Plants require nitrogen (N) to make proteins, nucleic acids and other biological molecules. It is widely accepted that plants absorb inorganic forms of N to fill their needs. However, recently it has become clear that plants also have the capacity to absorb organic N from soils. In this paper we describe a new kind of symbiosis involving seed-vectored rhizobacteria and grasses that is targeted ...

Root growth and protective enzymes of Festuca arundinacea L. and Lolium perenne L. under Cu stress were investigated in a hydroponic experiment. Cu stress significantly inhibited root growth (root elongation and dry biomass) of both turfgrasses. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content in roots of both turfgrasses markedly increased under copper stress. In F. arundinacea root, superoxide dismutase (SOD) a...

Thirty-seven warm-season bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) accessions, two cool-season grasses (Lolium perenne and Festuca arundinacea), 'Transvala' digitgrass (Digitaria decumbens), and Sorghum bicolor were evaluated to determine host suitability and susceptibility to the sting nematode, B. longicaudatus, in a 140-day microcell bioassay. All seven of the evaluated commercial cultivars of Cynodon wer...

Studies examined hairy chinch bug, Blissus leucopterus hirtus Montandon, damage, population density, and movement in stands of perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne L., containing various proportions of endophyte infected plants (E+). Our main objective was to determine the utility of mixtures containing E+ for management of chinch bugs. Chinch bug damage and population density decreased linearly ...

Adaptation and Establishment Meadow fescue prefers deep, rich soils, and while surviving in wet soils, it cannot tolerate flooding. It will survive under dry conditions but is more sensitive to drought than many other grasses. It can be grown in areas suitable for timothy, and is considerably more winter hardy than tall fescue in northern environments. Meadow fescue is closely related to both t...

The fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is a serious pathogen of rice and other grasses. Telomeric restriction fragments in Magnaporthe isolates that infect perennial ryegrass (prg) are hotspots for genomic rearrangement and undergo frequent, spontaneous alterations during fungal culture. The telomeres of rice-infecting isolates are very stable by comparison. Sequencing of chromosome ends from a number o...

Mineral carbonation of basic silicate minerals regulates atmospheric CO(2) on geological time scales by locking up carbon. Mining and spreading onto the earth's surface of fast-weathering silicates, such as olivine, has been proposed to speed up this natural CO(2) sequestration ('enhanced weathering'). While agriculture may offer an existing infrastructure, weathering rate and impacts on soil a...

Forests habituated by Rhododendron delavayi often lack understory vegetation, which could possibly be a consequence of allelopathy. It is phenomenon virtue certain plant species produce allelochemicals that affect the growth and behavior surrounding plants. To elucidate allelopathic potential present in different layers R. forest, extracts obtained from three forest were used for seed germinati...

BACKGROUND In humans, chromosome fragile sites are regions that are especially prone to forming non-staining gaps, constrictions or breaks in one or both of the chromatids on metaphase chromosomes either spontaneously or following partial inhibition of DNA synthesis and have been well identified. So far, no plant chromosome fragile sites similar to those in human chromosomes have been reported....

Agricultural practices, including tillage, fertilization, and residue management, can affect surface runoff, soil erosion, and nutrient cycling. These processes, in turn, may adversely affect (1) quality of aquatic resources as habitat for amphibians, fish, and invertebrates, (2) costs of treating surface and ground water to meet drinking water standards, and (3) large-scale biogeochemistry. Th...