Balancing trade-offs: Enhanced carbon assimilation and productivity with reduced nutritional value in a well-watered C pasture under a warmer CO-enriched atmosphere.

The concentration of atmospheric CO and temperature are pivotal components of ecosystem productivity, carbon balance, and food security. In this study, we investigated the impacts of a warmer climate (+2 °C above ambient temperature) and an atmosphere enriched with CO (600 ppm) on gas exchange, antioxidant enzymatic system, growth, nutritive value, and digestibility of a well-watered, managed pasture of Megathyrsus maximus, a tropical C forage grass, under field conditions. Elevated [CO] (eC) improved photosynthesis and reduced stomatal conductance, resulting in increased water use efficiency and plant C content.

Silicon mitigates the negative impacts of salt stress in soybean plants.

Background: Soybean is widely cultivated around the world, including regions with salinity conditions. Salt stress impairs plant physiology and growth, but recent evidence suggests that silicon (Si) is able to mitigate this stressful condition. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate how different strategies of Si application impact on salt stress tolerance of an intermediate Si accumulator species (soybean).

Future warming will change the chemical composition and leaf blade structure of tropical C and C forage species depending on soil moisture levels.

Temperature and soil moisture strongly affect the nutritional value and digestibility of forage plants through changes in leaf chemical composition or the proportion of leaf blade tissues. In this study, we aimed to evaluate leaf blade anatomical modifications of two tropical forage species, Stylosanthes capitata (C) and Megathyrsus maximus (C) under warmed conditions (+2 °C) at well-watered and rainfed conditions and investigate the interactions between leaf anatomical alterations, leaf chemical composition, and leaf digestibility. Experiments were conducted under field conditions using a Temperature-free air-controlled enhancement (T-FACE) system.

Are the interaction effects of warming and drought on nutritional status and biomass production in a tropical forage legume greater than their individual effects?

Drought alone and drought plus warming will change the nutrient requirements and biomass distributions of Stylosanthes capitata, while warming will be advantageous only under well-watered condition for the next decades. Climate change effects on natural and managed ecosystems are difficult to predict due to its multi-factor nature. However, most studies that investigate the impacts of climate change factors on plants, such as warming or drought, were conducted under one single stress and controlled environments.

Silicon application induces changes C:N:P stoichiometry and enhances stoichiometric homeostasis of sorghum and sunflower plants under salt stress.

Beneficial effects of silicon (Si) on growth have been observed in some plant species, reportedly due to stoichiometric changes of C, N, and P. However, little is known about the effects on the stoichiometric relationships between C, N, and P when silicon is supplied via different modes in sorghum and sunflower plants under salt stress conditions. Therefore, the current study was performed to investigate the impact of differing modes of Si supply on shoot biomass production and C:N:P stoichiometry in sorghum and sunflower plants under salt stress.

How does leaf physiological acclimation impact forage production and quality of a warmed managed pasture of Stylosanthes capitata under different conditions of soil water availability?

Tropical pastures play a significant role in the global carbon cycle and are crucial for world livestock production. Despite its importance, there is a paucity of field studies that clarify how tropical pasture species will be affected by environmental changes predicted for tropical regions. Using a temperature-free air-controlled enhancement (T-FACE) system, we increased canopy temperature (+2 °C over ambient) and evaluated the effects of warming under two soil moisture conditions in a factorial design over the physiology, forage production, and forage quality of a tropical forage legume, Stylosanthes capitata.

Changes in soil water availability and air-temperature impact biomass allocation and C:N:P stoichiometry in different organs of Stylosanthes capitata Vogel.

Temperature and soil water availability play important roles in the biogeochemical cycles of essential elements for plant growth, such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P). In this study, we investigated how drought and warming impact C:N:P stoichiometric ratios of different plant organs (leaves, inflorescences, and stems), and biomass allocation and production of a field-grown pasture of Stylosanthes capitata, a tropical forage legume. We evaluated the effects of elevated temperature (+2 °C above ambient temperature) under two conditions of soil water availability, irrigated, and non-irrigated.

Different methods of silicon application attenuate salt stress in sorghum and sunflower by modifying the antioxidative defense mechanism.

Soil salinization is the most common abiotic stress limiting agricultural productivity worldwide. Recent research has suggested that the application of silicon (Si) has beneficial effects against salt stress in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.

Physiological role of silicon in radish seedlings under ammonium toxicity.

Background: High concentrations of ammonium as the sole nitrogen source may result in physiological and nutritional disorders that can lead to reduced plant growth and toxicity. In this study, we hypothesized that ammonium toxicity in radish seedlings (Raphanus sativus L.) might be mitigated by the incorporation of silicon (Si) into applied nutrient solution.

Short-term warming and water stress affect Panicum maximum Jacq. stoichiometric homeostasis and biomass production.

Climate changes affect the growth of forage species. However, information regarding the effects of global climate change on the stoichiometry of tropical pastures is lacking, especially under field conditions. Such information is crucial to understand how temperature conditions and water availability states are likely to affect the stoichiometric homeostasis and biomass production of Panicum maximum, an important C4 tropical forage species, under future climate change scenarios.

Warming and water deficit impact leaf photosynthesis and decrease forage quality and digestibility of a C4 tropical grass.

Global warming is predicted to cause more intense extreme events such as heat waves, flooding and severe droughts, producing significant effects on agriculture. In tropics, climate change will severely impact livestock production affecting water availability, forage quality and food for cattle. We investigated the isolated and combined effects of soil water deficit (wS) and + 2°C increase in canopy temperature (eT) on leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, carbohydrate content, forage quality and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of a field-grown C4 tropical forage grass Panicum maximum Jacq.