Metabolomic, photoprotective, and photosynthetic acclimatory responses to post-flowering drought in sorghum

Climate change is globally affecting rainfall patterns, necessitating the improvement of drought tolerance in crops. Sorghum bicolor is a relatively drought-tolerant cereal. Functional stay-green sorghum genotypes can maintain green leaf area and efficient grain filling during terminal post-flowering water deprivation, a period of ~10 weeks. To obtain molecular insights into these characteristics, two drought-tolerant genotypes, BTx642 and RTx430, were grown in replicated control and terminal post-flowering drought field plots in California's Central Valley. Photosynthetic, photoprotective, and water dynamics traits were quantified and correlated with metabolomic data collected from leaves, stems, and roots at multiple timepoints during control and drought conditions. Physiological and metabolomic data were then compared to longitudinal RNA sequencing data collected from these two genotypes. The unique metabolic and transcriptomic response to post-flowering drought in sorghum supports a role for the metabolite galactinol in controlling photosynthetic activity through regulating stomatal closure in post-flowering drought. Additionally, in the functional stay-green genotype BTx642, photoprotective responses were specifically induced in post-flowering drought, supporting a role for photoprotection in the molecular response associated with the functional stay-green trait. From these insights, new pathways are identified that can be targeted to maximize yields under growth conditions with limited water.

Genomic signatures of adaptation to Sahelian and Soudanian climates in sorghum landraces of Senegal

Uncovering the genomic basis of climate adaptation in traditional crop varieties can provide insight into plant evolution and facilitate breeding for climate resilience. In the African cereal sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. [Moench]), the genomic basis of adaptation to the semiarid Sahelian zone versus the subhumid Soudanian zone is largely unknown. To address this issue, we characterized a large panel of 421 georeferenced sorghum landrace accessions from Senegal and adjacent locations at 213,916 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using genotyping-by-sequencing. Seven subpopulations distributed along the north-south precipitation gradient were identified. Redundancy analysis found that climate variables explained up to 8% of SNP variation, with climate collinear with space explaining most of this variation (6%). Genome scans of nucleotide diversity suggest positive selection on chromosome 2, 4, 5, 7, and 10 in durra sorghums, with successive adaptation during diffusion along the Sahel. Putative selective sweeps were identified, several of which colocalize with stay-green drought tolerance (Stg) loci, and a priori candidate genes for photoperiodic flowering and inflorescence morphology. Genome-wide association studies of photoperiod sensitivity and panicle compactness identified 35 and 13 associations that colocalize with a priori candidate genes, respectively. Climate-associated SNPs colocalize with Stg3a, Stg1, Stg2, and Ma6 and have allelic distribution consistent with adaptation across Sahelian and Soudanian zones. Taken together, the findings suggest an oligogenic basis of adaptation to Sahelian versus Soudanian climates, underpinned by variation in conserved floral regulatory pathways and other systems that are less understood in cereals.

An assessment of the ability of the stay-green phenotype in lolium species to provide an improved protein supply for ruminants

The stay-green phenotype results from a naturally occurring mutation in which senescent leaves retain their chlorophyll and the associated apoprotein, LHCPII. Protection of this protein pool could deliver grass with enhanced protein content and could decrease the extent of protein degradation by plant proteases in the rumen. This would enhance the efficiency of protein utilization in livestock to the benefit of the environment. Field plots of stay-green and wild-type Lolium perenne were defoliated at intervals to simulate grazing. There were variations in foliar protein content and proteolysis throughout the year, but no significant differences between genotypes when material was analysed fresh or after it was cut and dried to simulate hay-making, which possibly induced senescence. In a subsequent experiment with stay-green and wild-type L temulentum, increased protein retention and decreased protein degradability were observed in stay-green leaves that were allowed to senescence naturally and extensively on the plant. That there is no difference between the two L. perenne genotypes suggests that as a field crop in grazed pastures the stay-green genotype would not confer a nutritional advantage in terms of protein degradability. It is possible that grazing promotes a high proportion of non-senescent to senescent leaf material within the sward and thus any advantage conferred by the stay-green phenotype would be effectively masked by an abundance of mature foliage. It is suggested that the stay-green trait would be of benefit in areas where agricultural practice permits extensive natural senescence to occur.