Model systems can facilitate and focus research efforts but ill-chosen or inapt ones can distract or impede scientific progress. In this Opinion article, we pose the question: how can the literature provide appropriate general conclusions if the model systems upon which the literature is based are unrepresentative of the relevant biological diversity? A good example of this problem is the endop...

A general model of crop yield response to herbicide application is proposed. The model includes three components: the effect of herbicide dosage on weed density, the effect of surviving weed density on crop yield and the effect of herbicide directly on the crop. The model is used to estimate the response of wheat yield to application of diclofop-methyl to control ryegrass .(Lolium rigidum) in A...

Substitution of a species or cultivar with higher uptake of an element by one with lower uptake has been proposed as a remediation strategy following accidental releases of radioactivity. However, despite the importance of pasture systems for radiological dose, species/cultivar substitution has not been thoroughly investigated for forage grasses. 397 cultivars from four forage grass species; hy...

The genus Lolium is one of the most important groupings of temperate forage grasses, including about eight recognized species that are native to some temperate and subtropical regions of the northern hemisphere. We examined genetic relationships among 18 accessions representing all Lolium species using RAPD markers. Among 50 random primers that we screened, 13 gave reproducible amplification ba...

BACKGROUND Grass pollen, in particular from Lolium multiflorum is a major allergen source in temperate climate zones of Southern Brazil. The IgE sensitization profile of Brazilian grass pollen allergic patients to individual allergen molecules has not been analyzed yet. OBJECTIVE To analyze the IgE sensitization profile of a Brazilian grass pollen allergic population using individual allergen...

Regulation of flowering time is best understood in the dicot model species Arabidopsis thaliana. Molecular analyses revealed that genes belonging to the MADS box transcription factor family play pivotal regulatory roles in both the vernalization- and photoperiod-regulated flowering pathways. Here the analysis of three APETALA1 (AP1)-like MADS box proteins (LpMADS1-3) and a SHORT VEGETATIVE PHAS...

Circular dichroism spectra of the arabinogalactan-protein from suspension-cultured Lolium multiflorum (ryegrass) endosperm cells demonstrate the presence of polyproline II conformation in the protein moiety of the proteoglycan. Subject to a number of theoretical and practical constraints of the method, it can be estimated that at least 30% of the protein component is in this conformation.

Changes in endogenous gibberellin-like substances (GAs) and related compounds in the shoot apices of Lolium temulentum during and after flower induction by one long day was examined for plants grown in three consecutive years. The total GA level in the shoot apical tissue was high (up to 42 micrograms per gram dry weight, or 3 x 10(-5) molar GA(3) equivalents), increasing several-fold on the da...

Groups of six to nine Merino Summary lambs were weaned in September (May drop) and December (September drop) on to three types of irrigated perennial pastureperennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), Ladino white clover (Trifolium repens) and lucerne (Medicago sativa), and one irrigated annual pasture-subterranean clover ( Trifolium subterraneum) . The weight gain of the weaners on white clover was s...

according to high importance of sodding for fast creating green beds in all seasons, this experiment carried out with aimidentifying suitable substrate and covering plant including two lawn genus and dichondra with blend seed. the trial carried out as factorial experiment with three factors based on complete block design in three replications. experimental factors consisted of planting networks...