Exploiting night-time traits to improve wheat yield and water use efficiency in the warming climate of North-western Mexico
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Nottingham
Department Name: Sch of Biosciences
Abstract
Wheat is the most widely grown cereal crop in the world: over 35 % of humans are reliant on it as a staple food source. Yields (tonnes per hectare) of wheat are variable, depending on local climate and the availability of resources such as water. Due to factors such as an increasing human population and pressures on land use there is a need to continually improve the 'genetic yield' of wheat. However the annual yield gains are increasingly threatened by the double impact of rising atmospheric temperatures and lowered water availability caused by climate change. Vulnerable wheat producing regions, including Mexico, face lowered productivity and economic difficulties if wheat yields decline or fail as a result of adverse temperatures and/or water availability. Therefore generating wheat lines with increased water use efficiency and high temperature tolerance is critically important.
This project proposal aims to generate novel genetic and physiological information that is necessary to improve water use efficiency and heat tolerance of wheat in NW Mexico. High temperature and water availability have a clear negative relationship. Temperature is also a regulator of plant and crop processes, being central to the regulation of development. High temperatures can be a major source of stress, affecting photosynthesis, respiration, photorespiration and the generation of active oxygen.
Water is important for wheat yields in Mexico with up to 84 % of wheat in this country requiring irrigation. There is also strong evidence that the mean temperatures in NW Mexico are rapidly rising. However it is becoming clear that the minimum (NIGHT TIME) temperatures are contributing to yield decline in cereals. Despite this, most work has focussed on the effect of day time temperatures while very little is known about nocturnal traits and their genetic regulation. Here we focus on the puzzle of night time water loss and its relationship with increasing night time temperatures: it is known that wheat leaves can lose a substantial amount of water at night via transpiration (even under drought) and there is genetic variation for this trait. This project will overcome this knowledge gap by producing novel techniques for night time screening of promising wheat germplasm for night time transpiration. We will apply methods for manipulating nocturnal temperatures of experimental crops in the field in the Sonoran region.
This project will bring together expert groups: the University of Nottingham (UK) which has expertise in photosynthetic and root phenotyping of wheat crops; Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora with expertise in water and environmental science; The Earlham Institute (UK) for wheat genomic analysis. This partnership is necessary for this project to succeed and to apply results that will result in improved wheat lines for the NW Mexico region. We will develop new tools for night time phenotyping of wheat leaf conductance under different minimum temperatures and apply them to a genetically diverse panel of wheat in the field (Sonora) and in controlled environments (UK). We will characterise novel variation in night time (and day time) conductance, link this to yield in water- irrigated and water limited conditions. We will gain new understanding of the shoot and root physiological mechanisms that give rise to this interesting and important process, pinpointing any tradeoffs that may exist. Genotyping of these lines will give rise to markers that can immediately be used in breeding wheat that will be used to improve and maintain wheat yields in NW Mexico. Hence this project will be of immediate benefit to growers in this region and will be a substantial contribution to 'climate-proof' agriculture and the local economy.
This project proposal aims to generate novel genetic and physiological information that is necessary to improve water use efficiency and heat tolerance of wheat in NW Mexico. High temperature and water availability have a clear negative relationship. Temperature is also a regulator of plant and crop processes, being central to the regulation of development. High temperatures can be a major source of stress, affecting photosynthesis, respiration, photorespiration and the generation of active oxygen.
Water is important for wheat yields in Mexico with up to 84 % of wheat in this country requiring irrigation. There is also strong evidence that the mean temperatures in NW Mexico are rapidly rising. However it is becoming clear that the minimum (NIGHT TIME) temperatures are contributing to yield decline in cereals. Despite this, most work has focussed on the effect of day time temperatures while very little is known about nocturnal traits and their genetic regulation. Here we focus on the puzzle of night time water loss and its relationship with increasing night time temperatures: it is known that wheat leaves can lose a substantial amount of water at night via transpiration (even under drought) and there is genetic variation for this trait. This project will overcome this knowledge gap by producing novel techniques for night time screening of promising wheat germplasm for night time transpiration. We will apply methods for manipulating nocturnal temperatures of experimental crops in the field in the Sonoran region.
This project will bring together expert groups: the University of Nottingham (UK) which has expertise in photosynthetic and root phenotyping of wheat crops; Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora with expertise in water and environmental science; The Earlham Institute (UK) for wheat genomic analysis. This partnership is necessary for this project to succeed and to apply results that will result in improved wheat lines for the NW Mexico region. We will develop new tools for night time phenotyping of wheat leaf conductance under different minimum temperatures and apply them to a genetically diverse panel of wheat in the field (Sonora) and in controlled environments (UK). We will characterise novel variation in night time (and day time) conductance, link this to yield in water- irrigated and water limited conditions. We will gain new understanding of the shoot and root physiological mechanisms that give rise to this interesting and important process, pinpointing any tradeoffs that may exist. Genotyping of these lines will give rise to markers that can immediately be used in breeding wheat that will be used to improve and maintain wheat yields in NW Mexico. Hence this project will be of immediate benefit to growers in this region and will be a substantial contribution to 'climate-proof' agriculture and the local economy.
Planned Impact
Rising global population and pressures upon land use caused by urbanization and erosion mean that higher productivity is essential to meet food security needs by 2050. This project should result in a step change in resource use efficiency and yield for many vulnerable agroecological scenarios affected by climate change. Almost a billion people in the world are defined by the FAO as 'hungry'. A step change in yield would instantly alleviate this whilst for poor farmers it would help them to generate extra cash to lift them out of poverty and improve health and wellbeing. For the rest of the world it may result in a lowering of food prices which would benefit economies and prevent surplus depletion allowing security.
To enhance impact we will make all the tools produced by U.Nottingham (UoN) and co-produced with ITSON available for use as open source. This includes tools and techniques for night time conductance proxies (Gs(n)), field heating of wheat plots. In addition, the genetic analysis data (Genotyping, markers, RNAseq data) of the wheat populations will be made available.
What groups of people will benefit from this research and how will they benefit ?
1. Growers and consumers in the Sonora region
The main objective of this proposal is to directly benefit the communities in the Sonora region who require wheat varieties that are more tolerant to abiotic stress, largely as a result of climate change. With rapid throughput to breeders in Sonora and elsewhere these will directly benefit growers enabling them to have more stable yields, secure yields. This will have economic benefits and support the local economy of the region and other important local agricultural products such as beef production. Consumers in the Sonora region will benefit from greater food security, price security and a more certain local economy based on agricultural produce.
2. Growers and consumers in other regions
Semi arid regions are in desperate need of traits that can alleviate abiotic stress as a result of water shortages and high temperatures. The Yaqui Valley region is agroclimatically representative of 40 % of the developing world's wheat growing areas making it an ideal location for a study with implications for both local and global food security. Hence this project has direct applicability to wheat growers in other regions affected by climate change for the reasons mentioned above.
3. Commercial and public plant breeders in Mexico and elsewhere. Commercial and government plant breeders will be provided with a source of novel traits and the tools for selection. This project is focusses on wheat but is equally applicable to any crop because (Gs(n) has been observed in many species.
3. International science and agriculture-related organisations. These data may be incorporated into predictive models of crop yield that are utilized by Food and Agriculture Organisation and other organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change e.g. crop yield forecasts under differing environmental scenarios and those that include semi arid regions are used in producing advice for policymakers which part determines government policy.
4. Agricultural businesses producing seed and crop treatments, agricultural consultancy agencies would benefit from an advance in our understanding of the factors that limit crop yield, crop productivity and resource use efficiency.
5. The public and environment. An improvement in crop yield or crop resource use efficiency results in the potential to reduce impact on the natural environment by reducing land cultivated and inputs of water.
To enhance impact we will make all the tools produced by U.Nottingham (UoN) and co-produced with ITSON available for use as open source. This includes tools and techniques for night time conductance proxies (Gs(n)), field heating of wheat plots. In addition, the genetic analysis data (Genotyping, markers, RNAseq data) of the wheat populations will be made available.
What groups of people will benefit from this research and how will they benefit ?
1. Growers and consumers in the Sonora region
The main objective of this proposal is to directly benefit the communities in the Sonora region who require wheat varieties that are more tolerant to abiotic stress, largely as a result of climate change. With rapid throughput to breeders in Sonora and elsewhere these will directly benefit growers enabling them to have more stable yields, secure yields. This will have economic benefits and support the local economy of the region and other important local agricultural products such as beef production. Consumers in the Sonora region will benefit from greater food security, price security and a more certain local economy based on agricultural produce.
2. Growers and consumers in other regions
Semi arid regions are in desperate need of traits that can alleviate abiotic stress as a result of water shortages and high temperatures. The Yaqui Valley region is agroclimatically representative of 40 % of the developing world's wheat growing areas making it an ideal location for a study with implications for both local and global food security. Hence this project has direct applicability to wheat growers in other regions affected by climate change for the reasons mentioned above.
3. Commercial and public plant breeders in Mexico and elsewhere. Commercial and government plant breeders will be provided with a source of novel traits and the tools for selection. This project is focusses on wheat but is equally applicable to any crop because (Gs(n) has been observed in many species.
3. International science and agriculture-related organisations. These data may be incorporated into predictive models of crop yield that are utilized by Food and Agriculture Organisation and other organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change e.g. crop yield forecasts under differing environmental scenarios and those that include semi arid regions are used in producing advice for policymakers which part determines government policy.
4. Agricultural businesses producing seed and crop treatments, agricultural consultancy agencies would benefit from an advance in our understanding of the factors that limit crop yield, crop productivity and resource use efficiency.
5. The public and environment. An improvement in crop yield or crop resource use efficiency results in the potential to reduce impact on the natural environment by reducing land cultivated and inputs of water.
Publications
Barratt G
(2021)
Anisohydric sugar beet rapidly responds to light to optimize leaf water use efficiency utilizing numerous small stomata
in AoB PLANTS
Durand M
(2022)
Sunflecks in the upper canopy: dynamics of light-use efficiency in sun and shade leaves of Fagus sylvatica.
in The New phytologist
Durand M
(2021)
Diffuse solar radiation and canopy photosynthesis in a changing environment
in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
Ferguson JN
(2021)
The potential of resilient carbon dynamics for stabilizing crop reproductive development and productivity during heat stress.
in Plant, cell & environment
McAusland L
(2023)
Night-time warming in the field reduces nocturnal stomatal conductance and grain yield but does not alter daytime physiological responses.
in The New phytologist
McAusland L
(2021)
Nocturnal stomatal conductance in wheat is growth-stage specific and shows genotypic variation.
in The New phytologist
Molero G
(2023)
Exotic alleles contribute to heat tolerance in wheat under field conditions.
in Communications biology
Murchie E
(2023)
A 'wiring diagram' for source strength traits impacting wheat yield potential
in Journal of Experimental Botany
Reynolds M
(2022)
Author Correction: A wiring diagram to integrate physiological traits of wheat yield potential
in Nature Food
Reynolds MP
(2022)
A wiring diagram to integrate physiological traits of wheat yield potential.
in Nature food
Description | Nocturnal stomatal conductance (gsn) represents a significant source of water-loss, with implications for metabolism, thermal regulation and water-use efficiency. With increasing nocturnal temperatures due to climate change, it is vital to identify and understand the basis of variation in the magnitude and response on gsn in major crops. We assessed interspecific variation in gsn and daytime stomatal conductance (gs) in a wild wheat relative and modern spring wheat genotype. To investigate intraspecific variation, we grew six modern wheat genotypes and two landraces under simulated field conditions. gsn and gs predominantly occurred in the adaxial surface, this preference more pronounced for gsn. For the diurnal data, higher gsn in the wild relative associated with significantly lower nocturnal respiration and higher daytime CO2 assimilation while both species exhibited declines in gsn post-dusk and pre-dawn. Lifetime gsn achieved rates of 5.7-18.9% of gs. Magnitude of gsn was genotype-specific and positively correlated with gs. There was no relationship between stomatal morphology and gsn and cuticular conductance was genotype-specific. Finally, in the majority of genotypes, gsn declined with age. We present the discovery that variation in gsn occurs across developmental, morphological and temporal scales in wheat presenting opportunities for breeding. We have carried out experiments to determine the role of foliar water uptake, currently the subject of validation . We have submitted a paper that covers a large part of the outcomes of the project (abstract below). Objectives: 1. Develop high-throughput methodologies (drones and manual) for field Gs(n) screening - ACHIEVED 2. Develop methodology for manipulating night time temperatures in the field - ACHIEVED (porometry and hyperspec) 3. Determine the pattern of Gs(n) during the night time period and its interaction with air temperature, irrigation status and genotype, in order to determine the conditions in which differences in the trait are most strongly expressed in field and laboratory (ACHIEVED, validation via a 4th field experiment underway) 4. Identify wheat lines with high and low Gs(n) at different night time temperatures (ACHIEVED - see paper below and published) 5. Relate values of night time conductance to yield and biomass according to night time temperature in reduced irrigation and well-watered conditions (ACHIEVED - see paper abstract below). 6. Identify and understand the physiological and genetic basis of most important root and shoot traits associated with an optimised Gs(n) response to elevated night time temperature in the field (Mexico) and in simulated field conditions (UK) (well-watered and reduced irrigation) (MOSTLY ACHIEVED - see below) 7. Make results publicly available, include in breeding programmes to improve wheat in Sonora (PUBLICATIONS) Major paper output 2023: Title : The Impact of Nocturnal Warming on Wheat in the Field Abstract: Global nocturnal temperatures are rising more rapidly than daytime temperatures and have alarge effect oncropproductivity. In particular, stomatal conductance at night(gsn)is surprisinglypoorly understood and has not been investigated despite constituting a significant proportion ofoverall canopy water loss.Here we present the results of 3 years of field datasubjectingusing12 springT. aestivumgenotypeswhich weregrown in NW Mexicoand subjectedto an artificial increase in night-timetemperatures of 2oC.Under nocturnal heating, grain yields decreased(1.9% per 1 °C)without significant changes indaytime leaf-level responses. Under warmer nights, there were significant differences in themagnitude and decrease innocturnal stomatal conductance (gsn), values of which werebetween 9-33% of daytime. Acclimationmay explain lowerrespirationin heated plots.The decrease in grain yield was genotype-specific; genotypes categorised asheat tolerantdemonstrated some of the greatest declines in yield in response to increased nocturnaltemperatures.We conclude the essential components of nocturnal heat tolerance in wheat are uncoupledfrom resilience to daytime temperatures, raising fundamental questions for physiologicalbreeding. Furthermore, this study discusses key physiological traits such as pollen viability, rootdepth and irrigation-type may also play a role in genotype-specific nocturnal heat tolerance. Invited for Resubmission - New Phytologist |
Exploitation Route | Rising global population and pressures upon land use caused by urbanization and reduction in arable land mean that higher productivity is essential to meet food security needs by 2050. This project should result in a step change in resource-use efficiency and yield for many vulnerable agroecological scenarios affected by climate change. Almost a billion people in the world are defined by the FAO as 'hungry'. An incremental increase in yield production through an increase in yield stability would instantly alleviate this, whilst for poor farmers it would help them to generate extra cash for similar input to lift them out of poverty and improve health and wellbeing. For the rest of the world, increases in yield may result in a lowering of food prices which would benefit economies and prevent surplus depletion allowing greater food security. To enhance impact we will make all the tools produced by The University of Nottingham (UoN) and co-produced with Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora (ITSON) available for use as open source. This includes tools and techniques for measuring night time conductance proxies (Gs(n)) and setting up field heating of wheat plots for nocturnal temperature screening. In addition, the genetic analysis data (Genotyping, markers, RNAseq data) of the wheat populations will be made publically available. What groups of people will benefit from this research and how will they benefit? 1. Growers and consumers in the Sonora region The main objective of this proposal is to directly benefit the communities in the Sonora region who require wheat varieties that are more tolerant to abiotic stress, largely as a result of climate change. With rapid throughput to breeders in Sonora and elsewhere, these objectives will directly benefit growers enabling them to have more stable, higher yields. This outcome will have economic benefits and support the local economy of the region and other important local agricultural products such as beef production. Consumers in the Sonora region will benefit from greater food security, price security and a more certain local economy based on agricultural produce. 2. Growers and consumers in other regions Semi-arid regions are in desperate need of traits that can alleviate abiotic stress as a result of water shortages and high temperatures. The Yaqui Valley region is agroclimatically representative of 40 % of the developing world's wheat growing areas making it an ideal location for a study with implications for both local and global food security. Hence this project has direct applicability to wheat growers in other regions affected by climate change for the reasons mentioned above. 3. Commercial and public plant breeders in Mexico and elsewhere. Commercial and government plant breeders will be provided with a source of novel traits and the tools for selection. This project is focusses on wheat but is equally applicable to any crop because Gs(n) has been observed in many species. 4. International science and agriculture-related organisations. These data may be incorporated into predictive models of crop yield that are utilized by Food and Agriculture Organisation and other organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change e.g. crop yield forecasts under differing environmental scenarios and those that include semi-arid regions are used in producing advice for policymakers which part-determines government policy. 5. Agricultural businesses producing seed and crop treatments. Agricultural consultancy agencies would benefit from an advance in our understanding of the factors that limit crop yield, crop productivity and resource use efficiency. 6. The public and environment. An improvement in crop yield or crop resource-use efficiency results in the potential to reduce impact on the natural environment by reducing land cultivated and inputs of water. 7. Academic beneficiaries Academics in the plant and crop sciences are the primary beneficiaries of this project, especially those working in primary resource capture (water, respiration, photosynthesis, root biology). It will be of interest to scientists working in regulation of water relations and other physiological processes. This project is relatively cross-disciplinary, covering plant physiology, tool development, genomics, crop science. It will generate novel techniques for leaf physiology measurements in the field and so the focus of publication will likely be in plant and crop-related journals. Data will be made available on publication, but it is expected that much raw data would also be placed onto databases that are accessible via the internet. These would be made available on request according to legal requirements. Techniques for leaf conductance and discovery of the mechanisms regulating Gs(n) is expected to result in uptake by academics working in single organ and whole organism levels and application into crop improvement across a range of different species may take place. Scientists in plant modelling will benefit from the identification of losses as yet uncharacterised. If, as expected, crop productivity is improved as a result of this project then academics working in crop and agricultural related fields would need to assess the impact at the field and agro-ecological scale. In addition, the tools and methods could be applied to different crop species and types to determine the limiting processes for each species- variety-environment combination. An obvious and major target for the data generated would be within the crop industry focussed in semi-arid regions. The last point is important for factors such as climate change and land-use patterns which are placing more pressure on agriculture to deliver products with fewer inputs (including water) and greater uncertainty over growth conditions. Therefore, academics within climate research and geographical areas would benefit. This project uses wheat although the intention is to study processes that are applicable to all species since the phenomenon of Gs(n) has been observed to be widespread. Rice and wheat are hugely important for food security of the world's population, including poorest farmers growing subsistence or cash crops in marginal areas. Specific beneficiaries would be international research centres such as the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines (IRRI) and the Centre for Wheat and Maize research in Mexico (CIMMYT). Companies which produce seed and agricultural technology will be interested in these results since they describe mechanisms which can potentially lead to higher productivity, water -use efficiency and enhanced rates of carbon gain in sub-optimal environments. The study is based around crops but would equally be applicable to natural systems and may be taken up by ecologists studying natural systems and modelling specialists. Policy makers could use this project as an example of how basic research into plant processes can be projected into crop production rapidly and how publicly funded research into basic processes can benefits economic sectors such as agriculture. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Environment |
Description | Cells to Fields: crop movement characterisation across scales of order |
Amount | £98,410 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/X00595X/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2022 |
End | 06/2023 |
Description | Exploiting the untapped potential of non-foliar photosynthesis in a warming world |
Amount | £364,199 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/X00970X/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2023 |
End | 01/2026 |
Title | Nocturnal Temperature Physiology Data - 2020-2022 |
Description | All raw environmental and physiology data published in the article; "Night-time warming in the field reduces nocturnal stomatal conductance and grain yield but does not alter daytime physiological responses" New Phytologist (2023) The data includes; - Field environmental data - T-FACE setup environmental data - Gas exchange data - Porometer data - Leaf water potential dta - Water-solube carbohydrate, carbon and nitrogen data - Harvest data |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Nocturnal_Temperature_Physiology_Data_-_2020-2022/23104817 |
Description | Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, Mexico |
Organisation | Sonora Institute of Technology |
Country | Mexico |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Developed Scientific hypotheses for the testing of night time warming in wheat crops. Physiolgcial expertise provided for the field analyses. |
Collaborator Contribution | Designed and constructed and operated apparatus for in-field heating of wheat plots at night in NW Mexico. |
Impact | TBA |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMT) |
Organisation | International Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) |
Country | Mexico |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | CIMMYT provide scientific expertise and field trial facilities for wheat research. It operates as a scientific collaboration on some projects and a sub contract for field trials on others. We work with Prof Matthew Reynolds and Dr GEmma Molero. |
Collaborator Contribution | Scientific expertise and projects funded by UKRI on wheat photosynthesis and wheat physiology. |
Impact | Outcomes expected in 2020. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Departmental seminar at University of Birmingham (Biosciences) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | A talk to academics and students at the unversity of Birmingham School of Biosciences. Stimulated discussions and recprocal presentation at Nottingham to discuss collaboration and grant . |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | IWYP annual meeting and workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | https://iwyp.org This is the annual meeting of the International Wheat Yield Consortium , held at CIMMYT, Oregon, Mexico in 2019. Erik Murchie presented the findings of this IWYP project. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Indo-UK Workshop on Sustaining Food Production under environmental stress |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Workship and Conference between UK and Indian instiutes engaged in Agricultural Research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://indoukworkshop.com/ |
Description | Keynote presentation, Japanese International Workshop on Plant Phenotyping, |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk presented : 'canopy-environment interaction in crops'. Discussion and scoping exercises followed. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | SEB Main Meeting presentation: |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk: Characterizing the natural variation in dynamic photosynthetic traits in African rice |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |