Research and field monitoring on transgenic crops by the Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo (CIMMYT)

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) aims to genetically enhance both crops and generate public sector-provided products for the resource poor, e.g., drought tolerant wheat and insect resistant maize, and through international–national partnerships facilitate the acquisition of improved germplasm for non-mandate crops in the cropping systems where maize and wheat thrives; e.g., GM-papaya through a national food security undertaking in Bangladesh. The Center also engages in public awareness campaigns in projects such as Insect Resistance Maize for Africa (IRMA), which includes food, feed and environmental safety, monitoring of resistance and establishment of refugia, non-target effects and gene flow. Monitoring of genetic resources is a wide concern among the centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), with an emphasis on the quality of gene banks. Decisions, policies and procedures about monitoring should be science-based, and this requires education, an area where CIMMYT and other CGIAR centers can play an important role. There will be a need to continue to evaluate the need for, and type of monitoring, as new (and unique) products are developed and released in the emergent economies of the world.     

Are composts from shredded leafy branches of fast-growing forest species suitable as nursery growing media in arid regions?

The morpho-physiological quality of seedlings is negatively affected by the wide scale use of forest soils as substrates in developing countries. With the objective of finding long-term sustainable supply of growing media, compost was produced from shredded branches of three fast growing species (Acacia cyanophylla (AA), Acacia cyclops (AS) and Eucalyptus gomphocephala (EG). The composting process covered three different periods over the course of a year. Pile temperatures were monitored daily and the composts were routinely sampled and analyzed for 19 chemical variables. Although composting is feasible year-round in arid climates, compost produced in the humid cool conditions of autumn, winter and early spring reaches the maturation phase more quickly than compost produced under hot, dry summer conditions. It also requires less turning and water. The evolution of the composting process and quality of the final product can be assessed using three chemical variables (C/N, pH, EC). Seed germination rates in the three types of compost were similar to that in a peat:vermiculite substrate and vigorous high quality seedlings were produced in the two acacia composts. However, compost-grown seedlings had significantly smaller shoots and root systems than those produced in peat substrate. Principal components analyses showed that the quality of a compost-based substrate is reproducible and that its final chemical composition can be predicted from its raw organic materials. The EG composts had higher pH than the acacia composts, whereas the AA and EG composts were higher in mineral salts than the AS.     

Antibacterial properties of silk fibroin/chitosan blend films loaded with plant extract

The silk fibroin (SF)/chitosan (CHI) blend films were prepared by dissolving them in formic acid. The morphology of the films was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The roughness of the membranes was determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). These films were treated with the extracts of Pistacia terebinthus, Pistacia lentiscus, and Hypericum empetrifolium. Folin-Ciocalteu assay was used to determine the amount of total phenols adsorbed on these blend films. The antibacterial properties of films were tested using disc diffusion and turbidity measurement methods against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The release of adsorbed phenolics from the film surface resulted in antibacterial properties.     

Protection efficiency assessment and quality of coastal shelterbelt for Dongshan Island at the coastal section scale

The coastal shelter forest in China is under threat of destruction and degradation because of the impact of human activities. Protection efficiency assessment of the coastal shelterbelt is an important component of shelter-forest remediation planning and sustainable management. In this study, a protection efficiency index (PEI) model was established using the projection pursuit method to assess the protective quality of the coastal shelter forest at the coastal section scale of Dongshan Island, China. Three criteria were used, including forest stand structure, forest belt structure, and windbreak effect; each criterion further comprised multiple factors. Based on survey data of 31 plots in the coastal shelter forest of Dongshan Island, we calculated PEI values using a projection of a pursuit model. The result showed 64.5 % of the PEIs fell at or below the middle level, which can indicate the status of the coastal shelterbelt is unsatisfactory. To further explore whether the different bays and land use types create significant differences in PEIs and evaluation indices, we used an ANOVA to test the influence of various bays and forms of land use on coastal shelterbelts. The results showed that PEI and most of the indices differed significantly by bay; mean tree height, mean DBH, mean crown width, stand density, vegetation coverage, and wind velocity reduction differed significantly by land use. Therefore, relevant measures for different locations, bays and surrounding land use can be proposed to improve the existing conditions of the coastal shelterbelt. The results of this study provide a theoretical and technical framework for future changes and sustainable management of coastal shelterbelt on Dongshan Island.     

Management options to accelerate growth rate and reduce age at first calving in Friesian–Boran crossbred heifers

Two experiments were conducted simultaneously to evaluate the effects of different concentrates to roughage ratios on growth performance and attainment of puberty in Friesian–Boran crossbred heifers. Weaned 50% Friesian–Boran crossbred female calves were used in both experiments with 25 and 20 calves in experiments I and II, respectively. In experiment I, the calves were offered diets with concentrate to roughage ratios of 50:50 (treatment 1) or 30:70 (treatment 2). In experiment II, the calves grazed for 8 h a day and supplemented with 2 kg hay and 1 kg concentrate per head per day (treatment 1) or only 2 kg hay per head per day (treatment 2). The concentrate mixture was composed of 34% wheat bran, 31% wheat middling, 31% noug cake, 3% limestone, and 1% salt. In experiment I, heifers fed a ration with 50% concentrate and 50% roughage had higher (P < 0.05) daily body weight gain (0.532 kg) and attained puberty at 221 kg (65% of the mature body weight) in 15 months, while heifers fed a diet with 30% concentrate and 70% roughage gained 0.434 kg/day and reached puberty at 247 kg (70% of the mature body weight), about 3 months later. Heifers in treatments 1 and 2 of experiment II reached puberty 5 and 12 months later, respectively, than those in experiment I. In experiment II, heifers given 1 kg of concentrate supplement had higher (P < 0.05) daily body weight gain (0.346 kg) than those given only 2 kg hay in addition to grazing (0.278 kg). Growth rate of crossbred heifers was enhanced and age at puberty was reduced by changing the rearing management from outdoor to indoor and with increasing level of concentrate in the ration. This helps to bring the dairy heifer into production earlier and enhance to the overall productivity of the dairy industry.     

Screening for blast resistance in rice using AMMI models to understand G x E interaction in Guyana

In rice, totally one hundred and three genotypes were evaluated for resistance against blast disease in three hot spot locations of Guyana. The experiments were conducted in spring and autumn seasons of 2015, 2016 and 2017. The modified upland blast nursery (UBN) method was adopted for screening blast resistance. The Additive Main effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) analysis was applied to understand the interaction between genotype (G) and environment (E). The results of all seasons at three locations showed the consistent expression of high resistance by genotype FL 127 followed by FG12–08 and FG12–273. The AMMI analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that, resistance was dominated by the genotype main effect. The magnitude of genotypes by environment (G x E) sum of square (SS) was 3.64 times smaller than genotype SS, and 6.74 times larger than environment SS. The analysis has indicated that the differences of the genotypes across the environment were not substantial. All of the seven environment vectors appeared to be positively correlated. The screening at Onverwagt Back, autumn 2016 (E7) and Black Bush Polder, spring 2015 (E5) were observed to be the most representative environment. This was clearly revealed by smaller average - environment axis (AEA) angle. Likewise, E4 (Canje, autumn 2015) was observed closer to the “ideal test environment”, thus suggested as an ideal environment for blast resistant screening. Also, genotypes clustered near the origin have showed stable blast disease resistant status and contributed little to both G and G x E. These genotypes proposed as useful ones for breeding disease resistant varieties and hybrids in rice.     

Estimation of rubberwood production in Cambodia

We estimated the production of rubberwood from 1996 to 2011 in Cambodia. We employed data from interview surveys with three rubberwood processing companies and statistics from estate rubber plantations and wood retailing companies. The result was that the end use of rubberwood in Cambodia was the sawntimber products, being exported to Vietnam and China. The yield rate from rubberwood stumpage into sawn timber was between 11.6 and 14.9%, closely matching the rates of Malaysia and Thailand. The average production of rubberwood roundwood from 1996 to 2011 was 254,697 m³/year, of which sawn timber as well as residuals in secondary processing was 84,559 and 170,138 m³/year, respectively. Although the timber production of Cambodia has declined sharply due to the strict restriction of natural forest logging, rubberwood could explain more than 60% of the domestic industrial roundwood production from 2000. We suggest the necessity of monitoring the expansion of rubber plantations in new rubber producing countries and linking the rubberwood production with the regional wood resource management.