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ABSTRACT Phenolic glycosides are effective reactive oxygen scavengers and peroxidase substrates, suggesting that compounds in addition to ascorbate may have functional importance in defence responses against ozone (O3), especially in the leaf apoplast. The apoplastic concentrations of ascorbic acid (AA) and phenolic glycosides in Arabidopsis thaliana L. Col-0 wild-type plants were determined following exposure to a range of O3 concentrations (5, 125 or 175 nL L−1) in controlled environment chambers. AA in leaf apoplast extracts was almost entirely oxidized in all treatments, suggesting that O3 scavenging by direct reactions with reduced AA was very limited. In regard to phenolics, O3 stimulated transcription of numerous phenylpropanoid pathway genes and increased the apoplastic concentration of sinapoyl malate. However, modelling of O3 scavenging in the apoplast indicated that sinapoyl malate concentrations were too low to be effective protectants. Furthermore, null mutants for sinapoyl esters ( fah1-7), kaempferol glycosides ( tt4-1) and the double mutant ( tt4-1/fah1-7) were equally sensitive to chronic O3 as Ler-0 wild-type plants. These results indicate that current understanding of O3 defence schemes deserves reassessment as mechanisms other than direct scavenging of O3 by extracellular AA and antioxidant activity of some phenolics may predominate in some plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mixture of common Southern Piedmont (USA) grassland species (Lolium arundinacea, Paspalum dilatatum, Cynodon dactylon and Trifolium repens) was exposed to O3 [ambient (non-filtered; NF) and twice-ambient (2X) concentrations] and fed to individually caged New Zealand white rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in a digestibility experiment. Forages and feed refusals were analyzed for concentrations of total cell wall constituents, lignin, crude protein, and soluble and hydrolyzable phenolic fractions. Neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber digestibility by rabbits were significantly lower for 2X than NF forage. Decreased digestibility could not be attributed to lignin concentrations, but was associated with increased concentrations of acid-hydrolyzable and saponifiable phenolics. Exposure of forage to elevated O3 resulted in decreased digestible dry matter intake by rabbits. Elevated O3 concentrations could be expected to have a negative impact on forage quality, resulting in decreased nutrient utilization by mammalian herbivores in Southern Piedmont grasslands under projected future climate scenarios. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The inhibitory effects of tropospheric O3 on crop photosynthesis, growth, and yield have been documented in numerous studies over the past 35 years. In large part, the results of this research supported governmental regulations designed to limit tropospheric O3 levels to concentrations that affected crop production at economically acceptable levels. Recent studies have brought into question the efficacy of these concentration-based O3 standards compared with flux-based approaches that incorporate O3 uptake along with environmental and biotic factors that influence plant responses. In addition, recent studies provide insight into the biochemical mechanisms of O3 injury to plants. Current interpretations suggest that upon entry into the leaf intercellular space O3 rapidly reacts with components of the leaf apoplast to initiate a complex set of responses involving the formation of toxic metabolites and generation of plant defence responses that constitute variably effective countermeasures. Plant species and cultivars exhibit a range of sensitivity to O3, evident as heritable characteristics, that must reflect identifiable biochemical and molecular processes that affect sensitivity to O3 injury, although their exact makeup remains unclear. Ozone clearly impairs photosynthetic processes, which might include the effects on electron transport and guard cell homeostasis as well as the better-documented effects on carbon fixation via decreased Rubisco activity. Translocation of photosynthate could be inhibited by O3 exposure as well. Further, the influence of tropospheric O3 needs to be considered when assessing potential effects of rising concentrations of atmospheric CO2 on crop production. Advances in O3 flux modelling and improved understanding of biochemical and molecular effects of O3 on photosynthetic gas exchange and plant defence processes are leading to more complete, integrated assessments of O3 impacts on crop physiology that continue to support the rationale for maintaining or improving current O3 air quality standards as well as providing a basis for development of more O3-tolerant crop lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In studies of CO2-enrichment effects on plants, the applicability of results derived from experiments using container-grown plants for predictions of future crop performance in a CO2-enriched atmosphere has been questioned. Concerns also have been expressed about plant growth studies with the air pollutant O3 in pot-grown plants. Further, since elevated CO2 and O3 co-occur, studies are required with the combination of gases. In this 2-yr experiment, soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] plants grown in large pots (15 and 21 L) and in the ground were exposed to mixtures of CO2 and O3 in open-top chambers. The CO2 treatments were ambient and CO2 enrichment of approximately 337 μmol mol-1 added 24 h d-1. Ozone treatments were charcoalfiltered (CF) air (23 nmol mol-1) and approximately 1.5 times ambient O3 levels (71 nmol mol-1) given 12 h d-1. Relative effects of elevated CO2 and O3 on aboveground biomass and seed yield were quite similar for plants grown in pots compared with plants grown in the ground. Elevated COz increased total seed mass and O3 suppressed it to similar magnitudes in both rooting environments. Elevated CO2 also reduced the toxic effects of O3. Net photosynthesis (A) was similar while stomatal conductance (gs) was higher in pot-grown compared with ground-grown plants, possibly due to better soil moisture status. The results indicated that planting density and rooting environment affected plant morphology, but relative responses of seed yield to elevated CO2 and O3 were not fundamentally different between soybean plants grown in large pots and in the ground in open-top chambers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical global climate change issue is how increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and ground-level O3 will affect agricultural productivity. This includes effects on decomposition of residues left in the field and availability of mineral nutrients to subsequent crops. To address questions about decomposition processes, a 2-year experiment was conducted to determine the chemistry and decomposition rate of aboveground residues of soybean (Glycine max(L.) Merr.) grown under reciprocal combinations of low and high concentrations of CO2 and O3 in open-top field chambers. The CO2 treatments were ambient (370 μmol mol−1) and elevated (714 μmol mol−1) levels (daytime 12 h averages). Ozone treatments were charcoal-filtered air (21 nmol mol−1) and nonfiltered air plus 1.5 times ambient O3 (74 nmol mol−1) 12 h day−1. Elevated CO2 increased aboveground postharvest residue production by 28–56% while elevated O3 suppressed it by 15–46%. In combination, inhibitory effects of added O3 on biomass production were largely negated by elevated CO2. Plant residue chemistry was generally unaffected by elevated CO2, except for an increase in leaf residue lignin concentration. Leaf residues from the elevated O3 treatments had lower concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrates, but higher N, fiber, and lignin levels. Chemical composition of petiole, stem, and pod husk residues was only marginally affected by the elevated gas treatments. Treatment effects on plant biomass production, however, influenced the content of chemical constituents on an areal basis. Elevated CO2 increased the mass per square meter of nonstructural carbohydrates, phenolics, N, cellulose, and lignin by 24–46%. Elevated O3 decreased the mass per square meter of these constituents by 30–48%, while elevated CO2 largely ameliorated the added O3 effect. Carbon mineralization rates of component residues from the elevated gas treatments were not significantly different from the control. However, N immobilization increased in soils containing petiole and stem residues from the elevated CO2, O3, and combined gas treatments. Mass loss of decomposing leaf residue from the added O3 and combined gas treatments was 48% less than the control treatment after 20 weeks, while differences in decomposition of petiole, stem, and husk residues among treatments were minor. Decreased decomposition of leaf residues was correlated with lower starch and higher lignin levels. However, leaf residues only comprised about 20% of the total residue biomass assayed so treatment effects on mass loss of total aboveground residues were relatively small. The primary influence of elevated atmospheric CO2 and O3 concentrations on decomposition processes is apt to arise from effects on residue mass input, which is increased by elevated CO2 and suppressed by O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical global climate change issue is how increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and ground-level O3 will affect agricultural productivity. This includes effects on decomposition of residues left in the field and availability of mineral nutrients to subsequent crops. To address questions about decomposition processes, a 2-year experiment was conducted to determine the chemistry and decomposition rate of aboveground residues of soybean (Glycine max(L.) Merr.) grown under reciprocal combinations of low and high concentrations of CO2 and O3 in open-top field chambers. The CO2 treatments were ambient (370 μmol mol−1) and elevated (714 μmol mol−1) levels (daytime 12 h averages). Ozone treatments were charcoal-filtered air (21 nmol mol−1) and nonfiltered air plus 1.5 times ambient O3 (74 nmol mol−1) 12 h day−1. Elevated CO2 increased aboveground postharvest residue production by 28–56% while elevated O3 suppressed it by 15–46%. In combination, inhibitory effects of added O3 on biomass production were largely negated by elevated CO2. Plant residue chemistry was generally unaffected by elevated CO2, except for an increase in leaf residue lignin concentration. Leaf residues from the elevated O3 treatments had lower concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrates, but higher N, fiber, and lignin levels. Chemical composition of petiole, stem, and pod husk residues was only marginally affected by the elevated gas treatments. Treatment effects on plant biomass production, however, influenced the content of chemical constituents on an areal basis. Elevated CO2 increased the mass per square meter of nonstructural carbohydrates, phenolics, N, cellulose, and lignin by 24–46%. Elevated O3 decreased the mass per square meter of these constituents by 30–48%, while elevated CO2 largely ameliorated the added O3 effect. Carbon mineralization rates of component residues from the elevated gas treatments were not significantly different from the control. However, N immobilization increased in soils containing petiole and stem residues from the elevated CO2, O3, and combined gas treatments. Mass loss of decomposing leaf residue from the added O3 and combined gas treatments was 48% less than the control treatment after 20 weeks, while differences in decomposition of petiole, stem, and husk residues among treatments were minor. Decreased decomposition of leaf residues was correlated with lower starch and higher lignin levels. However, leaf residues only comprised about 20% of the total residue biomass assayed so treatment effects on mass loss of total aboveground residues were relatively small. The primary influence of elevated atmospheric CO2 and O3 concentrations on decomposition processes is apt to arise from effects on residue mass input, which is increased by elevated CO2 and suppressed by O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) and ozone (O3) on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] photosynthesis and photorespiration-related parameters were determined periodically during the growing season by measurements of gas exchange, photorespiratory enzyme activities and amino acid levels. Plants were treated in open-top field chambers from emergence to harvest maturity with seasonal mean concentrations of either 364 or 726 μmol mol-1 CO2 in combination with either 19 or 73 nmol mol-1 O3 (12 h daily averages). On average at growth CO2 concentrations, net photosynthesis (A) increased 56% and photorespiration decreased 36% in terminal mainstem leaves with CO2-enrichment. Net photosynthesis and photorespiration were suppressed 30% and 41%, respectively, by elevated O3 during late reproductive growth in the ambient CO2 treatment, but not in the elevated CO2 treatment. The ratio of photorespiration to A at growth CO2 was decreased 61% by elevated CO2. There was no statistically significant effect of elevated O3 on the ratio of photorespiration to A. Activities of glycolate oxidase, hydroxypyruvate reductase and catalase were decreased 10-25% by elevated CO2, and by 46-66% by elevated O3 at late reproductive growth. The treatments had no significant effect on total amino acid or glycine levels, although serine concentration was lower in the elevated CO2 and O3 treatments at several sampling dates. The inhibitory effects of elevated O3 on photorespiration-related parameters were generally commensurate with the O3-induced decline in A. The results suggest that elevated CO2 could promote productivity both through increased photoassimilation and suppressed photorespiration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Elevated concentrations of ground-level ozone (O3) are frequently measured over farmland regions in many parts of the world. While numerous experimental studies show that O3 can significantly decrease crop productivity, independent verifications of yield losses at current ambient O3 concentrations in rural locations are sparse. In this study, soybean crop yield data during a 5-year period over the Midwest of the United States were combined with ground and satellite O3 measurements to provide evidence that yield losses on the order of 10% could be estimated through the use of a multiple linear regression model. Yield loss trends based on both conventional ground-based instrumentation and satellite-derived tropospheric O3 measurements were statistically significant and were consistent with results obtained from open-top chamber experiments and an open-air experimental facility (SoyFACE, Soybean Free Air Concentration Enrichment) in central Illinois. Our analysis suggests that such losses are a relatively new phenomenon due to the increase in background tropospheric O3 levels over recent decades. Extrapolation of these findings supports previous studies that estimate the global economic loss to the farming community of more than $10 billion annually. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Understanding the impact of pollutant ozone (O3) is a concern for agricultural production. This work was undertaken as the first comparative study of the effects of O3 on the photosynthetic processes and yield of three snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes with known differences in sensitivity to O3 (S156, R123 and R331). Previous information showed R123 and R331 to be tolerant and S156 sensitive. The purpose was to identify physiological subsystems that may mediate those differences in sensitivity. Plants were grown in environmentally controlled field chambers with four levels of O3 (0, 15, 30 and 60nmolmol−1). Net assimilation (A) and fluorescence were measured throughout the growing season and yield data were collected at physiological maturity. All genotypes were tolerant of low O3 (<30nmolmol−1) but the highest O3 significantly reduced the yield in all three, with R331 and S156 being equally sensitive on a unit exposure basis. Yield reductions were correlated with A, especially during pod filling. No genotype showed any significant response of stomatal conductance (g s) indicating equal O3 fluxes into the leaves in all genotypes. Mesophyll conductance (g m) was affected in S156 only, where it was reduced by 55% at 60nmolmol−1 O3. There was an upward trend in F 0, and a downward trend in the variable fluorescence ratio (F v/F m) with increasing O3 for S156 but not for the other genotypes. S156 was the only genotype to show significant decreases in photochemical quenching (q p) and R123 the only one to show significant decreases in non-photochemical quenching (q n). The sequence of loss of Rubisco content and/or activity and changes in g m, F 0, and F v/F m could not be resolved in time and may all have been the result of generalized tissue destruction rather than sequential attack on individual subsystems. S156 had the highest photosynthetic rate in clean air but appeared to have no significant capacity to protect Rubisco from attack or to up-regulate Rubisco activity at high O3, thus there was no reserve capacity, while R123 was able to maintain both Rubisco activity and A within narrow ranges. These data suggest that S156 has comparatively little anti-oxidant capacity and/or is deficient in its ability to regulate Rubisco activity. For future studies the best contrasts for resolving questions of physiological sensitivity to O3 would be obtained from R123 and S156. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]