Mejora en la eficiencia en el uso del agua y los nutrientes minerales en las plantas

Duración (en horas): Más de 50 horas. Destinatario: Estudiante y Docente“Disponiendo de luz y aire ¿qué más necesitan las plantas para su crecimiento y desarrollo? ¿Por qué?, ¿cómo lo adquieren y transportan? y ¿cuánto necesitan?”. Respondiendo a estas preguntas, el alumnado llegará a comprender cómo influyen el agua y los minerales en el desarrollo de la planta. Si son capaces de comprender y aplicar los contenidos adquiridos, serán capaces de diseñar un cultivo vegetal que se caracterice por mostrar una alta producción y calidad con el mejor aprovechamiento de los recursos (agua y nutrientes minerales) y definir unas condiciones ambientales adecuadas para ello

Could buckwheat and spelt be alternatives to wheat under future environmental conditions? Study of their physiological response to drought

Drought is one of the most harmful abiotic stresses for plants. Future drought episodes are expected to increase, negatively affecting globally cultivated crops as wheat (Triticum aestivum). Together with the crop dependency, future global food security is at risk. Thus, finding alternative crops for wheat capable of resisting drought episodes is essential to ensure food supply. Spelt (Triticum spelta) and buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) are two underutilized alternative crops, whose drought resistance mechanisms remain unknown. We hypothesize that both species will have drought avoidance characteristics and will have a better drought response than wheat. We grew wheat, spelt and buckwheat in a greenhouse. Drought treatment started 28 days after sowing. When wheat and spelt reached 40 % field capacity (FC), drought was kept for 1-week, while in buckwheat the drought was kept for 4-weeks at 20 % FC. Even if partially inhibited by drought, buckwheat showed an extremely higher total biomass, as well as an extremely higher water use efficiency (WUE) than wheat and spelt. Photosynthetic parameters were extremely reduced in spelt, whereas those were less affected in wheat. The reduction in osmotic potential and the use of osmotic adjustment of spelt in combination with the increases in the antioxidant metabolism indicate the prevalence of drought tolerance mechanisms. The lack of effect on antioxidant metabolism in wheat, along with the reductions in stomatal conductance and water potential indicate the use of drought avoidance mechanisms. Buckwheat showed drought avoidance mechanisms, and its physiological parameters were almost not affected by extreme drought. Overall, spelt showed strong damages under mild drought, whereas buckwheat managed to cope with extreme drought by reducing its water requirements and increasing WUE in order to ensure its photosynthetic activity. Thus, buckwheat appears to be a potential alternative to wheat for extreme drought conditions, while spelt is not.This research was financially supported by the grant GRUPO IT1682-22 from Departamento de Educación del Gobierno Vasco. X. S. Martínez-Goñi is the recipient of a grant from Departamento de Universidades e Investigación del Gobierno Vasco (Spain)

Photosynthesis is not the unique useful trait for discriminating salt tolerance capacity between sensitive and tolerant quinoa varieties

Main conclusion Growth was not strictly linked to photosynthesis performance under salinity conditions in quinoa. Other key traits, which were varieties-specific, rather than photosynthesis explained better growth performance. Phenotyping for salinity stress tolerance in quinoa is of great interest to select traits contributing to overall salinity tolerance and to understand the response mechanisms to salinity at a whole plant level. The objective of this work was to dissect the responses of specific traits and analyse relations between these traits to better understand growth response under salinity conditions in quinoa. Growth response to salinity was mostly related to differences in basal values of biomass, being reduced the most in plants with higher basal biomass. Regarding the relationship between growth and specific traits, in Puno variety, better photosynthetic performance was related to a better maintenance of growth. Nevertheless, in the rest of the varieties other traits rather than photosynthesis could better explain growth response. In this way, the development of succulence in F-16 and Collana varieties, also the osmotic adjustment but in smaller dimensions in Pasankalla, Marisma and S-15-15 helped to maintain better growth. Besides, smaller increases of Cl- could have caused a limited nitrate uptake reducing more growth in Vikinga. Ascorbate was considered a key trait as a noticeable fall of it was also related to higher reductions in growth in Titicaca. These results suggest that, due to the genetic variability of quinoa and the complexity of salinity tolerance, no unique and specific traits should be taken into consideration when using phenotyping for analysing salinity tolerance in quinoa.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature

El abandono del pastoreo afecta negativamente a la calidad del pasto en pastizales atlánticos ibéricos

Forage quality in mountain grasslands is an important factor for maintaining or improving animal performance. Previous studies identified plant traits beneficial for animal nutrition; however, little is known regarding their maintenance in plant communities. Our main hypothesis was that grazing favors plants with high regrowth capacity and low resource utilization efficiency, promoting the production of high-quality forage. To test the hypothesis, we conducted a grazer exclusion experiment in an Iberian Atlantic grassland combined with a response-effect framework based on various plant traits and an appropriate statistical methodology to measure the relative contribution of species turnover and intraspecific trait variability (ITV) after grazing abandonment. Our results showed that forage quality declined after short-term grazing abandonment, via strong ITV effects and weak species turnover effects. Strong species turnover effects might appear after longer period of abandonment if, as expected, tall grasses with low tissue quality outcompete species with high tissue quality.La calidad del pasto en los pastizales de montaña es un factor importante para mantener o mejorar el rendimiento animal. Estudios previos han identificado atributos vegetales beneficiosos para la nutrición animal; sin embargo, poco se sabe sobre su mantenimiento en comunidades vegetales. Nuestra principal hipótesis sostiene que el pastoreo favorece a las especies con una alta capacidad de rebrote y una baja eficiencia de utilización de recursos, promoviendo así la producción de pasto de alta calidad. Para testar la hipótesis, realizamos un experimento de exclusión del pastoreo en un pastizal de la montaña atlántica, combinado con un marco teórico de respuesta-efecto basado en varios atributos vegetales y una metodología estadística apropiada para medir la contribución relativa del recambio de especies y la variabilidad intraespecífica de los atributos (ITV) tras el abandono del pastoreo. Nuestros resultados mostraron que la calidad del pasto disminuyó tras el abandono del pastoreo a corto plazo, principalmente debido al efecto de la ITV. Los efectos por recambio de especies podrían aparecer tras un período más largo de abandono si, tal y como es esperable, las gramíneas altas con tejidos de baja calidad nutritiva sustituyen a las especies de mayor calidad

A physiological approach to study the competition ability of the grassland species Trifolium pratense and Agrostis capillaris

(EN) The response of plant species to external factors depends partly on the interaction with the environment and with the other species that coexist in the same ecosystem. Several studies have investigated the main traits that determine the competitive capacity of plant species, and although the relevance of the traits is not clear, traits both from belowground and aboveground have been observed. In this paper, we grew Trifolium pratense and Agrostis capillaris in intra- and interspecific competition, analyzing the photosynthetic metabolism and nitrogen uptake, among other variables. The results indicated that T. pratense possesses better competition ability due to the higher competitive performance for soil resources compared to A. capillaris, explained by a higher root biomass and a higher nitrogen uptake rate in the former than in the latter. These traits permitted T. pratense to show higher photosynthetic rate than A. capillaris when both species were grown in mixture. Furthermore, the interspecific competition provoked A. capillaris to activate its antioxidant metabolism, through SOD activity, to detoxify the reactive oxygen species generated due to its lower capacity for using the photochemical energy absorbed. In this experiment, we conclude that the competitiveness seems to be more related with soil resources competition than with light competition, and that the photosynthetic rate decline in A. capillaris is more a secondary effect as a consequence of nitrogen limitation.Research was financially supported by: MICINN-BFU2010-16349/BFI cofounded by ERDF, UFI11/24 and GRUPO Gobierno Vasco-IT1022-16. J. Miranda-Apodaca is the recipient of a postdoctoral fellow from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU

On the Road to Sustainable Energy Storage Technologies: Synthesis of Anodes for Na-Ion Batteries from Biowaste

Hard carbon is one of the most promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries. In this work, new types of biomass-derived hard carbons were obtained through pyrolysis of different kinds of agro-industrial biowaste (corncob, apple pomace, olive mill solid waste, defatted grape seed and dried grape skin). Furthermore, the influence of pretreating the biowaste samples by hydrothermal carbonization and acid hydrolysis was also studied. Except for the olive mill solid waste, discharge capacities typical of biowaste-derived hard carbons were obtained in every case (≈300 mAh·g−1 at C/15). Furthermore, it seems that hydrothermal carbonization could improve the discharge capacity of biowaste samples derived from different nature at high cycling rates, which are the closest conditions to real applications.This research was funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PID2019-107468RB-C21) and Gobierno Vasco/Eusko Jaurlaritza (IT-1226-19 and IT-993-16)

Sorghum bicolor prioritizes the recovery of its photosynthetic activity when re-watered after severe drought stress, while manages to preserve it under elevated CO2 and drought

Understanding plant response and resilience to drought under a high CO2 environment will be crucial to ensure crop production in the future. Sorghum bicolor is a C4 plant that resists drought better than other crops, which could make it a good alternative to be grown under future climatic conditions. Here, we analyse the physiological response of sorghum under 350 ppm CO2 (aCO2) or 700 ppm CO2 (eCO2) with drought (D) or without drought (WW) for 9, 13 and 16 days; as well as its resilience under long (R1: 9D + 7R) or short (R2: 13D + 3R) recovery treatments. Sorghum showed elevated rates of gs under aCO2 and WW, which resulted in a significant decrease in Ψw, gs, E, ΦPSII, Fv’/Fm′ when exposed to drought. Consequently, A was greatly decreased. When re-watered, both re-watering treatments prioritized A recovery by restoring photosynthetic machinery under aCO2, whereas under eCO2 plants required little recovery since plant were hardly affected by drought. However, sorghum growth rate for aboveground organs did not reach control values, indicating a slower long-term recovery. Overall, these results provide information about the resilience of sorghum and its utility as a suitable candidate for the drought episodes of the future.This research was financially supported by grant GRUPO Gobierno Vasco-IT022-16. X. S. Martínez-Goñi is the recipient of a grant from Departamento de Universidades e Investigación del Gobierno Vasco (Spain). A. Robredo was the recipient of a grant from Departamento de Educación, Universidades e Investigación del Gobierno Vasco (Spain)

Explorando el potencial bioestimulante del alga invasora Rugulopterix okamurae en vid

Trabajo presentado en las IV Jornadas del Grupo de Viticultura de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias Hortícolas, celebradas en Pamplona (España), del 26 al 28 de octubre de 202

Soybean Inoculated with One Bradyrhizobium Strain Isolated at Elevated [CO2] Show an Impaired C and N Metabolism When Grown at Ambient [CO2]

Soybean (Glycine max L.) future response to elevated [CO2] has been shown to differ when inoculated with B. japonicum strains isolated at ambient or elevated [CO2]. Plants, inoculated with three Bradyrhizobium strains isolated at different [CO2], were grown in chambers at current and elevated [CO2] (400 vs. 700 ppm). Together with nodule and leaf metabolomic profile, characterization of nodule N-fixation and exchange between organs were tested through N-15(2)-labeling analysis. Soybeans inoculated with SFJ14-36 strain (isolated at elevated [CO2]) showed a strong metabolic imbalance, at nodule and leaf levels when grown at ambient [CO2], probably due to an insufficient supply of N by nodules, as shown by N-15(2)-labeling. In nodules, due to shortage of photoassimilate, C may be diverted to aspartic acid instead of malate in order to improve the efficiency of the C source sustaining N-2-fixation. In leaves, photorespiration and respiration were boosted at ambient [CO2] in plants inoculated with this strain. Additionally, free phytol, antioxidants, and fatty acid content could be indicate induced senescence due to oxidative stress and lack of nitrogen. Therefore, plants inoculated with Bradyrhizobium strain isolated at elevated [CO2] may have lost their capacity to form effective symbiosis at ambient [CO2] and that was translated at whole plant level through metabolic impairment.This work was financially supported by the following grants: GRUPO Gobierno Vasco IT1022-16 and projects 32-2016-00043, 37-2017-00047, and 000049-IDA2019-38 from the Economic Development and Infrastructures Department of the Basque Country, Spai