. Energy News .




FARM NEWS
Corn could help farmers fight devastating weed
by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) Jan 09, 2013


To study the effect of several corn varieties on broomrape germination, the researchers tested both hybrid and inbred lines. They found that one hybrid and its parental lines consistently induced the highest germination rates.

Versatile and responsive to management, corn is grown throughout the world for everything from food to animal feed to fuel. A new use for corn could soon join that list, as researchers in China investigate the crop's ability to induce "suicidal germination" in a devastating parasitic weed.

Known commonly as sunflower broomrape, the weed causes extensive damage to vegetable and row crops in Asia, Africa, and southern Eastern Europe. Lacking chlorophyll, it is a parasite and completely dependent on a host plant for water and nutrients. An infestation of broomrape in sunflower fields can reduce yields by 50%.

Sunflower is one of the main oil crops in China, and in one county, over 64% of a sunflower field covering more than 24,000 acres is currently infested.

Several strategies have been tested to stop the damage caused by broomrape, including chemical and cultural methods. Previous studies have shown the utility of using trap crops, which induce germination of the unwanted seed but do not allow for development and survival of the parasite thus causing "suicidal germination." However, no single method of controlling broomrape has yet been shown to be effective and feasible for small farms.

In a study published in the Jan.-Feb. issue of Crop Science, Yongqing Ma and a research team from Northwest A and F University in China attempted to control broomrape infestation by using corn as a trap crop.

Corn was a favorable option since both sunflower and corn can be grown in the same areas of China. While corn cannot be parasitized by broomrape, the scientists found that a hybrid line of corn and its parental lines induced significant germination of broomrape seeds.

They suggest that corn lines could be produced specifically to be used as a trap crop, thus controlling broomrape infestations and producing a forage crop for livestock feed.

To study the effect of several corn varieties on broomrape germination, the researchers tested both hybrid and inbred lines. They found that one hybrid and its parental lines consistently induced the highest germination rates.

While none of the corn varieties tested was bred to be a trap crop for broomrape, by analyzing these successful lines, it may be possible to produce even more efficient varieties, the researchers say.

The research team sampled the corn in multiple ways looking at the effects of root extracts, shoot extracts, and soil samples from around the roots. Root extracts generally caused more germination than the shoot extracts. Researchers think that this is because the chemical most likely responsible for causing germination, strigolactone, is made in the roots of the corn plant.

Using the results of their study, the scientists believe that a breeding program could be developed to make corn varieties that are even better at inducing suicidal germination in broomrape. It would also be possible to determine how the chemical that induces germination is made by studying these corn varieties.

Finally, the authors note that the benefit of using corn as a trap crop extends beyond its effects on broomrape. If corn is successful, it can be harvested for livestock feed and other uses thus optimizing the effort and cost to plant it.

.


Related Links
American Society of Agronomy
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle




Memory Foam Mattress Review

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily Express :: SpaceWar Express :: TerraDaily Express :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

Get Our Free Newsletters
Space - Defense - Environment - Energy - Solar - Nuclear

...





FARM NEWS
Monsanto earnings jump on corn seed, pesticide sales
New York (AFP) Jan 8, 2013
Agricultural giant Monsanto Tuesday posted a large increase in quarterly earnings on strong results in corn seed sales in the US and Latin America and better sales of pesticides. St Louis-based Monsanto said net income for the first quarter was $339 million, up from $126 million a year earlier. The results were boosted by particularly strong sales of its corn seed products in Brazil, Arg ... read more


FARM NEWS
China no longer reliant on satellite image imports

Joint Polar Satellite System Common Ground System now serving newest mission

Google maps New Year's resolutions around the world

Mission Accomplished for Landsat 5

FARM NEWS
New location system could compete with GPS

Beidou's unique services attractive to Chinese companies

China eyes greater market share for its GPS rival

Researchers told to ward off navigation system interference

FARM NEWS
Greeks ravage forests to heat homes

Philippines anger at logging ban murder

World's smelliest and largest flower blooms in Brazil

Amazon deforestation brings loss of microbial communities

FARM NEWS
Tree seeds offer potential for sustainable biofuels

Engineered algae seen as fuel source

Lithuanians recycle Christmas trees into biofuel

Germany Helps Ukraine Develop Biofuel Production

FARM NEWS
Number of Companies in the Solar Supply Chain Set to Plunge This Year

Kyocera Introduces Diamond Partner Program for Solar PV Installers

JLM Gets Cert For Gyezr Commercial Grade Solar Thermal Collectors

Concentrated Solar Power With Thermal Energy Storage Can Help Utilities

FARM NEWS
Algonquin Power Buys 109 MW Shady Oaks Wind Power Facility

British group pans wind farm compensation

GE and International Consortium Buys 32 Wind Farms in France

Tax credit extension a reprieve for wind

FARM NEWS
China mine blast kills 17: state media

China mine blast toll rises to 23

China mine blast kills 18: state media

US shale gas drives up coal exports

FARM NEWS
Censored China paper to publish 'as normal'

China press freedom campaign swells with new rally

Former prisoner welcomes China labour camp reform

China bloggers back censorship protest




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2012 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement