Russ W. Gesch

Soybean photosynthesis, Rubisco, and carbohydrate enzymes function at supraoptimal temperatures in elevated CO2

Summary Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr. cv. Bragg) was grown season-long in eight sunlit, controlled–environment chambers at two daytime [CO2] of 350 (ambient) and 700 (elevated) µmol mol –1 . Dry bulb day/night maximum/minimum air temperatures, which followed a continuously and diurnally varying, near sine-wave control set point that operated between maximum (daytime, at 1500 EST) and minimum (nighttime, at 0700 EST) values, were controlled at 28/18 and 40/30 uC for the ambient-CO2 plants, and at 28/18, 32/22, 36/26, 40/30, 44/34 and 48/38 uC for the elevated-CO2 plants. The objective was to assess the upper threshold tolerance of photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism with increasing temperatures at elevated [CO2], as it is predicted that air temperatures could rise as much as 4–6 uC within the 21st century with a doubling of atmospheric [CO2]. Leaf photosynthesis measured at growth [CO2] and temperature was greater for elevated-CO2 plants and was highest at 32/22 uC, but markedly declined at temperatures above 40/30 uC. Growth temperatures from 28/18 to 40/30 uC had little effect on midday total activity and protein content of Rubisco, while higher temperatures substantially reduced them. Conversely, midday Rubisco rbcS transcript abundance declined with increasing temperatures from 28/18 to 48/38 uC. Elevated-CO2 plants exceeded the ambientCO2 plants in most aspects of carbohydrate metabolism. Under elevated [CO2], midday activities of ADPG pyrophosphorylase and sucrose-P synthase and invertase paralleled net increases in starch and sucrose contents, respectively. They were highest at 36/26–40/30 uC, but declined at higher or lower growth temperatures. Thus, in the absence of other climatic stresses, soybean photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism would perform well under rising atmospheric [CO2] and temperature predicted for the 21st century.

Sugars, hormones, and environment affect the dormancy status in underground adventitious buds of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula)

Abstract Signals from both leaves and apical or axillary meristems of leafy spurge are known to inhibit root bud growth. To test the hypothesis that carbohydrates and growth regulators affect root bud growth, decapitated leafy spurge plants were hydroponically treated with glucose, sucrose, gibberellic acid (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), and a GA biosynthesis inhibitor, paclobutrazol. Both glucose and sucrose caused suppression of root bud growth at concentrations of 30 mM. The inhibitory effect of sucrose was counteracted by GA at 15 μM. In contrast, BA, ABA, NAA, and paclobutrazol inhibited root bud growth at concentrations as low as 1, 2, 1, and 16 μM, respectively. Sugar and starch levels were also determined in root buds at various times after decapitation. Buds of intact plants contained the highest level of sucrose compared with buds harvested 1, 3, and 5 d after decapitation. To determine how seasonal changes affect root bud dormancy, growth from root buds of field-grown plants was monitored for several years. Root buds of field-grown leafy spurge had the highest level of innate dormancy from October to November, which persisted until a prolonged period of freezing occurred in November or early December. Our data support the hypothesis that carbohydrates may be involved in regulating dormancy status in root buds of leafy spurge. Nomenclature: Leafy spurge, Euphorbia esula L. EPHES.

Subambient growth CO2 leads to increased Rubisco small subunit gene expression in developing rice leaves.

Summary To test the hypothesis whether low atmospheric [CO 2 ] can cause an increase of Rubisco small subunit gene expression, rice ( Oryza sativa L.) growing under ambient [CO 2 ] at 350μmol mol −1 was switched to subambient [CO 2 ] at 175μmol mol −1 during late vegetative stage. After the switch, photosynthesis rate of developing leaves initially declined but partially recovered after 8 days. Transcript levels of the Rubisco small subunit gene ( rbcS ) in developing leaves increased within three days to almost twice that of ambient-CO 2 controls, followed later by an up-regulation of Rubisco total activity and protein content.

Flowering Dynamics and Pollinator Visitation of Oilseed Echium (Echium plantagineum)

Echium (Echium plantagineum L.) is an alternative oilseed crop in summer-wet temperate regions that provides floral resources to pollinators. Its seed oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as stearidonic acid, which is desired highly by the cosmetic industry. Seeds were sown in field plots over three years in western Minnesota in spring (early-sown) or early summer (late-sown), and flower abundance, pollinator visitation, and seed yields were studied. Initial flowering commenced 41 to 55 d after sowing, and anthesis duration (first flowering to harvest) was 34 to 70 d. Late sowing dates delayed anthesis, but increased the intensity of visitation by pollinators. Cumulative flower densities ranged from 1 to 4.5 billion ha−1. Flowers attracted numerous honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), as many as 35 per minute of observation, which represented about 50% of all insect visitors. Early-sown echium produced seed yields up to 750 kg ha−1, which were 2–29 times higher than those of late-sown echium. Early sowing of echium in Minnesota provides abundant floral resources for pollinators for up to two months and simultaneously produces seed yields whose profits rival those of corn (Zea mays L.).

Postemergence Herbicides for Calendula

Abstract Calendula is an alternative oilseed crop whose seed oil is valued as a substitute for tung oil and a replacement for petroleum-based volatile organic compounds in paints and other coatings. Calendula tolerances to most POST-applied herbicides are unknown. Two POST-applied herbicides were tested for tolerance by calendula. Imazamethabenz at 0.44 kg ai ha−1 plus surfactant and desmedipham plus phenmedipham at 0.36 + 0.36 kg ai ha−1 were tolerated by calendula, but the latter herbicide must be applied after the four–leaf-pair stage of growth to avoid severe injury. Neither herbicide adversely affected calendula seed yield if applied at the four–leaf-pair stage. Because these herbicides can control several weed species, calendula tolerance to them may encourage more growers and crop advisors to test this new oilseed crop on commercial farms. Nomenclature: Desmedipham; imazamethabenz; phenmedipham; calendula, Calendula officinalis L.

Seasonal Photosynthesis and Partitioning of Nonstructural Carbohydrates in Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula)

Abstract Previous evidence indicates that changes in well-defined phases of dormancy in underground adventitious buds of leafy spurge in late summer and autumn are regulated by complex sensing and signaling pathways involving aboveground sugar signals. However, little information exists concerning seasonal photosynthesis and carbohydrate partitioning of leafy spurge, although such information would help to elucidate the involvement of sugar in controlling bud dormancy. An outdoor study was conducted over two growing seasons to determine and model seasonal patterns of photosynthesis and aboveground carbohydrate partitioning and their relationship to underground adventitious bud carbohydrate status. Photosynthesis and total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) content of aboveground tissues was greatest during vegetative growth. Photosynthesis gradually declined over the growing season, whereas TNC decreased sharply during flowering, followed by a gradual decline between midsummer and autumn. Leaf starch increased dramatically to midsummer before declining sharply throughout late summer and early autumn, whereas sucrose content responded inversely, indicating a mobilization of starch reserves and export of sugars to overwintering belowground sink tissues. Because newly formed underground adventitious buds showed a continuous increase in TNC from midsummer through autumn, export of sugars from aboveground tissues likely contributed to the increase in TNC. These results may facilitate new strategies for biological control of leafy spurge. Nomenclature: Leafy spurge, Euphorbia esula L

Cuphea Production and Management

The genus Cuphea (Lythraceae) is quite unique in that most of its 265 different species synthesize and store primarily medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) in their seeds, and many flourish in temperate climates. Presently, the United States and other developed countries import millions of tons of tropical plant-related oils to provide MCFA for industrial chemical manufacturing. Cuphea can serve as an additional source for these fatty acids. Since about the early 1980s, a concerted effort in the United States has been made to domesticate cuphea as a commercial, temperate climate crop source of MCFA for the manufacturing of a myriad of industrial chemicals. The biggest breakthrough came in the 1990s when more agronomically friendly genotypes were developed through the interspecific hybridization of C. viscosissima and C. lanceolata. Since that time, significant strides have been made in developing best agricultural management practices for the commercial production of cuphea. Currently, small-scale seed production has taken place in the northern Corn Belt region of the United States for high-end value products such as those manufactured by the cosmetic industry. This review primarily focuses on advancements that have been made over the past decade in developing agricultural management for cuphea production.

Specialty oilseed crops provide an abundant source of pollen for pollinators and beneficial insects

The continuing pollinator crisis is due, in part, to the lack of year‐round floral resources. In intensive farming regions, such as the Upper Midwest (UMW) of the USA, natural and pastoral vegetation largely has been replaced by annual crops such as maize (Zea mays L.), soyabean (Glycine max L.) and wheat (Triticum spp.). Neither the energy (nectar) nor protein (pollen) needs of pollinating and other beneficial insects are being met sufficiently by the new, high‐intensity, agricultural landscape. Several potentially useful oilseed crops can be grown in the UMW, and many of these oilseeds are highly attractive to beneficial insects. Prior research showed that some of these oilseeds produced abundant nectar, but their corresponding values for pollen production are unknown. Accordingly, the aim of our research was to document pollen (and protein) production per unit area of twelve oilseed crops grown in Minnesota and associate these values with levels of beneficial insect visitation during anthesis. Our results show that oilseed crops such as camelina (Camelina sativa L.), flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) and pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) produce relatively little pollen (≤40 kg/ha); borage (Borago officinalis L.), calendula (Calendula officinalis L.), canola (Brassica napus L.), crambe (Crambe abyssianica Hochst) and cuphea (Cuphea viscosissima Jacq. × Cuphea lanceolata W. T. Aiton) produce bountiful pollen resources (50–150 kg/ha); and oilseed echium (Echium plantagineum L.) generates massive amounts of pollen (>400 kg/ha), about 50% of which is protein. Our study is unique in presenting a season‐long perspective of pollen production in alternative oilseed crops, a resource valuable to pollen‐feeding insects such as managed and wild bees. Diversification of UMW landscapes that includes alternative oilseed crops such as oilseed echium and cuphea can potentially provide a ready source of pollen and protein to help combat pollinator decline.

Reduced-nutrient leachates in cash cover crop-soybean systems

Over-wintering crops are known to reduce nutrients in soil leachate in spring, but little economic incentive is available to grow these crops in the Upper Midwest. New oilseed-bearing cash cover crops, such as winter camelina and pennycress, may provide the needed incentives. However, the abilities of these crops to sequester labile soil nutrients are unknown. We used lysimeters buried at 30, 60, and 100 cm to examine nitrate and soil reactive phosphorus (SRP) in six soybean cropping system treatments: clean till, no-till, and autumn-seeded radish, winter rye, pennycress, and winter camelina. Radish winter-killed naturally, winter rye was killed with a glyphosate, and pennycress and winter camelina were allowed to mature naturally after relay sowing of soybean. Leachate chemistry was studied for the autumn, spring, and summer periods over two growing season. In autumn, leachates under radish and winter rye tended to have the lowest nitrate levels. In spring, differences among nitrate levels across treatments were greater than at any other time period, with values much lower under pennycress and winter camelina treatments than other treatments. In summer, nitrate levels were more uniform, with the lowest values occurring where soybean grew best. In general, cash cover crops like pennycress and winter camelina provide both environmental and economic resources to growers in that they represent cash-generating grain crops that sequester labile soil nutrients, especially in spring, and protect and promote soil health from autumn through early summer.

Spring camelina N rate: balancing agronomics and environmental risk in United States Corn Belt

ABSTRACT Camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) seed oil has desirable properties for producing advanced biofuels and as a healthy cooking oil. It has been grown for centuries, but basic recommendations for nitrogen (N) fertilizer requirements are still needed to support widespread industrial cultivation across North America. A replicated N-response plot-scale study was conducted on a northern Mollisol soil for two growing seasons to 1) determine seed and oil yield, seed oil content, and vegetative response; 2) determine indices of N use efficiency; and 3) measure post-harvest residual inorganic soil N as an index of environmental risk. Seed and oil yield response to N fertilization was described with a quadratic function, which predicted maximum seed yield (1450 kg ha−1) and oil yield (580 kg ha−1) at about 130 kg N ha−1. However, seed and oil yield did not differ significantly among N-rates above 34 kg N ha−1. Seed oil content averaged 400 g kg−1 among all N rates. Agronomic efficiency declined above 34 kg N ha−1, which coincided with an increase of post-harvest soil nitrate-N plus ammonium-N (residual N). Considering N use efficiency, simple cost analysis, and risk associated with residual N, a rate of 34 kg N ha−1 is recommended.