Botany Commons^™

Fungi Occurring On The Plants Of The Genus Amaranthus L., Wojciech Pusz, Elzbieta Plaskowska, İsmet Yildirim, Ryszard Weber

Turkish Journal of Botany

A study of fungi on Amaranthus spp. was performed in 2007-2009. The following forms of the genus were taken under consideration: cultivated amaranth (A. cruentus) and a wild form (A. retroflexus) growing as a weed on amaranth and sugar beet plantations and growing as a ruderal weed. The aim of the work was to determine which fungi communities occur in the phyllosphere, roots, rhizoplane, and rhizosphere of Amaranthus spp. To investigate the phyllosphere fungi communities, 5 plants were taken in the seed formation phase. From each plant, 3 healthy, symptomless leaves were taken. In addition, the isolation of fungi communities …

Differentiation Of Some Myxomycetes Species By Its Sequences, Hayri̇ Baba, Mustafa Kolukirik, Murat Zümre

Turkish Journal of Botany

Seven different PCR primers targeting 18 different myxomycetes genera were designed and ribosomal DNA ITS1-5.8SrDNA-ITS2 regions of 52 morphologically characterized species from Turkey were amplified and sequenced. The studied species belong to the genera Arcyria, Badhamia, Ceratiomyxa, Collaria, Comatricha, Cribraria, Diachea, Diderma, Didymium, Enerthenema, Lamproderma, Lycogala, Perichaena, Physarum, Reticularia, Stemonitis, Stemonitopsis, and Trichia. Significant ITS region size and sequence variations were observed among the analyzed species. The ITS based phylogenetic tree did not reflect evolutionary relationships at genus or higher level. The only exception was the genus Didymium, which formed a clearly distinctive cluster in the phylogenetic tree containing 18 …

Seed Morphology Of Some Silene L. (Caryophyllaceae) Species Collected From Turkey, Mehmet Yaşar Dadandi, Kemal Yildiz

Turkish Journal of Botany

The seed micro- and macromorphology of 39 Silene taxa were studied by stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscope. Quantitative (9) and qualitative (11) values of seed characters vary greatly both within and between taxa. The tree topology of UPGMA based on quantitative values does not supported the traditional relationship. Therefore, we concluded that seed characters of Silene alone cannot be used to describe taxa without detecting the full range of intra- and intertaxon variation of those characters.

Six New Genus Records For Turkish Pezizales From Gaziantep Province, Abdullah Kaya, Yasi̇n Uzun

Turkish Journal of Botany

The genera Hypotarzetta Donadini, Pseudombrophila Boud., Pustularia Bonord., Pyronema Carus, Tricharina Eckblad (Pyronemataceae Corda), and Thecotheus Boud. (Ascobolaceae Boud. Ex Sacc.) are recorded from Turkey for the first time based on the collections of Hypotarzetta insignis (Berthet and Riousset) Donadini, Pseudombrophila merdaria (Fr.) Brumm., Pustularia patavina (Cooke and Sacc.) Boud., Pyronema omphalodes (Bull.: Fr.) Fuckel, Tricharina gilva (Boud. Ex Cooke) Eckblad, and Thecotheus pelletieri (P. Crouan and H. Crouan) Boud., respectively. Short descriptions and photographs of the taxa related to their macro- and micromorphologies are provided.

Changes In Epilithic Diatom Communities And Periphytic Biomass Downstream Of A Reservoir On A Mediterranean River (Calabria Region, S Italy), Luana Gallo, Maurizio Battegazzore, Anna Corapi, Lucio Lucadamo

Turkish Journal of Botany

Diatom community structure and morphotype classification were studied and periphyton biomass, course particulate organic matter (CPOM), hydrogeomorphological parameters, and nutrient concentrations were measured at 4 stations downstream of the Cecita dam (Mucone River) and at 3 control sites located on different tributaries of the Mucone River in May, August, and November 2005. The lowest values of current velocities and the highest amounts of sand deposition and CPOM accumulation were detected at the stations closest to the dam. Downstream, the confluence with the first permanent tributary (Cerreto River) of the Mucone showed a "rhythral" morphology, similar to that of the control …

Influence Of Foliar Application Of Silicon On Chlorophyll Fluorescence, Photosynthetic Pigments, And Growth In Water-Stressed Wheat Cultivars Differing In Drought Tolerance, Kobra Maghsoudi, Yahya Emam, Muhammad Ashraf

Turkish Journal of Botany

The influence of foliar application of silicon (Si) on chlorophyll contents, chlorophyll fluorescence, and growth of four wheat cultivars differing in drought tolerance (Sirvan and Chamran, as relatively drought tolerant, and Shiraz and Marvdasht, as drought sensitive) was examined under water deficit (100% and 40% F.C.) created in a greenhouse. The results showed that water deficit decreased shoot and root lengths, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, water utilization efficiency, chlorophyll a and b, and chlorophyll stability index. In contrast, foliar application of Si improved plant growth parameters and chlorophyll pigment concentration under water deficit; however, it did not significantly …

Phylogeny Of Korean Opuntia Spp. Based On Multiple Dna Regions, Krishnamoorthy Srikanth, Sung Soo Whang

Turkish Journal of Botany

Although Opuntia species are of high agronomic value in Korea, the taxonomic position of Korean Opuntia species has never been investigated. The taxonomic position of Korean Opuntia spp. Within the tribe Opuntieae was examined based on DNA sequence analysis of matK, trnL-F, atpB-rbcl, and ITS regions. The total amplified sequence length was 2977 bp; only 18 parsimonious informative sites were present, even though they belonged to different species. A phylogenetic tree using both the maximum likelihood method with 2000 bootstrap replications and Bayesian posterior probabilities was constructed. The new forma, Opuntia humifusa f. Jeollaensis, used in this study was placed …

Flow Cytometric Estimation Of The Nuclear Genome Size Of 22 Echinops (Asteraceae) Taxa From Turkey, Handan Şapci, Monika Rewers, Cem Vural, Elwira Sliwinska

Turkish Journal of Botany

Taxonomic classification of the genus Echinops (Asteraceae) is still unclear, mostly because of the small morphological differences between the species. Estimation of genome size is helpful in species identification and in establishing a relationship between them; however, nuclear DNA content has been established for only 25% of known Echinops species. In the present study, in addition to the chromosome number, the DNA content of species in 22 taxa belonging to 3 sections (Echinops, Oligolepis, and Ritropsis) was estimated using flow cytometry; 9 of the species are endemic to Turkey. For 16 of the species this is the first report on …

Do Epidermal Cell Types Have An Effect Upon Ultraviolet Patterns On Flower Petals?, Margaux Flaherty

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Flower petal epidermal cell shape and ultraviolet patterns called nectar guides may have a considerable impact on pollinator behavior and consequently, the reproductive success of the floral species. Similarly, flower petal epidermal cell shape may have an effect on floral color; however, these effects have only been measured in the visible light range (Whitney et al., 2009). This study attempts to determine if epidermal cell shape has an effect upon ultraviolet floral patterns. Experimental results show that all of the floral species studied seem to have a conical epidermal cell shape, but varying levels of ultraviolet reflectance and absorbance; …

Identification Of Novel Qtl Governing Root Architectural Traits In An Interspecific Soybean Population, Lakshmi P. Manavalan, Silvas J. Prince, Theresa A. Musket, Julian Chaky, Rupesh Deshmukh, Tri D. Vuong, Li Song, Perry B. Cregan, James C. Nelson, J. Grover Shannon, James E. Specht, Henry T. Nguyen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cultivated soybean (Glycine max L.) cv. Dunbar (PI 552538) and wild G. soja (PI 326582A) exhibited significant differences in root architecture and root-related traits. In this study, phenotypic variability for root traits among 251 BC₂F₅ backcross inbred lines (BILs) developed from the cross Dunbar/PI 326582A were identified. The root systems of the parents and BILs were evaluated in controlled environmental conditions using a cone system at seedling stage. The G. max parent Dunbar contributed phenotypically favorable alleles at a major quantitative trait locus on chromosome 8 (Satt315-I locus) that governed root traits (tap root length and …

Genetic And Molecular Characterization Of Submergence Response Identifies Subtol6 As A Major Submergence Tolerance Locus In Maize, Malachy T. Campbell, Christopher A. Proctor, Yongchao Dou, Aaron J. Schmitz, Piyaporn Phansak, Greg R. Kruger, Chi Zhang, Harkamal Walia

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Maize is highly sensitive to short term flooding and submergence. Early season flooding reduces germination, survival and growth rate of maize seedlings. We aimed to discover genetic variation for submergence tolerance in maize and elucidate the genetic basis of submergence tolerance through transcriptional profiling and linkage analysis of contrasting genotypes. A diverse set of maize nested association mapping (NAM) founder lines were screened, and two highly tolerant (Mo18Wand M162W) and sensitive (B97 and B73) genotypes were identified. Tolerant lines exhibited delayed senescence and lower oxidative stress levels compared to sensitive lines. Transcriptome analysis was performed on these inbreds to provide …

Allmaps: Robust Scaffold Ordering Based On Multiple Maps, Haibo Tang, Xingtan Zhang, Chenyong Miao, Jisen Zhang, Ray Ming, James C. Schnable, Patrick S. Schnable, Eric Lyons, Jianguo Lu

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The ordering and orientation of genomic scaffolds to reconstruct chromosomes is an essential step during de novo genome assembly. Because this process utilizes various mapping techniques that each provides an independent line of evidence, a combination of multiple maps can improve the accuracy of the resulting chromosomal assemblies. We present ALLMAPS, a method capable of computing a scaffold ordering that maximizes colinearity across a collection of maps. ALLMAPS is robust against common mapping errors, and generates sequences that are maximally concordant with the input maps. ALLMAPS is a useful tool in building high-quality genome assemblies. ALLMAPS is available at: https://github.com/tanghaibao/jcvi/wiki/ALLMAPS.

Effects Of Sowing Date On Phenotypic Plasticity Of Fitness-Related Traits In Two Annual Weeds On The Songnen Plain Of China, Haiyan Li, John L. Lindquist, Yunfei Yang

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background Phenotypic plasticity of fitness-related traits is vital for plant species to adapt to variable environments. Chenopodium glaucum L. and Amaranthus retroflexus L. are two common weed species globally. Understanding the plasticity in life-history traits, especially in reproductive allocation, within and among these species is important for predicting their success and for managing them in different environments.

Methodology/Principal Findings Seeds of the two plant species were sown every 10 days from 26 Jun to 15 Aug. Life-history and fitness-related traits of both phenology and morphology were measured, and dry biomass of roots, stems, leaves, and reproductive tissues was determined at …

Fingerprinting Soybean Germplasm And Its Utility In Genomic Research, Qijian Song, D. L. Hyten, Gaofeng Jia, Charles V. Quigley, Edward W. Fickus, Randall L. Nelson, P. B. Cregan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The United States Department of Agriculture, Soybean Germplasm Collection includes 18,480 domesticated soybean and 1,168 wild soybean accessions introduced from 84 countries or developed in the U.S. This collection was genotyped with the SoySNP50K BeadChip containing greater than 50K SNPs. Redundant accessions were identified in the collection and distinct genetic backgrounds of soybean from different geographic origins were observed that could be a unique resource for soybean genetic improvement. We detected a dramatic reduction of genetic diversity based on linkage disequilibrium and haplotype structure analyses of the wild, landrace and North American cultivar populations and identified candidate regions associated with …

Selective Genotyping For Marker Assisted Selection Strategies For Soybean Yield Improvement, Benjamin D. Fallen, Fred L. Allen, Dean A. Kopsell, Arnold M. Saxton, Leah Mchale, J. Grover Shannon, Stella K. Kantartzi, Andrea J. Cardinal, P. B. Cregan, D. L. Hyten, Vincent R. Pantalone

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Using molecular markers in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] has lead to the identification of major loci controlling quantitative and qualitative traits that include: disease resistance, insect resistance and tolerance to abiotic stresses. Yield has been considered as one of the most important quantitative traits in soybean breeding. Unfortunately, yield is a very complex trait and most yield quantitative trait loci (QTL) that have been identified have had only limited success for marker assisted selection (MAS). The objective of this study was to identify QTL associated with soybean seed yield in preliminary yield trials grown in different environments and …

Qtl For Seed Protein And Amino Acids In The Benning × Danbaekkong Soybean Population, C. V. Warrington, H. Abdel‑Haleem, D. L. Hyten, P. B. Cregan, J. H. Orf, A. S. Killam, N. Bajjalieh, Z. Li, H. R. Boerma

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Soybean, rather than nitrogen-containing forages, is the primary source of quality protein in feed formulations for domestic swine, poultry, and dairy industries. As a sole dietary source of protein, soybean is deficient in the amino acids lysine (Lys), threonine (Thr), methionine (Met), and cysteine (Cys). Increasing these amino acids would benefit the feed industry. The objective of the present study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with crude protein (cp) and amino acids in the ‘Benning’ × ‘Danbaekkong’ population. The population was grown in five southern USA environments. Amino acid concentrations as a fraction of cp (Lys/cp, Thr/cp, …

Using A Simple Leaf Color Chart To Estimate Leaf And Canopy Chlorophyll A Content In Maize (Zea Mays), Anthony Nguy-Robertson, Yi Peng, Timothy Arkebauer, David Scoby, James Schepers, Anatoly Gitelson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

This study utilized a leaf color chart (LCC) to characterize the variation in leaf chlorophyll and estimate canopy chlorophyll in maize (Zea mays). The LCC consisted of four levels of greenness and was used to sort maize leaves in 2011 for three fields near Mead, Nebraska, USA. Leaf chlorophyll content for each color chart class was determined using two leaf-level sensors. The variation within each LCC class was reasonable (CV < 56%). The darkest color class predominated and indicated adequate fertilization rates using a SPAD. Canopy chlorophyll content was estimated using destructively measured leaf area index (LAI) and the LCC. This approach was verified with a method utilizing canopy reflectance collected by both satellite imagery and a four-band radiometer. The error between the two methods was reasonable (RMSE = 0.55-0.88 g m^-2; CV = 25.6-50.4%), indicating that both leaf and canopy chlorophyll can be estimated cheaply without a wet lab or field-based sensors.

First Approximations Of Prescribed Fire Risks Relative To Other Management Techniques Used On Private Lands, Dirac L. Twidwell, Carissa L. Wonkka, Michael T. Sindelar, John R. Weir

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Fire is widely recognized as a critical ecological and evolutionary driver that needs to be at the forefront of land management actions if conservation targets are to be met. However, the prevailing view is that prescribed fire is riskier than other land management techniques. Perceived risks associated with the application of fire limits its use and reduces agency support for prescribed burning in the private sector. As a result, considerably less cost-share support is given for prescribed fire compared to mechanical techniques. This study tests the general perception that fire is a riskier technique relative to other land management options. …

A Genomic Selection Index Applied To Simulated And Real Data, J. Jesus Ceron-Rojas, Jose Crossa, Vivi N. Arief, Kaye Basford, Jessica Rutkoski, Diego Jarquin, Gregorio Alvarado, Yoseph Beyene, Kassa Semagn, Ian Delacy

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

A genomic selection index (GSI) is a linear combination of genomic estimated breeding values that uses genomic markers to predict the net genetic merit and select parents from a nonphenotyped testing population. Some authors have proposed a GSI; however, they have not used simulated or real data to validate the GSI theory and have not explained how to estimate the GSI selection response and the GSI expected genetic gain per selection cycle for the unobserved traits after the first selection cycle to obtain information about the genetic gains in each subsequent selection cycle. In this paper, we develop the theory …

Understanding Rice Adaptation To Varying Agro-Ecosystems: Trait Interactions And Quantitative Trait Loci, Shalabh Dixit, Alexandre Grondin, Cheng-Ruei Lee, Amelia Henry, Thomas-Mitchell Olds, Arvind Kumar

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Interaction and genetic control for traits influencing the adaptation of the rice crop to varying environments was studied in a mapping population derived from parents (Moroberekan and Swarna) contrasting for drought tolerance, yield potential, lodging resistance, and adaptation to dry direct seeding. A BC₂F₃-derived mapping population for traits related to these four trait groups was phenotyped to understand the interactions among traits and to map and align QTLs using composite interval mapping (CIM). The study also aimed to identify QTLs for the four trait groups as composite traits using multivariate least square interval mapping (MLSIM) …