BACKGROUND In order to provide a system fully integrated with qPCR screening, usually used in GMO routine analysis, as well as being able to detect, characterize and identify a broad spectrum of GMOs in food/feed matrices, two bidirectional DNA walking methods targeting p35S or tNOS, the most common transgenic elements found in GM crops, were developed. These newly developed DNA walking methods...

With the concentration of poultry production and increase in operation size in several regions of the U.S., more manure is applied to agricultural land. This application of manure has resulted in more P being added than crops require, an accumulation in soil P, and increased potential for P loss in surface runoff. This situation has been exacerbated by manure management being N-based. Increased...

Mycotoxin contamination in food and feed crops is a major concern worldwide. Fungal pathogens of the genera Aspergillus. Fusarium, and Penicillium are a major threat to food and feed crops due to production of mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, 4-deoxynivalenol, patulin, and numerous other toxic secondary metabolites that substantially reduce the value of the crop. While host resistance genes are f...

Agriculture and livestock production systems are two major emitters of greenhouse gases. Methane with a GWP (global warming potential) of 21, and nitrous oxide (N2O) with a GWP of 300, are largely emitted from animal production agriculture, where livestock production is based on pasture and feed grains. The principal biological processes involved in N2O emissions are nitrification and denitrifi...

Maize is one of the important cereal crops in the world agricultural economy both as food grains for human and fodder and feed for cattle and poultry. Maize grain contains about 72% starch, 10% protein, 4.8% oil, 5.8% fiber, 3.0% sugar and 1.7% ash (Choudhary, 1993). Along with this, it is rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, nicotinic acid, riboflavin and contains fairly high phosphorus than rice and...

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are effector molecules of RNA interference (RNAi), a highly conserved RNA-based gene suppression mechanism in plants, mammals and other eukaryotes. Endogenous RNAi-based gene suppression has been harnessed naturally and through conventional breeding to achieve desired plant phenotypes. The present study demonstrates that endogenous small RN...

Phytic acid, the main storage form of phosphorous in plants cannot be digested by monogastric animals and is excreted into environment. This compound also has antinutritional effect due to its negative charge which makes it able to chelate minerals and organic elements like calcium, iron, zinc and amino acids to provoke malnutrition. Alarming increase in eutrophication and cost of supplementati...

Winter is a very important period during the dairying calendar. Regions such as Southland, with susceptible soils and extended periods with soils at saturation levels will face increasing pressure to review wintering practices. On-farm options for wintering cows to protect soils and prevent pasture damage are needed. This requires a turn-around in philosophy from taking cows to pasture/crops, t...

Aflatoxins are highly toxic compounds that are produced as secondary metabolites by some Aspergillus and Emericella species. Despite huge progress on aflatoxin research during the past 50 years, we have witnessed many cases of food contamination with aflatoxins all over the world. Aflatoxins have mutagenic and carcinogenic effects and they are capable of inducing hepatocellular carcinoma in hum...