Collaboration

The center, directed by Dr. Wei Gao, has developed extensive collaborations and interactions with researchers from universities and research institutions in the fields of agriculture, natural resource, ecology, climate modeling, and crop modeling. Some of them are introduced here.

Dr. K. Raja Reddy at Mississippi State University Collaboration with Mississippi State University is led by Dr. K. Raja Reddy at the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. The primary focus of this group is to investigate the effects of UV-B radiation on crop growth, development, and physiology. Experiments are carried out in the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Research facility and algorithms are developed. This work addresses our long-term goal of understanding the interactive effects of environmental factors including UV-B radiation on crop growth, development and yield. The objectives of this study are: 1) to quantify several phenomenological, growth and physiological parameters of crop plants as affected by UV-B radiation in interaction with other environmental factors, 2) to provide knowledge that will aid in identifying heat and UV-B-sensitive parameters of crop plants that can be manipulated by plant breeders to develop cultivars better suited to high-temperature and higher UV-B radiation environments, and 3) to provide quantitative functional algorithms needed to improve crop simulation models, which in turn, can be used for climate change impact analysis across the United States to assist in crop management decisions for producers and economic and policy decisions for resource mangers. This study is using a unique system of daylight chambers that allow the growth of row crops under complete control of microclimate and atmosphere, with simultaneous precise monitoring of water, carbon, and nitrogen balance throughout the experimental period of the crop.
Dr. Ronald Ryel at Utah State University Collaboration with Utah State University is led by Dr. Ronald Ryel along with Mr. Steve Flint at the Department of Forest, Range, and Wildlife Sciences, College of Natural Resources. The primary focus of this group is to test plant acclimation and biological spectral weighting functions of solar ultraviolet radiation. Field experiments have been conducted on Mauna Kea, HI at approximately 3,000 m elevation and Utah State in containers under horizontal filters. Preliminary weighting functions have been developed and the relative effects of UV-A and UV-B have been examined under the field conditions. Epidermal transmittance of UV has been extensively investigated, including its diurnal variation and governing factors. More work is necessary to validate these results and to find solutions for the questions found in the experiments.
Dr. Rich Grand at Purdue University Cooperation with Purdue Applied Meteorology Group is led by Dr. Rich Grand at the Department of Agronomy. The primary focus of this group is to evaluate UV-B impacts on soybean growth and development and UV-B irradiance and crop development interactions. Recently, their research activities include: determine the frequency of exposures producing the ‘sunburn’ response across the USA, and determine the frequency of conditions under which the plant will likely recover from the ‘sunburn’ event once short-term high UV episodes end. determine the physiological impacts of leaf ‘sunburn’ under field conditions. characterize the genetic basis for the leaf ‘sunburn’ plant response under greenhouse conditions. develop a model to estimate the UVA irradiance from the UV-MFRSR 368 nm spectral irradiance.
Dr. Xin-Zhong Liang at University of Illinois This group, led by Dr. Xin-Zhong Liang at Illinois Sate Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is developing an integrated impact assessment system that fully couples the Earth? climate (by using the state-of-the-art mesoscale regional Climate-Weather Research and Forecasting model, CWRF), ultraviolet-visible solar radiation and crop growth models (GOSSYM, and DSSAT) as well as assimilates satellite and in situ observations and ultimately predicts climate-crop interactions. In particular, we are developing an advanced model infrastructure to quantify the impacts of important environmental stressors, including temperature, moisture, nutrient, UV radiation, CO2 concentration, aerosols and other air pollutants, on agricultural crop yield and quality. This effort will facilitate model sensitivity studies to provide credible information on crop responses to regional climate variability and changes for decision makers to determine optimal cultural practices, assess potential risks, and identify risk management strategies. The coupled model results can be directly validated with the UVMRP UV and PAR measurements while offering a unique tool to predict crop life cycle processes over the entire US.
Dr. Craig N. Austin at Cornell University Collaboration with Dr. Craig N. Austin at the Department of Plant Pathology, Cornell University is focused on the effects of UV-B radiation on the development of powdery mildew on fruit and foliage of grape plants. The objectives of this subject are: Determine the effects of shading versus direct sun exposure on the development of powdery mildew on both fruit and foliage, and investigate possible mechanisms involved. Determine the degree of powdery mildew control provided by exposing fruit and foliage to sunlight via practices such as pruning, training, and leaf pulling. Investigate the interaction of sun exposure and plant water status on powdery mildew development.
Dr. Joseph Sullivan at University of Maryland The primary focus of this group is to integrate plant biochemical and phytochemical responses to incident levels of solar UV-B radiation. It provides evaluation of short-term plant responses to UV-B such as leaf development, foliar chemistry (photosynthetic and putative UV-screening phenolics) and level of DNA dimmers produced in plants developing under contrasting UV-B environments. These responses are linked with ambient UV-B fluxes obtained from the USDA UV-B Monitoring Network. Our studies have placed particular emphasis on rapid responses that may be modulated by short-term (daily) fluctuations in ambient levels of UV-B radiation. These responses, which were also made within the context of long-term studies on response of trees to UV-B radiation included evaluation of changes in leaf chemistry and the protection afforded by this response to DNA and photosystem integrity, photosynthetic efficiency and the response to drought conditions.
USDA Phytonutrients Laboratory Collaboration with USDA Phytonutreints Laboratory is led by Dr. Steven Britz. This group focuses on evaluation of daily changes in biologically effective UV-B radiation using data from the USDA UV-B Monitoring and Research Program to select realistic UV-B treatments for greenhouse or growth chamber simulations.
Drs. John Bassman and Lisa Shipley at Washington State University Collaboration with Washington State University is led by Drs. John Bassman and Lisa Shipley at Department of Natural Resource Sciences. This research group focuses on the effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on secondary chemistry in forage species and consequences for nutrition of a specialist and generalist mammalian herbivore The objectives of this research are 1) Determine the effects of enhanced solar UV-B radiation on the concentration of key classes of secondary compounds from both the shikimate acid and mevalonic acid pathways in forage species with inherently different levels of these compounds; 2) where changes are significant, identify selected key compounds of potential importance to herbivore nutrition; 3) Quantify effects of enhanced UV-B on nutritional quality of these same forage species for a specialist and generalist mammalian herbivore through preference, intake, and digestibility; (4) Relate changes in plant secondary chemistry to nutritional responses.