Online first

Latest issue

• Select all

• Perspectives of improving rice photosynthesis for higher grain yield

  Dongliang Xiong

  2024, 3(3): 123-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crope.2024.04.001

  PDF

  Many efforts have been made to enhance rice photosynthesis for higher grain yields, although such knowledge has seldom been integrated into rice breeding programs. In this review, I first address the limitations and challenges of the theory that yield is controlled by photosynthesis, a concept rooted in the fact that carbon forms a significant part of plant mass, with photosynthesis acting as the fundamental pathway for carbon assimilation. Subsequently, the discussion covers photosynthesis indices, their measurement techniques, and the challenges in establishing correlations between photosynthesis indices and yields. The review then delves into recent advancements, including leveraging natural variations, enhancing the electron transport chain, augmenting the efficiency of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), increasing CO₂ concentration around Rubisco, initiatives like the C₄ rice project, strategies for photorespiration bypass, and non-leaf photosynthesis contributions. The conclusion emphasizes future research directions such as advocating for the incorporation of photosynthesis within broader organismic processes, unraveling the complex link between photosynthesis and grain yield, developing efficient and direct methods for photosynthesis phenotyping, and assessing photosynthetic performance under actual field conditions.
• From wild to cultivated crops: general shift in morphological and physiological traits for yield enhancement following domestication

  Zhangying Lei, Ziliang Li, Wangfeng Zhang, Daohua He, Yali Zhang

  2024, 3(3): 138-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crope.2024.03.001

  PDF

  Crop species undergo artificial selection as a result of domestication under agricultural field conditions. However, there is limited information on the pattern of how domestication alters leaf photosynthesis, morphology, and biomass and its allocation. In this review, we firstly introduced the concept of crop domestication, provided clarity on crop domestication syndrome, and emphasized the significance in the conservation and re-utilization of wild crop resources. Next, we discussed the variation in crop biomass and yield using a compiled dataset comprised of 54 wild and cultivated species. We subsequently summarized the general shift in physiological traits including higher growth and photosynthetic rates, light use efficiency, leaf area, chlorophyll, and nitrogen content, which may be associated with greater biomass and yield during crop domestication. We ended by identifying what has been learned on how domestication optimized plant performance to produce today's crops, and by providing some examples of how this knowledge was being exploited and redirected to drive crop improvement in the near future. These general patterns following crop domestication present several implications for offering valuable insights into shaping future genetic engineering targets and improving agricultural management practices.
• Techniques for photosynthesis phenomics: gas exchange, fluorescence, and reflectance spectrums

  Qingfeng Song, Xin-Guang Zhu

  2024, 3(3): 147-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crope.2024.05.002

  PDF

  Photosynthesis represents the most important biological process on earth and generates food and energy for most living organisms. Increasing photosynthetic efficiency in crops is a feasible strategy to enhance grain yield. Canopy photosynthesis, the integral of photosynthesis of all photosynthetic tissues of an entire plant canopy, is intrinsically linked to biomass production and crop yield and is influenced by both photosynthetic efficiency at the tissue level and canopy architecture, which determines the light environment at that tissue. This review summarizes current methodologies for measuring photosynthesis via gas exchange, fluorescence, and reflectance spectrum at the field, canopy, and leaf levels. Gas exchange techniques include eddy covariance, canopy gas exchange chambers, and organ-level gas exchange methods, which can measure CO₂ and H₂O fluxes. Chlorophyll fluorescence methods include solar-induced fluorescence (SIF), laser-induced fluorescence transient (LIFT), pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorescence, and light induced chlorophyll a fluorescence rise (OJIP transient), which can be used to evaluate photosynthetic efficiency and plant stress responses. One of the commonly used reflectance spectrum methods for studying photosynthesis is the hyperspectral reflectance technique, which can estimate photosynthesis-related traits. High-throughput crop photosynthesis phenotyping can be performed with different combinations of these techniques. This review aims to provide a one-stop resource for researchers working in plant physiology, agronomy, and environmental science and working on either crop management or genetic enhancement to address either food security or the response of plants to global climate change.
• Effects of climate change on plant pathogens and host-pathogen interactions

  Rachid Lahlali, Mohammed Taoussi, Salah-Eddine Laasli, Grace Gachara, Rachid Ezzouggari, Zineb Belabess, Kamal Aberkani, Amine Assouguem, Abdelilah Meddich, Moussa El Jarroudi, Essaid Ait Barka

  2024, 3(3): 159-170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crope.2024.05.003

  PDF

  Crop production stands as a pivotal pillar of global food security, but its sustainability faces complex challenges from plant diseases, which pose a substantial threat to agricultural productivity. Climate change significantly alters the dynamics of plant pathogens, primarily through changes in temperature, humidity, and precipitation patterns, which can enhance the virulence and spread of various plant diseases. Indeed, the increased frequency of extreme weather events, which is a direct consequence of climate change, creates favorable conditions for outbreaks of plant diseases. As global temperatures rise, the geographic range of many plant pathogens is expanding, exposing new regions and species to diseases previously limited to warmer climates. Climate change not only affects the prevalence and severity of plant diseases but also influences the effectiveness of disease management strategies, necessitating adaptive approaches in agricultural practices. This review presents a thorough examination of the relationship between climate change and plant pathogens and carefully provides an analysis of the interplay between climatic shifts and disease dynamics. In addition to insights into the development of effective strategies for countering the adverse impacts of climate change on plant diseases, these insights hold significant promise for bolstering global crop production resilience against mounting environmental challenges.
• Trend in yield and protein content relationship in a historical series of durum wheat varieties under rainfed and irrigated environments

  Abdelali Boussakouran, Mohamed El Yamani, El Hassan Sakar, Yahia Rharrabti

  2024, 3(3): 171-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crope.2024.05.001

  PDF

  Improving grain yield (GY) is a major goal of durum wheat breeding programs, and a high yield needs to be attained while preserving grain quality. The current study evaluated the changes caused by a breeding program on the association between GY and grain protein content (PC) in Moroccan durum wheat. Field experiments with six leading varieties released over three decades were conducted for three growing seasons under two water regimes. GY and PC were largely controlled by environmental effects, including both the growing season and water regime. The year of release and growing season effects were the predominant sources of variation in total chlorophyll content (TCC). A significant increase in GY with the year of release was observed under irrigated conditions, whereas a significant increase in PC over time was noted under rainfed conditions. In addition, a negative correlation was revealed between GY and PC, which was significant only in the rainfed trials. Similarly, a significant and positive association was noted between PC and TCC within the rainfed trials, but not in the irrigated trials. Based on GGE (genotype main effect plus genotype × environment interaction) biplot analysis, the new varieties ‘Marouane’ and ‘Faraj’ were identified as desirable varieties in terms of GY and PC close to the ‘ideal genotype’. These results indicated that when grown under current irrigated conditions, new varieties improved by the Moroccan breeding program showed better GY performance than old varieties.
• Ideal phenotypic characteristics and parental lines for hybrid rice breeding to cope with global dimming

  Wei Zhou, Youfeng Tao, Chunlian Jin, Juan Li, Fengjun Yan, Tao Wang, Qi Liu, Qiqi Deng, Wenwen Song, Yajun Wang, Yong Chen, Fei Deng, Xiaolong Lei, Jianfeng Hu, Hong Cheng, Wanjun Ren

  2024, 3(3): 177-184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crope.2024.06.001

  PDF

  The global food crisis has intensified with climate change, and hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.) is expected to play a crucial role in ensuring world food security. This study analyzed the parental origins and variety characteristics of 930 hybrid rice varieties bred in Sichuan Province, a typical low-light region and one of the main production areas for hybrid rice, from 2002 to 2022. The results indicate that these varieties were hybridized using 329 direct female and 539 direct male parents. Notably, the female parent Peiai 64 and the male parents Yuehesimiao and Fenghuazhan demonstrated a higher probability of breeding rice varieties with high yield and good quality. An ideal panicle type should possess more grains, a lower 1000-grain weight, a higher seed setting percentage, and greater grain density. It is recommended to increase the utilization of excellent parents in Sichuan Province, such as parents with ideal panicle type to improve resistance to climate change, particularly global dimming.
• Corrigendum to “Enhancing maize radiation use efficiency under high planting density by shaping canopy architecture with a plant growth regulator” [Crop and Environ Volume 3 (Issue 1) (March 2024) Pages 51-63]

  Guanmin Huang, Yuling Guo, Weiming Tan, Mingcai Zhang, Zhaohu Li, Yuyi Zhou, Liusheng Duan

  2024, 3(3): 185-185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crope.2024.04.002

  PDF