Nanotechnology is one of the most important tools in modern agriculture, and agri-food nanotechnology is anticipated to become a driving economic force in the near future. Agri-food themes focus on sustainability and protection of agriculturally produced foods, including crops for human consumption and animal feeding. Nanotechnology provides new agrochemical agents and new delivery mechanisms t...

Řepková J., Nedělník J. (2014): Modern methods for genetic improvement of Trifolium pratense. Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 50: 92–99. This review focuses on trends in genetic improvement of a significant representative forage crop, Trifolium pratense (red clover) classified taxonomically into the agronomically outstanding family Fabaceae. Red clover breeding is aimed at improving traits like p...

Yield and quality are central to sustainable crop production. Due to biotic stress, yield loss upto 52 per cent. Chemical control of insect and disease is not feasible for environments and economical not viable. Host plant resistance is the only safe, economical, and environment friendly way for the absolute control of this devastating pest and disease. Historically, long-term cultivation of va...

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is a cereal crop of major importance in many parts of Europe and rye breeders are presently very concerned with the restrict pool of rye genetic resources available. Such narrowing of rye genetic diversity results from the presence of "Petkus" pool in most modern rye varieties as well as "Petkus" × "Carsten" heterotic pool in hybrid rye breeding programs. Previous studie...

Depletion of non-renewable rock phosphate reserves and phosphorus (P) fertilizer price increases has renewed interest in breeding P-efficient varieties. Internal P utilization efficiency (PUE) is of prime interest because there has been no progress to date in breeding for high PUE. We characterized the genotypic variation for PUE present within the rice gene pool by using a hydroponic system th...

Landrace (or in situ) varieties of important crop species are becoming increasingly important to global agriculture as gene banks have increasing trouble keeping pace with the need for genetic material for plant breeders. However genetic erosion (or permanent loss of genetically diverse landrace varieties) poses significant threat to the viability of important genetic material. Processes associ...

BACKGROUND The Peruvian Andean region is a main center of plant domestication of the world. There, several tuber species were domesticated and the area lodges one of the most important reservoirs of their varieties and wild relatives. It is also the setting of traditional cultures using and conserving them. However, crop genetic erosion has been reported in the region since several decades ago;...

In a field trial conducted with eight varieties in the north coast area of Natal ratoon stunting disease (RSD) caused increasing lossesin yieldsof cane and sucrosefrom the plant to the second ratoon crop. All the varieties suffered losses in yield but the degree of loss differed markedly among the varieties. The total yield of sugar from the three crops was reduced by 38% in varieties NCo 376an...

Photosynthetic efficiency is a critical determinant of crop yield potential, although it remains below the theoretical optimum in modern crop varieties. Enhancing mesophyll conductance (i.e. the rate of carbon dioxide diffusion from substomatal cavities to the sites of carboxylation) may increase photosynthetic and water use efficiencies. To improve water use efficiency, mesophyll conductance s...