This study was designed to examine a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the HIF-3α gene in three hundred Changbaishan black cattle using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism to determine whether there is an association between this SNP and superovulation. The cloning and sequencing results indicate that the polymorphism is due to a point mutation at the 278-bp position in the HIF-3...

The importance of the nitrate (NO3-) transporter for yield and nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) in rice was previously demonstrated using map-based cloning. In this study, we enhanced the expression of the OsNRT2.1 gene, which encodes a high-affinity NO3- transporter, using a ubiquitin (Ubi) promoter and the NO3--inducible promoter of the OsNAR2.1 gene to drive OsNRT2.1 expression in transgenic ri...

The genetic architecture of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and its two component traits i.e. NUpE (N uptake efficiency) NUtE utilization was studied using a bi-parental RIL mapping population derived from cross HUW468 (high NUE)/C306 (low NUE). population, parental genotypes three check were evaluated under four different N levels (0, 60, 120, 180 kg/ha) over years. A map containing 456 SNP mark...

The pressure of economic cost and environmental constraints dictates that farmers must optimize the use of nitrogen fertilizer. Industrial uses of new wheat varieties require specific and stable grain protein concentration, which needs accurate estimation of N demand during the crop cycle. Thus breeding for high N use efficiency (NUE) and yield, whilst maintaining high grain protein concentrati...

The mechanism underlying the effect of drought on the photosynthetic traits of leaves in forest ecosystems in subtropical regions is unclear. In this study, three limiting processes (stomatal, mesophyll and biochemical limitations) that control the photosynthetic capacity and three resource use efficiencies (intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and light use effi...

Canopy photosynthesis (Ac ) describes photosynthesis of an entire crop field and the daily and seasonal integrals of Ac positively correlate with daily and seasonal biomass production. Much effort in crop breeding has focused on improving canopy architecture and hence light distribution inside the canopy. Here, we develop a new integrated canopy photosynthesis model including canopy architectur...

Nitrogen (N) fertilizers are a major input cost in rice production, and its excess application leads to major environmental pollution. Development of rice varieties with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is essential for sustainable agriculture. Here, we report the results of field evaluations of marker-free transgenic NERICA4 (New Rice for Africa 4) rice lines overexpressing barley alanin...

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season of 2008 and 2009 to use guttation fluid as a physiological marker for the screening of more nitrogen efficient rice genotypes on the basis of relationship between Guttation Fluid (GF) oozed by leaf tip and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), grain yield (GY) and biological yield (BY) amongst five rice (KRH-2hybrid, Kasturiaromatic, Krishna Ham...

Fires in the tallgrass prairie are frequent and significantly alter nutrient cycling processes. We evaluated the short-term changes in plant production and microbial activity due to fire and the long-term consequences of annual burning on soil organic matter (SOM), plant production, and nutrient cycling using a combination of field, laboratory, and modeling studies. In the short-term, fire in t...

Invariably, many agricultural soils of the world are deficient in one or more of the essential nutrients needed to support healthy plants. Acidity, alkalinity, salinity, anthropogenic processes, nature of farming, and erosion can lead to soil degradation. Additions of fertilizers and/or amendments are essential for a proper nutrient supply and maximum yields. Estimates of overall efficiency of ...