Root systems of oilseed and pulse crops-morphology, distribution and growth patterns

This study determined the key characteristics of temporal patterns of root growth during the crop development period, as well as the vertical patterns of root distribution in the soil profile for important oilseed and pulse crops grown on the semiarid Canadian Prairie. Rooting characteristics greatly influence the nutrient acquisition and water-use patterns for any plants. However, crop root systems have not been studied intensively due to time, labor and costs constraints. In the literature, root studies mostly focus on cereal crops and very limited information is available for oilseeds and pulses even though these broadleaf crops are critical in the diversification of cropping systems. Thus the objectives of this study were to 1) examine the root morphological characteristics, root distribution patterns in the soil profile, and the fine root distributions of oilseeds and pulses in comparison with wheat; 2) to determine the rhizospheric properties of pulse crops. In 2006 and 2007, canola (Brassica napus L.), flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), mustard (Brassica juncea L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), field pea (Pisum sativumL., lentil (Lens culinaris), and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were grown under low- (natural rainfall) and high-water (rainfall+irrigation) conditions in southwest Saskatchewan. Roots were sampled at the seedling, early-flower, late-flower, late-pod, and physiological maturity growth stages, and root parameters determined using image analysis. The growth of roots progressed markedly from seedling to late-flowering and then declined to maturity. Root growth of pulse crops was not significantly affected by water conditions, but canola had 70% greater root length, 67% more root surface area, and 79% more root tips under high-water than under low-water conditions. At the late-flower stage, over 70% of the roots in oilseeds and pulses were distributed within the 0-60 cm soil profile and the largest proportion (around 50%) were found in the top 20-cm of the soil depth. About 85% of the roots in oilseeds and pulses were classified as “extra fine” (diamete

Influence of nutrition on productivity and chemical composition of khorasan wheat-triticum turgidum l. Ssp. turanicum jakubz

Khorasan wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. turanicum Jakubz.) the white awn population is the optional type of a high-energy grain. This study aimed to examine the influence of plants’ mineral nutrition on the chemical composition of Khorasan grain. The mineral diet used in the supplementary plant nutrition affected the total amount of dry matter and the chemical composition of wheat grains, increasing its nutritional value. At the time of harvest, Khorasan wheat grains contained 89.74% of dry matter, i.e. 10.26% of water, while in the variants with additional nutrition had less dry matter 86.90% and more water, 13.10%, which indicates an extension of the vegetation period of plants in conditions of enhanced mineral nutrition. Mineral nutrition, which primarily increased the amount of nitrogen, statistically significantly affected protein synthesis in plants. Khorasan wheat grains had 14.94% of total proteins in the control and 15.2% in variants with NPP nutrition. Plant nutrition did not have a greater impact on the synthesis of oils in the grains, starch, NFE, and mineral salts content. The supplementary nutrition affected the total amount of dry matter and chemical composition of wheat grain increasing its nutritional value

Reproductive traits in Ethiopian male goats

This thesis characterizes reproductive traits of Ethiopian male goats raised under extensive husbandry and subjected to differential nutritional management. A total of 177 extensively-managed indigenous bucks of 5 breeds (i.e., Arsi–Bale [AB], Central Highlands [CH], Afar, Boran and Woito-Guji [WG]) were selected following stratified random sampling.The bucks were compared according to three age classes (<14 mo [young], 14–19.5 mo [intermediate] and 19.6–24 mo [old]) to determine whether breed and age influenced body size, testicular traits and epididymal sperm morphology. Bucks of a single goat breed (Ogaden; n= 35), selected by simple random sampling, were used to determine responses to differential nutritional treatments. Dietary treatments consisted of native hay fed ad libitum (control, C), native hay supplemented with 1% of body weight (BW) of agro–industrial by-products (Treatment 1, T1), native hay supplemented with 1% of BW of khat (Catha edulis) leftovers (Treatment 2, T2) and khat leftovers fed ad libitum (Treatment 3, T3). Breed, age and their interaction affected (P<0.05 to P<0.001) BW, body condition score (BCS), scrotal circumference (SC) and testicular weight (TW). Comparing all age classes, Boran displayed the highest (P<0.05) BW, greatest SC and heaviest TW, while Afar displayed the lowest values for these characteristics. Expressed as percentage of BW, Afar bucks had the highest TW. Regarding epididymal sperm morphology, most acrosome defects were displayed by CH (P<0.05) while AB mainly showed loose sperm heads (P<0.05). Bucks from a lowland agroclimate (i.e., Afar, Boran and WG) displayed more total sperm-head abnormalities (P<0.05) than did bucks of highland breeds (i.e., AB and CH). Younger bucks showed more (P<0.05) loose sperm heads, while older bucks had more (P<0.05) acrosome defects. Bucks fed according to the T1–T3 treatments improved (P<0.05) their BW, BCS, testicular size and testicular weight compared to controls. Goats in treatment groups T1–T3 showed higher (P<0.05) sperm motility, sperm concentration per mL and total number of spermatozoa per ejaculate compared to controls. Of groups T1–T3, bucks in T3 had the highest BW and testicular size. Feeding goats according to the T1–T3 regimes improved (P<0.001) feed dry matter (DM) and nutrient intake, and the occurrence of morphologically normal spermatozoa, compared to controls. Of the T1–T3 treatments, feeding according to T3 and T2 resulted in higher (P<0.05) DM, organic matter and gross energy intakes, while T1 followed by T3 resulted in the highest (P<0.05) crude protein intake, and T3 the highest occurrence of morphologically normal spermatozoa. In conclusion, body size, testicular traits and sperm morphology of Ethiopian bucks raised under extensive management were influenced by breed and age. Nutritional supplementation with khat leftovers and an agro–industrial by-product mix improved feed intake, growth and semen characteristics; these feedstuffs could be considered alternative feed resources to enhance goat production under smallholder farming systems in Ethiopia

Study of Population Dynamics of Sugarcane Aphid \u3ci\u3e(Melanaphis sacchari)\u3c/i\u3e in Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Chapter 1: This chapter incorporates detailed information about the biotype concept, aphids, their types and their biotypes, importance of studying insect biotypes and their role in mediating host plant defenses. Chapter 2: This chapter explains in detail about the biology, biotypes, feeding behavior, damage, and economic loss caused due to sugarcane aphid infestation. This chapter further elaborates on the need for studying population level differences and justifies the objectives and significance of this research study. Chapter 3: This chapter provides information about the comprehensive work done on three different populations of sugarcane aphid collected from three different locations in Rio Grande Valley, Texas. This chapter includes detail information on the life history traits and feeding behavior of three different sugarcane aphid populations along with host plant defense responses against post infestation of sugarcane aphids. Chapter 4: This chapter provides an overview of my major findings and possible future directions for research to understand the sugarcane aphids and the potential emergence of new biotype(s)

Phenotyping Fusarium head blight resistance in oats having low deoxynivalenol content

Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease and the mycotoxins produced by its causal agents such as Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, F. culmorum (Wg. G. Sm.) and F. langsethiae Torp and Nirenberg have become a growing problem for oat (Avena sativa L.) production in the northern countries over the last decades. Since Nordic oats and oat products are branded as high quality and healthy food, FHB has to be managed. Controlling FHB by agricultural or manufacturing practices can be a cumbersome task. Therefore development of resistant cultivars would offer a highly needed and economical solution to the problem. The primary aim of this thesis was to improve the tools for FHB resistance breeding in oats. Resistance among genebank accessions and Nordic oat breeding material, inoculation methods and potential traits to measure resistance were evaluated in several field and greenhouse experiments in Finland. The results obtained from the field experiments had more practical relevance than greenhouse experiments in identification of cultivars that accumulate less DON. In the field conditions, the escape mechanisms such as early flowering, height or high rate of anther extrusion through open flowering can all affect to DON accumulation and Fusarium infection within an oat plant. Large variation in several Fusarium-associated traits among the breeding material indicates that FHB resistance in Finnish oats can be improved. However, the results also underline that there are several components of resistance that need to be considered, since the estimates for DON accumulation, germination capacity and proportion of Fusarium infected kernels did not give similar rankings for all of the genotypes. Further research is recommended in order to gain better understand the genetics of FHB resistance in oats. In addition, more efficient methods for the phenotyping of large progenies are needed. In future breeding, the amount of phenotyping can be reduced when readiness for genomic selection is on place. Also other Fusarium species and mycotoxins need to be considered in future resistance studies.Punahomeet (Fusarium-sienet) ja niiden tuottamat terveydelle haitalliset homemyrkyt, mykotoksiinit, uhkaavat kauran elintarvikekäyttöä ja aiheuttavat merkittäviä tappioita maanviljelijöille. 2000-luvulla etenkin deoksinivalenoli-toksiinia (DON) tuottavat punahomeet ovat yleistyneet Pohjois-Euroopan ja myös Suomen viljapelloilla, ja vakavina tartuntavuosina EU:n DON-toksiinille asettama elintarvikekäytön hylkäysraja ylittyy kymmenillä prosenteilla kauranäytteistä. Toksiinien riskiä voidaan pienentää kaurassa esimerkiksi peittauksella, viljelykierrolla tai sadon lajittelun ja kuorinnan avulla. Silti, vaikka viljelijä tekisi kaiken oppikirjan mukaan, voivat raja-arvot ylittyä. Taudinkestävät lajikkeet toisivat kaivattua lisäapua taudinhallintaan. Tässä väitöskirjatyössä selvitettiin yhteistyössä Boreal Kasvinjalostus Oy:n kanssa, miten kasvinjalostaja voi arvioida kauran jalostuslinjan punahomekestävyyttä tartutetuissa kenttä- ja kasvihuonekokeissa ja millaista taudinkestävyyttä kaurasta voi löytyä. Sadoista jalostuslinjoista sekä kymmenistä pohjoismaisista lajikkeista ja kirjallisuuden perusteella lupaavaksi osoittautuneista geenipankkikauroista mitattiin DON–toksiinipitoisuuksia, itävyyttä ja punahometartunnan saaneiden jyvien määrää. Lisäksi vertailtiin erilaisia tartutus- ja tartunnan mittausmenetelmiä ja selvitettiin kauran kukintaominaisuuksien sekä hometoksiinien yhteyttä. Keinotekoisesti tartutettujen kenttäkokeiden avulla saadaan luotettavin kuva kauralajikkeiden punahomekestävyydestä ja pystytään karsimaan selvästi alttiimpia kauroja. Tulokset kannustavat parantamaan punahomekestävyyttä ensisijaisesti jalostusaineistoa hyödyntäen. Toksiinipitoisuuksien ja kauran kukinnan avoimuuden väliltä löytyi selvä yhteys, mutta myös esimerkiksi kauran kehitysnopeus ja pituuskasvu vaikuttivat toksiinipitoisuuksiin. Kauran punahometartuntaa mittaavista suureista DON-pitoisuus on tärkein, mutta myös itävyys ja tartunnan saaneiden jyvien määrä mahdollistavat lajikkeiden vertailun. Useaa suuretta yhdessä tarkasteltaessa voidaankin erottaa toisiaan täydentäviä kestävyystekijöitä kauroista. Punahomeenkestävyysjalostuksessa tulee jatkossa panostaa menetelmiin, joiden avulla jokaista kauralinjaa ei tarvitsisi erikseen arvioida useiden kenttäkokeiden pohjalta (geneettiset työkalut), ja arviot tulisi pystyä tekemään toksiinimittauksia kustannustehokkaammin esim. kuvantamisteknologioita hyödyntäen. Myös muiden, kuin DON-toksiinia tuottavien punahomelajien tutkimusta tarvitaan

Plant breeding for organic and sustainable, low-input agriculture: dealing with genotypeenvironment interactions. Book of Abstracts

This proceedings summarize the results of the first EUCARPIA symposium on Organic Plant Breeding - Plant breeding for organic and sustainable, low-input agriculture: dealing with genotype-environment interactions - that took place in Wageningen in November 2007. EUCARPIA is the European Association for Research on Plant Breeding. One of the major constraints in organic farming is that farmers still largely depend on crop varieties produced for conventional farming systems with high inputs of artificial, mineral fertilisers and chemicals for crop defence. Therefore, the organic sector urgently requires breeding programmes for robust varieties, which are better adapted to low-input conditions, with traits such as improved root systems, stronger interspecific competition ability (weed suppression) and yield stability. This symposium will explore alternative strategies to overcome these constraints, hereby also using insight and knowledge from agronomic fields working at a higher aggregation level (i.e. crop level). The event was organised in cooperation with Cost Action 860 (COST860 - Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity, SUSVAR), the European Consortium of Ecological Plant Breeding ECOPB, ISOFAR and the the Graduate School Production Ecology & Resource Conservationand Wageningen University

Analysis of fertility on the Merlot clones (Vitis vinifera L.), by applying the method of correlation

In this research were included seven clones of the variety Merlot (R-12, R-18, R-3, 181, 184, 348, 346). Fertility of each clone is determined by elements: fertility shoots per vine (%),absolute coefficient (number of clusters per fertile shoot), mass of bunch, and the yield expressed of unit area or kg/m2.The obtained results from this work were statistically processed using the SPSS statistical software package 19, from where it can be measure the frequency, the percentage share of data, measures of central tendency (median, standard deviation, dispersion, arithmetic mean), such as graphic representation of data (a histogram).The analysis showed than all clones had larger correlation coefficient or there exists a greater dependence between the mass of the cluster and yields. From all clones, only two of them (R18, 346) proved more than greater dependence or greater correlation coefficient between absolute coefficientand the percentage of fertility shoot. The Merlot clone 348 proved the highest correlation between the mass of the cluster and yields where correlation coefficient is 0.983 which is approximately the value of 1, which indicates a very high connectivity