Adaptation of Crops to the Environment under Climate Change: Physiological and Agronomic Strategies

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 10577

Special Issue Editor

Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Interests: abiotic stress tolerance; drought; salinity; potassium transport; arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis; science communication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is a major threat to food production worldwide. Rain patterns and temperature are changing in many producing areas, affecting yields and diseases which affect different crops. Developing strategies to cope with this new scenario is a major challenge for XXI agronomy. This ambitious objective cannot be undertaken with a single strategy, so solutions may come from biotechnology, microbiology, ecophysiology, engineering and organic farming. In this topic, we want to compile papers related to the adaptation of crops to climate change, accepting papers from different areas and disciplines, as long as they are focused on the mentioned objective. We are also interested in novel technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 or new breeding techniques with high potential for use in the development of novel and improved crops, able to maintain yield under the novel conditions imposed by climate change.

For this Special Issue, we welcome papers related to the following topics:

  • Biotechnological improvement of crops to enhance adaptation to climate change.
  • Use of biostimulants, PGPR or mycorrhizal fungi to improve crop adaptation to climate change.
  • Field studies under new conditions imposed by climate change.
  • Organic farming strategies to adapt crops to climate change.
  • Ecophysiological studies of crop plants under abiotic stress conditions.
  • Metabolic engineering of phytohormones for abiotic stress tolerance.

Dr. Rosa Porcel
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • abiotic stress
  • climate change
  • PGPR
  • biostimulant
  • mycorrhizal
  • stress tolerance

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 204 KiB  
Editorial
The Adaptation of Crops to the Environment under Climate Change: Physiological and Agronomic Strategies
by Rosa Porcel
Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 938; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030938 - 22 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1078
Abstract
As the world population is increasing continuously, there is a constant reduction in global arable land due to an increased demographic pressure [...] Full article

Research

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 2380 KiB  
Article
Physiological Responses of Chickpea Genotypes to Cold and Heat Stress in Flowering Stage
by Mareen Zeitelhofer, Rong Zhou and Carl-Otto Ottosen
Agronomy 2022, 12(11), 2755; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112755 - 05 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1276
Abstract
Due to climate change, more temperature extremes are expected in the future, potentially endangering agricultural production. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important cool-season food legume grown worldwide; however, cold and heat episodes are major threats in chickpea production that cause considerable [...] Read more.
Due to climate change, more temperature extremes are expected in the future, potentially endangering agricultural production. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important cool-season food legume grown worldwide; however, cold and heat episodes are major threats in chickpea production that cause considerable yield losses especially at the flowering stage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological performance of contrasting chickpea genotypes during the flowering phase under cold and heat. Four chickpea genotypes (Desi, Eldorado, Acc#2 and Acc#7) with different temperature susceptibilities were treated for 3 days under cold (9/4 °C) and heat (38/33 °C). The results showed that cold stress reduced the maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) by 5%, net photosynthetic rate (PN) by 74%, and chlorophyll a+b content by 31% on average in all tested genotypes. Up to a 9-fold increase in the amount of starch was found in the leaves of plants under cold stress, indicating that carbohydrates strongly accumulated in chickpeas under cold stress. This helps to maintain the vegetative and generative organs and enable fast recovery. Under heat stress, chickpeas maintained Fv/Fm and PN, although chlorophyll a+b content decreased by 39% on average. Carbohydrates did not accumulate under heat in chickpeas; thereby, a reduction in biomass and reproductive organs took place. Genetic variation in response to cold and heat stress was detected among the tested flowering chickpea genotypes. Desi and Acc#2 were cold-sensitive candidates, and Eldorado was a cold-tolerant candidate, whereas Acc#7 and Acc#2 were heat-sensitive candidates, while Desi and Eldorado were heat-tolerant candidates. This study provides important knowledge on the physiological response of flowering chickpeas under cold and heat stress. This will benefit the identification of stress-tolerant chickpea genotypes to ensure high yields in the future climate. Full article
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14 pages, 2050 KiB  
Article
Wood Vinegar Impact on the Growth and Low-Temperature Tolerance of Rapeseed Seedlings
by Kunmiao Zhu, Jiahuan Liu, Tao Luo, Kangkang Zhang, Zaid Khan, Yu Zhou, Tai Cheng, Baozhong Yuan, Xitian Peng and Liyong Hu
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2453; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102453 - 10 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2800
Abstract
Low temperature seriously affects the growth of crops and poses a huge threat to food production. The application of wood vinegar can be used as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategy to promote crop growth and enhance stress resistance, and the physiological resistance [...] Read more.
Low temperature seriously affects the growth of crops and poses a huge threat to food production. The application of wood vinegar can be used as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategy to promote crop growth and enhance stress resistance, and the physiological resistance to low-temperature stress of rapeseed still needs further research. The present study investigated the effects of spraying wood vinegar on the growth, photosynthesis, osmotic adjustment, and antioxidant enzymes of rapeseed seedlings under low-temperature stress. The results showed that spraying wood vinegar at normal temperature reduced the stomatal conductance but increased the leaf area and total biomass of rapeseed and enhanced stomatal density and water use efficiency. The leaf area and total biomass of rapeseed sprayed with wood vinegar at low temperature improved by 22% and 31%, respectively, and stomatal density and water use efficiency increased by 14% and 83%, respectively, and intercellular CO2 concentration and stomatal conductance were reduced by 9% and 41%, compared to the low-temperature, respectively. Besides, the application of wood vinegar liquid improved the proline, soluble protein, and soluble sugar content of leaves by 208%, 38%, and 115%, respectively, and the activity of superoxide dismutase increased by 27%, the content of malondialdehyde decreased by 46%, compared to the low-temperature. Spraying wood vinegar could alleviate low-temperature stress by improving the anti-oxidant enzyme content and osmoprotectants, reducing the stomatal conductance, and enhancing water use efficiency. These results provide new insights for wood vinegar to relieve the low-temperature stress of rapeseed, and this strategy can be used for low-temperature rapeseed cultivation and management, and benefit farmers’ plant profit. Full article
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14 pages, 1844 KiB  
Article
Melatonin Pretreatment Alleviated Inhibitory Effects of Drought Stress by Enhancing Anti-Oxidant Activities and Accumulation of Higher Proline and Plant Pigments and Improving Maize Productivity
by Nasib Gul, Zia Ul Haq, Hina Ali, Fazal Munsif, Syed Shams ul Hassan and Simona Bungau
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2398; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102398 - 04 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1575
Abstract
Drought stress has been shown to have harmful effects on crop productivity worldwide, including in Pakistan, due to rapid climate change scenarios. Extensive work has been reported on the influential role of melatonin (MEL) in either foliar or seed-primed applications; however, its role [...] Read more.
Drought stress has been shown to have harmful effects on crop productivity worldwide, including in Pakistan, due to rapid climate change scenarios. Extensive work has been reported on the influential role of melatonin (MEL) in either foliar or seed-primed applications; however, its role in root application is seldom reported. We investigated plant biochemical responses, including anti-oxidants, plant pigments, leaf water characteristics, and maize crop production, with MEL treatment under mild and severe drought stress. Maize Cvar. Jalal was subjected to drought stress (60% and 80% of full irrigation) at the four-leaf stage, and MEL was applied as pretreatment with irrigation water at different doses (0, 100, and 200µM). The findings of the study revealed that the Chl a, b, and a + b contents and the carotenoid content significantly increased with MEL application during severe and mild drought stress. After applying 200 µM MEL, leaf water attributes, comprising relative water content (RWC), leaf water content (LWC), and relative saturation deficit (RSD), increased by 1.9%, 100%, and 71.2%, respectively, during mild drought and 17%, 133%, and 32% under severe drought. The anti-oxidant activities of POD, CAT, and APX were remarkably enhanced with MEL during drought stress. Our results showed that root application of 200 µM melatonin boosted seed yield and water productivity by 31% and 38%, and plant biomass increased by 32% and 29% under mild and severe drought stressors compared to plants with no MEL, leading to increased drought tolerance. Full article
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19 pages, 1314 KiB  
Article
Enhancement of Clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) Shade Tolerance and Nitrogen Fixation under Dense Stands-Based Cropping Systems
by Wael Toukabri, Nouha Ferchichi, Meriem Barbouchi, Dorsaf Hlel, Mohamed Jadlaoui, Haithem Bahri, Ridha Mhamdi, Hatem Cheikh M’hamed, Mohamed Annabi and Darine Trabelsi
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2332; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102332 - 28 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1753
Abstract
Improving legumes crops’ performance under dense stands shade environment (e.g., intercropped oats–clover) is needed to promote agroecological practices. Previous studies have revealed that ethylene produced by plants under dense standing conditions is among other factors that affect crops’ growth performance and reduce legumes’ [...] Read more.
Improving legumes crops’ performance under dense stands shade environment (e.g., intercropped oats–clover) is needed to promote agroecological practices. Previous studies have revealed that ethylene produced by plants under dense standing conditions is among other factors that affect crops’ growth performance and reduce legumes’ ability to fix nitrogen (N). Here, we identified a Pseudomonas thivervalensis strain T124 as a high ACC deaminase-producing bacterium and evaluated its potential ability to alleviate the effects of reduced light (RL) and exogenous ethylene applied as ACC (ethylene precursor) on clover growth and development under controlled conditions and field conditions at dense stands of clover and oats intercrops. RL decreases clover root and shoots biomass, whereas the T124 strain counteracted RL effects, enhancing clover tolerance to shade. Exogenous ACC reduced clover growth and chlorophyll content while inducing overaccumulation of reactive oxygen species (H2O2 and O2•−). ACC-elicited cellular stress was suppressed by strain T124, suggesting the role of bacterial ACC deaminase activity. Combined with Rhizobium leguminosarum strain T618 (the strain identified as being able to fix N in symbiosis with clover), T124 prevents early nodule senescence by improving nodule leghemoglobin and reducing nodule nitric oxide levels. Co-inoculation with T124 + T618 increased shoot N content (+24%) more than T618 alone. Field experiments revealed that intercropping decreases Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) at the top of clover due to oats, affecting clover photosynthesis assimilation. Interestingly, under T124 inoculation treatments, clover net photosynthetic rate (Anet) and stomatal conductance (Gs) were found to improve relative to the control and T618 inoculation treatments. Clover exhibits improved growth performance in terms of branching and nodulation after T124 inoculation. Most significant improvements occurred with the mixing of the two strains. Data suggest that co-inoculation with R. leguminosarum T618 and P. thivervalensis T124 potentially decreases the interspecific competition between clover and oats intercrops by reducing ACC (ethylene precursor) levels. Our study revealed that co-inoculation of legumes with competitive rhizobia and ACC deaminase-producing PGPRs is an eco-friendly approach to improving intercropping systems’ performance. Full article
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14 pages, 1148 KiB  
Article
Effect of the Altitude Gradient on the Physiological Performance of Quinoa in the Central Region of Colombia
by Miguel García-Parra, Diego Roa-Acosta and Jesús Eduardo Bravo-Gómez
Agronomy 2022, 12(9), 2112; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12092112 - 05 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1374
Abstract
The conditions of the agroecological environment play a fundamental role in the physiological performance of quinoa; however, due to the accelerated expansion of quinoa cultivation and the great diversity of cultivars present in the world, it has not been possible to study the [...] Read more.
The conditions of the agroecological environment play a fundamental role in the physiological performance of quinoa; however, due to the accelerated expansion of quinoa cultivation and the great diversity of cultivars present in the world, it has not been possible to study the effect that their interaction can have, which brings with it problems in productivity and even in the adaptability of cultivars. The aim of this research was to evaluate the physiological performance of seven quinoa cultivars under three altitude gradients in the central region of Colombia (cold, temperate and warm climates). The research was developed using a completely randomized design with a 3 × 7 factorial arrangement where the first factor corresponded to the study areas and the second factor to the selected cultivars. The results showed a highly differential performance between the phenological, physiological and compositional variables, mainly between the quinoa cultivars planted in cold climates and those established in temperate and warm climates. In this sense, the time elapsed between the phenophases, the physiological activity associated with the chlorophyll content and the quantum efficiency of photosystem II, as well as the grain yield and its protein content, are highly influenced by the cultivar and the altitudinal gradient. The results obtained support the notion that the physiological performance of quinoa depends largely on the edaphoclimatic environment by influencing different agronomic and compositional parameters of the seeds. Additionally, it was possible to identify that the evaluated quinoa cultivars were grouped into two large groups. The first group is made up mainly of the Nueva and Soracá cultivars, while the second group includes the Nariño and Puno cultivars. These four cultivars show a lower effect of the factors and their interaction on the parameters evaluated. Full article
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