BACKGROUND Determining the distances over which seeds are dispersed is a crucial component for examining spatial patterns of seed dispersal and their consequences for plant reproductive success and population structure. However, following the fate of individual seeds after removal from the source tree till deposition at a distant place is generally extremely difficult. Here we provide a compari...

The VP1 transcription factor functions as both a repressor and an activator of gene expression in the developing aleurone. Vp1 activation of the anthocyanin pathway exhibits strict cell autonomy in aleurone. In contrast, Vp1-mediated repression of hydrolase genes in aleurone cells during seed development is determined by a combination of cell autonomous and cell non-autonomous signals. To analy...

Jatropha curcas is a multipurpose tree, which has potential as an alternative source for biodiesel. All of its parts can also be used for human food, animal feed, fertilizer, fuel and traditional medicine. J. curcas seed cake is a low-value by-product obtained from biodiesel production. The seed cake, however, has a high amount of protein, with the presence of a main toxic compound: phorbol est...

Mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase (mtPDH) is a key respiratory enzyme that links glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and it is negatively regulated by mtPDH kinase (mtPDHK). Arabidopsis lines carrying either a constitutive or seed-specific antisense construct for mtPDHK were used to test the hypothesis that alteration of mtPDH activity in a tissue- and dosage-dependent manner will e...

Knowledge of ecological impacts of exotic beach almond (Terminalia catappa) in the central Pacific of Costa Rica are little known, but studies have found this species to be a potentially important food source for endangered scarlet macaws (Ara macao). In this study, reproductive phenology and seed predation by variegated squirrels (Sciurus variegatoides) and scarlet macaws were measured during ...

Understanding variation in SW (seed weigh) is of major importance in understanding SY (seed yield) variation. The objective of this study was to determine factors such as SN (seed number) per unit area, SFD (seed filling duration) and SFR (seed filling rate) and temperature, LAI (leaf area index), LAD (leaf area duration), above-ground dry matter, CGR (crop growth rate), leaf dry matter re...

Our main aim was to determine the contribution of the seed bank to vegetation regeneration following a disturbance consisting in a deep ploughing and a thorough homogenisation of a perennial grassland. In the seed bank prior to disturbance, seed distribution through the vertical soil profile was evaluated to determine the initial seed species structure. Then, several characteristics of the shal...

the effect of xanthan and qodume shirazi seed gum on fresh bread quality and its influence on dough rheology were studied. incorporation of 0.3 to 1% of these two gums was investigated to evaluate its effect on the mixing tolerance index (mti), dough development time (ddt), gelatinization temperature (gt), viscosity, dough stability and quality of wheat flour. addition of xanthan and qodume shi...

INTRODUCTION: Head scab caused by Fusarium graminaerum (Schwabe) has caused significant losses in the soft red winter wheat crop in Kentucky and in small grain crops in many regions of North America. Damage from head scab results in reductions in seed quality, emergence, and yield of wheat. In addition, losses in food-grain quality are caused by production of fungal mycotoxins, specifically vom...

To evaluate the effect of nitrogen fertilizer amounts on grain yield of forage corn in 2012, a pilot was implemented in Islamic Azad University Agricultural Research Station, Isfahan, as a split plot in a randomized complete block design. Main plots consisted of four levels: control (no fertilization ) , 50 , 100 and 150 kg per ha nitrogen from urea source and subplots , including several varie...