Floristics of forests across low nutrient soils in Sulawesi, Indonesia

The island of Sulawesi formed from the joining of proto-islands roughly three million years ago. Regions of zoological endemism, corresponding to the proto-islands, have been reported. Sulawesi's tree communities, however, remain poorly documented. In better-studied tropical regions, soil types similar to those found in Sulawesi often have distinctive tree communities. To gather data on Sulawesi's tree communities, we established ten (0.25 ha) plots on four soil types across three regions. We documented diversity, endemism, dominance, and species composition. Linear models of species composition showed greater influence of geographic distance rather than soil, and no relationship with climate. This suggests that the legacy of Sulawesi's formation may have influenced tree communities more so than the soil types we sampled. Most of our plots were on stressful soil types making it difficult to conclude on the importance of edaphic specialization in the Sulawesi tree flora. The lack of climatic effects reflects Sulawesi's position within the wet tropics where the small climatic differences are unlikely to have large influence on tree communities. Abstract in Indonesian is available with online material

High temperature tolerance in chickpea and its implications for plant improvement

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important food legume and heat stress affects chickpea ontogeny over a range of environments. Generally, chickpea adapts to high temperatures through an escape mechanism. However, heat stress during reproductive development can cause significant yield loss. The most important effects on the reproductive phase that affect pod set, seed set and yield are: (1) flowering time, (2) asynchrony of male and female floral organ development, and (3) impairment of male and female floral organs. While this review emphasises the importance of high temperatures >30°C, the temperature range of 32–35°C during flowering also produces distinct effects on grain yield. Recent field screening at ICRISAT have identified several heat-tolerant germplasm, which can be used in breeding programs for improving heat tolerance in chickpea. Research on the impact of heat stress in chickpea is not extensive. This review describes the status of chickpea production, the effects of high temperature on chickpea, and the opportunities for genetic improvement of chickpea tolerance to high temperatures

A very conscientious brand: A case study of the BBC's current affairs series Panorama

The reputation of British current affairs and documentary series such as the BBC's Panorama, Channel 4’s Dispatches or the now defunct Granada series World in Action have rested on an image of conscientious ‘public service’. These popular, long running series have, at various points in their history, acted as the ‘conscience of the nation’, seeking to expose social injustice, investigate misdemeanours by the powerful and take on venal or corrupt vested interest. The BBC’s flagship current affairs series Panorama is Britain’s longest running television programme and, according to the Panorama website, ‘the world’s longest running investigative TV show’. It has provided a template for other current affairs series both in Britain, Europe and around the world while undergoing several transformations in form and style since its launch in 1953, the latest and arguably most dramatic being in 2007. This article will chart the development of Panorama as a distinctive, ‘flagship' current affairs series over six decades. It will attempt to answer why the Panorama brand has survived so long, while so many other notable current affairs series have not. Using research and material from Bournemouth University’s Panorama Archive, the Video Active website, the BFI and other European archives this article explores the development of an iconic current affairs series that has, at different stages in its history, proved a template for other news and current affairs programmes. Various breaks and continuities are highlighted in Panorama’s history and identity, and an attempt will be made to characterise and specify the Panorama ‘brand’ and pinpoint the series’ successes and failures in reinventing itself in a rapidly changing media context

High temperature tolerance in chickpea and its implications for plant improvement

Abstract. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important food legume and heat stress affects chickpea ontogeny over a range of environments. Generally, chickpea adapts to high temperatures through an escape mechanism. However, heat stress during reproductive development can cause significant yield loss. The most important effects on the reproductive phase that affect pod set, seed set and yield are: (1) flowering time, (2) asynchrony of male and female floral organ development, and (3) impairment of male and female floral organs. While this review emphasises the importance of high temperatures >308C, the temperature range of 32-358C during flowering also produces distinct effects on grain yield. Recent field screening at ICRISAT have identified several heat-tolerant germplasm, which can be used in breeding programs for improving heat tolerance in chickpea. Research on the impact of heat stress in chickpea is not extensive. This review describes the status of chickpea production, the effects of high temperature on chickpea, and the opportunities for genetic improvement of chickpea tolerance to high temperatures

Different standards: engineers’ expectations and listener adoption of digital and FM radio broadcasting

As digital radio broadcasting enters its third decade of operation, few would argue that it has met all expectations expressed at the time of its launch in the mid-1990s. Observers are now more circumspect, with views divided on the pace of transition to an all-digital future. In exploring this mismatch between expectation and actuality, this article considers the introduction of FM radio from the 1950s. It too was expected to replace its forebear (AM) but, like digital radio, its adoption by listeners was slower than anticipated. An examination of published literature, in particular engineering and technical documents, reveals a number of similarities in the development of digital radio and FM. Assumptions about listeners’ needs and preferences appear to have been based on little actual audience research and, with continual reference in the literature to the supposed deficiencies of the predecessor technology, suggest an emphasis in decision making on the technical qualities of radio broadcasting over an appreciation of actual audience preferences

Diversity and Mega-Targets of Selection from the Characterization of a Barley Collection

Germplasm exchange is essential for assuring genetic gain in a breeding program. Two aspects of breeding programs are relevant to making them compatible for germplasm exchange: the amount of genetic diversity within programs and the identifi cation of breeding programs with similar breeding objectives and environments of selection (i.e., mega-targets of selection). The objective of this study was to develop a data-driven method to group breeding programs likely to be compatible for germplasm exchange and to use phenotypic characterization data of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) from breeding programs to illustrate this method. In two locations in Uruguay we evaluated 20 traits in 353 genotypes of barley from 23 private and public breeding programs distributed worldwide. We found signifi cant amounts of genetic diversity for all traits, but differences in diversity among programs for only seven traits. We identifi ed programs with high (Western Australia Department of Agriculture; University of Saskatchewan; and Svalöf Weibull Ab, Sweden) and low diversity (winter program of Osijek Agricultural Institute, Croatia; spring program of Osijek Agricultural Institute, Croatia; Saatzucht Josef Breun, Germany; Busch Agricultural Resources; USDA-ARS, Aberdeen, ID; and University of Minnesota). We developed a methodology that groups programs with similar performance and response to the environments. We used the methodology to group the 23 breeding programs of barley into sets that might benefi t most from germplasm exchange. The identifi cation of compatible programs for germplasm exchange could be relevant for improving genetic gains in breeding programs

Biosecurity and Yield Improvement Technologies Are Strategic Complements in the Fight against Food Insecurity

The delivery of food security via continued crop yield improvement alone is not an effective food security strategy, and must be supported by pre- and post-border biosecurity policies to guard against perverse outcomes. In the wake of the green revolution, yield gains have been in steady decline, while post-harvest crop losses have increased as a result of insufficiently resourced and uncoordinated efforts to control spoilage throughout global transport and storage networks. This paper focuses on the role that biosecurity is set to play in future food security by preventing both pre- and post-harvest losses, thereby protecting crop yield. We model biosecurity as a food security technology that may complement conventional yield improvement policies if the gains in global farm profits are sufficient to offset the costs of implementation and maintenance. Using phytosanitary measures that slow global spread of the Ug99 strain of wheat stem rust as an example of pre-border biosecurity risk mitigation and combining it with post-border surveillance and invasive alien species control efforts, we estimate global farm profitability may be improved by over US$4.5 billion per annum

Genomic insights into rapid speciation within the world's largest tree genus Syzygium

The relative importance of the mechanisms underlying species radiation remains unclear. Here, the authors combine reference genome assembly and population genetics analyses to show that neutral forces have contributed to the radiation of the most species-rich tree genus Syzygium. Species radiations, despite immense phenotypic variation, can be difficult to resolve phylogenetically when genetic change poorly matches the rapidity of diversification. Genomic potential furnished by palaeopolyploidy, and relative roles for adaptation, random drift and hybridisation in the apportionment of genetic variation, remain poorly understood factors. Here, we study these aspects in a model radiation, Syzygium, the most species-rich tree genus worldwide. Genomes of 182 distinct species and 58 unidentified taxa are compared against a chromosome-level reference genome of the sea apple, Syzygium grande. We show that while Syzygium shares an ancient genome doubling event with other Myrtales, little evidence exists for recent polyploidy events. Phylogenomics confirms that Syzygium originated in Australia-New Guinea and diversified in multiple migrations, eastward to the Pacific and westward to India and Africa, in bursts of speciation visible as poorly resolved branches on phylogenies. Furthermore, some sublineages demonstrate genomic clines that recapitulate cladogenetic events, suggesting that stepwise geographic speciation, a neutral process, has been important in Syzygium diversification.Peer reviewe