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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CLIMATE EXTREMES ARE EXPOSING CROPS AND ORNAMENTAL GRASSES TO INCREASING DROUGHT STRESS. DROUGHT IS PREDICTED TO REACH HISTORIC EXTENTS IN THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL USA THIS CENTURY, EXACERBATED BY INCREASING DEMANDS IN HUMAN WATER CONSUMPTION. ESTIMATES ARE THAT LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION, INCLUDING TURFGRASS, IN ARID REGIONS OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA USE 45 TO 60% OF MUNICIPAL FRESHWATER RESOURCES. THIS RESEARCH AIMS TO IMPROVE DROUGHT STRESS RESPONSE IN PLANTS THROUGH APPLICATIONS OF A PLANT-PROTECTIVE OSMOLYTE (GLYCINE BETAINE) THAT IS DELIVERED VIA HIGHLY POROUS SILICA PARTICLES. THIS RESEARCH WILL TEST THE OSMOLYTE NANO-SILICA FORMULATION IN TWO GRASSES: WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM) A STAPLE FOOD CROP, AND A PERRENIAL RYEGRASS (LOLIUM PERENNE). SILICA IS ITSELF A MICRONUTRIENT FOR PLANTS, PROVIDING POTENTIAL SECONDARY BENEFITS. THE SELECTED GRASSES WILL BE TREATED VIA FOLIAR APPLICATIONS AND CONTRASTED WITH SOIL APPLICATIONS OF THE GLYCINE BETAINE NANO-SILICA FORMULATIONS. IN THIS MANNER THE MODES OF OSMOLYTE / NANO-SILICA UPTAKE AND DISTRIBUTION IN THE PLANTS WILL BE CHARACTERIZED IN ORDER TO DEVELOP FORMULATIONS THAT PROVIDE THE GREATEST BENEFIT TO THE PLANTS. THE VIGOR OF TREATED AND CONTROL PLANTS WILL BE MEASURED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER IMPOSED DROUGHT CONDITIONS. THE EFFICACY OF THE OSMOLYTE FORMULATIONS WILL BE ASSESSED THROUGH SHOOT LENGTH, SHOOT MASS, PHOTOSYNTHETIC EFFICIENCY, AND STIMULATION OF ADDITIONAL OSMOLYTE PRODUCTION IN THE TREATED PLANTS (I.E., A PRIMING EFFECT WHERE THE EXTERNALLY APPLIED OSMOLYTE INDUCES A DEFENSE RESPONSE IN THE PLANTS). THE NANO-CARRIER IS SELECTED TO DELIVER THE GLYCINE BETAINE PAYLOAD TO THE PLANT, BYPASSING SOIL AND PLANT-ASSOCIATED MICROBES THAT MIGHT CONSUME THE PAYLOAD BEFORE IT REACHES THE TARGET PLANT TISSUES. THE ANTICIPATED BENEFITS FROM THIS RESEARCH WILL IMPACT A WIDE RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS. MUNICIPAL WATER RATIONING OF LAWNS, GOLF COURSES, SPORTS FIELDS, ETC., MAY FIND GREATER COMPLIANCE IF A ROBUST RECOVERY COULD BE DEMONSTRATED BY A SINGLE APPLICATION OF THE OSMOLYTE FORMULATION BEFORE AN EXTENDED WATER WITHHOLDING PERIOD. FOR FOOD CROPS SUCH AS DRYLAND WHEAT, THE OSMOLYTE APPLICATION MAY BRIDGE CROP SURVIVAL UNTIL THE NEXT RAIN.

$299,999FY2024National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

Utah State University, Logan UT

Investigators

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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CLIMATE EXTREMES ARE EXPOSING CROPS AND ORNAMENTAL GRASSES TO INCREASING DROUGHT STRESS. DROUGHT IS PREDICTED TO REACH HISTORIC EXTENTS IN THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL USA THIS CENTURY, EXACERBATED BY INCREASING DEMANDS IN HUMAN WATER CONSUMPTION. ESTIMATES ARE THAT LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION, INCLUDING TURFGRASS, IN ARID REGIONS OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA USE 45 TO 60% OF MUNICIPAL FRESHWATER RESOURCES. THIS RESEARCH AIMS TO IMPROVE DROUGHT STRESS RESPONSE IN PLANTS THROUGH APPLICATIONS OF A PLANT-PROTECTIVE OSMOLYTE (GLYCINE BETAINE) THAT IS DELIVERED VIA HIGHLY POROUS SILICA PARTICLES. THIS RESEARCH WILL TEST THE OSMOLYTE NANO-SILICA FORMULATION IN TWO GRASSES: WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM) A STAPLE FOOD CROP, AND A PERRENIAL RYEGRASS (LOLIUM PERENNE). SILICA IS ITSELF A MICRONUTRIENT FOR PLANTS, PROVIDING POTENTIAL SECONDARY BENEFITS. THE SELECTED GRASSES WILL BE TREATED VIA FOLIAR APPLICATIONS AND CONTRASTED WITH SOIL APPLICATIONS OF THE GLYCINE BETAINE NANO-SILICA FORMULATIONS. IN THIS MANNER THE MODES OF OSMOLYTE / NANO-SILICA UPTAKE AND DISTRIBUTION IN THE PLANTS WILL BE CHARACTERIZED IN ORDER TO DEVELOP FORMULATIONS THAT PROVIDE THE GREATEST BENEFIT TO THE PLANTS. THE VIGOR OF TREATED AND CONTROL PLANTS WILL BE MEASURED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER IMPOSED DROUGHT CONDITIONS. THE EFFICACY OF THE OSMOLYTE FORMULATIONS WILL BE ASSESSED THROUGH SHOOT LENGTH, SHOOT MASS, PHOTOSYNTHETIC EFFICIENCY, AND STIMULATION OF ADDITIONAL OSMOLYTE PRODUCTION IN THE TREATED PLANTS (I.E., A PRIMING EFFECT WHERE THE EXTERNALLY APPLIED OSMOLYTE INDUCES A DEFENSE RESPONSE IN THE PLANTS). THE NANO-CARRIER IS SELECTED TO DELIVER THE GLYCINE BETAINE PAYLOAD TO THE PLANT, BYPASSING SOIL AND PLANT-ASSOCIATED MICROBES THAT MIGHT CONSUME THE PAYLOAD BEFORE IT REACHES THE TARGET PLANT TISSUES. THE ANTICIPATED BENEFITS FROM THIS RESEARCH WILL IMPACT A WIDE RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS. MUNICIPAL WATER RATIONING OF LAWNS, GOLF COURSES, SPORTS FIELDS, ETC., MAY FIND GREATER COMPLIANCE IF A ROBUST RECOVERY COULD BE DEMONSTRATED BY A SINGLE APPLICATION OF THE OSMOLYTE FORMULATION BEFORE AN EXTENDED WATER WITHHOLDING PERIOD. FOR FOOD CROPS SUCH AS DRYLAND WHEAT, THE OSMOLYTE APPLICATION MAY BRIDGE CROP SURVIVAL UNTIL THE NEXT RAIN. · GrantIndex