Plant biology research comes of age in China

Influence of Nitrogen Sources Applied by Fertigation to an Enriched Soil with Organic Compost on Growth, Mineral Nutrition, and Phytochemicals Content of Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) in Two Successive Harvests

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of nitrogen source applied by fertigation to an enriched soil with organic compost on plant growth, mineral nutrition, and phytochemical contents in two successive harvests in coriander. The treatments were as follows: unfertilized soil, soil enriched with organic compost, and soil enriched with organic compost to which 60 kg N ha^-1 as ammonium nitrate and as ammonium sulfate applied by fertigation were added. Ammonium nitrate addition allowed to obtain a high total fresh yield (3.6 kg m^-2) with a low inorganic nitrogen input. Ammonium nitrate increased plant shoot dry weight; fresh yield; and shoot N, K, and Ca uptake in the first harvest. Ammonium nitrate relative to organic compost and to ammonium sulfate increased fresh yield by approximately 57 and 25%, respectively. However, ammonium sulfate in the first harvest greatly increased shoot total phenols, from 137 mgGAE/100 g FW in ammonium nitrate to 280.4 mgGAE/100 g FW. Coriander's fresh yield, in the second harvest, was unaffected by nitrogen addition. However, ammonium nitrate increased shoot total phenols and FRAP activity. Overall, the shoot phytochemical accumulation in the second harvest was lower than in the first. The combined application of ammonium nitrate and organic compost is a strategy to reduce inorganic nitrogen application.

Coir, an Alternative to Peat—Effects on Plant Growth, Phytochemical Accumulation, and Antioxidant Power of Spinach

The effects of four commercial substrates, a peat-based substrate, and three coir types (coir pith, coir chips, and coir pith + fibers) on yield, phytochemical accumulation, and antioxidant activity were evaluated in Spinacia oleracea L. cv. ‘Manatee’. Soil-blocked spinach seedlings were transplanted into Styrofoam planting boxes filled with the substrate. Each planting box was irrigated daily by drip with a complete nutrient solution, and the irrigation scheduling was optimized to the peat. Leaf area and fresh yield in coir pith and coir pith + fiber were similar to those obtained in peat. However, shoot dry weight accumulation and leaf chlorophyll were lower in plants grown in coir. Substrate type did not affect leaf carotenoids. Total flavonoid content was higher in plants grown in the different types of coir. Total phenols and antioxidant activity (DPPH) were higher in plants grown in coir pith. This indicates that the different coir types, mainly coir pith, may provide an alternative to peat since they allowed a high fresh yield to be reached and the total flavonoids to be increased. In contrast, the levels of other phytochemicals and antioxidant activity were usual for spinach. However, further research is necessary to analyze the effects of irrigation scheduling and the nutrient solution adjusted to each growing medium on yield and phytochemical accumulation.

Digital teaching tools and global learning communities

In 2009, we started a project to support the teaching and learning of university-level plant sciences, called Teaching Tools in Plant Biology. Articles in this series are published by the plant science journal, The Plant Cell (published by the American Society of Plant Biologists). Five years on, we investigated how the published materials are being used through an analysis of the Google Analytics pageviews distribution and through a user survey. Our results suggest that this project has had a broad, global impact in supporting higher education, and also that the materials are used differently by individuals in terms of their role (instructor, independent learner, student) and geographical location. We also report on our ongoing efforts to develop a global learning community that encourages discussion and resource sharing.

Investment in plant research and development bears fruit in China

Recent rapid progress in plant science and biotechnology in China demonstrates that China's stronger support for funding in plant research and development (R&D) has borne fruit. Chinese groups have contributed major advances in a range of fields, such as rice biology, plant hormone and developmental biology, genomics and evolution, plant genetics and epigenetics, as well as plant biotechnology. Strigolactone studies including those identifying its receptor and dissecting its complex structure and signaling are representative of the recent researches from China at the forefront of the field. These advances are attributable in large part to interdisciplinary studies among scientists from plant science, chemistry, bioinformatics, structural biology, and agronomy. The platforms provided by national facilities facilitate this collaboration. As well, efficient restructuring of the top-down organization of state programs and free exploration of scientists' interests have accelerated achievements by Chinese researchers. Here, we provide a general outline of China's progress in plant R&D to highlight fields in which Chinese research has made significant contributions.

Understanding the evolution of rice technology in China - from traditional agriculture to GM rice today

This paper provides an historical survey of the evolution of rice technology in China, from the traditional farming system to genetically modified rice today. Using sociotechnological analytical framework, it analyses rice technology as a socio-technical ensemble - a complex interaction of material and social elements, and discusses the specificity of technology development and its socio-technical outcomes. It points to two imperatives in rice variety development: wholesale transporting agricultural technology and social mechanism to developing countries are likely lead to negative consequences; indigenous innovation including deploying GM technology for seed varietal development and capturing/cultivating local knowledge will provide better solutions.

Comparison of architecture among different cultivars of hybrid rice using a spatial light model based on 3-D digitising

Modification of plant types (i.e. plant architecture) is an important strategy to enhance the yield potential of crops. The aims of this study were to specify rice plant types using 3-D modelling methodology. The architecture of three typical hybrid rice cultivars were measured in situ in a paddy field using a 3-D digitiser at four development stages from the panicle initiation to the filling stage. The structural parameters of the rice canopies were calculated and their light capture and potential carbon gain were simulated based on a 3-D light model. The results confirmed that a plant type with steeper leaf angles let light penetrate more deeply with relatively uniform light distribution in the canopy at higher sun elevation angles, although this result was related to leaf area index. The variations of plant types, however, did not convert into differences of light distribution across rice varieties at lower sun elevation angles. Light use efficiency at the higher leaf area index could be enhanced by reducing mutual-shading. These results indicate that a promising approach to quantify the rice architecture in situ is to combine 3-D digitising and a 3-D light model to evaluate light interception and photosynthesis of rice plant types.

The responding relationship between plants and environment is the essential principle for agricultural sustainable development on the globe

The mutual-responding relationship between plants and environment is involved in all life processes, which are the essential bases for different types of sustainable development on the globe, particularly the critical basis for agricultural sustainable development. How to regulate the above relationship between plants and the corresponding environment (in particular soil environment) is the key problem to modern sustainable agriculture development under global climate change, which is one of the hot topics in the field of plant biology. Detailed dissection of this responding relationship is also important for conducting global eco-environmental restoration and construction. Although powerful methodology and dataset related to genomics, post-genomics, and metabolomics have provided some insights into this relationship, crop physiological measures are also critical for crop full performance in field. With the increase of tested plants (including model plants) and development of integrated molecular biology, a complete understanding of the relationship at different scales under biotic and abiotic stresses will be accelerated. In the current paper, we will cover some important aspects in combination with the recent work from our laboratory and related advances reflected by international academic journals, as follows: plant physiological function performance under natural condition, plant gene regulatory network system under abiotic stresses, gene regulatory network system and drought resistance improvement, summary of the related work from our laboratory, conclusions, and acknowledgement.