Selection of new sweet potato genotypes based on production parameters,physical root characteristics and resistance to Euscepes postfasciatus

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a root that allows healthy eating and combats malnutrition. There is a need for more productive sweet potato...     

Seed of Ullucus tuberosus—An apomict or not

Summary The paper deals with variations in enzyme pattern in the seeds of ulluco, Ullucus tuberosus. Six seeds per clone, four clones and three enzyme systems (malate dehydrogenase, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and 6-fosfoglucose dehydrogenase) were examined. There was variation in enzyme pattern between the seeds of a single clone. It is concluded that ulluco is not an apomictic species but a truly sexual one. Consequences of these findings for breeding programmes of ulluco are pointed out.     

Eucalypt growth in monoculture and silvopastoral systems with varied tree initial densities and spatial arrangements

Brazil has large stretches of degraded land, mainly occupied by pasture. Recently, the Brazilian government created a program providing financial support to recover these lands throughout the country by establishing agroforestry systems, among others. To select the most appropriate initial spatial arrangements and tree planting density for such systems, the plant growth and leaf area index (LAI) of a Eucalyptus camaldulensis clone were evaluated in five spatial arrangements: 3.6 × 2.5 m, and 3.3 × 3.3 m (monoculture), and (2 × 2) + 10 m, (3 × 3) + 9 m, and 9 × 3 m (silvopastoral systems), with 1,111, 918, 833, 556 and 370 plants per hectare, respectively. The arrangement did not affect plant height growth (p > 0.05) up to 50 months. The average diameter was affected by plant proximity in the planting line, being smaller (p < 0.05) in the arrangements (2 × 2) + 10 m, and 3.6 × 2.5 m, and by the number of lines in the rows, as the plants in the single line arrangement (9 × 3 m) attained the highest diameter. Individual volumes of high initial density stand were lower than in the silvopastoral systems. The arrangements (2 × 2) + 10 m, 3.6 × 2.5 m, and 3.3 × 3.3 m did not differ (p > 0.05) in volume per hectare, which was higher (p < 0.05) than for the other arrangements studied. LAI decreased with age and it was higher (p < 0.01) in the monoculture as compared to the silvopastoral systems. The silvopastoral system can be established in the (2 × 2) + 10 m arrangement for high biomass production besides having the additional benefit of financial returns from the pasture, as compared with the monoculture. The 9 × 3 m arrangement is preferable for large diameter log production.     

Soil management to prevent earthworms from riddling irrigation ditch banks

Summary Earthworm activities were observed under subdued light in lucite fronted soil filled boxes in which bean plants were growing. They formed their burrows by ingesting a relatively small core of soil about 2 mm in diameter and expanding these holes to a diameter of about 5 mm by flexing their muscles. The compacted zone extended about 4 mm from the radii of these burrows. As shallow bean roots of young plants extracted water from the upper portions of the soil, worms moved downward to moister soil. During furrow irrigation, worms moved toward the water source through existing burrows. A few of them burrowed new holes to the furrow and emerged and swam in the water for up to 20 min before burrowing back into the mud in the bottom of the furrow. In columns with sections packed with pressures of 50, 100, 200, 300 and 600 kPa, worm burrowing was reduced in sections packed at higher pressures and was practically negligible in the sections packed at 600 kPa. Visual comparison of porosity in the compacted soil surrounding earthworm burrows and the soil compacted at 300 and 600 kPa indicated that the worms are able to compact soil with a force between 300 and 600 kPa. Worms were not able to survive long enough to burrow through 15 cm of a subsoil with organic carbon content less than 0.2% that lay between them and topsoil. Both compaction and use of subsoil for the banks show promise for reducing earthworm burrowing and water loss from ditches.     

Assessing genetic diversity in the cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) germplasm collection in Brazil using PCR-based markers

Knowledge of the origin, organization and nature of the cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) germplasm collection in Brazil is incomplete due to lack of critical information on several aspects of the collection. This study verifies the utility of SSR-primed PCR markers for germplasm assessment and then utilizes these markers as well as RAPD's to characterize the Brazilian collection. We specifically address the following questions: 1)what is the relationship of morphologically closely related species to cultivated cassava? 2) What is the genetic diversity of cultivars within and between different habitats in Brazil? 3) Do agronomic traits and molecular markers reveal the same relationship among cassava accessions? 4) How complete is the Brazilian cassava collection and how well is it represented in the Word Core Collection of cassava, maintained by CIAT? Results of the interspecific studies of cassava and its wild relatives confirms the close relationship of cassava, Manihot esculenta ssp. esculenta to Manihot esculenta ssp. flabellifolia as well identifying several other closely related wild species. Next, PCR-based markers indicate a strong grouping of varieties related to the region of cultivation in Brazil. Moreover, important regions such as Cerrados and Amazon are relatively poorly represented in germplasm collections. Interestingly, the relationships of accessions based on agronomic traits are not fully congruent with relationships revealed with RAPD markers. Finally, the genetic diversity of the Brazilian cassava collection is not fully represented in the Core of the Word Core Collection of CIAT.     

Improving disease resistance of butternut (Juglans cinerea), a threatened fine hardwood: a case for single-tree selection through genetic improvement and deployment

Approaches for the development of disease-resistant butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) are reviewed. Butternut is a threatened fine hardwood throughout its natural range in eastern North America because of the invasion of the exotic fungus, Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum Nair, Kostichka and Kuntz, which causes butternut canker. Early efforts were made to identify and collect putatively resistant germ plasm, identify vectors and to characterize the disease. More recently, molecular techniques have been employed to genetically characterize both the pathogen and the resistant germ plasm. Much of the host resistance may originate from hybridization with a close Asian relative, Japanese walnut (Juglans ailanthifolia Carr.), and from a few natural phenotypic variants. Further genetic characterization is needed before classical breeding or genetic modification can be used to produce canker-resistant trees.     

Residual feed intake: a nutritional tool for genetic improvement

The goal of this bibliographical study was to provide information about residual feed intake (RFI), a new criterion used in the selection of beef cattle for growth rate, food ingestion, and feed efficiency. RFI is calculated as the difference between real consumption and the quantity of food an animal is expected to eat based on its mean live weight and rate of weight gain. In studies of RFI, many speculations are made among researchers about the reliability of this criterion. However, there is a high genetic correlation with characteristics related to post-weaning consumption and maturity, indicating that the biological processes that regulate consumption and efficiency in young animals are similar to the processes that regulate consumption and efficiency in animals of greater age. In contrast to feed conversion, selection based on RFI seems to select for lower rates of consumption and lower animal maintenance requirements without changing adult weight or weight gain. Therefore, we conclude that the data indicate that there are extraordinary benefits to be gained from changing the goals of selection from increased weight gain to improved nutritional efficiency. Given the importance of animal production for economic development in Brazil choosing the best selection goals for livestock improvement is essential. To include an index of feed efficiency in future goals would be desirable, and RFI may play a part in this if economic methods of implementation can be developed.     

A two-step species-specific 16S rRNA PCR assay for the detection of Taylorella equigenitalis in horses

: A two-step PCR assay was developed for the molecular detection of Taylorella equigenitalis, a Gram-negative genital bacterial pathogen in horses. Two specific oligonucleotide primers (TE16SrRNABCHf [25mer] and TE16SrRNABCHr [29mer]) were designed from multiple alignments of the 16S rRNA gene loci of several closely related taxa, including T. asinigenitalis. Subsequent enhanced surveillance of 250 Thoroughbred animals failed to detect the presence of this organism directly from clinical swabs taken from the genital tract of mares and stallions. Such a molecular approach offers a sensitive and specific alternative to conventional culture techniques, and has the potential to lead to improved diagnosis and subsequent management of horses involved in breeding programmes.