E6, a dominant gene conditioning early flowering and maturity in soybeans

Inheritance was studied in natural variants of the soybean cultivar Paraná, developed under photoperiodic conditions ranging from 13 h 31 min day light, at sowing, to 14 h 23 min, 59 days afterwards. Results indicated that early flowering and maturity are controlled by a single dominant gene. Natural mutations that originated cultivars Paranagoiana and SS-1 occurred at the same locus of cultivar Paraná. It was not possible to determine if the recessive alleles of these mutant cultivars are different. The designation E6 was proposed for the alleles determining earliness in cultivar Paraná, and e6 for the gene determining late flowering and maturity in cultivars Paranagoiana and SS-1, until the individuality of the alleles of Paranagoiana and SS-1 is confirmed.<br>A herança foi estudada em variantes naturais de soja do cultivar Paraná, cultivados sob condições fotoperiódicas que variaram de 13 h 31 min, na data de semeadura, até 14 h 23 min, 59 dias após. Os resultados indicaram que o florescimento e a maturidade precoces são controlados por um gene dominante. As mutações naturais que originaram os cultivares Paranagoiana e SS-1 ocorreram no mesmo loco do cultivar Paraná. Não foi possível determinar se os alelos recessivos desses cultivares mutantes são separados. Foi proposta a designação E6 para os alelos que determinam o florescimento e a maturação precoces no cultivar Paraná, e e6 para os alelos que determinam florescimento e maturação tardios nos cultivares Paranagoiana e SS-1, até que a individualidade dos alelos de Paranagoiana e SS-1 seja confirmada

Qualidade fisiológica e teor de lignina no tegumento de sementes de soja convencional e transgênica RR submetidas a diferentes épocas de colheita Physiological quality and lignin content in the coat seeds of conventional and RR transgenic soybean submitted to different harvest periods

Têm-se levantado à hipótese de que cultivares de soja RR possuem teores de lignina superiores aos convencionais, o que proporciona maior resistência a danos mecânicos e maior impermeabilidade do tegumento das sementes. Objetivou-se avaliar a qualidade fisiológica e o teor de lignina no tegumento das sementes de soja convencional e RR colhidas em três épocas, em Lavras-MG. Para tanto, as sementes colhidas nos estádios R7, R8 e após 20 dias de retardamento da colheita (R8+20), foram submetidas aos testes para avaliação da qualidade fisiológica e teor de lignina. As cultivares convencionais e RR avaliadas foram: BRS 133 vs BRS 245 RR, BRS 134 vs BRS 247 RR, Conquista vs Valiosa RR, Celeste vs Baliza RR e Jataí vs Silvânia RR. Foram realizados os testes de peso de mil sementes, germinação, envelhecimento acelerado, condutividade elétrica, dano mecânico, índice de velocidade de emergência, germinação após a imersão das sementes em água e teor de lignina no tegumento de sementes. Com exceção do teor de lignina no tegumento de sementes para o contraste Jataí vs Silvânia RR, não foram observadas diferenças entre os materiais RR e convencional, tendo, neste caso, a cv Silvânia RR apresentado resultados superiores aos da convencional. No entanto, houve diferença de comportamento entre os cultivares quanto à tolerância ao retardamento da colheita. Observou-se redução significativa na porcentagem de germinação e vigor das sementes avaliadas com o retardamento da colheita.<br>One has raised the hypothesis that the RR soybean cultivars posses lignin contents higher than those of the conventional ones. The present work was conducted with the purpose of evaluating the physiological quality and lignin content in the coat of the conventional and RR soybean seeds collected in three times in Lavras-MG. To that end, the seeds collected at stages R7, R8 and after 20 days of collection delay (R8+20) were submitted to the tests for evaluation of the physiological quality and lignin content. The evaluated conventional and RR cultivars were : BRS 133 vs BRS 245 RR, BRS 134 vs BRS 247 RR, BRS Conquista vs BRS Valiosa RR, BRS Celeste vs BRS Baliza RR and Jataí vs BRS Silvânia RR. The tests of 1000-seed weight, germination, accelerated aging, electrical conductivity, mechanical injury, emergence velocity index, germination after water seed soaking and lignin content in the coat seeds were performed. With the exception of the lignin content in the coat seeds for the contrast Jataí vs Silvânia RR, no differences between the RR and conventional materials were observed, the RR cultivar having presented results superior to those of the conventional one. Nevertheless, there was behavioral difference among the cultivars as to the tolerance to harvest delay. Significant reduction was observed in evaluated germination percentage and vigor of seeds with the collection delay

Scientific Opinion on the effect on public or animal health or on the environment on the presence of seeds of Ambrosia spp. in animal feed

The European Commission requested EFSA to provide a scientific opinion on the effect on public or animal health or on the environment on the further distribution of Ambrosia spp. in the European Union and on the importance of feed materials, in particular bird feed, in the dispersion of Ambrosia spp. The genus Ambrosia (Asteraceae family) is distributed worldwide. Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) has heavily colonised several areas of South-East Europe. Ambrosia spp., both in their native range and in invaded areas, are of public health concern due to the allergenic properties of their pollen. The NDA Panel concluded that inhalation of the plant pollen causes rhino-conjunctivitis and asthma, with skin allergies and food allergy playing minor roles. Ambrosia may cross-sensitize patients to other allergens, including food allergens. There is some evidence for allergenicity of Ambrosia pollen in animals. With regard to the effects on the environment of the further distribution of Ambrosia spp. in the European Union, the PLH Panel concluded that there is no direct evidence that Ambrosia spp. cause extinction of plant species. However, there are some indications that A. artemisiifolia could become highly invasive in certain environmentally-valuable habitats and might be linked to an impoverishment of species richness, therefore further ecological studies are needed. The CONTAM Panel focused on the relative importance of animal feed, bird feed in particular, on the dispersion of Ambrosia. Ambrosia seeds may contaminate feed. However, animal feed materials compounded for use in livestock are extensively processed. This processing destroys Ambrosia seeds and hence the contribution of compounded feed to the dispersion of Ambrosia is considered to be negligible. Bird feed often contains significant quantities of Ambrosia seeds and remains unprocessed. Therefore, bird feed seems to play an important role in introducing Ambrosia to new, previously not infested area