Other Plant Sciences Commons^™

The Genomic And Bulked Segregant Analysis Of Curcuma Alismatifolia Revealed Its Diverse Bract Pigmentation, Xuezhu Liao, Yuanjun Ye, Xiaoni Zhang, Dan Peng, Mengmeng Hou, Gaofei Fu, Jianjun Tan, Jianli Zhao, Rihong Jiang, Yechun Xu, Jinmei Liu, Jinliang Yang, Wusheng Liu, Luke R. Tembrock, Genfa Zhu, Zhiqiang Wu

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Compared with most flowers where the showy part comprises specialized leaves (petals) directly subtending the reproductive structures, most Zingiberaceae species produce showy ‘‘flowers’’ through modifications of leaves (bracts) subtending the true flowers throughout an inflorescence. Curcuma alismatifolia, belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, a plant species originating from Southeast Asia, has become increasingly popular in the flower market worldwide because of its varied and esthetically pleasing bracts produced in different cultivars. Here, we present the chromosome-scale genome assembly of C. alismatifolia ‘‘Chiang Mai Pink’’ and explore the underlying mechanisms of bract pigmentation. Comparative genomic analysis revealed C. alismatifolia contains a …

Nebline, October 2022

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

4-H Youth Thrive at Super Fair With Community Support

Apples by Nebraska Extension Staff and Interns

Recipes of the Month: Crunchy Apple Roll and Easy Apple Salad by Kayla Colgrove

Fall Watering Aids Tree & Shrub Health by Sarah Browning

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Maintaining Your Septic System by Becky Schuerman

A Wasp in Disguise: The Velvet Ant by Kait Chapman

4-H’ers Test Family and Consumer Science Skills at Life Challenge

4-H’ers Test Their Knowledge of Animals and Decision-Making Skills at PASE

4-H Announcements for 4-H'ers and Volunteers

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Capital City Horse and …

Cyclic Adp Ribose Isomers: Production, Chemical Structures, And Immune Signaling, Mohammad K. Manik, Yun Shi, Sulin Li, Mark A. Zaydman, Neha Damaraju, Samuel Eastman, Thomas G. Smith, Weixi Gu, Veronika Masic, Tamim Mosaiab, James S. Weagley, Steven J. Hancock, Eduardo Vasquez, Lauren Hartley-Tassell, Nestoras Kargios, Natsumi Maruta, Bryan Y.J. Lim, Hayden Burdett, Michael J. Landsberg, Mark A. Schembri, Ivan Prokes, Lijiang Song, Murray Grant, Aaron Diantonio, Jeffrey D. Nanson, Ming Guo, Jeffrey Milbrandt, Thomas Ve, Bostjan Kobe

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cyclic adenosine diphosphate (ADP)–ribose (cADPR) isomers are signaling molecules produced by bacterial and plant Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domains via nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (oxidized form) (NAD+) hydrolysis. We show that v-cADPR (2′cADPR) and v2-cADPR (3′cADPR) isomers are cyclized by O-glycosidic bond formation between the ribose moieties in ADPR. Structures of 2′cADPR-producing TIR domains reveal conformational changes that lead to an active assembly that resembles those of Toll-like receptor adaptor TIR domains. Mutagenesis reveals a conserved tryptophan that is essential for cyclization. We show that 3′cADPR is an activator of ThsA effector proteins from the bacterial antiphage defense system termed Thoeris and …

Spatial Patterns Of Woody Plant Encroachment In A Temperate Grassland, Dillon T. Fogarty, Robert B. Peterson, Dirac Twidwell

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Context Woody encroachment is the process whereby grasslands transition to a woody-dominated state. This process is a global driver of grassland decline and is ultimately the outcome of increased woody plant recruitment in grasslands. Yet, little is known about how recruitment distances structure spatial patterns of encroachment.

Objectives Here, we develop a recruitment curve to describe the scatter of woody plant recruitment around seed sources and examine how this structures spatial patterns of encroachment.

Methods We developed a recruitment curve for Juniperus virginiana using an encroachment dataset that captures spread from tree plantings into treeless grassland sites in the Nebraska …

The Heterogeneity In The Landscape Of Gene Dominance In Maize Is Accompanied By Unique Chromatin Environments, Liangwei Yin, Gen Xu, Jinliang Yang, Meixia Zhao

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Subgenome dominance after whole-genome duplication (WGD) has been observed in many plant species. However, the degree to which the chromatin environment affects this bias has not been explored. Here, we compared the dominant subgenome (maize1) and the recessive subgenome (maize2) with respect to patterns of sequence substitutions, genes expression, transposable element accumulation, small interfering RNAs, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and accessible chromatin regions (ACRs). Our data show that the degree of bias between subgenomes for all the measured variables does not vary significantly when both of the WGD genes are located in pericentromeric regions. Our data further indicate that the …

Next-Generation Technologies Unlock New Possibilities To Track Rangeland Productivity And Quantify Multi-Scale Conservation Outcomes, Caleb P. Roberts, David E. Naugle, Brady W. Allred, Victoria M. Donovan, Dillon T. Fogarty, Matthew O. Jones, Jeremy D. Maestas, Andrew C. Olsen, Dirac L. Twidwell Jr

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Historically, relying on plot-level inventories impeded our ability to quantify large-scale change in plant biomass, a key indicator of conservation practice outcomes in rangeland systems. Recent technological advances enable assessment at scales appropriate to inform management by providing spatially comprehensive estimates of productivity that are partitioned by plant functional group across all contiguous US rangelands. We partnered with the Sage Grouse and Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiatives and the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project to demonstrate the ability of these new datasets to quantify multi-scale changes and heterogeneity in plant biomass following mechanical tree removal, prescribed fire, and prescribed grazing. In Oregon’s sagebrush …

Cytogenetic And Genomic Characterization Of A Novel Tall Wheatgrass‑Derived Fhb7 Allele Integrated Into Wheat B Genome, Wei Zhang, Tatiana Danilova, Mingyi Zhang, Shuangfeng Ren, Xianwen Zhu, Qijun Zhang, Shaobin Zhong, Linda Dykes, Jason Fiedler, Steven Xu, Katherine Frels, Stephen Wegulo, Jeffrey Boehm Jr., Xiwen Cai

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

A novel tall wheatgrass-derived (Thinopyrum elongatum, genome EE) Fhb7 allele, designated Fhb7^The2, was identified and integrated into the wheat B genome through a small 7B–7E translocation (7BS·7BL–7EL) involving the terminal regions of the long arms. Fhb7^The2 conditions significant Type II resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat. Integration of Fhb7^The2 into the wheat B genome makes this wild species-derived FHB resistance gene usable for breeding in both common and durum wheat. By contrast, other Fhb7 introgression lines involving wheat chromosome 7D can be utilized only in common wheat breeding programs, not in durum …

How Digital Is Agriculture In A Subset Of Countries From South America? Adoption And Limitations, Laila A. Puntel, É. L. Bolfe, R. J. M. Melchiori, R. Ortega, G. Tiscornia, A. Roel, F. Scaramuzza, S. Best, A. G. Berger, D. S. S. Hansel, D. Palacios Durán, G. R. Balboa

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Digital agriculture (DA) can contribute solutions to meet an increase in healthy, nutritious, and affordable food demands in an efficient and sustainable way. South America (SA) is one of the main grain and protein producers in the world but the status of DA in the region is unknown. A systematic review and case studies from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile were conducted to address the following objectives: (1) quantify adoption of existing DA technologies, (2) identify limitations for DA adoption; and (3) summarise existing metrics to benchmark DA benefits. Level of DA adoption was led by Brazil and Argentina followed …

Cropland Reference Ecological Unit: A Land Classification Unit For Comparative Soil Studies, Saurav Das, Bijesh Maharjan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

There is a growing consensus on a need for measuring the dynamic soil properties of croplands and even comparisons with a reference state or native land. These measurements and paired comparisons will create the capacity to determine soil health management effects and targets. However, the complex soil heterogeneity and climate variations make soil health potential variable and confound the effects of land-use and management practices and comparisons between soils from different sites. Identifying a discrete landmass unit where all soils have similar health potential will be critical in conducting meaningful comparative studies and measuring the impact of conservation practices. This …

Cell-Type-Specific Profiling Of The Arabidopsis Thaliana Membrane Protein-Encoding Genes, Sergio Alan Cervantes-Pérez, Marc Libault

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Membrane proteins work in large complexes to perceive and transduce external signals and to trigger a cellular response leading to the adaptation of the cells to their environment. Biochemical assays have been extensively used to reveal the interaction between membrane proteins. However, such analyses do not reveal the unique and complex composition of the membrane proteins of the different plant cell types. Here, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the expression of Arabidopsis membrane proteins in the different cell types composing the root. Specifically, we analyzed the expression of genes encoding membrane proteins interacting in large complexes. We found that …

Cell-Type-Specific Profiling Of The Arabidopsis Thaliana Membrane Protein-Encoding Genes, Sergio Alan Cervantes-Pérez, Marc Libault

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Membrane proteins work in large complexes to perceive and transduce external signals and to trigger a cellular response leading to the adaptation of the cells to their environment. Biochemical assays have been extensively used to reveal the interaction between membrane proteins. However, such analyses do not reveal the unique and complex composition of the membrane proteins of the different plant cell types. Here, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the expression of Arabidopsis membrane proteins in the different cell types composing the root. Specifically, we analyzed the expression of genes encoding membrane proteins interacting in large complexes. We found that …

Herbaceous Production Lost To Tree Encroachment In United States Rangelands, Scott L. Morford, Brady W. Allred, Dirac L. Twidwell Jr, Matthew O. Jones, Jeremy D. Maestas, Caleb P. Roberts, David E. Naugle

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

1. Rangelands of the United States provide ecosystem services that benefit society and rural economies. Native tree encroachment is often overlooked as a primary threat to rangelands due to the slow pace of tree cover expansion and the positive public perception of trees. Still, tree encroachment fragments these landscapes and reduces herbaceous production, thereby threatening habitat quality for grassland wildlife and the economic sustainability of animal agriculture.

2. Recent innovations in satellite remote sensing permit the tracking of tree encroachment and the corresponding impact on herbaceous production. We analysed tree cover change and herbaceous production across the western United States …

From Free-Energy Profiles To Activation Free Energies, Johannes C. Dietschreit, Dennis J. Diestler, Andreas Hulm, Christian Ochsenfeld, Rafael Gómez-Bombarelli

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Given a chemical reaction going from reactant (R) to the product (P) on a potential energy surface (PES) and a collective variable (CV) discriminating between R and P, we define the free-energy profile (FEP) as the logarithm of the marginal Boltzmann distribution of the CV. This FEP is not a true free energy. Nevertheless, it is common to treat the FEP as the “free-energy” analog of the minimum potential energy path and to take the activation free energy, ΔF‡ _RP, as the difference between the maximum at the transition state and the minimum at R. We show that this …

A Yield Comparison Between Small-Plot And On-Farm Foliar Fungicide Trials In Soybean And Maize, Anabelle Laurent, Emily Heaton, Peter Kyveryga, David Makowski, Laila A. Puntel, Alison E. Robertson, Laura J. Thompson, Fernando Miguez

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Agronomic research provides management recommendations based on small-plot trials (SPTs) and on-farm trials (OFTs) with very different characteristics. SPTs are traditionally conducted at agricultural experiment stations by research institutes or universities, while OFTs are conducted under commercial-scale conditions and managed by farmers using their own equipment. Several researchers claimed that discrepancies could occur between these two types of trials, which can make the extrapolation of results from SPTs to the farm level difficult. In our study, we conducted an extensive comparison of small-plot and on-farm trials to analyze the effect of foliar fungicide application on maize and soybean yields. We …

Clavibacter Nebraskensis Causing Goss's Wilt Of Maize: Five Decades Of Detaining The Enemy In The New World, Ebrahim Osdaghi, Alison E. Robertson, Tamra Jackson-Ziems, Hamid Abachi, Xiang Li, Robert M. Harveson

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Goss's bacterial wilt and leaf blight of maize (Zea mays) caused by the gram-positive coryneform bacterium Clavibacter nebraskensis is an economically important disease in North America. C. nebraskensis is included within the high-risk list of quarantine pathogens by several plant protection organizations (EPPO code: CORBMI), hence it is under strict quarantine control around the world. The causal agent was reported for the first time on maize in Nebraska (USA) in 1969. After an outbreak during the 1970s, prevalence of the disease decreased in the 1980s to the early 2000s, before the disease resurged causing a serious threat to …

Clavibacter Nebraskensis Causing Goss's Wilt Of Maize: Five Decades Of Detaining The Enemy In The New World, Ebrahim Osdaghi, Alison E. Robertson, Tamra Jackson-Ziems, Hamid Abachi, Xiang Li, Robert M. Harveson

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Goss's bacterial wilt and leaf blight of maize (Zea mays) caused by the gram-positive coryneform bacterium Clavibacter nebraskensis is an economically important disease in North America. C. nebraskensis is included within the high-risk list of quarantine pathogens by several plant protection organizations (EPPO code: CORBMI), hence it is under strict quarantine control around the world. The causal agent was reported for the first time on maize in Nebraska (USA) in 1969. After an outbreak during the 1970s, prevalence of the disease decreased in the 1980s to the early 2000s, before the disease resurged causing a serious threat to …

Clavibacter Nebraskensis Causing Goss's Wilt Of Maize: Five Decades Of Detaining The Enemy In The New World, Ebrahim Osdaghi, Alison E. Robertson, Tamra A. Jackson-Ziems, Hamid Abachi, Xiang Li, Robert M. Harveson

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Goss's bacterial wilt and leaf blight of maize (Zea mays) caused by the gram-positive coryneform bacterium Clavibacter nebraskensis is an economically important disease in North America. C. nebraskensis is included within the high-risk list of quarantine pathogens by several plant protection organizations (EPPO code: CORBMI), hence it is under strict quarantine control around the world. The causal agent was reported for the first time on maize in Nebraska (USA) in 1969. After an outbreak during the 1970s, prevalence of the disease decreased in the 1980s to the early 2000s, before the disease resurged causing a serious threat to maize production …

Snp Discovery In Proso Millet (Panicum Miliaceum L.) Using Lowpass Genome Sequencing, Rituraj Khound, Guangchao Sun, Ravi V. Mural, James C. Schnable, Dipak K. Santra

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Domesticated ~10,000 years ago in northern China, Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is a climate-resilient and human health-promoting cereal crop. The genome size of this self-pollinated allotetraploid is 923 Mb. Proso millet seeds are an important part of the human diet in many countries. In the USA, its use is restricted to the birdseed and pet food market. Proso millet is witnessing gradual demand in the global human health and wellness food market owing to its health-promoting properties such as low glycemic index and gluten-free. The breeding efforts for developing improved proso millet cultivars are hindered by the …

18s-Nemabase: Curated 18s Rrna Database Of Nematode Sequences, Kaitlin Gattoni, Eli M. S. Gendron, Rebeca Sandoval- Ruiz, Abigail Borgemeier, J. Parr Mcqueen, Rachel M. Shepherd, Dieter Slos, Tom Powers, Dorota L. Porazinska

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Nematodes are the most abundant and diverse animals on the planet but lack representation in biodiversity research. This presents a problem for studying nematode diversity, particularly when molecular tools (i.e., barcoding and metabarcoding) rely on well-populated and curated reference databases, which are absent for nematodes. To improve molecular identification and the assessment of nematode diversity, we created and curated an 18S rRNA database specific to nematodes (18S-NemaBase) using sequences sourced from the most recent publicly available 18S rRNA SILVA v138 database. As part of the curation process, taxonomic strings were standardized to contain a fixed number of taxonomic ranks relevant …

Nebline, August/September 2022

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Nutrition Security: A New National Focus by Emily Gratopp

Recipe of the Month: Starwberry Smoothie and Freezer Pop by Emily Gratopp

Harvesting & Drying Herbs by Sarah Browning

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Water Play Fun by Hayley Jackson

Controlling Poison Hemlock by Melissa Bartels

Summer Brings Singing Cicadas by Kait Chapman

4-H Announcements for Enrolled 4-H'ers or 4-H Volunteers

Lancaster County Super Fair, July 28-Aug. 6, 2022

4-H Will Livestream from the Fair! YouTube

Join 4-H!

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Sonja Moore and Lancaster County Engineering Department

4-H Teen Council Invites New Members

4-H Council Golf …