Institut für Kulturpflanzenwissenschaften

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hohpublica.uni-hohenheim.de/handle/123456789/12

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Do lower nitrogen fertilization levels require breeding of different types of cultivars in triticale?
(2022) Neuweiler, Jan E.; Trini, Johannes; Maurer, Hans Peter; Würschum, Tobias
Breeding high-yielding, nitrogen-efficient crops is of utmost importance to achieve greater agricultural sustainability. The aim of this study was to evaluate nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of triticale, investigate long-term genetic trends and the genetic architecture, and develop strategies for NUE improvement by breeding. For this, we evaluated 450 different triticale genotypes under four nitrogen fertilization levels in multi-environment field trials for grain yield, protein content, starch content and derived indices. Analysis of temporal trends revealed that modern cultivars are better in exploiting the available nitrogen. Genome-wide association mapping revealed a complex genetic architecture with many small-effect QTL and a high level of pleiotropy for NUE-related traits, in line with phenotypic correlations. Furthermore, the effect of some QTL was dependent on the nitrogen fertilization level. High correlations of each trait between N levels and the rather low genotype-by-N-level interaction variance showed that generally the same genotypes perform well over different N levels. Nevertheless, the best performing genotype was always a different one. Thus, selection in early generations can be done under high nitrogen fertilizer conditions as these provide a stronger differentiation, but the final selection in later generations should be conducted with a nitrogen fertilization as in the target environment.
Improving cover crop mixtures to increase soil carbon inputs and weed suppression as a tool to promote yield potential
(2024) Groß, Jonas; Müller, Torsten
Arable cropping systems are facing challenges imposed by climate change and are, at the same time, a tool to mitigate climate change. Soils are essential in securing yield potential and acting as a carbon sink. Recognizing small-scale site-specific differences in crop management and integrating cover crops, which provide ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and weed suppression, are two approaches to climate-smart agriculture. To investigate site-specific soil heterogeneity, soil properties were analyzed in a field trial, measuring at three soil depths in 42 plots to determine their influence on yield measures. Soil organic carbon, silt, and clay contents in both topsoil and subsoil explained 45-46% of the variability in grain yield. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between increasing clay content in the topsoil and grain yield and tiller density. A higher clay content in the subsoil resulted in a decrease in grain yield. Soil organic carbon was identified as a soil property that positively influences yield and yield formation at any soil depth through multiple regressions and cluster analysis. Soil organic carbon is a critical soil measure that can significantly improve yield potential and can be manipulated by crop management practices like cover cropping. In a second field experiment, the impacts of increasing plant diversity of cover crop mixtures on rhizosphere carbon input and microbial utilization were investigated. A comparison was made between Mustard (Sinapis alba L.) planted as a sole crop and diversified cover crop mixtures of four (Mix4) or twelve (Mix12) species. A 13C-pulse labeling field experiment traced C transfer from shoots to roots to the soil microbial community. Mix 4 doubled the net CO2-C removal from the atmosphere, while Mix 12 more than tripled it, indicating that plant diversity positively impacts carbon cycling. This is reflected in higher atmospheric C uptake, higher transport rates to the rhizosphere, higher microbial incorporation, and longer residence time in the soil environment, improving the efficiency of C cycling in cropping systems. Root C-transfer could be identified as a fast pathway for C to reach soil C-compartments, but a substantial share of atmospheric C-catch comes from shoot biomass. In a third field experiment, the influence of species combination on shoot biomass formation was systematically assessed by investigating species interactions in dual cover crop mixtures and their competitiveness to suppress weeds before winter under different growing conditions. The shoot biomass share of a cover crop species in a dual-species mixture was found to be directly linked to its shoot biomass in a pure stand. Mustard and phacelia had similar effects on the shoot biomass production of the second species added to the mixture. Cruciferous species were more competitive against weeds than other cover crop species and could suppress weeds even when mixed with a less competitive partner. Weed suppression in mixtures with phacelia depended on the second component. Our results indicate that dual mixtures containing one competitive species reduce weed shoot biomass before winter, comparable to competitive pure stands. The research in this thesis shows that C content in the soil plays a crucial role in yield formation in arable cropping systems in Germany. Finally, the study has demonstrated that implementing cover crop mixtures can enhance soil C input and represent a valuable method for preserving yield potential. It was also shown that an intelligent combination of cover crop species can determine successful development and weed suppression.
Local and systemic metabolic adjustments to drought in maize: hydraulic redistribution in a split‐root system
(2022) Werner, Lena Maria; Hartwig, Roman Paul; Engel, Isabelle; Franzisky, Bastian Leander; Wienkoop, Stefanie; Brenner, Martin; Preiner, Julian; Repper, Dagmar; Hartung, Jens; Zörb, Christian; Wimmer, Monika Andrea
Background: It is yet unknown how maize plants respond to a partial root drying under conditions of a limited total water supply, and which adaptation mechanisms are triggered under these conditions. Aims: The aims of this study were to assess whether partial root drying results in distinguishable local and systemic physiological and metabolic drought responses, and whether compensatory water uptake and/or alteration of root architecture occurs under these conditions. Methods: Maize plants were grown in a split-root system. When plants were 20 days old, the treatments ‘well-watered’, ‘local drought’ and ‘full drought’ were established for a period of 10 days. Shoot length and gas exchange were measured non-destructively, root exudates were collected using a filter system and biomass, relative water content, osmolality and proline content were determined destructively at final harvest. Results: Local drought triggered stress responses such as reduced biomass, shoot length, relative water content and increased osmolality. Maintained root growth was systemically achieved by hydraulic redistribution rather than by altering root architecture. Local and systemic osmolyte adjustments contributed to this hydraulic redistribution. Conclusions: Both local and systemic metabolic responses helped the plants to induce hydraulic redistribution, enhance water availability and in consequence plant water relations. This resulted in a surprisingly well-maintained root growth even in the drought stressed root compartment.
Long-term breeding progress of yield, yield-related, and disease resistance traits in five cereal crops of German variety trials
(2021) Laidig, Friedrich; Feike, T.; Klocke, B.; Macholdt, J.; Miedaner, Thomas; Rentel, D.; Piepho, Hans-Peter
Plant breeding and improved crop management generated considerable progress in cereal performance over the last decades. Climate change, as well as the political and social demand for more environmentally friendly production, require ongoing breeding progress. This study quantified long-term trends for breeding progress and ageing effects of yield, yield-related traits, and disease resistance traits from German variety trials for five cereal crops with a broad spectrum of genotypes. The varieties were grown over a wide range of environmental conditions during 1988–2019 under two intensity levels, without (I1) and with (I2) fungicides and growth regulators. Breeding progress regarding yield increase was the highest in winter barley followed by winter rye hybrid and the lowest in winter rye population varieties. Yield gaps between I2 and I1 widened for barleys, while they shrank for the other crops. A notable decrease in stem stability became apparent in I1 in most crops, while for diseases generally a decrasing susceptibility was found, especially for mildew, brown rust, scald, and dwarf leaf rust. The reduction in disease susceptibility in I2 (treated) was considerably higher than in I1. Our results revealed that yield performance and disease resistance of varieties were subject to considerable ageing effects, reducing yield and increasing disease susceptibility. Nevertheless, we quantified notable achievements in breeding progress for most disease resistances. This study indicated an urgent and continues need for new improved varieties, not only to combat ageing effects and generate higher yield potential, but also to offset future reduction in plant protection intensity.
Microbial inoculants modulate the rhizosphere microbiome, alleviate plant stress responses, and enhance maize growth at field scale
(2025) Francioli, Davide; Kampouris, Ioannis D.; Kuhl-Nagel, Theresa; Babin, Doreen; Sommermann, Loreen; Behr, Jan H.; Chowdhury, Soumitra Paul; Zrenner, Rita; Moradtalab, Narges; Schloter, Michael; Geistlinger, Joerg; Ludewig, Uwe; Neumann, Günter; Smalla, Kornelia; Grosch, Rita; Francioli, Davide; Department of Nutritional Crop Physiology, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Kampouris, Ioannis D.; Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)—Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Braunschweig, Germany; Kuhl-Nagel, Theresa; Plant-Microbe Systems, Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Großbeeren, Germany; Babin, Doreen; Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)—Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Braunschweig, Germany; Sommermann, Loreen; Department of Agriculture, Ecotrophology and Landscape Development, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Bernburg, Germany; Behr, Jan H.; Plant-Microbe Systems, Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Großbeeren, Germany; Chowdhury, Soumitra Paul; Helmholtz Zentrum München—German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; Zrenner, Rita; Plant-Microbe Systems, Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Großbeeren, Germany; Moradtalab, Narges; Department of Nutritional Crop Physiology, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Schloter, Michael; Helmholtz Zentrum München—German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; Geistlinger, Joerg; Department of Agriculture, Ecotrophology and Landscape Development, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Bernburg, Germany; Ludewig, Uwe; Department of Nutritional Crop Physiology, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Neumann, Günter; Department of Nutritional Crop Physiology, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Smalla, Kornelia; Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)—Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Braunschweig, Germany; Grosch, Rita; Plant-Microbe Systems, Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Großbeeren, Germany
Background: Field inoculation of crops with beneficial microbes is a promising sustainable strategy to enhance plant fitness and nutrient acquisition. However, effectiveness can vary due to environmental factors, microbial competition, and methodological challenges, while their precise modes of action remain uncertain. This underscores the need for further research to optimize inoculation strategies for consistent agricultural benefits. Results: Using a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach, we investigate the effects of a consortium of beneficial microbes (BMc) ( Pseudomonas sp. RU47, Bacillus atrophaeus ABi03, Trichoderma harzianum OMG16) on maize ( Zea mays cv. Benedictio) through an inoculation experiment conducted within a long-term field trial across intensive and extensive farming practices. Additionally, an unexpected early drought stress emerged as a climatic variable, offering further insight into the effectiveness of the microbial consortium. Our findings demonstrate that BMc root inoculation primarily enhanced plant growth and fitness, particularly by increasing iron uptake, which is crucial for drought adaptation. Inoculated maize plants show improved shoot growth and fitness compared to non-inoculated plants, regardless of farming practices. Specifically, BMc modulate plant hormonal balance, enhance the detoxification of reactive oxygen species, and increase root exudation of iron-chelating metabolites. Amplicon sequencing reveals shifts in rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities mediated by the consortium. Metagenomic shotgun sequencing indicates enrichment of genes related to antimicrobial lipopeptides and siderophores. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the multifaceted benefits of BMc inoculation on plant fitness, significantly influencing metabolism, stress responses, and the rhizosphere microbiome. These improvements are crucial for advancing sustainable agricultural practices by enhancing plant resilience and productivity.
NAC transcription factors ATAF1 and ANAC055 affect the heat stress response in Arabidopsis
(2022) Alshareef, Nouf Owdah; Otterbach, Sophie L.; Allu, Annapurna Devi; Woo, Yong H.; de Werk, Tobias; Kamranfar, Iman; Mueller-Roeber, Bernd; Tester, Mark; Balazadeh, Salma; Schmöckel, Sandra M.; Alshareef, Nouf Owdah; Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Otterbach, Sophie L.; Department Physiology of Yield Stability, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Allu, Annapurna Devi; Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati, India; Woo, Yong H.; Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; de Werk, Tobias; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Kamranfar, Iman; Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam‐Golm, Germany; Mueller-Roeber, Bernd; Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (CPSBB), Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Tester, Mark; Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Balazadeh, Salma; Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Schmöckel, Sandra M.; Department Physiology of Yield Stability, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
Pre-exposing (priming) plants to mild, non-lethal elevated temperature improves their tolerance to a later higher-temperature stress (triggering stimulus), which is of great ecological importance. ‘Thermomemory’ is maintaining this tolerance for an extended period of time. NAM/ATAF1/2/CUC2 (NAC) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors (TFs) that modulate responses to abiotic stresses, including heat stress (HS). Here, we investigated the potential role of NACs for thermomemory. We determined the expression of 104 Arabidopsis NAC genes after priming and triggering heat stimuli, and found ATAF1 expression is strongly induced right after priming and declines below control levels thereafter during thermorecovery. Knockout mutants of ATAF1 show better thermomemory than wild type, revealing a negative regulatory role. Differential expression analyses of RNA-seq data from ATAF1 overexpressor, ataf1 mutant and wild-type plants after heat priming revealed five genes that might be priming-associated direct targets of ATAF1: AT2G31260 (ATG9), AT2G41640 (GT61), AT3G44990 (XTH31), AT4G27720 and AT3G23540. Based on co-expression analyses applied to the aforementioned RNA-seq profiles, we identified ANAC055 to be transcriptionally co-regulated with ATAF1. Like ataf1, anac055 mutants show improved thermomemory, revealing a potential co-control of both NAC TFs over thermomemory. Our data reveals a core importance of two NAC transcription factors, ATAF1 and ANAC055, for thermomemory.
Testing agronomic treatments to improve the establishment of novel miscanthus hybrids on marginal land
(2025) Lewin, Eva; Clifton-Brown, John; Jensen, Elaine; Lewandowski, Iris; Krzyżak, Jacek; Pogrzeba, Marta; Hartung, Jens; Wolfmüller, Cedric; Kiesel, Andreas; Lewin, Eva; Department Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany; Clifton-Brown, John; Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Justus Libeig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany; Jensen, Elaine; Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3EE, UK; Lewandowski, Iris; Department Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany; Krzyżak, Jacek; Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas, 40-844 Katowice, Poland; Pogrzeba, Marta; Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas, 40-844 Katowice, Poland; Hartung, Jens; Sustainable Agriculture and Energy Systems Department, University of Applied Science Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, 91746 Freising, Germany; Wolfmüller, Cedric; Department Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany; Kiesel, Andreas; Department Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany; Fujii, Yoshiharu
Miscanthus is considered a promising candidate for the cultivation of marginal land. This land poses unique challenges, and experiments have shown that the “establishment phase” is of paramount importance to the long-term yield performance of miscanthus. This experiment analyzes novel miscanthus hybrids and how their establishment on marginal land can be improved through agronomic interventions. Experiments took place at two sites in Germany: at Ihinger Hof, with a very shallow soil profile and high stone content, and at Reichwalde, where the soil was repurposed river sediment with low organic matter, high stone content, and a compacted lower horizon. These marginal conditions functioned as test cases for the improvement of miscanthus establishment agronomy. Four hybrids ( Miscanthus x giganteus , Gnt10, Gnt43, and Syn55) and agronomic treatments such as plastic mulch film, miscanthus mulch, inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi, and fertilization were tested in two years at both sites in 2021 and 2022. Specific weather conditions and the timing of planting were strong determinants of establishment success and no single treatment combination was found that consistently increased the establishment success. Plastic mulch films were found to hinder rather than help establishment in both these locations. Chipped miscanthus mulch caused nitrogen immobilization and stunted plant growth. At Ihinger Hof the novel seed-based miscanthus hybrid Gnt43 produced twice the biomass of other hybrids (7 t ha −1 ) in the first growing season. Gnt10 yielded well in 2021 and showed impressive tolerance to water stress in the summer of 2022. No treatment combination was found that consistently increased the establishment success of miscanthus hybrids across sites and years. Novel genotypes consistently outperformed the standard commercial miscanthus hybrid Miscanthus x giganteus . Gnt10 may be a promising candidate for the cultivation of water-stress-prone marginal lands, due to its isohydric behavior and high yield potential.

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