Effects of environment and planting density on plant stature, flowering time, and ear set in IBM populations of maize

Plant stature, flowering time and ear set are related to maturity, disease and insect resistance, drought tolerance, root lodging and yield, which are all major trait targets for maize breeders. In an effort to understand the effects of year, location, and planting density on these traits, we grew the IBMRIL and IBMDH populations in high and low density at several locations in the cornbelt over a period of years. The effects of temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation at key crop growth phases were quantified for each trait using partial least squares regression. The heritability of each trait across high and low planting densities was estimated. Using composite interval mapping, we placed by- and across-environment and density QTL for these traits on a dense genetic map. The effects of environment and planting density on each of these traits were significant. Several QTL with very narrow confidence intervals and functions of interest to breeding programs were identified, and QTL were detected differentially across environments and planting densities. Use of phenotypic and genotypic selection for plant stature, flowering time, and ear set is discussed, and functional hypotheses for these QTL are explored in the context of previously identified QTL

Trapping and Other Strategies for Control of Cucumber Beetle in Muskmelon

Spotted and striped cucumber beetles (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi and Acalymma vittata) that vector a bacteria that causes bacterial wilt in cucurbits are the major pest in Iowa muskmelon fields. Growers currently spray insecticides to control these insects on a one- to two-week preventive schedule. Use of large amounts of chemical can be expensive and damaging to beneficial pollinators and the environment. We investigated the success of the prototype Trece trap-and-bait system—soon to be Organic Materials Review Institute approved— in controlling these beetles. The traps chemically lure beetles to insecticide-treated baits inside the traps, placed some distance away from the muskmelon crop. We also tested three other management methods in combination with the traps: Reemay® row covers, slitted row covers, and transplants treated with BioYield® (rhizobacterial) potting soil

Determining the Mechanism of Yield Stability in Alfalfa

Year-to-year stability of crop yields is important for farmers, and hence is an important goal of plant breeding programs. Especially in perennial crops like alfalfa farmers need to know that they can count on consistent yields over a period of three or more years. Alfalfa varieties are composed of a population of many genetically distinct plants (or genotypes), unlike corn hybrids or soybean lines, which are genetically uniform. Our goal is to determine whether the entire population of plants or single plants within a population determine yield stability of alfalfa. If varietal stability is due to the stability of individual plants in the population, then breeders can select individual plants with stable performance under many environmental conditions to use in the development of stable varieties. Conversely, if yield stability of a variety results from the interaction of many different genotypes, each of which performs better under some conditions than others, then alternative methods for developing stable cultivars must be investigated

A Row Cover and Low-Risk Insecticide Strategy for Cucumber Beetle Management

Spotted and striped cucumber beetles vector a bacterium that causes wilt in cucurbits. These beetles are the major pest of muskmelons in Iowa. We investigated the success of spun-cotton Reemay row covers and several reduced-risk insecticides for management of cucumber beetles and bacterial wilt

A Trap Crop + Insecticide Approach for Cucumber Beetle Management

Spotted and striped cucumber beetles not only cause feeding damage in Iowa cucurbit crops, but vector a bacterium that causes bacterial wilt. ‘Turks Turban,’ an ornamental gourd, was used alone and in combination with carbaryl as a trap crop for these pests in muskmelon. We hypothesized that the beetles would preferentially feed on highly attractive gourd rows interspersed among the melon crop. Insecticide applications to these rows should be more effective than applications to the entire field and may be sufficient for control in the entire field

Trapping and Other Strategies for Cucumber Beetle Management

Spotted and striped cucumber beetles vector a bacterium that causes wilt in cucurbits (plants in the gourd family). These beetles are the major pest of muskmelons in Iowa. We investigated the success of a prototype Trecé brand trap and bait system, soon to be OMRI-approved (Organic Materials Review Institute), that chemically lures beetles to insecticide-treated bait inside a trap some distance away from the muskmelon crop. We also tested the success of Reemay fabric row covers, clear slitted plastic row covers, and BioYield seed treatment. BioYield is a seed inoculant that includes a variety of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria

Germline HOXB13 mutations p.G84E and p.R217C do not confer an increased breast cancer risk

In breast cancer, high levels of homeobox protein Hox-B13 (HOXB13) have been associated with disease progression of ER-positive breast cancer patients and resistance to tamoxifen treatment. Since HOXB13 p.G84E is a prostate cancer risk allele, we evaluated the association between HOXB13 germline mutations and breast cancer risk in a previous study consisting of 3,270 familial non-BRCA1/2 breast cancer cases and 2,327 controls from the Netherlands. Although both recurrent HOXB13 mutations p.G84E and p.R217C were not associated with breast cancer risk, the risk estimation for p.R217C was not very precise. To provide more conclusive evidence regarding the role of HOXB13 in breast cancer susceptibility, we here evaluated the association between HOXB13 mutations and increased breast cancer risk within 81 studies of the international Breast Cancer Association Consortium containing 68,521 invasive breast cancer patients and 54,865 controls. Both HOXB13 p.G84E and p.R217C did not associate with the development of breast cancer in European women, neither in the overall analysis (OR = 1.035, 95% CI = 0.859-1.246, P = 0.718 and OR = 0.798, 95% CI = 0.482-1.322, P = 0.381 respectively), nor in specific high-risk subgroups or breast cancer subtypes. Thus, although involved in breast cancer progression, HOXB13 is not a material breast cancer susceptibility gene.Peer reviewe

Germline HOXB13 mutations p.G84E and p.R217C do not confer an increased breast cancer risk

Abstract: In breast cancer, high levels of homeobox protein Hox-B13 (HOXB13) have been associated with disease progression of ER-positive breast cancer patients and resistance to tamoxifen treatment. Since HOXB13 p.G84E is a prostate cancer risk allele, we evaluated the association between HOXB13 germline mutations and breast cancer risk in a previous study consisting of 3,270 familial non-BRCA1/2 breast cancer cases and 2,327 controls from the Netherlands. Although both recurrent HOXB13 mutations p.G84E and p.R217C were not associated with breast cancer risk, the risk estimation for p.R217C was not very precise. To provide more conclusive evidence regarding the role of HOXB13 in breast cancer susceptibility, we here evaluated the association between HOXB13 mutations and increased breast cancer risk within 81 studies of the international Breast Cancer Association Consortium containing 68,521 invasive breast cancer patients and 54,865 controls. Both HOXB13 p.G84E and p.R217C did not associate with the development of breast cancer in European women, neither in the overall analysis (OR = 1.035, 95% CI = 0.859–1.246, P = 0.718 and OR = 0.798, 95% CI = 0.482–1.322, P = 0.381 respectively), nor in specific high-risk subgroups or breast cancer subtypes. Thus, although involved in breast cancer progression, HOXB13 is not a material breast cancer susceptibility gene

CYP3A7*1C allele: linking premenopausal oestrone and progesterone levels with risk of hormone receptor-positive breast cancers

Funder: Breast Cancer Now (BCN); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100009794Funder: Cancer Research UK (CRUK); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000289Funder: RCUK | Medical Research Council (MRC); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000265Funder: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH)Funder: Wellcome Trust (Wellcome); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100004440Funder: EC | EC Seventh Framework Programm | FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific Programme: "Ideas" Implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (2007 to 2013)); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100011199; Grant(s): HEALTH-F2-2009-223175, HEALTH-F2-2009-223175Funder: Genome Canada (Génome Canada); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100008762Funder: Gouvernement du Canada | Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Instituts de Recherche en Santé du Canada); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000024Funder: Quebec Breast cancer Foundation Genome QuebecFunder: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100000092Funder: EC | EC Seventh Framework Programm | FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific Programme: "Ideas" Implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (2007 to 2013))Funder: European Union’s Horizon 2020Funder: Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100005972Funder: BCAST - European Union’s Horizon 2020Funder: Breast Cancer Now; doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100007913Abstract: Background: Epidemiological studies provide strong evidence for a role of endogenous sex hormones in the aetiology of breast cancer. The aim of this analysis was to identify genetic variants that are associated with urinary sex-hormone levels and breast cancer risk. Methods: We carried out a genome-wide association study of urinary oestrone-3-glucuronide and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide levels in 560 premenopausal women, with additional analysis of progesterone levels in 298 premenopausal women. To test for the association with breast cancer risk, we carried out follow-up genotyping in 90,916 cases and 89,893 controls from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. All women were of European ancestry. Results: For pregnanediol-3-glucuronide, there were no genome-wide significant associations; for oestrone-3-glucuronide, we identified a single peak mapping to the CYP3A locus, annotated by rs45446698. The minor rs45446698-C allele was associated with lower oestrone-3-glucuronide (−49.2%, 95% CI −56.1% to −41.1%, P = 3.1 × 10–18); in follow-up analyses, rs45446698-C was also associated with lower progesterone (−26.7%, 95% CI −39.4% to −11.6%, P = 0.001) and reduced risk of oestrogen and progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer (OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.82–0.91, P = 6.9 × 10–8). Conclusions: The CYP3A7*1C allele is associated with reduced risk of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer possibly mediated via an effect on the metabolism of endogenous sex hormones in premenopausal women