Quantifying cover crops growth and physiologic responses to ultraviolet-B radiation

Abstract

Different cover crop species (CCs) may exhibit variable responses to ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation and understanding its impact on CCs’ early growth, development, and physiologic response can inform more effective management strategies. The objective of the study was to quantify the effect of UV-B radiation (0, 5, 10, and 15 kJ·m⁻²·d⁻¹) on the early growth, development, and adaptive responses of five CCs widely adopted by Mid-South United States growers. The study used five CCs: Mighty Mustard “Pacific Gold” (Brassica juncea; MM), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum; CrC), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum; WW), winter triticale (Triticum × Secale; WT), and cereal rye (Secale cereale; CR) in a sunlit, controlled-environmental chambers (SPAR) facility. UV-B radiation was delivered for 8 h daily using 40 W UV-B 313 lamps. The results indicated that mustard was the most sensitive to UV-B exposure, followed by the crimson clover, cereal rye, winter triticale, and winter wheat CC. Mustard’s leaf area, root length, and total dry weight decreased by 35%–94%, 50%–68%, and 38%–89% when exposed to UV-B. The exponential model showed that chlorophyll content (ChC) and nitrogen balance index (NBI) declined with UV-B treatment across all CCs except MM. The exponential model fit the tested range of UV-B rates well, accurately reflecting the declines in cover-crop shoot growth and root parameters observed under UV-B treatments. Mustard’s UV-B sensitivity warrants caution in UV-B-prone regions, while rye, triticale, and wheat show greater resilience, with optimal morphology and adaptive capacity, equipping producers to manage future uncertainties from UV-B exposure.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

cover crops / morphological characteristics / physiological parameters / UV-B radiation / total dry weight

References

[1] Agati G, Tattini M (2010). Multiple functional roles of flavonoids in photoprotection.New Phytol, 186(4): 786–793

[2] Alexieva V, Sergiev I, Mapelli S, Karanov E (2001). The effect of drought and ultraviolet radiation on growth and stress markers in pea and wheat.Plant Cell Environ, 24(12): 1337–1344

[3] Badon T, Prince Czarnecki J M, Baker B H, Spencer D, Hill M J, Lucore A E, Krutz L J (2022). Transitioning from conventional to cover crop systems with minimum tillage does not alter nutrient loading.J Environ Qual, 51(5): 966–977

[4] Baker N R (2008). Chlorophyll fluorescence: a probe of photosynthesis in vivo.Annu Rev Plant Biol, 59(1): 89–113

[5] Ballaré C L, Caldwell M M, Flint S D, Robinson S A, Bornman J F (2011). Effects of solar ultraviolet radiation on terrestrial ecosystems. Patterns, mechanisms, and interactions with climate change.Photochem Photobiol Sci, 10(2): 226–241

[6] Barnes P W, Robson T M, Zepp R G, Bornman J F, Jansen M A K, Ossola R, Wang Q W, Robinson S A, Foereid B, Klekociuk A R, Martinez-Abaigar J, Hou W C, Mackenzie R, Paul N D (2023). Interactive effects of changes in UV radiation and climate on terrestrial ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, and feedbacks to the climate system.Photochem Photobiol Sci, 22(5): 1049–1091

[7] Biever J J, Gardner G (2016). The relationship between multiple UV-B perception mechanisms and DNA repair pathways in plants.Environ Exp Bot, 124: 89–99

[8] Blanco-Canqui H, Ruis S J (2018). Cover crops and ecosystem services: insights from long-term research.Agron J, 110(2): 701–711

[9] Brand D, Wijewardana C, Gao W, Reddy K R (2016). Interactive effects of carbon dioxide, low temperature, and ultraviolet-B radiation on cotton seedling root and shoot morphology and growth.Front Earth Sci, 10(4): 607–620

[10] Brazaitytė A, Viršilė A, Samuolienė G, Vaštakaitė-Kairienė V, Jankauskienė J, Miliauskienė J, Novičkovas A, Duchovskis P (2019). Response of mustard microgreens to different wavelengths and durations of UV-A LEDs.Front Plant Sci, 10: 1153

[11] Carvalho S D, Castillo J A (2018). Influence of light on plant-phyllosphere interaction.Front Plant Sci, 9: 1482

[12] Cerovic Z G, Masdoumier G, Latouche G, Walter C, Jacquemoud S, Goulas Y (2012). Optical assessment of leaf nitrogen status in plants: a review.J Exp Bot, 63(14): 5079–5100

[13] Choudhary K K, Agrawal S B (2017). Effect of UV-B radiation on leguminous plants. In: Lichtfouse E, ed. Sustainable Agriculture Reviews. Cham: Springer, 115–162

[14] Craver J K, Miller C T, Williams K A, Bello N M (2014). Ultraviolet radiation affects intumescence development in ornamental sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas).HortScience, 49(10): 1277–1283

[15] Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (202202). Sun safety monthly average UV index 2006–2023. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

[16] Fan K, Li F, Chen X, Li Z, Mulla D J (2022). Nitrogen balance index prediction of winter wheat by canopy hyperspectral transformation and machine learning.Remote Sensing, 14(14): 3504

[17] Fu G, Shen Z X (2017). Effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on plant physiology and growth on the Tibetan Plateau: a meta-analysis.Acta Physiol Plant, 39(3): 85

[18] Hewitt E J(1952). Sand and Water Culture Methods Used in the Study of Plant Nutrition. East Malling: Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux

[19] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) (2014). Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects; Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Geneva: IPCC

[20] Jansen M A, Gaba V, Greenberg B M (1998). Higher plants and UV-B radiation: balancing damage, repair and acclimation.Trends Plant Sci, 3(4): 131–135

[21] Kakani V G, Reddy K R, Zhao D, Sailaja K (2003). Field crop responses to ultraviolet-B radiation: a review.Agric For Meteorol, 120(1−4): 191–218

[22] Kerr J B, McElroy C T (1993). Evidence for large upward trend of ultraviolet-B radiation linked to ozone depletion.Science, 262(5136): 1032–1034

[23] Kharel T P, Ashworth A J, Owens P R, Philipp D, Thomas A L, Sauer T J (2021). Teasing apart silvopasture system components using machine learning for optimization.Soil Systems, 5(3): 41

[24] Kharel T P, Reddy K R, Sehgal A, Kodadinne N, Bheemanahalli R, Bhandari A B, Reddy K N, Gao W (2025). Impact of climate change stressors temperature, CO₂, and UV‐B on early growth and development of different cover crop species.Agrosyst Geosci Environ, 8(1): e70037

[25] Kruse J, Carter T, Smith E (2020). Early root development of cover crops improves soil infiltration.Soil Sci Soc Am J, 84(4): 983–995

[26] Lal S, Chandra V, Chauhan A (2021). Promotory effects of UV-B radiation alone and along with plant growth regulators on protease and peroxidase activity of Brassica juncea.Int J Bot Stud, 6(4): 166–173

[27] Lal S, Chandra V, Chauhan A (2022). Effects of UV-B radiation on biochemical composition of Brassica juncea and mitigation by plant growth regulators.Plant Arch, 22(2): 345–349

[28] Lamy K, Portafaix T, Josse B, Brogniez C, Godin-Beekmann S, Bencherif H, Revell L, Akiyoshi H, Bekki S, Hegglin M I, Jöckel P, Kirner O, Liley B, Marecal V, Morgenstern O, Stenke A, Zeng G, Abraham N L, Archibald A T, Butchart N, Chipperfield M P, Di Genova G, Deushi M, Dhomse S S, Hu R M, Kinnison D, Kotkamp M, McKenzie R, Michou M, O’Connor F M, Oman L D, Pitari G, Plummer D A, Pyle J A, Rozanov E, Saint-Martin D, Sudo K, Tanaka T Y, Visioni D, Yoshida K (2019). Clear-sky ultraviolet radiation modelling using output from the chemistry climate model initiative.Atmos Chem Phys, 19(15): 10087–10110

[29] Liaqat W, Altaf M T, Barutçular C, Nawaz H, Ullah I, Basit A, Mohamed H I (2024). Ultraviolet-B radiation in relation to agriculture in the context of climate change: a review.Cereal Res Commun, 52(1): 1–24

[30] Lingakumar K, Kulandaivelu G (1993). Changes induced by ultraviolet-B radiation in vegetative growth, foliar characteristics and photosynthetic activities in Vigna ungiculata.Aust J Plant Physiol, 20(3): 299–308

[31] Liu L, Gitz III D C, McClure J W (1995). Effects of UV‐B on flavonoids, ferulic acid, growth and photosynthesis in barley primary leaves.Physiol Plant, 93(4): 725–733

[32] Lubin D, Jensen E H (1995). Effects of clouds and stratospheric ozone depletion on ultraviolet radiation trends.Nature, 377(6551): 710–713

[33] Mark U, Tevini M (1997). Effects of solar ultraviolet-B radiation, temperature and CO₂ on growth and physiology of sunflower and maize seedlings.Plant Ecol, 128(1−2): 225–234

[34] Mathur S, Bheemanahalli R, Jumaa S H, Kakar N, Reddy V R, Gao W, Reddy K R (2024). Impact of ultraviolet-B radiation on early-season morpho-physiological traits of indica and japonica rice genotypes.Front Plant Sci, 15: 1369397

[35] Maxwell K, Johnson G N (2000). Chlorophyll fluorescence—A practical guide.J Exp Bot, 51(345): 659–668

[36] Meijkamp B B, Doodeman G, Rozema J (2001). The response of Vicia faba to enhanced UV-B radiation under low and near ambient PAR levels.Plant Ecol, 154(1−2): 135–146

[37] Meng F, Xiang D, Zhu J, Li Y, Mao C (2019). Molecular mechanisms of root development in rice.Rice (N Y), 12(1): 1

[38] Mewis I, Schreiner M, Nguyen C N, Krumbein A, Ulrichs C, Lohse M, Zrenner R (2012). UV-B irradiation changes specifically the secondary metabolite profile in broccoli sprouts: induced signaling overlaps with defense response to biotic stressors.Plant Cell Physiol, 53(9): 1546–1560

[39] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (2023). UV index time series. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[40] Neugart S, Bumke-Vogt C (2021). Flavonoid glycosides in Brassica species respond to UV-B depending on exposure time and adaptation time.Molecules, 26(2): 494

[41] Podsędek A, Sosnowska D, Redzynia M, Anders B (2006). Antioxidant capacity and content of Brassica oleracea dietary antioxidants..Int J Food Sci Technol, 41(s1 Suppl. 1): 49–58

[42] Qi H, Duan L, Wang S, Wang Y, Zhang Q, Feng G, Du H, Liang Q, Lin Y (2017). Effect of enhanced UV-B radiation on cotton growth and photosynthesis.Chin J Eco Agric, 25(5): 708–719

[43] R Core Team (2021). R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria

[44] Ramamoorthy P, Bheemanahalli R, Meyers S L, Shankle M W, Reddy K R (2022). Drought, low nitrogen stress, and ultraviolet-B radiation effects on growth, development, and physiology of sweet potato cultivars during early season.Genes (Basel), 13(1): 156

[45] Reddy K R, Hodges H F, Read J J, McKinion J M, Baker J T, Tarpley L, Reddy V R (2001). Soil-plant-atmosphere-research (SPAR) facility: a tool for plant research and modeling.Biotronics, 30: 27–50

[46] Reddy K R, Kakani V G, Zhao D, Sailaja K (2003). Effects of ultraviolet-B radiation on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. ) morphology and anatomy.Ann Bot (Lond), 91(7): 817–826

[47] Reddy K R, Patro H, Lokhande S, Bellaloui N, Gao W (2016). Ultraviolet-B radiation alters soybean growth and seed quality.Food Nutr Sci, 7(1): 55–66

[48] Reddy K R, Singh S K, Koti S, Kakani V G, Zhao D, Gao W, Reddy V R (2013). Quantifying corn growth and physiological responses to ultraviolet‐B radiation for modeling.Agron J, 105(5): 1367–1377

[49] Reuber S, Bornman J F, Weissenböck G (1996). Phenylpropanoid compounds in primary leaf tissues of rye (Secale cereale): light response of their metabolism and possible role in UV-B protection.Physiol Plant, 97(1): 160–168

[50] Richard M, Allison J (2020). Evaluation of Cool Season Cover Crops in the Mid-South. Jamie L. Whitten Plant Materials Center. Coffeeville: United States Department of Agriculture

[51] Roychoudhry S, Kepinski S (2022). Auxin in root development.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol, 14(4): a039933

[52] Sangeetha C, Baskar P (2015). Allelopathy in weed management: a critical review.Afr J Agric Res, 10(9): 1004–1015

[53] Scavo A, Fontanazza S, Restuccia A, Pesce G R, Abbate C, Mauromicale G (2022). The role of cover crops in improving soil fertility and plant nutritional status in temperate climates: a review.Agron Sustain Dev, 42: 93

[54] Sehgal A, Reddy K R, Walne C H, Barickman T C, Brazel S, Chastain D, Gao W (2022). Climate stressors on growth, yield, and functional biochemistry of two Brassica species, kale and mustard.Life (Basel), 12(10): 1546

[55] Sharma S, Chatterjee S, Kataria S, Joshi J, Datta S, Vairale M G, Veer V (2017). A review on responses of plants to UV‐B radiation related stress. In: Singh V P, Singh S, Prasad S M, Parihar P, eds. UV‐B Radiation: From Environmental Stressor to Regulator of Plant Growth. New York: John Wiley Sons, 75–97

[56] Singh S K, Reddy K R, Reddy V R, Gao W (2014). Maize growth and developmental responses to temperature and ultraviolet-B radiation interaction.Photosynthetica, 52(2): 262–271

[57] Suchar V A, Robberecht R (2016). Integration and scaling of UV‐B radiation effects on plants: from molecular interactions to whole plant responses.Ecol Evol, 6(14): 4866–4884

[58] Surabhi G K, Reddy K R, Singh S K (2009). Photosynthesis, fluorescence, shoot biomass and seed weight responses of three cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L. ) Walp. ) cultivars with contrasting sensitivity to UV-B radiation.Environ Exp Bot, 66(2): 160–171

[59] Teasdale J R, Mohler C L (1993). Influence of rye residue management on weed suppression.Weed Sci, 41(3): 338–347

[60] Tripathi S C, Mamrutha H M, Venkatesh K, Meena R P, Kumar N, Samota S R, Singh G (2023). Physiological indices, productivity and profitability assessment at varying nitrogen levels of wheat under conservation agriculture.Int J Plant Prod, 17(4): 667–680

[61] United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (20022002. Executive Summary. Final of UNEP/WMO Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2002. Prepared by the Scientific Assessment Panel of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. UNEP, Nairobi (released 23 August 2002)

[62] United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (2014). Environmental effects of ozone depletion and its interactions with climate change. Secretariat for The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

[63] Wang G, Sun X, Li Y, Wang Y, Jin C (2025). The role of UV-B radiation in modulating secondary metabolite biosynthesis and regulatory mechanisms in medicinal plants.BioResources, 20(2): 4776–4797

[64] Wargent J J, Jordan B R (2013). From ozone depletion to agriculture: understanding the role of UV radiation in sustainable crop production.New Phytol, 197(4): 1058–1076

[65] Wijewardana C, Hock H, Henry B, Reddy K R (2015). Screening corn hybrids for cold tolerance using morphological traits for early season seeding.Crop Sci, 55(2): 851–867

[66] WMO (2007). Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2006. Global Ozone Research and Monitoring Project. Report No. 50. Geneva: World Meteorological Organization

[67] Wu X, Chen B, Xiao J, Guo H (2023). Different doses of UV-B radiation affect pigmented potatoes’ growth and quality during the whole growth period.Front Plant Sci, 14: 1101172

[68] Zhang R, Huang G, Wang L, Zhou Q, Huang X (2019). Effects of elevated ultraviolet-B radiation on root growth and chemical signaling molecules in plants.Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 171: 683–690

[69] Zhao D, Reddy K R, Kakani V G, Read J J, Sullivan J H (2003). Growth and physiological responses of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) to elevated carbon dioxide and ultraviolet‐B radiation under controlled environmental conditions.Plant Cell Environ, 26(5): 771–782

Rights & permissions

Higher Education Press