Herbicide-tolerant crops in agriculture: oilseed rape as a case study

Oilseed rape has been modified extensively by conventional breeding for the production of varieties useful for human consumption (blended vegetable oil and margarine) and industrial processes (rubber additives and high‐temperature lubricants). Because much is now known about its genetic and biochemical composition, it has been an obvious choice for genetic modification and is now at the forefront of the commercial development of genetically modified (GM) or transgenic crops. Around the world, the increase in commercial plantings of all transgenic crops has been rapid. In 1996, 1.7 million hectares were planted, but by 1998 this figure had jumped to 27.8 million ha. The area in the year 2001 is likely to be about 50 million ha. With the possible introduction of transgenic varieties into European agriculture, it is essential that the associated farming practices employed are appropriate for their growth, both from a commercial and an environmental viewpoint. Some of the first transgenic crops are those carrying agronomic traits, e.g. herbicide tolerance transgenes. However, before full commercialization occurs, important agronomic and environmental questions need to be answered. How are these new crops to be incorporated into existing cropping practices? How will this change the current herbicide use profile for a given crop? Do herbicide‐tolerant varieties enhance or impede integrated pest management schemes? What is the likely uptake of such crops in agriculture? What are the ecological implications of their introduction? Are there effective measures to control the spread of transgenes to wild relatives? This paper addresses these questions, with special emphasis on oilseed rape production in the UK, but includes examples from other crops and countries where appropriate.     

Molecular and genealogical analysis of grain dormancy in Japanese wheat varieties,with specific focus on MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 on chromosome 3A

In the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar ‘Zenkoujikomugi’, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter of MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 on chromosome 3A (MFT-3A) causes an increase in the level of gene expression, resulting in strong grain dormancy. We used a DNA marker to detect the ‘Zenkoujikomugi’-type (Zen-type) SNP and examined the genotype of MFT-3A in Japanese wheat varieties, and we found that 169 of 324 varieties carry the Zen-type SNP. In Japanese commercial varieties, the frequency of the Zen-type SNP was remarkably high in the southern part of Japan, but low in the northern part. To examine the relationship between MFT-3A genotype and grain dormancy, we performed a germination assay in three wheat-growing seasons. On average, the varieties carrying the Zen-type SNP showed stronger grain dormancy than the varieties carrying the non-Zen-type SNP. Among commercial cultivars, ‘Iwainodaichi’ (Kyushu), ‘Junreikomugi’ (Kinki-Chugoku-Shikoku), ‘Kinuhime’ (Kanto-Tokai), ‘Nebarigoshi’ (Tohoku-Hokuriku), and ‘Kitamoe’ (Hokkaido) showed the strongest grain dormancy in each geographical group, and all these varieties, except for ‘Kitamoe’, were found to carry the Zen-type SNP. In recent years, the number of varieties carrying the Zen-type SNP has increased in the Tohoku-Hokuriku region, but not in the Hokkaido region.     

四种鸢尾属植物种子休眠和萌发研究

燕子花(Iris laeviga ta)、玉蝉花(Iris ensa ta)、溪荪(Iris sanguinea)、黄菖蒲(Iris pseudacorus)是鸢尾科4种喜水湿植物。经萌发实验证明,除溪荪种子没有休眠外,其它3种种子都有休眠。经去除种皮、低温沙藏、赤霉素处理和胚培养4种处理,证明燕子花、玉蝉花、黄菖蒲中抑制种子萌发的主要因素是胚乳。不同种打破休眠的有效方法不同,其中50 mg/L GA3处理可提高黄菖蒲种子的发芽率,达到84.4%,而低温沙藏30 d可使玉蝉花种子的发芽率达到94.4%,低温沙藏90 d则可提高燕子花的发芽率达到87.8%。     

QTL analysis of seed dormancy in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Effective cumulative temperature (ECT) after heading would be a more reasonable parameter for seed sampling of pre-harvest sprouting/seed dormancy (SD) tests in segregating populations than the days after flowering. SD is an important agronomic trait associated with grain yielding, eating quality and seed quality. To identify genomic regions affecting SD at different grain-filling temperatures, and to further examine the association between SD and ECT during grain-filling, 127 double haploid (DH) lines derived from a cross between ZYQ8 (indica)/JX17 (japonica) by anther culture were analyzed. The quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and their digenic epistasis for SD were identified using a molecular linkage map of this population. A total of four putative QTLs for SD (qSD-3, qSD-5, 6 and 11) were detected on chromosomes 3, 5, 6 and 11, together explaining 41.4% of the phenotypic variation. Nine pairs of digenic epistatic loci were associated with SD on all but chromosome 9, and their contributions to phenotypic variation varied from 2.87%–8.73%. The SD QTL on chromosome 3 was identical to the QTLs found in other mapping populations with different genetic backgrounds, which could be a desirable candidate for gene cloning and marker-assisted selection in rice breeding.     

紫斑牡丹种子休眠和萌发特性初步研究

用500mg/L GA_3处理紫斑牡丹种子48h后沙藏,可加快生根的速度和提高生根率,但200mg/L或100mg/L GA_3处理已生根种子不能打破其上胚轴休眠。种皮和胚乳的水提液对胚根和子叶的生长有一定的抑制,但不是抑制紫斑牡丹种子萌发的决定因素。胚培养试验表明:抑制上胚轴萌发的物质不在子叶,而可能在上胚轴或胚芽中。     

葡萄一年二季结果栽培技术研究

葡萄是果树中花芽较易形成的树种之一,利用这一特性进行二次结果并在生产上运用,已成为葡萄业主进行调节产期供应,提高种植效益的一种手段。南方热量资源丰富,光照强,降温晚,采用全部落叶修剪,破眠催芽,保根保叶,达到葡萄一年二季结果即夏果与秋果。同时测定各处理间浆果大小,糖份含量,及结果枝条氮素与醣类的累积消耗、生长情形,以探讨葡萄不同产期之营养生长和生殖生长间的生理变化。     

打破大蒜蒜种休眠的方法与效果

为打破大蒜蒜种休眠，以提前播种，及早上市，提高经济效益，采用低温和常温下清水或赤霉素溶液浸泡蒜种，研究打破大蒜蒜种休眠的效果。结果表明，赤霉素加低温处理打破休眠的效果最好，经低温处理的蒜种在田间都表现出分蘖现象；赤霉素以150mg／L效果较好，用清水浸种虽然对打破休眠有一定作用，但是烂种严重；单一因素处理打破休眠的效果不如两因素结合处理，赤霉素加过氧化氢(H2O2)处理对迟熟品种能增强打破休眠的效果，对早熟品种则减弱打破休眠的效果。     

蒜种贮藏温度和空气湿度对大蒜生理及二次生长的影响

贮藏期间蒜种呼吸增强,乙烯含量降低,低温贮藏促进这些变化;随空气湿度增大,蒜种呼吸及含水量有增加趋势。鳞茎形成过程中鳞茎中游离氨基酸减少,蔗糖和果糖增加,低温贮藏蒜种加快了这一进程。贮藏温度效应大于湿度效应,低温(5℃)和高湿(75％或100％RH)贮藏蒜种对初级生长及二次生长促进最显著。贮藏温度越低,外层型二次生长(SGo)越严重;内层型二次生长(SGi)与蒜种贮藏温度呈‘V’型曲线关系。低温下,高湿贮藏蒜种较低湿(25％或50％RH)贮藏蒜种SGo及SGi均极显著增加。     

植物激素调节和预先冷处理对破除红景天种子休眠和发芽的影响

近数百年以来,红景天已广泛用于中国的传统中草药.但其种子发芽缓慢,参差不齐和发芽率低,这是由种子休眠所引起的.采用预先冷冻处理、外源植物激素刺激,进行破除种子休眠、激发种子发芽、促进幼苗平衡生长,以及外源刺激、内源植物激素变化、种子发芽和幼苗生长等生理作用研究.结果表明,4℃预先冷冻3周处理,在25～10℃可获得最高发芽率(48±2)%,用外源激素GA3、2,4-D和GA3+2,4-D处理可降低红景天种子胚的内源ABA水平并使其保持在低水平.此外还发现,中等水平内源IAA能促进其根和苗平衡生长,使幼苗的存活力达到最高水平.     

硝酸钾和石灰氮打破苹果和葡萄自然休眠的试验研究

[目的]打破苹果、葡萄的自然休眠。[方法]用浓度为1%、3%、5%、7%和9%的硝酸钾涂抹苹果品种嘎拉的休眠芽,用浓度为2倍液(石灰氮与水的重量比为1∶2,下同)5、倍液和8倍液的石灰氮涂抹葡萄品种巨峰的休眠芽,研究不同浓度的硝酸钾、石灰氮打破果树自然休眠的效果。[结果]2006年试验发现,浓度为5%、7%的硝酸钾打破嘎拉休眠芽的效果最好,平均萌芽率分别为72.00%和69.33%;2007年试验发现,浓度为5%的硝酸钾打破嘎拉休眠芽的效果最好,平均萌芽率为78.33%。2年试验发现,浓度为5倍液的石灰氮打破巨峰休眠芽的效果最好。[结论]浓度为5%和7%的硝酸钾打破苹果自然休眠的效果最好,浓度为5倍液的石灰氮打破葡萄自然休眠的效果最好。