Percival Scientific’s Post

Discover more about the Xanthomonas threat on crops 🌱 Bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas can cause disease in more than 350 plant species including many economically important crops. For example, black rot, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), is a major cause of disease in brassicas like cabbage and cauliflower in the UK. With project partners University of Warwick and the University of Essex, Fera has been studying the Xanthomonas spp genetics and host plant interactions, this will aim to identify sources of resistance and potential methods of control, whilst assessing the risk that some Xanthomonas species pose now and in the future. Read about the project in the summary below or find out more here: https://hubs.ly/Q02wxKpX0 #PlantHealthWeek #PlantHealth

How crops are being disaster-proofed 🌱 📰 Scientists are creating hardier crops by cross-breeding wild varities and tweaking crop genes. Combining genetic modification and gene editing, used alongside inovation in plant protection products, accelerates crop improvement for a more sustainable, resilient future. #ppp #crops #plantprotection

Stagnating crop yields in Africa – three recent analyses were published but only one proposes a solution: The proposed solution Our proposed solution has just been published in Pest Management Science and is available online DOI:10.1002/ps.8224, and is briefly described below. The typical African field is typically affected by two or more biotic constraints such as stem borers, army worms, weeds such as the parasitic Striga, a variety of pathogens, including those producing mycotoxins both pre-harvest and in storage, as well as virus diseases. The increasingly erratic climate in Africa exacerbates these stresses.  Even when high yielding varieties are resistant to one or two of these, the traits are typically polygenic and/ or recessive, and quite hard to cross into locally adapted material, and harder yet to stack the many needed traits that are inherited that way. Farmers calculate that it is not worth buying fertilizer if their crop will be decimated by one or more of these biotic constraints or drought. In a just out paper, we propose to utilize the vast array of well proven transgenes, most of which are already commercially used in the West to control the biotic stresses as well as drought, and stack them in a single locus. This can be done using the combinatorial biolistic transformation system pioneered by the Christou group (Zhu et al Combinatorial genetic transformation generates a library of metabolic phenotypes for the carotenoid pathway in maize. PNAS 105: 18232–18237, 2008). The dominantly inherited multi- resistance trait single locus can be simply crossed into locally-adapted, elite high-yielding material, and would be valuable for farmers, vastly increasing maize yields, and allowing for more than regional maize sufficiency. Unfortunately, proposing a solution does not get the problem solved. That will probably take a decade of work by an academic-industry consortium to achieve widespread commercialization. And then only after such a consortium to perform the necessary R4D is funded. The time is ripe, as African governments have begun to realize that transgenics can help solve some of their problems and have modified their regulatory environment.

Genetic depretion is signal for good heterosis in cross pollinated crops.🥒 but in self pollinated crop for example tomato, pepper &... this depretion have different concept.🍅🍆🌶️ In my recent experience in observing the results of a series of crossings in the pure genetic lines of greenhouse tomato hybrids with high potential, it was observed that the female parent showed high genetic depression.🧐 In general, we are making innovations in the field of creating hybrids that show unique characteristics in order to adapt to environments with high stress (salinity, drought , etc.).🧬📡🔭 I believe that the selection of pure genetic lines with high depretion can be a solution to achieve ancestral traits (resistance to environmental stresses that we observed in the wild ancestors of self pollinated plants and now were removed during domestication) in many self pollinated crops.🥸💨☀️💥🔥🌪️❄️ Matrix F1 is new hybrid greenhouse tomato with wide range environmental adaptation. 💪👏🦾✌️👌 #Genetics #Envirinments #plantbreeding #Tomato #seed #Hybris #Breeding #Genome

Our paper is out! Pearl millet is an important staple crop in Africa and India, but yield is threatened by the parasitic weed Striga. We sequenced the genomes of a resistant and a susceptible pearl millet and found a crucial gene that makes a big difference. Plant breeders can now aim for the resistant allele, and soon introduce more resistant cultivars to both commercial farming and smallholder farmers. https://lnkd.in/eRGBt39X

Understanding GMOs and hybrids is crucial for agriculture. Dr. Eliud Kireger from KALRO and Prof. Theoplius Mutui from KEPHIS explain that GMOs involve genetic alterations for traits like drought tolerance and pest resistance, while hybrids result from crossbreeding to combine desirable traits, such as higher yield and uniformity. Hybrids, like maize varieties 614 and Katumani, offer benefits but also come with higher costs and require more inputs compared to traditional seeds. #GMOMaize #Hybrid #Genetic #DroughtTolerance #Katumani

Proud to see this out on bioRxiv, after hard work by Mariska Beekman!! Our study shows that the population genetic structure of the green peach aphid differs between sweet pepper greenhouses with different management types: * in conventional greenhouses (#pesticides + biocontrol), often one single clone dominates * in organic greenhouses (#biocontrol only), multiple clones co-exist * all aphids from the dominant clone, originate from a single parthenogenetic ancestor These results provide an in-depth picture of the genetic make-up of aphid pest populations in greenhouses, which can help to fine-tune the control of #aphids in greenhouse crops. Helena Donner, Jordy Litjens, Joost Van Den Heuvel, Marcel Dicke, Bas Zwaan, Eveline C. Verhulst also contributed to this paper. Check it out 👇 👇

“What’s the Difference Between Heirloom Seeds, Hybrids and GMO’s?” Things You Should Have Learned From Your Grandmother   Heirloom seeds are seeds that have been saved for generations because their produce is superior. New plants grown from heirloom seeds will have the same characteristics as the mother plant. Hybrids are created by crossing two different plants of the same kind (like two different types of tomatoes) for disease resistance, higher yield, uniformity, and increased shelf life. (Think grocery store produce.) Their seeds do not necessarily produce new plants with the same characteristics as the mother plant. GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) have their DNA altered in a laboratory (often with genes from other species) to introduce new snd specific traits like herbicide or drought resistance. . #KarlaSeidita     #AskKarlaTheHomeEconomist    #CheesecakeFarms

Main difference between variety and hybrid Varieties and hybrids are both terms used in #agriculture and #plant_breeding, but they have different meanings: Varieties: - A group of #plants within a #species that share similar characteristics, such as appearance, growth habits, and adaptations. - Can be developed through #selective_breeding, mutation, or genetic drift. - Can be open-pollinated, meaning they can be saved and replanted from seed. - Examples: different varieties of #apples (Granny Smith, Red Delicious), #tomatoes (Cherry Roma, Beefsteak), #cotton. Hybrids (HBRI): - The #offspring of two different parent lines or species, often bred for specific traits. - Typically exhibit hybrid vigor, with improved growth, yield, or disease resistance. - Often sterile, so seeds cannot be saved and replanted (F1 hybrids). - Examples: #hybrid_corn, #hybrid_rice, #hybrid_roses, #Canola.

SAATVIK: A New Superior Climate Smart Drought Tolerant High-Yielding Chickpea Variety  National Institute of Plant Genome Research - NIPGR developed a drought tolerant high-yielding desi chickpea line “SAATVIK (NC 9)” through introgression of a basic helix-loop-helix (CabHLH10) gene in the genetic background of JAKI 9218 through molecular breeding. This variety reportedly enhances yield (13.4% high) under drought stress.  SAATVIK (NC9) is now approved by the Central Sub-committee on Crop Standards, Notification and Release of Varieties (CVRC), Ministry of Agriculture Farmers Welfare, Government of India, and Notified in The Gazette of India (No. 1479) on March 26, 2024 (Sl. No. 149) for Release as a Central Variety for National use and Cultivation, especially in the Central Zone of India.