The use of mixtures of transgenic insecticidal seed and nontransgenic seed to provide an in-field refuge for susceptible insects in insect-resistance-management (IRM) plans has been considered for at least two decades. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has only recently authorized the practice. This commentary explores issues that regulators, industry, and other stakeholders sho...

Seeds are central to crop production, human nutrition, and food security. A key component of the performance of crop seeds is the complex trait of seed vigour. Crop yield and resource use efficiency depend on successful plant establishment in the field, and it is the vigour of seeds that defines their ability to germinate and establish seedlings rapidly, uniformly, and robustly across diverse e...

The seed industry in Southern Africa has been radically transformed by a policy of liberalisation and privatisation started under structural adjustment. Traditionally under the domain of parastatals, seed research, production and distribution has been criticised for failing to provide modern variety seed to smallholder farmers. However, the private companies which have stepped in to replace see...

Soybean seed is usually not carried-over to the next planting season because it deteriorates rapidly in storage, resulting in poor growth when planted. This rapid deterioration is a serious problem in seed production. The short shelf life of soybean seed is the result of its high lipid content and high levels of polyunsaturated linolenic and linoleic acids. The soybean production practice of pl...

so production of silkworm from silkworm egg rapidly increasing. Success of sericulture as a cash crop depends on the vitality and disease freeness of the silkworm seed applied to farmer. Production of silkworm seed is not only free from diseases but having high heterosis. It is necessary to count silkworm egg accurately to avoid loss to silkworm egg production industry and farmers or grainges. ...

Bird repellents to protect seeds are a potentially important aspect of integrated vertebrate pest management strategies. Yet, there currently are no repellents registered for seed treatment uses. This is due not to lack of effective candidate compounds, but to monetary and regulatory constraints that inhibit commercialization of promising compounds. Two examples of this dilemma are methiocarb a...

AIMS Episodes of serious work related health problems resembling organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS) in workers of a grass seed quality inspection laboratory prompted the authors to study personal endotoxin exposure levels in this facility and in the agricultural seed processing industry. In addition, microbial and inflammatory characteristics of agricultural seeds were studied. METHODS The au...

Cornell University by seed industry legal restrictions placed on public scientists, limiting both laboratory and field research from the mid-1990s until 2010. Widespread and organized objections by corn entomologists from major agricultural universities in 2010, convinced the seed companies to loosen the legal restrictions limiting research by public scientists involving GMO crops. As a result,...

Introduction: Paper and paperboard industry wastewater has potentially damaging effects on the ecosystem of the receiving environments due to the presence of toxic compounds. As a result, the treatment of such wastewater is necessary prior to discharge into the environment. In this study, the potential of Plantago major L. seed extract as a natural coagulant in treating paper and paperboar...