Biotecnología agrícola

The domestication of plants can be considered as the first genetic manipulation of living organisms and it is associated with the origin of agriculture, and represents the major contribution of biotechnology to the development of mankind. The challenges the agricultural sector faces in the coming decades are population growth and the increasing demand for raw materials for food, feed, as well as the consumer preferences, environmental and legal aspects, and the overall globalisation of the economy. The agricultural biotechnology applications will undoubtedly play a role in meeting these challenges. Spain has competent scientific groups devoted to basic and applied research, with a wide knowledge on agricultural biotechnology. The transfer of the business sector needs to the scientific field, coordinating the R&D companies and research groups from universities and public research organisms is an objective to be attained in the future.La domesticación de plantas, primera manipulación genética de los organismos vivos y origen de la Agricultura, representa la mayor contribución de la biotecnología al desarrollo de la humanidad. Los retos a superar en las próximas décadas para el sector agrario están determinados por el aumento demográfico y la demanda de materias primas para alimentación humana y animal, por las preferencias en el consumo, por aspectos medioambientales y legales, y por la globalización de la economía. Las aplicaciones de la biotecnología agrícola van a jugar un papel incuestionable en el logro de estos retos. Nuestro país posee unos buenos grupos en investigación básica y aplicada, con amplios conocimientos de la agrobiotecnología. El traslado de las necesidades del sector empresarial a la investigación, coordinando los departamentos de I+D+I de las empresas y los grupos de investigación de las universidades y organismos públicos de investigación es una finalidad a conseguir en el futuro

Mejora genética de la remolacha azucarera

130 Pags.- 13 Figs. Premio AIMCRA de Investigación 25 Aniversario. Libro editado por AIMCRA que autoriza la divulgación en abierto de esta obra a través de Digital.CSIC para usos científicos referenciándose adecuadamente.Como resumen, pensamos que en un período de unos 10 años, los híbridos diploides F1, comenzarán a impactar el mercado de variedades de remolacha, y reemplazarán gradualmente a las actuales variedades triploides. Estos desarrollos serán el resultado del incremento de la eficacia en los métodos de mejora poblacional, lo que permitirá la obtención de lineas con un mínimo de recesivos deletereos y una clara mejora en sus resultados. Estas lineas deberán ser mejoradas posteriormente a través de la introducción de diversos caracteres cualitativos, vía transformación genética, y de introducción de genes cuantitativos de interés, vía selección asistida por marcadores. Al igual que en maíz, la mejora de los híbridos dependerá mas de la mejora del valor de las lineas puras, que de un mayor grado de heterosis. Lairitegración de los métodos tradicionales con las nuevas tecnologías, creará un potencial para el desarrollo de variedades de remolacha azucarera, que no sólo ofrecerán mayores producciones de azúcar blanco, sino que exigirán menores aportes de agroquímicos y estarán más adaptadas a sistemas de cultivo económicos y sostenibles.Peer reviewe

Determinants of barley grain yield in drought-prone Mediterranean environments

The determinants of barley grain yield in drought-prone Mediterranean environments have been studied in the Nure x Tremois (NT) population. A large set of yield and other morpho-physiological data were recorded in 118 doubled haploid (DH) lines of the population, in multi-environment field trials (18 site-year combination). Agrometeorological variables have been recorded and calculated at each site too. Four main periods of barley development were considered, vegetative, reproductive early and late grain filling phases, to dissect the effect on yield traits of the growth phases. Relationships between agrometeorological variables, grain yield (GY) and its main components (GN and GW) were also investigated by correlation. Results firstly gave a clear indication of the involvement of water consumption in determining GY and GW (r2=0.616, P=0.007 and r2=0.703, P=0.005, respectively) calculated from sowing to the early grain filling period, while GN showed its highest correlation with the total photothermal quotient (PQ) calculated for the same period (r2=0.646, P=0.013). With the only exception of total PQ calculated during the vegetative period, all significant correlations with GY were associated to water-dependent agrometeorological parameters. As a second result, the NT segregating population allowed us to weight the amount of interaction due to genotypes over environments or to environments in relation to genotypes by a GGE analysis; 47.67% of G+GE sum of squares was explained by the first two principal components. Then, the introduction of genomic information at major barley genes regulating the length of growth cycle allowed us to explain patterns of adaptation of different groups of NT lines according to the variants (alleles) harbored at venalization (Vrn-H1) in combination with earliness (Eam6) genes. The superiority of the lines carrying the Nure allele at Eam6 was confirmed by factorial ANOVA testing the four possible haplotypes obtained combining alternative alleles at Eam6 and Vrn-H1. Maximum yield potential and differentials among the NT genotypes was finally explored through Finlay-Wilkinson model to interpret grain yield of NT genotypes together with yield adaptability (Ya), as the regression coefficient bi; Ya ranged from 0.71 for NT77 to 1.20 for NT19. Lines simply harboring the Nure variants at the two genes behaved as highest yielding (3.04 t ha\u20131), and showed the highest yield adaptability (bi=1.05). The present study constitutes a starting point towards the introduction of genomic variables in agronomic models for barley grain yield in Mediterranean environments

Comparative mapping of the Oregon Wolfe Barley using doubled haploid lines derived from female and male gametes

28 Pag., 2 Tabl. 4 Fig. The definitive version is available at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/0040-5752/The Oregon Wolfe Barley mapping population is a resource for genetics research and instruction. Prior reports are based on a population of doubled haploid (DH) lines developed by the Hordeum bulbosum (H.b.) method, which samples female gametes. We developed new DH lines from the same cross using anther culture (A.C.), which samples male gametes. Linkage maps were generated in each of the two subpopulations using the same 1,328 single nucleotide polymorphism markers. The linkage maps based on DH lines derived from the products of megasporogeneis and microsporogenesis revealed minor differences in terms of estimated recombination rates. There were no differences in locus ordering. There was greater segregation distortion in the A.C.-derived subpopulation than in the H.b.-derived subpopulation, but in the region showing the greatest distortion, the cause was more likely allelic variation at the ZEO1 plant height locus rather than to DH production method. The effects of segregation distortion and pleiotropy had greater impacts on estimates of quantitative trait locus effect than population size for reproductive fitness traits assayed under greenhouse conditions. The Oregon Wolfe Barley (OWB) population and data are community resources. Seed is available from three distribution centers located in North America, Europe, and Asia. Details on ordering seed sets, as well as complete genotype and phenotype data files, are available at http://wheat.pw.usda.gov/ggpages/maps/OWB/.L. Cistué was recipient of a Senior Research Fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation during his time with the Oregon State University Barley Project and his research was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation thought the National Plan Projects AGL2005-07195-C02-01 and AGL2008-05541-C02-01. Alfonso Cuesta-Marcos was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN). The BOPA SNPs were developed under the auspices of USDA-CSREES-NRI Grant No 2006- 55606-16722 “Barley Coordinated Agricultural Project: Leveraging Genomics, Genetics, and Breeding for Gene Discovery and Barley Improvement”.Peer reviewe

Footprint preparation with nanofractures in a supraspinatus repair cuts in half the retear rate at 1-year follow-up. A randomized controlled trial

Purpose: To evaluate if adding nanofractures to the footprint of a supraspinatus tear repair would have any effect in the outcomes at one-year follow-up. Methods: Multicentric, triple-blinded, randomized trial with 12-months follow-up. Subjects with isolated symptomatic reparable supraspinatus tears smaller than 3 cm and without grade 4 fatty infiltration were included. These were randomized to two groups: In the Control group an arthroscopic supraspinatus repair was performed; in the Nanofracture group the footprint was additionally prepared with nanofractures (1 mm wide, 9 mm deep microfractures). Clinical evaluation was done with Constant score, EQ-5D-3L, and Brief Pain Inventory. The primary outcome was the retear rate in MRI at 12-months follow-up. Secondary outcomes were: characteristics of the retear (at the footprint or at the musculotendinous junction) and clinical outcomes. Results: Seventy-one subjects were randomized. Two were lost to follow-up, leaving 69 participants available for assessment at 12-months follow-up (33 in the Control group and 36 in the Nanofracture Group). The Nanofracture group had lower retear rates than the Control group (7/36 [19.4%] vs 14/33 [42.4%], differences significant, p = 0.038). Retear rates at the musculotendinous junction were similar but the Nanofracture group had better tendon healing rates to the bone (34/36 [94.4%] vs. 24/33 [66.71%], p = 0.014). Clinically both groups had significant improvements, but no differences were found between groups. Conclusion: Adding nanofractures at the footprint during an isolated supraspinatus repair lowers in half the retear rate at 12-months follow-up. This is due to improved healing at the footprint