Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Milan Kumar Lal, Nitin Sharma, Sandeep B. Adavi, Eshita Sharma, Muhammad Ahsan Altaf, Rahul Kumar Tiwari, Ravinder Kumar, Awadhesh Kumar, Abhijit Dey, Vijay Paul, Brajesh Singh, Madan Pal Singh
Summary: Elevated CO2 levels and high temperature stress can significantly impact the source-sink relationship and sugar metabolism in crops. This can result in compromised crop growth and quality attributes. This review aims to provide insights for future researchers on how crops adapt their source-sink processes under changing climate scenarios.
PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Julia Maschler, Jenna Keller, Lalasia Bialic-Murphy, Constantin M. Zohner, Thomas W. Crowther
Summary: This study manipulated carbon source-sink dynamics in birch saplings to test the relevance of carbon sink limitation for autumn leaf senescence and photosynthetic decline. The results supported the hypothesis of carbon sink limitation as a driver of growing-season length and contributed to narrowing the uncertainty in climate change predictions.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Utsab Ghimire, Eleni Pliakoni, Fahong Yu, Jeffrey K. Brecht, Tie Liu
Summary: In this study, the molecular mechanisms of natural and postharvest senescence in broccoli were elucidated, and several key genes involved in senescence regulation were identified. These findings are important for understanding the aging process of broccoli and improving its postharvest quality.
POSTHARVEST BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Varucha Misra, A. K. Mall, Shamim Akhtar Ansari, Mohammad Israil Ansari
Summary: This article studies the production, accumulation, and processing of sucrose in sugarcane, as well as the role of enzymes and hormones in these processes. The four metabolizing sugar enzymes and eight phytohormones have been found to play a crucial role in sucrose biosynthesis and accumulation in sugarcane. Furthermore, the interaction between these enzymes, phytohormones, and sugar transporters has contributed to the tolerance potential of sugarcane.
JOURNAL OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Michele Faralli, Stefania Pilati, Massimo Bertamini
Summary: The balance between vegetative and reproductive growth in grapevines is crucial for grape quality and productivity. Field experiments showed that a decrease in sink availability significantly affected the physiological functionality of leaves, but only minimal effects were observed when only the grape bunches were removed.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yasuhito Sakuraba
Summary: Light plays a crucial role in regulating various biological processes during the plant life cycle, including leaf senescence and the expression of nuclear genes. Various photoreceptors in plants perceive light of specific wavelengths and induce wavelength-specific responses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Erik H. Murchie, Matthew Reynolds, Gustavo A. Slafer, M. John Foulkes, Liana Acevedo-Siaca, Lorna McAusland, Robert Sharwood, Simon Griffiths, Richard B. Flavell, Jeff Gwyn, Mark Sawkins, Elizabete Carmo-Silva
Summary: Source traits, such as photosynthesis, play a crucial role in enhancing crop yield potential. However, for a comprehensive understanding, the interactions of various processes in crop regulation, including sink activities, need to be considered. This review uses 'wiring diagrams' to integrate these interactions and examine the regulation of source traits at different stages of wheat development. The review also discusses challenges and opportunities in photosynthesis components due to canopy formation and the feedback regulation of source activity.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aleksandra Eckstein, Joanna Grzyb, Pawel Hermanowicz, Piotr Zglobicki, Justyna Labuz, Wojciech Strzalka, Dariusz Dziga, Agnieszka Katarzyna Banas
Summary: The study investigates the role of blue light photoreceptors in plant leaf senescence, finding that the symptoms of senescence were less pronounced in mutants with phototropin mutations, indicating delayed senescence in these plants. This suggests different mechanisms of phototropin involvement in regulating senescence-related processes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Fei Ding, Chuang Wang, Ning Xu, Shuoxin Zhang, Meiling Wang
Summary: This study reveals the role of the MYC2 gene in tomato leaf senescence induced by jasmonates, showing that MYC2 promotes chlorophyll degradation and inhibits photosynthesis during the process.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mauricio Tejera-Nieves, Michael Abraha, Jiquan Chen, Stephen K. Hamilton, G. Philip Robertson, Berkley Walker James
Summary: Leaf photosynthesis of perennial grasses declines from early to late summer, and water availability is associated with this decline. Despite reduced water availability, the photosynthetic decline is similar in grasses with and without rainfall exclusion, suggesting water deficit is not the sole driver of the decline. Rhizome starch accumulation and sink activity likely explain the observed photosynthetic declines towards the end of the growing season.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Younes Dellero, Mathieu Jossier, Alain Bouchereau, Michael Hodges, Laurent Leport
Summary: Leaf senescence can lead to the degradation of chloroplast components, affecting photosynthetic properties of plants; Different oilseed rape leaf phenological stages have distinct characteristics; There are contrasting water status regulations between leaves of different stages in winter oilseed rape.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Diwen Chen, Wenling Zhou, Jin Yang, Junhua Ao, Ying Huang, Dachun Shen, Yong Jiang, Zhenrui Huang, Hong Shen
Summary: Seaweed extracts (SEs) are widely used as biostimulants in crop management due to their growth-promoting and stress-resistant effects. Spraying SEs during the early elongation stage plays a vital role in promoting sugarcane growth and improving the efficiency of nutrient utilization, with better yield-increasing effects observed in years with less rainfall. Additionally, spraying SEs at the M stage can increase sucrose content and enzyme activity, contributing to higher cane yield and sucrose accumulation, especially under drought stress conditions.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Fandong Meng, Dan Liu, Yilong Wang, Shiping Wang, Tao Wang
Summary: Using NDVI, this study quantified the changes in canopy development and senescence over the Tibetan Plateau from 2000 to 2018. The study found that canopy development accelerated during the early green-up stage but decelerated during June and July. Photosynthesis was identified as the dominant driver for canopy changes, with slower development and accelerated senescence observed with larger photosynthesis in late growth stages.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hong Yang, Yongpeng Li, Yunzhou Qiao, Hongyong Sun, Wenwen Liu, Wenjun Qiao, Weiqiang Li, Mengyu Liu, Baodi Dong
Summary: Low light stress reduces wheat grain number by causing spike abortion, but the exact mechanism of how plants coordinate this process and tiller regeneration is unknown.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jyotirmaya Mathan, Anuradha Singh, Aashish Ranjan
Summary: Source-sink relationships play a crucial role in determining overall crop performance. Variations in source-sink dynamics between cultivated rice and wild rice contribute to differences in biomass and grain yield. The wild rice, Oryza australiensis, tends to prioritize the synthesis of structural carbohydrates for high biomass, while the cultivated rice, Oryza sativa cv. Nipponbare, favors high grain yield through the accumulation of transitory starch in the stem. Vascular features, sucrose transport, and sugar metabolic enzyme functions explain these differences in source-sink relationships.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Andrew M. Cunliffe, Karen Anderson, Fabio Boschetti, Richard E. Brazier, Hugh A. Graham, Isla H. Myers-Smith, Thomas Astor, Matthias M. Boer, Leonor G. Calvo, Patrick E. Clark, Michael D. Cramer, Miguel S. Encinas-Lara, Stephen M. Escarzaga, Jose M. Fernandez-Guisuraga, Adrian G. Fisher, Katerina Gdulova, Breahna M. Gillespie, Anne Griebel, Niall P. Hanan, Muhammad S. Hanggito, Stefan Haselberger, Caroline A. Havrilla, Phil Heilman, Wenjie Ji, Jason W. Karl, Mario Kirchhoff, Sabine Kraushaar, Mitchell B. Lyons, Irene Marzolff, Marguerite E. Mauritz, Cameron D. McIntire, Daniel Metzen, Luis A. Mendez-Barroso, Simon C. Power, Jiri Prosek, Enoc Sanz-Ablanedo, Katherine J. Sauer, Damian Schulze-Bruninghoff, Petra Simova, Stephen Sitch, Julian L. Smit, Caiti M. Steele, Susana Suarez-Seoane, Sergio A. Vargas, Miguel Villarreal, Fleur Visser, Michael Wachendorf, Hannes Wirnsberger, Robert Wojcikiewicz
Summary: This study developed a new protocol for photogrammetric height using UAV images to standardized measurements of biomass across a globally distributed field experiment. Canopy height inferred from UAV photogrammetry was found to strongly predict aboveground biomass across different plant species, providing accurate estimates. The photogrammetric approach proved to be sensitive to wind speed but robust in providing generalizable measurements across different growth forms and environments, demonstrating its potential for accurately estimating biomass in various ecosystems.
REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
H. -j. Hawkins, Z. -s. Venter, M. D. Cramer
Summary: Holistic Management (HM) is claimed to increase production of plants and animals, as well as soil organic carbon under all conditions, but peer-reviewed studies do not support these claims. Studies in the United States, Argentina, and South Africa found that HM either had no effect or reduced production, while the potential for increased carbon sequestration with changed grazing management is substantially lower than estimated by non-peer-reviewed HM literature.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Taryn L. Morris, Nichole N. Barger, Michael D. Cramer
Summary: The regulation of invasive species by indigenous generalist herbivores plays a significant role in ecosystem resistance. This study found that herbivory by striped mice is a major factor affecting the survival of Acacia cyclops seedlings, and it is influenced by vegetation density and canopy openness.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mingzhen Lu, William J. Bond, Efrat Sheffer, Michael D. Cramer, Adam G. West, Nicky Allsopp, Edmund C. February, Samson Chimphango, Zeqing Ma, Jasper A. Slingsby, Lars O. Hedin
Summary: Recent research suggests that plant root traits play a crucial role in shaping biome boundaries and maintaining plant communities. The study conducted in South Africa revealed that thin-rooted plant strategies are favored in biomes with low soil resources, and these strategies, along with intense belowground competition, help maintain the sharp boundary between different biomes. The findings challenge the traditional belief that external abiotic factors primarily determine biome boundaries and highlight the importance of internal biotic mechanisms in maintaining these boundaries.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jeremy J. Midgley, Michael D. Cramer
Summary: This study found significant differences between female and male plants in terms of sexual reproduction and vegetative growth. Female plants tend to allocate more resources to sexual reproduction, while male plants prioritize vegetative growth. However, the sex ratios and basal stem areas are equal between the sexes. This suggests that plant traits are not only related to nutrition, but also to reproduction.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Johanna R. C. J. von Holdt, Jeremy J. Midgley, Christopher D. von Holdt, Michael Cramer
Summary: The origins of regularly spaced mounded landscapes worldwide remains a mystery, including the Mima-like heuweltjies in South Africa. This study explored the hypothesis that these mounds retain some characteristics of aeolian deposition known as nabkhas. Aerial surveys and sedimentological analysis were conducted, revealing no evidence of heuweltjie origins as nabkhas based on mound morphology, spatial distribution, or sediment characteristics. Instead, the elongated downslope shape and steeper downslope flanks suggest soil creep and water erosion as the primary factors. This study suggests that hydrological processes and the redistribution of aeolian sediments contribute to the spatial pattern and morphology of heuweltjies.
Article
Ecology
Michael D. Cramer, David W. Hedding, Michelle Greve, Guy F. Midgley, Brad S. Ripley
Summary: Extreme changes in temperature, rainfall, and wind regimes have been correlated with plant species range expansion upslope on sub-Antarctic islands. However, non-climatic characteristics, such as soil and topographic factors, may limit the capacity for range shifts and survival of vascular plant species.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Yuwei Mao, Ella Catherall, Aranzazu Diaz-Ramos, George R. L. Greiff, Stavros Azinas, Laura Gunn, Alistair J. McCormick
Summary: Rubisco catalyses the first rate-limiting step in CO2 fixation and is responsible for the majority of organic carbon in the biosphere. The small subunit plays a crucial role in regulating the size of the Rubisco pool and the overall catalytic efficiency, making it a potential target for engineering to enhance Rubisco performance.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lauren A. Mills, Jose Angel Moreno-Cabezuelo, Artur Wlodarczyk, Angelo J. Victoria, Rebeca Mejias, Anja Nenninger, Simon Moxon, Paolo Bombelli, Tiago T. Selao, Alistair J. McCormick, David J. Lea-Smith
Summary: PCC 11901 is a cyanobacterium that demonstrates the highest and most sustained growth under optimized conditions. It has superior light use, reduced photoinhibition, and higher photosynthetic and respiratory rates compared to other model cyanobacteria. This study establishes PCC 11901 as a promising species for cyanobacterial biotechnology and provides valuable tools and strains for advancing this field.
Article
Plant Sciences
Liat Adler, Aranzazu Diaz-Ramos, Yuwei Mao, Krzysztof Robin Pukacz, Chenyi Fei, Alistair J. McCormick
Summary: This review discusses recent advances in understanding the pyrenoid-based CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM) in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the engineering progress in C3 plants. Key findings include the potential benefits of Rubisco condensation and the minimal components required for a functional CCM.
Article
Ecology
T. K. Aikins, M. D. Cramer, R. L. Thomson
Summary: In arid environments, the presence of sociable weaver nests alters soil properties and enhances nutrient concentrations under trees, but the area under the nests remains devoid of vegetation due to physiological drought and nutrient toxicity.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Stephni van der Merwe, Michelle Greve, Andrew Luke Skowno, Michael Timm Hoffman, Michael Denis Cramer
Summary: The updating and rethinking of vegetation classifications are crucial for monitoring ecosystems in a changing world. However, the assumption of discrete and persistent plant communities that can be efficiently monitored is rarely tested. This study tested the ability to classify species-poor vegetation on Marion Island using objective techniques and compared it to previous classifications. The results showed that species composition alone is not sufficient to classify plots into previously suggested vegetation units, suggesting that species-level monitoring may be more suitable in species-poor environments.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Maurice Mager, Hugo Pineda Hernandez, Fabian Brandenburg, Luis Lopez-Maury, Alistair J. McCormick, Dennis J. Nuernberg, Tim Orthwein, David A. Russo, Angelo Joshua Victoria, Xiaoran Wang, Julie A. Z. Zedler, Filipe Branco dos Santos, Nicolas M. Schmelling
Summary: In recent years, many new synthetic biology tools have been developed for use in cyanobacteria. However, the reported characterizations of these tools often cannot be reproduced, which greatly limits comparability of results and applicability. This study assessed the reproducibility of a standard microbiological experiment in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and found significant differences in spectrophotometer measurements and growth rates between laboratories. These findings highlight the need for additional reporting requirements of growth conditions for phototrophic organisms beyond light intensity and CO2 supply.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Michael D. Cramer, G. Anthony Verboom
Summary: The high species richness in Mediterranean ecosystems is attributed to multiple mechanisms, including resource availability, spatial and temporal heterogeneity, and biotic feedbacks. Water availability and nutrient scarcity are important factors influencing species richness.
Article
Plant Sciences
Timothy K. Aikins, Robert L. Thomson, Michael D. Cramer
Summary: Islands of fertility associated with tree/shrub patches in arid grasslands create spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients. Faunal activities under these trees/shrubs may contribute to diverse characteristics of these fertile patches of soil due to different faecal inputs. We investigated the diversity in islands of fertility in the Kalahari Desert and found that the faecal input of sociable weavers accounts for the growth differences in these islands.
Article
Agronomy
Cevat Eser, Suleyman Soylu, Hakan Ozkan
Summary: Drought is a pressing issue worldwide, and selecting wheat genotypes adapted to changing climatic conditions is crucial. This study evaluated 156 bread wheat genotypes, including landraces and modern varieties, under different drought treatments. The results showed that landraces had higher yield stability and protein content under drought stress, suggesting their potential for developing drought-tolerant modern wheat varieties. Effective utilization of landraces in breeding programs is important for developing climate-resilient wheat varieties.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Agronomy
Jagdeep Singh, Audrey Gamble, Steve Brown, Todd B. Campbell, Johnie Jenkins, Jenny Koebernick, Paul C. Bartley III, Alvaro Sanz-Saez
Summary: This study evaluated the changes in nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency, and yield of 20 cotton cultivars released in the USA between 1953 and 2018. The results showed that modern cotton cultivars have increased total nutrient uptake but slower improvement in nutrient use efficiency. The findings highlight the potential for enhanced nutrient uptake traits in cotton.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Agronomy
Elisa Erbetta, Laura Echarte, Maria Eugenia Sanz Smachetti, Nadia Gabbanelli, Maria Mercedes Echarte
Summary: This study investigated the effects of different combinations of photoperiod sensitivity, sweet-stalk, and bmr traits on sorghum biomass yield and allocation, and discussed the implications for bioenergy production.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Agronomy
Wenqing Zuo, Baojian Wu, Yuxuan Wang, Shouzhen Xu, Minzhi Chen, Fubin Liang, Jingshan Tian, Wangfeng Zhang
Summary: This study assessed the impact of different row spacing configurations and irrigation amounts on cotton photosynthesis and fiber quality. The results showed that under adequate irrigation, RS76L could be a suitable replacement for RS66+10H to improve fiber quality.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2024)