Drought, Low Nitrogen Stress, and Ultraviolet-B Radiation Effects on Growth, Development, and Physiology of Sweetpotato Cultivars during Early Season.

Purushothaman Ramamoorthy,Kambham Raja Reddy,Stephen L Meyers,Raju Bheemanahalli,Mark W Shankle

doi:10.3390/genes13010156

Purushothaman Ramamoorthy, Kambham Raja Reddy + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13010156

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Abstract

Drought, ultraviolet-B (UV-B), and nitrogen stress are significant constraints for sweetpotato productivity. Their impact on plant growth and development can be acute, resulting in low productivity. Identifying phenotypes that govern stress tolerance in sweetpotatoes is highly desirable to develop elite cultivars with better yield. Ten sweetpotato cultivars were grown under nonstress (100% replacement of evapotranspiration (ET)), drought-stress (50% replacement of ET), UV-B (10 kJ), and low-nitrogen (20% LN) conditions. Various shoot and root morphological, physiological, and gas-exchange traits were measured at the early stage of the crop growth to assess its performance and association with the storage root number. All three stress factors caused significant changes in the physiological and root- and shoot-related traits. Drought stress reduced most shoot developmental traits (29%) to maintain root growth. UV-B stress increased the accumulation of plant pigments and decreased the photosynthetic rate. Low-nitrogen treatment decreased shoot growth (11%) and increased the root traits (18%). The highly stable and productive cultivars under all four treatments were identified using multitrait stability index analysis and weighted average of absolute scores (WAASB) analyses. Further, based on the total stress response indices, ‘Evangeline’, ‘O’Henry’, and ‘Beauregard B-14’ were identified as vigorous under drought; ‘Evangeline’, ‘Orleans’, and ‘Covington’ under UV-B; and ‘Bonita’, ‘Orleans’, and ‘Beauregard B-14’ cultivars showed greater tolerance to low nitrogen. The cultivars ‘Vardaman’ and ‘NC05-198’ recorded a low tolerance index across stress treatments. This information could help determine which plant phenotypes are desirable under stress treatment for better productivity. The cultivars identified as tolerant, sensitive, and well-adapted within and across stress treatments can be used as source materials for abiotic stress tolerance breeding programs.

Highlights

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam.) is the third most crucial storage root crop worldwide, following potato and cassava, with a total production of 91.8 million metric tons (MMT) from 7.8 million hectares (Mha) and an average yield per acre of 9.85 MT
The photosynthesis and stomatal conductance parameters of the sweetpotato cultivars decreased in responses to all three stresses (Figure 1)
A few studies have reported a significant reduction in leaf area and total dry weight in the sweetpotato cultivar ‘Beauregard’ [35]. These findings suggest that the effect of UV-B is cultivar-specific and that it sometimes benefits the growth and development of a plant canopy [78]

Summary

Introduction

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam.) is the third most crucial storage root crop worldwide, following potato and cassava, with a total production of 91.8 million metric tons (MMT) from 7.8 million hectares (Mha) and an average yield per acre of 9.85 MT. Sweetpotato storage roots are considered an essential human diet due to their nutritional quality and fibers (of which 40% is soluble fiber, which helps to lower sugar and cholesterol in the blood), which make it the ideal food for people with diabetes, pregnant women, and children [2,3]. It is recognized as a cheap source of energy and vital nutrients to many in developing countries [4,5]. Climate change limits crop production by increasing the intensity of abiotic stresses, such as drought, ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation, and inadequate soil nutrients [6,7,8]

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