Genetic variation for leaf carbon isotope discrimination and its association with transpiration efficiency in canola (Brassica napus)

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 355
Author(s):  
Shek M. Hossain ◽  
Josette Masle ◽  
Andrew Easton ◽  
Malcolm N. Hunter ◽  
Ian D. Godwin ◽  
...  

Drought is a major constraint to canola production around the world. There is potential for improving crop performance in dry environments by selecting for transpiration efficiency (TE). In this work we investigated TE by studying its genetic association with carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) and other traits, e.g. specific leaf weight (SLW) and leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD). Among the 106 canola genotypes – including open-pollinated, hybrid, inbred types and cytoplasmic variants – tested in the field and glasshouse there was significant genotypic variation for TE, Δ, plant total dry weight, SLW and SPAD. Strong negative correlations were observed between TE and Δ (–0.52 to –0.76). Negative correlations between Δ and SLW or SPAD (–0.43 to –0.78) and smaller but significant positive correlations between TE and SLW or SPAD (0.23 to 0.30) suggested that photosynthetic capacity was, in part, underpinning the variation in TE. A cytoplasmic contribution to genetic variation in TE or Δ in canola was also observed with Triazine tolerant types having low TE and high Δ. This study showed that Δ has great potential for selecting canola germplasm with improved TE.

1997 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme L. Hammer ◽  
Graham D. Farquhar ◽  
Ian J. Broad

A glasshouse study examined 49 diverse sorghum lines for variation in transpiration efficiency. Three of the 49 lines grown were Sorghum spp. native to Australia; one was the major weed Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense), and the remaining 45 lines were cultivars of Sorghum bicolor. All plants were grown under non-limiting water and nutrient conditions using a semi-automatic pot watering system designed to facilitate accurate measurement of water use. Plants were harvested 56–58 days after sowing and dry weights of plant parts were determined. Transpiration efficiency differed signficantly among cultivars. The 3 Australian native sorghums had much lower transpiration efficiency than the other 46 cultivars, which ranged from 7·7 to 6·0 g/kg. For the 46 diverse cultivars, the ratio of range in transpiration efficiency to its l.s.d. was 2·0, which was similar to that found among more adapted cultivars in a previous study. This is a significant finding as it suggests that there is likely to be little pay-off from pursuing screening of unadapted material for increased variation in transpiration efficiency. It is necessary, however, also to examine absolute levels of transpiration efficiency to determine whether increased levels have been found. The cultivar with greatest transpiration efficiency in this study (IS9710) had a value 9% greater (P < 0·05) than the accepted standard for adapted sorghum cultivars. The potential impact of such an increase in transpiration efficiency warrants continued effort to capture it. Transpiration efficiency has been related theoretically and experimentally to the degree of carbon isotope discrimination in leaf tissue in sorghum, which thus offers a relatively simple selection index. In this study, the variation in transpiration efficiency was not related simply to carbon isotope discrimination. Significant associations of transpiration efficiency with ash content and indices of photosynthetic capacity were found. However, the associations were not strong. These results suggest that a simple screening technique could not be based on any of the measures or indices analysed in this study. A better understanding of the physiological basis of the observed genetic differences in transpiration efficiency may assist in developing reliable selection indices. It was concluded that the potential value of the improvement in transpiration efficiency over the accepted standard and the degree of genetic variation found warrant further study on this subject. It was suggested that screening for genetic variation under water-limiting conditions may provide useful insights and should be pursued.


1999 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashok ◽  
I. S. Aftab Hussain ◽  
T. G. Prasad ◽  
G. C. Wright ◽  
M. Udaya Kumar ◽  
...  

Genotypic variation in transpiration efficiency (TE) was investigated in a set of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) genotypes grown as isolated plants in pots and under canopy conditions in the field. In the field, plants were grown in mini-lysimeters embedded in the ground around which a crop was grown, to simulate crop canopy condition. Two moisture regimes (100 and 60% of field capacity) were imposed from 30 to 60 days after sowing in both pot and field experiments. TE was determined by measuring transpiration and dry matter (DM) produced by the genotypes during the treatment period. Genotypes differed significantly in DM although the variation in the amount of water transpired (T) was relatively small. The TE ranged from 2.2 to 3.7 g kg–1, representing a significant genotypic and environmental effect on the variation. There was a significant negative correlation (r = –0.77, P<0.01) between TE adjusted for prevailing vapour pressure deficit and carbon isotope discrimination ratio (Δ) across all the experiments and treatments. A significantly positive correlation of TE measured in pot and field experiments suggested a low G x E interaction. There was a negative correlation (r = –0.62, P < 0.01) between T and TE while the correlation of TE with net assimilation rate was non-significant, suggesting that the major cause for variation of TE in cowpea was in general associated with stomatal rather than mesophyll factors. Because of the positive relationship between T and DM, and negative relationship between TE and T, selection for high TE might therefore be associated with reduced T and hence lower DM. However, the present investigation showed a possibility of identifying specific genotypes with a combination of high TE and high net assimilation rate. The genotypes with high TE and high net assimilation rates were able to produce high DM under moisture deficit conditions.


1994 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
AM Ismail ◽  
AE Hall ◽  
EA Bray

Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) has been proposed as a selection criterion for improving adaptation to water-limited environments because it provides a measure of seasonal transpiration efficiency ( WUE). In cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.), consistent genotypic and drought-induced differences in Δ and WUE have been observed which were correlated as expected based on theory. Values of Δ and WUE for reciprocal hybrids grown under field conditions indicated nuclear inheritance for both characters. High WUE and low Δ were partially dominant under dry field pot conditions, whereas high Δ was partially dominant under natural wet soil conditions. Studies were conducted to test whether differences in rooting environment and xylem ABA levels are responsible for this change in dominance relations. Cowpea accessions and hybrids were grown in the field and subjected to wet or dry treatments with three different pot sizes. The experiment was conducted twice, giving similar results. The dry treatment resulted in decreases in Δ, and increases in WUE and ABA concentration in the xylem sap. Under drought, genotypes with higher WUE had higher xylem ABA, and the hybrids exhibited greater increases in ABA concentration in response to the dry treatment than either parent. Partial confounding was present in that the hybrids had substantial leaf area and water-use rate, and may have experienced greater soil drought in some conditions than some parents, with interacting effects of pot size. Plants in larger pots produced more biomass and leaf area but with no changes in xylem ABA. Concentration of ABA in the xylem sap was correlated with Δ and WUE for genotypic and drought treatment effects but not for pot size effects. Hybrids tended to have higher Δ and lower WUE in relation to mid-parent means when grown in large wet pots than in small dry ones. Changes in hybrid performance with respect to Δ and WUE were more consistent with changes in xylem ABA for drought treatment effects than for pot size effects. Another chemical signal might be involved in mediating pot size effects.


1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence B. Flanagan ◽  
Kurt H. Johnsen

Measurements of the stable carbon isotope composition of leaf tissue were made on Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P trees from four full-sib families grown on three different field sites at the Petawawa National Forestry Institute, Ontario, Canada. The four families chosen exhibited genetic variation for growth characteristics. Genetic variation was also observed for carbon isotopic discrimination (Δ) among the families of P. mariana. In addition, a strong correlation occurred between Δ values measured on trees in 1991 and 1992, two years that had very different precipitation and temperature conditions during the growing season, indicating that the ranking of individual trees remained almost constant between years. A strong, negative correlation was observed between average carbon isotope discrimination and average tree height for the four families on the driest, least productive site, as was expected based on leaf photosynthetic characteristics. There was no significant correlation, however, between Δ values and growth on the other two study sites, where productivity was higher.


1998 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Henderson ◽  
S. von Caemmerer ◽  
G.D. Farquhar ◽  
L. Wade ◽  
G. Hammer

Transpiration efficiency, W, the ratio of plant carbon produced to water transpired and carbon isotope discrimination of leaf dry matter, Δd, were measured together on 30 lines of the C4 species, Sorghum bicolor, in the glasshouse and on eight lines grown in the field. In the glasshouse, the mean W observed was 4.9 mmol C mol-1 H2O and the range was 0.8 mmol C mol -1 H2O. The mean Δd was 3.0 and the observed range was 0.4‰. In the field, the mean W was lower at 2.8 mmol C mol-1 H2O and the mean Δd was 4.6‰. Significant positive correlations between W and Δd were observed for plants grown in the glasshouse and in the field. The observed correlations were consistent with theory, opposite to those for C3 species, and showed that variation in Δd was an integrated measure of long-term variation in the ratio of intercellular to ambient CO2 partial pressure, pi/pa. Detailed gas exchange measurements of carbon isotope discrimination during CO2 uptake, ΔA, and pi/pa were made on leaves of eight S. bicolorlines. The observed relationship between ΔA and pi/pa was linear with a negative slope of 3.7‰ in ΔA for a unit change in pi/pa. The slope of this linear relationship between ΔA and pi/pa in C4 species is dependent on the leakiness of the CO2 concentrating mechanism of the C4 pathway. We estimated the leakiness (defined as the fraction of CO2 released in the bundle sheath by C4 acid decarboxylations, which is lost by leakage) to be 0.2. We conclude that, although variation in Δd observed in the 30 lines of S. bicolor is smaller than that commonly observed in C3 species, it also reflects variation in transpiration efficiency, W. Among the eight lines examined in detail and in the environments used, there was considerable genotype × environment interaction.


Crop Science ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1611-1615 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Ehleringer ◽  
Stephen Klasen ◽  
Creed Clayton ◽  
Dorothy Sherrill ◽  
Mindy Fuller‐Holbrook ◽  
...  

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