Plant Pathology Commons^™

Plant Diversity In Laos, And Its Strategic Significance For Building China-Laos Community With A Shared Future For Biodiversity, Meng Honghu, Bo Li, Wenbin Yu, Yaowu Xing

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Laos is the first country to sign the bilateral cooperation document for construction of the community with a shared future with China. Over the years, Laos and China have established clear directions for cooperation in politics, economy, security, culture, and ecology, opening a new chapter in the development of China-Laos relations. At present, global environmental governance is facing severe challenges, and the biodiversity loss has become a major international issue of growing concern. Nevertheless, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development remain relatively limited. Laos shares a boarder with China and is characterized by complex natural environments with rich plant resource. Yet, …

Can Generative Ai Make Farming Decisions? Current Status And Future Pathways: A Case Study In Row Crop Production With Chatgpt, Nipuna Chamara, Yufeng Ge, Joe Luck, Yu Pan, Saleh Taghvaeian, Cory Walters, Christopher Proctor, Daran Rudnick, Daren Redfearn

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The agricultural decision-making process is experience-based, knowledge-dependent, time-sensitive, complex, and driven by historical data. Planting, fertilization, irrigation, and chemigation are key categories in farm decision-making, and currently there is no one-shot decision-support tool that covers all these activities. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are more advanced than traditional machine learning and deep learning models. These models have been trained on vast amounts of data from the internet, allowing them to accept unstructured data in various forms and generate human-like text, solutions to problems, and scenario predictions. Given this capability, we became interested in exploring the potential of generative AI in …

Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2024, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The 2024 Arkansas Soybean Research Studies includes research reports on topics pertaining to soybean across several disciplines from breeding to post-harvest processing. Research reports contained in this publication may represent preliminary or only data from a single year or limited results; therefore, these results should not be used as a basis for long-term recommendations. Several research reports in this publication will appear in other University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station publications. This duplication is the result of the overlap in research coverage between disciplines and our effort to inform Arkansas soybean producers of the research being …

Breeding For Disease Resistance In Melon And Watermelon, Venkata Rao Ganaparthi

All Dissertations

Watermelon and cantaloupe are two widely consumed cucurbits, but their acreage in the United States reduced by nearly 50% in last two decades. Fusarium wilt caused by a soil borne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum(Fon) race 2 is a major limiting factor in watermelon production as it reduces yields by 80%. Grafting watermelon plants onto the root stock of wild, disease-resistant varieties like ‘Carolina Strongback’ is the best strategy to manage Fon race 2. Though effective, this approach increases production costs.

Part of this dissertation focused on finding more sustainable, cost-effective solutions to control Fusarium wilt …

Improved Management Strategies For Botrytis Fruit Rot, Macrophomina Root Rot, And Verticillium Wilt In California Strawberry Production, Joseph A. Ramirez

Master's Theses

Strawberry production in California is limited by plant diseases such as Macrophomina root rot (MRR) caused by Macrophomina phaseolina, Verticillium wilt (VW) caused by Verticillium dahliae, and Botrytis fruit rot (BFR) caused by Botrytis cinerea. Current disease management strategies are compromised due to fumigant regulations or ineffective disease management practices. This thesis investigated methods to potentially improve the management of these three diseases. Two host plant resistance evaluations for MRR and VW were conducted for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 growing seasons. Sixty-three strawberry genotypes were screened in both years. All plants were exposed to the pathogen via artificial …

Integrating Genomic And Phenomic Breeding Tools For Wheat Stem Sawfly Resistance In Hard Winter Wheat, Sydney E. Graham

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The wheat stem sawfly (WSS; Cephus cinctus) is an insect pest that affects wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the Northern Great Plains. This pest causes stem cutting that makes the plants susceptible to lodging and results in up to 30% yield loss. The primary management strategy for producers is utilizing host plant resistance, for which the main trait is stem solidness. This trait increases the pith thickness and provides resistance to the WSS by increasing larval mortality and reducing stem cutting. While stem solidness is largely controlled by a known major gene (SSt1), the phenotypic expression is also …

Arkansas Soybean Performance Tests 2024, J. F. Carlin, R. D. Bond, T. C. Swanson, J. C. Mccoy

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Soybean variety and strain performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Crop Variety Improvement Program. The tests provide information to companies developing varieties and/ or marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating variety recommendations for soybean producers.

Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2023, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The 2023 Arkansas Soybean Research Studies includes research reports on topics pertaining to soybean across several disciplines from breeding to post-harvest processing. Research reports contained in this publication may represent preliminary or only data from a single year or limited results; therefore, these results should not be used as a basis for long-term recommendations.

Several research reports in this publication will appear in other University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station publications. This duplication is the result of the overlap in research coverage between disciplines and our effort to inform Arkansas soybean producers of the research …

Spatial Analysis Of American Chestnut (Castanea Dentata) Distribution And Ecology In Kentucky’S Federal Lands, Jacob Raymond Pease

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic factors have been the cause of the decline of tree species across the globe. From unsustainable logging and development to disease and improper management, threats to forests have taken their toll. The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once an integral basal tree species in Appalachian forests, but chestnut blight drove the species to functional extinction by the mid-1900s. The recent creation of genetically modified chestnuts gives hope for future restoration of the species throughout its historical range. Despite blight resistance, effective restoration will require optimal site selection for finding and planting chestnuts, which will maximize limited resources. …

Investigate The Possibility Of Producing Healthier, Safer Peanuts Through Molecular Breeding And Novel Fungal Pathogen Management Strategies, Tariq Alam

All Dissertations

Peanut allergy, a critical health concern with high morbidity and mortality rates, is a leading cause of fatal anaphylactic reactions in the United States. Managing peanut allergy is challenging due to the prevalence of peanuts in processed foods and the risk of contamination. This dissertation evaluates the U.S. peanut mini-core collection for four major immunogenic proteins, Ara h1, Ara h2, Ara h3, and Ara h6, using gel electrophoresis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry. The study identified 26 genotypes with reduced concentrations of allergenic proteins. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of protein traits revealed 10 significant SNPs and identified …

B.R. Wells Arkansas Rice Research Studies 2023, J. Hardke, X. Sha, N. Bateman

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Arkansas is the leading rice producer in the United States. The state represents 49.0% of total U.S. rice production and 49.6% of the total acres planted to rice in 2023. Rice cultural practices vary across the state and across the U.S. However, these practices are also dynamic and continue to evolve in response to changing political, environmental, and economic times. This survey was initiated in 2002 to monitor and record changes in the way Arkansas rice producers approach their livelihood. The survey was conducted by polling county extension agents in each of the counties in Arkansas that produce rice. Questions …

Identification Of Downy Mildew Resistance In Wild Arugula And Evaluation Of Downy Mildew Causing Pathogens And Management Practices, Reilly B. Blair

Master's Theses

Downy mildew has been a potentially devastating constraint to crop production within the Brassicaceae family worldwide (CABI, 2022) and on the Central Coast of California (Smukler, et al, 2008; Koike, et al. 2007). Downy mildew is a foliar disease, caused by the pathogens in the Hyaloperonospora genus on plants within the Brassicaceae family (Goker, et al, 2009). Downy mildew is a disease that is common in region of the world with Coastal climates that provide humidity and moderate temperatures (Sarahan, et al, 2017). Crops within the Brassicaceae family maintain a predominant role in agricultural systems worldwide (Cartea, et al, 2011) …

Transcriptomic Profile Of Armillaria Root Rot Fungi Affecting The U.S. Stone Fruit Industry, Jared Weaver

All Theses

Armillaria Root Rot (ARR) is a significant replant disease threatening the future of the United States stone fruit industry. Economic loss in South Carolina peach orchards is estimated to be $8M annually due to approximately 3-4% of annual tree deaths caused by ARR on replant sites. Management solutions are insufficient and can at best extend the life of the orchards on replant sites. The only solution to solving the ARR problem, apart from abandoning the replant site for peach production, is planting orchards on ARR-resistant rootstock. Significant progress has been made towards providing growers with genetically resistant rootstock, however, for …

Post-Translational Regulation Of A Bidomain Glycerol-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Catalyzing Glycerol Synthesis Under Salinity Stress In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Itzela Cruz-Powell, Binita Subedi, Yeongho Kim, Daniela Morales-Sánchez, Heriberto D. Cerutti

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Core chlorophytes possess glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenases (GPDs) with an unusual bidomain structure, consisting of a glycerol-3-phosphate phosphatase (GPP) domain fused to canonical GPD domains. These plastid-localized enzymes have been implicated in stress responses, being required for the synthesis of glycerol under high salinity and triacylglycerols under nutrient deprivation. However, their regulation under varying environmental conditions is poorly understood. C. reinhardtii transgenic strains expressing constitutively bidomain GPD2 did not accumulate glycerol or triacylglycerols in the absence of any environmental stress. Although the glycerol contents of both wild type and transgenic strains increased significantly upon exposure to high salinity, cycloheximide, an inhibitor of …

Genomes Of Multicellular Algal Sisters To Land Plants Illuminate Signaling Network Evolution, Xuehuan Feng, Jinfang Zheng, Iker Irisarri, Huihui Yu, Bo Zheng, Zahin Ali, Sophie De Vries, Jean Keller, Janine M. R. Fürst-Jansen, Armin Dadras, Jaccoline M. S. Zegers, Tim P. Rieseberg, Amra Dhabalia Ashok, Tatyana Darienko, Maaike J. Bierenbroodspot, Lydia Gramzow, Romy Petroll, Fabian B. Haas, Noe Fernandez-Pozo, Orestis Nousias, Tang Li, Elisabeth Fitzek, W. Scott Grayburn, Nina Rittmeier, Charlotte Permann, Florian Rümpler, John M. Archibald, Günter Theißen, Jeffrey P. Mower, Maike Lorenz16, Henrik Buschmann, Klaus Von Schwartzenberg, Lori Boston, Richard D. Hayes, Chris Daum, Kerrie Barry, Igor V. Grigoriev, Xiyin Wang, Fay-Wei Li, Stefan A. Rensing, Julius Ben Ari, Noa Keren, Assaf Mosquna, Andreas Holzinger, Pierre-Marc Delaux, Chi Zhang, Jinling Huang, Marek Mutwil6,, Jan De Vries, Yanbin Yin

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Zygnematophyceae are the algal sisters of land plants. Here we sequenced four genomes of filamentous Zygnematophyceae, including chromosome-scale assemblies for three strains of Zygnema circumcarinatum. We inferred traits in the ancestor of Zygnematophyceae and land plants that might have ushered in the conquest of land by plants: expanded genes for signaling cascades, environmental response, and multicellular growth. Zygnematophyceae and land plants share all the major enzymes for cell wall synthesis and remodifications, and gene gains shaped this toolkit. Co-expression network analyses uncover gene cohorts that unite environmental signaling with multicellular developmental programs. Our data shed light on a molecular …

Up-Regulation Of Non-Photochemical Quenching Improves Water Use Efficiency And Reduces Whole-Plant Water Consumption Under Drought In Nicotiana Tabacum, Benjamin Turc, Seema Sahay, Jared Haupt, Talles De Oliveira Santos, Geng Bai, Katarzyna Glowacka

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Water supply limitations will likely impose increasing restrictions on future crop production, underlining a need for crops that use less water per mass of yield. Water use efficiency (WUE) therefore becomes a key consideration in developing resilient and productive crops. In this study, we hypothesized that it is possible to improve WUE under drought conditions via modulation of chloroplast signals for stomatal opening by up-regulation of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Nicotiana tabacum plants with strong overexpression of the PsbS gene encoding PHOTOSYSTEM II SUBUNIT S, a key protein in NPQ, were grown under differing levels of drought. The PsbS-overexpressing lines lost …

The Emerging Role Of Non-Coding Rnas (Ncrnas) In Plant Growth, Development, And Stress Response Signaling, Amit Yadav, Jyotirmaya Mathan, Arvind Kumar Dubey, Anuradha Singh

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Plant species utilize a variety of regulatory mechanisms to ensure sustainable productivity. Within this intricate framework, numerous non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a crucial regulatory role in plant biology, surpassing the essential functions of RNA molecules as messengers, ribosomal, and transfer RNAs. ncRNAs represent an emerging class of regulators, operating directly in the form of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). These ncRNAs exert control at various levels, including transcription, posttranscription, translation, and epigenetic. Furthermore, they interact with each other, contributing to a variety of biological processes and mechanisms associated with stress resilience. …

Mycorrhizal Feedbacks Influence Global Forest Structure And Diversity, Camille S. Delavaux, Joseph A. Lamanna, Jonathan A. Myers, Richard P. Phillips, Salomón Aguilar, David Allen, Alfonso Alonso, Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira, Matthew E. Baker, Jennifer L. Baltzer, Pulchérie Bissiengou, Mariana Bonfim, Norman A. Bourg, Warren Y. Brockelman, David F.R.P. Burslem, Li Wan Chang, Yang Chen, Jyh Min Chiang, Chengjin Chu, Keith Clay, Susan Cordell, Mary Cortese, Jan Den Ouden, Christopher Dick, Sisira Ediriweera, Erle C. Ellis, Anna Feistner, Amy L. Freestone, Thomas Giambelluca, Christian P. Giardina, Gregory S. Gilbert, Fangliang He, Jan Holík, Robert W. Howe, Walter Huaraca Huasca, Stephen P. Hubbell, Faith Inman, Patrick A. Jansen, Daniel J. Johnson, Kamil Kral, Sabrina E. Russo, Et Al.

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

One mechanism proposed to explain high species diversity in tropical systems is strong negative conspecific density dependence (CDD), which reduces recruitment of juveniles in proximity to conspecific adult plants. Although evidence shows that plant-specific soil pathogens can drive negative CDD, trees also form key mutualisms with mycorrhizal fungi, which may counteract these effects. Across 43 large-scale forest plots worldwide, we tested whether ectomycorrhizal tree species exhibit weaker negative CDD than arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species. We further tested for conmycorrhizal density dependence (CMDD) to test for benefit from shared mutualists. We found that the strength of CDD varies systematically with mycorrhizal …

Evaluation Of Vegetative Indices To Determine Canopy Ground Cover For Winter Survival And Hybrid Necrosis In Winter Wheat, Micheal Young

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The benefit of unmanned aircraft systems and image processing methods in agronomic research across numerous crops has been well documented as has the importance of wheat, Triticum aestivum L., on the global food supply. Hence there is great interest in digital solutions applied to aspects of wheat breeding. A major trait of importance to winter wheat breeders in higher latitudes is winter survival, which can result in poor yield and performance if lines do not survive extreme cold. Scoring winter survival is most commonly based on visual score of 0% to 100% with the higher percentage conveying higher winter survival …

Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2022, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Arkansas is the leading soybean-producing state in the mid-southern United States. Arkansas ranked 11th in soybean production in 2022 when compared to the other soybean-producing states in the U.S. The state represented 3.04% of the total U.S. soybean production and 3.64% of the total acres planted in soybean in 2022. The 2022 state soybean average yield was 52.0 bushels per acre, tying the previous state yield record of 52 bushels per acre set in 2021. The top five soybean-producing counties in 2022 were Mississippi, Crittenden, Phillips, Poinsett, and Arkansas (Table 1). These five counties accounted for over 35.7% of the …

Janus , A Spliceosome-Associated Protein, Promotes Mirna Biogenesis In Arabidopsis, Mu Li, Huihui Yu, Bangjun Zhou, Lu Gan, Shengjun Li, Chi Zhang, Bin Yu

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

MicroRNAs ( miRNAs ) are important regulators of genes expression. Their levels are precisely controlled through modulating the activity of the microprocesser complex ( MC ) . Here, we report that JANUS, a homology of the conserved U2 snRNP assembly factor in yeast and human, is required for miRNA accumulation. JANUS associates with MC components Dicer-like 1 ( DCL1 ) and SERRATE ( SE ) and directly binds the stem- loop of pri-miRNAs. In a hypomorphic janus mutant, the activity of DCL1, the numbers of MC, and the interaction of primary miRNA transcript ( pri-miRNAs ) with MC are reduced. …

Arkansas Wheat Performance Tests 2022-2023, J. F. Carlin, R. B. Mulloy, R. D. Bond

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Wheat variety performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Crop Variety Improvement Program.

The tests provide information to companies developing cultivars and marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating variety recommendations for small-grain producers. The tests were conducted at the Northeast Research and Extension Center at Keiser, the Vegetable Substation near Kibler, the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station near Marianna, the Pine Tree Research Station near Colt, and the Rohwer Research Station near Rohwer. Specific location and cultural practice information accompany each …

Overcoming Genetic Paucity Of Camelina Sativa: Possibilities For Interspecific Hybridization Conditioned By The Genus Evolution Pathway, Rostyslav Y. Blume, Ruslan Kalendar, Liang Guo, Edgar B. Cahoon, Yaroslav B. Blume

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Camelina or false flax (Camelina sativa) is an emerging oilseed crop and a feedstock for biofuel production. This species is believed to originate from Western Asian and Eastern European regions, where the center of diversity of the Camelina genus is located. Cultivated Camelina species arose via a series of polyploidization events, serving as bottlenecks narrowing genetic diversity of the species. The genetic paucity of C. sativa is foreseen as the most crucial limitation for successful breeding and improvement of this crop. A potential solution to this challenge could be gene introgression from Camelina wild species or from …

A Facile Agrobacterium‑Mediated Transformation Method For The Model Unicellular Green Algae Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Truyen N. Quach, Shirley J. Sato, Mark R. Behrens, Paul N. Black, Concetta C. Dirusso, Heriberto D. Cerutti, Tom Elmo Clemente

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

A reliable and simple Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system for the unicellular green algae model organism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has been developed. The protocol has been successfully employed with both neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) and the phleomycin resistance (bleI) genes coupled with the selective agents paromomycin and zeocin, respectively. A set of binary vectors were assembled that carry the selectable marker cassettes under control either of the Rbcs2 alone or fused to the HSP270A leader sequence, PsaD, or ß-tubulin2 promoters. The corresponding T-DNA elements also harbored a cassette with a codon-optimized version of yellow fluorescence protein (YFP) under …

Genetic Improvement Of Tocotrienol Content Enhances The Oxidative Stability Of Canola Oil, Min Deng, Hao Chen, Wei Zhang, Edgar B. Cahoon, Yongming Zhou, Chunyu Zhang

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Background: Tocotrienols and tocopherols, which are synthesized in plastids of plant cells with similar functionalities, comprise vitamin E to serve as a potent lipid-soluble antioxidant in plants. The synthesis of tocopherols involves the condensation of homogentisic acid (HGA) and phytyl diphosphate (PDP) under the catalysis of homogentisate phytyltransferase (HPT). Tocotrienol synthesis is initiated by the condensation of HGA and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGDP) mediated by homogentisate geranylgeranyl transferase (HGGT). As one of the most important oil crops, canola seed is regarded as an ideal plant to efficiently improve the production of vitamin E tocochromanols through genetic engineering approaches. However, only …

B. R. Wells Arkansas Rice Research Studies 2022, J. Hardke, X. Sha, N. Bateman

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Arkansas is the leading rice producer in the United States. The state represents 50.1% of total U.S. rice production and 49.8% of the total acres planted to rice in 2022. Rice cultural practices vary across the state and across the U.S. However, these practices are also dynamic and continue to evolve in response to changing political, environmental, and economic times. This survey was initiated in 2002 to monitor and record changes in the way Arkansas rice producers approach their livelihood. The survey was conducted by polling county extension agents in each of the counties in Arkansas that produce rice. Questions …

Arkansas Corn And Grain Sorghum Research Studies 2022, Victor Ford, Jason Kelley, Nathan Mckinney Ii

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The 2022 edition of the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Research Studies Series includes research results on topics pertaining to corn and grain sorghum production, including weed, disease, and insect management; economics; sustainability; irrigation; post-harvest drying; soil fertility; mycotoxins; cover crop management; and research verification program results. Our objective is to capture and broadly distribute the results of research projects funded by the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Board. The intended audience includes producers and their advisors, current investigators, and future researchers. The Series serves as a citable archive of research results.

Reports in this publication are 2–3 year summaries. …

International Rice Outlook: International Rice Baseline Projections 2022-2032, A. Durand-Morat, S. Bairagi, W. Mulimbi

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

Rice prices in Asia increased since the Summer of 2022 mainly due to worries about a reduction in rice production in India caused by an abnormal monsoon season (Fig. 1). The upward trend in export prices solidified after India implemented a 20% export tariff on brown and milled long-grain rice, and a complete ban on exports of broken rice, in September 2022 to curve down exports and release the pressure on domestic rice prices. India’s rice export prices increased since then and proportionally to the value of the export tax. The latest estimates put rice production at 128 million metric …

Arkansas Soybean Performance Tests 2022, J. F. Carlin, R. B. Mulloy, R. D. Bond

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Soybean variety and strain performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Crop Variety Improvement Program. The tests provide information to companies developing varieties and/ or marketing seed within the state, and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating variety recommendations for soybean producers.

Exploring The Potential Of Heterosis To Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency In Popcorn Plants, Talles De Oliveira Santos, Antônio Teixeira Do Amaral Junior, Rosimeire Barboza Bispo, Wallace De Paula Bernado, Bruna Rohem Simão, Valter Jário De Lima, Marta Simone Mendonça Freitas, Freddy Mora-Poblete, Roberto Dos Santos Trindade, Samuel Henrique Kamphorst, Weverton Pereira Rodrigues, Eliemar Campostrini, Flávia Nicácio Viana, Cosme Damião Cruz

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Nitrogen is crucial for plant growth and development, and improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is a viable strategy for reducing dependence on nitrogen inputs and promoting sustainability. While the benefits of heterosis in corn are well known, the physiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon in popcorn are less understood. We aimed to investigate the effects of heterosis on growth and physiological traits in four popcorn lines and their hybrids under two contrasting nitrogen conditions. We evaluated morpho-agronomic and physiological traits such as leaf pigments, the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII, and leaf gas exchange. Components associated with NUE were also evaluated. …