Xavier Serrat Gurrera

Scopus Publications

C and N allocation on wheat under the effects of depleted, current and elevated [CO2] are modulated by water availability
Salvador Aljazairi, Brigen Manikan, Xavier Serrat, Salvador Nogués
Plant Stress, 2024
• Using long-term treatments with different CO 2 concentrations (depleted, current, and elevated) and water availability (well-watered and mild water stress), as well as short-term labelling with 13 C and 15 N in wheat durum plants, we found the following: • The plant's response to different environmental [CO 2 ] was modulated by water availability, and therefore, C and N allocation was also modulated by both factors. • The physiological plant response was acclimation to different environmental CO 2 was modulated by water availability; the photosynthetic acclimation affected the C and N allocation in plants. However, this acclimation was broken during grain filling changing the C and N allocation in our plants. • Plants under depleted [CO 2 ] presented lower drought resistance than those under the current [CO 2 ]. Plants under elevated [CO 2 ] conditions presented higher drought resistance than those in the current [CO 2 ]. • However, the mechanisms controlling whole C and N plant acquisition and allocation under different climatic scenarios with environmental stresses in wheat plants are not completely clear and require further studies. Although elevated atmospheric [CO 2 ] has substantial indirect effects on vegetation carbon uptake via associated climate change, their dynamics remain unclear. The carbon and nitrogen allocation and partitioning in durum wheat were compared at different [CO 2 ] and different water availability. The aim of this study was to investigate how the impacts of depleted and elevated [CO 2 ] driven climate change on Mediterranean wheat plants under drought conditions. For that reason, double stable isotope labelling using 13 CO 2 and 15 NH 4 - 15 NO 3 was conducted to follow 13 C and 15 N allocation and partitioning in the different plant organs. Plants were studied in growth chambers under three different CO 2 environments (depleted, current and elevated) and two water availability conditions (well-watered and mild-water-stress). Isotopic 13 C and 15 N determination, gas exchange analyses and growth parameters were measured. We show that plants subjected to depleted and elevated [CO 2 ] suffered up and down regulation of photosynthesis respectively, but their responses were both modulated by water availability. Depleted [CO 2 ] and drought reduced plant biomass. However, elevated [CO 2 ], show that the initial positive effect of elevated [CO 2 ] on carbon uptake declined rapidly, showing a consequence of physiological acclimation and the inhibition of [Rubisco] and activity, this effect was more evident in combination with drought. In both cases, depleted [CO 2 ] and elevated [CO 2 ] condition modified the C and N allocation compared with current [CO 2 ], overall combined with drought. These results obtained highlight the different C and N management strategies of wheat and provide relevant information about the potential response of plants under global climate change conditions.
Comparative Salt-Stress Responses in Salt-Tolerant (Vikinga) and Salt-Sensitive (Regalona) Quinoa Varieties. Physiological, Anatomical and Biochemical Perspectives
Xavier Serrat, Antony Quello, Brigen Manikan, Gladys Lino, Salvador Nogués
Agronomy, 2024
Soil salinization is an important stress factor that limits plant growth and yield. Increased salinization is projected to affect more than 50% of all arable land by 2050. In addition, the growing demand for food, together with the increase in the world population, forces the need to seek salt-tolerant crops. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is an Andean crop of high importance, due to its nutritional characteristics and high tolerance to different abiotic stresses. The aim of this work is to determine the physiological, anatomical, and biochemical salt-tolerance mechanisms of a salt-tolerant (Vikinga) and a salt-sensitive (Regalona) quinoa variety. Plants were subjected to salinity stress for 15 days, starting at 100 mM NaCl until progressively reaching 400 mM NaCl. Physiological, anatomical, and biochemical parameters including growth, chlorophyll content, quantum yield of PSII (ϕPSII), gas exchange, stomatal density, size, and lipid peroxidation (via malondialdehyde, MDA) were measured. Results show that chlorophyll content, ϕPSII, and MDA were not significantly reduced under saline stress in both varieties. The most stress-affected process was the CO2 net assimilation, with an up to 60% reduction in both varieties, yet Vikinga produced higher dry weight than Regalona due to the number of leaves. The stomatal densities increased under salinity for both varieties, with Regalona the one showing higher values. The averaged stomatal size was also reduced under salinity in both varieties. The capacity of Vikinga to generate higher dry weight is a function of the capacity to generate greater amounts of leaves and roots in any condition. The stomatal control is a key mechanism in quinoa’s salinity tolerance, acquiring higher densities with smaller sizes for efficient management of water loss and carbon assimilation. These findings highlight the potential of Vikinga for cultivation in temperate salinized environments during winter, such as Deltas and lowlands where rice is grown during summer.
Non-chemical weed management for sustainable rice production in the Ebro Delta
Alfred Palma‐Guillén, Miquel Salicrú, Ariadna Nadal, Xavier Serrat, Salvador Nogués
Weed Research, 2024
Weed control is one of the major challenges in rice cultivation, and the use of agrochemicals for this crop is severely restricted under the new European agricultural policy. Therefore, new effective non‐chemical weed control techniques are the key to sustain European rice production. We investigated four non‐chemical weed management strategies in the Ebro Delta in north‐eastern Spain, two in dry‐seeded rice fields and two in water‐seeded rice fields. In addition, two controls per sowing condition were included: a positive control consisting of chemical herbicides treatment and a negative control consisting of no weeding and no seeding. Mechanical weeding using a rotary harrow placed in front of the seeder was the best weeding technique for dry seeding, while ‘stale seed bed’ and transplanting was the best performing technique for wet seeding. Both techniques were as effective as the chemical weeding control, reducing the density of weeds and the supplementary manual weeding time needed for those weed species more abundant in Ebro Delta rice fields (i.e., Echinochloa oryzoides, Echinochloa crus‐galli, Bolboschoenus maritimus and Heteranthera reniformis). Thus, non‐chemical weeding alternatives have been proven effective for both, transplanting and dry seeding field management strategies.
Marker-Assisted Introgression of the Salinity Tolerance Locus Saltol in Temperate Japonica Rice
Caterina Marè, Elisa Zampieri, Viviana Cavallaro, Julien Frouin, Cécile Grenier, Brigitte Courtois, Laurent Brottier, Gianni Tacconi, Franca Finocchiaro, Xavier Serrat, Salvador Nogués, Mireia Bundó, Blanca San Segundo, Noemi Negrini, Michele Pesenti, Gian Attilio Sacchi, Giacomo Gavina, Riccardo Bovina, Stefano Monaco, Alessandro Tondelli, Luigi Cattivelli, Giampiero Valè
Rice, 2023
Background Rice is one of the most salt sensitive crops at seedling, early vegetative and reproductive stages. Varieties with salinity tolerance at seedling stage promote an efficient growth at early stages in salt affected soils, leading to healthy vegetative growth that protects crop yield. Saltol major QTL confers capacity to young rice plants growing under salt condition by maintaining a low Na+/K+ molar ratio in the shoots. Results Marker-assisted backcross (MABC) procedure was adopted to transfer Saltol locus conferring salt tolerance at seedling stage from donor indica IR64-Saltol to two temperate japonica varieties, Vialone Nano and Onice. Forward and background selections were accomplished using polymorphic KASP markers and a final evaluation of genetic background recovery of the selected lines was conducted using 15,580 SNP markers obtained from Genotyping by Sequencing. Three MABC generations followed by two selfing, allowed the identification of introgression lines achieving a recovery of the recurrent parent (RP) genome up to 100% (based on KASP markers) or 98.97% (based on GBS). Lines with highest RP genome recovery (RPGR) were evaluated for agronomical-phenological traits in field under non-salinized conditions. VN1, VN4, O1 lines were selected considering the agronomic evaluations and the RPGR% results as the most interesting for commercial exploitation. A physiological characterization was conducted by evaluating salt tolerance under hydroponic conditions. The selected lines showed lower standard evaluation system (SES) scores: 62% of VN4, and 57% of O1 plants reaching SES 3 or SES 5 respectively, while only 40% of Vialone Nano and 25% of Onice plants recorded scores from 3 to 5, respectively. VN1, VN4 and O1 showed a reduced electrolyte leakage values, and limited negative effects on relative water content and shoot/root fresh weight ratio. Conclusion The Saltol locus was successfully transferred to two elite varieties by MABC in a time frame of three years. The application of background selection until BC3F3 allowed the selection of lines with a RPGR up to 98.97%. Physiological evaluations for the selected lines indicate an improved salinity tolerance at seedling stage. The results supported the effectiveness of the Saltol locus in temperate japonica and of the MABC procedure for recovering of the RP favorable traits.
Drought Impact on the Morpho-Physiological Parameters of Perennial Rhizomatous Grasses in the Mediterranean Environment
Claudia Arias, Gladys Lino, Elena Sánchez, Salvador Nogués, Xavier Serrat
Agriculture Switzerland, 2023
The selection of non-food crops for bioenergy production in limiting environments is a priority for energy security and climate change mitigation. Therefore, more studies are needed on the interactions between species and environmental factors in specific sites which allows their selection for biomass production. The objective of this work is to study the impact of drought on the morpho-physiological parameters of perennial rhizomatous grasses Panicum virgatum L., Miscanthus × giganteus, and Arundo donax L. in the Mediterranean environment. Plants were grown on field and trials were carried out under support-irrigation and rainfed conditions during two consecutive years. Morpho-physiological parameters were measured in May, June and August, and dry biomass at the end of the experiment. Under rainfed conditions, A. donax presented the highest photosynthesis rate (25, 15 and 10 CO2 m−2 s−1), relative water content (85–90%), and dry biomass (~4500 g plant−1) compared with P. virgatum (20, 5 and 5 CO2 m−2 s−1, 65–85% RWC and ~1400 g plant−1) and Miscanthus (18, 4 and 0 CO2 m−2 s−1, 80–10% RWC and ~260 g plant−1). It is concluded that A. donax would be the best perennial rhizomatous grass to be used as bioenergy crop under Mediterranean conditions.
Arundo donax L. growth potential under different abiotic stress
Gladys Lino, Paula Espigul, Salvador Nogués, Xavier Serrat
Heliyon, 2023
Arundo donax L. (giant reed) is a fast-growing, vegetatively multiplying, and rhizomatous perennial grass. It is considered a leading crop for biomass production on marginal and degraded lands under different adverse conditions such as drought, salinity, waterlogging, high and low temperatures, and heavy metal stress. The giant reed tolerance to those stresses is reviewed based on its effects on photosynthetic capacity and biomass production. Possible explanations for the giant reed tolerance against each particular stress were elucidated, as well as changes shown by the plant at a biochemical, physiological and morphological level, that may directly affect its biomass production. The use of giant reed in other areas of interest such as bioconstruction, phytoremediation, and bioremediation, is also reviewed. Arundo donax can be key for circular economy and global warming mitigation.
Dissecting Rice Pearl Character, an Important Added Value in High-Quality Temperate Mediterranean Japonica Cultivars
Xavier Serrat, Luisa Moysset, Irene Ferreres, Salvador Nogués
Agronomy, 2023
Rice holds an important sociocultural meaning in Europe, and especially in the gastronomy of its Mediterranean regions, as it is used for world-famous recipes such as Risotto in Italy and Paella in Spain. Paella is prepared with highly appreciated pearled (white-core) rice cultivars such as Bomba or Montsianell, while Risotto is prepared with white-belly Carnaroli cultivar among others. Pearled rice grains have a limited and enclosed translucent zone which is physicochemically different from stress-induced chalky grains present in any rice cultivar at a low rate, and whose opaque area covers at least three quarters of the grain surface. We have studied for the first time the physicochemical aspects of grains from pearled white-belly, white-core and crystalline rice grains of Mediterranean japonica rice cultivars in comparison with their defective stress-induced chalky grains in order to shed some light on their differences. Spanish Bomba and Montsianell white-core (pearled) cultivars have similar physicochemical behaviours but are clearly different from white-belly Carnaroli cultivar. Furthermore, their pearled fractions differ in some traits from stress-induced chalkiness, especially in terms of amyloplastic integrity, relative amylose content and relative storage protein content. This study establishes some physicochemical differences between white-belly, white-core and stress-induced defective chalky grains and will guide future studies to unravel this much-appreciated pearl character in the Mediterranean gastronomy.
Integrative Approach for Precise Genotyping and Transcriptomics of Salt Tolerant Introgression Rice Lines
Mireia Bundó, Héctor Martín-Cardoso, Michele Pesenti, Jorge Gómez-Ariza, Laia Castillo, Julien Frouin, Xavier Serrat, Salvador Nogués, Brigitte Courtois, Cécile Grenier, Gian Attilio Sacchi, Blanca San Segundo
Frontiers in Plant Science, 2022
Rice is the most salt sensitive cereal crop and its cultivation is particularly threatened by salt stress, which is currently worsened due to climate change. This study reports the development of salt tolerant introgression lines (ILs) derived from crosses between the salt tolerant indica rice variety FL478, which harbors the Saltol quantitative trait loci (QTL), and the salt-sensitive japonica elite cultivar OLESA. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and Kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASPar) genotyping, in combination with step-wise phenotypic selection in hydroponic culture, were used for the identification of salt-tolerant ILs. Transcriptome-based genotyping allowed the fine mapping of indica genetic introgressions in the best performing IL (IL22). A total of 1,595 genes were identified in indica regions of IL22, which mainly located in large introgressions at Chromosomes 1 and 3. In addition to OsHKT1;5, an important number of genes were identified in the introgressed indica segments of IL22 whose expression was confirmed [e.g., genes involved in ion transport, callose synthesis, transcriptional regulation of gene expression, hormone signaling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation]. These genes might well contribute to salt stress tolerance in IL22 plants. Furthermore, comparative transcript profiling revealed that indica introgressions caused important alterations in the background gene expression of IL22 plants (japonica cultivar) compared with its salt-sensitive parent, both under non-stress and salt-stress conditions. In response to salt treatment, only 8.6% of the salt-responsive genes were found to be commonly up- or down-regulated in IL22 and OLESA plants, supporting massive transcriptional reprogramming of gene expression caused by indica introgressions into the recipient genome. Interactions among indica and japonica genes might provide novel regulatory networks contributing to salt stress tolerance in introgression rice lines. Collectively, this study illustrates the usefulness of transcriptomics in the characterization of new rice lines obtained in breeding programs in rice.
A comprehensive study of the proteins involved in salinity stress response in roots and shoots of the FL478 genotype of rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica)
Camilo López-Cristoffanini, Mireia Bundó, Xavier Serrat, Blanca San Segundo, Marta López-Carbonell, Salvador Nogués
Crop Journal, 2021
Rice, a major staple, is the most salt-sensitive cereal. High salinity triggers several adaptive responses in rice to cope with osmotic and ionic stress at the physiological, cellular, and molecular levels. A major QTL for salinity tolerance, named Saltol, is present on chromosome 1 of Indian landraces such as Pokkali and Nona Bokra. The early proteomic and physiological responses to salinity in roots and shoots of FL478, an inbred rice line harboring the Saltol QTL, were characterized. Plantlets were cultured in hydroponic cultures with 100 mmol L−1 NaCl and evaluated at 6, 24, and 48 h. At the physiological level, root length significantly increased at 48 h, whereas shoot length was reduced. The Na+/K+ ratio was maintained at lower levels in shoots than in roots, suggesting that roots play a protective role. More than 2000 proteins were detected in both tissues. Roots showed a faster and more coordinated proteomic response than shoots, evident after only 6 h of treatment. These responses showed clear correspondence with those of proteins involved in transcription and translation. Maintenance of mitochondrial activity and amino acid metabolism in roots, and activation of stress-responsive proteins such as dehydrins and PLAT in shoots, may play a key role during the response of the plant to salinity stress. Proteomic and physiological responses showed that roots respond in a more highly adaptive manner than shoots to salinity stress, suggesting that this tissue is critical to the tolerance observed in cultivars harboring Saltol.
Characterization of different arundo donax L. Clones from the mediterranean region
Elena Sánchez, Gladys Lino, Xavier Serrat, Salvador Nogués
Agronomy, 2021
The present study assessed the behavior of four clones of Arundo donax L. (giant reed) as a perennial rhizomatous grass of increasing interest due to its high biomass production and great adaptability to stress conditions. In this study, a molecular, physiological, and biomass characterization was performed in greenhouse conditions on four Mediterranean clones. The majority of physiological and biomass parameters were not significantly different between clones. However, it was possible to observe large differences in the chromosome count for the four clones. In this way, we detected different numbers of chromosomes for each clone (98 to 122), but surprisingly, no correlation was observed between their chromosome numbers and their physiological and biomass responses.
Arundo donax L.: How high photosynthetic capacity is maintained under water scarcity conditions
Elena Sánchez, Pablo Rivera-Vargas, Xavier Serrat, Salvador Nogués
Agronomy, 2021
Phytohormone profiling method for rice: Effects of GA20ox mutation on the gibberellin content of Japonica rice varieties
Camilo López-Cristoffanini, Xavier Serrat, Olga Jáuregui, Salvador Nogués, Marta López-Carbonell
Frontiers in Plant Science, 2019
Colchicine and osmotic stress for improving anther culture efficiency on long grain temperate and tropical japonica rice genotypes
Irene Ferreres, Mirari Ortega, Camilo López-Cristoffanini, Salvador Nogués, Xavier Serrat
Plant Biotechnology, 2019
Morpho-Physiological Responses of Alamo Switchgrass During Germination and Early Seedling Stage Under Salinity or Water Stress Conditions
Claudia Arias, Xavier Serrat, Lluïsa Moysset, Patricia Perissé, Salvador Nogués
Bioenergy Research, 2018
Antimitotic and hormone effects on green double haploid plant production through anther culture of Mediterranean japonica rice
Isidre Hooghvorst, Eduardo Ramos-Fuentes, Camilo López-Cristofannini, Mirari Ortega, Raimon Vidal, Xavier Serrat, Salvador Nogués
Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture, 2018
An improved anther culture procedure for obtaining new commercial mediterranean temperate japonica rice (Oryza sativa) genotypes
Camilo López-Cristoffanini, Xavier Serrat, Eduardo Ramos-Fuentes, Isidre Hooghvorst, Roser Llaó, Marta López-Carbonell, Salvador Nogués
Plant Biotechnology, 2018
EMS mutagenesis in mature seed-derived rice calli as a new method for rapidly obtaining TILLING mutant populations
Xavier Serrat, Roger Esteban, Nathalie Guibourt, Luisa Moysset, Salvador Nogués, Eric Lalanne
Plant Methods, 2014
A Mediterranean japonica rice (Oryza sativa) cultivar improvement through anther culture
X. Serrat, M. Cardona, J. Gil, A. M. Brito, L. Moysset, S. Nogués, E. Lalanne
Euphytica, 2014
Direct and reverse pollen-mediated gene flow between GM rice and red rice weed
X. Serrat, R. Esteban, G. Penas, M. M. Catala, E. Mele, J. Messeguer
Aob Plants, 2013

Xavier Serrat Gurrera

EDUCATION

Scopus Publications