution and expansion of the MADS family and lays the foundation for further research on their functions.
PLANT CELL REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rita K. Hayford, Desalegn D. Serba, Shaojun Xie, Vasudevan Ayyappan, Jyothi Thimmapuram, Malay C. Saha, Cathy H. Wu, Venu Kal Kalavacharla
Summary: This study investigated the response of switchgrass to combined drought and high temperature stress using transcriptomic approaches. The results showed that the combination of drought and high temperature stress affects the photosynthetic machinery and phenylpropanoid pathway of switchgrass, negatively impacting lignin synthesis and biomass production.
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Karolina Furtak, Agnieszka Wolinska
Summary: Climate change is progressing and its effects are already visible worldwide. Floods and droughts, which are associated with climate change, have reached extreme levels in recent years and researchers warn that these phenomena will continue to worsen. Reports show a 60% increase in extreme weather events, including hydrological phenomena, in Europe over the past three decades. Water shortages and surpluses have significant impacts on the soil environment, ultimately affecting crop growth and agricultural sectors. Understanding the effects of floods and droughts on soil microbiome is crucial for assessing the implications for agriculture and global food security.
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. S. Duden, P. A. Verweij, Y. V. Kraak, L. P. H. van Beek, N. Wanders, D. J. Karssenberg, E. H. Sutanudjaja, F. van der Hilst
Summary: The study assesses the impacts of ethanol-driven sugarcane expansion on agricultural and hydrological drought in Brazil, revealing higher risks of drought in the Central West and Southeast regions, which could lead to significant agricultural losses and water scarcity issues. Policy makers can use this information to take precautionary measures to mitigate the negative hydrological impacts of increased ethanol demand.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xupeng Sun, Peiyu Lai, Shujing Wang, Lisheng Song, Mingguo Ma, Xujun Han
Summary: In this study, extreme drought events in southwest China were analyzed using the GLDAS root zone soil moisture data set. A Standardized Soil Moisture Drought Index (SSMI) was calculated to quantitatively define and describe the duration, frequency, and severity of drought events in the region. The results showed an apparent upward trend in the frequency and intensity of drought before 2014, followed by a downward trend since 2014. The study also compared the performance of SSMI with other commonly used drought indices, and found that SSMI is more sensitive to drought in southwest China. Furthermore, the GLDAS soil moisture data proved to be useful in studying drought at a small regional scale.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sourav Mukherjee, Ashok Kumar Mishra
Summary: Flash drought (FD) has received significant attention, but the differences in FD definitions and methodologies, as well as the choice of data sources, highlight the uncertainties in global FD characteristics. This study compares two key FD indicators and finds significant disparities across different climate regions. The results highlight the spatial drivers of FD frequency, intensity, and their evolution, potentially related to background aridity. Changes in precipitation, temperature, vapor pressure deficit, and soil-temperature coupling play important roles in the evolution of FD. Overall, the results emphasize the necessity of nuanced methodologies for deriving FD indicators that can couple rapid soil-moisture depletion rates with changes in atmospheric evaporative demand, which has direct implications for vegetation health.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marissa R. Lee, Christine Hawkes
Summary: The study suggests that Sebacinales are less diverse, common, and abundant compared to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in switchgrass, and their co-occurrence patterns are relatively few. Although Sebacinales increase relative to Glomeromycota in soils with higher carbon content, their impact on soil carbon and nutrient cycling may be limited, indicating a need to reassess their potential applications in agriculture.
PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Adam B. Cobb, Eric B. Duell, Kaitlin B. Haase, R. Michael Miller, Yanqi Q. Wu, Gail W. T. Wilson
Summary: This passage discusses the importance of mycorrhizal symbioses in agricultural production and the impact of low-input selective breeding on plant-fungal interactions. By enhancing plant mycorrhizal responsiveness and phosphorus uptake, more sustainable and economical agricultural production can be achieved.
PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Pan Zhang, Tianqi Duo, Fengdan Wang, Xunzhong Zhang, Zouzhuan Yang, Guofu Hu
Summary: Our study revealed that alkaline salt stress significantly altered membrane, osmotic adjustment, and antioxidant systems in switchgrass roots, with divergent responses between Alamo and AM-314/MS-155 at different time points. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Alamo was higher than in AM-314/MS-155, indicating potential differences in alkaline salt tolerance mechanisms between the two genotypes.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Chengyun Wang, Jie Chen, Lei Gu, Guiyang Wu, Shanlin Tong, Lihua Xiong, Chong-Yu Xu
Summary: Soil moisture drought is influenced by both water supply and demand. Previous studies have used statistical multiple linear regression, machine learning, and modeling experiments to understand the mechanisms driving soil moisture drought, but these methods fail to consider the collinearity and interactions of climate variables. This study used a path analysis method to quantify the contributions of key drivers to soil moisture drought and revealed the relationships between atmospheric movement state and soil moisture drought. The results showed that precipitation deficits had a dominant effect on interannual variation of soil moisture drought, while increasing potential evapotranspiration only marginally intensified drought. The interactions among precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and atmospheric vapor movement state were important for understanding drought development mechanisms.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Moriah Sandy, Tina I. Bui, Kenia Segura Aba, Nestor Ruiz, John Paszalek, Elise W. Connor, Christine V. Hawkes
Summary: The chemical interactions between fungal endophytes and plant leaves are likely to be the key mechanism affecting plant phenotypic traits. This study found that multiple fungal strains share functional similarities in their effects on plant growth and physiology under unstressed conditions. Plant metabolomics profiles were correlated with fungal treatments, and specific metabolites were associated with plant trait variation. These findings have implications for the development of metabolites as crop management tools.
Article
Plant Sciences
Kira Tiedge, Xingxing Li, Amy T. Merrill, Danielle Davisson, Yuxuan Chen, Ping Yu, Dean J. Tantillo, Robert L. Last, Philipp Zerbe
Summary: By analyzing the tissue-specific transcriptome and metabolites of different drought-tolerant genotypes of switchgrass, this study reveals the association between drought tolerance and specialized metabolic pathways. Specific diterpenoids in switchgrass roots accumulate under drought conditions, while triterpenoid abundance remains unchanged.
Article
Agronomy
Ali Akbarzadeh, Ali Shahnazari, Mirkhalegh Ziatabar Ahmadi, Mohammad Akbarzadeh
Summary: This study investigated the effects of varying irrigation volume and placement on drip-irrigated peppermint. Results showed that moderate water deficit did not negatively affect the growth of peppermint, but significantly increased essential oil yield and ratio. Therefore, it is recommended to apply moderate water deficit with PRD70 and PRD55 techniques for significant water-saving and reasonable yield.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Ye Zhu, Yi Liu, Wen Wang, Vijay P. Singh, Liliang Ren
Summary: This study presents a global view on the propagation of meteorological to soil moisture drought using a copula-based probabilistic model. Results revealed differences in the probability of soil moisture drought under meteorological drought conditions across different regions.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alex C. Johnson, Thomas H. Pendergast, Srinivasa Chaluvadi, Jeffrey L. Bennetzen, Katrien M. Devos
Summary: This study investigated the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on miRNA expression in switchgrass. Through miRNA analysis and degradome sequencing, it was found that both upland and lowland genotypes, as well as upland-lowland hybrids, responded to mycorrhizal symbiosis and targets of miRNAs involved in symbiosis were identified. Copper miRNA downregulation was common amongst the different genotypes, and superoxide dismutases and laccases were among the identified targets.
Article
Ecology
Bryan L. Brown, Jacob N. Barney
Summary: Invasion biology has combined both basic science and its application, and must continue to adopt new frameworks and paradigms to progress. The development of metacommunity theory, emphasizing multi-scale processes, has made significant contributions to invasion biology. The theory, focusing on dispersal dynamics and community structure, addresses key issues in invasion biology and can provide tools for control and management of invasive species.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Oluwafemi Oyedeji, Matthew Langholtz, Chad Hellwinckel, Erin Webb
Summary: This analysis explores the valuation of feedstock quality attributes of switchgrass and miscanthus, showing that miscanthus is more efficient at conversion to biofuels than switchgrass, with an expected 11% price premium for miscanthus. By adding this price premium, supplies of miscanthus are projected to increase significantly.
BIOFUELS BIOPRODUCTS & BIOREFINING-BIOFPR
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Christopher C. Dickinson, John G. Jelesko, Jacob N. Barney
Summary: The native US vine Toxicodendron radicans, also known as poison ivy, is a competitive weed causing contact dermatitis in humans. Field studies showed that poison ivy seeds were more likely to initially colonize forest interiors, but seedlings were less likely to survive in the less competitive environment of forest interiors.
Article
Forestry
Rachel K. Brooks, Jacob N. Barney, Scott M. Salom
Summary: The invasive tree-of-heaven, Ailanthus altissima, has been linked to a decrease in native plant species and diversity in the understory, but not in the seedbank. Additionally, nonnative woody diversity increases with the presence of A. altissima, and the impact on the nativity of the woody understory becomes more severe over time.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Daniel Zachariah Atwater, Jacob N. Barney
Summary: This study found that climatic niche shifts can impact the transferability of native- and introduced-range species distribution models, especially for species with large niche shifts. Considering niche shifts is crucial when modeling the potential geographic distributions of introduced species, as native-range data are often used to predict introduced-range distributions.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Matthew Langholtz, Maggie Davis, Laurence Eaton, Michael Hilliard, Craig Brandt, Erin Webb, Chad Hellwinckel, Nicole Samu, Damon Hartley, Daniela Jones
Summary: The study examines the changes in feedstock cost and cost variability of an industry based on corn stover with increasing number of biorefineries. Results show that price is most sensitive to harvest efficiency, with about half of the US corn stover resource reliably available with minimum cost increase and variability under conventional logistics.
BIOFUELS BIOPRODUCTS & BIOREFINING-BIOFPR
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Abishek Kasturi, Sotira Yiacoumi, Matthew Langholtz, Joanna McFarlane, Ingrid Busch, Michael Hilliard, Costas Tsouris
Summary: BECCS can generate electricity at competitive costs and reduce emissions while removing CO2. By 2035, approximately 73% of coal power plants in the U.S. are expected to retire.
Review
Plant Sciences
Gourav Sharma, Jacob N. Barney, James H. Westwood, David C. Haak
Summary: Weeds, as a unique group of stress tolerators, have evolved traits that enable them to rapidly adapt to harsh environments. Studying weeds can provide insights into weed management and crop improvement by gaining a deeper understanding of their mechanisms, adaptations, and genetic and physiological bases for stress tolerance.
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Education & Educational Research
David C. Haak, Scott Salom, Jacob N. Barney, Todd Schenk, Vasiliy T. Lakoba, Rachel K. Brooks, Rebecca A. Fletcher, Jeremiah R. Foley, Ariel Heminger, Lauren D. Maynard, Philip McElmurray, Hye-Jeong Seo, Gourav Sharma
Summary: Many graduate training programs recognize the importance of policy in global change, but few directly engage with diverse stakeholders. This study presents the results of a course that provided students with an immersive experience focusing on the flow of information between science, advocacy, policymaking, and management as they relate to invasive species.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESEARCH
(2022)
Letter
Ecology
Emily M. X. Reed, Todd Schenk, Bryan L. Brown, Haldre Rogers, David C. Haak, Joseph C. Drake, Jacob N. Barney
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Daniel C. Brainard, Erin R. Haramoto, Ramon G. Leon, James J. Kells, Lee R. Van Wychen, Pratap Devkota, Mithila Jugulam, Jacob N. Barney
Summary: The study conducted an online survey to identify research priorities and gaps in weed science in the United States and Canada. The results provide valuable insights for policymakers, funding agencies, and academic institutions in allocating resources. The survey highlights the importance of cultural and preventative weed management, precision weed management, and robotics, as well as the possible mismatch between research priorities and expertise in certain areas.
Article
Biology
Emily M. X. Reed, Sara Cathey, Cameron Braswell, Prashasti Agarwal, Jacob N. Barney, Bryan L. Brown, Ariel Heminger, Ayda Kianmehr, Scott Salom, Todd Schenk, Gourav Sharma, David C. Haak
Summary: Despite the awareness of the threats of biological invasions, governments struggle to effectively prevent and control invasive species. A coordinated response, based on scientific research and attentive to the dynamics of policy-making, is crucial. A comprehensive survey of invasion-related laws and regulations in 21 eastern US states revealed inconsistencies in state policies regarding invasive species designation, particularly for invertebrate taxa.
Article
Ecology
Carolyn A. Copenheaver, John A. Peterson, Kyrille Goldbeck DeBose, Jacob N. Barney
Summary: Writings by naturalists in the 18(th) century provide detailed accounts of the flora, agricultural practices, and ecological and cultural landscape during the migration period to North America. Through a mixed methods approach, we compared the percentages of non-native and native plant species recorded, quantified the prevalence of non-native plants across eastern North America, and qualitatively evaluated descriptions of these plants. The writings revealed the introduction and establishment of numerous non-native plants during this time, particularly in densely populated human settlements and agricultural areas. Some of these non-native plants have become invasive species, posing a threat to native North American flora.
Article
Horticulture
Dongfang Zhou, Jacob N. Barney, Gregory E. Welbaum
Summary: The study revealed that the mucilage produced by sweet-basil fruit/seeds improves seed germination and early seedling development by providing a reservoir of loosely bound water at high water potential. The mucilage did not interfere with hydration and removal of mucilage did not inhibit seed germination. Seeds with mucilage showed higher seedling emergence and survival percentages compared to seeds without mucilage.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alyssa Laney Smith, Daniel Z. Atwater, Wonjae Kim, David C. Haak, Jacob N. Barney
Summary: This study found that biomass production in Johnsongrass varied significantly depending on competitor identity, soil fertility treatments, and among accessions. In competition, Johnsongrass produced 32% less biomass and 20% less rhizome mass with a conspecific than when competing interspecifically with corn, suggesting species-specific competitive responses and changes in rhizome allocation in response to neighbor identity.
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yanru Feng, Muhammad Shahedul Alam, Feng Yan, Michael Frei
Summary: Tropospheric ozone has significant effects on the remobilization and allocation efficiency of aboveground biomass and nutrients in cereal crops. Long-term ozone exposure increases straw C:N ratio and affects grain C:N ratio. Grain N concentrations increase significantly under ozone stress, but N yield declines due to grain yield losses. Various indicators of N use efficiency are reduced, indicating reduced N absorption from soil and allocation from vegetative to reproductive organs. Straw C:N ratio is not suitable for predicting wheat productivity. Nitrogen harvest index (NHI) is not affected by ozone stress, but the relationship between harvest index (HI) and NHI is changed by elevated ozone concentration.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cong Guan, Wei Li, Guoliang Wang, Ruimei Yang, Jinglei Zhang, Jinhong Zhang, Bo Wu, Run Gao, Chunlin Jia
Summary: This study characterized the expression profiles of mRNAs and ncRNAs in switchgrass under drought stress. The up-regulated mRNAs were enriched in starch and sucrose metabolism pathway, while the differentially expressed lncRNAs potentially regulated protein-coding genes. The study also constructed regulatory networks and validated the functionality of the target gene PvSS4 in enhancing drought tolerance.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Juan Nicolas-Espinosa, Lucia Yepes-Molina, Fuensanta Martinez-Bernal, Miriam Fernandez-Pozurama, Micaela Carvajal
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the physiological response of broccoli leaves to abiotic stresses such as salinity and boron toxicity/deficiency. The results showed that the combined stress of salinity and boron deficiency resulted in a significant reduction in plant biomass, and the adaptation mechanisms were associated with water and boron concentration in the leaves. The expression patterns of PIP aquaporins varied among the different stress treatments, and their presence in the plasma membrane and interaction with the lipid environment played potential regulatory roles in facilitating salinity-boron stress adaptation mechanisms.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wen-Feng Huang, Juan Li, Jian-An Huang, Zhong-Hua Liu, Li-Gui Xiong
Summary: This review examines the seasonal trends of phyllosphere microorganisms in woody and herbaceous plants and explores the factors influencing these trends. While herbaceous and woody plants share some similarities and differences in their phyllosphere microbiomes, further experimental validation is needed.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Changguang Liao, Hui Shen, Zihan Gao, Yunshu Wang, Zhiguo Zhu, Qiaoli Xie, Ting Wu, Guoping Chen, Zongli Hu
Summary: The novel CRF, SlCRF6, plays a crucial role in regulating tomato plant morphology, leaf development, and the accumulation of photosynthetic products.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alok Madhu, Alok Sharma, Amandeep Kaur, Kashmir Singh, Santosh Kumar Upadhyay
Summary: In this study, 15 TaMDHAR genes were identified in bread wheat and their crucial roles in antioxidants, growth and development, and stress responses were revealed.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kai Zheng, Yongsheng Cai, Yanying Qu, Lu Teng, Chaoyue Wang, Jie Gao, Quanjia Chen
Summary: In this study, the whole genome identification and bioinformatics analysis of the HCT gene family were performed in G. barbadense. The results showed that the GbHCT114 gene regulates plant trichome development, which is closely related to cotton fiber quality. Gene silencing and overexpression experiments confirmed the important role of GbHCT114 gene in cotton fiber morphology, lignin content, and secondary xylem duct cell wall development. Transcriptomic analysis identified differentially expressed genes associated with lignin synthesis and fiber development.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tanashvi Seth, Sejal Asija, Shahid Umar, Ravi Gupta
Summary: Plants activate a sophisticated signaling cascade in response to pests and pathogens, with lipids playing a crucial role in mediating these defense responses. Different types of lipids are involved in cell signaling during plant-pathogen interaction and each lipid has specific relevance and contributes to specific signaling cascades. Lipid biosynthetic enzymes, including phospholipases, are involved in the production of defense signaling molecules. Lipids participate in stress signaling by mediating signal transduction, acting as precursors for bioactive molecules, regulating ROS formation, and interacting with phytohormones.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yangyang Chen, Xiao Wu, Xiaohua Wang, Qionghou Li, Hao Yin, Shaoling Zhang
Summary: 'Nanguo' pears emit a rich aroma when fully ripe, and the important volatile components are the six-carbon compounds derived from the lipoxygenase pathway. This study identified a highly expressed bZIP transcription factor that is induced during the mature stage of 'Nanguo' pears, and demonstrated its regulatory role in fatty acid-derived volatile biosynthesis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhao Geng, Haikuan Dou, Jianguang Liu, Guiyuan Zhao, Linlin Liu, Ning Zhao, Hanshuang Zhang, Yongqiang Wang, Zetong An
Summary: The overexpression of GhFB15 gene decreases the salt tolerance of Arabidopsis plants, while silencing the gene improves the salt tolerance of cotton plants. Furthermore, GhFB15 regulates the accumulation of flavonoids and the levels of ROS.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Linjun Cai, Ancheng Ma, Jiao Lei, Chongsheng He
Summary: METTL4 is identified as a plant DNA 6mA methyltransferase in Arabidopsis thaliana and plays a crucial role in regulating heat stress response.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zailong Tian, Kun Li, Yaru Sun, Baojun Chen, Zhaoe Pan, Zhenzhen Wang, Baoyin Pang, Shoupu He, Yuchen Miao, Xiongming Du
Summary: Plants have evolved a mechanism called 'stress memory' to survive in various environmental stresses. This study reveals the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying drought stress memory formation in cotton, highlighting the role of histone modification H3K4me3 in regulating transcriptional memory. It also investigates the intergenerational inheritance of drought stress memory in cotton, providing theoretical guidance for cotton breeding.