seed grant competition

Analyzing the impacts of varying precipitation on agricultural production

Kristin mercer, Horticulture and crop science Successful agriculture production relies on many factors, including temperature, precipitation, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, and amount of sunlight. Global climate change will alter these factors and thus affect the growth of crops and agricultural weeds. Monoecious crops, which have separate male and female flowers on the same plant, may be vulnerable to such changes because flowering synchrony between males and females is essential for good pollination and fruit or seed production. It is important to understand how the flowering timing and synchrony of these crops, and thus crop productivity, will be affected by climate change. In addition, the amount of genetic diversity within each crop variety could also play a role. This project investigated how two monoecious crops that are economically important in Ohio corn and zucchini will be affected by changes in precipitation levels, and if genetic diversity plays a role in these responses. The second part of this study focuses on the evolutionary potential of a common agricultural weed in Ohio, velvetleaf, under varying water availability. Under climate change, weeds might evolve to better adapt to the new environment, and the direction and speed of evolution will have important implications for agriculture practice. In this two-year study, the project team manipulated precipitation levels and monitored plant growth and reproduction. Rain-exclusion shelters were used to reduce moisture in some plots, while other plots were irrigated. Two types of control plots were also used. For corn and zucchini, two varieties with different levels of genetic diversity were planted for each. The timing of flowering, amount of flowers, and production of these crops were monitored to determine if flowering behavior and production varied in different environments. The team planted the agricultural weed velvetleaf under the same set of water treatments. The performance of the plants, including height, number of leaves, timing of flowering, and seed set was monitored throughout the

Kristin mercer

A shift in precipitation patterns could affect the flowering and reproduction of certain monoecious crops
season. These data will be used to determine if plants with certain traits, such as faster growth, are likely to produce more offspring under certain water treatment, and therefore have an evolutionary advantage in this altered environment. The project produced evidence that changes in precipitation patterns could affect sex allocation in zucchini. Under drier or wetter conditions, the low-diversity zucchini variety shifted towards a higher male vs. female sex ratio. In addition, there was greater flower synchrony for the variety with high genetic diversity, likely buffering the effects of environmental change on mating success. For corn, there was no significant effect of water availability on flowering behavior or reproduction. The velvetleaf data are still under analysis. This study shows that a shift in precipitation patterns could affect the flowering and reproduction of certain monoecious crops and that genetic diversity may play a role in ensuring mate availability. However, elevated temperatures and CO2 levels are also expected under climate change, and it is unclear how the crops will respond to the combination of environmental shifts. Future work could focus on studying the evolutionary responses of weeds to two or more environmental factors at the same time.

www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/seeds SEEDS: The OARDC Research Enhancement Competitive Grants Program

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