BACKGROUND If the amount of resources allocated to reproduction (K) is fixed, then an increase in seed mass (S) can only be achieved by a decrease in seed number (n = K/S). Thus, log(n) = log(K)-log(S) producing a slope of -1 when seed mass and number are plotted on log-log axes. However, in comparative studies, empirical support for a slope of -1 is limited and contentious, leading some to que...

Stripe rust [caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici Eriks. (Pst)] is a destructive disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide. High-temperature adult-plant (HTAP) resistance to stripe rust is race non-specific, inherited quantitatively and durable. Previously, we identified and mapped the single Yr39 HTAP stripe rust resistance gene in the spring wheat cultivar Alpowa, wh...

The adequate presence of silicon (Si) in rice plants can enhance their yield and improve their tolerance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study Si uptake abilities were compared between the japonica rice cultivar (cv.) Kinmaze and the indica rice cv. DV85 under three Si concentrations (0.16, 0.4, and 1.6mM) at different time points from 1 to 12h. The results showed that the pheno...

The key to plant survival under NaCl salt stress is maintaining a low Na(+) level or Na(+)/K(+) ratio in the cells. A population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs, F(2:9)) derived from a cross between the salt-tolerant japonica rice variety Jiucaiqing and the salt-sensitive indica variety IR26, was used to determine Na(+) and K(+) concentrations in the roots and shoots under three different NaC...

More than 50% of undernourished children live in Asia and more than 25% live in Africa. Coupled with an inadequate food supply, mineral deficiencies are widespread in these populations; particularly zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) deficiencies that lead to retarded growth, adverse effects on both the immune system and an individual's cognitive abilities. Biofortification is one solution aimed at reduci...

Maize with high grain protein and oil contents offers great advantages for human food and animal feed. In this study, grain protein contents of 282 and 263 F7:8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of 2 crosses were evaluated in 4 environments within and between populations. The RILs were developed from crosses between an inbred high-oil maize line and 2 normal dent inbred maize lines. A total of 16...

Rice sheath blight (ShB), caused by the soilborne pathogen Rhizoctonia solani, annually causes severe losses in yield and quality in many rice production areas worldwide. Jasmine 85 is an indica cultivar that has proven to have a high level of resistance to this pathogen. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of controlled environment inoculation assays to detect ShB resistan...

Genetic dissection of complex, polygenic trait variation is a key goal of medical and evolutionary genetics. Attempts to identify genetic variants underlying complex traits have been plagued by low mapping resolution in traditional linkage studies, and an inability to identify variants that cumulatively explain the bulk of standing genetic variation in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Th...