Leveraging 'golden-hour' WUE for developing superior vegetable varieties with optimal water-saving and growth traits

Creating high-yielding and water-efficient crop varieties relies on a profound understanding of crop water usage and photosynthetic physiology. Currently, the prevailing strategies for improving drought response in crops center around the regulation of stomata. However, while reducing stomatal condu...

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Main Authors: Rujia Jiang, Ting Sun, Zheng Shi, Menachem Moshelion, Pei Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Maximum Academic Press 2024-01-01
Series:Vegetable Research
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Online Access:https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/vegres-0024-0001
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author Rujia Jiang
Ting Sun
Zheng Shi
Menachem Moshelion
Pei Xu
author_facet Rujia Jiang
Ting Sun
Zheng Shi
Menachem Moshelion
Pei Xu
author_sort Rujia Jiang
collection DOAJ
description Creating high-yielding and water-efficient crop varieties relies on a profound understanding of crop water usage and photosynthetic physiology. Currently, the prevailing strategies for improving drought response in crops center around the regulation of stomata. However, while reducing stomatal conductance can boost water use efficiency (WUE), it results in a decline in photosynthetic assimilation capacity, because stomata function as a shared conduit for both CO2 intake and water evaporation. With the advancement of phenomics, recent research has unveiled disparities in the regulatory patterns of photosynthesis and transpiration (Tr) in plants. Depending on the genotype, the early morning period, when light intensity is sufficient yet vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is low, is referred to as the 'golden hours' for high water use efficiency (WUE). During this window, plants can attain higher photosynthetic intensity with lower Tr levels in a low VPD environment. This is highly advantageous for efficient biomass production under water-saving conditions. Thus, precise and more judicious modulation of WUE through stomatal control becomes pivotal in addressing the delicate balance between water conservation and yield. This perspective paper introduces the concept and significance of the golden-hour WUE (GHW) trait and elucidates the methods for quantitative and high-throughput screening of this trait using modern phenotyping techniques. Building upon this foundation, a systematic approach for screening and leveraging the GHW traits in plant breeding is proposed. This proposed approach holds the potential to offer a solution for achieving a balance between water-saving and plant growth.
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spelling doaj-art-09d47b46c9c5450e8da22e016141237f2025-08-20T02:27:15ZengMaximum Academic PressVegetable Research2769-05202024-01-01411610.48130/vegres-0024-0001vegres-0024-0001Leveraging 'golden-hour' WUE for developing superior vegetable varieties with optimal water-saving and growth traitsRujia Jiang0Ting Sun1Zheng Shi2Menachem Moshelion3Pei Xu4Key Laboratory of Specialty Agri-product Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, PR ChinaKey Laboratory of Specialty Agri-product Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, PR ChinaKey Laboratory of Specialty Agri-product Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, PR ChinaThe Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, IsraelKey Laboratory of Specialty Agri-product Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, PR ChinaCreating high-yielding and water-efficient crop varieties relies on a profound understanding of crop water usage and photosynthetic physiology. Currently, the prevailing strategies for improving drought response in crops center around the regulation of stomata. However, while reducing stomatal conductance can boost water use efficiency (WUE), it results in a decline in photosynthetic assimilation capacity, because stomata function as a shared conduit for both CO2 intake and water evaporation. With the advancement of phenomics, recent research has unveiled disparities in the regulatory patterns of photosynthesis and transpiration (Tr) in plants. Depending on the genotype, the early morning period, when light intensity is sufficient yet vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is low, is referred to as the 'golden hours' for high water use efficiency (WUE). During this window, plants can attain higher photosynthetic intensity with lower Tr levels in a low VPD environment. This is highly advantageous for efficient biomass production under water-saving conditions. Thus, precise and more judicious modulation of WUE through stomatal control becomes pivotal in addressing the delicate balance between water conservation and yield. This perspective paper introduces the concept and significance of the golden-hour WUE (GHW) trait and elucidates the methods for quantitative and high-throughput screening of this trait using modern phenotyping techniques. Building upon this foundation, a systematic approach for screening and leveraging the GHW traits in plant breeding is proposed. This proposed approach holds the potential to offer a solution for achieving a balance between water-saving and plant growth.https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/vegres-0024-0001golden hourwuebalancehigh-throughput screeningbreeding
spellingShingle Rujia Jiang
Ting Sun
Zheng Shi
Menachem Moshelion
Pei Xu
Leveraging 'golden-hour' WUE for developing superior vegetable varieties with optimal water-saving and growth traits
Vegetable Research
golden hour
wue
balance
high-throughput screening
breeding
title Leveraging 'golden-hour' WUE for developing superior vegetable varieties with optimal water-saving and growth traits
title_full Leveraging 'golden-hour' WUE for developing superior vegetable varieties with optimal water-saving and growth traits
title_fullStr Leveraging 'golden-hour' WUE for developing superior vegetable varieties with optimal water-saving and growth traits
title_full_unstemmed Leveraging 'golden-hour' WUE for developing superior vegetable varieties with optimal water-saving and growth traits
title_short Leveraging 'golden-hour' WUE for developing superior vegetable varieties with optimal water-saving and growth traits
title_sort leveraging golden hour wue for developing superior vegetable varieties with optimal water saving and growth traits
topic golden hour
wue
balance
high-throughput screening
breeding
url https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/vegres-0024-0001
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AT zhengshi leveraginggoldenhourwuefordevelopingsuperiorvegetablevarietieswithoptimalwatersavingandgrowthtraits
AT menachemmoshelion leveraginggoldenhourwuefordevelopingsuperiorvegetablevarietieswithoptimalwatersavingandgrowthtraits
AT peixu leveraginggoldenhourwuefordevelopingsuperiorvegetablevarietieswithoptimalwatersavingandgrowthtraits