Optimized Phosphorus Application Alleviated Adverse Effects of Short-Term Low-Temperature Stress in Winter Wheat by Enhancing Photosynthesis and Improved Accumulation and Partitioning of Dry Matter

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Please Address the following comments:

1- Abstract requires quantifying results

2- Figure1, Temperatures only not enough, please add other vital parameters like precipitation, solar radiation, wind speed, and relative humidity.

3- Discussion need improvement by interpreting the results with different references. In addition, I do recommend further PCA analysis for the studied parameters and yield components to show clearly the interrelationships between them. 

 

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

agronomy-1801040-peer-review-v1

The paper: Optimized Phosphorus Application Enhance Low-Temperature Stress Tolerance in Winter Wheat through Photosynthesis and Carbohydrate Accumulation and Redistribution, concerns interesting. Despite interesting idea, the manuscript has a lot of flaws that needs to be corrected before consideration for publication

Some suggestions and comments indicated below for author’s further improvement:

 General comment:

Title: use of the word "carbohydrate" in the title of the manuscript was not successful.

 

Abstract: abstract should be shorted.

 

Introduction:

The paragraph on the importance of phosphorus under low-temperature stress tolerance in wheat should be supported by more modern references (Line 77-89).

 

Materials and Methods:

Table 1: Remove Notes, then the number of replicates must be mentioned in the previous paragraph. There is no need to explain the abbreviations under Table 1 because they are mentioned in details in the materials and methods section. For example, 12 pots were planted for each treatment of YN19 and XM26, 128 respectively, and the total number of pots was 144, Remove it.

TPA or R1 and OPA or R2, please unify the abbreviation.

What do you mean optimized phosphorus application especially base application and top application?

Authors mentioned on March 14 to 15 when the spikes had reached the anther differentiation period observed under a microscope, all pots except the control treatments were moved to an artificial climate box, between 01:00 and 05:00, It is not clear what time the pots was moved and returned and what is the temperature around the control treatment plants at the same time? It should be explained.

 Booting stage, flowering stage and grain-filling dates in wheat must be indicated.

The authors did not indicate that the average night time temperature during March was 6.9 ℃.

I noticed the temperatures in the month of March, which are in the range of 4-5 degrees, were repeated in 10 days at night. What did the authors explain for this and on what basis did they expose the plants to the same temperature that was already available at that time and for only 4 hours? In other words, what did the treatment add?

 

Results:

The paragraph on plant height can be rewritten briefly.

The paragraph on Tillers Number and Leaf Areas per Plant can be rewritten briefly and combined.

It is clear from all the tables (2, 3 , 4 and 5) that each wheat variety was analyzed separately and this is a mistake because it is a factorial experiment. I think the data should be re-analyzed again.

Discussion:

The authors began the discussion part with low-temperature stress can induce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and with the increase of low-temperature intensity, frequency and duration, excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species causes irreversible harm to plants, the MS misses many measurements, for example, ROS (H2O2, Superoxide radicals).

Paragraph (437- 454): the paragraph needs additional references on the importance and relationship of phosphorous to wheat growth under low-temperature stress.

The paragraph explaining photosynthesis refers to the importance of chlorophyll, antioxidants, enzyme activities and malondialdehyde,  MS misses these analyzes.

Authors mentioned is well known that crop growth and development and stress tolerance are closely related to nutrient supply, why didn't he analyze the different elements in MS?

 

 

 

 Specific comments:

Line 96, 99: It is better not to use the abbreviation OPA, but rather mention the term without abbreviations.

Line 135,136: Why are average temperature on the day and the lowest temperature mentioned only?

Line 184: TGW?

Line 195: Remove it, with the rest of the results renumbered.

Line 198,199: the plant height increased first and then decreased, how?

Line 201: The abbreviation of R1CK was mentioned for the first time.

Line 200: (Figure 2A, 2B) edit to (Figure 2 A, B), with this generalization in the rest of the MS.

Table 2: Pn, Gs, C1 and Tr , add these abbreviations under the table then can be rewritten briefly and combined this paragraph. Whereas Pn, Gs and Tr take the same direction.

Line 451-454: What does nitrogen application have to do with this MS?

 

 

 

 

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

This manuscript provides useful information on the phenomenon of optimized phosphorus application enhancing low-temperature stress tolerance in wheat, as it examines this phenomenon using two wheat varieties, two low-temperature treatments, and two phosphorus application methods, and discusses the mechanism based on plant dry matter accumulation, photosynthesis and carbohydrate accumulation and redistribution. However, I recommend revising the manuscript according to the following comments.

 

Statistical analysis is questionable. 

Do you understand the statistical properties of Duncan's new multiple range test and KMO test?

In your manuscript, Duncan's new multiple range test was used. However, it is strongly recommended to use the Tukey HSD test instead of Duncan's new multiple range test to show more accurate statistical analysis results.

In your manuscript, correlation tests were calculated using KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) test. However, the KMO test is a measure of how suited your data is for factor analysis, and the test measure sampling adequacy for each variable in the model and for the complete model [References: https://www.statisticshowto.com/kaiser-meyer-olkin/]. 

I think it is a mistake to use the KMO test value as a correlation analysis. The KMO test evaluates the assumptions of the factor analysis, and does not calculate correlation coefficient.

It is strongly recommended to calculate the Pearson's correlation coefficient due to the nature of your data, and to use the Pearson's correlation coefficient for making Figure 4. 

 

Abstract

Line 39: The damage of Low-temperature; Low => low

 

Introduction

Line 96: OPA => optimized phosphorus application (OPA)

 

Materials and Methods

Line 138: at –4°C (T1) or 4°C (T2) => at 4°C (T1) or –4°C (T2)

 

Results

It is need to make Figure 4 based on the Pearson's correlation coefficient, and describe the results.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear authors

I'm very happy with your responses. The manuscript has been significantly improved. All concerns have been addressed. Now i can recommend the publication of this manuscript.

Thank you so much and all the best wishes 

 

 

 

 

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

 

Thank you very much for your review of the manuscript entitled " Optimized Phosphorus Application Enhance Low-Temperature Stress Tolerance in Winter Wheat through Photosynthesis and Carbohydrate Accumulation and Redistribution" (agronomy-1801040). With your help and guidance, the quality of our manuscripts has been greatly improved. Thanks again.

 

Best regards,

 

Authors

Reviewer 3 Report

I confirmed that the manuscript was corrected correctly.

 

This is minor comment.

Page 2, Introduction, Line 87

the effects of optimized phosphorus application on the => the effects of optimized phosphorus application (OPA) on the

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

 

Thank you very much for your review of the manuscript entitled " Optimized Phosphorus Application Enhance Low-Temperature Stress Tolerance in Winter Wheat through Photosynthesis and Carbohydrate Accumulation and Redistribution" (agronomy-1801040).

 

Point 1: Page 2, Introduction, Line 87 “the effects of optimized phosphorus application on the => the effects of optimized phosphorus application (OPA) on the”

Response 1: Thanks for your attention to the minor issues. We have corrected this in revised MS (page 2, line 88).

 

Thank you again for your valuable comments and help in improving this manuscript.

 

Best regards,

 

Hui Xu