**-  South Atlantic  
-  Raleigh, NC 
-  Plant Science Research 
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**Location: Plant Science Research**
**2005 Annual Report**
**1.What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)?  How serious is the problem?  What does it matter?**													Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing steadily with a predicted doubling in this century.  Current ground-level ozone concentrations are sufficient to suppress crop yields in many agricultural areas with ozone concentrations predicted to remain at phytotoxic levels or increase.  Atmospheric temperature is also projected to rise in tandem with increased greenhouse gases.  The impact of these combined factors on crop productivity and soil carbon sequestration can not be predicted with confidence because little is known about the interactive effects of these factors on cropping systems and the role of plant genetic variation in crop response.  Greater knowledge of such interactions is essential to project and develop mitigation strategies for adverse effects of global change on agroecosystems.  A clear understanding of these interactions will allow development of models that more accurately predict the impact of climate on cropping systems, and the potential for changing vegetation patterns to exert feedback effects on climate.  Assessment of genetic variability in plant response will identify germplasm and specific genes for possible use in breeding or molecular engineering of crops that sustain yields under conditions of elevated carbon dioxide, ozone, and temperature.  Research will be conducted using field and greenhouse chambers for control of ozone and carbon dioxide concentrations and to manipulate temperature. Effects on yield, development, and quality for specific crops (e.g. soybean, snap bean, and wheat) and on changes in soil carbon will be tested. To evaluate the interactive effects of ozone, carbon dioxide, and temperature on plants, studies will include measurements of leaf conductance, photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, carbon metabolism, and biochemical systems that detoxify reactive oxygen intermediates formed from ozone.  To evaluate the effects on agricultural soils, studies of plant response to ozone and carbon dioxide will be accompanied by measurements of soil microbial biomass, microbial community structure and activity, and the carbon contents of soils.  Genetic variability of response to ozone and carbon dioxide will be assessed through a combination of screening and pedigree analysis. Development and testing of Arabidopsis mutants will be conducted to identify genes associated with plant response to ozone.  Application of the research results in models and decision support systems will ultimately support management strategies that optimize sequestration of carbon in agricultural soils to offset carbon dioxide emissions.  Research results should also aid in the development of crops that tolerate ozone and temperature stress and utilize carbon dioxide more effectively.  Effects of elevated carbon dioxide, temperature and ozone on plant growth and biochemistry are well documented, but impacts of these factors on crop production systems in the future cannot be predicted with a high degree of confidence.  Uncertainties are due to the complexity of interactions among plants, gas concentrations, and environmental factors.  Studies of these interactions are at an early stage, and improved understanding of the effects of the gases in combination and in interaction with other factors in crop systems is required before the net effect on agricultural production and soil carbon sequestration in the U.S. can be defined.  The research will show the degree of impact on to be expected from increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in combination with increasing air temperature and changes in air quality.  Customers include US EPA and state air quality agencies that require knowledge of ozone and carbon dioxide effects on plants for setting air quality standards and local emission policies; Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) (and similar organizations) that require knowledge of carbon dioxide and ozone effects on vegetation to develop policy; plant breeders, commodity groups, agricultural extension and growers that require germplasm recommendations; scientists that require data to develop and test plant growth and climate change models; public and private interest groups.  This research supports National Programs 203, Air Quality and 204, Global Change.						
**2.List the milestones (indicators of progress) from your Project Plan.**													Year 1 (FY 2005)1.  Collect baseline data on soil carbon for the field where the long-term soybean-wheat rotation study will be conducted and initiate the experiment with a soybean crop grown in open-top chambers under carbon dioxide and ozone treatments.  2.  Initiate tests of rooting medium for mini-greenhouse temperature studies.  3.  Initiate greenhouse screen of ozone sensitivity within U.S. soybean ancestors.  4.  Initiate screen of mutant Arabidopsis lines for ozone sensitivity and ethylene responses.  5.  Initiate mini-greenhouse studies of growth, yield and daily water use in ozone sensitive and resistant lines of snap bean.
Year 2 (FY 2006)1.  Complete the first full year of the soybean-wheat rotation study and initiate measurements of soil microbiology and respiration, plant residue chemistry, and soil carbon.  2.  Complete first year of ozone x temperature interaction study with soybean.  3.  Repeat and extend mini-greenhouse studies of growth, yield and daily water use in ozone sensitive and resistant lines of snap bean.  4.  Complete greenhouse screen of ozone sensitivity within U.S. soybean ancestors and select ancestors for field studies.  5.  Complete screen of mutant Arabidopsis lines for ozone sensitivity and ethylene responses.
Year 3 (FY 2007)1.  Complete the second year of the soybean-wheat rotation study.  2.  Complete first year of ozone x temperature interaction study with winter wheat and second year with soybean.  3.  Initiate open-top chamber studies of selected soybean ancestors under elevated ozone and carbon dioxide in the field.  4.  Identify potential biochemical targets and receptors for ozone-induced signal transduction.
Year 4 (FY 2008)1.  Complete the third year of the soybean-wheat rotation study and develop preliminary assessment of carbon dioxide and ozone treatment effects on biomass production, soil microbiology, and soil carbon content.  2.  Complete first year of carbon dioxide x temperature interaction study with soybean and second year of ozone x temperature interaction with wheat.3.  Complete open-top chamber studies of soybean ancestors under elevated ozone in the field, and select modern cultivars for testing based on pedigree analysis.  4.  Define ozone-induced signal transduction pathways and associated mechanisms of ozone injury.
Year 5 (FY 2009)1.  Complete the fourth year of the soybean-wheat rotation study.  2.  Complete second year of carbon dioxide x temperature study with soybean and select temperatures for 3-way interaction study.  3.  Initiate open-top chamber studies of modern cultivars under elevated ozone and carbon dioxide in the field.  4.  Develop potential bioengineering strategies for improving plant tolerance to ozone stress.						
**4a.What was the single most significant accomplishment this past year?**													Project began 4/1/2005 so there has not been sufficient time to develop completed accomplishments.						
**4b.List other significant accomplishments, if any.**													None.						
**4c.List any significant activities that support special target populations.**													None.						
**4d.Progress report.**													Growth of the three snap bean genotypes, S156, R123 and R331 showed that on a unit exposure basis, R331 was found to be as sensitive to ozone as S156 while R123 was substantially less sensitive, confirming previous data.  Measurements of daily water loss, photosynthetic parameters and seed yield showed that even though S156 was sustaining greater levels of damage to its photosynthetic systems, growth and reproductive capacity, the feedback control regulating stomatal conductance, seemed to be compromised resulting in greater daily water loss in the ozone treated plants than the controls, even though photosynthetic rates and leaf area were substantially reduced.  As a result an examination of stomatal response to a variety of elicitors was initiated.
Rooting environment can affect plant responses to atmospheric trace gas concentrations because root growth and function strongly influence gas-exchange rates, mineral nutrient availability, and water status.  Concern exists regarding the use of container-grown plants in elevated carbon dioxide and ozone experiments because of uncertainty about how closely plants grown in pots reflect the responses of plants grown in the ground.  To investigate further the potential influence of containers, soybean plants were grown in large pots buried in the soil using three different protocols and compared with plants grown directly in the soil.  A large above ground box filled with soil with plants grown in large (21 liter) embedded pots resulted in yield parameters comparable to plants grown in the ground at equal planting density.  This approach provides a convenient method for minimizing soil temperature variations while growing potted plants in the mini-greenhouses.  Plants grown large pots buried in the ground with additional below ground engineering to insure the soil was well drained also resulted in yield parameters comparable to plants grown in the ground at equal planting density.  In contrast, plants grown large pots buried in the ground without further manipulation did not yield as well as plants grown directly in the ground.  There were, however, large differences in root biomass and morphology between the various methods.  These experiments suggest that above-ground responses of container-grown plants may be acceptable indicators of field-grown plants at ambient carbon dioxide and ozone concentrations, but further testing at both elevated carbon dioxide and ozone levels over a range of planting densities is indicated before final conclusions can be made.
Carbon dioxide affects plant water loss but there is little information from field plots in moist temperate climates.  The third attempt (year) to control soil moisture in an experimental field is currently underway after installing drains around the field to hinder lateral subsurface migration of water.  The system appears to be performing well and we are able to control soil moisture to the extent of inducing controlled water stresses that can be combined in future years with elevated carbon dioxide treatments.						
**5.Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact.**													None						
**6.What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end-user (industry, farmer, other scientists)?  What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products?**													None.						
**7.List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work.  (NOTE:  List your peer reviewed publications below).**													Booker, F.L. and E.L. Fiscus.  2005.  Effects of elevated CO2 on whole-plant O3 flux in soybean.  37th Annual Air Pollution Workshop, Banff, Canada.  April 25-28, 2005.
Booker, F.L.  2005.  Alleviation of ozone-induced oxidative stress by elevated CO2 in crop plants.  Invited presentation.  Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Montreal, Canada.  Aug. 7-13.
Burkey, K.O., F.-Y. Cheng and J.M. Robinson. 2005.  Leaf extracellular antioxidants in soybean in soybean.  37th Annual Air Pollution Workshop, Banff, Canada.  April 25-28, 2005.
Burkey, K.O., F.-Y. Cheng and E.G. Sun. 2005.  The contribution of ascorbic acid to total leaf extracellular antioxidant capacity.  37th Annual Air Pollution Workshop, Banff, Canada.  April 25-28, 2005.
Booker, F.L. and E.L. Fiscus.  2005.  Reduction of Ozone Flux and Damage by Elevated CO2 in Soybean. Plant Biology 2005.  Annual Meeting of American Society of Plant Biologists, Seattle, WA.
Flowers, M.D., E.L. Fiscus, K.O. Burkey and F.L. Booker  2005.  Ozone sensitive and resistant lines of snap bean. I. Photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence.  Annual Meeting of American Society of Plant Biologists, Seattle, WA.
Fiscus, E.L., M.D. Flowers, F.L. Booker and  K.O. Burkey.  2005.  Ozone sensitive and resistant lines of snapbean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) II. Daily water use.  Annual Meeting of American Society of Plant Biologists, Seattle, WA.						
    Project TeamBurkey, Kent Fiscus, Edwin  - *Ed*Booker, Fitzgerald  - *Fitz* 
Project Annual Reports FY 2009 FY 2008 FY 2007 FY 2006 FY 2005 Publications  Publications 
Related National Programs Air Quality(203) Global Change(204) Related Projects  Perchlorate Accumulation in Ozone-Sensitive and Tolerant Plants  Perchlorate Accumulation in Ozone-Sensitive and Tolerant Snap Beans  Fiskeby Soybeans - Resistant to a Broad Spectrum of Environmental Stresses: Genetic Analysis and Application to Breeding  							Last Modified: 04/14/2010 		ARS Home |USDA.gov |Site Map |Policies and Links FOIA |Accessibility Statement |Privacy Policy |Nondiscrimination Statement |Information Quality |USA.gov |White House

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