Introduction of new traits into cotton through genetic engineering: insect resistance as example

The main goal of gene transfer into cotton is the development of insect-resistant varieties. The stakes are important since cotton protection against insects uses almost 24% of the world's chemical insecticides market, which is not without consequences on the environment. The first approach was to introduce and express in the cotton genome, genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) which produces entomopathogenic toxins. The development of an efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation system was the first step. The expression of B.t. genes was studied and synthetic genes more adapted to a plant genome have been constructed. Studies on their expression in cotton is underway. The second focus was to develop strategies that would minimize the risks of inducing insect resistance. The main approach is to associate several genes coding for entomopathogenic proteins with different modes of action. Genes encoding protease inhibitors were chosen. One possibility is to associate a B.t. gene and a gene encoding a protease inhibitor. Several protease inhibitors were tested in artificial diets on major pests of cotton. The corresponding genes have been introduced into the cotton genome. These various orientations of the research program will be presented. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Virulence studies of Swedish net blotch isolates (Drechslera teres) and identification of resistant barley lines

Six Swedish and one Canadian single spore isolate of Drechslera teres f. teres were used to screen 109 barley lines for disease resistance and to select a differential set of barley lines for use in assessing pathogen virulence. A large variation for net blotch resistance was found among the 109 barley lines which were classified into four groups, those showing: 1) only resistant reactions; 2) differential reactions; 3) only intermediate reactions and 4) only susceptible reactions. The European commercial varieties included, showed susceptibility to all Swedish isolates, but a few were resistant to the Canadian isolate. The 18- member differential set separated 25 Swedish and two Canadian isolates of D. teres into 14 pathotypes, three of which made up 59% of the isolates. Only one barley differential (CI 9776) was resistant to all net form isolates. Host selection on the pathogen seems to be present as all six isolates obtained from cv. Golf belonged to the same pathotype and 4 of 5 isolates from cv. Karin shared the same virulence pattern. The net form of net blotch (D. teres f. teres) predominated in the sampled regions and only one of 26 Swedish isolates was of the spot form (D. teres f. maculata). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Genetics of powdery mildew resistance in pea

The genetics of powdery mildew (Erysiphe pisi) resistance in pea (Pisum sativum) was studied using five isolates of E. pisi in a controlled environment. Resistance was controlled by a single recessive gene in all the pea cvs. included in the study. The same recessive gene controlled resistance to all the five isolates of E. pisi. Tests for allelism showed that resistance in cvs. HPPC-63, HPPC-95, DPP-26, DPP-54, Mexique-4, SVP-950, Wisconsin-7104 and P-6588 is conferred by the same recessive gene. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Breeding wheat and rye for resistance to Fusarium diseases

Fusarium culmorum and F. graminearum Groups 1 and 2 cause seedling blight, crown rot, foot rot and head blight in wheat and rye that may affect grain yield and quality for baking and feeding. This review starts with an analysis of Fusarium populations with regard to their genetic variation for aggressiveness, mycotoxin production, and isolate-by-host genotype interaction. To assess resistance in the different host growth stages, quantitative inoculation and disease assessment techniques are necessary. Based on estimated population parameters, breeding strategies are reviewed to improve Fusarium resistance in wheat and rye. Epidemiological and toxicological aspects of Fusarium resistance that are important for resistance breeding are discussed. F. culmorum and F. graminearum display large genetic variation for aggressiveness in isolate collections and in naturally occurring populations. The production of mycotoxins, especially deoxynivalenol and its derivatives, is a common trait in these populations. Significant isolate-by-host genotype interactions were not found across environments in wheat and rye. Artificial infections in the field are indispensable for improving Fusarium crown rot, foot rot and head blight resistance in wheat and rye. For a reliable disease assessment of large populations, disease severity ratings were found to be the most convenient. The differentiation of host resistance is greatly influenced by an array of nongenetic factors (macro-environment, microclimate, host growth stage, host organ) that show significant interactions with host genotype. Selection for environmentally stable resistance has to be performed in several environments under a maximum array of different infection levels. Selection in early growth stages or on one plant organ does not in most cases allow prediction of resistance in adult-plant stages or another plant organ. Significant genetic variation for resistance exists for all Fusarium-incited diseases in breeding populations of wheat and rye. The patho-systems studied displayed a prevalence of additive gene action with no consistent specific combining ability effects and thus rapid progress can be expected from recurrent selection. In wheat, intensive testing of parental genotypes allows good prediction of the mean head blight resistance after crossing. Subsequent selection during selfing generations enables the use of transgression towards resistance. In hybrid breeding of winter rye, the close correlation between foot rot resistance of inbred lines and their GCA effects implies that selection based on the lines per se should be highly effective. This is not valid for F. culmorum head blight of winter rye caused by a greater susceptibility of the inbred lines compared to their crosses. For both foot rot and head blight resistance, a high correlation between the resistance to F. graminearum and F. culmorum was found in wheat and rye. Mycotoxin accumulation occurs to a great extent in naturally and artificially infected plant stands. The correlation between resistance traits and mycotoxin contents are medium and highly dependent on the environment. Further experiments are needed to clarify whether greater resistance will lead to a correlated reduction of the mycotoxin content of the grains under natural infection.     

Potential use of doubled haploid lines for the screening of resistance to yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis) in hexaploid wheat

Doubled haploid lines derived from anther culture of two Iranian spring wheat genotypes‘Ghods’susceptible and‘9106’resistant to yellow rust in Iranian field conditions, and their F₁ hybrids were used in this study. Seedlings of 36 doubled haploid lines, selected out of 96 according to their agronomic traits and the two parental genotypes were inoculated with eight races of yellow rust. The parental genotypes (‘Ghods’and‘9106’) were segregating for some of the races but their doubled haploid lines were either resistant or susceptible to them.‘Ghods’was susceptible to three of the races studied but three doubled haploid lines derived from it were resistant to them. Five selected doubled haploids from the‘9106’genotype and six from F₁ hybrid plants were resistant to all eight races tested. After further investigations in Iranian field conditions it was found that some of these lines can be used as donor genotypes for resistance to yellow rust in wheat breeding programmes. Use of these genotypes should be possible if the French yellow rust races used for selection also represent the dominant races in Iran. It can be concluded that anther culture provides an efficient method for fixing genes of resistance to yellow rust and desirable doubled haploids from F₁ plants can be derived.     

The Optimization Design for the Parameters of Capacitor Welding

Through the analysis in this paper,the optimum relation of the discharging current peak interval t m ,the discharging loop equivalent inductance L and equivalent resistance R is obtained.This paper analyze the original discharging loop equivalent inductance L ,which provides an effective method for adjustment and selection of inductance L to realize the optimization energy saving design of the welding machine.     

The role and value of eastern star clover in managing herbicide-resistant crop weeds: A whole-farm analysis

In the broadacre dryland farming system of Western Australia herbicide resistance in major crop weeds is an increasingly serious problem. A new option to combat herbicide resistance involves growing eastern star clover (Trifolium dasyurum). This is a new pasture legume with a unique delayed germination that allows control of weeds using various chemical and non-chemical strategies, without unduly compromising the pasture’s subsequent production. This study assesses the role and value of eastern star clover in managing herbicide-resistant weeds on various farms. The study employs the farming system model known as MIDAS, a whole-farm, bioeconomic model. Key scenarios of different degrees of severity of herbicide resistance for three farm types are examined. The main findings of the analysis are that as the severity of herbicide resistance increases, eastern star clover becomes an increasingly attractive option. Although the introduction of eastern star clover does reduce a farm’s capacity to carry sheep, and thereby lessens profits generated by the sheep enterprise, it enables longer, more profitable sequences of crops to be grown with fewer weed problems. Sensitivity analysis suggests that reduced cost of eastern star clover seed, cheap supplementary feed, and higher grain prices will further increase the profitability of eastern star clover.     

来自野生二粒小麦IW3和IW10的两个白粉病基因的鉴定及SSR标记定位

野生二粒小麦(Triticum dicoccoides)是小麦抗病育种的重要资源库之一。来自以色列Mount Hermon的野生二粒小麦材料IW3 和IW10对我国小麦白粉病菌生理小种E09表现高抗。对硬粒小麦Langdon与IW3和IW10两个杂交组合F₂分离群体和F₃家系的遗传分析表明,IW3和IW10对小麦白粉菌E09的抗性均受显性单基因控制,暂被命名为MlIW3和MlIW10。采用BSA法和SSR标记分析,筛选到与抗白粉病基因MlIW3和MlIW10连锁的5个SSR标记,这两个基因均位于Xbarc84和Xwmc326之间,顺序为Xbarc84–4.6 cM–MlIW3–1.6 cM–Xwmc326和Xbarc84–6.6 cM–MlIW10–0.6 cM–Xwmc326。根据SSR分子标记的遗传图谱和在中国春的缺体—四体、双端体和缺失系的定位结果,这两个抗白粉病基因被定位在3BL染色体的末端。根据MlIW3和MlIW10的来源和分子标记定位结果,推断这两个基因可能是小麦抗白粉病基因Pm41或其等位基因或位于同一个基因簇中。     

利用分子标记辅助选择聚合Pi-1和Pi-2基因改良两系不育系稻瘟病抗性

以含广谱稻瘟病抗性基因Pi-1和Pi-2的BL122为供体, 温敏核不育系GD-7S为受体, 通过杂交、回交和自交并结合分子标记辅助选择, 将Pi-1、Pi-2基因导入温敏核不育系GD-7S中, 获得5个携带两个抗性基因的纯合改良不育株系。利用34个广东代表性稻瘟病菌株接种鉴定, 5个改良株系的抗性频率为94.12%~97.06%, 而对照GD-7S抗性频率仅为17.65%; 自然病圃诱发鉴定5个改良株系的叶瘟和穗颈瘟均为0级, 表现高抗。经自然条件和人工气候箱育性鉴定, 改良株系与对照均为无或少花粉败育类型, 自交结实率为0, 说明不育起点温度与对照基本一致。统计分析表明, 除剑叶长和每株穗数外, 改良株系与对照在其他农艺性状方面均无显著差异。与恢复系L38杂交, 改良株系的杂种F1与对照的F1大多农艺性状无显著差异, 说明改良株系基本保持了GD-7S的农艺性状和配合力。     

洛阳市番茄灰霉病菌对嘧霉胺的抗药性检测

为了明确洛阳市番茄灰霉病菌对苯胺基嘧啶类杀菌剂嘧霉胺的抗药性状况,2012—2013年从洛阳市不同保护地中采集番茄灰霉病病果或病叶,经单孢分离共获得番茄灰霉病菌54株。采用菌丝生长速率法测定了其对嘧霉胺的敏感性。结果显示,高抗菌株9株（16.67%）,中抗菌株19株（35.19%）,低抗菌株10株（18.52%）,敏感菌株16株（29.63%）。比较抗性水平不同菌株间的菌丝生长情况,发现菌丝生长速度和抗性水平无相关性。研究表明,洛阳市番茄灰霉病菌已对嘧霉胺产生不同水平的抗药性,且以中抗菌株为主,生产上应合理更换或轮换使用与嘧霉胺无交互抗性的药剂防治番茄灰霉病。