Biology subjects

Brym, Z.

Publications and source records attributed to Brym, Z..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2021

Spatial and Texture Analysis of Root System Architecture with Earth Mover's Distance

PurposeRoot system architectures are complex and challenging to characterize effectively for agronomic and ecological discovery. MethodsWe propose a new method, Spatial and Texture Analysis of Root SystEm distribution with Earth movers Distance (STARSEED), for comparing root system distributions that incorporates spatial information through a novel application of the Earth Movers Distance (EMD). ResultsWe illustrate that the approach captures the response of sesame root systems for different genotypes and soil moisture levels. STARSEED provides quantitative and visual insights into changes that occur in root architectures across experimental treatments. ConclusionSTARSEED can be generalized to other plants and provides insight into root system architecture development and response to varying growth conditions not captured by existing root architecture metrics and models. The code and data for our experiments are publicly available: https://github.com/GatorSense/STARSEED.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Photoperiodic Flowering Response of Essential Oil, Grain, and Fiber Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars

Cultivation of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in tropical and subtropical regions can be challenging if flowering behavior of a given cultivar is unknown, poorly understood, or not accurately selected for the photoperiod. Identifying cultivars adapted to local environmental conditions is key to optimizing hemp vegetative and flowering performance. We investigated the effects of varying light cycles in regulating extension growth and flowering response of 15 essential oil and 12 fiber/grain hemp cultivars both in indoors and outdoors. Plants were subjected to eleven photoperiods in the controlled rooms ranging from 12 h to 18 h, and natural day length in the field. The critical photoperiod threshold was identified for seven essential oil cultivars and two fiber/grain cultivars. Cherry Wine-CC, PUMA-3, and PUMA-4 had the shortest critical day length between 13 h 45 min and 14 h. The flowering of essential oil cultivars was generally delayed by 1 to 2 d when photoperiod exceeded 13 h compared to 12 h, and flowering was further delayed by 7 to 8 d when photoperiod exceed 14 h. In fiber/grain cultivars, flowering was generally delayed by 1 to 3 d when day length exceeded 14 h. Flowering for most essential oil cultivars was delayed by 5 to 13 d under 14 h photoperiod compared to 13 h 45 min, suggesting a photoperiod difference as little as 15 min can significantly influence the floral initiation of some essential oil cultivars. Cultivars represented by the same name but acquired from different sources can perform differently under the same environmental conditions, suggesting genetic variation among cultivars with the same name. Average days to flower of fiber/grain cultivars was correlated with reported cultivar origin with faster flowering occurring among northern cultivars when compared to southern cultivars. Plant height generally increased as the day length increased in essential oil cultivars but was not affected in fiber/grain cultivars. In addition, civil twilight of approximately 2 {micro}mol{middle dot}m-2{middle dot}s-1 was discovered to be biologically effective in regulating hemp flowering. Collectively, we conclude that most of the essential oil cultivars and some southern fiber/grain cultivars tested express suitable photoperiods for tropical and sub-tropical region cultivation.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Evaluation of substrate composition and exogenous hormone application on vegetative propagule rooting success of essential oil hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

To support the rapidly expanding industrial hemp industry, a commercial supply of high-quality starter plants with low genetic variability from nurseries will be key to consistent and efficient cultivation efforts. Rooting success was evaluated across four propagation medias, five rooting hormones, and eight commercially available high-cannabidiol (CBD) essential oil hemp cultivars. Cuttings were placed in a climate-controlled room and assessed for rooting success 12 days after cloning. Rooting success was determined by quantifying total root number, cumulative total root length, and total root mass. Propagation media had the greatest effect on rooting success (13-80 %). Rockwool had the highest rooting success resulting in 10-fold increases in rooting traits over the next highest scoring medium (Berger BM6). Hormone applications significantly improved (15-to 18-fold) rooting success compared to no hormone application, while non-statistical differences were observed across auxin hormone concentrations and application methods. Genetic variation in rooting response was observed between cultivars with Cherry Wine outperforming all other cultivars with an approximate 20% increase in rooting success over the next highest rooting cultivar, Wife. Although the ideal combination was not specifically identified in this study, findings provide insight into how rooting hormone application and medium selection impact vegetative propagule rooting success of essential oil hemp.

plant biology↗