Maize roots can be colonized by free-living atmospheric nitrogen (N2)-fixing bacteria (diazotrophs). However, the agronomic potential of non-symbiotic N2-fixation in such an economically important species as maize, has still not been fully exploited. A preliminary approach to improve our understanding of the mechanisms controlling the establishment of such N2-fixing associations has been develo...

Aims: The aim of this study was to estimate the efficiency of T-DNA transfer during Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of maize (Zea mays L.) at different temperatures. In addition, the way of T-DNA transfer was studied after application of an Agrobacterium suspension at maize pistil filaments. Study Design: Transgenic maize plants were obtained with an antisense suppressor of the proline de...

Genes controlling the dramatic morphological differences between maize and its presumed progenitor (teosinte) were investigated in a maize-teosinte F2 population through the use of molecular markers. Results indicate that the key traits differentiating maize and teosinte are each under multigenic control, although for some traits, such as the number of ranks of cupules, the data are consistent ...

A 2 yr field study was conducted to determine how a blend of entomopathogens interacted with Bt maize to affect mortality of Diabrotica spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), root injury to maize (Zea maize L.) and yield. The blend of entomopathogens included two entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema carpocapsae Weiser and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar, and one entomopathogenic fungus, Meta...

Two maize phytochrome-interacting factor (PIF) basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family members, ZmPIF3.1 and ZmPIF3.2, were identified, cloned and expressed in vitro to investigate light-signaling interactions. A phylogenetic analysis of sequences of the maize bHLH transcription factor gene family revealed the extent of the PIF family, and a total of seven predicted PIF-encoding genes were identif...

MON 810 maize was developed against Ostrinia nubilalis and is suggested to indirectly decrease Fusarium spp. infestation in maize ears. To evaluate this effect, co-occurrence of insect and fungal pests on MON 810 maize was studied. During 2009, exceptionally high maize ear infestation occurred in Julianna-major (Hungary). From investigation of some thousands of maize ears, the majority of the l...

Studies at the University of Reading (UK) compared silage quality, feed intake and digestibility of maize silage with maize±sun ̄ower (MS), maize±kale (MK) and maize±runner bean (MRB) silage, when sun ̄owers, kale and runner beans represented 26, 7 and 16% of total silage dry matter (DM). All intercrop silages had higher crude protein values (MS, 137 g kgÿ1, MRB, 120 g kgÿ1, MK, 105 g kgÿ1) than ...

© 2011. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS OpenJournals. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) recently released the outcome of the South Africa–Norway bio-safety cooperation project ‘Monitoring the environmental impacts of GM maize in South Africa’. This project studied possible impacts of commercial geneticall...

Although technology adoption has been the subject of a great deal of economic research, that focused on the economics of adoption of low-input "sustainable" systems has been much more limited and recent. This paper attempts to explain the recent decline in the use of cover crops using in maize farming in the Department of Athlntida, Honduras. In the early 1970s, farmers in the region began rota...

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 (KT2440) rhizobacteria colonize a wide range of plants. They have been extensively studied for their capacity to adhere to maize seeds, to tolerate toxic secondary metabolites produced by maize roots and to be attracted by maize roots. However, the response of maize plants to KT2440 colonization has not been investigated yet. Maize roots were inoculated with KT2440 and...