76 Identification of genes for the ethylene-forming enzyme and inhibition of ethylene synthesis in transgenic plants using antisense genes Mondher Bouzayen,t Andrew Hamilton,* Steve Picton,* Sarah Barton* and Don Grierson* *A.F.R.C. Research Group in Plant Gene Regulation, University of Nottingham, School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough LE 12 5RD, U.K. and fE.N.S.A. Toulouse, 145...

Precision agriculture is a knowledge-based system that enables producers to apply precise amounts of fertilizers, pesticides, water, seeds, or other production inputs to specific areas where and when plants need them for optimal growth. It is a promising group of technologies that could theoretically increase crop productivity and profitability, reduce chemical use, and decrease environmental d...

Soil microbial diversity is an important index of agricultural productivity (Nimisha Sharma et al,.2010; Kent and Triplett, 2002; Isik, 2008). Both plant and the soil types influences the microbial diversity. Rhizosphere microbial diversity usually influenced by both plant and soil types. Plants and microorganisms interact with each other and co evaluate together. Their balance is important for...

Francisco J. Corpas* and Juan B. Barroso 1 Group of Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Nitric Oxide in Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology of Plants, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Granada, Spain 2 Group of Biochemistry and Cell Signaling in Nitric Oxide, Department of Biochemistry and Molec...

In smallholder agriculture, women farmers are largely responsible for the selection, improvement and adaptation of plant varieties. In many regions, women are also responsible for the management of small livestock, including their reproduction. Women often have a more highly specialized knowledge of wild plants used for food, fodder and medicine than men. Women – users, preservers and managers ...

Nematodes are microscopic but complex unsegmented roundworms that are anatomically differentiated for feeding, digestion, locomotion, and reproduction. These small animals occur worldwide in all environments. Most species are beneficial to agriculture; they make important contributions to organic matter decomposition and are important members of the soil food chain. However, some species are pa...

The control of flowering time in plants is critical for plant fitness and for agriculture. The genetic pathways governing this developmental transition are reasonably well understood in Arabidopsis, although substantial new gains are still being made in this system. Much new work is focusing on how the genetic networks governing flowering function in other species.

The Bt toxin is widely used in agriculture both as a spray and in transgenic plants, yet its precise mode of action against lepidopterans is poorly understood. The study by Mason et al. [mBio 2(3):e00065-11, 2011] revealed that Bt toxin enables an inhabitant of the midgut, Enterococcus faecalis, to enter the hemolymph of larvae and cause septicemia, leading to death.

The study of allelopathy has a long history, and its application to agricultural production has long been anticipated. Recently, researchers have found allelopathic plants that are now used as cover crops, and allelochemicals which may lead to new herbicides. This paper reviews three studies introduced in this symposium, and discusses the possible application of allelopathy to agriculture.

Selection and domestication of plants with genes that prevent grains from shattering in cereals was essential for human civilization's transition to agriculture-based societies. In this issue, Pourkheirandish et al. show that domestication of barley required evolution of a molecular system distinct from other grains, such as rice and maize, and reveal that present-day cultivars derive from two ...