Although we often focus on the causes of geographic variation, understanding processes that act to reduce geographic variation is also important. Here, we consider a process whereby adaptive foraging across the landscape and directional selection exerted by a conifer seed predator, the common crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), potentially act to homogenize geographic variation in the defensive trai...

cumin (cuminum cyminum l.) is one of the most important cultivable medicinal plants in iran and today, it is the second most popular spice in the world after black pepper. it is essential to know the relationships between yield and its components in cumin breeding programs. therefore, different multivariate statistical analysis was performed on plant characters in cumin to determine the relatio...

This paper proposes an automatic segmentation algorithm that combines clustering and deformable models. First, a k-means clustering is performed based on the image intensity. A hierarchical recognition scheme is then used to recognize the structure to be segmented, and an initial seed is constructed from the recognized region. The seed is then evolved under certain deformable model mechanism. T...

Seed dispersal and germination were examined for 70 species from the cold Gurbantunggut Desert in northwest China. Mean and range (3 orders of magnitude) of seed mass were smaller and narrower than those in other floras (5-8 orders of magnitude), which implies that selection favors relatively smaller seeds in this desert. We identified five dispersal syndromes (anemochory, zoochory, autochory, ...

Under stressful circumstances, seed size has important consequences for germination, survival, and reproductive success; all of these are important components of plant fitness. This study investigates the relationship between seed size and fitness in the Sonoran Desert winter annual Dithyrea californica. This species represents a unique opportunity to study natural selection on seed size in the...

We conducted a functional analysis of seed dispersal and its plasticity in response to density in Arabidopsis thaliana by growing morphologically diverse ecotypes under high and low density and measuring seed dispersion patterns under controlled conditions. Maternal plant architectural traits such as height and branching, and fruit traits such as dehiscence and silique length influenced various...

For the treatment of foliar diseases of cereals, fungicides may be applied as foliar sprays or systemic seed treatments which are translocated to leaves. Little research has been done to assess the resistance risks associated with foliar-acting systemic seed treatments when used alone or in combination with foliar sprays, even though both types of treatment may share the same mode of action. It...