Search

Research focusing on the nitrogen (N) application and N use of forage maize (Zea mays L.) in the boreal region is either limited or non-existent. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of yield, quality and N recovery efficiency (NRE) of forage maize to an increase in the N application rate and different climatic conditions in two locations in Finland. The field experiment was conducted in southern (Helsinki; 60° N) and central (Maaninka; 63° N) Finland in 2019 and 2020. Dry matter (DM) yield, forage quality and NRE were determined for N application rates of 100, 150 and 200 N kg ha−1. The DM yield was similar to all studied N application rates. Moreover, there were no marked differences in the studied forage quality traits or the NRE following the N application rates. However, the NRE of maize was generally low at 45%. The current study recommends a N application rate of 100–150 N kg ha−1 for forage maize in the boreal region. There is no need to increase the N application from current recommendations since climate conditions seem to limit the growth, development and NRE of forage maize. The observed low NRE of forage maize warrants further research in the future.

Correction INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS Volume187 PartA Article Number115417 DOI10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.115417 PublishedNOV 1 2022 Caraway seeds contain between 0.5-7% essential oil, rich in monoterpenes that have a characteristic aroma and chemical properties. Caraway oil has several bioactive compounds that are of industrial importance, particularly for pharmaceutical and health care products. Carvone and limonene are the main terpenes present in caraway oil, which along with some unique fatty acids (i.e. petroselinic acid) determine caraway (Carum carvi L.) oil quality. Both terpenes are important raw materials for industrial applications and their concentration influences the price of caraway seed and oil, hence there is need for identifying management practices that may increase the concentration of these and other bioactive compounds to improve caraway seed oil quality. A field experiment with five treatments: a control and a series of foliar-applied micronutrients (either Cu, Mg, Mn or Zn was done to identify their potential to enhance caraway oil quality. Solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector were used to characterize oil quality. Our results indicate that while the micronutrient treatments have a significant effect on essential oil composition, both in carvone and limonene, such an effect was not found on all fatty acids but only in two of them-palmitoleic and vaccenic acid-, which were highest after the Mn treatment. Overall, the carvone content of the seeds decreased the least between years following Mn treatment. Mn treatment also caused an increase in limonene in the second year in contrast to the trend for all other treatments. The Mn foliar spray needs to be studied further to elucidate whether it could have a consistent positive effect on caraway oil seed quality upon adjusting dosage and spraying time.

Difficulties in efficient utilization of seasonal precipitation cause limitations in yields and even total crop failure on rainfed farms in semi-arid East Africa. The objective of the present study was to find out if covering the soil with plant residue mulch at a semi-arid site could retain water in the soil between precipitation events and build dry spell resilience by reducing soil water evaporation and increasing infiltration to deeper soil. Covering soil with plant residue mulch was studied at a smallholder farm in semi-arid Kenya by continuously measuring volumetric soil moisture content with soil sensors at multiple depths in bare soil and in maize (Zea mays L.) plant residue mulched soil. A physically based one-dimensional soil moisture model was calibrated and used to estimate the effect of plant residue mulch on soil moisture over a two-year period (multiple growing seasons). The modelled multiyear time series provides an estimate of the effect residue mulches of different thicknesses have on soil moisture over time. The simple soil moisture model was able to estimate soil moisture in the effective root zone of maize. By comparing measured data from mulched and uncovered soil and by model prediction, it was demonstrated that maize residue mulch conserved soil moisture over time in the effective root zone of maize compared to bare soil. During the two-year period mulching increased the total amount of days when measured relative soil moisture (s) exceeded water stress limit of maize (s*) by 24%-46%. Moisture accumulated in the mulched profile, especially in the deeper layers of the effective root zone. Calculations indicated that further increasing mulch thickness (delta(m)) from 1 to 3 cm would have increased the total days when s > s* 59%. Furthermore, increasing delta(m) from 3 to 5 cm would have resulted in 25% increase in total days when s > s*. According to our calculations mulching (delta(m) > 1 cm) could have maintained s > s* throughout a 19 days dry spell that occurred during the measurement period. The demonstrated moisture conserving effect of mulch increases with delta(m), but availability of plant residue may set limits on mulch application rates. The results suggest that maize residue mulching is as an accessible and feasible method for conserving soil moisture in the effective root zone in dryland smallholder systems in East Africa.

Water deficit limits cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) productivity in drought-prone areas and alters the nutritive quality of the crop. Potassium (K) may mitigate the effects of water deficit and improve the nutritional content of cassava, which would alleviate malnutrition among the human population in the tropics who depend on cassava as a staple food. Pot experiments were conducted under controlled glasshouse conditions to investigate the influence of deficit irrigation and K fertigation on the nutritive and anti-nutritive quality of biofortified cassava during the early growth phase. Treatments initiated at 30 days after planting were three irrigation doses (30, 60, 100% pot capacity) that were split to five K (0.01, 1, 4, 16, and 32 mM) concentrations. Plants were harvested at 90 days after planting, and the starch, energy, carotenoid, crude protein, fiber, minerals, and cyanide concentration of the leaves and roots were determined. Irrigation and K treatments showed significant (P

Mixed cropping, including intercropping, is the oldest form of systemized agricultural production and involves the growing of two or more species or cultivars of the same species simultaneously in the same field. However, mixed cropping has been little by little replaced by sole crop systems, especially in developed countries. Some of the advantages of mixed cropping are, for example, resource use efficiency and yield stability, but there are also several challenges, such as weed management and competition. The boreal-nemoral region lies within the region 55° to 70° N. In this area, for example in Finland, the length of the thermal growing season varies from less than 105 to over 185 days. Typically, variation between locations and years is marked. However, during the year, there can be a wide range of temperature extremes between −70 and +30 °C. The majority of cropping systems in this region are usually monocultures, except for forage grass mixtures. The possibility of having several crops in a mixture is very challenging in the region due to the short growing season and extreme cold temperatures, meaning that crop earliness and overwintering capacity are a considerable restriction for year-round mixed cropping. A further restriction is the quality requirements set by the industry. Our review will explore a range of mixed cropping possibilities for the boreal-nemoral region, including different possible combinations of spring, winter, perennial, biennial, catch, and cover crops. The reviewed mixed cropping systems could considerably improve the sustainability and efficiency of crop production, particularly with an emphasis on nutrient cycling.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for plant growth and development. Finding new P sources and ways to improve crop P utilization are necessary due to the depletion of phosphate reserves. Five crop species, buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera (Moench) Metzg.), spelt wheat (Triticum spelta L.), and white lupine (Lupinus albus L.), were grown in pots containing sandy soil with chemical nutrients, digestate, and meat bone meal (MBM) without added nutrients. Thirty days after the seeding plants were harvested, the growth stage, soil-plant analysis development (SPAD) value, biomass, P content of the plants, colonization of the roots with endomycorrhiza, and soil pH were analyzed, and the number of fungal spores in the soil was counted. All species showed interaction with the P sources for measured traits, except for the rhizosphere pH. A high biomass was recorded in all species fertilized with various P sources compared to the unfertilized treatment. Buckwheat and spelt wheat showed a higher P uptake with MBM, and the mycorrhizal symbiosis improved with digestate or MBM compared to synthetic P. The results indicate that different species have adaptative mechanisms to various P sources which could improve the resilience and sustainability of cropping systems.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) experiences intermittent water deficit and suffers from potassium (K) deficiency that seriously constrains its yield in the tropics. Currently, the interaction effect between deficit irrigation and K fertigation on growth and yield of cassava is unknown, especially during the early growth phase. Therefore, pot experiments were conducted under controlled greenhouse conditions using cassava cuttings. Treatments initiated at 30 days after planting included three irrigation doses (30%, 60%, 100% pot capacity) and five K (0.01, 1, 4, 16, and 32 mM) concentrations. The plants were harvested 90 days after planting. Decreasing irrigation dose to 30% together with 16 mM K lowered the leaf water potential by 69%, leaf osmotic potential by 41%, photosynthesis by 35%, stomatal conductance by 41%, water usage by 50%, leaf area by 17%, and whole-plant dry mass by 41%, compared with full-irrigated plants. Lowering the K concentration below 16 mM reduced the values further. Notably, growth and yield were decreased the least compared with optimal, when irrigation dose was decreased to 60% together with 16 mM K. The results demonstrate that deficit irrigation strategies could be utilized to develop management practices to improve cassava productivity by means of K fertigation under low moisture conditions.

Winter turnip rape [Brassica rapa L. ssp. oleifera (DC.) Metzg.] is an oilseed crucifer mainly grown in Nordic and Baltic countries. It can be undersown in a spring cereal as an alternative to sowing of pure stand in late July. Establishment by undersowing helps to utilize the short growing season at high latitudes. However, as undersown crops tend to affect the growth and yield of their companion crops, the effect of undersown winter turnip rape on cereal yield and quality needs to be assessed. Additionally, an evaluation of the suitability of different cereals as companion crops to winter turnip rape is required before practical recommendations can be made. The suitability of four spring cereals as companion crops to winter turnip rape was studied in three field experiments. Two-row barley, six-row barley, wheat and oat were sown at two different densities, with and without undersown winter turnip rape, sowing density depending on the density of the cereal. Undersowing winter turnip rape in a cereal did not markedly affect cereal yield. In some years six-row barley and oat with undersown winter turnip rape produced more yield than corresponding pure stands, indicating a possible facilitative effect of the undersown crucifer on the two cereal species. The results suggest that the most compatible cereals as companion crops with undersown winter turnip rape are six-row barley and oat. Mixed stand cultivation could be improved trough the identification of the optimal cereal–winter turnip rape combinations.

Bioenergy cropping, like all agricultural practices, may lead to the release of greenhouse gases. This study was aimed at determining biomass and energy yields of reed canary grass (RCG) (Phalaris arundinacea), galega (Galega orientalis) and a mixture of these, and to relate these to fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, emitted from the soils. Plots including a bare fallow as control were established in 2008. Gases emitted from the soil surface were collected in closed chambers from May 2011 to May 2013, except during periods of snow cover, and analysed by gas chromatography. Seasonal and annual cumulative emissions of N2O and CO2 equivalents per unit energy yield were calculated. Soil moisture content, nitrate (NO3 −)-N and ammonium (NH4 +)-N were also determined. Both species composition and crop yields affected energy yields and N2O emission from the soil. The annual cumulative emissions from mixture were marginally lower than those from fertilized RCG soils. Fertilized RCG produced twice as much biomass and correspondingly higher nitrogen and energy yields, so its low emission of N2O per Mg of dry matter was not significantly different from that of the mixtures. Cropping an RCG–galega mixture for biofuel may replace N fertilizer input since it resulted in lowering N2O fluxes, but requires management to maintain grass as the major component in order to minimize N2O emissions. In a time of climate change, low-input bioenergy crops may be a suitable strategy for land left uncropped after ploughing for one season or longer.

Poor water retention capacity (WRC) and nutrient deficiency commonly limit crop yields in sandy soils. The use of biochar as a soil amendment has been previously reported to improve these limiting factors in subtropical and temperate soils. We studied the effects of biochar on soil properties and yield formation of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) when applied together with inorganic fertiliser or meat bone meal (MBM) to an Endogleyic Umbrisol with a loamy sand texture in boreal conditions. In a two-year field experiment, biochar was applied at 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 t ha−1 combined with three fertiliser treatments (unfertilised control, MBM and inorganic fertiliser) providing equal amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Soil WRC and fertility as well as wheat yield, yield components and quality were analysed. Soil moisture content, leaf area index and leaf chlorophyll values (SPAD) were monitored during the experiment. Biochar increased the plant-available water content of the topsoil in the first year and reduced the bulk density in the second year after application. It also increased the contents of easily soluble K and soil organic C (SOC) in the 20 cm of topsoil, but had no effects on other soil nutrients, pH or moisture content. Biochar amendment decreased the soil NO3−-N content below control values in the first year but increased it significantly in the second year. The addition of biochar did not significantly affect the nitrogen uptake, grain yield or quality of wheat, possibly because of its low nutrient availability and the high organic matter content of the soil.

International audience; Leaching of nitrogen fertilizers such as nitrates from agricultural systems causes watershed eutrophication and is an economic loss for the farmer. This issue may be solved by including a catch crop in a crop rotation. For instance, winter turnip rape is a potential N catch crop for cold climates. Here, we studied winter turnip rape as a catch crop from 2009 to 2011 in Finland. Winter turnip rape was either undersown with barley in May or sown after harvesting barley in late July. In two reference treatments, the barley stubble was either left over the winter or ploughed into the soil in autumn. We collected samples from topsoil, 0-20 cm, and subsoil, 30-50 cm, in early autumn, before snowfall and in the following spring. We measured soil ammonium-N and nitrate-N, and the N content of winter turnip rape plants. Results show that undersown winter turnip rape did not change the yield and quality of barley. Winter turnip rape decreased nitrate-N in the subsoil by 83 % in 2009 and by 61 % in 2010, compared to ploughed barley. By the end of October 2009, winter turnip rape undersown in May took up 74 kg N/ha, whereas the crop sown after barley in July took up 57 kg N/ha. We conclude that winter turnip rape, either undersown with barley or sown after barley, is effective in depleting subsoil nitrates. Even though numerous reports describe the efficiency of different crucifers as catch crops under temperate climate, this is the first article concerning winter turnip rape as a catch crop under cold and humid climate.

(Received 6 June 2013; revised 22 November 2013; accepted 31 January 2014)SUMMARYCultivationofwinterturniprape(BrassicarapaL.ssp.oleifera(DC.)Metzg.)inFinlandhasbeenlimitedbecauseofits reputation as an unreliable crop and its mid-season sowing time of July, when fields are already sown to othercrops. An alternative management practice for winter turnip rape is proposed whereby it would be sown as amixed crop simultaneously with spring cereals. The growth and yield formation of winter turnip rape grown inmixed stands with four different spring cereals was studied in two field experiments conducted in 2009–11. Pureand mixed stands of winter turnip rape and spring cereals were established in May at two different cereal andwinter turnip rape stand densities. Subsequent to cereal harvest, one-third of each winter turnip rape plot washarvested for biomass in autumn, before cessation of growth. Three plant stand types, May- and July-sownmonocrops and a mixed crop with oat (Avena sativa L.) were sampled for forage analysis. Plant stand densitieswere monitored from establishment until maturity. Winter turnip rape yield and its quality, including oil content,protein content and thousand seed weight, were determined. Following favourable overwintering conditions,winter turnip rape established with cereals yielded comparably to that of pure stands in terms of both quantityand quality. However, a pure stand of winter turnip rape out-yielded mixed crop stands after unfavourableoverwintering conditions. Leaf removal decreased plant survival and seed yield. Establishing winter turnip rapewithacerealinMayisanalternativetosowingitasamonocropinJuly.Ahigherseedingrateisneededforunder-sown winter turnip rape. Furthermore, autumn-harvested winter turnip rape monocrop forage potentiallyrepresents a high-protein supplement for ruminants.INTRODUCTIONWinter turnip rape (Brassica rapa L. ssp. oleifera (DC.)Metzg.) is a cruciferous oilseed crop better adapted tothe Nordic climate than oilseed rape (Brassica napusL. ssp. oleifera (Moench) Metzg.). Because of its rapidgrowth, it out-competes weeds and consequentlysuitsorganic farming production systems (Makela et al.2011). Moreover, winter turnip rape can be harvestedbefore other crops because it reaches maturity earlierthanothercrops,i.e.inJuly,andsinceitisalsosowninJuly, it is in the ground for 12 months of the year. InFinland, winter turnip rape is sown by the end of Julybecause late sowing results in yield reduction (Valle1951). This is a limiting factor for winter turnip rapecultivationsincefarmsusuallyhavenofreelandatthattime because most field crops do not mature beforeAugust. A potential solution to this problem would beto sow winter turnip rape in May with a cereal andthereby reduce the costs of establishing the cropwhileincreasing land-use efficiency. The cereal would beharvested, as usual, in autumn and the winter turniprape would remain in the field to overwinter andproduce seed in the following growing season (Valle1951). Mixed crop stands often capture more mineralnutrients than pure stands (Midmore 1993; Morris &Garrity 1993a) and are also more water-use efficient(Morris & Garrity 1993b). This could also be the case

Utilization of sludge is an attractive option for fertilizing bioenergy crops, since in addition to its valuable macro- and micro-nutrients, it may also contains some pollutants. Therefore, a three-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the suitability of sewage and digested sludge in comparison to synthetic fertilizer on biomass production and its quality in three crop species, with specific attention to the relationship between N availability and biomass accumulation. Fertilizer treatments for each crop species were standardized on the basis of total Nitrogen as follows: maize 120 kg ha−1, fibre hemp 60 kg ha−1 and oilseed rape 90 kg ha−1 Nitrogen. The highest biomass yield of maize (30 Mg ha−1 Dry Mass) and hemp (15 Mg ha−1 Dry Mass) was obtained from the sewage sludge treatment. The sludge treatment also gave the highest leaf Nitrogen mass in biomass of both maize (14 g kg−1) and hemp (18 g kg−1) at 60 DAS (flowering stage). Sewage sludge increased slightly gross energy yield of maize (438 GJ ha−1) and hemp (272 GJ ha−1) in comparison to other treatments. The mass fraction of ash and the combustion-relevant elements such as Chlorine, Potassium, Sodium and Calcium were lower in crops fertilized with sewage sludge than in those fertilized with synthetic fertilizer. In conclusion, sewage sludge produced as high biomass yield as synthetic fertilizers. In addition, it improved growth and quality of biomass.

Potassium (K) plays a significant role in preventing outbreaks of pathogenic infections and thereby maintains the photosynthetic leaf area, which supplies assimilates for grain filling. The aim of this research was to investigate the role of K in barley straw anatomy, plant stand architecture, and yield formation. Growth and yield of barley improved with increasing K application rates. This appeared to be due to increased number of spike-bearing tillers, number of grains per spike, and single-grain weight. Straw and walls of cuticle, epidermis, and sclerenchymatous cells thickened in relation to applied K. Thick and firm internodes as well as efficient use of resources resulting from K applications are among key features for good-quality crop production in the field.

SUMMARYAt high northern latitudes, growing seasons are short with long days. In these conditions, tillering is an unwanted trait in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), because the grains on tillers develop later than those on the main stem and are often harvested before they are fully mature, leading to reductions in overall quality. Hence, the uniculm growth habit has been considered an interesting option for boreal barley production. The aim of the present study was to determine the differences in the yield formation of conventional tillering and uniculm barley, using two pairs of near-isogenic lines and two controls. Uniculm and conventional tillering barley were grown in three experiments conducted at Suitia Experimental Farm, University Helsinki, Finland during 1999–2001. Samples were collected frequently to monitor the biomass and leaf area accumulation. Water-soluble carbohydrate content was analysed at anthesis and at maturity in different plant parts. At maturity, the numbers of spikes/plant and grains/spike were calculated and grain yield weighed. The grain yield of the uniculm barleys was stable over these growing seasons, but it was only half that of the conventional barley cultivars due to the absence of spike-bearing tillers, lower spike grain number and spike weight. In addition, the ability to transport photosynthesized carbohydrates to grains may have been reduced. Thus, it seems that uniculm barleys do not provide further improvement in barley yield.

Water is the primary regulator of yield formation in cereals. The effect of water limitation and its timing on development of yield components were studied in detail at spike and spikelet level in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). An experiment with three watering treatments (control watering, CONT; drought prior to pollination, DR1 and terminal drought, DR2) was set up in a large greenhouse (20 x 30 m). In addition to watering treatments, two NPK fertilizer application rates (0 and 120 kg N ha ―1 ) were used to investigate the fertilizer effect. The drought effect exceeded the effect of fertilizer application for grain number and single grain weight (SGW). DR1 reduced the number of grains, whereas DR2 reduced both SGW and the number of grains. Resuming the watering at pollination (DR1) restored photosynthesis and enhanced grain filling, resulting in almost similar SGW in DR1 and CONT plants. Spikelets in the upper mid-section of the spike dominated yield formation in all treatments. This was particularly emphasised in DR1 plants as 58 % of the grain yield was produced in spikelets 3―5, whereas in DR2 and CONT plants it was 39 % and 36 %, respectively. Hence, drought prior pollination strongly reduced yielding capacity (=grain number) in apical and basal spikelets. DR1 and DR2 reduced substantially grain yield and grain N yield resulting in low nitrogen use efficiency.

Water and nitrogen (N) availability are the main factors influencing crop growth globally. Poorly distributed or insufficient water for crop growth requirements decreases yields in drought-prone areas such as those with a Mediterranean type environment. Cereal grain yield is a complex trait of interrelated components: plants per unit land area, spikes per plant, spikelets per spike, grains per spikelet, and single grain weight (SGW). The effect of water limitation and timing on development of yield components was studied in detail at the spike level in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar Amaretto. An experiment with three watering treatments (control watering, CONT; drought prior to pollination, DR1 and terminal drought, DR2) was arranged in a large greenhouse (20 m × 30 m), with the use of standard field-trial machinery. Automated blackout curtains were used to control day length, which was set to correspond to that at 40°N. With watering treatments, two N application rates (60 and 120 kg N ha−1) were used to investigate the N effect and potential watering × N interaction on yield formation and realisation. The water deficit effect exceeded the effect of N on fertile floret and grain number and SGW. DR1 strongly reduced the number of fertile florets and grains, whereas terminal drought reduced the number of grains per spike. Resuming the watering at pollination markedly enhanced photosynthesis, and hence grain filling capacity, resulting in the highest SGW in DR1. Enhancement in availability of key resources was associated with reduced rate of fertile floret and grain abortion, which resulted in higher grain to fertile floret ratio in DR1. Spikelets in the mid-section of the spike dominated yield formation in all treatments. In DR1 this was especially emphasised as 53% of the grain yield was produced in spikelets 4–6, whereas in DR2 and CONT this was 45 and 41%, respectively. Grains in proximal position in the spikelets produced about 80% of the spike grain yield, the proportion being slightly higher in stressed plants and plants receiving 60 kg N. No marked N × water deficit treatment interaction occurred for any of the measured parameters.

Maize ovary development is linked to kernel formation. Soil water deficit results in ovary abortion because of low water potential (Ψ w ) resulting in inhibition of photosynthesis from anthesis to silking stage. Thus, drought is a key factor causing yield losses in maize, especially near the time of pollination. Earlier studies have indicated that selenium (Se) maintains antioxidative defence systems and enhances sugar and starch accumulation. The effects of Se on maize ovary development were studied in drought stress conditions. Maize ovary development was studied through observations on starch, membrane integrity, fresh weight and dry weight in drought-treated or unstressed glasshouse-grown plants, and crop yield, yield structure, leaf, stem and ear biomass accumulation were also analyzed. Results indicated that Se increased the stress tolerance of the crop, even though ovary abortion was not eliminated by Se treatments under low Ψ w . Under well-watered control conditions, Se had also negative effects. When the first ear was not succesfully pollinated or the ovaries aborted, the plants developed more ears. Even though these later formed ears did not produce kernels, they significantly increased the dry weight of the plants under water deficit. It could be concluded that The optimal concentration for maize of Se applied through roots is about 0.01 mg kg −1 (supplied as Na 2 SeO 4 ) soil or less.

To elucidate the contribution of dehydrins (DHNs) to freezing stress tolerance in Arabidopsis, transgenic plants overexpressing multiple DHN genes were generated. Chimeric double constructs for expression of RAB18 and COR47 (pTP9) or LTI29 and LTI30 (pTP10) were made by fusing the coding sequences of the respective DHN genes to the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Overexpression of the chimeric genes in Arabidopsis resulted in accumulation of the corresponding dehydrins to levels similar or higher than in cold-acclimated wild-type plants. Transgenic plants exhibited lower LT50 values and improved survival when exposed to freezing stress compared to the control plants. Post-embedding immuno electron microscopy of high-pressure frozen, freeze-substituted samples revealed partial intracellular translocation from cytosol to the vicinity of the membranes of the acidic dehydrin LTI29 during cold acclimation in transgenic plants. This study provides evidence that dehydrins contribute to freezing stress tolerance in plants and suggests that this could be partly due to their protective effect on membranes.

Glycinebetaine, a novel product from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. v. altissima), is purified from molasses during sugar processing through chromatographic separation, enrichment and crystallisation. Glycinebetaine is environmentally safe, non-toxic and water-soluble and is found in animal, microbe and plant cells. Most halophytes, when grown under stress, synthesise glycinebetaine in their chloroplasts and accumulate it as an osmoprotectant. Here we show that foliarly applied glycinebetaine offers a new possibility to stabilise crop production under field conditions: fruit yield of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) grown in saline soils or exposed to high temperatures in California increased up to 39% when glycinebetaine was applied during midflowering. Similarly, glycinebetaine treatment of tomato plants in a commercial vegetable producer's greenhouse in Southern Finland increased the yield and the number of tomato fruits. In a separate greenhouse experiment, we showed that glycinebetaine application increased the rate of net photosynthesis of adequately watered and salt stressed tomato plants.

Seventeen morphological and physiological characteristics of three Avena barbata L. populations from Israel were measured in order to define possible combinations explaining adaptation of these populations to different precipitation, temperature and altitude regimes. Five genotypes from each A. barbata populations were collected from Ashqelon (31°63′N, low annual precipitation), En Hamifraz (32°46′N, high temperature), and Mount Carmel (32°73′N, high altitude), Israel. The behavior of the populations was followed by measuring the morpho-physiological characteristics under well-watered and moderately drought stressed conditions. The experiment was conducted at the Department of Plant Production, University of Helsinki, Finland (60°13′N). The measured traits characterized macro-morphology, transpiration rate, photosynthesis and chloroplast features. The data were subjected to principal component and discriminant analyses and the characteristic combinations that most adequately accounted for the differences among A.barbata populations were established. Differences among the populations were related to adaptation to low water availability and high altitude characterized by special light conditions. The Mount Carmel population (high water availability, high light intensities and increased proportion of UV-light) was characterized by higher tillering, hairy leaf sheaths, high transpiration, high stomatal conductance, slow fluorescence quenching capacity, and less starch granules per chloroplast when compared with populations adapted to lower altitudes. The En Hamifraz population (high mean temperature) was characterized by a high CO2 exchange rate and both En Hamifraz and Ashqelon populations (both adapted to arid conditions) used water sparingly when moderately drought stressed.

Leaf angle distribution (LAD) is one of the most important parameters used to describe the structure of horizontally homogeneous vegetation canopies such as field crops. LAD affects how incident photosynthetically active radiation is distributed on plant leaves, thus directly affecting plant productivity. Knowledge of LAD is also required for retrieval of other important biophysical variables from measurements of canopy radiation transmittance or spectral reflectance. Unfortunately, its determination is laborious and measured data is rarely available. In this study, we applied a recently developed method for determination of the inclination angles using leveled digital photography to the leaves of six cool-temperate crops: faba bean, narrow-leafed lupin, turnip rape, wheat, barley, and oat. The method, previously applied only to small and flat leaves of broadleaved trees and bushes, was extended to be applicable to the narrow and curved leaves of cereals. A reasonable match was found between the leaf angles determined by photographic measurements and the mean leaf tilt angles (MTA) measured using a LAI-2000 plant canopy analyzer for five out of the six species (R2=0.92). The error caused by assuming a spherical LAD, when calculating LAI from canopy transmittance measurements, varied between 0 and 1.5 LAI units, depending on species. Finally, we analyzed the correlation between photographically determined species-specific LADs and airborne imaging spectroscopy data acquired for the same species in a similar growth stage. The highest correlation between spectral reflectance factor and leaf mean tilt angle was found at a wavelength of 748nm (R=0.80). The high correlation between MTA and this red edge waveband can be useful for MTA determination from imaging spectroscopy.

It has been reported that foliar application of glycinebetaine reduces the effect of abiotic stresses on crops, including tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], and maize (Zea mays L.), especially during the recovery period. The aims of this study were to determine the effect of foliar application of glycinebetaine on biomass accumulation and photosynthetic capacity of turnip rape (Brassica rapa L. ssp. oleifera) and pea (Pisum sativum L.). Experiments were carried out in a greenhouse and in the field, and records were taken on differentiation and emergence of floral organs. Biomass accumulation, relative growth rate (RGR), specific leaf area, leaf chlorophyll content, and nitrogen uptake were also measured for pea. In the experiment in the greenhouse, glycinebetaine application increased relative growth rate of both crops, especially when drought‐stressed and when recovering from drought. Application of 0.20 M glycinebetaine increased RGR of pea, recovering from drought, by 13%...

Glycinebetaine is known as an osmoprotectant which is accumulated in certain plant species under salt and drought stresses. Exogenous applications of glycinebetaine on crop plants unable to synthesise glycinebetaine is a possible approach to overcome the environmental limitations of crop production. Information about the capability of plants to take up and translocate foliar-applied glycinebetaine is, however, limited. In this study, glycinebetaine solution, with and without surfactants, was exogenously applied to foliage of summer turnip rape (Brassica rapa L. ssp. oleifera), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], pea (Pisum sativum L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in greenhouse experiments. Uptake of glycinebetaine was monitored using high-performance liquid chromatography. [14C]glycinebetaine was applied to leaves of turnip rape plants and translocation to other plant organs was monitored autoradiographically. [14C]glycinebetaine was translocated to roots within two hours of application. One day after application labelled glycinebetaine was translocated to all plant parts of turnip rape plants. The results indicate that plants are able to translocate foliar-applied glycinebetaine from their leaves to other organs, and that the use of surfactants accelerates the penetration of foliar-applied glycinebetaine. According to our results glycinebetaine is quite inert end-product in plant cells being mainly phloem-mobile. Moreover, environmental conditions are shown to affect the uptake and translocation rates of foliar-applied glycinebetaine.

Crop losses caused by environmental stresses might be reduced by applying osmoprotectans to crop canopies. Glycinebetaine is endogenously accumulated by some halophytes under stress conditions and represents such a compound. Glycinebetaine was applied exogenously to barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), oat (Avena sativa L.), spring wheat (Triticum aestwum L.), and summer turnip rape (Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera DC.) canopies and its optimal concentration was monitored in the greenhouse. In field experiments the response of crop plants to betaine applications was assessed by measuring accumulation of above ground biomass, leaf area index (LAI), leaf chlorophyll, and yield. The optimum betaine concentration producing advantageous effects on growth and crop physiology in turnip rape was close to 0.1 M and for wheat 0.3 M. Such concentrations promoted accumulation of betaine similar to that of halophytes under stress conditions [ca. 200 μmol (g DM)−1]. In the 1993 field experiment peak LAIs were recorded in irrigated wheat and barley treated with 17.5 kg ha−1 betaine applied at 300 1 ha−1. Green leaf area was slightly more persistent in wheat treated twice with 1 kg ha−1 betaine applied at 200 1 ha−1 in 1994, although it was not associated with increased grain yield. Our results indicated that betaine has no actual potential in Finland for the principal grain crops but further studies are needed in stress prone environments to assess the potential of betaine treatments for preventing crop failures.

Several methods have been developed to assess differences in cultivar response to drought. This study consisted of 19 oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars and breeding lines and three species of wild oats, and focused on comparison of several physiological screening methods -CO2 exchange rate (CER), stomatal conductance, stomatal resistance, disparity between air and leaf temperatures, accumulation of abscisic acid (ABA) and proline, and relative water content (RWC) - with yield losses. Early drought, occurring at four-five leaf stage or close to pollination date resulted in significantly reduced above-ground vegetative biomass and panicle weight. Reductions in panicle weight due to drought were greater than those in vegetative phytomass, which resulted in decreased harvest index (HI). Drought stress significantly increased stomatal resistance and accumulation of ABA and proline, whereas stomatal conductance, disparity between air and leaf temperatures and RWC, decreased owing to water deficit. Compar...

In addition to sugar, several different compounds are presently separated from beet molasses and juices Nowadays, some of these products have proved to be economically even more important to beet sugar factories than the original product, sugar. One of these compounds is glycinebetaine (N, N’, N”-trimethylglycine, GB), an amino acid derivative accumulated in many microbes and plant species grown under stress, but also in humans. Especially halophytes belonging to families Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae Chenopodiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Graminaceae, Malvaceae, Poaceac and Portulaceae synthesize and accumulate GB. GB is assumed to have several adaptive effects on drought and salt stressed plants according to studies mostly based on research work established with cell cultures, bacteria, or isolated chloroplasts. The known role of GB is to maintain water content in animal and plant cells by lowering solute potential under osmotic stress, i.e. to act in osmotic adjustment. This has offered a wide field for use of GB in industry and agriculture for various purposes.

Development of a dwarf oat (Avena sativa L.) for northern growing conditions may further improve many important agronomic features of the oat crop including lodging resistance, yield stability, yield potential, grain-straw ratio, and fertile tillering. Our objective in this study was to assess the performance of a Minnesota-adapted dwarf line at high latitudes, through measurement of several traits that characterize duration of pre- and post-anthesis growth and plant stand structure, with special reference to tiller growth and tiller productivity. Response of the dwarf line to seeding rate (250, 500, and 750 viable seeds m−2) and nitrogen fertilizer application rates (80, 120, and 160 kg N ha−1) was compared with that of a semi-dwarf line, a conventional height cultivar, and a landrace cultivar, all of which are adapted to long-day conditions. The experiments were conducted in Finland (60°13′N) in 1993 and 1994. The dwarf line produced less grain (≤ 30%) than the other lines but out-yielded the lodging-sensitive landrace in 1994 at a high seeding rate and high rate of nitrogen fertilizer application. As for the semi-dwarf line and conventional height line, the dwarf line produced the highest grain yield at 500 seeds m−2 which is the standard planting density for oat in Finland. The particularly short duration of the generative phase and associated low number of grains per main shoot panicle are likely to be principal contributors to low mean panicle-filling rate, panicle weight, and grain yield of the dwarf line. However it was better able to tiller and produce head-bearing tillers than the other lines. This increased number of tillers was, however, unable to compensate for yield reduction resulting from low yield potential of the main shoot. Key words:Avena sativa L., oat (dwarf), grain yield, landrace, partitioning, straw length, yield components

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) was used as a model system for investigating the effects of glycinebetaine applications on plants, as this species is unable to synthesise glycinebetaine, but is sensitive to exogenous supply. Glycinebetaine application significantly increased stomatal conductance of tomato plants grown in well-watered, water-deficient or saline conditions; however, glycinebetaine did not affect the leaf ABA concentration, relative water content, sap osmotic potential, or shoot water potential. Glycinebetaine applied to the foliage was readily absorbed, but the concentrations in the leaves made a negligible contribution to the total leaf sap osmotic potential. Our results indicate that applied glycinebetaine was involved in regulation of stomatal conductance but not via ABA metabolism or water relations. Glycinebetaine may have been accumulated in specific cells or cellular compartments, with consequences for stomatal functions. Further work is required to elucidate the cellular and subcellular localisation of applied glycinebetaine.