Methodology for land use change scenario assessment for runoff impacts: A case study in a north-western European Loess belt region (Pays de Caux,France)

Changes of agricultural land use often induce changes in hydrological behavior of watersheds. Hence, effective information regarding runoff responses to future land use scenarios provides useful support for decision-making in land use planning and management. The objective of this study is to develop a methodology to assess land use change scenario impacts on runoff at the watershed scale. This objective implies translating qualitative information from scenarios into quantitative input parameters for biophysical models. To do so, qualitative information from scenarios should be quantified and spatialized.     

Interaction between cultivar and crop management effects on winter wheat diseases, lodging, and yield

The breeding of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for resistance to major fungal diseases has been a priority over the last 15 years in France. During this period, integrated low-input strategies have been developed for winter wheat, to cope with falling grain prices and growing environmental concerns. We investigated the interactions between genotype and management for disease and lodging intensities, and analysed their effects on yield within an integrated crop management (CM) context.

A multi-environment experimental network (13 locations, studied in three seasons, between 1999–2000 and 2001–2002) comprising several combinations of cultivars and CM systems was carried out. Four rule-based CM plans were defined, with a decrease in input level from CM1 (a high-input CM plan designed to maximise the yield of a given cultivar) to CM4 (a low-input system with no fungicide protection, no plant growth regulator applications, a sowing density 40% lower than for CM1, and 90 kg ha⁻¹ less N fertiliser than for CM1). Cultivars were clustered into three groups (cultivar type (CT) CT1–CT3), according to their scores for resistance to diseases, for the analysis of yield, whereas the resistance cultivar rating (CR) for each disease and for lodging was considered for the analysis of disease and lodging intensities.

For all diseases, CM had a significant effect (P<0.0001), with disease intensity increasing from CM1 to CM4, whereas CR had a negative effect (P<0.005). An interaction between CR and CM was also detected for all diseases (P<0.005) except eyespot. Lodging intensity decreased significantly from CM1 to CM4 (P<0.0001), and significant increases in lodging resistance score (P<0.0001) were not associated with a genotype by management interaction.

Lastly, yield was significantly affected by CM (P<0.0001), CT (P<0.0003), and CM by CT interaction (P=0.0023). Cultivar ranking differed as a function of CM for yield, demonstrating that breeding programs focusing on cultivar evaluation in high-input environments do not result in the selection of cultivars suited to low-input environments.     

Relationship between the amount of reduced nitrogen accumulated in winter wheat shoots and the activity of nitrate reductase measured in situ

Nitrate reductase activity measured in shoots of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Apollo and Soissons) was assessed as an indicator of the nitrate assimilation rate in plants grown in the field and subjected to various nitrogen nutrition treatments. In N-deficient plants, the nitrate reductase activity was lower than in well fertilized plants and was an early indicator of nitrogen deficiency. At each stage of stem elongation, there was a constant relationship between the nitrate reductase activity in the shoots and the quantity of reduced nitrogen accumulated daily in these organs. This relationship was not affected by the level of nitrogen fertilization.     

An in planta, Agrobacterium-mediated transient gene expression method for inducing gene silencing in rice (Oryza sativa L.) leaves

Background

Although the genetic structure of rice germplasm has been characterized worldwide, few studies investigated germplasm from Thailand, the world’s largest exporter of rice. Thailand and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have diverse collections of rice germplasm, which could be used to develop breeding lines with desirable traits. This study aimed to investigate the level of genetic diversity and structures of Thai and selected IRRI germplasm. Understanding the genetic structure and relationships among these germplasm will be useful for parent selection used in rice breeding programs.

Results

From the 98 InDel markers tested for single copy and polymorphism, 19 markers were used to evaluate 43 Thai and 57 IRRI germplasm, including improved cultivars, breeding lines, landraces, and 5 other Oryza species. The Thai accessions were selected from all rice ecologies such as irrigated, deep water, upland, and rainfed lowland ecosystems. The IRRI accessions were groups of germplasm having agronomic desirable traits, including temperature-sensitive genetic male sterility (TGMS), new plant type, early flowering, and biotic and abiotic stress resistances. Most of the InDel markers were genes with diverse functions. These markers produced the total of 127 alleles for all loci, with a mean of 6.68 alleles per locus, and a mean Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) of 0.440. Genetic diversity of Thai rice were 0.3665, 0.4479 and 0.3972 for improved cultivars, breeding lines, and landraces, respectively, while genetic diversity of IRRI improved and breeding lines were 0.3272 and 0.2970, respectively. Cluster, structure, and differentiation analyses showed six distinct groups: japonica, TGMS, deep-water, IRRI germplasm, Thai landraces and breeding lines, and other Oryza species.

Conclusions

Thai and IRRI germplasm were significantly different. Thus, they can be used to broaden the genetic base and trait improvements. Cluster, structure, and differentiation analyses showed concordant results having six distinct groups, in agreement with their development, and ecologies.     

Root cone angle is enlarged in <Emphasis Type="Italic">docs1</Emphasis> LRR-RLK mutants in rice

Background

The DEFECTIVE IN OUTER CELL LAYER SPECIFICATION 1 (DOCS1) gene belongs to the Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Kinase (LRR-RLK) subfamily. It has been discovered few years ago in Oryza sativa (rice) in a screen to isolate mutants with defects in sensitivity to aluminum. The c68 (docs1–1) mutant possessed a nonsense mutation in the C-terminal part of the DOCS1 kinase domain.

Findings

We have generated a new loss-of-function mutation in the DOCS1 gene (docs1–2) using the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. This new loss-of-function mutant and docs1–1 present similar phenotypes suggesting the original docs1–1 was a null allele. Besides the aluminum sensitivity phenotype, both docs1 mutants shared also several root phenotypes described previously: less root hairs and mixed identities of the outer cell layers. Moreover, our new results suggest that DOCS1 could also play a role in root cap development. We hypothesized these docs1 root phenotypes may affect gravity responses. As expected, in seedlings, the early gravitropic response was delayed. Furthermore, at adult stage, the root gravitropic set angle of docs1 mutants was also affected since docs1 mutant plants displayed larger root cone angles.

Conclusions

All these observations add new insights into the DOCS1 gene function in gravitropic responses at several stages of plant development.

     

Evaluation of models to predict take-all incidence in winter wheat as a function of cropping practices,soil, and climate

The incidence and severity of take-all, caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt), in susceptible crops depend on climate, soil characteristics and cropping practices. Take-all can be controlled by modifying crop rotation, crop management and fungicide treatment. When available, fungicides are used as a seed treatment and are partially effective. There is currently no reliable method for helping farmers to optimise their choice of cropping system to improve take-all control. In this study, we defined 16 models, based on various mathematical functions and input variables, for predicting disease incidence in a wheat crop as a function of soil characteristics, climate, crop rotation and crop management. The parameters of these models were estimated from field experiments carried out at six sites in the north of France over a ten-year period. The root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) values of the models were estimated by cross validation and compared. RMSEP was in the range 16.34–65.93% and was higher for the models based on multiplicative functions. The lowest RMSEP value was obtained for a dynamic model simulating disease incidence during the crop cycle and which included among input variables the percentage of diseased plants determined at GS30.     

Effects of summer fallow management on take-all of winter wheat caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gaeumannomyces graminis</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">tritici</Emphasis>

Crop rotation is the oldest, and perhaps the best cultural practice for reducing the risk of take-all. The effects of crops sown before wheat in a rotation are known in detail, but we know little about the opportunities for reducing take-all risk by planting certain crops in the summer period between wheat harvest and the planting of a subsequent winter wheat crop. We investigated the effects on take-all of five summer fallow crops, two soil tillage treatments and a fungicide seed treatment, in a five site-year experiment. We tested the effects of oats, oilseed rape, mustard, ryegrass and volunteer wheat crops. Bare-soil plots were also included. Take-all epidemics varied with year and site. Summer fallow crops had a greater effect on tilled plots. The incidence and severity of take-all were significantly higher in the wheat volunteer plots, whereas maintaining bare soil provided the lowest level of disease. Oilseed rape had no significant effect on take-all incidence in our experiment. The best candidates for reducing take-all risk appeared to be oats, mustard and ryegrass. These summer fallow crops decreased disease levels only when associated with conventional tillage. Summer fallow crops did not alter take-all decline in the same way as a break crop after a wheat monoculture.     

Soil tillage and eyespot: influence of crop residue distribution on disease development and infection cycles

Two deep-working soil tillage tools, one which inverts soil (plough) and one which does not (chisel), were used before sowing wheat after various crop successions combining eyespot host and non-host crops. Soil structure was nearly the same and crop residues were located in the different soil layers. Eyespot sporulation was estimated by visually assessing pot plants which had been on the trial plots for a fixed length of time. Field plants were also assessed for disease at several wheat growth stages. A kinetic equation expressing disease level as a function of degree-days was fitted to the disease levels observed on the field plants. This equation is based on eyespot epidemiology and depends on two parameters reflecting the importance of the primary and the secondary infection cycles respectively. Pot plant and early field plant disease levels and primary infection were closely correlated to the presence of crop residues in the top layer. The amount of residues depended on both crop succession and soil tillage. Where the previous crop was a host crop preceded by a non-host crop, soil inversion buried host residues, thus decreasing the primary infection risk. Where however the previous crop was a non-host crop preceded by a host crop, soil inversion carried the host residues back to soil surface, thus increasing the primary infection risk. Secondary infection was not correlated to either crop succession or soil tillage.     

Modeling the effect of cultivar resistance on yield losses of winter wheat in natural multiple disease conditions

The use of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars resistant to diseases may make it possible to reduce yield losses without the need to use fungicides, which are expensive and may damage the environment. The cultivar resistances favored depend on the region considered and the nature of the most widespread diseases in that region. We have constructed a statistical linear model for the estimation of relative yield loss due to diseases, making it possible to assess the effects of winter wheat cultivars in various disease conditions. We considered the interactions “potential disease intensity × winter wheat cultivar” for four main fungal diseases: septoria tritici blotch (Mycosphaerella graminicola), brown rust (Puccinia triticina), yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis) and powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis). This model can therefore be readily adapted to different regions with diverse combinations of these diseases. The potential intensity of each disease in each trial was calculated based on the symptoms observed on susceptible cultivars not treated with fungicide. The cultivar effect was characterized by the ratings of cultivar susceptibility to each disease and by cultivar earliness. The parameters of the model were estimated from 276 wheat cultivar trials carried out over 12 years (1991–2002) in the major wheat-growing areas of France. This model can help to choose from the cultivars resistant to several diseases (but very rarely resistant to all the diseases), those cultivars best adapted to a given environment, according to the hierarchy of potential disease intensities encountered.     

Predictive study of the advantages of cleistogamy in oilseed rape in limiting unwanted gene flow

Summary The aim of this study was to evaluate the interest of beginning the selection process on a new genetic characteristic, cleistogamy, to manage gene flow in oilseed rape. The first step was to introduce this characteristic in an existing model of gene flow between oilseed rape populations in time and space, GeneSys-Rape. The second step was to evaluate the parameters of the model linked to this characteristic using field experimentations. Cleistogamous oilseed rape was shown to have an autogamy rate as high as 94% and to emit 10 times less pollen than an open-flowered oilseed rape in the same conditions. But the cleistogamous character was also shown to be unstable in the genotypes tested. The third step was to evaluate the interest of cleistogamy using simulations comparing several genotypes with or without cleistogamy in two different cropping systems. These simulations showed that an oilseed rape both dwarf and cleistogamous was interesting to limit gene escape and that a 99%-autogamous oilseed rape was interesting to limit both gene escape from and harvest contamination of the 99%-autogamous oilseed rape.