The impact of hybrids between genetically modified crop plants and their related species: introgression and weediness

Assessing the impact of hybrids between transgenic plants and nontarget wild species involves answering several questions such as: (i) what are the hybridization and introgression rates; (ii) what is the behaviour of a transgene in a wild population; and (iii) what will be the consequences of the expression of a transgene in a wild population? These issues are discussed using results from experiments on oilseed rape and wild related Brassiceae. Evidence is given of large variations in the estimates of cross-fertilization probabilities. The first stage of introgression into wild populations is demonstrated to occur spontaneously through back-crossing. Population analysis may also be valuable to detect traces of past introgression. Data from the literature on weed biology, and especially herbicide resistance, are used to illustrate the behaviour of a new gene in weed populations. The need for computer models simulating the introgression process is stressed.     

The emergence of transgenic potatoes as commercial products and tools for basic science

The potato has tremendous potential as a transgenic crop and is a good model system by which to analyse metabolic regulation and gene expression. The potato’s difficult genetics, but ease of genetic transformation and its clonal means of propagation make it ideal for applied agricultural molecular genetics. Thus, the next 4 years promise to put the potato (with a diversity of transgenic constructs expressed) in the limelight as many of the first transgenic agricultural products enter the marketplace.     

Crop uptake and leaching losses of15N labelled fertilizer nitrogen in relation to waterlogging of clay and sandy loam soils

Summary Ammonium nitrate fertilizer, labelled with¹⁵N, was applied in spring to winter wheat growing in undisturbed monoliths of clay and sandy loam soil in lysimeters; the rates of application were respectively 95 and 102 kg N ha⁻¹ in the spring of 1976 and 1975. Crops of winter wheat, oilseed rape, peas and barley grown in the following 5 or 6 years were treated with unlabelled nitrogen fertilizer at rates recommended for maximum yields. During each year of the experiments the lysimeters were divided into treatments which were either freelydrained or subjected to periods of waterlogging. Another labelled nitrogen application was made in 1980 to a separate group of lysimeters with a clay soil and a winter wheat crop to study further the uptake of nitrogen fertilizer in relation to waterlogging. In the first growing season, shoots of the winter wheat at harvest contained 46 and 58% of the fertilizer nitrogen applied to the clay and sandy loam soils respectively. In the following year the crops contained a further 1–2% of the labelled fertilizer, and after 5 and 6 years the total recoveries of labelled fertilizer in the crops were 49 and 62% on the clay and sandy loam soils respectively. In the first winter after the labelled fertilizer was applied, less than 1% of the fertilizer was lost in the drainage water, and only about 2% of the total nitrogen (mainly nitrate) in the drainage water from both soils was derived from the fertilizer. Maximum annual loss occurred the following year but the proportion of tracer nitrogen in drainage was nevertheless smaller. Leaching losses over the 5 and 6 years from the clay and sandy loam soil were respectively 1.3 and 3.9% of the original application. On both soils the percentage of labelled nitrogen to the total crop nitrogen content was greater after a period of winter waterlogging than for freely-drained treatments. This was most marked on the clay soil; evidence points to winter waterlogging promoting denitrification and the consequent loss of soil nitrogen making the crop more dependent on spring fertilizer applications.     

Population dynamics of the potato tuber moth on processing tomatoes in Israel

The potato tuber moth (PTM),Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a major pest of processing tomatoes,Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. (Solanaceae), in Israel. The larvae penetrate the tomato fruit through the stem end and present a serious threat to crop quality. Foliage and fruit samples were taken in nine commercial tomato fields located in Israel's three main tomato growing areas, two of which are potato growing areas as well. PTM was not found where potatoes were absent. Potato harvest in nearby fields was found to be the most significant factor affecting seasonal trends in PTM population density in tomatoes. All four larval instars were found in foliage on all sampling dates. Significantly higher proportions of first instars were found during the population density increase which followed potato harvest. Damaged fruits did not contain first instar larvae, indicating that PTM never undergoes complete development within tomato fruit. Fruit damage levels at harvest were positively correlated to the peak mean population densities on foliage and the date they were observed. In tomato fields not adjacent to potatoes, infestation was first observed at the edge of the field. Both before and after the potato harvest in nearby fields, population density at the edge of the field was significantly higher than at the center. In tomato fields adjacent to potatoes, no significant differences were found between population densities at the edge and center before the potatoes were harvested. After the potato harvest, population density at the center of tomato fields was higher than at the edge. Deceased, October 1988     

Comparisons of biomass,water use efficiency and water use strategies across five genomic groups of Populus and its hybrids

Genetic improvement and hybridization in the Populus genus have led to the development of genotypes exhibiting fast growth, high rooting ability and disease resistance. However, while large biomass production is important for bioenergy crops, efficient use of resources including water is also important in sites lacking irrigation and for maintaining ecosystem water availability. In addition, comparison of water use strategies across a range of growth rates and genetic variability can elucidate whether certain strategies are shared among the fastest growing and/or most water use efficient genotypes. We estimated tree water use throughout the second growing season via sapflow sensors of 48 genotypes from five Populus taxa; P. deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall × P. deltoides (D × D), P. deltoides × P. maximowiczii A. Henry (D × M), P. deltoides × P. nigra L. (D × N), P. deltoides × P. trichocarpa Torr. & Gray (D × T) and P. trichocarpa × P. deltoides (T × D) and calculated average canopy stomatal conductance (G_S). We regressed G_S and atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) wherein the slope of the relationship represents stomatal sensitivity to VPD. At the end of the second growing season, trees were harvested, and their dry woody biomass was used to calculate whole tree water use efficiency (WUE_T). We found that D × D and D × M genotypes exhibited differing water use strategies with D × D genotypes exhibiting high stomatal sensitivity while retaining leaves while D × M genotypes lost leaf area throughout the growing season but exhibited low stomatal sensitivity. Across measured taxa, biomass growth was positively correlated with WUE_T, and genotypes representing each measured taxa except D × N and T × D had high 2-year dry biomass of above 6 kg/tree. Overall, these data can be used to select Populus genotypes that combine high biomass growth with stomatal sensitivity and WUE_T to limit the negative impacts of bioenergy plantations on ecosystem water resources.     

Isolation and characterization of fluorescent Pseudomonas associated with the roots of rice and banana grown in Sri Lanka

Bacterial populations in different parts of the rhizosphere of rice and banana in Sri lanka were examined. On rice, the number of aerobic bacteria and the population of fluorescent bacteria were higher in the rhizoplane as compared to the exorhizosphere. However, the opposite was observed with banana. Percentage of fluorescent bacteria was significantly higher on banana (10.8%) than on rice from the wet and dry zones of Sri Lanka (4.3% and 2.7%, respectively). In the endorhizosphere fraction of rice, bacterial populations were very low. Fluorescent bacteria were absent.Based on 33 phenotypical tests, 89 fluorescent isolates were grouped into 5 clusters. The three major clusters covered the isolates belonging to the Pseudomonas fluorescens-putida group, whereas the remaining small clusters contained other UV-fluorescent bacteria. SDS-PAGE of total cell proteins enabled classification of the isolates into one of 12 different protein-polymorphic types. Only a partial correlation was found between the latter classification and the phenotypical one. Cyanogenesis was observed with strains of P. fluorescens only. Isolates P. fluorescens RW9S1 and P. cepacia RW5P1 displayed a potent antagonism against several fungi.     

In vitro meristem culture of M.4 apple (Malus pumila Mill.). I. Optimal nutrient medium

Shoot tips of M.4 apple clone were excised from actively growing one year-old stoolbed branches, and cultured in order to determine the optimal nutrient medium for each stage of their in vitro culture. The basal medium (BM) used was that described by Murashige and Skoog, supplemented with vitamins, glycine, myoinositol, sucrose, with or without agar, and different combinations of plant growth regulators. Best media for each stage were: BM+0.5 mg 1^-1 indole-3yl-butyric acid (IBA)+0.5 mg 1^-1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) for explant establishment (Stage I); BM+0.1 mg 1^-1 IBA+1.0 mg 1^-1 BAP for multiplication and internode enlargement (Stage II); and 2.0 mg 1^-1 IBA+0.1 mg 1^-1 BAP without agar for the rooting of the plantlets (Stage III).     

广州市农作物系统与大气的CO2交换

在广泛收集资料和实验分析的基础上,研究了广州市各种农作物系统与大气CO2交换.分析了各种农作物系统净生产力吸收CO2的能力和碳汇功能大小.结果表明:2005年广州市8种农作物系统作物净生产力吸收CO2 4 032 366t·a-1,其土壤CO2排放3981753t·a-1,吸收大于排放,对大气CO2而言,整个农作物系统是一个弱的碳汇;水稻、甘蔗、木薯和果用瓜4种连作或高杆作物系统每年作物净生产力吸收CO2量大于土壤CO2的排放量,系统具有较大的碳汇功能,花生、大豆、花卉和蔬菜4种矮杆作物系统每年作物净生产力吸收CO2量小于土壤CO2的排放量,系统起着碳源作用;果实或经济产量生长在地上部分的作物其单位面积吸收CO2能力比果实(块根)生长在地下的作物大;除花生在生育期间生物量吸收CO2量少于同期土壤排放以外,其余7种作物在生育期间生物量吸收CO2的量大于同期土壤排放,大多数农作物在生育期间具有碳汇功能,在撂荒期才体现碳源作用.