Stress-tolerant Wild Plants: a Source of Knowledge and Biotechnological Tools for the Genetic Improvement of Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants

Over the next few decades we must boost crop productivity if we are to feed a growing world population, which will reach more than 9×109 people by 2050; and we should do it in the frame of a sustainable agriculture, with an increasing scarcity of new arable land and of water for irrigation. For all important crops, average yields are only a fraction-somewhere between 20% and 50%-of record yields; these losses are mostly due to drought and high soil salinity, environmental conditions which will worsen in many regions because of global climate change. Therefore, the simplest way to increase agricultural productivity would be to improve the abiotic stress tolerance of crops. Considering the limitations of traditional plant breeding, the most promising strategy to achieve this goal will rely on the generation of transgenic plants expressing genes conferring tolerance. However, advances using this approach have been slow, since it requires a deep understanding of the mechanisms of plant stress tolerance, which are still largely unknown. Paradoxically, most studies on the responses of plants to abiotic stress have been performed using stress-sensitive species-such as Arabidopsis thaliana-although there are plants (halophytes, gypsophytes, xerophytes) adapted to extremely harsh environmental conditions in their natural habitats. We propose these wild stress-tolerant species as more suitable models to investigate these mechanisms, as well as a possible source of biotechnological tools (‘stress tolerance’ genes, stress-inducible promoters) for the genetic engineering of stress tolerance in crop plants

Biochemical Markers of Salt Stress in European Larch (Larix decidua)

[EN] Larix decidua, the European larch, does not grow in natural saline areas, but it can be affected by salinity either by the common practice of winter de-icing of mountain roads with NaCl, or when grown as an ornamental tree in urban areas by the use of low quality, salinised irrigation water. In the present study, the responses to salt stress of young seedlings obtained from seeds of seven Carpathian larch populations were analysed. After 30 days of treatments with 150 mM NaCl, growth and biochemical parameters were determinated. Salt stress inhibited growth of all seedlings, as shown by the relative reduction of stem length and fresh weight, and induced significant changes in the needle levels of several biochemical stress markers. Seedlings from all populations showed a marked reduction of photosynthetic pigments contents and an increase of proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations. Under salt stress, plants accumulated Na+ and Cl- in the needles, whereas K+ was maintained at a steady level. Responses of seedlings from the different populations were similar, with only small quantitative differences that did not allow the identification of more salt tolerant genotypes. However, the study revealed that several of the biochemical markers mentioned above can be suitable for the rapid and non-destructive assessment of the effects of salinity in European larch.Plesa, IM.; Al Hassan, M.; Sestras, A.; Vicente, O.; Boscaiu, M.; Sestras, R. (2018). Biochemical Markers of Salt Stress in European Larch (Larix decidua). Notulae Scientia Biologicae. 10(3):430-438. https://doi.org/10.15835/nsb10310322S43043810

From Seed to Seedling: Influence of Seed Geographic Provenance and Germination Treatments on Reproductive Material Represented by Seedlings of Robinia pseudoacacia

[EN] The influence of the geographical origin of eight Romanian provenances of Robinia pseudoacacia on the characteristics of seeds, germination, and growth of seedlings in young stages of life was analyzed. Four experiments were undertaken to test seed germination (thermal treatment at distinct temperatures, mechanical scarification, acetone 90%, and biostimulator). The germination percentage showed that scarification treatment provided the best results among all treatments (41.7%). Seeds soaked in water at 100 C provided the second-highest germination rate. Furthermore, the same two treatments also assured the highest values for the seedlings¿ length. There were registered significant differences among the provenances for the analyzed characteristics, the seed germination capacity, and the growth rate of the seedlings in the first years of life. The study highlighted the resources that could ensure good quality of the reproductive forest material, which can be used in new afforestation and breeding programs. Pearson correlations and multivariate analysis provided interesting and useful information about R. pseudoacacia provenances and 13 characteristics of the seeds and seedlings, highlighting the relationship among them. The results could be of interest for the efficient use of forest genetic resources and the obtention of quality reproductive material in black locust.This research was funded by University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca (UASVM), grant number 26011/16.12.2020. The research was partly sustained by the Doctoral School from the UASVM during the Ph.D. study stage granted to A.M.R.Roman, AM.; Truta, AM.; Morar, IM.; Viman, O.; Dan, C.; Sestras, AF.; Holonec, L.... (2022). From Seed to Seedling: Influence of Seed Geographic Provenance and Germination Treatments on Reproductive Material Represented by Seedlings of Robinia pseudoacacia. Sustainability. 14(9):1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/su1409565411914

Adaptability of invasive plants to climate change

[EN] Climate change represents one of the greatest environmental challenges of the 21st century, accentuated by deforestation and the degradation of habitats. Changes in vital aspects such as temperature, the amount and distribution of rainfall or the frequency of extreme meteorological phenomena will probably negatively affect ecosystems. The possibilities of invasion will predictably increase, being endemic species especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Invasive species are extremely adaptable to climate variability, as evidenced by their current large latitudinal ranges. Generally, invasive plants also have rapid dispersal characteristics, allowing them to vary their ranges in response to changing climatic conditions rapidly. As a result, these species could become more dominant in many areas under changing climatic conditions. In many situations, the environmental stress generated by climate change and invasive plants are synergistic: invasive species can exacerbate the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, and in the same way, climate change can allow new invasions.S.G-O acknowledges a 'Margarita Salas' postdoctoral contract from Universitat Politècnica de València and the Spanish Ministry of Universities, supported by the European Union - Next Generation fundsGonzález-Orenga, S.; Boscaiu, M.; Verdeguer Sancho, MM.; Sánchez-Moreiras, AM.; González, L.; Vicente, O. (2022). Adaptability of invasive plants to climate change. AgroLife Scientific Journal (Online). 11(2):58-65. https://doi.org/10.17930/AGL202227586511

Responses to Drought in Seedlings of European Larch (Larix decidua Mill.) from Several Carpathian Provenances

[EN] European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) has been reported either as more tolerant or as more sensitive to drought than conifers with perennial leaves. Previous studies have revealed that Carpathian populations of European larch display a high genetic variability. A comparative study of the responses of these populations to drought stress at the seedling stage might allow the identification of drought tolerant genotypes and reliable drought stress biomarkers, which could be eventually used for the early detection of drought effects in larch, not only under control greenhouse conditions, but also in their natural stands. Growth responses were analyzed in larch seedlings from six Romanian Carpathian populations, submitted to one month of mild drought stress under controlled conditions. Levels of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls a and b, and carotenoids), osmolytes (proline and total soluble sugars), monovalent cations (Na+ and K+), and malondialdehyde (MDA) and non-enzymatic antioxidants (total phenolics and flavonoids) were compared with control treatments and between populations. Growth and the pattern of the biochemical responses were very similar in the six populations. Drought stress lead to stem length decrease in all population, whereas reduction of fresh weight of needles was significant only in one population (BVVC), and reduction of water content of needles in two populations (BVVC and GuHo). The optimal biochemical traits for an early detection of drought symptoms in this species is the increase-in most populations-of total soluble sugars, MDA, and total phenolic compounds, whereas K+ reduction was significant in all populations. Photosynthetic pigments remained unchanged, except for the Anin population where they were reduced under stress. Multivariate principal component and hierarchical clustering analyses confirmed the impact of drought in the growth and physiology of European larch, and revealed that the humidity of the substrate was positively correlated with the growth parameters and the levels of K+ in needles, and negatively correlated with the levels of MDA, total soluble sugars, total phenolic compounds, and flavonoids in needles.Plesa, IM.; Al Hassan, M.; González-Orenga, S.; Sestras, A.; Vicente, O.; Prohens Tomás, J.; Boscaiu, M.... (2019). Responses to Drought in Seedlings of European Larch (Larix decidua Mill.) from Several Carpathian Provenances. Forests. 10(6):1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10060511S122106Allen, C. D., Macalady, A. K., Chenchouni, H., Bachelet, D., McDowell, N., Vennetier, M., … Cobb, N. (2010). A global overview of drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks for forests. 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Growth and antioxidant responses triggered by water stress in wild relatives of eggplant

[EN] Wild relatives of eggplant (Solanum melongena) are of interest for breeding for tolerance to drought. To assess the potential of eggplant wild relatives from different gene pools, 18 accessions belonging to eggplant and eight wild relatives were evaluated for water stress tolerance. Plants grown in pots were normally irrigated or subjected to water stress by stopping irrigation. Growth and biochemical parameters related to oxidative stress, including proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), total phenolics and total flavonoids contents, and catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities, were determined after 11 days of treatment. The reduction of dry matter content in the aerial part of the water-stressed vs. control plants allowed classifying the accessions into three groups: tolerant ( 35% reduction). Proline concentration increased in all accessions under water stress, in particular in the more tolerant ones, which showed an average increase of more than 30-fold over control values, compared to ca. 8-fold in the susceptible accessions. The group of tolerant accessions, which included S. incanum, S. pyracanthos, S. dasyphyllum and S. torvum, was also characterised by unchanged MDA contents and a more pronounced increase in the mean levels of flavonoids (20.6% over the non-stressed controls vs. 3.4% in the intermediate accessions and 5.0% in the least tolerant ones). The activity of antioxidant enzymes was extremely variable within groups and even within the same species. The results obtained reveal a high diversity for drought tolerance in the wild relatives of eggplant and provide insights into the biochemical mechanisms involved in the response to drought in eggplant wild relatives. The tolerant materials identified are of interest for breeding programmes for developing rootstocks and new eggplant cultivars with higher drought tolerance.This work was undertaken as part of the initiative "Adapting Agri-culture to Climate Change: Collecting, Protecting and Preparing Crop Wild Relatives", which is supported by the Government of Norway. The project is managed by the Global Crop Diversity Trust with the Millen-nium Seed Bank of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and implemented in partnership with national and international gene banks and plant breeding institutes around the world. For further information, see the project website: http:// www.cwrdiversity.org/. Funding was also received from grant RTI-2018-094592-B-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/and by "ERDF A way of making Europe", and from European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 677379 (G2P-SOL project: Linking genetic resources, genomes and phenotypes of Solanaceous crops) . Mariola Plazas acknowledges grant IJC2019-039091-I funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/. The contribution of HuuTrong Nguyen to this paper has been developed as a result of a mobility stay funded by Erasmus+KA1 Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees Pro-gramme of the European Commission under the PLANT HEALTH project.Plazas Ávila, MDLO.; González-Orenga, S.; Nguyen, HT.; Morar, IM.; Fita, A.; Boscaiu, M.; Prohens Tomás, J.... (2022). Growth and antioxidant responses triggered by water stress in wild relatives of eggplant. Scientia Horticulturae. 293:1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.11068511429

Effects of Drought and Salinity on European Larch (Larix decidua Mill.) Seedlings

[EN] Larix decidua, the European larch, is not normally affected by drought or salinity in its natural habitats, but it may be when grown as an ornamental tree, by the widespread practice of winter de-icing of mountain roads with NaCl, and because of global warming-induced environmental changes. The responses of two-month-old larch seedlings to 30 days water deficit (withholding irrigation) or salt stress (150 mM NaCl) treatments were studied by determining stress-induced changes in several growth parameters and biochemical markers (ion and osmolyte contents, level of oxidative stress, activation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems). Both treatments caused the inhibition of growth, degradation of photosynthetic pigments, a small increase in malondialdehyde (MDA, an oxidative stress biomarker), and the activation of antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR). In all cases, salinity appeared to have stronger effects on the seedlings than water deficit. The presence of relatively high concentrations of glycine betaine, both in control and stressed plants, may represent a constitutive mechanism of defence against stress in European larch. Additionally, other responses were specific for salt stress and included the activation of K+ transport from roots to shoots and the accumulation of Pro as an osmoprotectantI.M.P. and M.A.H. were recipients of Erasmus Mundus pre-doctoral scholarships financed by the European Commission.Plesa, IM.; González-Orenga, S.; Al Hassan, M.; Sestras, AF.; Vicente, O.; Prohens Tomás, J.; Sestras, RE.... (2018). Effects of Drought and Salinity on European Larch (Larix decidua Mill.) Seedlings. Forests. 9(6). doi:10.3390/f9060320S9