ALBERT

Beschreibung: Publication date: 2015 Source: Procedia Environmental Sciences, Volume 29 Author(s): David Granot, Nitsan Lugassi, Jayaram Kottapalli, Gilor Kelly Water is the major factor limiting the growth and development of many land plants, and stomata, composed of two guard cells, are the chief gates controlling plants’ water loss. Many environmental and physiological stimuli control stomatal opening, but they all do so through the regulation of guard-cell osmolarity. Increased guard-cell osmolarity leads to the opening of the stomata and decreased osmolarity causes the stomata to close. The prevailing paradigm is that sugars act as osmoticum in the guard cells, thereby contributing to the opening of the stomata. In contrast, we discovered that sugars close stomata via a non-osmotic mechanism. Furthermore, our results show that the guard cells’ response to sugars is dependent on the sugar-sensing enzyme hexokinase (HXK), which triggers the abscisic acid-signaling pathway within the guard cells, leading to stomatal closure. These findings reveal a feedback-inhibition mechanism that is mediated by a product of photosynthesis, sugar via HXK. HXK in the guard cells senses the sugar level and stimulates stomatal closure, thereby coordinating the sugar level with the rate of transpiration. Increased expression of HXK in guard cells decreases the transpiration rate and improves whole-plant water-use efficiency, with no negative effects on photosynthesis, growth or yield.

Beschreibung: Publication date: 2015 Source: Procedia Environmental Sciences, Volume 29 Author(s): T.S. Mammadov, Sh. Balapour Hydrological regime of large bodies of water, especially in land, is an integral feature of the climatic variability of most territories of their pool and adjacent regions. These waters include the Caspian Sea. 130 rivers flow to the Caspian Sea, which and none emerges, with catchments basin exceeds approximately 10 times the area of the sea itself and equal 3.5 million quadrat.km, can play the role of climate and environmental indicator not only regional but also global change. Currently, the Caspian region is undergoing major changes in the environment that affect the living conditions of the population of the Caspian States. Ecological problems of the Caspian Sea and coastal zones are the result of extensive economic development in the countries of the region. The coastline of the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea is 825 km. The coastal zone is densely populated and intensively developed. About 40% of the population and the country's industrial facilities are concentrated in the coastal zone. The coast and the bottom are rich with oil and gas. In the region has developed agricultural activities. The coastal area has its own resort and recreational resources. The largess trade port and ferry terminal are in the Caspian Sea in Baku. Socio-economic and ecological problems of the coastal zone of the Caspian Sea have arisen as a result of the exploitation of natural resources of the sea and coastal areas. These problems are further exacerbated by abrupt changes in sea level, play an important role in global climate change. Therefore, it is imperative to examine the causes of sea level change, predicting its long-term fluctuations. Vulnerability assessment of the socio-economic conditions, natural resources of the coastal zone of the Caspian Sea for the forthcoming climate change is an urgent task for the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Beschreibung: Publication date: 2015 Source: Procedia Environmental Sciences, Volume 29 Author(s): Robert J. Henry, Parimalan Rangan, Agnelo Furtado Cereals are key foods providing a significant part of the energy (calories) and protein in human diets globally. Cereals are consumed as intact grain products, such as rice, or as ground ingredients, such as wheat in breads, noodles or pasta. The dominance of cereals in human foods makes nutritional attributes of cereals important to the health of human populations. Functional traits influencing the processing or end use quality attributes of cereal based foods are key to human preferences and consumption. Adaptation of cereal crops to variable or changing climates requires that essential quality attributes are retained. Advances in cereal genomics are delivering insights into the molecular basis of nutritional and functional quality traits in cereals that will be critical to retaining essential quality traits. New genetic resources are emerging within the gene pools of the domesticated species. New species 1 adapted to new or different environments may also be options for accelerated domestication to satisfy food demand. Genomic analysis of the diversity of rice genetic resource 2 will provide more options for rice adaptation. New insights into the molecular genetic basis of wheat quality 3 and the influence of the environment on expression of these traits will support the retention of the essential functional properties of wheat during climate adaptation. New cereals for use as whole grain or ground to flour for other food products may be based upon the traditional species such as rice and wheat but may also include new options exploiting genomics tools to allow accelerated domestication of new species.

Beschreibung: Publication date: 2015 Source: Procedia Environmental Sciences, Volume 29 Author(s): William M. Fonta, Safiétou Sanfo, Boubacar Ibrahim, Boubacar Barry Innovative financing arrangements such as index-base crop insurance (IBCI) schemes are increasingly becoming popular in West Africa for managing catastrophic agricultural risks. Recently, an IBCI pilot project was launched in Burkina Faso by PlaNet Guarantee 1 1 A member of the Planet Finance Group and the Global Index Insurance Facility program (GIIF). . However, similar to many existing IBCI schemes in the region, the enrolment rate is still very low. One possible explanation for this is based on the fact that remote sensing data is used as the basis for the design. Although the use of remote sensing data is appealing in many respect, it has several limitations. One major limitation is that it fails to take into account sensitive phases of the crops cycle, which may be more prone to climate and other environmental stresses (Muller, 2014). In this paper, we highlights the importance of using field facts in the design of innovative IBCI schemes in rural Burkina Faso. Farmers’ awareness and perception of climate hazards in relation to crop productivity and their willingness to participate (WTP) in IBCI in South-western Burkina were captured through household surveys and focus group discussions. Empirical findings indicate that farmers are aware of the effects of climate hazard on farm productivity and consider mid-season dry spells, during sowing, flowering and ripening depending on the crop type, as the most significant climate risk affecting local crop productivity. Specifically, 98% of the sampled farmers are willing to insure maize, cotton and sorghum, but only if the most sensitive periods of these crops to dry spell are taken into account in designing the crop insurance contracts. Furthermore, Probit regression analysis indicates that the probability to participate increases with years of farming experience, past experience of climate hazards, educational attainment of household head and insecurity to climate hazard, and decreases with farmer's age and household size.

Beschreibung: Publication date: 2015 Source: Procedia Environmental Sciences, Volume 29 Author(s): Samuel I. Haruna, Nsalambi V. Nkongolo Cover crops have been known to reduce soil erosion, among other benefits, and increase water infiltration, organic matter and soil microbial activity. This study was conducted at Lincoln University's Freeman farm during 2011 and 2012 to assess the effects of cover crop management on soil physical and biological properties. The soil of the experimental site was a Waldron silt loam soil (Fine, smectitic, calcareous, mesic Aeric Fluvaquents). The field was 4.05 ha in size and subdivided into 48 plots, each measuring 12.2 m x 21.3 m. The cropping pattern for the plots was a corn ( Zea mays L.)/soybean ( Glycine max ) rotation. The cover crop of choice was cereal rye ( Secale cereale ). Half of the total plots had cover crop management while the other half had no-cover crop. Soil samples were collected at four depths; 0-10, 10-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm. Samples were oven dried at 105 o C for 72 h for soil physical properties analysis. Air dried soil samples were also sent to a commercial laboratory for analysis of soil biological properties. Results showed a significant effect (p〈 0.05) of cover crop on the selected soil physical and biological properties. A 3.5% decrease was also observed in soil bulk density in cover crop plots as compared with no-cover crop plots. The carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio decreased with increasing sampling depth for the first three depths and increased slightly in the fourth depth (p〈0.05). C/N ratio also showed a 5.6% increase in no-cover crop plots as compared with cover crop plots. The cover crop used in this study was capable of significantly improving soil physical and biological properties.

Beschreibung: Publication date: 2015 Source: Procedia Environmental Sciences, Volume 29 Author(s): Amélie C.M. Gaudin, Tor Tolhurst, Alan Ker, Ralph Martin, Willima Deen A key strategy for climate change adaptation in the rain-fed northern Corn Belt is to decrease cropping system vulnerability to changes in precipitation patterns by building resilience. Using 50- year of county level yield and environmental data from Iowa and Ontario, we first demonstrate that sensitivity of corn yield to precipitation, particularly in July and August, has increased over the past five decades despite no changes in precipitation patterns. This can be attributed to steady improvement in corn yield potential and so plant water demand since the mid-20th century and removal of non-water constraints to crop production. Such vulnerability of corn-based cropping systems to water limitations is of increasing concern as climate change models predict higher summer temperatures and year-to-year variations in precipitations in this region. As suggested in the ecology literature, increasing agroecosystem temporal and spacial diversity is one of the key management strategies to deal with impending weather variability. Using yield and environmental data from a 30-year long-term rotation and tillage trial in Ontario, we show that diversification of short corn-based rotations using small grains and forage crops increases corn yield stability and resilience to both limiting and excess soil moisture1. We also demonstrate the importance of conservation tillage and measured the impact of rotation and tillage history on plants ability to access water resources, plant available soil water and their combined effects on timing of physiological water stress and grain yield when drought occurs at reproductive stages. Our results emphasize the growing importance of developing strategies for managing soil moisture in rain-fed regions and the significance of agroecological approaches to develop hardy agricultural systems and protect food and feed production against the upcoming extreme weather events.

Beschreibung: Publication date: 2015 Source: Procedia Environmental Sciences, Volume 29 Author(s): A. Singh, L. Billa, M.B. Sokoto, A. Lado, M.I. Abdoul-Aziz, S. Singh Changing climate presents one of the most challenging threats to food crop production throughout the agro-ecologies. Annual food crops on which we rely most on are sensitive to temperature and precipitation change as it not only affects the temperature and moisture of the surroundings but affects the levels in soils as well. While climate change will have global impacts on crop production, regional variation will be play significant role in tackling climate change problem. This study examines 10-30 years data on the regional variation in temperature and precipitation from one location each in Arid and semi-Arid climate, one location in Dry sub-Humid climate and six locations in the Tropical Forest climate. The data collected were critically analysed using 5-10 years moving average plots, linear trend analysis and t-test using SPSS ® software. Depending on the location, results showed significant (P〈0.05) increase in temperature ranging from 0.015-0.045 o C. Increase was mostly in the last 5-10 years compared to 1983-1990. Also, this increment was higher in semi-Arid & Dry-humid climate (0.044-0.087 o C) than in Tropical rainforest where the increase was 0.015 o C. No significant (P>0.05) increase in temperature was observed in the Arid climate in the last 10 years. In tropical rainforest climate, increase in temperature (0.044 o C) was higher in the metropolis area than the countryside. From the locations examined in this study, there was no significant change in the precipitation pattern in the last 10-30 years. Simple plots overlaying temperature changes on crop production data revealed mixed response. Groundnut ( Arachis hypogea ), Bambara groundnut ( Vigna subterannea ) and hungry rice ( Digeteria exilis ) showed tolerance to increased temperatures in the Semi-Arid tropics. Rice ( Oryza sativa ) in Tropical Malaysia showed increased in yield with temperature. What may be important to note here is the resilience of the genotypes to temperature changes so that these genotypes could be further studied for adaptation to climate change. No doubt that there is evidence of increase in temperature, regional variations will exist and will play an important role in mitigating climate change.

Beschreibung: Publication date: 2015 Source: Procedia Environmental Sciences, Volume 29 Author(s): Abdullah A. Jaradat Eleven genotypes of Carthamus tinctorius, Cicer arietinum, Glycine max, Triticum spp. [ aestivum and durum ], and Zea mays , respectively producing oil, proteins, oil-protein, carbohydrates-protein, and carbohydras as the main biochemical seed components (Products) were subjected to four combinations of abiotic stresses imposed by manipulating planting dates and population densities (Management). Each genotype was planted in three replicates in RCBD on the same land area for three consecutive years as an additional edaphic stress [Phase I], followed by three more years in a crop rotation [Phase II]. Annually, three random plants per genotype and replicate were sampled at vegetative and physiological maturity stages. All samples were assayed for 10 nutrients, using LECO analyzer and ICP instrument. Temporal variation in nutrient density and stability were estimated using several multivariate statistical methods. Validation coefficients of determination [Q2] increased steadily from 25 [Phase I] to 53% [Phase II]. Invariably, Sulfur, Phosphorus, Zinc, and Copper, in decreasing order, were most important in determining the amount of explained variance. Abiotic stress significantly increased nutrient densities in 32, decreased it in 46, and did not affect it in 22% of the 50 nutrient-Product combinations. Temporal variation of nutrient densities decreased in 48, increased in 34, and remained stable in 18% of these nutrient-Product combinations. Carbon:Nitrogen ratio, as covariate, impacted nutrient densities, and stability of all nutrients; increased in carbohydrates, protein, and oil-protein; and decreased in oil. Nutrient densities averaged over Products discriminated between Phase I and Phase II [91.1 vs. 96.0% correct classification]. Discrimination between Products decreased from 73.5% in Phase I to 62.5% in Phase II. Carbohydrates, oil, carbohydrates-protein, and oil-protein, in decreasing order, exhibited the largest misclassification. Largest variation in nutrient densities was explained by Year x Product (Phase) [10-73%], followed by Year x Genotype (Products x Phase) [9-25%], thus illustrating the dynamic nutrient response to abiotic stress.

Beschreibung: Publication date: 2015 Source: Procedia Environmental Sciences, Volume 29 Author(s): Rebecca J. Thistlethwaite, Daniel K.Y. Tan, Thomas N. Buckley, Richard M. Trethowan Extreme heat waves continue to occur across Australia, particularly in the Northern regions of New South Wales where temperatures exceed 35 °C throughout summer. Wheat germplasm with superior tolerance to short but extreme heat waves (e.g., 1-3 days exceeding 35 °C) compared to currently available wheat varieties was identified. Combinations of experimental approaches were used to impose heat stress in the greenhouse and the field. Two replicates of 120 genotypes were planted across four consecutive sowing dates with later sowings experiencing progressively higher temperatures. Using in-field heat chambers, high temperature stress was applied to a subset of ten genotypes thought to have a superior tolerance to heat at anthesis. To compensate for random seasonal weather effects, these experiments were concurrently replicated by imposing heat stress in a greenhouse facility. This provided side-by-side comparison of a range of commercial genotypes grown widely in northern NSW. Yield and quality stability were the primary measures of temperature tolerance. Other variables that discriminated for response to high temperature included seed set, seed size and seed yield.

Beschreibung: Publication date: 2015 Source: Procedia Environmental Sciences, Volume 29 Author(s): Helder Fraga, Aureliano C. Malheiro, José Moutinho-Pereira, João A. Santos Introduction Viticulture is a climate sensitive crop since optimum growth requirements are generally restricted by atmospheric conditions. Given the projected climate change scenarios, grapevine growth may be further challenged in the future. Owing to the importance of the vitivinicultural sector in Europe, the assessment of future climatic impacts in viticulture is of utmost relevance for the winemaking sector. Methods This study was conducted using a 9-member ensemble of regional climate models under the International Panel on Climate Change 4.5 and 8.5 representative concentration pathways (RCPs) until 2050. To evaluate the current and future optimum condition for quality winemaking, the growing degree day is calculated over Europe at a very high spatial resolution (〈1 km). Changes in ensemble means are analysed and the climate signal is isolated for each future RCP. Results As expected, a significant warming is anticipated over Europe in both future scenarios, strengthened in RCP8.5. Over southern Europe, the projected warming is expected to have detrimental impacts on winegrape development and quality, requiring additional measures to deal with heat stress. Over central Europe, growing conditions are expected to change into warmer growing seasons, which may result in changes in wine typicity. Conversely, over northern Europe, the warmer climate may prove more suitable for winegrape growth, leading to a northward shift of the current optimum growth conditions for grapevines. Discussion Climate change is thus expected to impose new challenges for the European winemaking sector. Adaptation measures need to be adequately and timely planned in order to cope with climate change impacts on viticulture. Over the Mediterranean-like climatic regions, these measures may be required for the future suitability of this crop and adaptation to harsh environmental conditions. Over the Atlantic/Continental regions, despite the general increase in suitability, additional measures are also required to adapt to the new climatic conditions.