RESUMO
Crop tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses has long been pursued as a Holy Grail in plant breeding efforts that target crop adaptation to tropical soils. On tropical, acidic soils, aluminum (Al) toxicity, low phosphorus (P) availability and drought stress are the major limitations to yield stability. Molecular breeding based on a small suite of pleiotropic genes, particularly those with moderate to major phenotypic effects, could help circumvent the need for complex breeding designs and large population sizes aimed at selecting transgressive progeny accumulating favorable alleles controlling polygenic traits. The underlying question is twofold: do common tolerance mechanisms to Al toxicity, P deficiency and drought exist? And if they do, will they be useful in a plant breeding program that targets stress-prone environments. The selective environments in tropical regions are such that multiple, co-existing regulatory networks may drive the fixation of either distinctly different or a smaller number of pleiotropic abiotic stress tolerance genes. Recent studies suggest that genes contributing to crop adaptation to acidic soils, such as the major Arabidopsis Al tolerance protein, AtALMT1, which encodes an aluminum-activated root malate transporter, may influence both Al tolerance and P acquisition via changes in root system morphology and architecture. However, trans-acting elements such as transcription factors (TFs) may be the best option for pleiotropic control of multiple abiotic stress genes, due to their small and often multiple binding sequences in the genome. One such example is the C2H2-type zinc finger, AtSTOP1, which is a transcriptional regulator of a number of Arabidopsis Al tolerance genes, including AtMATE and AtALMT1, and has been shown to activate AtALMT1, not only in response to Al but also low soil P. The large WRKY family of transcription factors are also known to affect a broad spectrum of phenotypes, some of which are related to acidic soil abiotic stress responses. Hence, we focus here on signaling proteins such as TFs and protein kinases to identify, from the literature, evidence for unifying regulatory networks controlling Al tolerance, P efficiency and, also possibly drought tolerance. Particular emphasis will be given to modification of root system morphology and architecture, which could be an important physiological "hub" leading to crop adaptation to multiple soil-based abiotic stress factors.
RESUMO
Aluminum (Al) toxicity on acidic soils significantly damages plant roots and inhibits root growth. Hence, crops intoxicated by Al become more sensitive to drought stress and mineral nutrient deficiencies, particularly phosphorus (P) deficiency, which is highly unavailable on tropical soils. Advances in our understanding of the physiological and genetic mechanisms that govern plant Al resistance have led to the identification of Al resistance genes, both in model systems and in crop species. It has long been known that Al resistance has a beneficial effect on crop adaptation to acidic soils. This positive effect happens because the root systems of Al resistant plants show better development in the presence of soil ionic Al3+ and are, consequently, more efficient in absorbing sub-soil water and mineral nutrients. This effect of Al resistance on crop production, by itself, warrants intensified efforts to develop and implement, on a breeding scale, modern selection strategies to profit from the knowledge of the molecular determinants of plant Al resistance. Recent studies now suggest that Al resistance can exert pleiotropic effects on P acquisition, potentially expanding the role of Al resistance on crop adaptation to acidic soils. This appears to occur via both organic acid (OA)- and non-OA transporters governing a joint, iron-dependent interplay between Al resistance and enhanced P uptake, via changes in root system architecture. Current research suggests this interplay to be part of a P stress response, suggesting that this mechanism could have evolved in crop species to improve adaptation to acidic soils. Should this pleiotropism prove functional in crop species grown on acidic soils, molecular breeding based on Al resistance genes may have a much broader impact on crop performance than previously anticipated. To explore this possibility, here we review the components of this putative effect of Al resistance genes on P stress responses and P nutrition to provide the foundation necessary to discuss the recent evidence suggesting pleiotropy as a genetic linkage between Al resistance and P efficiency. We conclude by exploring what may be needed to enhance the utilization of Al resistance genes to improve crop production on acidic soils.
RESUMO
In the past years the savana region has been one of the main agricultural expansion areas, however their soils present high limitation for plant growth due their high acidity, low natural fertility, and low phosphorus availability. The objective of this work was to compare 30 of the main recommended maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids for the cerrado region in relation to their ability to absorb poorly-available soil phosphorus through the 32P isotopic dilution technique, using a Typic Dystrarox cultivated for 20 years and another under natural vegetation. Differences in absorption ability were observed among hybrids, seven classified as efficient, sixteen mildly efficient and seven inefficient, for the case of soil cultivated for 20 years. The plant growth and phosphorus concentration in the natural soil was lower due to its low fertility.
Nos últimos anos, a região do cerrado tem sido uma das principais áreas de expansão agrícola, porém seus solos apresentam grandes limitações à produção agrícola devido à sua elevada acidez e baixa fertilidade natural, principalmente quanto à disponibilidade de fósforo para as plantas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo comparar 30 híbridos de milho (Zea mays L.), recomendados para a região do cerrado, quando a eficiência na absorção do P pouco disponível em solos pobres neste nutriente, através da técnica da Diluição Isotópica de 32P. Foi utilizado um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico sob duas condições de manejo, um cultivado a 20 anos e outro sob vegetação natural. Houve diferença na absorção de P entre os híbridos avaliados em ambos os solos, sendo que no solo natural o acúmulo de P e o desenvolvimento das plantas foi bastante reduzido devido à sua baixa fertilidade. Quanto à eficiência na utilização de P, houve diferença entre os híbridos, sendo que dos 30 híbridos avaliados, 7 foram classificados como eficientes, 16 como medianamente eficientes e 7 ineficientes, quando plantados no solo cultivado há 20 anos.
RESUMO
In the past years the savana region has been one of the main agricultural expansion areas, however their soils present high limitation for plant growth due their high acidity, low natural fertility, and low phosphorus availability. The objective of this work was to compare 30 of the main recommended maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids for the cerrado region in relation to their ability to absorb poorly-available soil phosphorus through the 32P isotopic dilution technique, using a Typic Dystrarox cultivated for 20 years and another under natural vegetation. Differences in absorption ability were observed among hybrids, seven classified as efficient, sixteen mildly efficient and seven inefficient, for the case of soil cultivated for 20 years. The plant growth and phosphorus concentration in the natural soil was lower due to its low fertility.
Nos últimos anos, a região do cerrado tem sido uma das principais áreas de expansão agrícola, porém seus solos apresentam grandes limitações à produção agrícola devido à sua elevada acidez e baixa fertilidade natural, principalmente quanto à disponibilidade de fósforo para as plantas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo comparar 30 híbridos de milho (Zea mays L.), recomendados para a região do cerrado, quando a eficiência na absorção do P pouco disponível em solos pobres neste nutriente, através da técnica da Diluição Isotópica de 32P. Foi utilizado um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico sob duas condições de manejo, um cultivado a 20 anos e outro sob vegetação natural. Houve diferença na absorção de P entre os híbridos avaliados em ambos os solos, sendo que no solo natural o acúmulo de P e o desenvolvimento das plantas foi bastante reduzido devido à sua baixa fertilidade. Quanto à eficiência na utilização de P, houve diferença entre os híbridos, sendo que dos 30 híbridos avaliados, 7 foram classificados como eficientes, 16 como medianamente eficientes e 7 ineficientes, quando plantados no solo cultivado há 20 anos.