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de Vries J, Fior S, Pålsson A, Widmer A, Alexander JM. Unravelling drivers of local adaptation through evolutionary functional-structural plant modelling. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024. [PMID: 39256946 DOI: 10.1111/nph.20098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
Local adaptation to contrasting environmental conditions along environmental gradients is a widespread phenomenon in plant populations, yet we lack a mechanistic understanding of how individual agents of selection contribute to this evolutionary process. Here, we developed a novel evolutionary functional-structural plant (E-FSP) model that recreates local adaptation of virtual plants along an environmental gradient. First, we validate the model by testing if it can reproduce two elevational ecotypes of Dianthus carthusianorum occurring in the Swiss Alps. Second, we use the E-FSP model to disentangle the relative contribution of abiotic (temperature) and biotic (competition and pollination) selection pressures to elevational adaptation in D. carthusianorum. Our results suggest that elevational adaptation in D. carthusianorum is predominantly driven by the abiotic environment. The model reproduced the qualitative differences between the elevational ecotypes in two phenological (germination and flowering time) and one morphological trait (stalk height), as well as qualitative differences in four performance variables that emerge from G × E interactions (flowering time, number of stalks, rosette area and seed production). Our approach shows how E-FSP models incorporating physiological, ecological and evolutionary mechanisms can be used in combination with experiments to examine hypotheses about patterns of adaptation observed in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorad de Vries
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Simone Fior
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Aksel Pålsson
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alex Widmer
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jake M Alexander
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
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Kunkowska AB. What they do in the shadows: A low-cost imaging system for recording leaf expansion and movements. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:1745-1747. [PMID: 38558199 PMCID: PMC11213243 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Alicja B Kunkowska
- Assistant Features Editor, Plant Physiology, American Society of Plant Biologists
- PlantLab, Institute of Life Sciences, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, 56010 Pisa, Italy
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Oskam L, Snoek BL, Pantazopoulou CK, van Veen H, Matton SEA, Dijkhuizen R, Pierik R. A low-cost open-source imaging platform reveals spatiotemporal insight into leaf elongation and movement. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:1866-1879. [PMID: 38401532 PMCID: PMC11213255 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Plant organs move throughout the diurnal cycle, changing leaf and petiole positions to balance light capture, leaf temperature, and water loss under dynamic environmental conditions. Upward movement of the petiole, called hyponasty, is one of several traits of the shade avoidance syndrome (SAS). SAS traits are elicited upon perception of vegetation shade signals such as far-red light (FR) and improve light capture in dense vegetation. Monitoring plant movement at a high temporal resolution allows studying functionality and molecular regulation of hyponasty. However, high temporal resolution imaging solutions are often very expensive, making this unavailable to many researchers. Here, we present a modular and low-cost imaging setup, based on small Raspberry Pi computers that can track leaf movements and elongation growth with high temporal resolution. We also developed an open-source, semiautomated image analysis pipeline. Using this setup, we followed responses to FR enrichment, light intensity, and their interactions. Tracking both elongation and the angle of the petiole, lamina, and entire leaf in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) revealed insight into R:FR sensitivities of leaf growth and movement dynamics and the interactions of R:FR with background light intensity. The detailed imaging options of this system allowed us to identify spatially separate bending points for petiole and lamina positioning of the leaf.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Oskam
- Plant-Environment Signaling, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Basten L Snoek
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Chrysoula K Pantazopoulou
- Plant-Environment Signaling, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Hans van Veen
- Plant-Environment Signaling, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne E A Matton
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6700 AA, The Netherlands
| | - Rens Dijkhuizen
- Plant-Environment Signaling, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Pierik
- Plant-Environment Signaling, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6700 AA, The Netherlands
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Chaturvedi RK, Pandey SK, Tripathi A, Goparaju L, Raghubanshi AS, Singh JS. Variations in the plasticity of functional traits indicate the differential impacts of abiotic and biotic factors on the structure and growth of trees in tropical dry forest fragments. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1181293. [PMID: 38333040 PMCID: PMC10851170 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1181293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Abiotic and biotic factors have considerable impact on the plasticity of plant functional traits, which influences forest structure and productivity; however, their inter-relationships have not been quantified for fragmented tropical dry forest (TDF) ecosystems. We asked the following questions: (1) what are the variations in the plasticity of functional traits due to soil moisture availability in TDF fragments? (2) what are the roles of soil nutrients and forest disturbances in influencing variations in the plasticity of functional traits in the TDF fragments? and (3) how do the variations in the plasticity of functional traits influence the structure and productivity of TDF fragments? Based on linear mixed-effects results, we observed significant variations among tree species for soil moisture content (SMC) under the canopy and selected functional traits across forest fragments. We categorized tree species across fragments by principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC) analyses into three functional types, viz., low wood density high deciduous (LWHD), high wood density medium deciduous (HWMD), and high wood density low deciduous (HWLD). Assemblage of functional traits suggested that the LWHD functional type exhibits a drought-avoiding strategy, whereas HWMD and HWLD adopt a drought-tolerant strategy. Our study showed that the variations in functional trait plasticity and the structural attributes of trees in the three functional types exhibit contrasting affinity with SMC, soil nutrients, and disturbances, although the LWHD functional type was comparatively more influenced by soil resources and disturbances compared to HWMD and HWLD along the declining SMC and edge distance gradients. Plasticity in functional traits for the LWHD functional type exhibited greater variations in traits associated with the conservation of water and resources, whereas for HWMD and HWLD, the traits exhibiting greater plasticity were linked with higher productivity and water transport. The cumulative influence of SMC, disturbances, and functional trait variations was also visible in the relative abundance of functional types in large and small sized fragments. Our analysis further revealed the critical differences in the responses of functional trait plasticity of the coexisting tree species in TDF, which suggests that important deciduous endemic species with drought-avoiding strategies might be prone to strategic exclusion under expected rises in anthropogenic disturbances, habitat fragmentation, and resource limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Kant Chaturvedi
- Center for Integrative Conservation and Yunnan Key Laboratory for Conservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephant, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, China
| | - Santosh Kumar Pandey
- Ecosystems Analysis Laboratory, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Anshuman Tripathi
- Training, Safety and Environment, National Mineral Development Corporation Limited, Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Laxmi Goparaju
- Forest and Remote Sensing, Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Akhilesh Singh Raghubanshi
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - J. S. Singh
- Ecosystems Analysis Laboratory, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Colombo M, Montazeaud G, Viader V, Ecarnot M, Prosperi J, David J, Fort F, Violle C, Freville H. A genome‐wide analysis suggests pleiotropic effects of Green Revolution genes on shade avoidance in wheat. Evol Appl 2022; 15:1594-1604. [PMID: 36330302 PMCID: PMC9624089 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A classic example of phenotypic plasticity in plants is the suit of phenotypic responses induced by a change in the ratio of red to far-red light (R∶FR) as a result of shading, also known as the shade avoidance syndrome (SAS). While the adaptive consequences of this syndrome have been extensively discussed in natural ecosystems, how SAS varies within crop populations and how SAS evolved during crop domestication and breeding remain poorly known. In this study, we grew a panel of 180 durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) genotypes spanning diversity from wild, early domesticated, and elite genetic compartments under two light treatments: low R:FR light (shaded treatment) and high R:FR light (unshaded treatment). We first quantified the genetic variability of SAS, here measured as a change in plant height at the seedling stage. We then dissected the genetic basis of this variation through genome-wide association mapping. Genotypes grown in shaded conditions were taller than those grown under unshaded conditions. Interaction between light quality and genotype did not affect plant height. We found six QTLs affecting plant height. Three significantly interacted with light quality among which the well-known Rht1 gene introgressed in elite germplasm during the Green Revolution. Interestingly at three loci, short genotypes systematically expressed reduced SAS, suggesting a positive genetic correlation between plant height and plant height plasticity. Overall, our study sheds light on the evolutionary history of crops and illustrates the relevance of genetic approaches to tackle agricultural challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Colombo
- AGAP Univ Montpellier CIRAD, INRAE Institut Agro Montpellier France
- CEFE Univ. Montpellier Institut Agro CNRS EPHE, IRD Univ Valéry Montpellier France
| | - Germain Montazeaud
- AGAP Univ Montpellier CIRAD, INRAE Institut Agro Montpellier France
- CEFE Univ. Montpellier Institut Agro CNRS EPHE, IRD Univ Valéry Montpellier France
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Veronique Viader
- AGAP Univ Montpellier CIRAD, INRAE Institut Agro Montpellier France
| | - Martin Ecarnot
- AGAP Univ Montpellier CIRAD, INRAE Institut Agro Montpellier France
| | | | - Jacques David
- AGAP Univ Montpellier CIRAD, INRAE Institut Agro Montpellier France
| | - Florian Fort
- CEFE Univ. Montpellier Institut Agro CNRS EPHE, IRD Univ Valéry Montpellier France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE Univ. Montpellier CNRS EPHE, IRD Univ Valéry Montpellier France
| | - Helene Freville
- AGAP Univ Montpellier CIRAD, INRAE Institut Agro Montpellier France
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6
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Reprint of: Functional-structural plant models to boost understanding of complementarity in light capture and use in mixed-species forests. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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7
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Wang S, Li L, Zhou D. Root morphological responses to population density vary with soil conditions and growth stages: The complexity of density effects. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:10590-10599. [PMID: 34367599 PMCID: PMC8328429 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM How plants cope with increases in population density via root plasticity is not well documented, although abiotic environments and plant ontogeny may have important roles in determining root response to density. To investigate how plant root plasticity in response to density varies with soil conditions and growth stages, we conducted a field experiment with an annual herbaceous species (Abutilon theophrasti). METHODS Plants were grown at low, medium, and high densities (13.4, 36.0, and 121.0 plants m-2, respectively), under fertile and infertile soil conditions, and a series of root traits were measured after 30, 50, and 70 days. RESULTS Root allocation increased, decreased, or canalized in response to density, depending on soil conditions and stages of plant growth, indicating the complex effects of population density, including both competitive and facilitative effects. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Root allocation was promoted by neighbor roots at early stages and in abundant resource availability, due to low-to-moderate belowground interactions among smaller plants, leading to facilitation. As plants grew, competition intensified and infertile soil aggravated belowground competition, leading to decreased root allocation in response to density. Root growth may be more likely restricted horizontally rather than vertically by the presence of neighbor, suggesting a spatial orientation effect in their responses to density. We emphasized the importance of considering effects of abiotic conditions and plant growth stages in elucidating the complexity of density effects on root traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Wang
- College of ForestryForest Ecology Research CenterGuizhou UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Lei Li
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life SciencesNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Dao‐Wei Zhou
- Northeast Institute of Geology and AgroecologyChinese Academy of SciencesChangchunChina
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8
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Wang S, Callaway RM. Plasticity in response to plant-plant interactions and water availability. Ecology 2021; 102:e03361. [PMID: 33829488 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The plastic responses of plants to abiotic and biotic environmental factors have generally been addressed separately; thus we have a poor understanding of how these factors interact. For example, little is known about the effects of plant-plant interactions on the plasticity of plants in response to water availability. Furthermore, few studies have compared the effects of intra- and interspecific interactions on plastic responses to abiotic factors. To explore the effects of intraspecific and interspecific plant-plant interactions on plant responses to water availability, we grew Leucanthemum vulgare and Potentilla recta with a conspecific or the other species, and grew pairs of each species as controls in pots with the roots, but not shoots, physically separated. We subjected these competitive arrangements to mesic and dry conditions, and then measured shoot mass, root mass, total mass and root : shoot ratio and calculated plasticity in these traits. The total biomass of both species was highly suppressed by both intra- and interspecific interactions in mesic soil conditions. However, in drier soil, intraspecific interactions for both species and the effect of P. recta on L. vulgare were facilitative. For plasticity in response to water supply, when adjusted for total biomass, drought increased shoot mass, and decreased root mass and root : shoot ratios for both species in intraspecific interactions. When grown alone, there were no plastic responses in any trait except total mass, for either species. Our results suggested that plants interacting with other plants often show improved tolerance for drought than those grown alone, perhaps because of neighbor-induced shifts in plasticity in biomass allocation. Facilitative effects might also be promoted by plasticity to drought in root : shoot ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Wang
- College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.,Division of Biological Sciences and the Institute on Ecosystems, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Ragan M Callaway
- Division of Biological Sciences and the Institute on Ecosystems, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
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Postma JA, Hecht VL, Hikosaka K, Nord EA, Pons TL, Poorter H. Dividing the pie: A quantitative review on plant density responses. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2021; 44:1072-1094. [PMID: 33280135 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Plant population density is an important variable in agronomy and forestry and offers an experimental way to better understand plant-plant competition. We made a meta-analysis of responses of even-aged mono-specific stands to population density by quantifying for 3 stand and 33 individual plant variables in 334 experiments how much both plant biomass and phenotypic traits change with a doubling in density. Increasing density increases standing crop per area, but decreases the mean size of its individuals, mostly through reduced tillering and branching. Among the phenotypic traits, stem diameter is negatively affected, but plant height remains remarkably similar, partly due to an increased stem length-to-mass ratio and partly by increased allocation to stems. The reduction in biomass is caused by a lower photosynthetic rate, mainly due to shading of part of the foliage. Total seed mass per plant is also strongly reduced, marginally by lower mass per seed, but mainly because of lower seed numbers. Plants generally have fewer shoot-born roots, but their overall rooting depth seems hardly affected. The phenotypic plasticity responses to high densities correlate strongly with those to low light, and less with those to low nutrients, suggesting that at high density, shading affects plants more than nutrient depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes A Postma
- Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Strasse, Juelich, Germany
| | - Vera L Hecht
- Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Strasse, Juelich, Germany
| | - Kouki Hikosaka
- Laboratory of Functional Ecology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Eric A Nord
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Greenville University, Greenville, Illinois, USA
| | - Thijs L Pons
- Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hendrik Poorter
- Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Strasse, Juelich, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
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10
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Pantazopoulou CK, Bongers FJ, Pierik R. Reducing shade avoidance can improve Arabidopsis canopy performance against competitors. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2021; 44:1130-1141. [PMID: 33034378 PMCID: PMC8048483 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants that grow in high density communities activate shade avoidance responses to consolidate light capture by individuals. Although this is an evolutionary successful strategy, it may not enhance performance of the community as a whole. Resources are invested in shade responses at the expense of other organs and light penetration through the canopy is increased, allowing invading competitors to grow better. Here we investigate if suppression of shade avoidance responses would enhance group performance of a monoculture community that is invaded by a competitor. Using different Arabidopsis genotypes, we show that suppression of shade-induced upward leaf movement in the pif7 mutant increases the pif7 communal performance against invaders as compared to a wild-type canopy. The invaders were more severely suppressed and the community grew larger as compared to wild type. Using computational modelling, we show that leaf angle variations indeed strongly affect light penetration and growth of competitors that invade the canopy. Our data thus show that modifying specific shade avoidance aspects can improve plant community performance. These insights may help to suppress weeds in crop stands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Franca J. Bongers
- Plant Ecophysiology, Dept. of BiologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ronald Pierik
- Plant Ecophysiology, Dept. of BiologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
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11
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Zhang N, van Westreenen A, He L, Evers JB, Anten NPR, Marcelis LFM. Light from below matters: Quantifying the consequences of responses to far-red light reflected upwards for plant performance in heterogeneous canopies. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2021; 44:102-113. [PMID: 32490539 PMCID: PMC7818183 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In vegetation stands, plants receive red to far-red ratio (R:FR) signals of varying strength from all directions. However, plant responses to variations in R:FR reflected from below have been largely ignored despite their potential consequences for plant performance. Using a heterogeneous rose canopy, which consists of bent shoots down in the canopy and vertically growing upright shoots, we quantified upward far-red reflection by bent shoots and its consequences for upright shoot architecture. With a three-dimensional plant model, we assessed consequences of responses to R:FR from below for plant photosynthesis. Bent shoots reflected substantially more far-red than red light, causing reduced R:FR in light reflected upwards. Leaf inclination angles increased in upright shoots which received low R:FR reflected from below. The increased leaf angle led to an increase in simulated plant photosynthesis only when this low R:FR was reflected off their own bent shoots and not when it reflected off neighbour bent shoots. We conclude that plant response to R:FR from below is an under-explored phenomenon which may have contrasting consequences for plant performance depending on the type of vegetation or crop system. The responses are beneficial for performance only when R:FR is reflected by lower foliage of the same plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningyi Zhang
- Horticulture and Product Physiology Group, Department of Plant SciencesWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Department of Plant SciencesWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Arian van Westreenen
- Horticulture and Product Physiology Group, Department of Plant SciencesWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Department of Plant SciencesWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Lizhong He
- Horticulture and Product Physiology Group, Department of Plant SciencesWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jochem B. Evers
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Department of Plant SciencesWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Niels P. R. Anten
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Department of Plant SciencesWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Leo F. M. Marcelis
- Horticulture and Product Physiology Group, Department of Plant SciencesWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
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12
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Hitz T, Graeff-Hönninger S, Munz S. Modelling of Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) Response to Blue Light Intensity in Controlled Environments. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9121757. [PMID: 33322490 PMCID: PMC7764200 DOI: 10.3390/plants9121757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Low photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) under shade is associated with low blue photon flux density (BPFD), which independent from PPFD can induce shade responses, e.g., elongation growth. In this study, the response of soybean to six levels of BPFD under constant PPFD from LED lighting was investigated with regard to morphology, biomass and photosynthesis to increase the knowledge for optimizing the intensity of BPFD for a speed breeding system. The results showed that low BPFD increased plant height, leaf area and biomass and decreased leaf mass ratio. Photosynthetic rate and internode diameter were not influenced. A functional structural plant model of soybean was calibrated with the experimental data. A response function for internode length to the perceived BPFD by the internodes was derived from simulations and integrated into the model. With the aim to optimize lighting for a speed breeding system, simulations with alternative lighting scenarios indicated that decreasing BPFD during the growth period and using different chamber material with a higher reflectance could reduce energy consumption by 7% compared to the experimental setup, while inducing short soybean plants.
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13
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Functional-structural plant models to boost understanding of complementarity in light capture and use in mixed-species forests. Basic Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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14
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Variation in plastic responses to light results from selection in different competitive environments-A game theoretical approach using virtual plants. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1007253. [PMID: 31433817 PMCID: PMC6703680 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is a vital strategy for plants to deal with changing conditions by inducing phenotypes favourable in different environments. Understanding how natural selection acts on variation in phenotypic plasticity in plants is therefore a central question in ecology, but is often ignored in modelling studies. Here we present a new modelling approach that allows for the analysis of selection for variation in phenotypic plasticity as a response strategy. We assess selection for shade avoidance strategies of Arabidopsis thaliana in response to future neighbour shading signalled through a decrease in red:far-red (R:FR) ratio. For this, we used a spatially explicit 3D virtual plant model that simulates individual Arabidopsis plants competing for light in different planting densities. Plant structure and growth were determined by the organ-specific interactions with the light environment created by the vegetation structure itself. Shade avoidance plastic responses were defined by a plastic response curve relating petiole elongation and lamina growth to R:FR perceived locally. Different plasticity strategies were represented by different shapes of the response curve that expressed different levels of R:FR sensitivity. Our analyses show that the shape of the selected shade avoidance strategy varies with planting density. At higher planting densities, more sensitive response curves are selected for than at lower densities. In addition, the balance between lamina and petiole responses influences the sensitivity of the response curves selected for. Combining computational virtual plant modelling with a game theoretical analysis represents a new step towards analysing how natural selection could have acted upon variation in shade avoidance as a response strategy, which can be linked to genetic variation and underlying physiological processes.
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15
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Dieleman JA, De Visser PHB, Meinen E, Grit JG, Dueck TA. Integrating Morphological and Physiological Responses of Tomato Plants to Light Quality to the Crop Level by 3D Modeling. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:839. [PMID: 31354751 PMCID: PMC6637845 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Next to its intensity, the spectral composition of light is one of the most important factors affecting plant growth and morphology. The introduction of light emitting diodes (LEDs) offers perspectives to design optimal light spectra for plant production systems. However, knowledge on the effects of light quality on physiological plant processes is still limited. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of six light qualities on growth and plant architecture of young tomato plants, and to upscale these effects to the crop level using a multispectral, functional-structural plant model. Young tomato plants were grown under 210 μmol m-2 s-1 blue, green, amber, red, white or red/blue (92%/8%) LED light with a low intensity of sunlight as background. Plants grown under blue light were shorter and developed smaller leaves which were obliquely oriented upward. Leaves grown under blue light contained the highest levels of light harvesting pigments, but when exposed to blue light only, they had the lowest rate of leaf photosynthesis. However, when exposed to white light these leaves had the highest rate of photosynthesis. Under green light, tomato plants were taller and leaves were nearly horizontally oriented, with a high specific leaf area. The open plant structure combined with a high light transmission and reflection at the leaf level allowed green light to penetrate deeper into the canopy. Plants grown under red, amber and white light were comparable with respect to height, leaf area and biomass production. The 3D model simulations indicated that the observed changes in plant architecture had a significant impact on light absorbance at the leaf and crop level. The combination of plant architecture and spectrum dependent photosynthesis was found to result in the highest rate of crop photosynthesis under red light in plants initially grown under green light. These results suggest that dynamic light spectra may offer perspectives to increase growth and production in high value production systems such as greenhouse horticulture and vertical farming.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Anja Dieleman
- Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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Evers JB, van der Werf W, Stomph TJ, Bastiaans L, Anten NPR. Understanding and optimizing species mixtures using functional-structural plant modelling. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:2381-2388. [PMID: 30165416 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ery288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochem B Evers
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Wopke van der Werf
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Tjeerd J Stomph
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lammert Bastiaans
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Niels P R Anten
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Douma JC, de Vries J, Poelman EH, Dicke M, Anten NP, Evers JB. Ecological significance of light quality in optimizing plant defence. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2019; 42:1065-1077. [PMID: 30702750 PMCID: PMC6392137 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Plants balance the allocation of resources between growth and defence to optimize fitness in a competitive environment. Perception of neighbour-detection cues, such as a low ratio of red to far-red (R:FR) radiation, activates a suite of shade-avoidance responses that include stem elongation and upward leaf movement, whilst simultaneously downregulating defence. This downregulation is hypothesized to benefit the plant either by mediating the growth-defence balance in favour of growth in high plant densities or, alternatively, by mediating defence of individual leaves such that those most photosynthetically productive are best protected. To test these hypotheses, we used a 3D functional-structural plant model of Brassica nigra that mechanistically simulates the interactions between plant architecture, herbivory, and the light environment. Our results show that plant-level defence expression is a strong determinant of plant fitness and that leaf-level defence mediation by R:FR can provide a fitness benefit in high densities. However, optimal plant-level defence expression does not decrease monotonically with plant density, indicating that R:FR mediation of defence alone is not enough to optimize defence between densities. Therefore, assessing the ecological significance of R:FR-mediated defence is paramount to better understand the evolution of this physiological linkage and its implications for crop breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob C. Douma
- Centre for Crop Systems AnalysisWageningen University6708PBWageningenThe Netherlands
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University6708PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jorad de Vries
- Centre for Crop Systems AnalysisWageningen University6708PBWageningenThe Netherlands
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University6708PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Erik H. Poelman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University6708PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University6708PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Niels P.R. Anten
- Centre for Crop Systems AnalysisWageningen University6708PBWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jochem B. Evers
- Centre for Crop Systems AnalysisWageningen University6708PBWageningenThe Netherlands
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de Vries J, Evers JB, Dicke M, Poelman EH. Ecological interactions shape the adaptive value of plant defence: Herbivore attack versus competition for light. Funct Ecol 2019; 33:129-138. [PMID: 31007332 PMCID: PMC6472621 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Plants defend themselves against diverse communities of herbivorous insects. This requires an investment of limited resources, for which plants also compete with neighbours. The consequences of an investment in defence are determined by the metabolic costs of defence as well as indirect or ecological costs through interactions with other organisms. These ecological costs have a potentially strong impact on the evolution of defensive traits, but have proven to be difficult to quantify.We aimed to quantify the relative impact of the direct and indirect or ecological costs and benefits of an investment in plant defence in relation to herbivory and intergenotypic competition for light. Additionally, we evaluated how the benefits of plant defence balance its costs in the context of herbivory and intergenotypic competition.To this end, we utilised a functional-structural plant (FSP) model of Brassica nigra that simulates plant growth and development, morphogenesis, herbivory and plant defence. In the model, a simulated investment in defences affected plant growth by competing with other plant organs for resources and affected the level and distribution of herbivore damage.Our results show that the ecological costs of intergenotypic competition for light are highly detrimental to the fitness of defended plants, as it amplifies the size difference between defended and undefended plants. This leads to herbivore damage counteracting the effects of intergenotypic competition under the assumption that herbivore damage scales with plant size. Additionally, we show that plant defence relies on reducing herbivore damage rather than the dispersion of herbivore damage, which is only beneficial under high levels of herbivore damage.We conclude that the adaptive value of plant defence is highly dependent on ecological interactions and is predominantly determined by the outcome of competition for light. plain language summary is available for this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorad de Vries
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- Centre for Crop System AnalysisWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jochem B. Evers
- Centre for Crop System AnalysisWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Erik H. Poelman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
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Kang M, Hua J, Wang X, de Reffye P, Jaeger M, Akaffou S. Estimating Sink Parameters of Stochastic Functional-Structural Plant Models Using Organic Series-Continuous and Rhythmic Development. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1688. [PMID: 30555494 PMCID: PMC6284058 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Functional-structural plant models (FSPMs) generally simulate plant development and growth at the level of individual organs (leaves, flowers, internodes, etc.). Parameters that are not directly measurable, such as the sink strength of organs, can be estimated inversely by fitting the weights of organs along an axis (organic series) with the corresponding model output. To accommodate intracanopy variability among individual plants, stochastic FSPMs have been built by introducing the randomness in plant development; this presents a challenge in comparing model output and experimental data in parameter estimation since the plant axis contains individual organs with different amounts and weights. To achieve model calibration, the interaction between plant development and growth is disentangled by first computing the occurrence probabilities of each potential site of phytomer, as defined in the developmental model (potential structure). On this basis, the mean organic series is computed analytically to fit the organ-level target data. This process is applied for plants with continuous and rhythmic development simulated with different development parameter sets. The results are verified by Monte-Carlo simulation. Calibration tests are performed both in silico and on real plants. The analytical organic series are obtained for both continuous and rhythmic cases, and they match well with the results from Monte-Carlo simulation, and vice versa. This fitting process works well for both the simulated and real data sets; thus, the proposed method can solve the source-sink functions of stochastic plant architectures through a simplified approach to plant sampling. This work presents a generic method for estimating the sink parameters of a stochastic FSPM using statistical organ-level data, and it provides a method for sampling stems. The current work breaks a bottleneck in the application of FSPMs to real plants, creating the opportunity for broad applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhen Kang
- The State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, LIAMA, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Innovation Center for Parallel Agriculture, Qingdao Academy of Intelligent Industries, Qingdao, China
| | - Jing Hua
- The State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, LIAMA, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Innovation Center for Parallel Agriculture, Qingdao Academy of Intelligent Industries, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiujuan Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, LIAMA, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Systems and Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Philippe de Reffye
- CIRAD, Amap Unit, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Marc Jaeger
- CIRAD, Amap Unit, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Sélastique Akaffou
- Department of Seeds and Seedlings Production, University Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Ivory Coast
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Evers JB, Letort V, Renton M, Kang M. Computational botany: advancing plant science through functional–structural plant modelling. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2018; 121. [PMCID: PMC5906916 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcy050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The need to integrate the ever-expanding body of knowledge in the plant sciences has led to the development of sophisticated modelling approaches. This special issue focuses on functional–structural plant (FSP) models, which are the result of cross-fertilization between the domains of plant science, computer science and mathematics. FSP models simulate growth and morphology of individual plants that interact with their environment, from which complex plant community properties emerge. FSP models can be used for a broad range of research questions across disciplines related to plant science. This special issue presents the latest developments in FSP modelling, including the novel incorporation of plant ecophysiological concepts and the application of FSP models to address new scientific questions. Additionally, it illustrates the breadth of model evaluation approaches that are performed. FSP modelling is a very active domain of plant research which brings together a wide range of scientific disciplines. It offers the opportunity to address questions in complex plant systems that cannot be addressed by empirical approaches alone, including questions on fundamental concepts related to plant development such as regulation of morphogenesis, as well as on applied concepts such as the relationship between crop performance and plant competition for resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochem B Evers
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- For correspondence. E-mail:
| | - Veronique Letort
- Mathématiques et Informatique pour la Complexité et les Systèmes, CentraleSupélec, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Michael Renton
- Schools of Biological Sciences, Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Mengzhen Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Qingdao Academy of Intelligent Industries, Qingdao, China
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