Thomas Caignard, Laura Truffaut, S. Delzon, Benjamin Dencausse, Laura Lecacheux, J. Torres‐Ruiz, A. Kremer
The rapidity of evolutionary changes in trees and whether this pace is sufficient to cope with ongoing climatic change are hotly debated issues in ecology today. Climate warming began in the mid‐19th century, after the Little Ice Age (LIA). Monitoring temporal genetic changes during this climatic transition in multicentennial oak populations revealed evidence of fluctuating selection and rapid evolution. These findings suggest that rapid evolution is probably also currently underway. They may lead to management options for operational forestry aiming to stimulate evolutionary mechanisms during the renewal of oak stands and to decrease potential temporal gene flow. Retrospective studies of the evolutionary responses of tree populations to past documented climate change can provide insight into the adaptive responses of these organisms to ongoing environmental changes. We used a retrospective approach to monitor genetic changes over time in multicentennial sessile oak (Quercus petraea L.) forests. We compared the offspring of three age‐structured cohorts (340, 170, and 60 years old, dating from about 1680, 1850, and 1960) spanning the late Little Ice Age and early Anthropocene. The experiment was repeated in three different forests in western France. The offspring were raised in a common garden experiment, with 30 to 53 open‐pollinated families per cohort. We assessed 16 phenotypic traits in the common garden and observed significant shifts between cohorts for growth and phenology‐related traits. These shifts were correlated with differences in the prevailing temperatures in the past and could be interpreted as temporal genetic changes. However, there was no temporal trend for genetic variation. The genetic changes between the cold (late Little Ice Age) and warm (early Anthropocene) periods were mostly opposite for growth and phenology‐related traits. These findings highlight fluctuations of selection and a rapid evolutionary response of tree populations to climatic transitions in the past, suggesting that similar trends may be at work now. We discuss these results in terms of the mode and direction of evolution, and their potential implications for the adaptive management of oak forests.
{"title":"Fluctuating selection and rapid evolution of oaks during recent climatic transitions","authors":"Thomas Caignard, Laura Truffaut, S. Delzon, Benjamin Dencausse, Laura Lecacheux, J. Torres‐Ruiz, A. Kremer","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10422","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10422","url":null,"abstract":"The rapidity of evolutionary changes in trees and whether this pace is sufficient to cope with ongoing climatic change are hotly debated issues in ecology today. Climate warming began in the mid‐19th century, after the Little Ice Age (LIA). Monitoring temporal genetic changes during this climatic transition in multicentennial oak populations revealed evidence of fluctuating selection and rapid evolution. These findings suggest that rapid evolution is probably also currently underway. They may lead to management options for operational forestry aiming to stimulate evolutionary mechanisms during the renewal of oak stands and to decrease potential temporal gene flow.\u0000Retrospective studies of the evolutionary responses of tree populations to past documented climate change can provide insight into the adaptive responses of these organisms to ongoing environmental changes. We used a retrospective approach to monitor genetic changes over time in multicentennial sessile oak (Quercus petraea L.) forests.\u0000We compared the offspring of three age‐structured cohorts (340, 170, and 60 years old, dating from about 1680, 1850, and 1960) spanning the late Little Ice Age and early Anthropocene. The experiment was repeated in three different forests in western France. The offspring were raised in a common garden experiment, with 30 to 53 open‐pollinated families per cohort.\u0000We assessed 16 phenotypic traits in the common garden and observed significant shifts between cohorts for growth and phenology‐related traits. These shifts were correlated with differences in the prevailing temperatures in the past and could be interpreted as temporal genetic changes. However, there was no temporal trend for genetic variation. The genetic changes between the cold (late Little Ice Age) and warm (early Anthropocene) periods were mostly opposite for growth and phenology‐related traits.\u0000These findings highlight fluctuations of selection and a rapid evolutionary response of tree populations to climatic transitions in the past, suggesting that similar trends may be at work now. We discuss these results in terms of the mode and direction of evolution, and their potential implications for the adaptive management of oak forests.\u0000","PeriodicalId":52849,"journal":{"name":"Plants People Planet","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44308850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cities are stressful environments for plants, plagued by heat, pollution, and biodiversity loss. As a result, plant communities tend to suffer in green roofs, parks, and living walls. Finding solutions to help plants grow in stressful environments is a goal of the sustainable city. One solution is to better incorporate plant–microbe symbiosis in green architecture. Symbiotic fungi and bacteria can provide nutrients, water, and help plants to cope with urban stress. The reconceptualization of green infrastructure from a microbial‐focused perspective has the potential to improve plant health, growth, and diversity in cities.Plant communities in cities help maintain the health and stability of urban ecosystems and inhabitants. Ensuring that greenspace is healthy and productive is a key goal of green infrastructure and landscape architecture (GILA). However, cities are stressful environments for plants. In natural ecosystems, plants live in symbiosis with fungi, bacteria, and other microbes that can help alleviate stress. Microbial communities may also help with stress associated with urban environments. Incorporating mutualistic symbioses into GILA is a sustainable way to enhance urban greenspace. Here, we address key stressors for GILA in cities, including dependency on fertilizers, pathogens, drought, fewer pollinators, pollution, and reduced plant biodiversity. For each of these stressors, we discuss how symbiotic fungi and bacteria can help mitigate these issues, including case‐use scenarios. We conclude with new approaches to deliberately incorporate mutualisms in cities and open dialogues with stakeholders.
{"title":"Supporting urban greenspace with microbial symbiosis","authors":"J. Stewart, E. Kiers, M. Anthony, A. Kiers","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10403","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10403","url":null,"abstract":"Cities are stressful environments for plants, plagued by heat, pollution, and biodiversity loss. As a result, plant communities tend to suffer in green roofs, parks, and living walls. Finding solutions to help plants grow in stressful environments is a goal of the sustainable city. One solution is to better incorporate plant–microbe symbiosis in green architecture. Symbiotic fungi and bacteria can provide nutrients, water, and help plants to cope with urban stress. The reconceptualization of green infrastructure from a microbial‐focused perspective has the potential to improve plant health, growth, and diversity in cities.Plant communities in cities help maintain the health and stability of urban ecosystems and inhabitants. Ensuring that greenspace is healthy and productive is a key goal of green infrastructure and landscape architecture (GILA). However, cities are stressful environments for plants. In natural ecosystems, plants live in symbiosis with fungi, bacteria, and other microbes that can help alleviate stress. Microbial communities may also help with stress associated with urban environments. Incorporating mutualistic symbioses into GILA is a sustainable way to enhance urban greenspace. Here, we address key stressors for GILA in cities, including dependency on fertilizers, pathogens, drought, fewer pollinators, pollution, and reduced plant biodiversity. For each of these stressors, we discuss how symbiotic fungi and bacteria can help mitigate these issues, including case‐use scenarios. We conclude with new approaches to deliberately incorporate mutualisms in cities and open dialogues with stakeholders.","PeriodicalId":52849,"journal":{"name":"Plants People Planet","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44331019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Madagascar is famous for its unique forests and their fauna. Most of the island is covered by flammable grassy ecosystems long considered to be of human origin and threatening the remaining forests. Yet new studies show that many plants and animals of the grassy systems are unique to Madagascar and restricted to these open habitats. Open grassy ecosystems have markedly different management requirements from forests and bring different contributions to society. We argue that the grassy ecosystems can benefit Madagascar if understood and managed wisely using expanded knowledge bases that also include collaboration with locals.Until recently, nearly all research and interests in Madagascar focused on forested habitats. To help place Madagascar's grassy ecosystems in context, we provide a summary of the origin, development, and evolution of open tropical, C4 grassy ecosystems elsewhere, especially those from Africa; we summarize similarities and differences with the distribution of C3 and C4 grasses in the Malagasy landscape, their plant traits, and inferences on the evolutionary legacy of grasses. We also discuss the animal communities that use and have coevolved in these grassy systems; to help resolve controversies over the pre‐settlement extent of grassy ecosystems, we suggest a variety of complementary geochemical, palaeobotanical, and molecular genetic tools that have been effectively used elsewhere to untangle forest/grassy ecosystem mosaics and the ecological and evolutionary processes that influence them. Many of these tools can and should be employed in Madagascar to fully understand the spatio‐temporal dynamics of open, grassy, and closed forest systems across the island; as regards conservation, we discuss the ecosystem services provided by grassy systems, which are too often ignored in general, not only as a biome, vis‐à‐vis forests, but also for their global importance as a carbon sink and role they play in water management and providing goods to local villagers. We conclude by outlining the necessary research to better manage open ecosystems across Madagascar without threatening endangered forest ecosystems.
{"title":"The grassy ecosystems of Madagascar in context: Ecology, evolution, and conservation","authors":"J. Silander, W. Bond, J. Ratsirarson","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10417","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10417","url":null,"abstract":"Madagascar is famous for its unique forests and their fauna. Most of the island is covered by flammable grassy ecosystems long considered to be of human origin and threatening the remaining forests. Yet new studies show that many plants and animals of the grassy systems are unique to Madagascar and restricted to these open habitats. Open grassy ecosystems have markedly different management requirements from forests and bring different contributions to society. We argue that the grassy ecosystems can benefit Madagascar if understood and managed wisely using expanded knowledge bases that also include collaboration with locals.Until recently, nearly all research and interests in Madagascar focused on forested habitats. To help place Madagascar's grassy ecosystems in context, we provide a summary of the origin, development, and evolution of open tropical, C4 grassy ecosystems elsewhere, especially those from Africa; we summarize similarities and differences with the distribution of C3 and C4 grasses in the Malagasy landscape, their plant traits, and inferences on the evolutionary legacy of grasses. We also discuss the animal communities that use and have coevolved in these grassy systems; to help resolve controversies over the pre‐settlement extent of grassy ecosystems, we suggest a variety of complementary geochemical, palaeobotanical, and molecular genetic tools that have been effectively used elsewhere to untangle forest/grassy ecosystem mosaics and the ecological and evolutionary processes that influence them. Many of these tools can and should be employed in Madagascar to fully understand the spatio‐temporal dynamics of open, grassy, and closed forest systems across the island; as regards conservation, we discuss the ecosystem services provided by grassy systems, which are too often ignored in general, not only as a biome, vis‐à‐vis forests, but also for their global importance as a carbon sink and role they play in water management and providing goods to local villagers. We conclude by outlining the necessary research to better manage open ecosystems across Madagascar without threatening endangered forest ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":52849,"journal":{"name":"Plants People Planet","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41802073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Climate‐change and land‐use intensification are degrading ecosystems globally, impeding their services to humans (e.g., food security and human health). The United Nations 13th and 15th Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for action to protect and restore ecosystems. Only transdisciplinary research can unravel the multitudes of interacting ecosystem parts that could help accomplish these SDGs. However, a major challenge will be overcoming material, social and other types of barriers that prevent collaborations. This study explores some of these challenges and seeks the views of the community through a survey to help develop a new age of plant science collaboration.In this opinion article, we explore the problem of missed opportunities for collaboration in fields related to plant science. Lack of awareness of the scientific output, which can be gained from transdisciplinary collaborations, as well as the opportunities they can provide for early‐career scientists, may contribute to this. Here, we name communication barriers as particularly inhibitory to the formation of collaborations and propose possible solutions to overcome these barriers. Eventual action towards these solutions needs to be based on the opinions of the community. We thus intend this article to initiate a dialogue among researchers across the many disciplines of plant science about the feasibility of these proposed solutions. The questionnaire included with this article, intended for the broad plant research community, we believe could help us gain the necessary information to proceed in addressing communication barriers to transdisciplinary science collaborations. We provide a theoretical framework, examples and timely topics as discussion points to inspire participants of the questionnaire to contribute their voice to shaping a new age of plant science collaboration.
{"title":"Empowered through our diversity: How to bring in a new age of plant science collaboration","authors":"Lena Neuenkamp, Erica McGale","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10390","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10390","url":null,"abstract":"Climate‐change and land‐use intensification are degrading ecosystems globally, impeding their services to humans (e.g., food security and human health). The United Nations 13th and 15th Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for action to protect and restore ecosystems. Only transdisciplinary research can unravel the multitudes of interacting ecosystem parts that could help accomplish these SDGs. However, a major challenge will be overcoming material, social and other types of barriers that prevent collaborations. This study explores some of these challenges and seeks the views of the community through a survey to help develop a new age of plant science collaboration.In this opinion article, we explore the problem of missed opportunities for collaboration in fields related to plant science. Lack of awareness of the scientific output, which can be gained from transdisciplinary collaborations, as well as the opportunities they can provide for early‐career scientists, may contribute to this. Here, we name communication barriers as particularly inhibitory to the formation of collaborations and propose possible solutions to overcome these barriers. Eventual action towards these solutions needs to be based on the opinions of the community. We thus intend this article to initiate a dialogue among researchers across the many disciplines of plant science about the feasibility of these proposed solutions. The questionnaire included with this article, intended for the broad plant research community, we believe could help us gain the necessary information to proceed in addressing communication barriers to transdisciplinary science collaborations. We provide a theoretical framework, examples and timely topics as discussion points to inspire participants of the questionnaire to contribute their voice to shaping a new age of plant science collaboration.","PeriodicalId":52849,"journal":{"name":"Plants People Planet","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43710201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Huber, M. Julkowska, L. B. Snoek, H. van Veen, J. Toulotte, Virender Kumar, Kaisa Kajala, R. Sasidharan, R. Pierik
Rice farming is transitioning from transplanting rice seedlings towards the less labour‐intensive and less water‐demanding method of directly seeding rice. This, however, is accompanied by increased weed proliferation. To tackle this issue, this study seeks to identify how the crop itself can better suppress weeds, with a focus on light competition via shading. Using a rice diversity panel, traits were identified that contribute to enhanced shading capacity, and these traits were encapsulated into a single shading capacity metric. This was followed by the identification of the genetic loci underpinning variation in the core traits. The identified haplotypes can be used in breeding programmes to improve weed suppression by rice, thus contributing to sustainable agriculture. In modern rice farming, one of the major constraints is weed proliferation and the entailed ecological impact of herbicide application. This requires increased weed competitiveness in current rice varieties, achieved via enhanced shade casting to limit the growth of shade‐sensitive weeds. To identify traits that increase rice shading capacity, we exhaustively phenotyped a rice diversity panel of 344 varieties at an early vegetative stage. A genome‐wide association study (GWAS) revealed genetic loci underlying variation in canopy architecture traits linked with shading capacity. The screen shows considerable natural variation in shoot architecture for 13 examined traits, of which shading potential is mostly determined by projected shoot area, number of leaves, culm height and canopy solidity. The shading rank, a metric based on these core traits, identifies varieties with the highest shading potential. Five genetic loci were found to be associated with canopy architecture, shading potential and early vigour. Identification of traits contributing to shading capacity and underlying allelic variation will serve future genomic‐assisted breeding programmes. Implementing the presented genetic resources for increased shading and weed competitiveness in rice breeding will make its farming less dependent on herbicides and contribute towards more environmentally sustainable agriculture.
{"title":"Towards increased shading capacity: A combined phenotypic and genetic analysis of rice shoot architecture","authors":"M. Huber, M. Julkowska, L. B. Snoek, H. van Veen, J. Toulotte, Virender Kumar, Kaisa Kajala, R. Sasidharan, R. Pierik","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10419","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10419","url":null,"abstract":"Rice farming is transitioning from transplanting rice seedlings towards the less labour‐intensive and less water‐demanding method of directly seeding rice. This, however, is accompanied by increased weed proliferation. To tackle this issue, this study seeks to identify how the crop itself can better suppress weeds, with a focus on light competition via shading. Using a rice diversity panel, traits were identified that contribute to enhanced shading capacity, and these traits were encapsulated into a single shading capacity metric. This was followed by the identification of the genetic loci underpinning variation in the core traits. The identified haplotypes can be used in breeding programmes to improve weed suppression by rice, thus contributing to sustainable agriculture.\u0000In modern rice farming, one of the major constraints is weed proliferation and the entailed ecological impact of herbicide application. This requires increased weed competitiveness in current rice varieties, achieved via enhanced shade casting to limit the growth of shade‐sensitive weeds.\u0000To identify traits that increase rice shading capacity, we exhaustively phenotyped a rice diversity panel of 344 varieties at an early vegetative stage. A genome‐wide association study (GWAS) revealed genetic loci underlying variation in canopy architecture traits linked with shading capacity.\u0000The screen shows considerable natural variation in shoot architecture for 13 examined traits, of which shading potential is mostly determined by projected shoot area, number of leaves, culm height and canopy solidity. The shading rank, a metric based on these core traits, identifies varieties with the highest shading potential. Five genetic loci were found to be associated with canopy architecture, shading potential and early vigour.\u0000Identification of traits contributing to shading capacity and underlying allelic variation will serve future genomic‐assisted breeding programmes. Implementing the presented genetic resources for increased shading and weed competitiveness in rice breeding will make its farming less dependent on herbicides and contribute towards more environmentally sustainable agriculture.\u0000","PeriodicalId":52849,"journal":{"name":"Plants People Planet","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41257344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Immaculate M. Mwangangi, L. Büchi, S. Runo, J. Rodenburg
Infestation by the parasitic weed Striga is a major cause of cereal crop production losses on smallholder farms in Africa. Essential plant nutrients play an important indirect role in parasite seed germination, the first prerequisite for successful parasitism. Here, we demonstrate that increasing the nutrient availability for the host plant can also impede Striga development beyond its germination, independent of the resistance levels of the sorghum host. This insight provides additional support for crop protection recommendations to Striga‐affected farmers. Growing a resistant crop variety combined with adequate levels of fertilisers should be the backbone of defence against this parasitic weed. Striga hermonthica is a widespread parasitic weed in sub‐Saharan Africa and an important biotic constraint to sorghum production. Resistant varieties and fertilisers are crucial components of integrated Striga management. N and P fertilisers reduce the production of host‐plant strigolactones, known as Striga germination stimulants, and thereby reduce infection. Whether essential plant nutrients affect the parasite–host interaction beyond Striga germination is unknown. We conducted mini‐rhizotron assays to investigate the effects of macronutrient and micronutrient availability on post‐germination Striga development. Four sorghum genotypes (Framida, IS10978, N13, IS9830) covering the complete array of known mechanisms of post‐attachment resistance were compared with susceptible genotype Ochuti. Plants were infected with pre‐germinated Striga seeds and subjected to four nutrient treatment levels: (1) 25% of the optimal concentration of Long Ashton solution for cereals; (2) 25% macronutrient and optimal micronutrient concentration; (3) optimal macronutrient and 25% micronutrient concentration; and (4) optimal macronutrient and micronutrient concentrations. Compared with the 25% base nutrient level, treatments supplemented with macronutrients reduced the number of viable vascular connections established by pre‐germinated Striga seedlings as well as the total parasite biomass on the sorghum root system. Macronutrient treatment effects were observed across sorghum genotypes, independent of the presence and type of post‐attachment resistance, but appeared to specifically improve mechanical resistance, hypersensitive and incompatibility responses before Striga reaches the host‐root xylem. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that nutrient availability drives Striga parasitism beyond the germination stages. Increased availability of nutrients, in particular macronutrients, enhances host‐plant resistance in post‐attachment stages, reinforcing the importance of current fertiliser recommendations.
{"title":"Essential plant nutrients impair post‐germination development of Striga in sorghum","authors":"Immaculate M. Mwangangi, L. Büchi, S. Runo, J. Rodenburg","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10418","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10418","url":null,"abstract":"Infestation by the parasitic weed Striga is a major cause of cereal crop production losses on smallholder farms in Africa. Essential plant nutrients play an important indirect role in parasite seed germination, the first prerequisite for successful parasitism. Here, we demonstrate that increasing the nutrient availability for the host plant can also impede Striga development beyond its germination, independent of the resistance levels of the sorghum host. This insight provides additional support for crop protection recommendations to Striga‐affected farmers. Growing a resistant crop variety combined with adequate levels of fertilisers should be the backbone of defence against this parasitic weed.\u0000Striga hermonthica is a widespread parasitic weed in sub‐Saharan Africa and an important biotic constraint to sorghum production. Resistant varieties and fertilisers are crucial components of integrated Striga management. N and P fertilisers reduce the production of host‐plant strigolactones, known as Striga germination stimulants, and thereby reduce infection. Whether essential plant nutrients affect the parasite–host interaction beyond Striga germination is unknown.\u0000We conducted mini‐rhizotron assays to investigate the effects of macronutrient and micronutrient availability on post‐germination Striga development. Four sorghum genotypes (Framida, IS10978, N13, IS9830) covering the complete array of known mechanisms of post‐attachment resistance were compared with susceptible genotype Ochuti. Plants were infected with pre‐germinated Striga seeds and subjected to four nutrient treatment levels: (1) 25% of the optimal concentration of Long Ashton solution for cereals; (2) 25% macronutrient and optimal micronutrient concentration; (3) optimal macronutrient and 25% micronutrient concentration; and (4) optimal macronutrient and micronutrient concentrations.\u0000Compared with the 25% base nutrient level, treatments supplemented with macronutrients reduced the number of viable vascular connections established by pre‐germinated Striga seedlings as well as the total parasite biomass on the sorghum root system. Macronutrient treatment effects were observed across sorghum genotypes, independent of the presence and type of post‐attachment resistance, but appeared to specifically improve mechanical resistance, hypersensitive and incompatibility responses before Striga reaches the host‐root xylem.\u0000This study demonstrates, for the first time, that nutrient availability drives Striga parasitism beyond the germination stages. Increased availability of nutrients, in particular macronutrients, enhances host‐plant resistance in post‐attachment stages, reinforcing the importance of current fertiliser recommendations.\u0000","PeriodicalId":52849,"journal":{"name":"Plants People Planet","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47522179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Joseph, Andrinajoro R. Rakotoarivelo, C. Seymour
The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference emphasised the need to modify practices that negatively impact biodiversity and food security in the context of global change. Following Madagascar's drought‐induced famine, our systematic review supports the theory that grasslands of the Malagasy Central Highland that are subjected to human‐lit fires are anthropogenically derived. Furthermore, these overly frequent fires that characterise much of the Malagasy Central Highland grasslands select poorly palatable grasses. Given the reliance on pastoralism as insurance against crop failure in Madagascar, fire‐dependent practices that degrade rangeland emerge as a threat to food security and biodiversity. Education can mitigate against future humanitarian crises.Food insecurity is greatest in countries where impacts of global change are predicted to be severe. Many, like Madagascar, rely on livestock‐based pastoralism (and consequently palatable rangelands) for insurance against natural disasters and crop failure. It is recognised that derived grasslands can impact climate and biodiversity. Furthermore, the well‐established palatability‐flammability trade‐off predicts that overly‐frequent fires select increasingly unpalatable, fire‐adapted grassland. The drought‐induced Malagasy famine of 2021 highlights the need to identify factors that threaten food security. Given the ubiquitous practice of rangeland preparation through annual, landscape‐scale human‐lit fires, we evaluate whether Malagasy grasslands are derived and then test for fire‐driven selection of increasingly degraded and unpalatable rangelands across Madagascar's largest grassland system, the Malagasy Central Highland (MCH). We conducted a systematic literature review, evaluating for a palatability‐flammability trade‐off, by determining dominant Malagasy grass species, and then applying functional traits, and palatability ratings to these species. Data were extracted using a suite of relevant search terms, and of 1977 studies identified, 145 were directly relevant to the questions posed. Evidence from the review is compelling for much of the Malagasy highland grassland being derived. Furthermore, Malagasy dominant grass species are fire‐adapted with poor forage‐value, suggesting current burning practices negatively impact both biodiversity and pastoralism. Decreasing rangeland palatability caused by human‐lit fires in a society suffering food insecurity emphasises the need to re‐evaluate pastoralist burning practices. Identifying optimal fire frequencies can avert breaching fire‐induced tipping points to rangeland palatability and the humanitarian crises that may follow.
{"title":"A review of Madagascar's derived grasslands: Low palatability following anthropogenic fires may threaten food security","authors":"G. Joseph, Andrinajoro R. Rakotoarivelo, C. Seymour","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10408","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10408","url":null,"abstract":"The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference emphasised the need to modify practices that negatively impact biodiversity and food security in the context of global change. Following Madagascar's drought‐induced famine, our systematic review supports the theory that grasslands of the Malagasy Central Highland that are subjected to human‐lit fires are anthropogenically derived. Furthermore, these overly frequent fires that characterise much of the Malagasy Central Highland grasslands select poorly palatable grasses. Given the reliance on pastoralism as insurance against crop failure in Madagascar, fire‐dependent practices that degrade rangeland emerge as a threat to food security and biodiversity. Education can mitigate against future humanitarian crises.Food insecurity is greatest in countries where impacts of global change are predicted to be severe. Many, like Madagascar, rely on livestock‐based pastoralism (and consequently palatable rangelands) for insurance against natural disasters and crop failure. It is recognised that derived grasslands can impact climate and biodiversity. Furthermore, the well‐established palatability‐flammability trade‐off predicts that overly‐frequent fires select increasingly unpalatable, fire‐adapted grassland. The drought‐induced Malagasy famine of 2021 highlights the need to identify factors that threaten food security. Given the ubiquitous practice of rangeland preparation through annual, landscape‐scale human‐lit fires, we evaluate whether Malagasy grasslands are derived and then test for fire‐driven selection of increasingly degraded and unpalatable rangelands across Madagascar's largest grassland system, the Malagasy Central Highland (MCH). We conducted a systematic literature review, evaluating for a palatability‐flammability trade‐off, by determining dominant Malagasy grass species, and then applying functional traits, and palatability ratings to these species. Data were extracted using a suite of relevant search terms, and of 1977 studies identified, 145 were directly relevant to the questions posed. Evidence from the review is compelling for much of the Malagasy highland grassland being derived. Furthermore, Malagasy dominant grass species are fire‐adapted with poor forage‐value, suggesting current burning practices negatively impact both biodiversity and pastoralism. Decreasing rangeland palatability caused by human‐lit fires in a society suffering food insecurity emphasises the need to re‐evaluate pastoralist burning practices. Identifying optimal fire frequencies can avert breaching fire‐induced tipping points to rangeland palatability and the humanitarian crises that may follow.","PeriodicalId":52849,"journal":{"name":"Plants People Planet","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44092058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Household fruit and vegetable (F&V) production in allotments and gardens can provide sustainable access to nutritious food. The present study demonstrates that UK household F&V production supplies more than half of the vegetables and potatoes and 20% of the fruit that growers consume annually. Importantly, study participants ate 6.3 portions of their recommended 5‐a‐day F&V (70% higher than the UK national average), and their wasted F&V was 95% lower than the national average. This provides key evidence to demonstrate the role household F&V production could play in providing access to fresh F&V, which is key to a healthy, food‐secure population. Improving access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables (F&V) is crucial to a healthy and food‐secure population, as current low intakes are linked to high rates of non‐communicable diseases, premature death and increased healthcare costs. Household F&V production could improve diet quality and food system resilience, however, quantitative evidence for its potential is limited. We studied year‐long F&V production, purchases, donations and waste in UK food‐grower households (N = 85) using a food diary approach. Median year‐round household self‐sufficiency was 51% in vegetables, 20% in fruits and 50% in potatoes. The median daily per capita F&V intake was 507 g, which is the equivalent of 6.3 portions of F&V and 70% higher than the UK national average. On average, own production accounted for half of each household's annual 5‐a‐day F&V requirements. F&V waste was negligible, equivalent to 0.12 portions per day and 95% lower than the UK average F&V waste. We demonstrate that promoting household F&V production could improve food system resilience, diet‐related public health and sustainability.
{"title":"The contribution of household fruit and vegetable growing to fruit and vegetable self‐sufficiency and consumption","authors":"Boglarka Z. Gulyas, J. Edmondson","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10413","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10413","url":null,"abstract":"Household fruit and vegetable (F&V) production in allotments and gardens can provide sustainable access to nutritious food. The present study demonstrates that UK household F&V production supplies more than half of the vegetables and potatoes and 20% of the fruit that growers consume annually. Importantly, study participants ate 6.3 portions of their recommended 5‐a‐day F&V (70% higher than the UK national average), and their wasted F&V was 95% lower than the national average. This provides key evidence to demonstrate the role household F&V production could play in providing access to fresh F&V, which is key to a healthy, food‐secure population.\u0000Improving access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables (F&V) is crucial to a healthy and food‐secure population, as current low intakes are linked to high rates of non‐communicable diseases, premature death and increased healthcare costs. Household F&V production could improve diet quality and food system resilience, however, quantitative evidence for its potential is limited.\u0000We studied year‐long F&V production, purchases, donations and waste in UK food‐grower households (N = 85) using a food diary approach.\u0000Median year‐round household self‐sufficiency was 51% in vegetables, 20% in fruits and 50% in potatoes. The median daily per capita F&V intake was 507 g, which is the equivalent of 6.3 portions of F&V and 70% higher than the UK national average. On average, own production accounted for half of each household's annual 5‐a‐day F&V requirements. F&V waste was negligible, equivalent to 0.12 portions per day and 95% lower than the UK average F&V waste.\u0000We demonstrate that promoting household F&V production could improve food system resilience, diet‐related public health and sustainability.\u0000","PeriodicalId":52849,"journal":{"name":"Plants People Planet","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45678476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
T. Wakabayashi, Megumi Nakayama, Y. Kitano, Masato Homma, K. Miura, H. Takikawa, M. Mizutani, Y. Sugimoto
Parasitic witchweeds (Striga species) pose a serious threat to food security in Africa, attacking cereal grains and legumes. Chemicals released from the host roots that initiate the life cycle of Striga are known as germination stimulants, predominantly strigolactones (SLs). Strigol, the first identified SL, was isolated from the root exudates of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), a false host of Striga, over 50 years ago. The identification of strigol synthase in cotton establishes the complete biosynthesis pathway of this emblematic SL. This discovery has the potential to advance our understanding of SL‐mediated rhizosphere interactions and enhance cotton's effectiveness as a trap crop.
{"title":"Discovery of strigol synthase from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum): The enzyme behind the first identified germination stimulant for Striga","authors":"T. Wakabayashi, Megumi Nakayama, Y. Kitano, Masato Homma, K. Miura, H. Takikawa, M. Mizutani, Y. Sugimoto","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10420","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10420","url":null,"abstract":"Parasitic witchweeds (Striga species) pose a serious threat to food security in Africa, attacking cereal grains and legumes. Chemicals released from the host roots that initiate the life cycle of Striga are known as germination stimulants, predominantly strigolactones (SLs). Strigol, the first identified SL, was isolated from the root exudates of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), a false host of Striga, over 50 years ago. The identification of strigol synthase in cotton establishes the complete biosynthesis pathway of this emblematic SL. This discovery has the potential to advance our understanding of SL‐mediated rhizosphere interactions and enhance cotton's effectiveness as a trap crop.","PeriodicalId":52849,"journal":{"name":"Plants People Planet","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44780302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wenqian Kong, Min Liu, P. Felker, M. Ewens, C. Bessega, C. Pometti, Jinpeng Wang, Peng Xu, J. Teng, Jinyu Wang, Xiyin Wang, Yuannian Jiao, Magdy S. Alabady, F. Thibaud-Nissen, P. Masterson, Xin Qiao, A. Paterson
{"title":"Genome and evolution of Prosopis alba Griseb., a drought and salinity tolerant tree legume crop for arid climates","authors":"Wenqian Kong, Min Liu, P. Felker, M. Ewens, C. Bessega, C. Pometti, Jinpeng Wang, Peng Xu, J. Teng, Jinyu Wang, Xiyin Wang, Yuannian Jiao, Magdy S. Alabady, F. Thibaud-Nissen, P. Masterson, Xin Qiao, A. Paterson","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10404","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10404","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":52849,"journal":{"name":"Plants People Planet","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2023-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41644698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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