Contemporary agriculture confronts the challenge of increasing demand in terms of quantitative and qualitative production targets. These targets have to be achieved against the background of soil and water scarcity, world-wide and regional shifts in the patterns of land use driven by both climate change and the need to develop crop-based sources of energy, and the environmental and social aspects of agricultural sustainability. Hence, this book compiles a multi-authored perspective on the ways in which crop physiology could be integrated with other disciplines. With a focus on genetic improvement and agronomy, this book addresses the challenges of environmentally sound production of bulk and quality food, fodder, fibre and energy which will be faced over the next decade. * Provides a view of crop physiology as an active source of methods, theories, ideas and tools for application in genetic improvement and agronomy * Written by leading scientists from around the world with publication records of demonstrable influence and impact * Combines environment-specific cropping systems and general principles of crop science to appeal to advanced students, and scientists in agriculture-related disciplines, from molecular sciences to natural resources management
Author(s): Victor O. Sadras, Daniel Calderini
Edition: 1
Publisher: Academic Press
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 579
Cover Page
......Page 1
Copyright Page......Page 2
Preface......Page 3
Contributors......Page 5
Acknowledgements......Page 8
Introduction......Page 9
Agricultural Paradigms......Page 11
World trends in Population and Demand of Agricultural Products......Page 13
Productivity is the key but Inadequate for all Society’s Demands......Page 15
Part 2. Capture and efficiency in the use of resources: Quantitative frameworks......Page 19
Part 3. Crop physiology, breeding and agronomy......Page 20
References......Page 23
Farming Systems: Case Studies......Page 29
The nature of breeding by agronomy interactions and their relation to progress......Page 30
Some features of current Australian cropping......Page 33
General picture emerging from progress in wheat yields in Australia......Page 35
Genotype, seeding density and row spacing......Page 40
Selection for performance under low inputs......Page 41
Varieties tolerant to soil toxicities......Page 42
Fine-tuning crop duration to sowing options......Page 43
Dealing with weeds......Page 45
Dealing with diseases......Page 46
Crop Attributes for Reduced Tillage Systems......Page 47
Increased mechanical impedance......Page 48
Crop diversity and crop rotation......Page 49
Ley farming: crop–pasture rotation......Page 50
Adoption of Improved Varieties and Practices by Farmers......Page 51
Lessons and New Opportunities......Page 52
Acknowledgements......Page 56
References......Page 57
Introduction......Page 62
The Physical Environment......Page 63
Wheat......Page 65
Soybean after Maize......Page 68
Maize......Page 69
Risk Management......Page 70
Sunflower/Soybean Intercropping......Page 72
Canola/Soybean Double Crop......Page 73
References......Page 74
Improving Productivity to Face Water Scarcity in Irrigated Agriculture......Page 126
Introduction and Background......Page 127
Water use efficiency and water productivity......Page 129
Quantifying water use efficiency in irrigated agriculture......Page 130
A systematic approach for assessing the efficiency of water use......Page 131
Genetic improvement of WUE......Page 133
Optimising management to improve WUE: the role of evaporation......Page 134
Harvest index and water productivity in water-limited situations......Page 136
Yield formation and reproductive structures......Page 137
Carbon and nitrogen supply to grain: actual assimilation and reserves......Page 138
Field Irrigation Management and Efficient water use......Page 139
Optimising crop water supply under limited water......Page 140
References......Page 142
Introduction......Page 148
Estimation of RUE by Scaling up from leaf to Canopy......Page 149
Solar and PAR-based Radiation-use Efficiency......Page 150
Radiation-use Efficiency of main Crops......Page 151
Radiation-use Efficiency Response to Environmental, Plant and Management Factors......Page 154
Canopy size and architecture......Page 155
Temperature......Page 158
Air humidity......Page 159
Crop nutritional status......Page 162
Biomass partitioning between shoot and root......Page 163
Radiation-use Efficiency Response to Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration......Page 164
Improving Radiation Capture and use Efficiency: Agronomy and Breeding......Page 166
Concluding Remarks......Page 168
References......Page 169
Introduction......Page 174
Crop N Demand: Its Regulation at Plant and crop Levels......Page 175
Empirical approach......Page 176
Physiological principles......Page 178
Co-regulation of plant N uptake rate by both N soil availability and plant growth rate potential......Page 181
Diagnostic of plant N status in crops: nitrogen nutrition index......Page 183
Intra- and inter-specific interactions within plant stands......Page 185
Response of Plants and crops to N Deficiency......Page 186
Crop life cycle and plant N economy......Page 187
Radiation use efficiency and PAR interception......Page 188
Effect of N deficiency on canopy size and radiation interception......Page 190
Effect of N deficiency on leaf photosynthesis......Page 191
C and N allocation to roots......Page 193
C and N allocation to stems......Page 194
N distribution within the canopies......Page 195
Harvest index and components of grain yield......Page 196
N deficiency – water stress interactions......Page 197
N × P × S interactions......Page 198
Nitrogen use Efficiency......Page 199
N uptake efficiency......Page 201
Conclusions......Page 202
References......Page 204
Crop Physiology, Genetic Improvement, and Agronomy......Page 215
Ignoring Trade-offs Slows Progress......Page 216
Real, Imaginary and Complex Trade-offs......Page 220
Trade-offs as Constraints......Page 222
Trade-offs as Opportunities: Changed Conditions......Page 223
Trade-offs as Opportunities: Individual Versus Community......Page 224
Trade-offs as Opportunities: Conflicts Involving Microbial Mutualists......Page 227
Concluding Remarks......Page 229
References......Page 230
Introduction......Page 236
Modelling Biophysical Systems......Page 238
Development......Page 239
Radiation-limited growth......Page 241
Canopy development......Page 242
Reproductive growth......Page 243
Modelling Genotype–Environment–Management Systems......Page 244
Definition and consideration of the search space and adaptation landscapes......Page 245
From the top-down......Page 247
Genes, traits, phenotypes and adaptation......Page 248
Genotype–environment–management system......Page 249
Environmental classification......Page 250
Structure of simulated adaptation landscapes......Page 252
Exploring trajectories in GP space: what traits can improve adaptation?......Page 254
Opportunities to enhance molecular breeding......Page 256
How consistent are simulated trajectories with changes in traits due to genetic improvement for yield?......Page 257
Concluding Remarks......Page 259
References......Page 260
Color Plates
......Page 267
Introduction......Page 268
Contributions of biotechnology to crop physiology......Page 269
Contributions of crop Physiology to Plant Breeding and Biotechnology......Page 270
Interactions at the QTL or gene level......Page 271
References......Page 274
Crop Development......Page 278
Wheat......Page 279
Soybean......Page 283
Photoperiod......Page 285
Vernalisation......Page 287
Genes affecting development in wheat and related species......Page 288
Photoperiod response genes......Page 289
Photoperiod response genes......Page 290
Long-juvenile genes......Page 291
Crop development and adaptation......Page 292
Crop development and yield potential......Page 293
Concluding Remarks......Page 296
References......Page 297
Introduction......Page 310
Carbon Costs of Vigorous root Systems......Page 312
The role of vigorous root systems in capturing nitrogen......Page 316
The role of vigorous root systems in capturing water......Page 318
Root vigour and yield......Page 320
Challenges in Incorporating the Vigorous root Characteristic into Breeding......Page 321
References......Page 322
Introduction......Page 327
Modern Views in Plant Breeding......Page 329
Molecular-Assisted Genetic Improvement......Page 331
Identification of phenotype-associated markers......Page 332
MAS for improvement of qualitative traits......Page 334
MAS for improvement of quantitative traits......Page 336
Transgenic-Assisted Genetic Enhancement......Page 337
Transgenic applications......Page 338
Source:sink......Page 339
Resistance to biotic stress......Page 340
Qualitative and nutritional improvement......Page 341
Pre-breeding: a link between Genetic Resources and crop Improvement......Page 342
Breeding by Design......Page 343
References......Page 344
Rationale for Raising yield Potential......Page 355
Relationship between yield Potential and yield under Abiotic Stresses......Page 356
Changes in biomass and grain partitioning......Page 357
Changes in grain number associated with yield gains......Page 359
Changes in post-anthesis assimilate supply associated with yield gains......Page 360
Gains associated with the broadening of genetic background......Page 361
Hybrid breeding versus inbreeding......Page 363
Increasing fractional radiation interception......Page 364
Iincrease leaf photosynthetic rate......Page 365
Ddecrease respiration......Page 366
Root partitioning......Page 367
Structural and non-structural carbohydrate components of stem......Page 368
Ratio of grain to ear or panicle dry matter at anthesis......Page 369
Strategies to optimise potential grain size......Page 370
Use of spectral reflectance indices......Page 372
Use of stomatal aperture traits (SATs)......Page 373
Conclusions......Page 374
References......Page 375
Introduction......Page 386
Oil concentration......Page 387
Oil composition......Page 390
Protein concentration......Page 392
Protein composition......Page 394
Integration of quality Traits into crop Simulation Models......Page 396
Modelling grain protein concentration and composition in wheat......Page 397
Sunflower yield and oil composition......Page 399
Wheat yield and protein concentration......Page 401
Oil fatty acid composition......Page 404
Grain protein concentration......Page 405
Oil fatty acid composition......Page 406
Grain protein concentration......Page 408
Concluding Remarks......Page 409
References......Page 411
Introduction......Page 421
The Genetic basis of Resistance to Pathogens......Page 422
Polygenic resistance......Page 423
Colonisation of the plant host......Page 424
The structure of resistance genes......Page 425
The function of resistance genes......Page 427
Linking Genetics of Resistance with Agronomy......Page 428
Genetic control of wheat rust diseases......Page 429
Integrating agronomic practices with genetic resistance......Page 430
Negative effects of scaling up rust resistance breeding......Page 431
Gene deployment and minimum disease standards......Page 432
Crop composition......Page 433
Genetic effects of population size and patchiness......Page 434
Interplay of epidemiology and genetics in agricultural situations......Page 435
From Gene to Continent: Conclusions and future Prospects......Page 436
References......Page 437
Introduction......Page 446
Interference and competition......Page 447
Weed density......Page 449
Spatial distribution of weeds......Page 450
Timing of crop–weed interactions......Page 451
Competitive Ability of Crops......Page 453
Resource availability......Page 454
Resource use efficiency......Page 456
Water use efficiency......Page 457
Changes over time......Page 458
Variation in Competitive Ability Among Crop Species......Page 460
Traits Associated with Competitive Ability......Page 461
Shoot Traits......Page 462
Root traits......Page 465
Interactions between root and shoot growth......Page 466
Intraspecific competition......Page 467
Interspecific competition......Page 468
Resource allocation and dry matter partitioning......Page 469
Early vigour......Page 470
Flowering time and crop duration......Page 471
Heritability of competitive traits......Page 473
Genotype × environment interactions......Page 475
Molecular mapping of competitive traits......Page 476
Conclusions......Page 477
References......Page 478
Functional Sensing Approaches: Quantifying the Physiological Status of crops under water and Nitrogen Stresses......Page 486
Canopy temperature and related water stress indices......Page 487
Nitrogen stress indices......Page 491
Spatial prediction of crop maturity in peanut......Page 493
Simulation of crop development and maturity from thermal time......Page 494
Integrating the Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of on-farm Variability: The Role of Integrative Dynamic Systems Models......Page 497
The problem......Page 498
Integrating temporal and spatial dimensions of variability – a case study......Page 499
Conclusions and the way Forward......Page 502
References......Page 504
Colour Plates......Page 0
Realised trends......Page 511
Future projections......Page 512
Temperature......Page 514
Solar radiation......Page 516
Crop Models for Climate Change......Page 517
Modelling CO2 effect......Page 518
Modelling rainfall and rainfall variability effect......Page 519
Model validation......Page 520
Past trends......Page 521
Future scenarios......Page 523
Management......Page 525
Breeding......Page 528
Conclusions and Knowledge Gaps......Page 529
References......Page 531
Introduction......Page 544
C3 crop canopy net carbon exchange: a ‘gold standard’ reference for crop physiology?......Page 545
Root system structure and function......Page 546
Biomass partitioning......Page 548
High-temperature stress......Page 549
Low-temperature stress......Page 551
The Interface between crop Physiology and Modelling......Page 552
The Interface between crop Physiology and Breeding......Page 554
The Interface between crop Physiology and Agronomy......Page 556
Conclusions......Page 558
References......Page 560
A......Page 570
B......Page 571
C......Page 572
D......Page 573
E......Page 574
N......Page 575
P......Page 576
S......Page 577
W......Page 578
Y......Page 579
