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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Sustainable Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #396064

Research Project: Development of Best Management Practices, Tools, and Technologies to Optimize Water Use Efficiency and Improve Water Distribution in the Lower Mississippi River Basin

Location: Sustainable Water Management Research

Title: Climate stressors on growth, yield, and functional biochemistry of two brassica species, kale and mustard

Author
item SEHGAL, AKANKSHA - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
item REDDY, RAJA - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
item WALNE, CHARLES - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
item BARICKMAN, CASEY - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
item BRAZEL, SKYLER - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
item Chastain, Daryl
item GAO, WEI - DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Submitted to: Life
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/6/2022
Publication Date: 10/6/2022
Citation: Sehgal, A., Reddy, R., Walne, C.H., Barickman, C., Brazel, S., Chastain, D.R., Gao, W. 2022. Effects of UV-B, elevated CO2 and high temperature on morphological and biochemical aspects of two brassica species. Life. 12(10):1546. https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101546.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101546

Interpretive Summary: Current studies on plant stress response have mainly been focused on individual stress. However, to gain a meaningful understanding, combined and sequential stress responses need to be thoroughly studied. In this study the interaction of temperature stress, elevated CO2, and UV-B levels significantly impacted the morphological and physiological processes of kale and mustard plants. Generally speaking, high temperature and UV-B conditions had significant adverse effects on most parameters (growth, biomass, metabolites), while + CO2 caused a positive increase in all morphological and physiological traits.

Technical Abstract: Global climatic change is increasing the frequency of occurrences of weather components that detrimentally impact plant performance. Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation, the most harmful form, and temperature significantly affect various plant morphological and biochemical features like plant height, plant mass and chlorophyll content. However, not much information is available on the effect of multiple abiotic stresses on morphological and biochemical aspects for kale and mustard. Therefore, an experiment was conducted with two Brassica species, B. oleracea L. var. acephala Winterbor F1 (Hybrid Kale) and B. juncea var. Green wave O.G. (Mustard Greens) grown under optimal nutrients and soil moisture conditions in Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Research (SPAR) units. Two levels of UV-B radiation (0 and 10 kJ m-2 d-1), two concentrations of CO2 (420 and 720 ppm), and two different temperature treatments (25/17 ºC and 35/27 ºC) were imposed 12 days after sowing (DAS). Several morphological and biochemical parameters were measured at harvest (40 DAS) in both species. The measured traits declined significantly under individual and multi-stress conditions in both the species except under elevated CO2 levels, which had a positive impact. Marketable fresh weight was 569.2 g plant-1 for mustard and 241.3 g plant-1 for kale under the control treatment and decreased by 55% and 64%, respectively, under UV-B treatment. However, there was a slight increase in the chlorophyll content under the UV-B treatment alone and combination with high temperature and elevated CO2. The increased CO2 concentrations ameliorated the adverse impacts of high temperature and UV-B stresses. Understanding the impacts of high temperature, CO2, and UV-B radiation on leafy vegetables like kale and mustard, treatments can improve existing varieties for increased tolerance while simultaneously improving yield, plant morphology, and biochemistry.