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Low KE, Tingley JP, Klassen L, King ML, Xing X, Watt C, Hoover SER, Gorzelak M, Abbott DW. Carbohydrate flow through agricultural ecosystems: Implications for synthesis and microbial conversion of carbohydrates. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 69:108245. [PMID: 37652144 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Carbohydrates are chemically and structurally diverse biomolecules, serving numerous and varied roles in agricultural ecosystems. Crops and horticulture products are inherent sources of carbohydrates that are consumed by humans and non-human animals alike; however carbohydrates are also present in other agricultural materials, such as soil and compost, human and animal tissues, milk and dairy products, and honey. The biosynthesis, modification, and flow of carbohydrates within and between agricultural ecosystems is intimately related with microbial communities that colonize and thrive within these environments. Recent advances in -omics techniques have ushered in a new era for microbial ecology by illuminating the functional potential for carbohydrate metabolism encoded within microbial genomes, while agricultural glycomics is providing fresh perspective on carbohydrate-microbe interactions and how they influence the flow of functionalized carbon. Indeed, carbohydrates and carbohydrate-active enzymes are interventions with unrealized potential for improving carbon sequestration, soil fertility and stability, developing alternatives to antimicrobials, and circular production systems. In this manner, glycomics represents a new frontier for carbohydrate-based biotechnological solutions for agricultural systems facing escalating challenges, such as the changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin E Low
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Jeffrey P Tingley
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Leeann Klassen
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Marissa L King
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Xiaohui Xing
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Caitlin Watt
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Shelley E R Hoover
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Monika Gorzelak
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - D Wade Abbott
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
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Lazaridi E, Bebeli PJ. Cowpea Constraints and Breeding in Europe. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1339. [PMID: 36987026 PMCID: PMC10052078 DOI: 10.3390/plants12061339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is a legume with a constant rate of cultivation in Southern European countries. Consumer demand for cowpea worldwide is rising due to its nutritional content, while Europe is constantly attempting to reduce the deficit in the production of pulses and invest in new, healthy food market products. Although the climatic conditions that prevail in Europe are not so harsh in terms of heat and drought as in the tropical climates where cowpea is mainly cultivated, cowpea confronts with a plethora of abiotic and biotic stresses and yield-limiting factors in Southern European countries. In this paper, we summarize the main constraints for cowpea cultivation in Europe and the breeding methods that have been or can be used. A special mention is made of the availability plant genetic resources (PGRs) and their potential for breeding purposes, aiming to promote more sustainable cropping systems as climatic shifts become more frequent and fiercer, and environmental degradation expands worldwide.
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Investigation of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)–Insect Pollinator Interactions Aiming to Increase Cowpea Yield and Define New Breeding Tools. ECOLOGIES 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/ecologies4010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Impact of pollination on the agri-food sector is of paramount importance. Pollinators contribute to the maintenance of ecosystems, the reproduction and survival of many plants, and their presence usually leads to increased yield and quality of agricultural products. Breeding and selecting for plant traits for enhancing pollinator visits could therefore lead to more resilient farming systems. In stating the advantages of enhancing pollinators in agricultural systems, this study was designed aiming to assess six cowpea accessions for their flower traits and their effect on insect-pollinators. Pollinators species abundance and foraging activity was recorded and their impact on yield was investigated. Twenty-five of the twenty-seven flower traits studied differed statistically significantly among cowpea accessions. The main pollinators recorded belonged to the genus Xylocopa (Latreille, 1802). Seed and fresh pod yield was not affected by pollinators. The floral traits related to pollinators abundance and foraging activity were flower color, inflorescence position and the hours that the flowers per plant remained open during the day. However, they were not related linearly to pollinators abundance and foraging activity; therefore, they did not constitute safe traits for selection aiming to increase pollinators visitation. The findings suggested that other traits, such as pollen and nectar reward, probably perform a more important role in attracting pollinators compared to flower traits.
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Huang L, Liu Y, Dou L, Pan S, Li Z, Zhang J, Li J. Mutualist- and antagonist-mediated selection contribute to trait diversification of flowers. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14107. [PMID: 36196403 PMCID: PMC9527018 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Flowers are generally short-lived, and they all face a multidimensional challenge because they have to attract mutualists, compel them to vector pollen with minimal investment in rewards, and repel floral enemies during this short time window. Their displays are under complex selection, either consistent or conflicting, to maximize reproductive fitness under heterogeneous environments. The phenological or morphological mismatches between flowers and visitors will influence interspecific competition, resource access, mating success and, ultimately, population and community dynamics. To better understand the effects of the plant visitors on floral traits, it is necessary to determine the functional significance of specific floral traits for the visitors; how plants respond to both mutualists and antagonists through adaptive changes; and to evaluate the net fitness effects of biological mutualisms and antagonism on plants. In this review, we bring together insights from fields as diverse as floral biology, insect behavioral responses, and evolutionary biology to explain the processes and patterns of floral diversity evolution. Then, we discuss the ecological significance of plant responses to mutualists and antagonists from a community perspective, and propose a set of research questions that can guide the research field to integrate studies of plant defense and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyao Huang
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Liwen Dou
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Shaobin Pan
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | | | - Jin Zhang
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jia Li
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
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Fairhurst SM, Jackson GE, Evans A, Cole LJ. The effect of pollination on the growth and reproduction of oilseed rape (Brassica napus). Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Klatt BK, Pudifoot B, Urrutia‐Cordero P, Smith HG, Alsterberg CM. A trophic cascade causes unexpected ecological interactions across the aquatic–terrestrial interface under extreme weather. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Björn K. Klatt
- Dept of Biology, Lund Univ. Lund Sweden
- The Rural Economic and Agricultural Society Halland, Dept of Nature&Water Conservation Eldsberga Sweden
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Brestic M, Yang X, Li X, Allakhverdiev SI. Crop photosynthesis for the twenty-first century. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2021; 150:1-3. [PMID: 34674135 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-021-00869-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marian Brestic
- Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovak Republic
| | - Xinghong Yang
- Department of Plant Physiology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, China
| | - Xiangnan Li
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
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Raderschall CA, Vico G, Lundin O, Taylor AR, Bommarco R. Water stress and insect herbivory interactively reduce crop yield while the insect pollination benefit is conserved. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:71-83. [PMID: 33118276 PMCID: PMC7756552 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is predicted to hamper crop production due to precipitation deficits and warmer temperatures inducing both water stress and increasing herbivory due to more abundant insect pests. Consequently, crop yields will be impacted simultaneously by abiotic and biotic stressors. Extensive yield losses due to such climate change stressors might, however, be mitigated by ecosystem services such as insect pollination. We examined the single and combined effects of water stress, insect herbivory and insect pollination on faba bean yield components and above- and belowground plant biomass under realistic field conditions. We used rainout shelters to simulate a scenario in line with climate change projections, with adequate water supply at sowing followed by a long period without precipitation. This induced a gradually increasing water stress, culminating around crop flowering and yield formation. We found that gradually increasing water stress combined with insect herbivory by aphids interactively shaped yield in faba beans. Individually, aphid herbivory reduced yield by 79% and water stress reduced yield by 52%. However, the combined effect of water stress and aphid herbivory reduced yield less (84%) than the sum of the individual stressor effects. In contrast, insect pollination increased yield by 68% independently of water availability and insect herbivory. Our results suggest that yield losses can be greatly reduced when both water stress and insect herbivory are reduced simultaneously. In contrast, reducing only one stressor has negligible benefits on yield as long as the crop is suffering from the other stressor. We call for further exploration of interactions among ecosystem services and biotic and abiotic stressors that simulate realistic conditions under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giulia Vico
- Department of Crop Production EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - Ola Lundin
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - Astrid R. Taylor
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - Riccardo Bommarco
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
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Schiessl S. Regulation and Subfunctionalization of Flowering Time Genes in the Allotetraploid Oil Crop Brassica napus. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:605155. [PMID: 33329678 PMCID: PMC7718018 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.605155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Flowering is a vulnerable, but crucial phase in building crop yield. Proper timing of this period is therefore decisive in obtaining optimal yields. However, genetic regulation of flowering integrates many different environmental signals and is therefore extremely complex. This complexity increases in polyploid crops which carry two or more chromosome sets, like wheat, potato or rapeseed. Here, I summarize the current state of knowledge about flowering time gene copies in rapeseed (Brassica napus), an important oil crop with a complex polyploid history and a close relationship to Arabidopsis thaliana. The current data show a high demand for more targeted studies on flowering time genes in crops rather than in models, allowing better breeding designs and a deeper understanding of evolutionary principles. Over evolutionary time, some copies of rapeseed flowering time genes changed or lost their original role, resulting in subfunctionalization of the respective homologs. For useful applications in breeding, such patterns of subfunctionalization need to be identified and better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Schiessl
- Department of Plant Breeding, IFZ Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Department of Botany and Molecular Evolution, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- *Correspondence: Sarah Schiessl,
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