BACKGROUND The plant biomass and agro-industrial wastes show great potential for their use as attractive low cost substrates in biotechnological processes. Wheat straw and corn cob as hemicellulosic substrates were acid hydrolyzed and enzymatically saccharified for high xylose production. The hydrolysate was concentrated and fermented by using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces for prod...

Two new Delta and Sigma glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in the Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), were characterized and transcription profiles described. The deduced amino acid sequences for the two M. destructor Delta GSTs (MdesGST-1 and MdesGST-3) showed high similarity with other insect Delta GSTs including the conserved catalytic serine residue. The deduced amino...

Two new Delta and Sigma glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in the Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), were characterized and transcription profiles described. The deduced amino acid sequences for the two M. destructor Delta GSTs (MdesGST-1 and MdesGST-3) showed high similarity with other insect Delta GSTs including the conserved catalytic serine residue. The deduced amino...

The 7-methylguanylic acid residue confronting the 5'-terminal nucleotide of mRNA through two pyrophosphate linkages was completely removed by tobacco pyrophosphatase from mRNAs of cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus, tobacco mosaic virus (viral RNA), and globin without any scission in the inner part of the RNA chain. Protein synthesis ability in a wheat germ cell-free system was lost after this trea...

The Palouse Prairie of eastern Washington was identified in the 1997 USDA National Resources Inventory as one of the most highly erodible areas in the United States. It is estimated that 10% of the original topsoil in eastern Washington has been lost since cultivation began in the region in the late 1800s (32). Furthermore, runoff from agricultural land reduces water quality in streams and rive...

Standing winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) residue can capture snow, reduce soil erosion and water evaporation, increase crop yields in semi-arid environments. Solid-stemmed (SSWW) varieties may remain standing longer the field; however, SSWW consistently less than conventional hollow-stemmed (HSWW). This research investigates if negative economic impact of yield loss be overcome by increasin...

Despite the potential to increase soil organic matter, cycle nutrients, and suppress weeds, there is a concern that cover crops (CCs) water use negatively impacts subsequent in water-limited environments. Cover crop management practices such as planting termination timing may mitigate detrimental of CCs semi-arid cropping systems. To determine effects under environments, we evaluated total CC b...

Direct-seeded rice (DSR) can be a resource-efficient alternative to puddled transplanted (PTR), but weeds and nematodes pose severe challenges. Conservation agriculture (CA)-based DSR may inhibit/influence weeds/nematodes, which further intensified by adopting better weed control. Hence, this experiment was undertaken. Five CA-based practices involving zero tillage, residue retention, brown man...

The thermophilic fungus Humicola grisea var. thermoidea secretes extracellular xylanase when grown on solid and in liquid media containing wheat bran and banana plant residue as substrates, respectively. At 55oC, xylanase from the culture filtrate of H. grisea var. thermoidea grown on banana stalk retained 50% of its activity after 28 h of incubation. A xylanase (X2) was isolated from solid sta...