Submit to Plants Review for Plants Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 10943

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. San-Ji Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: sugarcane breeding and genetics; biotechnology; molecular biology; virology; agronomy; stress physiology; transcription factors; genome sequencing; multi-omics; gene functional analysis; transgenic plants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

An increase in the vulnerability of crops to a wide range of abiotic (temperature, waterlogging, drought, oxidative, salinity, ultraviolet) and biotic (viruses, bacteria, fungi, insects, etc.) stresses can have a marked influence on the productivity of major crops, especially sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), thereby counteracting the potential to achieve the goal of “ZERO HUNGER” proposed by the FAO-UN. To cope with various stresses, plants have evolved complex rapid responses, but crop efficiency is still severely hampered. The prevailing, alarming climate change scenario and future changing weather provide challenges for the researchers to better understand plant responses such as the activation of different signal cascades, followed by signal transduction, and the respective gene expression in response to single or combined biotic or abiotic stresses, thus ultimately enhancing crop yield.

Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in deciphering the roles of gene targets and signaling pathways that are involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses, including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, reactive oxygen species (ROS), Ca²⁺, hormone signaling, small RNAs (sRNA), biosynthesis of primary/secondary metabolites, and plant-defense-related networks. However, investigations are still required to explore the numerous features of stress responses in sugarcane to create climate-resilient cultivars by balancing the plant growth and defense. Therefore, this Special Issue will highlight the recent advances in the utilization of different conventional and modern biotechnological strategies, such as (but not limited to) genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, epigenetic regulatory, gene engineering (overexpression and knockdown), etc., to better understand the stress adaptation and tolerance mechanisms in sugarcane.

We welcome submissions of original research and review articles dealing with the interaction between sugarcane and environmental stressors, from identification to molecular mechanisms.

Prof. Dr. San-Ji Gao
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

biotechnology
biotic and abiotic stressors
signaling cascades
bioinformatics
gene functioning and characterization
genomics
transcriptomics
metabolomics
proteomics
CRISPR/Cas system
transgenic sugarcane
sugarcane crop improvement

Published Papers (11 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 4606 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Insights into Reactive Oxygen Species Production-Scavenging System Involved in Sugarcane Response to Xanthomonas albilineans Infection under Drought Stress

by Yao-Sheng Wei, Jian-Ying Zhao, Talha Javed, Ahmad Ali, Mei-Ting Huang, Hua-Ying Fu, Hui-Li Zhang and San-Ji Gao

Plants 2024, 13(6), 862; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13060862 - 17 Mar 2024

Viewed by 594

Abstract

Plants must adapt to the complex effects of several stressors brought on by global warming, which may result in interaction and superposition effects between diverse stressors. Few reports are available on how drought stress affects Xanthomonas albilineans (Xa) infection in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids). Drought and leaf scald resistance were identified on 16 sugarcane cultivars using Xa inoculation and soil drought treatments, respectively. Subsequently, four cultivars contrasting to drought and leaf scald resistance were used to explore the mechanisms of drought affecting Xa–sugarcane interaction. Drought stress significantly increased the occurrence of leaf scald and Xa populations in susceptible cultivars but had no obvious effect on resistant cultivars. The ROS bursting and scavenging system was significantly activated in sugarcane in the process of Xa infection, particularly in the resistant cultivars. Compared with Xa infection alone, defense response via the ROS generating and scavenging system was obviously weakened in sugarcane (especially in susceptible cultivars) under Xa infection plus drought stress. Collectively, ROS might play a crucial role involving sugarcane defense against combined effects of Xa infection and drought stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 7102 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Establishment of an Efficient Sugarcane Transformation System via Herbicide-Resistant CP4-EPSPS Gene Selection

by Wenzhi Wang, Talha Javed, Linbo Shen, Tingting Sun, Benpeng Yang and Shuzhen Zhang

Plants 2024, 13(6), 852; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13060852 - 15 Mar 2024

Viewed by 703

Abstract

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), a major cash crop that is an important source of sugar and bioethanol, is strongly influenced by the impacts of biotic and abiotic stresses. The intricate polyploid and aneuploid genome of sugarcane has shown various limits for conventional breeding strategies. Nonetheless, biotechnological engineering currently offers the best chance of introducing commercially significant agronomic features. In this study, an efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system that uses the herbicide-resistant CP4-EPSPS gene as a selection marker was developed. Notably, all of the plants that were identified by PCR as transformants showed significant herbicide resistance. Additionally, this transformation protocol also highlighted: (i) the high yield of transgenic lines from calli (each gram of calli generated six transgenic lines); (ii) improved selection; and (iii) a higher transformation efficiency. This protocol provides a reliable tool for a routine procedure for the generation of resilient sugarcane plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1861 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of Sucrose-Regulatory Genes in High- and Low-Sucrose Sister Clones of Sugarcane

by Qaisar Khan, Ying Qin, Dao-Jun Guo, Yu-Yan Huang, Li-Tao Yang, Qiang Liang, Xiu-Peng Song, Yong-Xiu Xing and Yang-Rui Li

Plants 2024, 13(5), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050707 - 01 Mar 2024

Viewed by 638

Abstract

Sugarcane is a significant primitive source of sugar and energy worldwide. The progress in enhancing the sugar content in sugarcane cultivars remains limited due to an insufficient understanding of specific genes related to sucrose production. The present investigation examined the enzyme activities, levels of reducing and non-reducing sugars, and transcript expression using RT-qPCR to assess the gene expression associated with sucrose metabolism in a high-sucrose sugarcane clone (GXB9) in comparison to a low-sucrose sister clone (B9). Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose phosphate phosphatase (SPP), sucrose synthase (SuSy), cell wall invertase (CWI), soluble acid invertase (SAI), and neutral invertase (NI) are essential enzymes involved in sucrose metabolism in sugarcane. The activities of these enzymes were comparatively quantified and analyzed in immature and maturing internodes of the high- and low-sucrose clones. The results showed that the higher-sucrose-accumulating clone had greater sucrose concentrations than the low-sucrose-accumulating clone; however, maturing internodes had higher sucrose levels than immature internodes in both clones. Hexose concentrations were higher in immature internodes than in maturing internodes for both clones. The SPS and SPP enzymes activities were higher in the high-sucrose-storing clone than in the low-sucrose clone. SuSy activity was higher in the low-sucrose clone than in the high-sucrose clone; further, the degree of SuSy activity was higher in immature internodes than in maturing internodes for both clones. The SPS gene expression was considerably higher in mature internodes of the high-sucrose clones than the low-sucrose clone. Conversely, the SuSy gene exhibited up-regulated expression in the low-sucrose clone. The enhanced expression of SPS in the high-sucrose clone compared to the low-sucrose clone suggests that SPS plays a major role in the increased accumulation of sucrose. These findings provide the opportunity to improve sugarcane cultivars by regulating the activity of genes related to sucrose metabolism using transgenic techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 5986 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Screening of Sugarcane Proteins Associated with Defense against Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli, Agent of Ratoon Stunting Disease

by Xiao-Qiu Zhang, Yong-Jian Liang, Bao-Qing Zhang, Mei-Xin Yan, Ze-Ping Wang, Dong-Mei Huang, Yu-Xin Huang, Jing-Chao Lei, Xiu-Peng Song and Dong-Liang Huang

Plants 2024, 13(3), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030448 - 03 Feb 2024

Viewed by 753

Abstract

Sugarcane is the most important sugar crop and one of the leading energy-producing crops in the world. Ratoon stunting disease (RSD), caused by the bacterium Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli, poses a huge threat to ratoon crops, causing a significant yield loss in sugarcane. Breeding resistant varieties is considered the most effective and fundamental approach to control RSD in sugarcane. The exploration of resistance genes forms the foundation for breeding resistant varieties through molecular technology. The pglA gene is a pathogenicity gene in L. xyli subsp. xyli, encoding an endopolygalacturonase. In this study, the pglA gene from L. xyli subsp. xyli and related microorganisms was analyzed. Then, a non-toxic, non-autoactivating pglA bait was successfully expressed in yeast cells. Simultaneously the yeast two-hybrid library was generated using RNA from the L. xyli subsp. xyli-infected sugarcane. Screening the library with the pglA bait uncovered proteins that interacted with pglA, primarily associated with ABA pathways and the plant immune system, suggesting that sugarcane employs these pathways to respond to L. xyli subsp. xyli, triggering pathogenicity or resistance. The expression of genes encoding these proteins was also investigated in L. xyli subsp. xyli-infected sugarcane, suggesting multiple layers of regulatory mechanisms in the interaction between sugarcane and L. xyli subsp. xyli. This work promotes the understanding of plant–pathogen interaction and provides target proteins/genes for molecular breeding to improve sugarcane resistance to L. xyli subsp. xyli. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 2276 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Candidate Genes in Response to Sorghum Mosaic Virus and Salicylic Acid in Sugarcane

by Genhua Zhou, Rubab Shabbir, Zihao Sun, Yating Chang, Xinli Liu and Pinghua Chen

Plants 2024, 13(2), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13020234 - 14 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1016

Abstract

Sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV) is one of the most prevalent viruses deteriorating sugarcane production. Salicylic acid (SA) plays an essential role in the defense mechanism of plants and its exogenous application has been observed to induce the resistance against biotic and abiotic stressors. In this study, we set out to investigate the mechanism by which sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV) infected sugarcane responds to SA treatment in two sugarcane cultivars, i.e., ROC22 and Xuezhe. Notably, significantly low viral populations were observed at different time points (except for 28 d in ROC22) in response to post-SA application in both cultivars as compared to control based on qPCR data. Furthermore, the lowest number of population size in Xuezhe (20 copies/µL) and ROC22 (95 copies/µL) was observed in response to 1 mM exogenous SA application. A total of 2999 DEGs were identified, of which 731 and 2268 DEGs were up- and down-regulated, respectively. Moreover, a total of 806 DEGs were annotated to GO enrichment categories: 348 biological processes, 280 molecular functions, and 178 cellular components. GO functional categorization revealed that DEGs were mainly enriched in metabolic processes, extracellular regions, and glucosyltransferase activity, while KEGG annotation revealed that DEGs were mainly concentrated in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and plant-pathogen interaction suggesting the involvement of these pathways in SA-induced disease resistance of sugarcane in response to SrMV infection. The RNA-seq dataset and qRT-PCR assay showed that the transcript levels of PR1a, PR1b, PR1c, NPR1a, NPR1b, PAL, ICS, and ABA were significantly up-regulated in response to SA treatment under SrMV infection, indicating their positive involvement in stress endorsement. Overall, this research characterized sugarcane transcriptome during SrMV infection and shed light on further interaction of plant-pathogen under exogenous application of SA treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1985 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biochar Mitigates the Negative Effects of Microplastics on Sugarcane Growth by Altering Soil Nutrients and Microbial Community Structure and Function

by Qihua Wu, Wenling Zhou, Diwen Chen, Jiang Tian and Junhua Ao

Plants 2024, 13(1), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010083 - 27 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1150

Abstract

Microplastic pollution in sugarcane areas of China is severe, and reducing the ecological risks is critical. Biochar has been widely used in soil remediation. This study aims to explore the effects and mechanisms of microplastics combined with or without biochar on sugarcane biomass, soil biochemical properties in red soil through a potted experiment. The results show that, compared with control (CK), treatments with microplastics alone reduced the dry biomass of sugarcane, soil pH, and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents by an average of 8.8%, 2.1%, 1.1%, and 2.0%, respectively. Interestingly, microplastics combined with biochar could alleviate the negative effects of microplastic accumulation on sugarcane growth and soil quality. There were significant differences in the bacterial community alpha diversity indices and compositions among different treatments. Compared with CK, treatments with microplastics alone obviously decreased the observed operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and the Chao1 and Shannon indices of soil total bacteria (16S rRNA gene-based bacteria) while increasing them in phoD-harboring bacteria. Microplastics combined with biochar treatments significantly increased the abundance of Subgroup_10 for the 16S rRNA gene and treatments with microplastics alone significantly increased the relative abundance of Streptomyces for the phoD gene compared to CK. Moreover, compared with microplastics alone, the treatments with microplastics combined with biochar increased the relative abundance of Subgroup_10, Bacillus, Pseudomonas in soil total bacteria, and Amycolatopsis and Bradyrhizobium in phoD-harboring bacteria, most of which can inhibit harmful bacteria and promote plant growth. Additionally, different treatments also changed the abundance of potential microbial functional genes. Compared to CK, other treatments increased the abundance of aerobic ammonia oxidation and denitrification but decreased the abundance of nitrate respiration and nitrogen respiration; meanwhile, these four functional genes involved in N cycling processes were obviously higher in treatments with microplastics combined with biochar than in treatments with microplastics alone. In conclusion, microplastics combined with biochar could alleviate the negative effects of microplastic accumulation on sugarcane biomass by altering soil nutrients and microbial community structure and function. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 2526 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phylogeny and Genetic Divergence among Sorghum Mosaic Virus Isolates Infecting Sugarcane

by Hui-Mei Xu, Er-Qi He, Zu-Li Yang, Zheng-Wang Bi, Wen-Qing Bao, Sheng-Ren Sun, Jia-Ju Lu and San-Ji Gao

Plants 2023, 12(21), 3759; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12213759 - 02 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 978

Abstract

Sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV, the genus Potyvirus of the family Potyviridae) is a causal agent of common mosaic in sugarcane and poses a threat to the global sugar industry. In this study, a total of 901 sugarcane leaf samples with mosaic symptom were collected from eight provinces in China and were detected via RT-PCR using a primer pair specific to the SrMV coat protein (CP). These leaf samples included 839 samples from modern cultivars (Saccharum spp. hybrids) and 62 samples from chewing cane (S. officinarum). Among these, 632 out of 901 (70.1%) samples were tested positive for SrMV. The incidences of SrMV infection were 72.3% and 40.3% in modern cultivars and chewing cane, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all tested SrMV isolates were clustered into three clades consisting of six phylogenetic groups based on 306 CP sequences (this study = 265 and GenBank database = 41). A total of 10 SrMV isolates from South America (the United States and Argentina) along with 106 isolates from China were clustered in group D, while the remaining 190 SrMV isolates from Asia (China and Vietnam) were dispersed in five groups. The SrMV isolates in group F were limited to Yunnan province in China, and those in group A were spread over eight provinces. A significant genetic heterogeneity was elucidated in the nucleotide sequence identities of all SrMV CPs, ranging from 69.0% to 100%. A potential recombination event was postulated among SrMV isolates based on CP sequences. All tested SrMV CPs underwent dominant negative selection. Geographical isolation (South America vs. Asia) and host types (modern cultivars vs. chewing cane) are important factors promoting the genetic differentiation of SrMV populations. Overall, this study contributes to the global understanding of the genetic evolution of SrMV and provides a valuable resource for the epidemiology and management of the mosaic in sugarcane. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing Sugarcane Growth, Yield, and Quality in Different Ecological Zones and Irrigation Sources Amidst Environmental Stressors

by Muhammad Manzoor, Muhammad Zameer Khan, Sagheer Ahmad, Mashael Daghash Alqahtani, Muhammad Shabaan, Sair Sarwar, Muhammad Asad Hameed, Usman Zulfiqar, Sadam Hussain, Muhammad Fraz Ali, Muhammad Ahmad and Fasih Ullah Haider

Plants 2023, 12(20), 3526; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12203526 - 11 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1120

Abstract

The imbalanced use of fertilizers and irrigation water, particularly supplied from groundwater, has adversely affected crop yield and harvest quality in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.). In this experiment, we evaluated the impact of potassium (K) and micronutrients [viz. Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), and Boron (B)] application and irrigation water from two sources, viz. canal, and tube well water on sugarcane growth, yield, and cane quality under field trails. Water samples from Mardan (canal water) and Rahim Yar Khan (tube well water) were analyzed for chemical and nutritional attributes. The results revealed that tube well water’s electrical conductivity (EC) was three-fold that of canal water. Based on the EC and total dissolved salts (TDS), 83.33% of the samples were suitable for irrigation, while the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) indicated only a 4.76% fit and a 35.71% marginal fit compared with canal water. Furthermore, the application of K along with B, Fe, and Zn had led to a significant increase in cane height (12.8%, 9.8%, and 10.6%), cane girth (15.8%, 15.6%, and 11.6%), cane yield (13.7%, 12.3%, and 11.5%), brix contents (14%, 12.2%, and 13%), polarity (15.4%, 1.4%, and 14%), and sugar recovery (7.3%, 5.9%, and 6%) in the tube well irrigation system. For the canal water system, B, Fe, and Zn increased cane height by 15.3%, 13.42%, and 11.6%, cane girth by 13.9%, 9.9%, and 6.5%, cane yield by 42.9%, 43.5%, and 42%, brix content by 10.9%, 7.7%, and 8%, polarity by 33.4%, 28%, and 30%, and sugar recovery by 4.0%, 3.9%, and 2.0%, respectively, compared with sole NPK application. In conclusion, the utilization of tube well water in combination with canal water has shown better results in terms of yield and quality compared with the sole application of canal water. In addition, the combined application of K and B significantly improved sugarcane yields compared with Zn and Fe, even with marginally suitable irrigation water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 5176 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Sugarcane eIF4E Gene and Resistance against Sugarcane Streak Mosaic Virus

by Hongli Shan, Du Chen, Rongyue Zhang, Xiaoyan Wang, Jie Li, Changmi Wang, Yinhu Li and Yingkun Huang

Plants 2023, 12(15), 2805; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12152805 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 869

Abstract

Sugarcane mosaic disease, mainly caused by Sugarcane streak mosaic virus (SCSMV), has serious adverse effects on the yield and quality of sugarcane. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is a natural resistance gene in plants. The eIF4E-mediated natural recessive resistance results from non-synonymous mutations of the eIF4E protein. In this study, two sugarcane varieties, CP94-1100 and ROC22, were selected for analysis of their differences in resistance to SCSMV. Four-base missense mutations in the ORF region of eIF4E resulted in different conserved domains. Therefore, the differences in resistance to SCSMV are due to the inherent differences in eIF4E of the sugarcane varieties. The coding regions of eIF4E included 28 SNP loci and no InDel loci, which were affected by negative selection and were relatively conserved. A total of 11 haploids encoded 11 protein sequences. Prediction of the protein spatial structure revealed three non-synonymous mutation sites for amino acids located in the cap pocket of eIF4E; one of these sites existed only in a resistant material (Yuetang 55), whereas the other site existed only in a susceptible material (ROC22), suggesting that these two sites might be related to the resistance to SCSMV. The results provide a strong basis for further analysis of the functional role of eIF4E in regulating mosaic resistance in sugarcane. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 4244 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of Growth and Physiological Responses of Sugarcane Elite Genotypes to Water Stress and Sandy Loam Soils

by Muhammad Sajid, Muhammad Amjid, Hassan Munir, Muhammad Ahmad, Usman Zulfiqar, Muhammad Fraz Ali, Mohammad Abul Farah, Mohamed A. A. Ahmed and Arkadiusz Artyszak

Plants 2023, 12(15), 2759; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12152759 - 25 Jul 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1244

Abstract

Stumpy irrigation water availability is extremely important for sugarcane production in Pakistan today. This issue is rising inversely to river flow due to inadequate water distribution and an uneven rainfall pattern. Sugarcane growth faces a shortage of available water for plant uptake due to the low water–holding capacity of sandy loam soil, particularly under conventional flood irrigation methods. To address this problem, sugarcane clones were evaluated for their agronomic and physiological traits under conditions of low water availability in sandy loam soil. Ten cane genotypes, HSF–240, SPF–213, CPF–249, CP 77–400, S2008–FD–19, S2006–US–469, S2007–AUS–384, S2003–US–633, S2003–US–127, and S2006–US–658, were exposed to four levels of water deficit created through skip irrigations. These deficit levels occurred during the 9th, 11th, 13th, and 16th irrigations at alternate deficit levels between 2020 and 2022. Physiological data were collected during the tillering and grand growth stages (elongation) in response to the water deficit. The sugarcane clones S2006–US–658, S2007–AUS–384, and HSF–240 exhibited resistance to low water availability at both the tillering and grand growth stages. Following them, genotypes S2006–US–658, S2007–AUS–384, and HSF–240 performed better and were also found to be statistically significant. Clones susceptible to water deficit in terms of growth and development were identified as CP 77–400, S2008–FD–19, S2006–US–469, and S2003–US–633. These genotypes showed reduced photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, relative water content, cane yield, and proline content under stressed conditions. Therefore, genotypes S2006–US–658, S2007–AUS–384, and HSF–240 were better performers concerning physiological traits under water deficit and sandy loam soil in both years. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was assessed between agronomic traits and photosynthetic rats. This study highlights that sugarcane can sustain its growth and development even with less irrigation frequency or moisture availability, albeit with certain specific variations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 5796 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climate Variations in the Low-Latitude Plateau Contribute to Different Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) Yields and Sugar Contents in China

by Yong Zhao, Ling-Xiang Yu, Jing Ai, Zhong-Fu Zhang, Jun Deng and Yue-Bin Zhang

Plants 2023, 12(14), 2712; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142712 - 21 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 852

Abstract

In China, the main sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) planting areas can be found in the low-latitude plateau (21° N–25° N, 97° E–106° E), which has most of the natural ecological types. However, there is limited information on the climate conditions of this region and their influence on sugarcane yield and sucrose content. Monthly variations in the main climate factors, namely, average air temperature (AAT), average relative humidity (ARH), average rainfall amount (ARA), and average sunshine duration (ASD), from 2000 to 2019 and sugarcane yield and sucrose content of 26 major sugarcane-producing areas from 2001/2002 to 2018/2019 were collected from the low-latitude plateau in Yunnan for studying the impact of climate variations on sugarcane yield and sucrose content. The results showed that AAT in the mid-growth season had a significant positive correlation with sucrose content (p < 0.05), and AAT in the late-growth season had a very significant positive correlation with sucrose content (p < 0.01). ARH in the mid-growth season had a significant positive correlation with sugarcane yield (p < 0.05). ARA in the early-growth season showed a significant positive correlation with sugarcane yield (p < 0.05). ASD in the late-growth season had a significant positive correlation with sugarcane yield (p < 0.05) and sucrose content (p < 0.01). The rainy and humid sugarcane areas were characterized by high ARA and ARH during the entire growth period, low AAT and ASD in the mid-growth season, and low AAT in the late-growth season, contributing to a high sugarcane yield, but not a high sucrose content. The low temperature and sunshine semi-humid sugarcane areas were characterized by the lowest AAT in the early and middle stages of sugarcane growth, less ASD in the early and middle stages, and less ARA in the early and late stages, which are unfavorable for sugarcane yield and sucrose content. The high temperature and humidity sugarcane areas were characterized by higher AAT and ARA, and moderate ASD during the entire growth period, resulting in good sugarcane growth potential and contributing to the sugarcane yield and sucrose content. The semi-humid and multi-sunshine sugarcane areas were characterized by the lowest ARH in the entire growth period, the lowest ARA in the middle and late seasons, and the longest ASD, contributing to an increase in sucrose content. The humid and sunny areas were characterized by the longest ASD and high ARH in the early and late seasons of sugarcane growth and moderate AAT and ARA during the entire growth season, which are beneficial for high sugarcane yield and sucrose content. Overall, these findings suggest that the sugarcane variety layout should be based on the climate type (of which there are five in the plateau), and corresponding cultivation practices should be used to compensate for the climatic conditions in various growth stages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Interaction between Sugarcane and Environmental Stressors: From Identification to Molecular Mechanism

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (11 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI