GIS Modeling of Desert Root Crop Maturation on the Mid-Columbia Plateau

The settlement patterns of the prehistoric inhabitants of the Columbia Plateau were choreographed to match the cadence of the seasons, with movements timed to efficiently utilize available resources. Desert roots, such as lomatium and bitterroot, provided a primary source of dietary nutrition, yet the ideal conditions for exploiting these plant resources coalesced for a very limited time in any one location. It was therefore necessary to possess an intimate knowledge of the plants\u27 lifecycles in order to effectively plan gathering activities. In order to predict the growth patterns and maturation rates of these desert root crops, a GIS model was developed using lntergraph\u27s GeoMedia Grid Software. By modeling the potential growth patterns of these plant resources, it is possible to predict the movements of the peoples involved in this particular subsistence activity. The results of this project indicate that GIS modeling may provide an effective means to model settlement patterns

Intragenic Virus Resistance In Potato

The work detailed in this manuscript focuses on the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), a protein involved in recruiting host messenger RNA to the ribosomal complex. eIF4E is also an important host factor that is utilized by invading plant viruses in order to complete their lifecycle. A number of virus resistant alleles that have evolved independently in diverse crop species are now known to correspond to eIF4E. Current work has focused on transgenesis of resistance alleles to gain a better understanding of how specific amino acid changes contribute to virus resistance. We present three studies that continue this line of research and apply this knowledge to address an economically important pathosystem. The focus of the first chapter is on the evolutionary history of the eIF4E gene. We find that amino acids predicted to have been most strongly selected are those that are known to interact with a viral protein, suggesting that eIF4E resistance alleles have evolved in response to selective pressures exerted by phytopathogenic viruses. We then mutate the eIF4E gene from potato at specific amino acids in order to simulate natural evolutionary processes and disrupt eIF4E-viral interaction. When these mutated potato alleles are overexpressed in potato, they confer virus resistance. By using a potato gene to develop virus resistance, we hope to address the consumer and regulatory concerns that have thus far prevented commercialization of transgenic potato. Finally, we conduct a field experiment to study several resistant lines in more detail. We find that virus resistance is not associated with a decrease in any of the yield or quality characteristics measured. We suggest that the technique described here may be applied to potato and other crops in order to develop virus resistant varieties that are more acceptable to consumers than other methods of genetic engineering

THE ROLE OF ICE NUCLEATION ACTIVE BACTERIA IN FROST DAMAGE TO EARLY SOWN Solanum tuberosum var. JERSEY ROYAL

The present study indicated that S. tuberosum var. Jersey Royal could supercool to temperatures as low as -6ºC during in-vitro frost tests, whereas in the field freezing occurred at immediate sub-zero temperatures (between 0 and -1ºC). The microbial flora upon the early. sown S. tuberosum var. Jersey Royal did not contain INA bacterial species active at warm sub-zero temperatures. Plants inoculated with a strain of Ps. syringae (84:27) containing type 1 active nuclei readily froze at -2 to -3ºC. Applications of leaf surface water applied to plants during in-vitro frost tests resulted in nucleation temperatures comparable to those measured in the field. Applications of leaf surface water initiated freezing in whole plants during in-vitro frost tests at temperatures warmer than those caused by Ps. syringae (84:27). Thus field frost kill and ice nucleation in the presence of leaf surface water occurred at temperatures warmer than type 1 INA bacterial nucleation temperatures. Exogenous foliar applications of ethylene glycol applied in the presence of leaf surface water led to enhanced supercooling and frost avoidance during in-vitro frost tests and during field frost events. It was concluded that modifying the formation and freezing of leaf surface water would be more likely to provide a frost control strategy applicable to the field crop than frost control through manipulation of phylloplane microorganisms

Sustainable Production in Food and Agriculture Engineering

This book is a collection of original research and review papers that report on the state of the art and recent advancements in food and agriculture engineering, such as sustainable production and food technology. Encompassed within are applications in food and agriculture engineering, biosystem engineering, plant and animal production engineering, food and agricultural processing engineering, storing industry, economics and production management and agricultural farms management, agricultural machines and devices, and IT for agricultural engineering and ergonomics in agriculture

Restoration of Juniperus excelsa Bieb. and Olea europaea L. subsp. africana (Mill.) P.S. Green woodlands in Eritrea

The research aim was to assess the vegetation and soils of the Rora /' Habab plateau, Eritrea and to develop methods of propagating the native tree species, juniper and olive. The research consisted of vegetation and soil surveys, interviews with local people, archival research, and experiments on propagation of olive and juniper. Junipers are now confined to the north of the plateau. Olives are more abundant in the north but have very few individuals in the centre, where there are many dead trees, or south. Soil erosion was ubiquitous and often severe. Soil morphology and nutrient status were related to vegetation, topography, land use, and erosion status, and varied greatly over short distances. Soil texture was coarser and most chemical factors (except total Ca and exchangeable Na) were lower in the south. Organic C, total N, exchangeable Ca, percent day, CEC and the sum of bases were higher in soils from grazed land than in cultivated fields. Germination of olive seeds was 92% when the endocarp was removed; stratification had little effect. Rooting of olive stem cuttings attained 76% under mist when parent plants were fertilised and cuttings were treated with rooting hormone. Germination for juniper was 56% after stratification at 5°C for 30 to 60 days. Juniper stem cuttings rooted in only one of three experiments, where rooting was 78% in a well ventilated, cool, low-mist environment. Olive seedlings which were fertilised and watered every 7, 14, or 21 days for two months, were taller, had lower root:shoot ratios and soil moisture than unfertilised plants. Fertilised seedlings watered every 28 days died. Root volume was less for plants watered every 21 days but watering interval had little effect on other variables in unfertilised seedlings. Ecological restoration is urgently required to rehabilitate the Rora plateau, which has Africa's most northerly remnant juniper / olive woodlands

Target and Non-Target Approaches for Food Authenticity and Traceability

Over the last few years, the subject of food authenticity and food fraud has received increasing attention from consumers and other stakeholders, such as government agencies and policymakers, control labs, producers, industry, and the research community. Among the different approaches aiming to identify, tackle, and/or deter fraudulent practices in the agri-food sector, the development of new, fast, and accurate methodologies to evaluate food authenticity is of major importance. This book, entitled “Target and Non-Target Approaches for Food Authenticity and Traceability”, gathers original research and review papers focusing on the development and application of both targeted and non-targeted methodologies applied to verify food authenticity and traceability. The contributions regard different foods, among which some are frequently considered as the most prone to adulteration, such as olive oil, honey, meat, and fish. This book is intended for readers aiming to enrich their knowledge through reading contemporary and multidisciplinary papers on the topic of food authentication