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1. A systems approach to analyzing food, energy, and water uses of a multifunctional crop: A review

   Gebrai, Yoel; Ghebremichael, Kebreab; Mihelcic, James R (June 2021, Science of the total environment)

   null (Ed.)

   Multifunctional crops can simultaneously contribute to multiple societal objectives. As a result, they represent an attractive means for improving rural livelihoods. Moringa oleifera is an example of a multifunctional crop that produces nutritious leaves with uses as food, fodder, and a biostimulant to enhance crop growth. It yields seeds containing a water purifying coagulant and oil with cosmetic uses and possible biofuel feedstock. Despite Moringa oleifera's (and other multifunctional crops') various Food-Energy-Water uses, optimizing the benefits of its multiple uses and livelihood improvements remains challenging. There is a need for holistic approaches capable of assessing the multifunctionality of agriculture and livelihood impacts. Therefore, this paper critically evaluates Moringa oleifera's Food-Energy-Water-Livelihood nexus applications to gain insight into the tradeoffs and synergies among its various applications using a systems thinking approach. A systems approach is proposed as a holistic thinking framework that can help navigate the complexity of a crop's multifunctionality. The “Success to the Successful” systems archetype was adopted to capture the competition between the need for leaf yields and seed yields. In areas where there is energy and water insecurity, Moringa oleifera seed production is recommended for its potential to coproduce oil, the water purifying coagulant, and a residue that can be applied as a fertilizer. In areas where food insecurity is an issue, focusing on leaf production would be beneficial due to its significance in augmenting food for human consumption, animal feed, and its use as a biostimulant to increase crop yields. A causal loop diagram was found to effectively map the interconnections among the various uses of Moringa oleifera and associated livelihood improvements. This framework provides stakeholders with a conceptual decision-making tool that can help maximize positive livelihood outcomes. This approach can also be applied for improved management of other multifunctional crops. 

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2. Altering cold-regulated gene expression decouples the salicylic acid–growth trade-off in Arabidopsis

   https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae210  

   Ortega, María A; Celoy, Rhodesia M; Chacon, Francisco; Yuan, Yinan; Xue, Liang-Jiao; Pandey, Saurabh P; Drowns, MaKenzie R; Kvitko, Brian H; Tsai, Chung-Jui (July 2024, The Plant Cell)

   Abstract In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), overproduction of salicylic acid (SA) increases disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance but penalizes growth. This growth–defense trade-off has hindered the adoption of SA-based disease management strategies in agriculture. However, investigation of how SA inhibits plant growth has been challenging because many SA-hyperaccumulating Arabidopsis mutants have developmental defects due to the pleiotropic effects of the underlying genes. Here, we heterologously expressed a bacterial SA synthase gene in Arabidopsis and observed that elevated SA levels decreased plant growth and reduced the expression of cold-regulated (COR) genes in a dose-dependent manner. Growth suppression was exacerbated at below-ambient temperatures. Severing the SA-responsiveness of individual COR genes was sufficient to overcome the growth inhibition caused by elevated SA at ambient and below-ambient temperatures while preserving disease- and abiotic-stress-related benefits. Our results show the potential of decoupling SA-mediated growth and defense trade-offs for improving crop productivity. 

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3. Sulfur Dioxide Modifies Aerosol Particle Formation and Growth by Ozonolysis of Monoterpenes and Isoprene

   https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD030064  

   Stangl, Christopher M.; Krasnomowitz, Justin M.; Apsokardu, Michael J.; Tiszenkel, Lee; Ouyang, Qi; Lee, Shanhu; Johnston, Murray V. (April 2019, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres)

   Abstract The effect of sulfur dioxide on particle formation and growth by ozonolysis of three monoterpenes (α‐pinene,β‐pinene, and limonene) and isoprene was investigated in the presence of monodisperse ammonium sulfate seed particles and an OH scavenger in a flow tube under dry conditions. Without sulfur dioxide, new particle formation was not observed, and seed particle growth was consistent with condensation of low‐volatility oxidation products produced from each organic precursor. With sulfur dioxide, new particle formation was observed from every precursor studied, consistent with sulfuric acid formation by reaction of sulfur dioxide with stabilized Criegee Intermediates. The presence of sulfur dioxide did not significantly affect seed particle growth rates fromα‐pinene and limonene ozonolysis, although chemical composition measurements revealed the presence of organosulfates in the particles following SO₂exposure. Contrarily, the growth of seeds byβ‐pinene and isoprene ozonolysis was considerably enhanced by sulfur dioxide, and chemical composition measurements revealed that the enhanced growth was not due to additional organic material, suggesting that inorganic sulfate was likely responsible. The results suggest that a previously unconsidered particle‐phase pathway to growth activated by sulfur dioxide may alter production of cloud condensation nuclei over regions with significant SO₂‐alkene interactions. 

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4. Sulfur fertiliser use in the Midwestern US increases as atmospheric sulfur deposition declines with improved air quality

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00662-9  

   Hinckley, Eve-Lyn S.; Driscoll, Charles T. (December 2022, Communications Earth & Environment)

   Abstract Sulfur, as an essential nutrient for plant growth, has increasingly been used in fertiliser applications for many crops. This increase is coincident with declines in atmospheric sulfur deposition in response to air quality improvements in the United States and Europe. Here, we evaluate trends in sulfur fertiliser sales by mass, as a proxy for fertiliser applications, and estimate total atmospheric sulfur deposition across the Midwestern United States. Crop acreage, yield and sulfur fertiliser application substantially increased between 1985 and 2015, coincident with declines in atmospheric sulfur deposition. The increase in sulfur fertiliser has outpaced the relative rate of change in other major nutrient fertilisers including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, by approximately 7-fold prior to 2009, and 29-fold after 2009. We suggest that there is a critical need to develop sulfur management tools that optimize fertiliser applications to maintain crop yields while minimizing the consequences of excess sulfur in the environment. 

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5. Natural variation in salt-induced changes in root:shoot ratio reveals SR3G as a negative regulator of root suberization and salt resilience in Arabidopsis

   https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.98896.4  

   Rahmati_Ishka, Maryam; Sussman, Hayley; Hu, Yunfei; Alqahtani, Mashael Daghash; Craft, Eric; Sicat, Ronell; Wang, Minmin; Yu, Li'ang; Ait-Haddou, Rachid; Li, Bo; et al (March 2025, eLife)

   Soil salinity is one of the major threats to agricultural productivity worldwide. Salt stress exposure alters root and shoots growth rates, thereby affecting overall plant performance. While past studies have extensively documented the effect of salt stress on root elongation and shoot development separately, here we take an innovative approach by examining the coordination of root and shoot growth under salt stress conditions. Utilizing a newly developed tool for quantifying the root:shoot ratio in agar-grownArabidopsisseedlings, we found that salt stress results in a loss of coordination between root and shoot growth rates. We identify a specific gene cluster encoding domain-of-unknown-function 247 (DUF247), and characterize one of these genes asSaltRoot:shootRatioRegulatorGene (SR3G). Further analysis elucidates the role of SR3G as a negative regulator of salt stress tolerance, revealing its function in regulating shoot growth, root suberization, and sodium accumulation. We further characterize thatSR3Gexpression is modulated byWRKY75transcription factor, known as a positive regulator of salt stress tolerance. Finally, we show that the salt stress sensitivity ofwrky75mutant is completely diminished when it is combined withsr3gmutation. Together, our results demonstrate that utilizing root:shoot ratio as an architectural feature leads to the discovery of a new stress resilience gene. The study’s innovative approach and findings not only contribute to our understanding of plant stress tolerance mechanisms but also open new avenues for genetic and agronomic strategies to enhance crop environmental resilience. 

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