Crop rotational diversity can mitigate climate-induced grain yield losses

Diversified crop rotations have been suggested to reduce grain yield losses from the adverse climatic conditions increasingly common under climate change. Nevertheless, the potential for climate change adaptation of different crop rotational diversity (CRD) remains undetermined. We quantified how climatic conditions affect small grain and maize yields under different CRDs in 32 long-term (10-63 years) field experiments across Europe and North America. Species-diverse and functionally rich rotations more than compensated yield losses from anomalous warm conditions, long and warm dry spells, as well as from anomalous wet (for small grains) or dry (for maize) conditions. Adding a single functional group or crop species to monocultures counteracted yield losses from substantial changes in climatic conditions. The benefits of a further increase in CRD are comparable with those of improved climatic conditions. For instance, the maize yield benefits of adding three crop species to monocultures under detrimental climatic conditions exceeded the average yield of monocultures by up to 553 kg/ha under non-detrimental climatic conditions. Increased crop functional richness improved yields under high temperature, irrespective of precipitation. Conversely, yield benefits peaked at between two and four crop species in the rotation, depending on climatic conditions and crop, and declined at higher species diversity. Thus, crop species diversity could be adjusted to maximize yield benefits. Diversifying rotations with functionally distinct crops is an adaptation of cropping systems to global warming and changes in precipitation.

Dynamics of canopy-dwelling arthropods under different weed management options, including glyphosate, in conventional and genetically modified insect-resistant maize

The use of genetically modified varieties tolerant to herbicides (HT varieties) and resistant to insects (Bt varieties) in combination with application of a broad-spectrum herbicide such as glyphosate could be an effective option for the simultaneous control of weeds and pests in maize. Nevertheless, the possible impact of these tools on nontarget arthropods still needs to be evaluated. In a field study in central Spain, potential changes in populations of canopy-dwelling arthropods in Bt maize under different weed management options, including glyphosate application, were investigated. Canopy-dwelling arthropods were sampled by visual inspection and yellow sticky traps. The Bt variety had no effect on any group of studied arthropods, except for the expected case of corn borers-the target pests of Bt maize. Regarding the effects of herbicide regimes, the only observed difference was a lower abundance of Cicadellidae and Mymaridae on yellow sticky traps in plots not treated with pre-emergence herbicides. This effect was especially pronounced in a treatment involving two glyphosate applications. The decrease in Cicadellidae and Mymaridae populations was associated with a higher density of weeds in plots, which may have hindered colonization of the crop by leafhoppers. These differences, however, were only significant in the last year of the study. The low likelihood of the use of glyphosate- and herbicide-tolerant varieties for weed control triggering important effects on the nontarget arthropod fauna of the maize canopy is discussed.

Optimal growth of Dunaliella primolecta in axenic conditions to assay herbicides

To develop an assay for herbicides in marine environments using microalgae, we have optimized the specie, cell culture media and physical conditions to obtain maximal cellular densities in a 96 well micro format to allow mass assays. We first surveyed several species of 7 unicellular eukaryotic algae genera (Dunaliella, Tetraselmis, Chlorella, Ellipsoidon, Isochrysis, Nannochloropsis, and Phaeodactylum) for vigorous in vitro axenic growth. Once the genus Dunaliella was selected, Dunaliella primolecta was preferred among 9 species (bioculata, minuta, parva, peircei, polymorpha, primolecta, quartolecta, salina and tertiolecta) because it showed the highest growth rates. The components (oligo elements, sugars, amino acids and vitamins) and conditions (light, CO(2), temperature) of the culture media were further optimized to obtain the highest cellular densities (up to 60x10(6)cellsml(-1)) and the shortest cell cycle duration ( approximately 12h) for D. primolecta. Then the toxicity of four representative herbicides, alloxydim, and sethoxydim (inhibitors of acetyl-coA carboxilase), metamitron (inhibitor of photosynthesis) and clopyralid (inhibitor of respiration), were assayed on the optimal culture conditions for D. primolecta during 96h. The results showed that D. primolecta was susceptible to those herbicides in the following order: metamitron > sethoxydim > alloxydim. In contrast, clopyralid did not have any effects. Therefore, D. primolecta microcultures can be used to assay a large number of samples for the presence of herbicides under a saline environment.

Bioassay for determining sensitivity to sulfosulfuron on seven plant species

This study presents a bioassay procedure, based on the root and shoot growth parameters, for the determination of the herbicide sulfosulfuron (1-(4,6 dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl)-3-(2-ethylsulfonylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-ylsulfonil)urea) sensitivity on seven vegetal species. Plant response to sulfosulfuron was calculated with the equations fitted to the root growth data as a function of the logarithm of the herbicide concentration by non-linear regression and was used to calculate the doses for 10, 30 and 50% inhibition of root growth (EC10, EC30 and EC50). The results indicate that the phytotoxic effect of sulfosulfuron in all the species assayed followed the order: flax > maize > onion > vetch > lepidium sativum > tomato > barley. These species showed phytotoxicity at low levels of sulfosulfuron and flax appeared to be the most susceptible species to sulfosulfuron (0.001 mg/L).