Taxonomy and evolution of cultivated plants: Literature review 1980/1981

Summary Important papers on taxonomy and evolution of cultivated plants published in 1980 and 1981 were compiled and briefly discussed.

---

Taxonomie und Evolution der Kulturpflanzen: Literaturübersicht 1980/1981

Zusammenfassung Wichtige Arbeiten über Taxonomie und Evolution der Kulturpflanzen aus den Jahren 1980 und 1981 wurden zusammengestellt und kurz kommentiert.

---

: 1980–1981 .

, 1980 1981 . .

---

---

Herrn Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. H.Stubbe aus Anlaß der 80. Wiederkehr seines Geburtstages gewidmet.     

Taxonomy and evolution of cultivated plants: Literature review 1988/1989

Summary Important papers on taxonomy and evolution of cultivated plants published in 1988 and 1989 were compiled and briefly discussed.

---

Taxonomie und Evolution der Kulturpflanzen: Literaturübersicht 1988/1989

Zusammenfassung Wichtige Arbeiten über Taxonomie und Evolution der Kulturpflanzen aus den Jahren 1988 und 1989 wurden zusammengestellt und kurz kommentiert.

---

: 1988–1989

, 1988 1989 . .

     

Changes in soil properties after 10 years continuous non-tilled and conventionally tilled corn

Soil properties were evaluated after 10 years of continuous non-tilled and conventionally tilled corn (Zea mays L.) production on a Maury silt loam (Typic Paleudalfs) soil, which had been in bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) for 50 years. On limed and nonlimed plots soil samples from 0, 84, 168 and 336 kg/ha N treatments were taken in the 0–5, 5–15 and 15–30 cm layers for determination of organic C and N, soil pH, and exchangeable Al, Mn, Ca, Mg, K.Tillage treatments had no effect on soil bulk density in the 0–15 cm layer. In the 0–5 cm surface layer, organic C and N were approximately twice as high with no-tillage as with conventional tillage; N fertilizer induced a high level of both organic C and organic N. No-tillage decreased soil pH for unlimed plots as compared to conventional tillage, especially at high N-rates, which produced an increase in exchangeable Al and Mn and a decrease in exchangeable Ca down to the 30 cm depth. When lime was applied, the pH of the surface soil was slightly higher under no-tillage. On treatments receiving lime, exchangeable Al and Mn levels were very low with no significant difference in tillage systems. At low rates of N fertilization the 10-year average corn yield was higher for conventional tillage than for no-tillage, but at high rates of N fertilization it was equal or higher for no-tillage treatments receiving lime. Unlimed no-tillage treatments produced lower yields at all N levels during 1975–1979. Deterioration of soil physical properties was not observed.     

First record of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Grewia tenax</Emphasis> (Forssk.) Fiori in northern Oman,a valuable fruit producing shrub

Grewia tenax (Forssk.) Fiori is a wild fruit species with multiple uses in different parts of the Tropics and Subtropics. It is common on the Arabian Peninsula and has also been recorded in southern Oman. To date, no record of the species exists for the northern part of this country. To close this distributional gap, three sites in the al-Hajar mountains of northern Oman were surveyed in summer 2005 and spring 2006. During the botanical fieldwork, several flowering and fruiting plants were found in Wadi Bani Awf and Wadi Muaydin. In the latter area G. tenax fruits are eaten by local people. In addition to G. tenax, nine woody perennials with edible fruit were recorded. In northern Oman, fruits of Sideroxylon mascatense (A. DC.) Penn. and Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. are widely collected and sold on local markets. G. tenax shrubs were found to be heavily grazed indicating its high palatability to goats and sheep. The occurrence of G. tenax in the al-Hajar mountains is a new record to the flora of northern Oman and calls for further investigation of botanists and germplasm collectors.     

Vorarbeiten zur monographischen Darstellung von Wildpflanzensortimenten:Aegilops L.

Ohne Zusammenfassung

---

Studies towards a monographic treatment of wild plant collections:Aegilops L.

---

:Aegilops L.

---

Diese Arbeit wurde im Zentralinstitut für Genetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung der Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR, Querschnittsbereich Kulturpflanzenweltsortiment, angefertigt. Dem Direktor des Instituts, Herrn Prof. Dr. H.Böhme, danke ich für ausgezeichnete Arbeitsmöglichkeiten und vielseitige Unterstützungen. Dem Leiter des Querschnittsbereiches Kulturpflanzenweltsortiment, Herrn Dr.Chr. O.Lehmann, bin ich für zahlreiche Anregungen und die kritische Durchsicht des Manuskripts zu Dank verpflichtet. Der Mühe des Manuskriptstudiums haben sich außerdem Herr Dr. P.Hanelt und Herr Dipl.-Math. H.Knüpffer, der mir auch für den mathematischen Teil tatkräftig zur Seite stand, unterzogen. Ihnen gilt mein besonderer Dank. Die Kollegen der benach-barten Forschungsgruppe Taxonomie und Evolution haben durch Diskussionen und ihre inhaltsreiche Publikation (vgl.Fritsch et al. 1977) dazu beigetragen, mir die Attraktivität des Forschungsobjektes bewußt zu machen. Herr Dr. J.Kruse unterstützte mich sehr bei der Einarbeitung in die systematische Problematik der Gattung. Die Betreuung desAegilops- Sortimentes durch Herrn K.Köhler und seine Mitarbeiterin E.Gerloff erleichterte die Untersuchungen sehr. Meine bewährte Assistentin, FräuleinChr. Schmidt, war mir über ihr engeres Arbeitsgebiet hinaus oft in technischen Fragen eine unersetzliche Hilfe. Für die exakte Ausführung der Zeichnungen danke ich dem wissenschaftlichen Zeichner Herrn R.Pertack. Die fotografischen Aufnahmen wurden von Frau G.Terpe und Frau I.Kuntze ausgeführt. Allen, die weiterhin zur Fertigstellung der Arbeit beitrugen, möchte ich ebenfalls herzlich danken.     

Book reviews,Hunting the Wild Potato in the South American Andes: Memories of the British Empire Potato Collecting Expedition to South America 1938– 1939. J. [John ‘Jack’] G. [Gregory] Hawkes.Botanical and Experimental Garden,University of Nijmegen,The Netherlands 2004. 224 pp.ISBN 90-9018021-4.

Book Review

Book reviews, Hunting the Wild Potato in the South American Andes: Memories of the British Empire Potato Collecting Expedition to South America 1938– 1939. J. [John ‘Jack’] G. [Gregory] Hawkes.Botanical and Experimental Garden, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands 2004. 224 pp.ISBN 90-9018021-4.     

Variation of cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum L. subsp.usitatissimum) and its wild progenitor pale flax (subsp.angustifolium (Huds.) Thell.)

The domestication of cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum L. subsp.usitatissimum) is briefly discussed. Using data documented as a matter of routine in genebank work, 63 accessions of cultivated flax from the flax germplasm collection of the Gatersleben Genebank are compared with 73 accessions of its wild progenitor pale flax (subsp.angustifolium (Huds.) Thell.), which have been observed in systematic field trials. Range of variation, genetically based variation, heritability and correlation of several characters are considered, especially with respect to the influence of domestication. Cultivated flax shows higher variation in the characters of generative plant parts, while pale flax varies more in the vegetative parts of the plant. The character correlations are similar in both subspecies. Of the 29 characters studied in pale flax the parameters describing tillering, height of plant, weight of seeds, width of petals and width of leaves are especially suitable for distinguishing between different accessions. In spite of the high heritabilities of most of the characters, the influence of the environment is significant in most cases.     

Genetic engineering of livestock

Genetic engineering of livestock is expected to have a major effect on the agricultural industry. However, accurate assessment of the consequences of transgene expression is impossible without multigenerational studies. A systematic study of the beneficial and adverse consequences of long-term elevations in the plasma levels of bovine growth hormone (bGH) was conducted on two lines of transgenic pigs. Two successive generations of pigs expressing the bGH gene showed significant improvements in both daily weight gain and feed efficiency and exhibited changes in carcass composition that included a marked reduction in subcutaneous fat. However, long-term elevation of bGH was generally detrimental to health: the pigs had a high incidence of gastric ulcers, arthritis, cardiomegaly, dermatitis, and renal disease. The ability to produce pigs exhibiting only the beneficial, growth-promoting effects of growth hormone by a transgenic approach may require better control of transgene expression, a different genetic background, or a modified husbandry regimen.     

Gonadotroph-specific expression of metallothionein fusion genes in pituitaries of transgenic mice

Transgenic mice expressing a metallothionein-somatostatin fusion gene contain high concentrations of somatostatin in the anterior pituitary gland, a tissue that does not normally produce somatostatin. Immunoreactive somatostatin within the anterior pituitaries was found exclusively within gonadotrophs. Similarly, a metallothionein-human growth-hormone fusion gene was also expressed selectively in gonadotrophs. It is proposed that sequences common to the two fusion genes are responsible for the gonadotroph-specific expression.     

Overexpression of low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor eliminates LDL from plasma in transgenic mice

A complementary DNA encoding the human low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor under control of the mouse metallothionein-I promoter was injected into fertilized mouse eggs, and a strain of mice expressing high levels of LDL receptors was established. After administration of cadmium, these mice cleared intravenously injected 125I-labeled LDL from blood eight to ten times more rapidly than did normal mice. The plasma concentrations of apoproteins B-100 and E, the two ligands for the LDL receptor, declined by more than 90 percent after cadmium treatment, but the concentration of another apoprotein, A-I, was unaffected. Therefore, overexpression of an endocytotic receptor can dramatically lower the ambient concentration of its ligand in vivo.