There is an increasing need to improve crop water-use efficiency (WUE) (ratio of whole-plant biomass to cumulative transpiration) due to decreased water availability and increased food and energy demands throughout the world. The objective of the study was to estimate the genetic variation and genetic basis for transpiration efficiency A:E (CO2 assimilation rate (A) divided by transpiration rate (E)) trait and its relationship to WUE related to pre-flower drought tolerance in recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of sorghum and associated QTLs. A greenhouse study was conducted at Bushland, TX, 2008, using 71 RILs derived from cross of Tx430 x Tx7078. A randomized complete block experimental design was used, with both genotype and water regime (40 and 80 percent water regime) as experimental factors, and four replications. Genotype had a significant effect on A, E and A:E under both the environments. Among the RILs, entry means for A:E ranged from 1.58 to 3.07 mmol CO2 mol^-1 H2O and 1.18 to 4.36 mmol CO2 mol^-1 H2O under 80 percent and 40 percent water regime, respectively. Heritability estimates based on individual environments for A:E , A and E were 0.77, 0.45 and 0.37 under 80 percent water regime and 0.90, 0.33 and 0.71 under 40 percent water regime, respectively. A genetic map was constructed by digital genotyping method using Illumina GAII sequencer with 261 informative indel/ single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP's) markers distributed over 10 linkage groups. Three significant QTLs associated with transpiration efficiency were identified; two on SBI-09 and one on SBI-10 with one logarithmic of odds (LOD) interval length ranging from 5.3 to 5.7 cM and accounting for 17 percent - 21 percent of the phenotypic variation. In field and greenhouse evaluation of agronomic of traits at College Station and Halfway, TX, 91 QTL that control variation in six major agronomic traits such as plant height, flowering, biomass, leaf area, leaf greenness and stomatal density were identified. Co-localization of transpiration efficiency QTLs with agronomic traits such as leaf area, biomass, leaf width and stomatal density indicated that these agronomically important QTLs can be used for further improving the sorghum performance through marker assisted selection (MAS) under pre-flowering drought stress conditions.

Submitted by GABRIELA CAROLINA VILLAMAGUA VERGARA (g_villamagua@yahoo.com) on 2018-07-28T04:37:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Gabriela Villamagua 3.2.pdf: 1881061 bytes, checksum: 7701b89454927308fd0bc3786253c83a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Lucia de Grava Kempinas (algkempinas@fca.unesp.br) on 2018-07-30T13:27:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 vergara_gcv_dr_botfca.pdf: 1881061 bytes, checksum: 7701b89454927308fd0bc3786253c83a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-30T13:27:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 vergara_gcv_dr_botfca.pdf: 1881061 bytes, checksum: 7701b89454927308fd0bc3786253c83a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-06-04 / Outra / Com a necessidade de buscar espécies florestais mais eficientes na utilização dos recursos naturais como luz, água e nutrientes, o que pode possibilitar um incremento da biomassa da parte aérea, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi o de quantificar as taxas de crescimento, eficiência da utilização da luz, água e nutrientes de florestas energéticas sob mesmas condições de solo, altitude e manejo. Foram utilizados plantios adensados de Bambusa vulgaris, híbrido espontâneo de Eucalyptus urophylla – clone AEC-144, híbrido interespecífico de Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla - clone LW07 e Salix nigra. A determinação da produtividade primária líquida do tronco (PPLT), eficiência do uso da luz (EUL), eficiência do uso da água (EUA) foram obtidas através de acompanhamentos mensais e individuais em 15 plantas por espécie, no período de 12 meses. Foi obtido dados de: diâmetro e altura total das plantas, e posteriormente, taxa fotossintética (A), taxa transpiratória (E) e condutância estomática (gs). Foi realizada ainda a determinação do índice de vegetação e a coleta de amostras para determinação de macro e micronutrientes em laboratório. A espécie B. vulgaris apresentou o maior valor de biomassa por planta e, consequentemente, os maiores incrementos em matéria seca por planta (8,07 kg pl-1 e 1,56 kg pl-1 ano-1, respectivamente), no entanto, observou-se que clone de E. urophylla AEC-144 obteve maior eficiência no uso da luz por área (1,80 g MJ-1) e maior eficiência intrínseca no uso da água (68,09 μmol CO2 mol H2O-1). Em relação à eficiência do uso da água, o clone E. grandis × E. urophylla - LW07 apresentou o maior valor (4,93 μmol CO2 mol H2O-1). Nota-se que houve diferença em relação ao acúmulo de nutrientes entre as espécies estudadas, sendo que os maiores valores obtidos foi observado em B. vulgaris. / In the search for forest species more efficient in the use of resources (light, water and nutrients) to increase aerial biomass, this study aimed to quantify the growth, light, water and nutrients use efficiency of short rotation plantations under the same conditions of soil altitude and management of Bambusa vulgaris, the spontaneous hybrid of Eucalyptus urophylla - clone AEC-144, interspecific hybrid of Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla - clone LW07 and Salix nigra. To determine truck net primary productivity trunk (TNPP), light use efficiency (LUE) and water use efficiency (WUE), 15 plants per treatment were monitored monthly for 12 months. Plants diameter and total height were collected, as well as photosynthetic rate (A), transpiration rate (E) and stomatal conductance (gs), using infrared gas analyzer (IRGA) (LI-COR 6400). Vegetation index was also obtained using AccuPAR (LP-80) ceptometer and were collected samples for determination of macro and micronutrients in the laboratory. Bambusa vulgaris was the species that obtained the highest biomass per plant ratio and consequently higher net primary productivity (8.07 kg pl-1 and 1.56 kg pl-1 year-1, respectively), however, clone AEC-144 showed higher light use efficiency per area (1.80 g MJ-1) and higher intrinsic water use efficiency (68.09 μmol CO2 mol H2O-1). Clone LW07 obtained the highest value (4.93 μmol CO2 mol H2O-1) of instantaneous water use efficiency, when compared to other species. There was a difference in nutrient accumulation between species, and the highest values were observed in Bambusa vulgaris.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Agronomy / P.V. Vara Prasad / Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is the fifth most economically important cereal crop grown worldwide and adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions. Drought stress has been ranked as one of the most significant causes of crop yield loss with its effects on yield and yield components. Conservative water use by plants is one of the strategies that can be used as a drought coping mechanism. The slow wilting trait has been associated with conservative water use and has been found in some sorghum genotypes. The purpose of this study was to use canopy temperature to screen for drought tolerance in sorghum, evaluate water use efficiency for slow wilting sorghum genotypes and determine variability in root morphology and response to drought among sorghum genotypes. Canopy temperature studies were conducted under field conditions using infrared (IR) sensors while water use efficiency and root studies were conducted under greenhouse conditions. Our results showed a distinct separation in canopy temperature among genotypes under field conditions at 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Midday canopy temperature depression (CTD) was positively correlated to yield (R2 = 0.19) and harvest index (R2 = 0.11). CTD was also stable for all the genotypes during the period from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm. There was a negative correlation between CTD and crop water stress index (CWSI) (R2 = 0.34) and a positive one between canopy temperature and CWSI (R2 = 0.50). Evaluation of genotypes for water use efficiency revealed significant variability among sorghum genotypes in the amount of water used (10.48 – 13.52 kg) and transpiration efficiency (TE) (2.64 – 7.11 g kg-1) among genotypes. Slow wilting genotypes were high in TE. Rooting depth increased for some genotypes under drought stress with genotype SC1124 recording the largest increase (180%). Total root length for some genotypes increased by 11 – 113% with genotypes SC224 and SC1019 recording the greatest increase. There was a positive correlation between water used and root length (R2 = 0.21). These results show that there is potential for selection of drought tolerance in sorghum and that genotypes with the slow wilting traits are efficient in water use.

Master of Science / Department of Agronomy / Robert M. Aiken / Mary B. Kirkham / Transpiration efficiency (TE) is defined as total biomass produced per unit of water transpired. Improvement of TE means maximizing crop production per unit of water used. The objectives of the study were to examine, at the leaf level and the whole plant level, the variation in TE for sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] accessions, previously screened for TE and to test physiological mechanisms that may account for differences in TE. Three field studies and two mini-lysimeter studies (one done in pots under greenhouse conditions and one done in pots in the field) were conducted with eight accessions. Instantaneous measurements of assimilation (A), stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration by gas exchange provided measures of the transpiration efficiency at the leaf level. Growth observations and soil water balance in field plots quantified components of whole-plant TE. Growth and development measurements showed significant difference, explaining the existence of photoperiod sensitivity among the sorghum genotypes. Assimilation (A), stomatal conductance (gs), and maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) were consistently greater for accession PI533946 (from India) and greater for accession PI295121 (from Australia) in both field and the field-pot studies (p<0.05). Internal carbon dioxide (Ci), an indicator of intrinsic transpiration efficiency, differed among lines under field conditions (p<0.05). Leaf relative water content (RWC), measured in the greenhouse, and did not differ among the eight accessions. No consistent differences in biomass and water use were detected among lines under field conditions. In conclusion, developing reliable selection indices for TE will require a greater understanding of whole-plant physiological processes to utilize the differences in TE observed at the leaf level.

Une approche a plusieurs echelles a été développé afin de vérifier si les différences de Δ13C entre les genotypes de peuplier représentaient les différences d'efficience de transpiration à l'échelle des feuilles et la plante entière. Nous avons également vérifié la stabilité des différences génotypiques pour Δ13C dans le temps. Nous avons constaté que les différences génotypiques pour Δ13C pouvaient etre traduites comme la difference d efficience de transpiration a l echelle des feuilles ainsi qu au niveau de la plante entière. L amplitude de la variabilité de l efficience de transpiration a l echelle du plant etait plus grand par rapport à la variabilite a l echelle de la feuille, demontrant le rôle de la perte du carbone lors de la respiration diurne et nocturne (Φc) ainsi que l'eau perdue pendant la transpiration nocturne (Φw). La productivité génotypique augmentait avec l efficience de transpiration chez Populus deltoides × nigra, mais restait stable chez Populus nigra. Les valeurs absolues de l efficience de transpiration observees lors de cette etude etaient plus elevees que chez les autres especes. L enrichissement en 18O de la matiere organique (Δ18Olb) et de l eau (Δ18Olw) des feuilles correlait avec la variation de la conductance stomatique (gs) soit au niveau de l individu ou au niveau génotypique. Lors d une premiere experience nous avons montre que les valeurs de Δ13C restaient stables pour les genotypes Populus deltoides × nigra ages de 5 a 15 ans, avec un classement génotypique particulierement conservé pendant l etude. Toutefois, une seconde experience nous a permis de demontre que des arbres ages de 4 a 7 ans presentaient des valeurs de Δ13C significativement plus faibles que celles observees lors de la premiere experimentation, avec une augmentation progressive de ces valeurs avec l age. Nous concluons que, chez le peuplier, le Δ13C peut etre considere comme un estimateur fiable de l efficience de transpiration a l echelle du plant entier, et le classement genotypique établi chez de jeunes arbres pour Δ13C reste stable avec l'âge. / Up scaling approach was developed to check whether genotype differences in Δ13C represent the differences in transpiration efficiency at leaf and whole plant scale. We also verified the stability genotype difference in Δ13C with age. We found that genotype differences in Δ13C were as such translated as the difference in transpiration efficiency at both leaf and whole plant scale. Magnitude of variability of whole plant transpiration efficiency was higher as compared to at leaf level highlighting the role of carbon lost during photo and dark respiration (Φc) and water lost during night transpiration (Φw). Genotype productivity increased with increase in transpiration efficiency in Populus deltoides × nigra genotypes but remained unchanged in Populus nigra genotypes. Values of whole plant transpiration efficiency were found higher as compared to other species.18O enrichment in both leaf bulk (Δ18Olb) and leaf water (Δ18Olw) reflected variation in stomatal conductance (gs) either at individual level or at genotypic level. In Populus deltoides × nigra genotypes, no increase or decreasing trend was found in Δ13C between the age of 5-15 years and genotypic ranking was conserved over the tested period. However, significantly lower Δ13C values were evidenced between the age of 4-7, which increased with age. We conclude that in poplar, Δ13C is a reliable estimator of whole plant transpiration efficiency and the ranking made in young plant for Δ13C remain stable with age.