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Spatio-temporal variability in fruit production (masting) has been regarded as a key mechanism to increase plant fitness by reducing seed predation. However, considerably more effort has been devoted into understanding the consequences of temporal rather than spatial variations in fruit crop for plant fitness. In order to simultaneously evaluate both components, we quantify fruit production and pre-dispersal damage by three arthropod species (mites, chalcid wasps and moths) in the Spanish juniper ( Juniperus thurifera) during 3 years in a spatially explicit context. Our aims were to assess (1) the interaction between fruit production and pre-dispersal fruit damage by arthropods, (2) the potential interference or competition between arthropods, and (3) the form of the phenotypic selection exerted by arthropods on fruit traits considering the spatial context. Arthropods damaged a substantial fraction of fruits produced by Spanish juniper with levels of damage showing sharp inter-annual variations. Fruit damage by mites was negatively related to yearly fruit crop and positively correlated at individual trees fruiting in consecutive years. Increased interspecific interference was an additional consequence of reduced fruit availability during small crop years. During a masting year, fruit damage by less mobile species such as mites was negatively affected by tree crop size, and no spatial structure was observed for mite damage. The incidence of chalcid wasps was low, so the spatial pattern of seed predation was unclear, and no preferences for fruit or seed traits were detected. Conversely, moths selected larger fruits and their incidence on trees was spatially aggregated up to 20 m, with predation levels being negatively affected by fruit abundance at the patch level, suggesting a positive density-dependent effect of neighbors on fruit output. These results highlight the importance of including the spatial component to understand complex species interactions at local scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Botany is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Alum sludge from wastewater treatment was applied at five rates on a phosphorus-deficient sand, and the effects on cereal growth and nutrition were investigated over 2 years. An inorganic fertilizer treatment, reapplied in the second year, was also included. The grain yield for inorganic fertilizer was 44% higher than the control in year 1 and 58% higher in year 2. Alum sludge was an adequate source of nitrogen for crop growth, and supplied sufficient residual nitrogen to meet crop requirements in year 2. However, grain yield in the alum sludge treatment applied at an equivalent available nitrogen rate to the inorganic fertilizer was 62% (year 1) and 69% (year 2) of the yield achieved by the inorganic fertilizer, though greater than the control. No toxic forms of aluminium were detected in the soil at any rate of alum sludge application. Plant shoot tissue analysis indicated that wheat sown in alum sludge-amended soil and the control were phosphorus deficient, whereas phosphorus was adequate in the inorganic fertilizer treatment. There was no evidence of any other nutrient deficiency. Alum sludge amendment resulted in an increase in soil phosphorus; however, further soil analysis indicated that forms of phosphorus present in alum sludge-amended soil may not be available for crop uptake; this is consistent with phosphorus deficiency observed in plant tissue in alum sludge-treated soil. It is suggested that on this nutrient-poor sand, the ability of alum sludge to provide sufficient phosphorus for plant production was limited in the 2 years after application. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is an important crop in Japan, with a long history of cultivation. Although many eggplant cultivars and lines have been developed, their nutrient concentrations, including phenolic compounds, have not been investigated in detail. In the present study, we investigated varietal differences in the concentrations of taste (e.g., soluble sugars, organic acids, and amino acids) and functional (e.g., chlorogenic acid, anthocyanins, and amino acids) compounds in eggplant fruit using 34 cultivars and lines with diverse growth habits, fruit shapes, sizes, and colours. The concentrations of taste and functional compounds differed among cultivars and lines. Variations in chlorogenic acid [0.1 - 2.5 mg g-1 fresh weight (FW)] and anthocyanin (0.0 - 0.4 A532 units g -1 FW) concentrations were greater than those of soluble sugars (e.g., sucrose, 0.5 - 1.7 mg g-1 FW; glucose, 7.6 - 13.7 mg gl FW; fructose, 6.2 - 15.0 mg g-t FW) and organic acids (e.g., citric acid, 0.07 - 0.21 mg g-1 FW; malic acid, 0.9 - 1.9 mg g 1 FW). We also found that the coefficient of variation in amino acid concentrations varied with amino acid. Glutamine (27.4 - 135.8 mg 100 g-1 FW) and arginine (4.5 -23.1 mg 100 g-1 FW) had the largest variation between varieties. These results indicate the importance of cultivar selection to optimise the concentrations of ingredients and will contribute to improvements in the functionality of eggplant through breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines whether traditional customs affect household's welfare by taking the case of the work prohibition related with religion in rural Ethiopia. Although the anecdotal evidence suggests that work prohibition by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, to observe the religious holidays, is one of the reasons for the high poverty incidence in Ethiopia, the estimation results do not show that there is a significant effect of the number of religious holidays observed on agricultural productivity and household welfare. Observance of religious holidays affects crop choice and income source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forms of Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare (barley) that possess a naked caryopsis are an important human staple and are mainly found today in eastern Asia. However, naked barley has not always been an eastern crop: archaeobotanical data show that it was prevalent in Europe and the Near East during various periods in prehistory. In this review we have collated data on the incidence of hulled and naked barley at archaeological sites in Europe and the Near East from two sources: archaeobotanical literature reviews and an archaeobotanical database, both assembled by Helmut Kroll. We have also examined the incidence of hulled and naked barleys in extant germplasm collections. Our compilation of this archaeobotanical data has enabled us to elucidate long-term changes in the ratio of hulled to naked barley under cultivation in these regions; specifically, these records show that naked barley begins to disappear from the archaeobotanical record from the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age onwards in the Near East, and from the Iron Age/Roman periods onwards in Europe. We discuss the possible causes of this decline in naked barley cultivation in these regions, along with the present-day prevalence of naked barley landraces in eastern Asia, particularly in relation to genetic evidence, which shows that naked barley has a single origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation of soil erosion 3D (E3D) provides basic information that can help manage agricultural areas sustainably, which has not been sufficiently conducted in Indonesia. Sumani watershed is main rice production area in West Sumatra which has experienced environmental problem such as soil erosion and production problem in recent years. 3D Agro-ecological land use planning based on soil erosion 3D hazard and economic feasibility analyses consist of production cost and prize data for each crop. Using a kriging method in Surfer tool program, have been developed data base from topographic map, Landsat TM image, climatic data and soil psychochemical properties. Using these data, the Universal Soil Loss Equation was used for spatial map of soil erosion 3D and proposed a 3D agro- ecological land use planning for sustainable land management in Sumani watershed. A 3D Agro-ecological land use planning was planned under which the land use type would not cause more than tolerable soil erosion (TER) and would be economically feasible. The study revealed that the annual average soil erosion from Sumani watershed was approximately 76.70 Mg ha-1 yr-1 in 2011 where more than 100 Mg ha-1 yr-1 was found on the cultivated sloping lands at agricultural field, which constitutes large portion of soil erosion in the watershed. Modification of land use with high CP values to one with lower CP values such as erosion control practices by reforestation, combination of mixed garden+beef+chicken (MBC), terrace (TBC) or contour cropping+beef+chicken (CBC) and sawah+buffalo+chicken (SBC) could reduce soil erosion rate by 83.2%, from 76.70 to 12.9 Mg ha-1 yr-1, with an increase in total profit from agricultural production of about 9.2% in whole Sumani watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research was aimed to study the potency of two leguminous cover crops in enhancing tailing fertility of post tin mining with and without addition of mineral soil and compost. This pot experiment was carried out in Greenhouse of Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Sriwijaya University from November 2011 until March 2012. Design experiment used was a Completly Randomized Design (CRD) factorial with two factors. The first factor was type of cover corps which were Centrosema pubescens and Pueraria javanica. The second factor was plant media composition which were 100% sand tailing, 60% sand tailing + 40% mineral soil, and 95% sand tailing + 5% compost. The result showed that N content on sand tailing after harvesting applied by compost and mineral soil was not significant by difference. Meanwhile, P content on sand tailing applied by compost was higher than mineral soil application and/or control (100% sand tailing). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predictions of two models on biomass allocation were compared on P-stressed and non-stressed crop plants. Allometric coefficients were calculated from paired measurements of root and shoot biomass obtained from field and greenhouse experiments with soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), and maize (Zea mays L.) plants. Soybean consistently followed the allometric model, with the allocation pattern governed by the plant size (common slope K of 0.96 and 0.82 in the field and greenhouse, respectively). Sunflower and maize showed allometric trajectories in the field but optimal partitioning trajectories in the greenhouse. Field data for sunflower and maize adjusted to a unique line (K = 0.92 and 1.05, respectively) indicating that the biomass allocation is explained by allometric trajectories irrespective of the P level. In contrast, greenhouse data adjusted to two parallel lines (i.e., different elevation coefficient but similar slope: 0.91 for sunflower, 0.96 for maize). Only under severe P stress sunflower and maize plants modified their allocation pattern. Since the severity of the P stress needed to induce a shift in the allocation pattern would be large, we conclude that the three species follow unique root to shoot allometric trajectories under P levels usually found in the field. Most studies analyze the slope of the allometric relationships irrespective of the intercept. Here, we show that only the joint analysis of the slope and the elevation helps understand the effect of P availability on the biomass allocation pattern of relevant crop species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dedicated bioenergy crops such as perennial warm-season grasses (WSGs) may reduce soil erosion and improve soil properties while providing biomass feedstock for biofuel. We quantified impacts of perennial WSGs and row crops on soil wind erodibility parameters (erodible fraction, geometric mean diameter of dry aggregates, and aggregate stability) and soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration under a dedicated bioenergy crop experiment in eastern Kansas after 4 and 5 yr of management. Soil properties were measured under switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii L.), miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), and annual row crops including continuous corn (Zea mays L.), photoperiod sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.], sweet sorghum, and grain sorghum. Perennial WSGs reduced wind erodible fraction by 1.08 to 1.16 times compared with row crops. The geometric mean diameter of dry aggregates under switchgrass and miscanthus was 2.8 to 4.5 times greater than under row crops. Dry soil aggregate stability under miscanthus and big bluestem was greater than under row crops. After 5 yr, differences in SOC concentration between WSGs and row crops were not statistically significant for the 0- to 15-cm depth. Photoperiod sensitive and sweet sorghum had greater biomass yield than WSGs. In 2011, miscanthus yielded more biomass than corn by 5.3 Mg ha-1. Overall, growing dedicated bioenergy crops can reduce the soil's susceptibility to wind erosion but may not significantly increase SOC concentration in this region in the short term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentinel-2 is planned for launch in 2014 by the European Space Agency and it is equipped with the Multi Spectral Instrument (MSI), which will provide images with high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution. It covers the VNIR/SWIR spectral region in 13 bands and incorporates two new spectral bands in the red-edge region, which can be used to derive vegetation indices using red-edge bands in their formulation. These are particularly suitable for estimating canopy chlorophyll and nitrogen (N) content. This band setting is important for vegetation studies and is very similar to the ones of the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) on the planned Sentinel-3 satellite and the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) on Envisat, which operated from 2002 to early 2012. This paper focuses on the potential of Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 in estimating total crop and grass chlorophyll and N content by studying in situ crop variables and spectroradiometer measurements obtained for four different test sites. In particular, the red-edge chlorophyll index (CI red-edge ), the green chlorophyll index (CI green ) and the MERIS terrestrial chlorophyll index (MTCI) were found to be accurate and linear estimators of canopy chlorophyll and N content and the Sentinel-2 and -3 bands are well positioned for deriving these indices. Results confirm the importance of the red-edge bands on particularly Sentinel-2 for agricultural applications, because of the combination with its high spatial resolution of 20 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are increasing societal and plant industry demands for more accurate, objective and near real-time crop production information to meet both economic and food security concerns. The advent of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite platform has augmented the capability of satellite-based applications to monitor large agricultural areas at acceptable pixel scale, cost and accuracy. Fitting parametric profiles to growing season vegetation index time series reduces the volume of data and provides simple quantitative parameters that relates to crop phenology (sowing date, flowering). In this study, we modelled various Gaussian profiles to time sequential MODIS enhanced vegetation index (EVI) images over winter crops in Queensland, Australia. Three simple Gaussian models were evaluated in their effectiveness to identify and classify various winter crop types and coverage at both pixel and regional scales across Queensland's main agricultural areas. Equal to or greater than 93% classification accuracies were obtained in determining crop acreage estimates at pixel scale for each of the Gaussian modelled approaches. Significant high to moderate correlations (log-linear transformation) were also obtained for determining total winter crop ( R 2 = 0.93) areas as well as specific crop acreage for wheat ( R 2 = 0.86) and barley ( R 2 = 0.83). Conversely, it was much more difficult to predict chickpea acreage ( R 2 ≤ 0.26), mainly due to very large uncertainties in survey data. The quantitative approach utilised here further had additional benefits of characterising crop phenology in terms of length of growing season and providing regression diagnostics of how well the fitted profiles matched the EVI time series. The Gaussian curve models utilised here are novel in application and therefore will enhance the use and adoption of remote sensing technologies in targeted agricultural application. With innate simplicity and accuracies comparable to other more convoluted multi-temporal approaches it is a good candidate in determining total and specific crop acreage estimates in future national and global food security frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring Earth dynamics using current and future satellites is one of the most important objectives of the remote sensing community. The exploitation of image time series from sensors with different characteristics provides new opportunities to increase the knowledge about environmental changes and to support many operational applications. This paper presents an image fusion approach based on multiresolution and multisensor regularized spatial unmixing. The approach yields a composite image with the spatial resolution of the high spatial resolution image while retaining the spectral and temporal characteristics of the medium spatial resolution image. The approach is tested using images from Landsat/TM and ENVISAT/MERIS instruments, but is general enough to be applied to other sensor pairs. The potential of the proposed spatial unmixing approach is illustrated in an agricultural monitoring application where Landsat temporal profiles from images acquired over Albacete, Spain, in 2004 and 2009 are complemented with MERIS fused images. The resulting spatial resolution from Landsat allows monitoring small and medium size crops at the required scale while the fine spectral and temporal resolution from MERIS allow a more accurate determination of the crop type and phenology as well as capturing rapidly varying land-cover changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in rhizospheric soils of different crops viz., apple, citrus, litchi, pea, cauliflower, cabbage, fenugreek, mustard, turmeric, maize, and potato growing under diverse agroclimatic regions of Himachal Pradesh was made in the present study. The results reveal that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are widely present in relatively higher population of Glomus, Scutellospora and Acaulospora under brown alluvial soils. Apple, fenugreek, litchi and maize were found to be the best hosts for root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals have long-term adverse impacts on the health of soil ecosystems and even exhibit hazardous influences on human health. Literatures have shown that heavy metals could result in the reduction of crops growth and development and finally result in crops production decline. To determine whether or not ultrasonic vibration alleviate damage induced by cadmium and lead in crops, the wheat seeds, which is one of the most important agriculture crops in China and other countries in the world, were exposed to 10 min ultrasonic vibration and then the toxicological effects were investigated. Wheat seeds were soaked for 3 h with water and then the seeds were placed in clean beaker with some water, the beaker were placed in ultrasonic apparatus to vibrate (model, KQ-200VDV; frequency, 45 KHz; power, 160 W). Pretreatment seeds of 80 were sown in dishes (Ø 15 cm). After seeds emergence, the seedlings were thinned to 60 per dish. The dishes with seedlings were placed in a growth chamber maintained at 25 °C, 70 % relative humidity and 380 μmol mol CO under dark condition. A 400 μmol m s photosynthetically active radiation was provided for 8 h (dark for 16 h) after the seed germination. When the seedlings were 2 days old, the seedlings were subjected to cadmium and lead for 4 days and then some selective biochemical and physiological parameters were measured. (1) Although each doses of ultrasonic vibration could improve seed germination, enhance biosynthesis of protein and chlorophyll and seedlings growth, the optimum dosage of ultrasonic vibration was 10 min. (2) Compared with the controls, cadmium and lead stress led to significant increase in the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and O and in the conductivity of electrolyte leakage, but the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), the glutathione concentration, and the shoot weight were decreased by Cd and Pb stress. In the case of the seeds exposed to ultrasonic vibration and the seedlings followed by cadmium lead stress, the concentrations of MDA and O, and the conductivity of electrolyte leakage were significantly lower than those in cadmium and lead stress; the activities of CAT, SOD, and GR and the shoot weight were significantly higher (except for glutathione (GSH) concentration) than those in cadmium and lead stress seedlings. The membrane is responsible for the selective inflow and outflow of molecules, ions, and water, and is a dynamic structure that performs a variety of functions. Cellular membrane systems play an important role in the compartmentalization of cells and maintaining intercellular homeostasis. Abiotic and biotic stress can induce functional impairments to the cellular membrane systems through triggering an increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide (O), hydrogen peroxide (HO), and hydroxyl radicals. There are several pathways that can be utilized to eliminate ROS in plants, e.g., CAT, SOD, and GR and GSH, etc. compared with controls, cadmium, and lead enhanced the concentrations of ROS; decreased the SOD, CAT, and GR activities; the GSH concentration, and the seedling growth. In the case of ultrasonic pretreatment followed by cadmium and lead stresses, the activities of CAT, SOD, and GR were significant higher, and the conductivity of electrolyte leakage and the concentrations of MDA and O were significant lower than that of those subjected by cadmium and lead stress. This phenomenon demonstrated ultrasonic pretreatment can help plant eliminate the ROS by enhance the activities of antioxidant enzymes. These results suggested that ultrasonic vibration can alleviate the toxicological effect induced by heavy mental. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agave Linnaeus, 1753 is endemic of America and is considered one of the most important crops in Mexico due to its key role in the country's economy. Cytogenetic analysis was carried out in A. tequilana Weber, 1902 'Azul', A. cupreata Trelease et Berger, 1915 and A. angustifolia Haworth, 1812. The analysis showed that in all species the diploid chromosome number was 2n = 60, with bimodal karyotypes composed of ive pairs of large chromosomes and 25 pairs of small chromosomes. Furthermore, diferent karyotypical formulae as well as a secondary constriction in a large chromosome pair were found in all species. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was used for physical mapping of 5S and 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA). All species analyzed showed that 5S rDNA was located in both arms of a small chromosome pair, while 18S rDNA was associated with the secondary constriction of a large chromosome pair. Data of FISH analysis provides new information about the position and number of rDNA loci and helps for detection of hybrids in breeding programs as well as evolutionary studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, the impact of elevated CO on crops has become a major issue in the context of climate change. Increasing CO levels should modify the plant demand for nutrients, but precise effects on plant physiology are poorly known. Here, we studied the effect of ambient CO at 400 μmol mol and high CO at 1,000 μmol mol on safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L.) at N levels from 25 to 175 kg ha. Growth and physiology of safflower were assessed in pots in controlled enclosure chambers in a glasshouse. Overall results show that high CO increased assimilation rate by +27 %, leaf area index (LAI) by +28 %, total above-ground dry weight by +51 %, and total above-ground dry weight by +43 % at harvest. High CO reduced stomatal conductance by −29 % and transpiration rate by −18 %. At anthesis, results show that high CO increases assimilation rate by +13 %, LAI by +2 %, and above-ground dry weight by +34 %. At anthesis, results also show that high CO decreases leaf N and chlorophyll content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sewage sludge, a waste material commonly known as biosolids, has good potential as a valuable agricultural resource, providing that its nutrient imbalances could be overcome. Sewage sludge is rich in phosphorus but low in nitrogen and potassium. Technology exists to supplement sewage sludge with mineral fertilizers, such as urea and muriate of potash as sources of nitrogen and potassium, respectively, to produce an organo-mineral fertilizer with balanced crop nutrient requirements. Here, an experimental plot trial set up in 2008 was established at Broxton, Cheshire, UK, to compare crop yield response for typical crop varieties. Crops included wheat, oilseed rape, barley, beans and forage maize, treated with conventional fertilizer and organo-mineral fertilizer. The organo-mineral fertilizer is a nutrient-balanced sludge-based product produced by drying digested sewage sludge cake at 80 °C in a tumbling evaporator, which produces sludge granules of 3-6 mm in diameter. Analysis was carried out on soil NPK and crop yield. N use efficiency was measured to assess N uptake. Results show that there is no significant difference in crop yield between treatments over the three trial years, with the exception of one crop. This finding demonstrates that the new organo-fertilizer is as efficient as conventional fertilizers. Moreover, levels of heavy metal in soil did not exceed permissible levels. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that it is the first field scale trial of a modified sewage sludge product that has the potential to transform a hitherto waste product into a practical fertilizer product. We conclude that the organo-mineral fertilizer is a promising alternative product for sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Silva Lusitana is the property of Unidade de Investigacao de Silvicultura e Productos Florestais and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, remote sensing technology and crop production functions were used to compare the theoretical crop coefficient () and the theoretically optimal or potential crop evapotranspiration (ET) with actual ET for 751 alfalfa fields in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico. Results of the remote sensing showed that, although potential alfalfa water use for the year 2008 was 1,451 mm, actual water use at the field level ranged from 386 to 1,241 mm with an average ET of 901 mm for the growing season. Average ET was also calculated using the average yield and published crop production functions. The average ET estimated from average yield using two different crop production functions was between 975-979 mm. Reasons for field-level ET and crop coefficient variability include current irrigation methods and technology, lack of knowledge of irrigation scheduling, limited water supply, interference of harvesting schedule with the irrigation, cultural practices, and economic factors. The results of the study have implications on water rights adjudication and economic return from alfalfa production. The results also reflect the potential for improvement in agricultural productivity and economic return by changing irrigation techniques and agronomic practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sweet sorghum is a domesticated grass containing a sugar-rich juice that can be readily utilized for ethanol production. Most of the sugar is stored inside the cells of the stalk tissue and can be difficult to release, a necessary step before conventional fermentation. While this crop holds much promise as an arid land sugar source for biofuel production, a number of challenges must be overcome. One lies in the inherent labile nature of the sugars in the stalks leading to a short usable storage time. Also, collection of sugars from the sweet sorghum stalks is usually accomplished by mechanical squeezing, but generally does not collect all of the available sugars. Results: In this paper, we present two methods that address these challenges for utilization of sweet sorghum for biofuel production. The first method demonstrates a means to store sweet sorghum stalks in the field under semi-arid conditions. The second provides an efficient water extraction method that can collect as much of the available sugar as feasible. Operating parameters investigated include temperature, stalk size, and solid-liquid ratio that impact both the rate of sugar release and the maximal amount recovered with a goal of low water use. The most desirable conditions include 30°C, 0.6 ratio of solid to liquid (w/w), which collects 90 % of the available sugar. Variations in extraction methods did not alter the efficiency of the eventual ethanol fermentation. Conclusions: The water extraction method has the potential to be used for sugar extraction from both fresh sweet sorghum stalks and dried ones. When combined with current sugar extraction methods, the overall ethanol production efficiency would increase compared to current field practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the feasibility of monitoring crop growth based on a trend analysis of three elementary radar scattering mechanisms using three consecutive years (2008–2010) of RADARSAT-2 (R-2) Fine Quad Mode data. The polarimetric synthetic aperture radar analysis is based on the Pauli decomposition. Multitemporal analysis is applied to RGB images constructed using surface scattering, double-bounce, and volume scattering, along with intensity analysis of these scattering mechanisms. The test site is located in Eastern Ontario, Canada where the cropping system is dominated by corn, spring wheat, and soybeans. Each crop has unique physical structural characteristics which provide different responses for these scattering mechanisms. Significant changes occur in these scattering mechanisms as the crops move from one phenological stage to the next. By monitoring these changes over the season, the crop growth cycle from emergence to harvest can be observed. When harvest occurs, the backscatter intensities change significantly, and these changes aid in identifying crops. The temporal evaluation of the intensity of the scattering mechanisms generally track the measured leaf area index and observed phenological plant development. Changes in growth stage are crop type specific. Thus, to monitor changes in crop phenology and the occurrence of harvest activities, knowledge of the crop grown in any particular field is required. To accommodate this requirement, a maximum likelihood classification was performed on the R-2 data to produce a crop map. An overall classification accuracy of 85\% was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The tools of biotechnology present an opportunity to infuse a new round of technology into Indian agriculture, which has been going through "technology fatigue" in recent period. These technologies follow from the conventional plant breeding techniques and complement them in improving crops to resist biotic and abiotic stresses, break yield barriers, and sustain yields in the face of resource degradation and climatic change. Though India has been making rapid strides in the field of biotechnology, the progress in harnessing agricultural biotechnology is rather slow largely due to the uncertainties created by campaigns by civil society groups based on ideological grounds. However, the commercialization of biotech cotton with a gene from soil bacterium Bacillus thuriengensis is a small step taken in the right direction in 2002. That has brought about a revolution in cotton production and productivity; catapulted India to the second leading position in cotton production in the world and earned foreign exchange worth more than Rs. 60000 crores in the last decade. Most importantly, it has improved the conditions of cotton farmers and accrued additional gains worth more than Rs. 75000 crores. Now is the time to move beyond cotton and replicate the success in other crops by providing the required enabling framework for the private sector, apart from enhanced investments in the public sector and public private partnerships and industry-academia linkages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a multiannual comparison at regional scale of currently available 1-km global leaf area index (LAI) products with crop-specific green area index (GAI) retrieved from 250-m spatial resolution imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The crop-specific GAI product benefits from the following extra processing steps: 1) spatial filtering of time series based on pixel purity; 2) transforming the time scale to thermal time; and 3) fitting a canopy structural dynamic model to smooth out the signal. In order to perform a rigorous comparison, these steps were also applied to the 1-km LAI products, namely, MODIS LAI (MCD15) and LAI produced in the CYCLOPES (Carbon cYcle and Change in Land Observational Products from an Ensemble of Satellites) project. A simple indicator was also designed to quantify the increase in temporal smoothness that can thus be obtained. The results confirm that, for winter wheat, the 250-m GAI product provides a more realistic description of the time course of the biophysical variable in terms of reaching higher values, grasping the variability, and providing smoother time series. However, the use of thermal time and pixel purity also improves the temporal consistency and coherence of the 1-km products. Overall, the results of this study suggest that these techniques could be valuable in harmonizing remote sensing data coming from different sources with varying spatial and temporal resolution for enhanced vegetation monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: New water retention materials, super absorbent polymers (SAPs), have shown the potential to improve some soil physicochemical properties and promote growth of some crop species in arid and semi-arid areas. However, the impacts of SAPs on soil microbial properties are unclear. This study was conducted to clarify the effects of two SAPs on soil microbial properties and Chinese cabbage ( Brassica chinensis) growth under different water conditions in the greenhouse. Materials and methods: Experimental conditions included different irrigation conditions and different quantities of SAPs. Chinese cabbage was harvested after 1-month growth in the greenhouse. Meanwhile, soil samples were collected and sieved (<2-mm mesh). Some of the soils were kept at −4 °C for analysis of soil physicochemical properties, and some at −20 °C for analysis of soil microbial properties. Chinese cabbage samples were thoroughly washed with deionized water for the measurement of fresh weight, shoot length, and root length. Results and discussion: The effects from SAPs were not obvious under water sufficient (WC1, watered every 2 days, and WC2, watered every 4 days) since plant properties were smaller in some SAP treatments than those in control. However, under water deficit (WC3, watered every 8 days), there were significant differences in plant shoot length and fresh weight between SAP treatments. There were also significant differences in relative soil water content between water condition (WC) or SAP treatments. The SAPs were beneficial for the formation of large aggregates. Under WC3, the soil organic matter (SOM) increased by 16.9 and 11.5 %, soil microbial biomass C (SMBC) by 32.5 and 19.3 %, and soil microbial respiration (SMR) by 52.1 and 37.2 % with Jaguar C (JC) and Jaguar S (JS), respectively. Under WC1 and WC2, significantly higher copy numbers of AOA in bulk treatment of JC were found compared with control treatment in this study. Under water deficit, the abundance of bacteria was significantly increased by application of SAPs. For almost every property of soil and plant, JC was showing better effects than JS. Conclusions: Our results showed that cabbage growth was restricted under water-deficit conditions and the application of SAPs could conserve soil water and be useful for increasing cabbage growth under water deficit, improving SOM, SMBC, and SMR under different WC, and stimulating amoA gene AOA copy numbers and bacterial gene copy numbers. Thus, there should be no adverse effects of SAP application on soil microbial environment and Chinese cabbage growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding wheat with blue grain was conducted at the Crop Research Institute in Prague. Initial donor material came from the legacy of Erich von Tschermak-Seysenegg. Long-term crosses with a series of winter wheat varieties were made with the aim of transferring blue grain colour into cultivated varieties. The prospective material was later handed over to Agrotest Fyto, Ltd., Kroměříž, where line no. 6 was selected from the population RU 440. At the end of 2011, the new winter wheat variety Skorpion with blue grain was registered in Austria. It is intended for special use in the food industry. The anthocyanins which it contains are considered to offer health benefits due to their antioxidant effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of rapid and reliable tools for monitoring of plants' cold tolerance is a prerequisite for research aimed at breeding of cold-tolerant crop plants. Therefore, we have tested the capacity of metabolomics-based methods employing ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-mass spectrometry and direct analysis in real time-mass spectrometry for high-throughput screening of cold tolerance in eight differentially cold-tolerant accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana. Metabolomic fingerprinting of leaf tissues was performed in methanolic extracts for (1) 6-week-old non-acclimated (NAC) plants grown at room temperature, (2) NAC plants cold-acclimated (ACC) at 4 °C for 2 weeks, and (3) cold-acclimated plants given sub-zero-temperature treatments by slow cooling at −4 °C for 8 h. The generated chromatograms and mass spectra were processed with the use of multivariate statistical analysis employing principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis. The PCA of metabolomic fingerprints classified the investigated A. thaliana accessions into three categories with low, intermediate, and high cold tolerance for both the cold-acclimated and the sub-zero-temperature-treated plants. This indicates the potential application of metabolomics-based fingerprinting for measuring cold tolerance in the cold-acclimated state, i.e., without treating plants at freezing temperatures that is required by currently available methods. Furthermore, we employed UHPLC coupled to the quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry to identify characteristic metabolites in ACC state and found the abundance of gluconapin and flavon-3-ol glycosides, respectively, in the cold-sensitive and the cold-tolerant accessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of organic and biodynamic production methods is to create and maintain a balance between the environment protection and the growing technology for each crop tipe, beginning with the soil tillage system wich is aimed to ensure harmony and keeps a balance between the natural resources and the crop needs. The yields level depends mostly on the optimum application of all the technological sequences beginning with the soil selection and finishing with the crop harvesting. The agricultural product obtained has to be satisfactory both in quantity and quality. Nowadays, although the quantity is very important, more often the stress lays on quality; consumers being more and more oriented towards healthy food which has a great contribution to the living standard enhancement [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research is based on the production results obtained on wheat crops in long term experiments conducted on an argyle phaeozem soil at SCA Turda. The goal of this research is to scientifically, agrochemically and economically substantiate the differentiated fertilization systems involved in obtaining big productions in the reference area. In this study we tried to track the effect of the nitrogen-potassium interaction in achieving the productions obtained in 2012. The research presents the stated results as annual (partial) values and it will continue with them as being reference values for further experimental years (as stages in long term experiments) and obviously with approaches that will economically substantiate the suggested solutions. The production data are obtained from these experiments, framed in the "long term experiments system" from ASAS-ICDCPT Fundulea network which hold objectives that target both the effect and efficiency of differentiated fertilizations on productions and also the impact of fertilizers on the soil fertility evolution, on the quality of the productions obtained. The degree of novelty of this study can be expressed through the fact that for the type of soil and genotypes used in the experiments we can establish fertilization solutions and synthesized mathematical models with a high dissemination and applicability value in similar ecologic conditions. The obtained results present the production levels obtained for wheat crops (Dumbrava kind) at two alternatives for prior crops-corn and soy-statistically processed using variance and quadratic regression, as useful models for fertilization in the fertilization systems that were researched. It is obvious that at the end of these annual researches the presented models will include the same objectives as in the prior years that were studied. The already existing and further research will enrich the study's utility in taking a rational fertilization decision based in the future also on the support of the suggested solutions through economically efficiency calculations of these solutions. The presented data hold originality, according to which the suggested solutions through fertilization models become important and present a real efficiency in the fertilization practice and technologies applied to wheat crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low pH, aluminum (Al) toxicity, and low phosphorus (P) often coexist and are heterogeneously distributed in acid soils. To date, the underlying mechanisms of crop adaptation to these multiple factors on acid soils remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that P addition to acid soils could stimulate Al tolerance, especially for the P-efficient genotype HN89. Subsequent hydroponic studies demonstrated that solution pH, Al, and P levels coordinately altered soybean (Glycine max) root growth and malate exudation. Interestingly, HN89 released more malate under conditions mimicking acid soils (low pH, +P, and +Al), suggesting that root malate exudation might be critical for soybean adaptation to both Al toxicity and P deficiency on acid soils. GmALMT1, a soybean malate transporter gene, was cloned from the Al-treated root tips of HN89. Like root malate exudation, GmALMT1 expression was also pH dependent, being suppressed by low pH but enhanced by Al plus P addition in roots of HN89. Quantitative real-rime PCR, transient expression of a GmALMT1-yellow fluorescent protein chimera in Arabidopsis protoplasts, and electrophysiological analysis of Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing GmALMT1 demonstrated that GmALMT1 encodes a root cell plasma membrane transporter that mediates malate efflux in an extracellular pH-dependent and Al-independent manner. Overexpression of GmALMT1 in transgenic Arabidopsis, as well as overexpression and knockdown of GmALMT1 in transgenic soybean hairy roots, indicated that GmALMT1-mediated root malate efflux does underlie soybean Al tolerance. Taken together, our results suggest that malate exudation is an important component of soybean adaptation to acid soils and is coordinately regulated by three factors, pH, Al, and P, through the regulation of GmALMT1 expression and GmALMT1 function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competition among crop plants (i.e., intraspecific) and between crop and weed plants (i.e., interspecific) likely co-occurs in many sweet corn (Zea mays L.) fields; however, a fundamental understanding of the extent to which the crop is affected by the combination of these stresses is unknown. The objective of this work was to identify the extent to which seeding level influences the crop's tolerance to weed competition in terms of crop development, yield, and profitability. In field research in Illinois and Washington, two hybrids with different levels of tolerance to weed competition were planted each of 2 yr at five seeding levels each year and grown in the presence and absence of wild-proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.). The crop's ability to tolerate intraspecific and interspecific competition was additive, as evidenced by no significant interaction between seeding level and weed competition for thermal time to mid-silk, marketable ear number, marketable ear mass, and gross profit margin to the processor. Losses in gross profit margin due to weed competition alone ranged from $2,400 to $8,100 ha-1. Hybrids used in this work showed differential tolerance to interspecific competition, but of the seeding levels tested, neither hybrid was consistently more tolerant to intraspecific competition. Across years and hybrids, the seeding level that consistently did not delay silking but maximized marketable ear number, marketable ear mass, and gross profit margin to the processor was 70,000 and 88,200 ha-1 in Illinois and Washington, respectively. Improving weed management efficacy and genetic tolerance to competition offer two approaches to improving sweet corn productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the stress on the plant and food production due to non-living factors such as atmosphere and temperature in the next 50 to 100 years. He discusses the challenges faced by the crop researchers in production of more drought resistant and high yielding species of crops. He mentions the problems in developing transgenic species of crop plants such as multiple genes change in the genetic makeup of the plants.

Human selection during crop domestication has resulted in remarkable transformations of plant phenotypes, providing a window into the genetic basis of morphological evolution. Recent progress in our understanding of the genetic architecture of novel plant traits has emerged from combining advanced molecular technologies with improved experimental designs, including nested association mapping, genome-wide association studies, population genetic screens for signatures of selection, and candidate gene approaches. These studies reveal a diversity of underlying causative mutations affecting phenotypes important in plant domestication and crop improvement, including coding sequence substitutions, presence/absence and copy number variation, transposon activation leading to novel gene structures and expression patterns, diversification following gene duplication, and polyploidy leading to altered combinatorial capabilities. The genomic regions unknowingly targeted by human selection include both structural and regulatory genes, often with results that propagate through the transcriptome as well as to other levels in the biosynthetic and morphogenetic networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruiting structures in the angiosperms range from completely dry to highly fleshy organs and provide many of our major crop products, including grains. In the model plant Arabidopsis, which has dry fruits, a high-level regulatory network of transcription factors controlling fruit development has been revealed. Studies on rare nonripening mutations in tomato, a model for fleshy fruits, have provided new insights into the networks responsible for the control of ripening. It is apparent that there are strong similarities between dry and fleshy fruits in the molecular circuits governing development and maturation. Translation of information from tomato to other fleshy-fruited species indicates that regulatory networks are conserved across a wide spectrum of angiosperm fruit morphologies. Fruits are an essential part of the human diet, and recent developments in the sequencing of angiosperm genomes have provided the foundation for a step change in crop improvement through the understanding and harnessing of genome-wide genetic and epigenetic variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C4 photosynthesis under optimal conditions enables higher-efficiency use of light, water, and nitrogen than the C3 form used by many crops. It is associated with the most productive terrestrial plants and crops but is largely limited to the tropics and subtropics. It has been argued that the C4 photosynthetic apparatus is inherently limited to warm environments. A small group of C4 species appear to have overcome this, and in contrast to the major C4 crop, maize, these species are able to acclimate their photosynthetic apparatus to chilling conditions. This review explores the mechanisms underlying this difference as well as the potential of introducing these changes into maize and other warm-climate C4 crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild bees that provide pollination services to vegetable crops depend on forage resources, nesting sites, and overwintering sites in the agricultural landscape. The scale at which crop-visiting bees use resources in the landscape can vary regionally, and has not been characterized in the Midwestern United States. We investigated the effects of seminatural land cover on wild bee visitation frequency to cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and on wild bee species richness on 10 organic farms in Indiana. We estimated the spatial scale at which the effects of land cover were strongest, and also examined the effects of nonlandscape factors on wild bees. The visitation frequency of wild bees to cucumber was positively related to the proportion of seminatural land in the surrounding landscape, and this relationship was strongest within 250 m of the cucumber patch. The species richness of wild cucumber visitors was not affected by land cover at any spatial scale, nor by any of the nonlandscape factors we considered. Our results indicate that wild, crop visiting bees benefit from seminatural areas in the agricultural landscape, and benefit most strongly from seminatural areas within 250 m of the crop field. This suggests that setting aside natural areas in the near vicinity of vegetable fields may be an effective way to support wild, crop-visiting bees and secure their pollination services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economics of Agriculture / Ekonomika Poljoprivrede is the property of Institute of Agricultural Economics (IAE) / Belgrade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Insertional mutagenesis is a powerful tool for determining gene function in both model and crop plant species. Tnt1, the transposable element of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cell type 1, is a retrotransposon that replicates via an RNA copy that is reverse transcribed and integrated elsewhere in the plant genome. Based on studies in a variety of plants, Tnt1 appears to be inactive in normal plant tissue but can be reactivated by tissue culture. Our goal was to evaluate the utility of the Tnt1 retrotransposon as a mutagenesis strategy in soybean (Glycine max). Experiments showed that the Tnt1 element was stably transformed into soybean plants by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Twenty-seven independent transgenic lines carrying Tnt1 insertions were generated. Southern-blot analysis revealed that the copy number of transposed Tnt1 elements ranged from four to 19 insertions, with an average of approximately eight copies per line. These insertions showed Mendelian segregation and did not transpose under normal growth conditions. Analysis of 99 Tnt1 flanking sequences revealed insertions into 62 (62%) annotated genes, indicating that the element preferentially inserts into protein-coding regions. Tnt1 insertions were found in all 20 soybean chromosomes, indicating that Tn transposed throughout the soybean genome. Furthermore, fluorescence in situ hybridization experiments validated that Tnt1 inserted into multiple chromosomes. Passage of transgenic lines through two different tissue culture treatments resulted in Tnt1 transposition, significantly increasing the number of insertions per line. Thus, our data demonstrate the Tnt1 retrotransposon to be a powerful system that can be used for effective large-scale insertional mutagenesis in soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Entomología is the property of Universidad del Valle and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Entomología is the property of Universidad del Valle and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Entomología is the property of Universidad del Valle and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Equipment was designed for peanut aflatoxins detoxification by ozonation technology. Results showed that factors, including ozone accessing methods, ozone concentration, time, and peanut moisture, had significant effects on detoxification. The optimal conditions was to input the ozone from the bottom at 6.0mg/L for 30 minutes and exhaust ozone from the top using peanut with 5% moisture level. Under the given conditions, the detoxification effects of total aflatoxins and affatoxin B1 were 65. 88% and 65. 90% respectively. Results indicated a simple, reproducibility and environment friendly technique, suitable for peanuts aflatoxins detoxification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten endophytic bacteria were isolated from different sugarcane varieties growing in the Crop Research Centre, Pantnagar on nitrogen-free medium. Plant growth-promoting potential of the isolates was reported in terms of indole acetic acid (IAA) production, phosphorus solubilization, siderophore production and antagonistic action against the pathogen Colletotrichum falcatum, which causes red rot disease in sugarcane in vitro. All the isolates were able to produce IAA (4.8–9 μg ml−1); three isolates (H3, H5 and H14) solubilized insoluble phosphorus on Pikovaskaya's agar; two isolates (H10 and H14) showed siderophore production on Chrome-azurol S (CAS) agar and antagonism against C. falcatum was exhibited by two isolates (H14 and H15) in a dual plate assay. 16 S rRNA sequencing identified isolates H3 and H12 as Pseudomonas spp., and H8, H14 and H15 as Bacillus spp. A field experiment on sugarcane was conducted with five plant growth-promoting bacterial endophytes Pseudomonas spp. (H3 and H12) and Bacillus spp. (H8, H14 and H15) along with standard strains of Gluconacetobacter and Azospirillum spp. Plant height, chlorophyll content, total nitrogen and cane length were significantly higher in almost all inoculated plants compared with the uninoculated control. An increase of 40% in cane yield over the control was obtained after inoculation with isolate H15 (Bacillus spp.). This was statistically on par with the standard endophyte Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus, which resulted in 42% increased cane yield. Identification of new diazotrophs and their promising results towards improving plant growth in the field suggest their use as inoculants in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific scope This standard provides guidance on the number of trials in target crops needed to demonstrate the efficacy of a plant protection product at the recommended dose. Specific approval and amendment First approved in 2003-09. Revision mainly to reflect zonal assessment approved in 2012-09. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to analyze the influence of irrigation regime on evapotranspiration (ET) of sunflower, in terms of total and average daily values, its effectiveness in terms of yield, and the peculiarities of its formation. The field experiment was conducted in the region of Plovdiv, with hybrid PR-64-E-83. The variants of the study are: without irrigation, optimal irrigation with initial humidity at 75% of FC for the layer 0--80 cm and irrigation with 50% and 150% of irrigation rate, respectively. Seasonal evapotranspiration of sunflower varies from 274 to 342 mm. Irrigation with 50% of the optimal irrigation depth causes ET increasing with an average of 33.1% (from 26.1 to 37.4%). The optimally irrigated sunflower uses from 475 to 559 mm. Increase of ET as compared with the rainfed sunflower is an average of67%. In case of irrigation with 150% of the irrigation depth ET increases with extra 2.5 -- 26.7% (an average of 13.5%). ET of sunflower was formed in the following way for the conditions of the experiment: In rain-fed conditions rainfalls share 49 -- 82% and water supply- from 18 to 51% of ET. By irrigation with 50% of rate the sharing of rainfalls is 36-64%, for water supply is 17-33% and irrigation depth -- 14-31%. By optimum irrigation sharing is respectively 28-56%, 16-23% and 25-49%. The maximum value of daily ET for rainfed sunflower varying from 3.3 to 5.6 mm. Irrigation with norm of 50% increases values of ET to 5.2-6.1 mm. The maximal value of this regime of irrigation is most often in the flowering period. In case of optimal irrigation the maximal values of daily ET will remain the same usually to the beginning of phase „seeds fill”, and the values are between 6 and7mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The weed control is a basic problem in organic agriculture. Most often it leads by multiple mechanical treatments, which except significant weed destruction show certain positive as well as some negative influence on the crop. In this investigation the influence of rotary hoe working rate and number of treatments on field bean crop at transition to organic agriculture in Dobrudzha. The hoeing speed, the working depth and the number of hoeing were factors in the trial. The crop density, the number of injured plants per ha, crop height, pod placement height, 1000 grain weight, moisture content at harvesting and the bean yield were measured. The increase of working speed and hoeing depth, as well as the number of treatment leads to proved decrease of crop density, but did not decrease the yield. At most aggressive treatments the crop height and lowest pod height were lowered. There is no significant influence of rotary hoe working rate and number of treatments on the 1000 grain weight and on the moisture content at harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of complete genome sequence of soybean has allowed research community to design the 66 K Affymetrix Soybean Array GeneChip for genome-wide expression profiling of soybean. In this study, we carried out microarray analysis of leaf tissues of soybean plants, which were subjected to drought stress from late vegetative V6 and from full bloom reproductive R2 stages. Our data analyses showed that out of 46093 soybean genes, which were predicted with high confidence among approximately 66000 putative genes, 41059 genes could be assigned with a known function. Using the criteria of a ratio change > = 2 and a q-value < 0.05, we identified 1458 and 1818 upregulated and 1582 and 1688 downregulated genes in drought-stressed V6 and R2 leaves, respectively. These datasets were classified into 19 most abundant biological categories with similar proportions. There were only 612 and 463 genes that were overlapped among the upregulated and downregulated genes, respectively, in both stages, suggesting that both conserved and unconserved pathways might be involved in regulation of drought response in different stages of plant development. A comparative expression analysis using our datasets and that of drought stressed Arabidopsis leaves revealed the existence of both conserved and species-specific mechanisms that regulate drought responses. Many upregulated genes encode either regulatory proteins, such as transcription factors, including those with high homology to Arabidopsis DREB, NAC, AREB and ZAT/STZ transcription factors, kinases and two-component system members, or functional proteins, e.g. late embryogenesis-abundant proteins, glycosyltransferases, glycoside hydrolases, defensins and glyoxalase I family proteins. A detailed analysis of the GmNAC family and the hormone-related gene category showed that expression of many GmNAC and hormone-related genes was altered by drought in V6 and/or R2 leaves. Additionally, the downregulation of many photosynthesis-related genes, which contribute to growth retardation under drought stress, may serve as an adaptive mechanism for plant survival. This study has identified excellent drought-responsive candidate genes for in-depth characterization and future development of improved drought-tolerant transgenic soybeans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental - Agriambi is the property of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article offers information on a study related to the insertion of a rescue tube into various types of grains. It reports that the study aimed at determining the forces which are required to insert the individual panels of a grain rescue tube into grains which possess moisture contents. It informs about the findings which states that the moisture content of the grain increases with the increase in the amount of resistance against tube insertion.