Sailaja Koti

Genotypic variation of soybean and cotton crops in their response to UV-B radiation for vegetative growth and physiology

The effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on seven cotton (DP 458B/RR, DP 5415RR, FM 832B, NuCOTN 33B, Pima S7, Tamcot HQ95 and SG 521B) and six soybean (D 88-5320, D 90-9216, Stalwart III, PI 471938, DG 5630RR, and DP 4933RR) genotypes were evaluated in sunlit controlled-environment chambers under optimum water, nutrient and temperature conditions. Plants were exposed to UV-B radiation levels of 4, 8, 12 and 16 (cotton); and 0, 5, 10 and 15 kJ m-2 d-1 (soybean) from emergence to 31 days after sowing (DAS) in cotton and 58 DAS in soybean. Growth and physiological responses were measured and quantified. Higher UV-B significantly reduced dry matter production, plant height, leaf area in all genotypes compared to control plants in both the crops; however, significant genotypic differences in the magnitude of the UV-B induced changes were observed. Cumulative stress response index (CSRI), the sum of individual percentage of relative responses to UV-B radiation, total response index (TRI), the sum of CSRI at all the levels of UV-B for each genotype were used to classify the genotypes for UV-B tolerance. The TRI ranged from -195 to - 417 in soybean and -40 to -524 in cotton. Based on TRI, cotton genotypes, DP 458B/RR, NuCOTN 33B and DP 5415RR were classified as tolerant; Pima S7, and FM 832B as intermediate; and SG 521B, and Tamcot HQ95 as sensitive. In soybean, PI 471938 was tolerant; Stalwart III and D 88-5320 as intermediate; DG 5630RR, DP 4933RR and D 90-9216 were identified as sensitive genotypes. Even though, relative injury of the leaves decreased and phenolic concentrations increased with increasing UV-B in all genotypes, there were no significant correlations between these parameters and TRI of the genotypes in either crop. The observed genotypic differences suggest that it is possible to breed and select UV-B tolerant soybean and cotton genotypes for a niche environment.

Interactive effects of atmospheric carbon dioxide and ultraviolet-B radiation on cotton growth and physiology

Increasing surface UV-B radiation (UV-B) and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration [(CO2)] are two major issues of climate change and agriculture. Although numerous studies have evaluated elevated UV-B or (CO2) effects on crop growth, development and yield, little is known about the interactive effects of these two factors on cotton. The objective of this study was to determine the combined effects of elevated (CO2) and UV-B radiation on cotton growth and physiology under controlled environmental conditions. The four treatments imposed were control [360 μmol (CO2) mol-1 and 8 kJ m-2 d-1 UV-B], +CO2 [720 μmol (CO2) mol-1 and 8 kJ m-2 d-1 UV-B], +UV-B [360 μmol (CO2) mol-1 and 16 kJ m-2 d-1 UV-B] and +CO2+UV-B [720 μmol (CO2) mol-1 and 16 kJ m-2 d-1 UV-B]. Treatments were imposed from emergence through three weeks after the first flower stage. Plants grown in +CO2 showed greater plant height, leaf thickness, leaf area, leaf and canopy photosynthesis (PN) and total biomass compared to the control, and fruit biomass was not affected by +CO2 conditions. On the other hand, plants grown in +UV-B treatment exhibited slower growth as reflected by reduced plant height, shorter internodes and branch lengths, and total biomass due to smaller leaf areas and less lower leaf PN. The +UV-B treatment also altered the leaf morphology and significantly reduced flower and petal lengths and petal area. Reduction in fruit production under both +UV-B and +CO2+UV-B treatments was due to reduced photosynthesis and alterations in reproductive development. The results also showed interactive effects of UV-B on cotton leaf PN, phenolics, wax content and some physiological parameters measured. Thus, a failure to increase cotton fruit production with +CO2 and +CO2+UV-B suggests that breeding UV-B radiation-tolerant cultivars is important in both the present and future solar UV-B radiation environments.