In glasshouse studies we have previously shown that endosperm-specific RNAi suppression of the primary starch phosphorylation enzyme, Glucan, Water Dikinase (GWD) leads to enhanced early vigor, greater leaf biomass, and increases in both head size and yield. To confirm these affects in a field setting, trials were conducted in three Australian environments. Field results were consistent with th...

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. ‘Minaret’) was grown in open-top chambers and exposed to two CO2 concentrations (ambient and 680 ppmv) and two O3 concentrations (ambient and ambient +50 or +90 ppbv) either from anthesis onwards or for the entire growing season. The aim of the experiment was to test whether elevated CO2 could provide ‘protection’ to the crop against the damaging effects ...

Sheath blight is considered the most significant disease of rice and causes enormous yield losses over the world. Breeding for resistant varieties is the only viable option to combat the disease efficiently. Seventeen diverged rice genotypes along with 17 QTL-linked SSR markers were evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Pearson's correlation showed only the flag leaf angle had a significant co...

The roles of the rice sucrose transporter, OsSUT1, have previously been examined in filling grain, germination, and early seedling growth. In the current work, the role that OsSUT1 plays in the transport of assimilate along the entire long-distance pathway, from the flag leaf blade to the base of the filling grain, was investigated. OsSUT1 promoter::GUS (beta-glucuronidase) reporter gene analys...

Abstract This research was conducted in Toroq Experimental field station, Mashhad, Iran, for two successive cropping seasons (2000-2002), using split plot experimental design based on complete randomized blocks with three replications. Moisture stress treatments (at seven levels) were assigned to main plots, including: D1 ( full irrigation), D2 (no irrigation from one-leaf to double ridge) st...

An experiment was carried out to study the variability of leaf anatomical characters of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and their association with grain yields. Results indicated that in most of the cases cultivar differences were significant. In respect of 6th leaf anatomical characters, simple correlation coefficients indicated that most of the leaf anatomical traits had significant ne...