Carbon Isotope Discrimination: A Gateway to Smarter Water Use and Drought-resilient Cereals
| dc.contributor.author | Mafirakurewa, Tariro | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mathema, Ndabanye | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mutanda, Maltase | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-08-21T06:28:23Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-08-21T06:28:23Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-06-09 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ¹³C) is widely used as an integrative physiological trait for assessing intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) in cereals under water limited conditions. This review synthesizes the physiological basis linking Δ¹³C to iWUE through intercellular-to-atmospheric CO₂ ratios (cᵢ/cₐ), emphasizing sto matal conductance, photosynthetic capacity, and genotype × environment interactions. Environmental drivers, including drought, temperature, vapor pressure defi cit, and atmospheric CO₂, are evaluated alongside differences between C₃ and C₄ cereals. Analytical approaches such as isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and laser-based methods are compared in terms of precision and scalability. Evidence shows a strong inverse relationship between Δ¹³C and iWUE in C₃ species, while C₄ responses are weaker due to CO₂ concentrating mechanisms. Despite limitations related to environmental sensitivity and inconsistent trait-yield relationships, integrating Δ¹³C with complementary traits, multi-environment testing, and genomic tools enhances its application in breeding. Δ¹³C remains a valuable tool for developing drought-resilient cereal ideotypes. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Mafirakurewa, T., Mathema, N. and Mutanda, M. (2026) ‘Carbon Isotope Discrimination: A Gateway to Smarter Water Use and Drought-resilient Cereals’, International Journal of Food Science and Agriculture, 10(2), pp. 131–145 DOI: 10.26855/ijfsa.2026.06.003 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2578-3467 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | DOI: 10.26855/ijfsa.2026.06.003 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir.gsu.ac.zw/handle/123456789/1082 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Hill Publishing | |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | International Journal of Food Science and Agriculture; Volume 10, 2026 - Issue 2 | |
| dc.subject | Wheat | |
| dc.subject | drought tolerance | |
| dc.subject | C₃ photosynthesis | |
| dc.subject | crop improvement | |
| dc.subject | climate resilience | |
| dc.subject | carbon isotopic signatures | |
| dc.title | Carbon Isotope Discrimination: A Gateway to Smarter Water Use and Drought-resilient Cereals | |
| dc.type | Article |