Fundamental Shifts in Research, Ethics and Peer Review in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The era of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to fundamental shifts in research, ethics, and peer review including reframing of the research design, adapting methodologies to the study type, transitioning of research mechanics, changing research methodologies, overcoming data collection and standardization constraints, upholding research standards and ethics, maintaining informativeness and social value, and providing guarded peer review flexibility. Indeed, the COVID-19 crisis, despite disrupting research worldwide to an unprecedented degree, has also become a catalyst to develop strategies of adaptation to this disruption. As the COVID-19 pandemic continuous to evolve, new, cost-effective, and highly flexible research models need to be developed. Planning is crucial for ensuring short-term and long-term contingency funds to support research logistics and personnel. A mental shift must accompany changes in methodologies to mentor and support researchers who are vital to the continuity of high-caliber research in the long term. A global research perspective through interinstitutional and interprofessional collaboration will sustain adherence to the highest standards of data collection and research reporting

A Word in Season for the Weary

When I was 26 years old, the night before my water baptism, I prayed and asked the Lord to reveal to me my calling. He impressed this verse strongly on my spirit: “The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning. He awakens my ear to hear as the learned” (Isaiah 50:4). That verse burned in my heart, and I rejoiced in God’s revelation that confirmed my gifting and source of joy. I thought I would teach as a minister of God’s word, but instead I have taught more than a decade in higher education, as a biology professor. My teaching vocation began in my home culture, the Philippines, but now I serve students in the United States at a Christian liberal arts university. Isaiah 50:4 still burns in my heart, but with an understanding tempered by time and experience

Effect of High Temperature on Pollen Morphology Plant Growth and Seed Yield in Quinoa (Chenopodium Quinoa Willd.)

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) has gained considerable attention worldwide during the past decade due to its nutritional and health benefits. However, its susceptibility to high temperatures has been reported as a serious obstacle to its global production. The objective of this study was to evaluate quinoa growth and pollen morphology in response to high temperatures. Pollen morphology and viability, plant growth and seed set, and several physiological parameters were measured at anthesis in two genotypes of quinoa subjected to day/night temperatures of 22/16°C as a control treatment and 40/24°C as the heat stress treatment. Our results showed that heat stress reduced the pollen viability between 30% and 70%. Although no visible morphological differences were observed on the surface of the pollen between the heat-stressed and non-heat-stressed treatments, the pollen wall (intine and extine) thickness increased due to heat stress. High temperature did not affect seed yield, seed size and leaf greenness. On the other hand, high temperature improved the rate of photosynthesis. We found that quinoa has a high plasticity in response to high temperature, though pollen viability and pollen wall structure were affected by high temperatures in anthesis stage. This study is also the first report of quinoa pollen being trinucleate

Effect of Irrigation, Intercrop, and Cultivar on Agronomic and Nutritional Characteristics of Quinoa

A field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of three irrigation regimes and three intercrop treatments on emergence, plant height, seed yield, protein, and mineral concentration of two quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) varieties. The experiment was carried out using a strip plot, randomized complete block design in 2012 and 2013 on an organic farm in Pullman, WA. Irrigation significantly increased quinoa yield compared to dry land production. The fescue/clover intercrop produced higher biomass compared to clover/medic intercrop. Neither intercrop affected quinoa yield. The cultivar “Oro de Valle” had higher mineral concentration than “Cherry Vanilla” for Cu, Fe, and P concentration, but lower seed yield each year. An interaction was found between Mn seed concentration and intercrop treatment; however, different intercrop treatments did not seem to greatly affect other seed mineral concentrations. The intercrop provided cover in the field during the winter months, thus, decreasing soil erosion and providing green manure the following season. The fescue grass clover mix created more winter cover compared to the clover/medic intercrop whereas the clover and medic mixture increased quinoa seed protein. © 2016 Taylor & Francis

Registration of ‘Lyon’, a Two-Row, Spring Feed Barley

‘Lyon’ (Reg. No. CV-356, PI 673045), a spring, two-row, hulled feed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar developed and tested as 05WA-316.K, was released in 2013 by Washington State University (WSU). Lyon was derived from the cross ‘Baronesse’/‘Spaulding’ and selected through single-seed descent from F2 to F4 and pedigree breeding methods from F5 to F6. Lyon was tested in field trials in Pullman, WA, and in multi-environment trials at 8 to 10 locations per year by the WSU Variety Testing Program from 2009 to 2013. In these testing sites, Lyon had a mean grain yield (5699 kg ha−1) that was higher than those of check cultivars ‘Bob’ and Baronesse. Across 37 station years in the Western Regional Spring Barley Nursery, Lyon had an average grain yield of 5284 kg ha−1, which was higher than check cultivars ‘Steptoe’, ‘Harrington’, ‘AC Metcalfe’, and ‘CDC Kindersley’. Lyon showed head emergence significantly earlier than Baronesse, Bob, and ‘Lenetah’ and was 3.3 cm shorter than Bob and 6.1 cm shorter than ‘Champion’. Similar to Champion and Baronesse, Lyon is moderately susceptible to stripe rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei Eriks.). Lyon is intended as a high-yielding replacement to barley feed cultivars Bob, Baronesse, and Lenetah in the dryland cropping regions of eastern Washington that receive an average precipitation of 400 mm yr−1 or higher. © Crop Science Society of America. All rights reserved

Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) and Its Potential for Cultivation in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.: A Review

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L. ) is a warm season grass with a growing season of 60–100 days. It is a highly nutritious cereal grain used for human consumption, bird seed, and/or ethanol production. Unique characteristics, such as drought and heat tolerance, make proso millet a promising alternative cash crop for the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the United States. Development of proso millet varieties adapted to dryland farming regions of the PNW could give growers a much-needed option for diversifying their predominantly wheat-based cropping systems. In this review, the agronomic characteristics of proso millet are discussed, with emphasis on growth habits and environmental requirements, place in prevailing crop rotations in the PNW, and nutritional and health benefits. The genetics of proso millet and the genomic resources available for breeding adapted varieties are also discussed. Last, challenges and opportunities of proso millet cultivation in the PNW are explored, including the potential for entering novel and regional markets

Registration of ‘Muir’ Spring Feed Barley

‘Muir’ (Reg. No. CV-357, PI 674172) is a two-row, spring, hulled feed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar developed and evaluated as 07WA-601.6, and released in 2013 by Washington State University (WSU). Muir was derived from the cross ‘Baronesse’/‘Bob’ and selected through singleseed descent from F2 to F4 and pedigree breeding methods from F5 to F6. Muir was tested in multi-environment trials at 8 to 10 locations per year by the WSU Variety Testing Program from 2011 to 2014. In the low rainfall (precipitation) testing locations, Muir had a mean grain yield (4787.0 kg ha-1) that was higher than those of check cultivars Baronesse, Bob, and Lyon. Muir showed head emergence significantly earlier than Baronesse, Bob, and ‘Lenetah’ and was 3.3 cm taller than Baronesse and 5.5 cm shorter than ‘Champion’ across low rainfall zone locations. Muir is resistant to currently prevalent races of the stripe rust pathogen (Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. hordei Erikss.); by comparison, commonly grow n cultivars Baronesse, Bob, and Champion are rated as moderately resistant, ‘Harrington’, Lenetah, and Lyon are rated as moderately susceptible, and ‘CDC Copeland’ and ‘CDC Meredith’ are rated as susceptible. Muir was released on the basis of its excellent stripe rust resistance, high grain yield, and agronomic qualities suitable for a feed barley cultivar in low rainfall zones of Washington. © Crop Science Society of America. All rights reserved