Tjeerd Jan Stomph

Using chromosome introgression lines to map quantitative trait loci for photosynthesis parameters in rice (Oryza sativa L.) leaves under drought and well-watered field conditions

Photosynthesis is fundamental to biomass production, but sensitive to drought. To understand the genetics of leaf photosynthesis, especially under drought, upland rice cv. Haogelao, lowland rice cv. Shennong265, and 94 of their introgression lines (ILs) were studied at flowering and grain filling under drought and well-watered field conditions. Gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were conducted to evaluate eight photosynthetic traits. Since these traits are very sensitive to fluctuations in microclimate during measurements under field conditions, observations were adjusted for microclimatic differences through both a statistical covariant model and a physiological approach. Both approaches identified leaf-to-air vapour pressure difference as the variable influencing the traits most. Using the simple sequence repeat (SSR) linkage map for the IL population, 1–3 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected per trait–stage–treatment combination, which explained between 7.0% and 30.4% of the phenotypic variance of each trait. The clustered QTLs near marker RM410 (the interval from 57.3 cM to 68.4 cM on chromosome 9) were consistent over both development stages and both drought and well-watered conditions. This QTL consistency was verified by a greenhouse experiment under a controlled environment. The alleles from the upland rice at this interval had positive effects on net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII), and the maximum efficiency of light-adapted open PSII. However, the allele of another main QTL from upland rice was associated with increased drought sensitivity of photosynthesis. These results could potentially be used in breeding programmes through marker-assisted selection to improve drought tolerance and photosynthesis simultaneously.

Zinc biofortification of cereals: rice differs from wheat and barley

In their review, mainly focused on bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), durum wheat (Triticum durum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare), Palmgren et al. 1 M.G. Palmgren et al., Zinc biofortification of cereals: problems and solutions, Trends Plant Sci. 13 (2008), pp. 464–473. Article | PDF (905 K) | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (15)[1] suggested two major bottlenecks in zinc biofortification in cereals: the root–shoot barrier and the process of grain filling. They also described problems and possible solutions of zinc biofortification in cereals and concluded or suggested that: (i) Plants accumulate excess zinc in root vacuoles. To accumulate more zinc in the shoot than physiologically necessary for plants requires enhancing root to shoot transfer of zinc. (ii) Translocation of zinc from leaves contributes more to total zinc allocated to cereal grains than concurrent zinc uptake during grain filling. (iii) In cereals the xylem is discontinuous at the base of each seed; therefore, zinc must be transferred from xylem to phloem before entering the grain. This creates a significant bottleneck for zinc accumulation in the grain. However, from our own work on zinc accumulation, we surmise that the bottlenecks are different in rice (Oryza sativa). These three aspects do not seem to apply to rice; therefore, zinc biofortification in rice differs from that in wheat and barley. (i) Palmgren et al. [1] argue that zinc that is not directly needed accumulates in root vacuoles. Data on rice, however, indicate that excess zinc is also stored in the shoots, especially in the stem [2]. In fact, root and stem zinc levels are comparable over a wide range of plant zinc mass concentration (ZnMC, mg Zn kg–1 biomass)

Zinc Absorption by Adults Is Similar from Intrinsically Labeled Zinc-Biofortified Rice and from Rice Fortified with Labeled Zinc Sulfate

BACKGROUND Biofortification of staple food crops is a promising strategy to combat zinc deficiency, and it is of particular interest for rice and crops that are not consumed as flours and therefore not suitable for postharvest fortification. Because zinc absorption is decreased by phytic acid (PA) and perhaps other dietary components, it is important to measure the absorption of zinc from a biofortified crop before determining its efficacy. OBJECTIVE In this study, we compared the zinc absorption from zinc-biofortified rice (hydroponically enriched with (70)Zn) with that from a control rice of the same variety fortified with (70)ZnSO4 at point of use to reach the same total zinc content of 1.1 mg/meal. Both rice meals had a PA:Zn molar ratio of 12. METHODS Fractional absorption of zinc (FAZ) was measured with the use of the double-isotope tracer ratio method in 16 apparently healthy adults [18-45 y old; BMI (in kg/m(2)) 19-25] who consumed 2 single meals at 4-wk intervals in random order in a crossover design. RESULTS The FAZ from the biofortified rice (mean ± SD: 25.1 ± 8.7%) did not differ significantly from that of the point-of-use fortified rice (mean ± SD: 20.8 ± 7.1%) (P = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the native zinc accumulated in the biofortified rice was readily released from the rice matrix and that its absorption by adults was influenced by PA and other food components in a similar way to the inorganic zinc compound added to the rice at point of use. Moreover, rice biofortification is likely to be as good as postharvest zinc fortification as an intervention strategy to combat zinc deficiency. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01633450.

Classification and Use of Natural and Anthropogenic Soils by Indigenous Communities of the Upper Amazon Region of Colombia

Outsiders often oversimplify Amazon soil use by assuming that abundantly available natural soils are poorly suited to agriculture and that sporadic anthropogenic soils are agriculturally productive. Local perceptions about the potentials and limitations of soils probably differ, but information on these perceptions is scarce. We therefore examined how four indigenous communities in the Middle Caquetá River region in the Colombian Amazon classify and use natural and anthropogenic soils. The study was framed in ethnopedology: local classifications, preferences, rankings, and soil uses were recorded through interviews and field observations. These communities recognized nine soils varying in suitability for agriculture. They identified anthropogenic soils as most suitable for agriculture, but only one group used them predominantly for their swiddens. As these communities did not perceive soil nutrient status as limiting, they did not base crop-site selection on soil fertility or on the interplay between soil quality and performance of manioc genetic resources.

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) leaf photosynthesis in relation to nitrogen content and temperature: implications for hemp as a bio-economically sustainable crop

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) may be a suitable crop for the bio‐economy as it requires low inputs while producing a high and valuable biomass yield. With the aim of understanding the physiological basis of hemps high resource‐use efficiency and yield potential, photosynthesis was analysed on leaves exposed to a range of nitrogen and temperature levels. Light‐saturated net photosynthesis rate (Amax) increased with an increase in leaf nitrogen up to 31.2 ± 1.9 μmol m−2 s−1 at 25 °C. The Amax initially increased with an increase in leaf temperature (TL), levelled off at 25–35 °C and decreased when TL became higher than 35 °C. Based on a C3 leaf photosynthesis model, we estimated mesophyll conductance (gm), efficiency of converting incident irradiance into linear electron transport under limiting light (κ2LL), linear electron transport capacity (Jmax), Rubisco carboxylation capacity (Vcmax), triose phosphate utilization capacity (Tp) and day respiration (Rd), using data obtained from gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements at different leaf positions and various levels of incident irradiance, CO2 and O2. The effects of leaf nitrogen and temperature on photosynthesis parameters were consistent at different leaf positions and among different growth environments except for κ2LL, which was higher for plants grown in the glasshouse than for those grown outdoors. Model analysis showed that compared with cotton and kenaf, hemp has higher photosynthetic capacity when leaf nitrogen is <2.0 g N m−2. The high photosynthetic capacity measured in this study, especially at low nitrogen level, provides additional evidence that hemp can be grown as a sustainable bioenergy crop over a wide range of climatic and agronomic conditions.

Zinc Concentration in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Grains and Allocation in Plants as Affected by Different Zinc Fertilization Strategies

ABSTRACT Concern over the food chain transfer of zinc (Zn) is increasing because of its importance in human health. A field experiment was conducted on a low Zn soil to determine the effect of different Zn fertilization strategies on grain Zn concentration and Zn allocation in different plant tissues of rice. Six treatments were used: (1) no Zn fertilization; (2) soil fertilization at transplanting; (3) Zn soil fertilization at transplanting and flowering; (4) foliar application during grain filling; (5) foliar applications during tillering, flowering, and grain filling; and (6) combination of treatments 3 and 5. Zn fertilization significantly increased Zn concentration in brown rice. The largest effect on grain Zn was observed by combination of soil and foliar applications. The increase in brown rice was much smaller (20%) than the increase in the vegetative parts (100%), indicating that grain Zn concentration of rice is not strongly increased by Zn fertilization. More increased Zn by Zn fertilization was allocated into straw not into grain. From the perspective of human nutrition, it seems that there is too little scope to enhance Zn concentration in rice by fertilization alone. the major bottleneck to increase Zn concentration in rice grain seems to be internal translocation/retranslocation of Zn from shoot to panicle or from rachis to grain, rather than root uptake of Zn from the soil.

Zinc absorption from milk is affected by dilution but not by thermal processing, and milk enhances absorption of Zinc from high-phytate rice in young dutch women

Background: Milk has been suggested to increase zinc absorption. The effect of processing and the ability of milk to enhance zinc absorption from other foods has not been measured directly in humans.Objective: We aimed to assess zinc absorption from 1) milk undergoing various processing and preparatory steps and 2) from intrinsically labeled high-phytate rice consumed with milk or water.Methods: Two randomized crossover studies were conducted in healthy young women [age:18-25 y; body mass index (in kg/m2): 20-25]: 1) a milk study (n = 19) comparing the consumption of 800 mL full-fat ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk [heat-treated milk (HTM)], full-fat UHT milk diluted 1:1 with water [heat-treated milk and water (MW)], water, or unprocessed (raw) milk (UM), each extrinsically labeled with 67Zn, and 2) a rice study (n = 18) comparing the consumption of 90 g intrinsically 67Zn-labeled rice with 600 mL of water [rice and water (RW)] or full-fat UHT milk [rice and milk (RM)]. The fractional absorption of zinc (FAZ) was measured with the double-isotope tracer ratio method. In vitro, we assessed zinc extraction from rice blended into water, UM, or HTM with or without phytate.Results: FAZ from HTM was 25.5% (95% CI: 21.6%, 29.4%) and was not different from UM (27.8%; 95% CI: 24.2%, 31.4%). FAZ from water was higher (72.3%; 95% CI: 68.7%, 75.9%), whereas FAZ from MW was lower (19.7%; 95% CI: 17.5%, 21.9%) than HTM and UM (both P < 0.01). FAZ from RM (20.7%; 95% CI: 18.8%, 22.7%) was significantly higher than from RW (12.8%; 95% CI: 10.8%, 14.6%; P < 0.01). In vitro, HTM and UM showed several orders of magnitude higher extraction of zinc from rice with HTM than from rice with water at various phytate concentrations.Conclusions: Milk enhanced human FAZ from high-phytate rice by 62% compared with water. Diluting milk with water decreases its absorption-enhancing proprieties, whereas UHT processing does not. This trial was registered at the Dutch trial registry as NTR4267 (http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=4267).

Genetic Control of Water and Nitrate Capture and Their Use Efficiency in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Robustness in lettuce, defined as the ability to produce stable yields across a wide range of environments, may be associated with below-ground traits such as water and nitrate capture. In lettuce, research on the role of root traits in resource acquisition has been rather limited. Exploring genetic variation for such traits and shoot performance in lettuce across environments can contribute to breeding for robustness. A population of 142 lettuce cultivars was evaluated during two seasons (spring and summer) in two different locations under organic cropping conditions, and water and nitrate capture below-ground and accumulation in the shoots were assessed at two sampling dates. Resource capture in each soil layer was measured using a volumetric method based on fresh and dry weight difference in the soil for soil moisture, and using an ion-specific electrode for nitrate. We used these results to carry out an association mapping study based on 1170 single nucleotide polymorphism markers. We demonstrated that our indirect, high-throughput phenotyping methodology was reliable and capable of quantifying genetic variation in resource capture. QTLs for below-ground traits were not detected at early sampling. Significant marker-trait associations were detected across trials for below-ground and shoot traits, in number and position varying with trial, highlighting the importance of the growing environment on the expression of the traits measured. The difficulty of identifying general patterns in the expression of the QTLs for below-ground traits across different environments calls for a more in-depth analysis of the physiological mechanisms at root level allowing sustained shoot growth.

Understanding and optimizing species mixtures using functional–structural plant modelling

Plant species mixtures improve productivity over monocultures by exploiting species complementarities for resource capture in time and space. Complementarity results in part from competition avoidance responses that maximize resource capture and growth of individual plants. Individual organs accommodate to local resource levels, e.g. with regard to nitrogen content and photosynthetic capacity or by size (e.g. shade avoidance). As a result, the resource acquisition in time and space is improved and performance of the community as a whole is increased. Modelling is needed to unravel the primary drivers and subsequent dynamics of complementary growth responses in mixtures. Here, we advocate using functional-structural plant (FSP) modelling to analyse the functioning of plant mixtures. In FSP modelling, crop performance is a result of the behaviour of the individual plants interacting through competitive and complementary resource acquisition. FSP models can integrate the interactions between structural and physiological plant responses to the local resource availability and strength of competition, which drive resource capture and growth of individuals in species mixtures. FSP models have the potential to accelerate mixed-species plant research, and thus support the development of knowledge that is needed to promote the use of mixtures towards sustainably increasing crop yields at acceptable input levels.