{"title":"Casting light on the architecture of crop yield","authors":"Erik H. Murchie, Alexandra J. Burgess","doi":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Crop canopy architecture is a central component of yield. The arrangement of leaves in three-dimensional space defines the efficiency of absorption of radiation and its conversion into dry matter at the canopy level. The description of architecture is normally associated with light since the optimal distribution of light is associated with that of other essential components such as nitrogen and pigments. However, architecture has been influenced by a number of other unrelated processes through breeding and selection that may have acted independently or even against light use efficiency. This review attempts to provide a broad view and interpretation of canopy architectural properties and the factors affecting crop architecture starting with evolution, domestication, climatic conditions and cultivation patterns, predominantly focusing on field grown agricultural crops. Using examples of modelling with a virtual canopy, we will discuss how architectural traits affect light interception and photosynthesis. Finally, we will discuss the future of architectural research: the concept of the ideal plant type (the ideotype) and which features we can expect to see, as well as the social constraints that may govern future crop architecture.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100340,"journal":{"name":"Crop and Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":"Pages 74-85"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773126X22000090/pdfft?md5=22267d9ba8baf1be0bfad42614e38554&pid=1-s2.0-S2773126X22000090-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90379859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Preethi Vijayaraghavareddy , Sankarapillai V. Lekshmy , Paul C. Struik , Udayakumar Makarla , Xinyou Yin , Sheshshayee Sreeman
{"title":"Production and scavenging of reactive oxygen species confer to differential sensitivity of rice and wheat to drought stress","authors":"Preethi Vijayaraghavareddy , Sankarapillai V. Lekshmy , Paul C. Struik , Udayakumar Makarla , Xinyou Yin , Sheshshayee Sreeman","doi":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Drought poses a serious threat to crop production worldwide, and is expected particularly to affect rice production and hence food security. Given that wheat is known to tolerate drought better than rice, we compare rice and wheat (cv. Weebill) to understand the species level differences in drought adaptive mechanisms. We also compare two contrasting rice genotypes (IR64, drought susceptible, and Apo, drought tolerant) for such mechanisms under well-watered (100% field capacity, 100%FC) and water-limited (60%FC) conditions. The reduction in biomass of wheat under water limitation was smaller due to a higher rate of photosynthesis associated with maintenance of tissue turgor compared to rice genotypes. Drought caused greater inhibition of Photosystem II quantum efficiency, carboxylation efficiency, and photosynthetic capacity parameters in IR64 than in Apo. Transcript levels of photosynthesis-related genes were also significantly more repressed by water limitation in IR64, whilst the wheat genotype showed smaller reduction than Apo. Despite higher non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), a smaller increase in scavenging enzymes in IR64 resulted in more accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in 60%FC than in 100%FC compared to Apo. As a photoprotection mechanism, increased levels of NPQ resulted in lower ROS accumulation in wheat despite the similar increase in scavenging enzyme transcript levels as in Apo, signifying the importance of preventing oxidative burst for enhanced drought tolerance. In Apo, upregulation of the 9<em>-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 2</em> gene implies the use of xanthophyll pool for the ABA biosynthesis. Our data suggest that regulating photosynthesis and oxidative protection in the wheat genotype enhanced drought tolerance. Improving these traits for rice is crucial to develop drought-tolerant rice genotypes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100340,"journal":{"name":"Crop and Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":"Pages 15-23"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773126X22000107/pdfft?md5=0a0b7b0061c2773be53e0ca6a1bf6aa7&pid=1-s2.0-S2773126X22000107-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85271816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Factors determining water use efficiency in aerobic rice","authors":"Shu Fukai, Jaquie Mitchell","doi":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>With shortages and increased cost of irrigation water in many rice growing areas, water saving technologies such as aerobic rice are required to ensure sustainable rice production. The present study is a review of published papers on aerobic rice which have shown a wide variation in water use efficiency (WUE, grain yield/water input) ranging 2–15 kg ha<sup>−1</sup> mm<sup>−1</sup> among the 41 cases examined, with a mean increase in WUE of more than 50% but 6% decrease in yield compared to flooded rice. There was a large variation in the proportion of water input that was lost as seepage and percolation, and low WUE in some experiments was obtained in frequent irrigation which was required to maintain growth in aerobic rice. Water saving in aerobic rice was greater during the early stage of growth when soil evaporation was still high. The use of plastic mulch and drip irrigation has helped increase WUE in aerobic rice. Aerobic rice has higher N fertiliser recovery rate than flooded rice, and hence there is scope for reduced N fertiliser requirement. Water saving due to the use of quick maturing varieties was quite high and when these varieties were able to maintain a yield level similar to that of late maturing varieties, an increased WUE resulted. This review concludes with possible challenges and approaches that may be taken to increase WUE. Development of screening methods and identification of traits adapted to aerobic soil condition is required for the development of varieties to improve WUE of aerobic rice.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100340,"journal":{"name":"Crop and Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":"Pages 24-40"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773126X22000089/pdfft?md5=4a05fd412a7436c38714dcbfd0cfce54&pid=1-s2.0-S2773126X22000089-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75116018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mapping global cropping system: Challenges, opportunities, and future perspectives","authors":"Liangzhi You , Zhanli Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Spatially explicit global cropping system data products, which provide critical information on harvested areas, crop yields, and other management variables, are imperative to tackle current grand challenges such as global food security and climate change. These cropping system datasets are also very useful for researchers as they can support various scientific analyses in research projects. Yet, effectively searching, navigating, and fully understanding various global datasets can be a daunting task for researchers and policy analysts. In this review, we first compare a few selected global data products, which use crop census and statistical data as the main data source, and identify key problems and challenges of the global crop mapping such as data accuracy and consistency. We then pointed out the future perspectives and directions in further improving the global cropping data products. Collective mechanisms and efforts with the support of open-access data hosting platforms, standard protocols, and consistent financial support are necessary to produce high-quality datasets for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Moreover, machine learning and data fusion approaches can also be further explored in future mapping exercises.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100340,"journal":{"name":"Crop and Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":"Pages 68-73"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773126X22000065/pdfft?md5=3143f22151d74508edab1501c6903c76&pid=1-s2.0-S2773126X22000065-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76563200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Food-energy-emission nexus of rice production in China","authors":"Shen Yuan, Shaobing Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>As the world's largest rice-producing country, China's energy and environmental performance related to rice production have attracted widespread attention. To achieve a sustainable rice production with low energy expenditure and environmental impacts, systematic assessments are required to examine the life cycle food-energy-emission nexus of rice production system on a national scale. This study employed energy analysis and systematic indicators to explore the interplay among productivity, energy inputs, and greenhouse gas emissions in China's rice production from 1998 to 2018. We found that energy inputs decreased by 11% during the study period, mainly due to the reduction of energy inputs from fertilizer, labor, and animal power. However, energy structure has become increasingly dependent on nonrenewable energy. Generally, net energy and energy use efficiency increased during the period from 1998 to 2013, implying a substantial increase in production efficiency from energy input. Meanwhile, global warming potential from rice production increased by 20% from 1998 to 2018, primarily due to increased methane emissions. Nevertheless, environmental loading intensity including yield- and net energy-scaled global warming potential of rice production showed a decreasing trend, accompanied by dramatic improvements in food production and energy efficiency, especially since 2013. Strategies for achieving energy-efficient and eco-friendly agriculture for China and other countries around the world with similar bio-physical background are discussed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100340,"journal":{"name":"Crop and Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":"Pages 59-67"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773126X22000077/pdfft?md5=bf9b6d53b4e0d32e8dd898ac44b131ac&pid=1-s2.0-S2773126X22000077-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73683780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The fragility of food systems: The need for research","authors":"Lewis H. Ziska","doi":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crope.2022.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>One of the biggest, if underappreciated, breakthroughs in science of the 20th century was the green revolution, a unique science that merged plant genetics to match technological breakthroughs in water availability, chemical fertilizers and pesticide use. It transformed the landscape, literally, providing food for additional billions and averted fears of wide-spread famine. But by the early part of the 21st century, the gains of the green revolution have been remitted, and a new threat, climate change, posed an existential challenge--not only in feeding the current population, but the additional 2 billion anticipated by mid-century. There has never been a clearer, sharper need to invest in agricultural science, especially for the United States, to provide food security going forward. Yet, at present, high-income countries are reducing their investment in agricultural research. As Covid-19 has shown us, food systems can be tenuous. Food is a universal means to bring us together, but lack of food in an uncertain climate, an absolute means to tear us apart.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100340,"journal":{"name":"Crop and Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":"Pages 2-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773126X22000028/pdfft?md5=bca0287980bc73be40834f580bc22b7c&pid=1-s2.0-S2773126X22000028-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82261328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}