One independent and two overlapping rape cDNA clones have been isolated from a rape embryo library. We have shown that they encode a 2.3 kb and a 2.5 kb stretch of the full-length acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) cDNA, corresponding to the biotin-binding and transcarboxylase domains respectively. Using the cDNA in Northern-blot analysis we have shown that the mRNA for ACCase has a higher level o...

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes serious yield losses in oilseed crops worldwide. Bacillus subtilis Tu-100 significantly reduced (P≤0.05) the incidence of disease caused by S. sclerotiorum on oilseed rape at harvest in two trials conducted in fields artificially infested with this pathogen. Mean plant dry weight was significantly greater (P≤0.05) and mean plant length was significantly greater (...

Because it has a high demand for sulphur (S), oilseed rape is particularly sensitive to S limitation. However, the physiological effects of S limitation remain unclear, especially during the rosette stage. For this reason a study was conducted to determine the effects of mineral S limitation on nitrogen (N) and S uptake and remobilization during vegetative growth of oilseed rape at both the who...

The creation of transgenic plants through genetic engineering has focused interest on how the fitness of a plant species may be altered by small changes in its genome. This study concentrates on a key component of fitness: persistence of seeds overwinter. Seeds of three lines of oilseed rape (Brassica napus subsp. oleifera DC Metzger) and of charlock (Sinapis arvensis L.) were buried in nylon m...

We compared the seedbanks, seed rains, plant densities and biomasses of weeds under two contrasting systems of management in beet, maize and spring oilseed rape. Weed seedbank and plant density were measured at the same locations in two subsequent seasons. About 60 fields were sown with each crop. Each field was split, one half being sown with a conventional variety managed according to the far...

Mass spectrometry (MS) imaging provides spatial and molecular information for a wide range of compounds. This tool can be used to investigate metabolic changes in plant physiology and environmental interactions. A major challenge in our study was to prepare tissue sections that were compatible with high spatial resolution analysis and therefore dedicated sample preparation protocols were establ...

Triazine-resistant chloroplasts o f the Canadian spring oilseed rape variety OAC Triton were transferred into four German winter oilseed rape lines and two cultivars o f double-low quality by means o f protoplast fusion. X-irradiation has been used to reduce the amount o f nuclear D N A o f the spring type cultivar and to promote cybrid formation. RFLP-analysis showed that some regenerants and ...

Crops transformed to express Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins can cause close to 100% mortality of certain target pest species. This study assessed the effect of target pest reduction on the predatory insect Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) in the presence of alternative prey. Numbers of lacewings recovered from Bt oilseed rape (cultivar Oscar, event O52) did not differ significantly from number...

The aim of this study is to assess the interception and transfer to edible part of wet deposited 134Cs and 85Sr to spring oilseed rape and spring wheat and the dependency of the intercepted fraction on the development stage e.g. the total plant biomass. The radionuclides, 134Cs and 85Sr, were deposited at six different development stages using a rainfall simulator. The results showed that there...