Transgenic crops producing insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely used to control pests, but their benefits will be lost if pests evolve resistance. The mandated high-dose/refuge strategy for delaying pest resistance requires planting refuges of toxin-free crops near Bt crops to promote survival of susceptible pests. We report that pollen-mediated gene flow up to 31 m f...

To feed the world's growing population, increasing the yield of crops is not the only important factor, improving crop quality is also important, and it presents a significant challenge. Among the important crops, horticultural crops (particularly fruits and vegetables) provide numerous health compounds, such as vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids. Essential amino acids are those that canno...

Herbicide tolerant (HT) crops are not a new phenomenon – in fact, all crops are to some extent tolerant to herbicides. Many herbicides are dose-specific for particular plant groups, for example grasses, and these can be used on broad-leaved crops like potatoes and oilseed rape without causing unacceptable harm. This is the basis for most current agricultural practice in developed countries. Gen...

Keywords: recombinant DNA crops (plants or organisms), transgenic crops (or plants), genetically modified organisms (GMO), biological containment level (B1 and B2), physical containment level (P1, P2, P3 and P4), experiments using large scale culture

Concentration and time course dependence of two structurally related plant flavonoids naringenin and quercetin on the nodABC gene transcriptional activity (as reporter gene nodC-lacZ activity) in Rh. leguminiosarum bv. vicae strain D923 and respective growth, nodulation and nitrogen fixing responses of plant host (garden pea) to inoculation with pre-induced strains were studied. Naringenin was ...

North Sinai deserts were surveyed for the predominant plant cover and for the culturable bacteria nesting their roots and shoots. Among 43 plant species reported, 13 are perennial (e.g. Fagonia spp., Pancratium spp.) and 30 annuals (e.g. Bromus spp., Erodium spp.). Eleven species possessed rhizo-sheath, e.g. Cyperus capitatus, Panicum turgidum and Trisetaria koelerioides. Microbiological analys...