A comparison between corn and grain sorghum fermentation rates, distillers dried grains with solubles composition, and lipid profiles

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interest in utilization of feedstocks other than corn for fuel ethanol production has been increasing due to political as well as environmental reasons. Grain sorghum is an identified alternative that has a number of potential benefits relative to corn in both composition and agronomic traits. Compo...

Molecular mapping of QTLs for resistance to Gibberella ear rot, in corn, caused by Fusarium graminearum.

PubMed

Ali, M Liakat; Taylor, Jeff H; Jie, Liu; Sun, Genlou; William, Manilal; Kasha, Ken J; Reid, Lana M; Pauls, K Peter

2005-06-01

Gibberella ear rot, caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, is a serious disease of corn (Zea mays) grown in northern climates. Infected corn is lower yielding and contains toxins that are dangerous to livestock and humans. Resistance to ear rot in corn is quantitative, specific to the mode of fungal entry (silk channels or kernel wounds), and highly influenced by the environment. Evaluations of ear rot resistance are complex and subjective; and they need to be repeated over several years. All of these factors have hampered attempts to develop F. graminearum resistant corn varieties. The aim of this study was to identify molecular markers linked to the genes for resistance to Gibberella ear rot. A recombinant inbred (RI) population, produced from a cross between a Gibberella ear rot resistant line (CO387) and a susceptible line (CG62), was field-inoculated and scored for Gibberella ear rot symptoms in the F4, F6, and F7 generations. The distributions of disease scores were continuous, indicating that resistance is probably conditioned by multiple loci. A molecular linkage map, based on segregation in the F5 RI population, contained 162 markers distributed over 10 linkage groups and had a total length of 2237 cM with an average distance between markers of 13.8 cM. Composite interval mapping identified 11 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for Gibberella ear rot resistance following silk inoculation and 18 QTLs following kernel inoculation in 4 environments that accounted for 6.7%-35% of the total phenotypic variation. Only 2 QTLs (on linkage group 7) were detected in more than 1 test for silk resistance, and only 1 QTL (on linkage group 5) was detected in more than 1 test for kernel resistance, confirming the strong influence of the environment on these traits. The majority of the favorable alleles were derived from the resistant parent (CO387). The germplasm and markers for QTLs with significant phenotypic effects may be useful for marker-assisted selection to incorporate Gibberella ear rot resistance into commercial corn cultivars.

Carcass traits and meat quality of Nellore cattle fed different non-fiber carbohydrates sources associated with crude glycerin.

PubMed

Favaro, V R; Ezequiel, J M B; Almeida, M T C; D'Aurea, A P; Paschoaloto, J R; van Cleef, E H C B; Carvalho, V B; Junqueira, N B

2016-08-01

Crude glycerin, a potential energy source for ruminant animals, has been evaluated, mainly, in diets with high starch content. However, a limit number of studies have evaluated the inclusion of crude glycerin in low starch diets. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the association of crude glycerin with corn grain or citrus pulp on carcass traits and meat quality of Nellore bulls (n=30, 402±31 kg initial weight). The treatment consisted of: CON=control, without crude glycerin; CG10=10% of crude glycerin and corn grain; CG15=15% of crude glycerin and corn grain; CP10=10% of crude glycerin and citrus pulp; CP15=15% of crude glycerin and citrus pulp. The performance parameters and carcass traits were not affected by treatments (P>0.05). The inclusion of crude glycerin decreased yellow color intensity and increased fatty acids pentadecanoic and heptadecenoic in meat (P<0.05), without affecting neither the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids nor the relationship of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The association of crude glycerin with corn or citrus pulp has no adverse effects on carcass characteristics and meat quality.

Effect of corn- and soybean hull-based creep feed and backgrounding diets on lifelong performance and carcass traits of calves from pasture and rangeland conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Three separate studies were conducted to investigate the life-long effect of creep feeding, creep feeding energy source (soybean hulls, SC, or corn, CC) and interactive effects of creep feed with backgrounding dietary energy source (soybean hulls, SBR, or corn, CBR) on calf growth performance, carca...

Composition of grain and forage from insect-protected and herbicide-tolerant corn, MON 89034 × TC1507 × MON 88017 × DAS-59122-7 (SmartStax), is equivalent to that of conventional corn (Zea mays L.).

PubMed

Lundry, Denise R; Burns, J Austin; Nemeth, Margaret A; Riordan, Susan G

2013-02-27

Monsanto Company and Dow AgroSciences LLC have developed the combined-trait corn product MON 89034 × TC1507 × MON 88017 × DAS-59122-7 (SmartStax, a registered trademark of Monsanto Technology LLC). The combination of four biotechnology-derived events into a single corn product (stacking) through conventional breeding provides broad protection against lepidopteran and corn rootworm insect pests as well as tolerance to the glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium herbicide families. The purpose of the work described here was to assess whether the nutrient, antinutrient, and secondary metabolite levels in grain and forage tissues of the combined-trait product are comparable to those in conventional corn. Compositional analyses were conducted on grain and forage from SmartStax, a near-isogenic conventional corn hybrid (XE6001), and 14 conventional reference hybrids, grown at multiple locations across the United States. No statistically significant differences between SmartStax and conventional corn were observed for the 8 components analyzed in forage and for 46 of the 52 components analyzed in grain. The six significant differences observed in grain components (p < 0.05) were assessed in context of the natural variability for that component. These results demonstrate that the stacked product, SmartStax, produced through conventional breeding of four single-event products containing eight proteins, is compositionally equivalent to conventional corn, as previously demonstrated for the single-event products.

Corn and sorghum phenotyping using a fixed-wing UAV-based remote sensing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yeyin; Murray, Seth C.; Rooney, William L.; Valasek, John; Olsenholler, Jeff; Pugh, N. Ace; Henrickson, James; Bowden, Ezekiel; Zhang, Dongyan; Thomasson, J. Alex

2016-05-01

Recent development of unmanned aerial systems has created opportunities in automation of field-based high-throughput phenotyping by lowering flight operational cost and complexity and allowing flexible re-visit time and higher image resolution than satellite or manned airborne remote sensing. In this study, flights were conducted over corn and sorghum breeding trials in College Station, Texas, with a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying two multispectral cameras and a high-resolution digital camera. The objectives were to establish the workflow and investigate the ability of UAV-based remote sensing for automating data collection of plant traits to develop genetic and physiological models. Most important among these traits were plant height and number of plants which are currently manually collected with high labor costs. Vegetation indices were calculated for each breeding cultivar from mosaicked and radiometrically calibrated multi-band imagery in order to be correlated with ground-measured plant heights, populations and yield across high genetic-diversity breeding cultivars. Growth curves were profiled with the aerial measured time-series height and vegetation index data. The next step of this study will be to investigate the correlations between aerial measurements and ground truth measured manually in field and from lab tests.

A single major QTL controls expression of larval Cry1F resistance trait in Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and is independent of midgut receptor genes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is an introduced crop pest in North America that causes major damage to corn, and reduces yield of food, feed, and biofuel materials. Transgenic hybrid corn expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin Cry1F is highly lethal to O...

Identification of Crowding Stress Tolerance Co-Expression Networks Involved in Sweet Corn Yield

PubMed Central

Choe, Eunsoo; Drnevich, Jenny; Williams, Martin M.

2016-01-01

Tolerance to crowding stress has played a crucial role in improving agronomic productivity in field corn; however, commercial sweet corn hybrids vary greatly in crowding stress tolerance. The objectives were to 1) explore transcriptional changes among sweet corn hybrids with differential yield under crowding stress, 2) identify relationships between phenotypic responses and gene expression patterns, and 3) identify groups of genes associated with yield and crowding stress tolerance. Under conditions of crowding stress, three high-yielding and three low-yielding sweet corn hybrids were grouped for transcriptional and phenotypic analyses. Transcriptional analyses identified from 372 to 859 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for each hybrid. Large gene expression pattern variation among hybrids and only 26 common DEGs across all hybrid comparisons were identified, suggesting each hybrid has a unique response to crowding stress. Over-represented biological functions of DEGs also differed among hybrids. Strong correlation was observed between: 1) modules with up-regulation in high-yielding hybrids and yield traits, and 2) modules with up-regulation in low-yielding hybrids and plant/ear traits. Modules linked with yield traits may be important crowding stress response mechanisms influencing crop yield. Functional analysis of the modules and common DEGs identified candidate crowding stress tolerant processes in photosynthesis, glycolysis, cell wall, carbohydrate/nitrogen metabolic process, chromatin, and transcription regulation. Moreover, these biological functions were greatly inter-connected, indicating the importance of improving the mechanisms as a network. PMID:26796516

Influence of grinding size of the main cereal of the diet on egg production and eggs quality of brown egg laying hens from 33 to 65 weeks of age.

PubMed

Herrera, J; Saldaña, B; Cámara, L; Berrocoso, J D; Mateos, G G

2018-04-17

The influence of grinding size of the main cereal of the diet on production and egg quality traits was studied in brown hens from 33 to 65 wk of age. The experiment was completely randomized with 6 treatments arranged as a 3 × 2 factorial with 3 main cereals (barley, corn, and wheat) and 2 grinding size of the cereal (6 and 10 mm screen). Each treatment was replicated 11 times (10 hens/replicate). Diets were isonutritive and contained 2,740 kcal/kg AMEn and 16.8% CP. Egg production, ADFI, egg weight, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined by period (4 wk) and for the entire experiment. Egg quality traits (percentage of undergrades, Haugh units, thickness, strength, color of the shell, and proportion of albumen, yolk, and shell) were measured also by period. No interactions between main cereal and grinding size of the main cereal of the diet were observed for any of the traits studied. Feed intake, egg production, and BW gain were not affected by diet or grinding size. Eggs were heavier (P < 0.01) in hens fed barley than in hens fed corn or wheat, probably because of the higher fat content of the barley diets. Also, FCR tended to improve in hens fed barley compared with hens fed corn or wheat (P = 0.07). Diet did not affect any of the egg quality traits studied. In summary, barley and wheat conveniently supplemented with enzymes, can be used in substitution of corn at levels of up to 55% in diets for laying hens, without any adverse effect on egg production or egg quality traits. Moreover, the substitution of corn by a combination of barley and supplemental fat increased egg size. Consequently, the inclusion of one or other cereal in the diet will depend primarily on their relative cost. Within the range studied, screen size (6 vs. 10 mm) of the cereal had limited effects on hen production.

Leaf transpiration efficiency in corn varieties grown at elevated carbon dioxide

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Higher leaf transpiration efficiency (TE) without lower photosynthesis has been identified in some varieties of corn in field tests, and could be a useful trait to improve yield under dry conditions without sacrificing yield under favorable conditions. However, because the carbon dioxide concentrat...

On-plant selection and genetic analysis of European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) behavioral traits: plant abandonment versus plant establishment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Although some studies have investigated how insect behavior could influence resistance evolution to transgenic plants, none have determined if behavioral traits respond to selection pressure and how they may be inherited. We investigated plant establishment and plant abandonment traits for the Euro...

A Simple and Sensitive Plant-Based Western Corn Rootworm Bioassay Method for Resistance Determination and Event Selection.

PubMed

Wen, Zhimou; Chen, Jeng Shong

2018-05-26

We report here a simple and sensitive plant-based western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), bioassay method that allows for examination of multiple parameters for both plants and insects in a single experimental setup within a short duration. For plants, injury to roots can be visually examined, fresh root weight can be measured, and expression of trait protein in plant roots can be analyzed. For insects, in addition to survival, larval growth and development can be evaluated in several aspects including body weight gain, body length, and head capsule width. We demonstrated using the method that eCry3.1Ab-expressing 5307 corn was very effective against western corn rootworm by eliciting high mortality and significantly inhibiting larval growth and development. We also validated that the method allowed determination of resistance in an eCry3.1Ab-resistant western corn rootworm strain. While data presented in this paper demonstrate the usefulness of the method for selection of events of protein traits and for determination of resistance in laboratory populations, we envision that the method can be applied in much broader applications.

Corn silage replacement with barley silage in dairy cows' diet does not change milk quality, cheese quality and yield.

PubMed

Migliorati, Luciano; Boselli, Leonardo; Pirlo, Giacomo; Moschini, Maurizio; Masoero, Francesco

2017-08-01

Considering that water availability for agricultural needs is being restricted, an alternative to corn in animal nutrition should be explored in the Po Valley. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of either a partial (Trial I) or a total (Trial II) corn silage substitution with barley silage in dairy cows' diet on milk yield and composition, its coagulation properties, cheese yield and the sensorial profile of 16-month-aged Grana Padano cheese. A partial or a total substitution of corn silage with barley silage had no effect on milk yield. Milk fat content in Trial I and milk urea content in both trials were higher with barley silage based diets than in corn silage based diets. No effects were observed concerning the lactodinamographic profile for milk aptitude to cheese-making, cheese yield and its organoleptic traits between feed treatments in Trials I and II. In both trials, hardness, friability and solubility scores were generally lower than reference values, whereas deformability, elasticity and stickiness scores were generally higher than reference values. A partial or a total substitution of corn silage with barley silage in diets for dairy cows did not induce any negative effects on animal performance, nor on milk-quality traits, cheese quality and yield. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Distribution of genes and repetitive elements in the Diabrotica virgifera virgifera genome estimated using BAC sequencing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Feeding damage caused by the corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, is destructive to corn plants in North America and Europe where control remains challenging due to evolution of resistance traits that allow survival when exposed to chemical and transgenic toxins. Genome sequencing of an i...

Preliminary Mapping of the Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) Genome and Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) Interval Mapping for Growth

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Preliminary investigations into the organization of the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera; WCR) genome have resulted in low to moderate density gender-specific maps constructed from progeny of a backcrossed, short-diapause WCR family. Maps were based upon variation at microsatel...

A Robotic Platform for Corn Seedling Morphological Traits Characterization

PubMed Central

Lu, Hang; Tang, Lie; Whitham, Steven A.; Mei, Yu

2017-01-01

Crop breeding plays an important role in modern agriculture, improving plant performance, and increasing yield. Identifying the genes that are responsible for beneficial traits greatly facilitates plant breeding efforts for increasing crop production. However, associating genes and their functions with agronomic traits requires researchers to observe, measure, record, and analyze phenotypes of large numbers of plants, a repetitive and error-prone job if performed manually. An automated seedling phenotyping system aimed at replacing manual measurement, reducing sampling time, and increasing the allowable work time is thus highly valuable. Toward this goal, we developed an automated corn seedling phenotyping platform based on a time-of-flight of light (ToF) camera and an industrial robot arm. A ToF camera is mounted on the end effector of the robot arm. The arm positions the ToF camera at different viewpoints for acquiring 3D point cloud data. A camera-to-arm transformation matrix was calculated using a hand-eye calibration procedure and applied to transfer different viewpoints into an arm-based coordinate frame. Point cloud data filters were developed to remove the noise in the background and in the merged seedling point clouds. A 3D-to-2D projection and an x-axis pixel density distribution method were used to segment the stem and leaves. Finally, separated leaves were fitted with 3D curves for morphological traits characterization. This platform was tested on a sample of 60 corn plants at their early growth stages with between two to five leaves. The error ratios of the stem height and leave length measurements are 13.7% and 13.1%, respectively, demonstrating the feasibility of this robotic system for automated corn seedling phenotyping. PMID:28895892

A Robotic Platform for Corn Seedling Morphological Traits Characterization.

PubMed

Lu, Hang; Tang, Lie; Whitham, Steven A; Mei, Yu

2017-09-12

Crop breeding plays an important role in modern agriculture, improving plant performance, and increasing yield. Identifying the genes that are responsible for beneficial traits greatly facilitates plant breeding efforts for increasing crop production. However, associating genes and their functions with agronomic traits requires researchers to observe, measure, record, and analyze phenotypes of large numbers of plants, a repetitive and error-prone job if performed manually. An automated seedling phenotyping system aimed at replacing manual measurement, reducing sampling time, and increasing the allowable work time is thus highly valuable. Toward this goal, we developed an automated corn seedling phenotyping platform based on a time-of-flight of light (ToF) camera and an industrial robot arm. A ToF camera is mounted on the end effector of the robot arm. The arm positions the ToF camera at different viewpoints for acquiring 3D point cloud data. A camera-to-arm transformation matrix was calculated using a hand-eye calibration procedure and applied to transfer different viewpoints into an arm-based coordinate frame. Point cloud data filters were developed to remove the noise in the background and in the merged seedling point clouds. A 3D-to-2D projection and an x -axis pixel density distribution method were used to segment the stem and leaves. Finally, separated leaves were fitted with 3D curves for morphological traits characterization. This platform was tested on a sample of 60 corn plants at their early growth stages with between two to five leaves. The error ratios of the stem height and leave length measurements are 13.7% and 13.1%, respectively, demonstrating the feasibility of this robotic system for automated corn seedling phenotyping.

Preparation and structural characterization of corn starch-aroma compound inclusion complexes.

PubMed

Zhang, Shu; Zhou, Yibin; Jin, Shanshan; Meng, Xin; Yang, Liping; Wang, Haisong

2017-01-01

Six corn starch inclusion complexes were synthesized using small nonpolar or weak polar aroma compounds (heptanolide, carvone and menthone) and small polar aroma compounds (linalool, heptanol and menthol). The objectives of this study were to (a) investigate the ability of corn starch to form inclusion complexes with these aroma compounds and (b) characterize the structure of the corn starch inclusion complexes. The resulting inclusion ratios were 75.6, 36.9, 43.8, 91.9, 67.2 and 54.7% for heptanolide, carvone, menthone, linalool, heptanol and menthol respectively. The inclusion complexes had laminated structures with a certain amount of holes or blocky constructions. Compared with gelatinized corn starch, the transition temperatures, peak temperatures and enthalpies of the inclusion complexes were significantly different. The major peak of CO at 1771 cm -1 and significant peak shifts revealed the formation of inclusion complexes. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) analyses revealed that the crystallinity of corn starch-polar aroma compound inclusion complexes increased. Based on cross-polarization magic angle spinning 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (CP-MAS 13 C NMR) results, novel peaks and chemical shifts were attributed to the presence of small aroma compounds, thereby confirming the formation of corn starch inclusion complexes. Small nonpolar and polar aroma compounds can be complexed to corn starch. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

An enzyme complex increases in vitro dry matter digestibility of corn and wheat in pigs.

PubMed

Park, Kyu Ree; Park, Chan Sol; Kim, Beob Gyun

2016-01-01

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of enzyme complex on in vitro dry matter (DM) digestibility for feed ingredients. The objective of experiment 1 was to screen feed ingredients that can be effective substrates for an enzyme complex, mainly consisted of β-pentosanase, β-glucanase and α-amylase, using in vitro digestibility methods. In experiment 1, the test ingredients were three grain sources (barley, corn and wheat) and six protein supplements (canola meal, copra expellers, cottonseed meal, distillers dried grains with solubles, palm kernel expellers and soybean meal). In vitro ileal and total tract digestibility (IVID and IVTTD, respectively) of DM for test ingredients were determined. In vitro digestibility methods consisted of two- or three-step procedure simulating in vivo digestion in the pig gastrointestinal tracts with or without enzyme complex. As the enzyme complex added, the IVID of DM for corn and wheat increased (p < 0.05) by 5.0 and 2.6 percentage unit, respectively. The IVTTD of DM for corn increased (p < 0.05) by 3.1 percentage unit with enzyme complex addition. As the effect of enzyme complex was the greatest in corn digestibility, corn grains were selected to determine the in vitro digestibility of the fractions (starch, germ, hull and gluten) that maximally respond to the enzyme complex in experiment 2. The IVID of DM for corn starch, germ and hull increased (p < 0.05) by 16.0, 2.8 and 1.2 percentage unit, respectively. The IVTTD of DM for corn starch and hull also increased (p < 0.05) by 8.6 and 0.9 percentage unit, respectively, with enzyme complex addition. In conclusion, the enzyme complex increases in vitro DM digestibility of corn and wheat, and the digestibility increments of corn are mainly attributed to the increased digestibility of corn starch.

Stacked -gene hybrids were not found to be superior to glyphosate resistant or Non-GMO corn hybrids

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Seed costs of modern corn hybrids genetically modified with multiple traits for insect and herbicide resistance “stacked-gene” are in excess of $100.00 US per acre. Yields and net returns per acre along with yield component data were determined for ten hybrids, four stacked-gene, four glyphosate re...

IPM Use With the Deployment of a Non-High Dose Bt Pyramid and Mitigation of Resistance for Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera).

PubMed

Martinez, J C; Caprio, M A

2016-03-27

Recent detection of western corn rootworm resistance to Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn prompted recommendations for the use of integrated pest management (IPM) with planting refuges to prolong the durability of Bt technologies. We conducted a simulation experiment exploring the effectiveness of various IPM tools at extending durability of pyramided Bt traits. Results indicate that some IPM practices have greater merits than others. Crop rotation was the most effective strategy, followed by increasing the non-Bt refuge size from 5 to 20%. Soil-applied insecticide use for Bt corn did not increase the durability compared with planting Bt with refuges alone, and both projected lower durabilities. When IPM participation with randomly selected management tools was increased at the time of Bt commercialization, durability of pyramided traits increased as well. When non-corn rootworm expressing corn was incorporated as an IPM option, the durability further increased.For corn rootworm, a local resistance phenomenon appeared immediately surrounding the resistant field (hotspot) and spread throughout the local neighborhood in six generations in absence of mitigation. Hotspot mitigation with random selection of strategies was ineffective at slowing resistance, unless crop rotation occurred immediately; regional mitigation was superior to random mitigation in the hotspot and reduced observed resistance allele frequencies in the neighborhood. As resistance alleles of mobile pests can escape hotspots, the scope of mitigation should extend beyond resistant sites. In the case of widespread resistance, regional mitigation was less effective at prolonging the life of the pyramid than IPM with Bt deployment at the time of commercialization. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the United States.

Consequences of complex environments: Temperature and energy intake interact to influence growth and metabolic rate.

PubMed

Stahlschmidt, Zachary R; Jodrey, Alicia D; Luoma, Rachel L

2015-09-01

The field of comparative physiology has a rich history of elegantly examining the effects of individual environmental factors on performance traits linked to fitness (e.g., thermal performance curves for locomotion). However, animals live in complex environments wherein multiple environmental factors co-vary. Thus, we investigated the independent and interactive effects of temperature and energy intake on the growth and metabolic rate of juvenile corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) in the context of shifts in complex environments. Unlike previous studies that imposed constant or fluctuating temperature regimes, we manipulated the availability of preferred thermal microclimates (control vs. relatively warm regimes) for eight weeks and allowed snakes to behaviorally thermoregulate among microclimates. By also controlling for energy intake, we demonstrate an interactive effect of temperature and energy on growth-relevant temperature shifts had no effect on snakes' growth when energy intake was low and a positive effect on growth when energy intake was high. Thus, acclimation to relatively warm thermal options can result in increased rates of growth when food is abundant in a taxon in which body size confers fitness advantages. Temperature and energy also interactively influenced metabolic rate-snakes in the warmer temperature regime exhibited reduced metabolic rate (O2 consumption rate at 25 °C and 30 °C) if they had relatively high energy intake. Although we advocate for continued investigation into the effects of complex environments on other traits, our results indicate that warming may actually benefit important life history traits in some taxa and that metabolic shifts may underlie thermal acclimation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic divergence among corn hybrids and combining ability for agronomic and bromatological traits of silage.

PubMed

Gralak, E; Faria, M V; Figueiredo, A S T; Rizzardi, D A; Neumann, M; Mendes, M C; Scapim, C A; Galbeiro, S

2017-05-25

We assessed the impact of genetic divergence and the ability to combine corn hybrids used for the production of silage on the agronomic and bromatological traits of silage quality. We evaluated 18 corn hybrids used as genitors in a circulant diallel scheme in which each genitor hybrid participated in 9 hybrid combinations, and evaluated 100 treatments [18 genitor hybrids, 81 diallelic hybrids, and a commercial check hybrid (DKB330)] in a triple lattice 10 x 10 experimental design in two environments in Brazil. Genetic variability was adequate among the corn silage hybrids, and we can recommend the use of genitors 2B688 and P30B39 for the formation of a base population for intrapopulational breeding. The P30P34 hybrid is the best for intrapopulational breeding when aiming for silage with high protein content, low fiber content, and higher in vitro digestibility. Interpopulational breeding directed at improving silage digestibility can use a combination of genitors P30P34 and AS1572, but AS1572 and P30K64 are the most recommended. Hybrids 2B688, P30P34, and SG6015 are considered the most genetically distant of the others hybrids, and have desirable combining potential; therefore, they are important genitors for the formation of new segregated populations for improving corn silage.

Quantitative trait loci and metabolic pathways

PubMed Central

McMullen, M. D.; Byrne, P. F.; Snook, M. E.; Wiseman, B. R.; Lee, E. A.; Widstrom, N. W.; Coe, E. H.

1998-01-01

The interpretation of quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies is limited by the lack of information on metabolic pathways leading to most economic traits. Inferences about the roles of the underlying genes with a pathway or the nature of their interaction with other loci are generally not possible. An exception is resistance to the corn earworm Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) in maize (Zea mays L.) because of maysin, a C-glycosyl flavone synthesized in silks via a branch of the well characterized flavonoid pathway. Our results using flavone synthesis as a model QTL system indicate: (i) the importance of regulatory loci as QTLs, (ii) the importance of interconnecting biochemical pathways on product levels, (iii) evidence for “channeling” of intermediates, allowing independent synthesis of related compounds, (iv) the utility of QTL analysis in clarifying the role of specific genes in a biochemical pathway, and (v) identification of a previously unknown locus on chromosome 9S affecting flavone level. A greater understanding of the genetic basis of maysin synthesis and associated corn earworm resistance should lead to improved breeding strategies. More broadly, the insights gained in relating a defined genetic and biochemical pathway affecting a quantitative trait should enhance interpretation of the biological basis of variation for other quantitative traits. PMID:9482823

Identification of trait-improving quantitative trait loci for grain yield components from a dent corn inbred line in an advanced backcross BC2F2 population and comparison with its F2:3 population in popcorn.

PubMed

Li, Y L; Niu, S Z; Dong, Y B; Cui, D Q; Wang, Y Z; Liu, Y Y; Wei, M G

2007-06-01

Normal maize germplasm could be used to improve the grain yield of popcorn inbreds. Our first objective was to locate genetic factors associated with trait variation and make first assessment on the efficiency of advanced backcross quantitative trait locus (AB-QTL) analysis for the identification and transfer of favorable QTL alleles for grain yield components from the dent corn inbred. A second objective was to compare the detection of QTL in the BC2F2 population with results using F(2:3) lines of the same parents. Two hundred and twenty selected BC2F2 families developed from a cross between Dan232 and an elite popcorn inbred N04 were evaluated for six grain yield components under two environments, and genotyped by means of 170 SSR markers. Using composite interval mapping (CIM), a total of 19 significant QTL were detected. Eighteen QTL had favorable alleles contributed by the dent corn parent Dan232. Sixteen of these favorable QTL alleles were not in the same or near marker intervals with QTL for popping characteristics. Six QTL were also detected in the F(2:3) population. Improved N04 could be developed from 210 and 208 families with higher grain weight per plant and/or 100-grain weight, respectively, and 35 families with the same or higher popping expansion volume than N04. In addition, near isogenic lines containing detected QTL (QTL-NILs) for grain weight per plant and/or 100-grain weight could be obtained from 12 families. Our study demonstrated that the AB-QTL method can be applied to identify and manipulate favorable QTL alleles from normal corn inbreds and combine QTL detection and popcorn breeding efficiently.

Effects of different mechanized soil fertilization methods on corn nutrient accumulation and yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Qingwen; Bai, Chunming; Wang, Huixin; Wu, Di; Song, Qiaobo; Dong, Zengqi; Gao, Depeng; Dong, Qiping; Cheng, Xin; Zhang, Yahao; Mu, Jiahui; Chen, Qinghong; Liao, Wenqing; Qu, Tianru; Zhang, Chunling; Zhang, Xinyu; Liu, Yifei; Han, Xiaori

2017-05-01

Aim: Experiments for mechanized corn soil fertilization were conducted in Faku demonstration zone. On this basis, we studied effects on corn nutrient accumulation and yield traits at brown soil regions due to different mechanized soil fertilization measures. We also evaluated and optimized the regulation effects of mechanized soil fertilization for the purpose of crop yield increase and production efficiency improvement. Method: Based on the survey of soil background value in the demonstration zone, we collected plant samples during different corn growth periods to determine and make statistical analysis. Conclusions: Decomposed cow dung, when under mechanical broadcasting, was able to remarkably increase nitrogen and potassium accumulation content of corns at their ripe stage. Crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage would remarkably increase phosphorus accumulation content of corn plants. When compared with top application, crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage would remarkably increase corn thousand kernel weight (TKW). Mechanized broadcasting of granular organic fertilizer and crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage, when compared with surface application, were able to boost corn yield in the in the demonstration zone.

Quantitative trait loci mapping of western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) host plant resistance in two populations of doubled haploid lines in maize (Zea mays L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Over the last 70 years, more than 12,000 maize accessions have been screened for their level of resistance to western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, larval feeding. Less than 1% of this germplasm was selected for initiating recurrent selection or other breeding programs. Sele...

Thermal Properties of Starch From New Corn Lines as Impacted by Environment and During Line Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lenihan, Elizabeth M

The objectives of this research were to further characterize exotic by adapted corn inbreds by studying the impact of environment on their starch thermal properties, and investigating the development of starch thermal properties during kernel maturation by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A method to expedite identification of unusual starch thermal traits was investigated by examining five corn kernels at a time, instead of one kernel, which the previous screening methods used. Corn lines with known thermal functions were blended with background starch (control) in ratios of unique starch to control starch, and analyzed by using DSC. Control starch wasmore » representative of typical corn starch. The values for each ratio within a mutant type were unique (α < 0.01) for most DSC measurements. These results supported the five-kernel method for rapidly screening large amounts of corn germplasm to identify unusual starch traits. The effects of 5 growing locations on starch thermal properties from exotic by adapted corn and Corn Belt lines were studied using DSC. The warmest location, Missouri, generally produced starch with greater gelatinization onset temperature (T oG), narrower range of gelatinization (R G), and greater enthalpy of gelatinization (ΔH G). The coolest location, Illinois, generally resulted in starch with lower T oG, wider R G, and lower ΔH G. Starch from the Ames 1 farm had thermal properties similar to those of Illinois, whereas starch from the Ames 2 farm had thermal properties similar to those of Missouri. The temperature at Ames 2 may have been warmer since it was located near a river; however, soil type and quality also were different. Final corn starch structure and function change during development and maturity. Thus, the changes in starch thermal properties during 5 stages of endosperm development from exotic by adapted corn and Corn Belt lines at two locations were studied by using DSC. The T oG tended to decrease during maturation of the kernel, whereas theΔH G tended not to change. Retrogradation parameters did not vary greatly among days after pollination (DAP) and between locations. Genotypes were affected differently by environments and significant interactions were found between genotype, environment,and DAP.« less

A rearrangement of the Z chromosome topology influences the sex-linked gene display in the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The sex determination system of Lepidoptera is comprised of heterogametic females (ZW) and homogametic males (ZZ), where voltinism (Volt) and the male pheromone response traits (Resp) are controlled by genes housed on the Z-chromosome. Volt and Resp determine traits that lead to ecotype differentia...

Procedures and best management practices for genetically engineered traits in USDA/ARS germplasm and breeding lines

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two decades have passed since the commercialization in the U. S. of crops with genetically engineered (GE) traits. Today more than 80% of corn, soybean, canola, sugar beet and cotton acreage in the United States is planted to transgenic cultivars, but concerns exist regarding how best to manage the ...

The Location of Genes Governing Long First Internode of Corn

PubMed Central

Troyer, A. F.

1997-01-01

Knowing breeding behavior and cytological location of traits helps breeders. My objective was to locate dominant genes for long first internode of corn (Zea mays L.). I determined that Hopi Indian corn PI213733 (variety Komona) displayed the trait and grew well in the U.S. Corn Belt. I crossed PI213733 to 26 translocation tester stocks in Minnesota inbred A188 background, backcrossed semi-sterile plants carrying the translocation to A188 the next generation, and grew the segregating generation planted in trenches 15 cm deep with ridges of dirt 10 cm high one year, in trenches 25 cm deep the other year and also at normal (6 cm) depth. Emerged plants were classified for semi-sterility or for normal pollen. I concluded from multiple testers for each chromosome arm that dominant genes for long first internode are located (chromosome and region) on 3S, on 6 near the centromere, and on 9S; spurious associations occurred for two testers. Measurement of cell lengths indicated that PI213733 had more cells than A188 both in upper and in lower mesocotyl sections and that lower, older cells elongated sooner. I found a normal-sized kernel with twin embryos that developed two long first internode seedlings indicating that the amount of endosperm did not limit mesocotyl growth. PMID:9093865

QTL mapping for Mediterranean corn borer resistance in European flint germplasm using recombinant inbred lines

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Ostrinia nubilalis (ECB) and Sesamia nonagrioides (MCB) are two maize stem borers which cause important losses in temperate maize production, but QTL analyses for corn borer resistance were mostly restricted to ECB resistance and maize materials genetically related (mapping populations derived from B73). Therefore, the objective of this work was to identify and characterize QTLs for MCB resistance and agronomic traits in a RILs population derived from European flint inbreds. Results Three QTLs were detected for stalk tunnel length at bins 1.02, 3.05 and 8.05 which explained 7.5% of the RILs genotypic variance. The QTL at bin 3.05 was co-located to a QTL related to plant height and grain humidity and the QTL at bin 8.05 was located near a QTL related to yield. Conclusions Our results, when compared with results from other authors, suggest the presence of genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis or fortification with effects on resistance to different corn borer species and digestibility for dairy cattle. Particularly, we proposed five candidate genes related to cell wall characteristics which could explain the QTL for stalk tunnelling in the region 3.05. However, the small proportion of genotypic variance explained by the QTLs suggest that there are also many other genes of small effect regulating MCB resistance and we conclude that MAS seems not promising for this trait. Two QTLs detected for stalk tunnelling overlap with QTLs for agronomic traits, indicating the presence of pleitropism or linkage between genes affecting resistance and agronomic traits. PMID:20230603

Comprehensive genotyping of the USA national maize inbred seed bank

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Genotyping by sequencing, a new low-cost, high-throughput sequencing technology was used to genotype 2,815 maize inbred accessions, preserved mostly at the National Plant Germplasm System in the USA. The collection includes inbred lines from breeding programs all over the world. Results The method produced 681,257 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers distributed across the entire genome, with the ability to detect rare alleles at high confidence levels. More than half of the SNPs in the collection are rare. Although most rare alleles have been incorporated into public temperate breeding programs, only a modest amount of the available diversity is present in the commercial germplasm. Analysis of genetic distances shows population stratification, including a small number of large clusters centered on key lines. Nevertheless, an average fixation index of 0.06 indicates moderate differentiation between the three major maize subpopulations. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) decays very rapidly, but the extent of LD is highly dependent on the particular group of germplasm and region of the genome. The utility of these data for performing genome-wide association studies was tested with two simply inherited traits and one complex trait. We identified trait associations at SNPs very close to known candidate genes for kernel color, sweet corn, and flowering time; however, results suggest that more SNPs are needed to better explore the genetic architecture of complex traits. Conclusions The genotypic information described here allows this publicly available panel to be exploited by researchers facing the challenges of sustainable agriculture through better knowledge of the nature of genetic diversity. PMID:23759205

Comprehensive genotyping of the USA national maize inbred seed bank.

PubMed

Romay, Maria C; Millard, Mark J; Glaubitz, Jeffrey C; Peiffer, Jason A; Swarts, Kelly L; Casstevens, Terry M; Elshire, Robert J; Acharya, Charlotte B; Mitchell, Sharon E; Flint-Garcia, Sherry A; McMullen, Michael D; Holland, James B; Buckler, Edward S; Gardner, Candice A

2013-06-11

Genotyping by sequencing, a new low-cost, high-throughput sequencing technology was used to genotype 2,815 maize inbred accessions, preserved mostly at the National Plant Germplasm System in the USA. The collection includes inbred lines from breeding programs all over the world. The method produced 681,257 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers distributed across the entire genome, with the ability to detect rare alleles at high confidence levels. More than half of the SNPs in the collection are rare. Although most rare alleles have been incorporated into public temperate breeding programs, only a modest amount of the available diversity is present in the commercial germplasm. Analysis of genetic distances shows population stratification, including a small number of large clusters centered on key lines. Nevertheless, an average fixation index of 0.06 indicates moderate differentiation between the three major maize subpopulations. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) decays very rapidly, but the extent of LD is highly dependent on the particular group of germplasm and region of the genome. The utility of these data for performing genome-wide association studies was tested with two simply inherited traits and one complex trait. We identified trait associations at SNPs very close to known candidate genes for kernel color, sweet corn, and flowering time; however, results suggest that more SNPs are needed to better explore the genetic architecture of complex traits. The genotypic information described here allows this publicly available panel to be exploited by researchers facing the challenges of sustainable agriculture through better knowledge of the nature of genetic diversity.

Evaluation of corn germplasm lines for multiple ear-colonizing insect and disease resistance.

PubMed

Ni, Xinzhi; Xu, Wenwei; Blanco, Michael H; Wilson, Jeffrey P

2012-08-01

Ear-colonizing insects and diseases that reduce yield and impose health threats by mycotoxin contaminations in the grain, are critical impediments for corn (Zea mays L.) production in the southern United States. Ten germplasm lines from the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) Program in Ames, IA, and Raleigh, NC, and 10 lines (derived from GEM germplasm) from the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Lubbock, TX, were examined in 2007 and 2008 with local resistant and susceptible controls. Four types of insect damage and smut disease (Ustilago maydis) infection, as well as gene X environment (G X E) interaction, was assessed on corn ears under field conditions. Insect damage on corn ears was further separated as cob and kernel damage. Cob penetration rating was used to assess corn earworm [Helicoverpa zea (Boddie)] and fall armyworm [Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith)] feeding on corn cobs, whereas kernel damage was assessed using three parameters: 1) percentage of kernels discolored by stink bugs (i.e., brown stink bug [Euschistus serous (Say)], southern green stink bug [Nezara viridula (L.)], and green stink bug [Chinavia (Acrosternum) hilare (Say)]; 2) percentage of maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky)-damaged kernels; and 3) percentage of kernels damaged by sap beetle (Carpophilus spp.), "chocolate milkworm" (Moodna spp.), and pink scavenger caterpillar [Pyroderces (Anatrachyntis) rileyi (Walsingham)]. The smut infection rates on ears, tassels, and nodes also were assessed. Ear protection traits (i.e., husk tightness and extension) in relation to insect damage and smut infection also were examined. Significant differences in insect damage, smut infection, and husk protection traits were detected among the germplasm lines. Three of the 20 germplasm lines were identified as being multiple insect and smut resistant. Of the three lines, entries 5 and 7 were derived from DKXL370, which was developed using corn germplasm from Brazil, whereas entry 14 was derived from CUBA117.

What can be Learned from Silage Breeding Programs?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenz, Aaron J.; Coors, James G.

Improving the quality of cellulosic ethanol feedstocks through breeding and genetic manipulation could significantly impact the economics of this industry. Attaining this will require comprehensive and rapid characterization of large numbers of samples. There are many similarities between improving corn silage quality for dairy production and improving feedstock quality for cellulosic ethanol. It was our objective to provide insight into what is needed for genetic improvement of cellulosic feedstocks by reviewing the development and operation of a corn silage breeding program. We discuss the evolving definition of silage quality and relate what we have learned about silage quality to what is needed for measuring and improving feedstock quality. In addition, repeatability estimates of corn stover traits are reported for a set of hybrids. Repeatability of theoretical ethanol potential measured by near-infrared spectroscopy is high, suggesting that this trait may be easily improved through breeding. Just as cell wall digestibility has been factored into the latest measurements of silage quality, conversion efficiency should be standardized and included in indices of feedstock quality to maximize overall, economical energy availability.

Field Trial Performance of Herculex XTRA (Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1) and SmartStax (Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 + Cry3Bb1) Hybrids and Soil Insecticides Against Western and Northern Corn Rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

PubMed

Johnson, K D; Campbell, L A; Lepping, M D; Rule, D M

2017-06-01

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and northern corn rootworm, Diabrotica barberi Smith and Lawrence (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), are important insect pests in corn, Zea mays L. For more than a decade, growers have been using transgenic plants expressing proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to protect corn roots from feeding. In 2011, western corn rootworm populations were reported to have developed resistance to Bt hybrids expressing Cry3Bb1 and later found to be cross-resistant to hybrids expressing mCry3A and eCry3.1Ab. The identification of resistance to Cry3 (Cry3Bb1, mCry3A, and eCry3.1Ab) hybrids led to concerns about durability and efficacy of products with single traits and of products containing a pyramid of a Cry3 protein and the binary Bt proteins Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1. From 2012 to 2014, 43 field trials were conducted across the central United States to estimate root protection provided by plants expressing Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 alone (Herculex RW) or pyramided with Cry3Bb1 (SmartStax). These technologies were evaluated with and without soil-applied insecticides to determine if additional management measures provided benefit where Cry3 performance was reduced. Trials were categorized for analysis based on rootworm damage levels on Cry3-expressing hybrids and rootworm feeding pressure within each trial. Across scenarios, Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 hybrids provided excellent root protection. Pyramided traits provided greater root and yield protection than non-Bt plus a soil-applied insecticide, and only in trials where larval feeding pressure exceeded two nodes of damage did Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 single-trait hybrids and pyramided hybrids show greater root protection from the addition of soil-applied insecticides. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Properties of amylose-oleic acid inclusion complexes from corn starch grafted with poly(methyl acrylate)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn starch granules have been previously investigated as fillers in polymers. In this study, much smaller particles in the form of spherulites produced by steam jet-cooking high-amylose corn starch and oleic acid to form amylose inclusion complexes were graft polymerized with methyl acrylate, both ...

The influence of inclusions of vitamin E and corn oil on semen traits of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

PubMed

Golzar Adabi, S H; Cooper, R G; Kamali, M A; Hajbabaei, A

2011-01-01

Reported was an investigation of the effect of vitamin E (Vit.E) and corn oil on semen traits of male Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). From 8 to 20 wk of age, birds were raised on corn-based diets supplemented with corn oil (0 and 3%) and Vit.E (National Research Council (NRC) recommended 25mg/kg/day/dry matter and 150 mg/kg/day/dry matter) in a 2×2 factorial manner. The diet was supplemented with corn oil and Vit.E (E2C2) which provided additional n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the form of 20:4n-6 and 22:4n-6 in spermatozoa phospholipid. The left testes weights were increased (P<0.01) in groups that received Vit.E in the diet (3.95 and 4.12 g, respectively) (P=0.03) and combined testes weight was the greatest in E2C2 group (7.57g) (P=0.02). Semen volume increased throughout the experiment in the E2C2 group. E2C1 and E2C2 birds had the greatest (90.05% and 92.1%, respectively) live sperm percent by comparison with other groups. The susceptibility of semen to lipid peroxidation in vitro was increased in quail fed E1C1 and E1C2, but was reduced when 150 mg Vit.E kg/day/dry matter feed was provided in the diet. The amount of Vit.E in the seminal plasma of E1C1 and E1C2 groups was (P<0.01) less than that in the other two groups (E2C1 and E2C2). From this study, it may be concluded that increasing diet n-6/n-3 ratio can be beneficial for semen traits, however, this application increased sperm peroxidation sensitivity but it can be controlled by inclusion of antioxidant such as Vit.E (150 mg/kg/day/dry matter) to diet. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Field screening of experimental corn hybrids and inbred lines for multiple ear-feeding insect resistance.

PubMed

Ni, Xinzhi; Xu, Wenwei; Krakowsky, Matthew D; Buntin, G David; Brown, Steve L; Lee, R Dewey; Coy, Anton E

2007-10-01

Identifying and using native insect resistance genes is the core of integrated pest management. In this study, 10 experimental corn, Zea mays L., hybrids and 10 inbred lines were screened for resistance to major ear-feeding insects in the southeastern Coastal Plain region of the United States during 2004 and 2005. Ear-feeding insect damage was assessed at harvest by visual damage rating for the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and by the percentage of kernels damaged by the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, and stink bugs [combination of Euschistus servus (Say) and southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.)]. Among the eight inbred lines and two control populations examined, C3S1B73-5b was resistant to corn earworm, maize weevil, and stink bugs. In contrast, C3S1B73-4 was resistant to corn earworm and stink bugs, but not to maize weevil. In a similar manner, the corn hybrid S1W*CML343 was resistant to all three ear-feeding insects, whereas hybrid C3S1B73-3*Tx205 was resistant to corn earworm and maize weevil in both growing seasons, but susceptible to stink bugs in 2005. The silk-feeding bioassay showed that corn earworm developed better on corn silk than did fall armyworm. Among all phenotypic traits examined (i.e., corn ear size, husk extension, and husk tightness), only corn ear size was negatively correlated to corn earworm damage in the inbred lines examined, whereas only husk extension (i.e., coverage) was negatively correlated to both corn earworm and maize weevil damage on the experimental hybrids examined. Such information could be used to establish a baseline for developing agronomically elite corn germplasm that confers multiple ear-feeding insect resistance.

Chemical Changes during Maize Tissue Aging and Its Relationship with Mediterranean Corn Borer Resistance.

PubMed

López-Malvar, Ana; Ordás, Bernardo; Souto, Carlos; Encina, Antonio; Malvar, Rosa A; Santiago, Rogelio

2017-10-25

The Mediterranean corn borer (MCB), Sesamia nonagrioides Lef, is an important pest of maize in temperate areas, causing significant stalk lodging and yield losses. The main goals of this study were to determine possible changes in chemical traits (phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, sugars, fibers, and lignin) during plant development after the flowering stage and to assess how those traits may differ in diverse genotypes of maize, such as MCB resistant and susceptible. Higher values for some particular traits in more mature tissues seemed to increase their effectiveness against the MCB attack. A decreased amount of borer damage in the field was recorded in the resistant inbred line and in older tissues (7.90 cm vs 31.70 cm as the mean for the stalk tunnel length). In accordance with these results, the resistant inbred line showed a higher degree of hemicellulose cross-linkage (due to ferulic and diferulic acids), higher soluble sugar content, and higher stalk strength. The use of resistant varieties and early sowings is highly recommended as an integrated approach to reduce the yield losses produced by this pest.

Growth performance, carcass trait, meat quality and oxidative stability of beef cattle offered alternative silages in a finishing ration.

PubMed

He, L; Yang, J; Chen, W; Zhou, Z; Wu, H; Meng, Q

2018-03-01

As lack of forage resource, alternative roughage sources have been developed for ruminant production and their inclusion would exert a great effect on the dietary nutrition, consequently affecting animal performance. Four silages (corn silage (CS), corn stalk silage (SS), inoculated CS and inoculated SS) were separately offered to 60 Bohai Black cattle (15 cattle/group) during a 24-week finishing period, in which the growth performance, carcass trait, beef quality and oxidative stability of steers were determined. Neither silage material nor silage inoculant exerted a significant effect on the growth performance, carcass trait and oxidative stability of beef cattle (P>0.05). As to beef quality, cattle offered CS had higher (P0.05) on the proximate components and fatty acids profile of beef muscle. There was neither an interaction (P>0.05) between inoculated treatment and silage material. There were no differences (P>0.05) in cholesterol content and meat quality traits in animals fed alternative silages. The collective findings suggest that it is not economical to substitute high-quality forage for relative low-quality forage in a high-concentrate finishing ration of beef cattle and silage inoculant inclusion would not exert a direct effect on animal performance.

Effect of plant density and mixing ratio on crop yield in sweet corn/mungbean intercropping.

PubMed

Sarlak, S; Aghaalikhani, M; Zand, B

2008-09-01

In order to evaluate the ear and forage yield of sweet corn (Zea mays L. var. Saccarata) in pure stand and intercropped with mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), a field experiment was conducted at Varamin region on summer 2006. Experiment was carried out in a split plot design based on randomized complete blocks with 4 replications. Plant density with 3 levels [Low (D1), Mean (D2) and High (D3) respecting 6, 8 and 10 m(-2) for sweet corn, cultivar S.C.403 and 10, 20 and 30 m(-2) for mung bean cultivar, Partow] was arranged in main plots and 5 mixing ratios [(P1) = 0/100, (P2) = 25/75, (P3) = 50/50, (P4) = 75/25, (P5) = 100/0% for sweet corn/mung bean, respectively] were arranged in subplots. Quantitative attributes such as plant height, sucker numbers, LER, dry matter distribution in different plant organs were measured in sweet corn economical maturity. Furthermore the yield of cannable ear corn and yield components of sweet corn and mung bean were investigated. Results showed that plant density has not any significant effect on evaluated traits, while the effect of mixing ratio was significant (p < 0.01). Therefore, the mixing ratio of 75/25 (sweet corn/mung bean) could be introduced as the superior mixing ratio; because of it's maximum rate of total sweet corn's biomass, forage yield, yield and yield components of ear corn in intercropping. Regarding to profitability indices of intercropping, the mixing ratio 75/25 (sweet corn/mung bean) in low density (D1P2) which showed the LER = 1.03 and 1.09 for total crop yield before ear harvesting and total forage yield after ear harvest respectively, was better than corn or mung bean monoculture.

Regulation of Bt crops in Canada.

PubMed

Macdonald, Phil; Yarrow, Stephen

2003-06-01

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates environmental releases of plants with novel traits, which include transgenic plants such as Bt crops. Bt crops are regulated in Canada because they express insect resistance novel to their species. Commercialization of crops with novel traits such as the production of insecticidal Bt proteins requires an approval for environmental release, as well as approvals for use as feed and food. Environmental factors such as potential impacts on non-target species are considered. Insect resistance management (IRM) may be imposed as a condition for environmental release of Bt crops to delay the development of resistance in the target insect. Bt potato and European corn borer-resistant Bt corn have been released with mandatory IRM. The CFIA imposes an IRM plan consisting of appropriate refugia, education of farmers and seed dealers, and monitoring and mitigation. Industry, regulators, government extension staff and public researchers provide expert advice on IRM.

76 FR 41048 - Agricultural Commodity Definition

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-13

... becomes fiber. Category two would include high fructose corn syrup, but not corn- based products such as... the CEA, including such things as wheat, cotton, corn, the soybean complex, livestock, etc.; 2. A... MGEX's various wheat, corn, and soybean cash-bid indexes) should remain outside of the definition of...

Comparison of wheat- versus corn-based dried distillers' grains with solubles on meat quality of feedlot cattle.

PubMed

Aldai, N; Aalhus, J L; Dugan, M E R; Robertson, W M; McAllister, T A; Walter, L J; McKinnon, J J

2010-03-01

A considerable amount of information has been generated on the feeding value and impact of corn dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) on meat quality, whereas little is known about the effects of wheat DDGS on meat quality, and no direct comparison of these two sources of DDGS has been completed. The current study was conducted to examine the objective and subjective carcass and meat quality traits of cattle fed diets containing corn or wheat (20% or 40%) DDGS (DM basis) as compared to a standard barley-based finishing diet (control). In general, meat obtained from animals fed the barley-based control diet was slightly darker in colour (lower chroma and hue at 24 h, P<0.01) and less tender (highest proportion of tough shears at 2 d and lowest proportion of tender shears at 20 d). Meat from corn DDGS was rated as more tender and palatable than control samples (P<0.05), and 20% corn samples were rated better for beef flavour intensity (P<0.01) and desirability (P<0.05) than 40% corn DDGS samples. In contrast, meat from steers fed wheat DDGS showed intermediate characteristics between steers fed control and corn DDGS diets. Hence, feeding wheat DDGS had no negative effects, and feeding corn DDGS had some positive effects on meat quality characteristics of beef. Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Weed manipulation for insect pest management in corn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altieri, M. A.; Whitcomb, W. H.

1980-11-01

Populations of insect pests and associated predaceous arthropods were sampled by direct observation and other relative methods in simple and diversified corn habitats at two sites in north Florida during 1978 and 1979. Through various cultural manipulations, characteristic weed communities were established selectively in alternate rows within corn plots. Fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith) incidence was consistently higher in the weed-free habitats than in the corn habitats containing natural weed complexes or selected weed associations. Corn earworm ( Heliothis zea Boddie) damage was similar in all weed-free and weedy treatments, suggesting that this insect is not affected greatly by weed diversity. Only the diversification of corn with a strip of soybean significantly reduced corn earworm damage. In one site, distance between plots was reduced. Because predators moved freely between habitats, it was difficult to identify between-treatment differences in the composition of predator communities. In the other site, increased distances between plots minimized such migrations, resulting in greater population densities and diversity of common foliage insect predators in the weed-manipulated corn systems than in the weed-free plots. Trophic relationships in the weedy habitats were more complex than food webs in monocultures. Predator diversity (measured as mean number of species per area) and predator density was higher in com plots surrounded by mature, complex vegetation than at those surrounded by annual crops. This suggests that diverse adjacent areas to crops provide refuge for predators, thus acting as colonization sources.

Yield-trait performance landscapes: from theory to application in breeding maize for drought tolerance.

PubMed

Messina, Carlos D; Podlich, Dean; Dong, Zhanshan; Samples, Mitch; Cooper, Mark

2011-01-01

The effectiveness of breeding strategies to increase drought resistance in crops could be increased further if some of the complexities in gene-to-phenotype (G → P) relations associated with epistasis, pleiotropy, and genotype-by-environment interactions could be captured in realistic G → P models, and represented in a quantitative manner useful for selection. This paper outlines a promising methodology. First, the concept of landscapes was extended from the study of fitness landscapes used in evolutionary genetics to the characterization of yield-trait-performance landscapes for agricultural environments and applications in plant breeding. Second, the E(NK) model of trait genetic architecture was extended to incorporate biophysical, physiological, and statistical components. Third, a graphical representation is proposed to visualize the yield-trait performance landscape concept for use in selection decisions. The methodology was demonstrated at a particular stage of a maize breeding programme with the objective of improving the drought tolerance of maize hybrids for the US Western Corn-Belt. The application of the framework to the genetic improvement of drought tolerance in maize supported selection of Doubled Haploid (DH) lines with improved levels of drought tolerance based on physiological genetic knowledge, prediction of test-cross yield within the target population of environments, and their predicted potential to sustain further genetic progress with additional cycles of selection. The existence of rugged yield-performance landscapes with multiple peaks and intervening valleys of lower performance, as shown in this study, supports the proposition that phenotyping strategies, and the directions emphasized in genomic selection can be improved by creating knowledge of the topology of yield-trait performance landscapes.

Mapping QTL for popping expansion volume in popcorn with simple sequence repeat markers.

PubMed

Lu, H-J; Bernardo, R; Ohm, H W

2003-02-01

Popping expansion volume is the most important quality trait in popcorn ( Zea mays L.), but its genetics is not well understood. The objectives of this study were to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for popping expansion volume in a popcorn x dent corn cross, and to compare the predicted efficiencies of phenotypic selection, marker-based selection, and marker-assisted selection for popping expansion volume. Of 259 simple sequence repeat (SSR) primer pairs screened, 83 pairs were polymorphic between the H123 (dent corn) and AG19 (popcorn) parental inbreds. Popping test data were obtained for 160 S(1) families developed from the [AG19(H123 x AG19)] BC(1) population. The heritability ( h(2)) for popping expansion volume on an S(1) family mean basis was 0.73. The presence of the gametophyte factor Ga1(s) in popcorn complicates the analysis of popcorn x dent corn crosses. But, from a practical perspective, the linkage between a favorable QTL allele and Ga1(s) in popcorn will lead to selection for the favorable QTL allele. Four QTLs, on chromosomes 1S, 3S, 5S and 5L, jointly explained 45% of the phenotypic variation. Marker-based selection for popping expansion volume would require less time and work than phenotypic selection. But due to the high h(2) of popping expansion volume, marker-based selection was predicted to be only 92% as efficient as phenotypic selection. Marker-assisted selection, which comprises index selection on phenotypic and marker scores, was predicted to be 106% as efficient as phenotypic selection. Overall, our results suggest that phenotypic selection will remain the preferred method for selection in popcorn x dent corn crosses.

Genetic and agronomic assessment of cob traits in corn under low and normal nitrogen management conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With rising energy demands and costs for fossil fuels, alternative energy from renewable sources such as maize cobs will become competitive. Maize cobs have beneficial characteristics for utilization as feedstock including compact tissue, high cellulose content, and low ash and nitrogen content. Nit...

Bio-waste corn-cob cellulose supported poly(hydroxamic acid) copper complex for Huisgen reaction: Waste to wealth approach.

PubMed

Mandal, Bablu Hira; Rahman, Md Lutfor; Yusoff, Mashitah Mohd; Chong, Kwok Feng; Sarkar, Shaheen M

2017-01-20

Corn-cob cellulose supported poly(hydroxamic acid) Cu(II) complex was prepared by the surface modification of waste corn-cob cellulose through graft copolymerization and subsequent hydroximation. The complex was characterized by IR, UV, FESEM, TEM, XPS, EDX and ICP-AES analyses. The complex has been found to be an efficient catalyst for 1,3-dipolar Huisgen cycloaddition (CuAAC) of aryl/alkyl azides with a variety of alkynes as well as one-pot three-components reaction in the presence of sodium ascorbate to give the corresponding cycloaddition products in up to 96% yield and high turn over number (TON 18,600) and turn over frequency (TOF 930h -1 ) were achieved. The complex was easy to recover from the reaction mixture and reused six times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of supplementation with linseed or a blend of aromatic spices and time on feed on fatty acid composition, meat quality and consumer liking of meat from lambs fed dehydrated alfalfa or corn.

PubMed

Realini, C E; Bianchi, G; Bentancur, O; Garibotto, G

2017-05-01

Cross-bred lambs (n=72) were fed finishing diets using a factorial arrangement of treatments: BASAL DIET (alfalfa pellets or corn), SUPPLEMENT (none, linseed or aromatic spices), TIME ON FEED (41 or 83days). Carcass and meat quality traits, fatty acid composition, color stability and consumer liking were determined. Feeding alfalfa improved sensory ratings and fatty acid composition of lamb. However, corn or longer alfalfa feeding would be recommended if heavier and fatter carcasses are sought. Consumer liking and fatty acid composition of lamb were improved with addition of spices and linseed, respectively. But additional antioxidant strategies should be considered to delay meat color deterioration during storage if lambs are fed corn-linseed for 83days. Although alfalfa basal diet and linseed supplementation improved fatty acid composition, feeding the basal diets for at least 41days resulted in low n-3 fatty acid concentrations in muscle. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of corn grain with the genetically modified input trait DAS-59122-7 fed to growing-finishing pigs.

PubMed

Stein, H H; Rice, D W; Smith, B L; Hinds, M A; Sauber, T E; Pedersen, C; Wulf, D M; Peters, D N

2009-04-01

A growth performance experiment was conducted to assess the feeding value of a double-stacked transgenic corn grain for growing-finishing pigs. The genetically modified corn grain contained event DAS-59122-7, which expresses the Cry34/35Ab1 binary insecticidal protein for the control of corn rootworm. This modified transgenic grain is resistant to western corn rootworm and is also tolerant to herbicides containing the active ingredient glufosinate-ammonium. The modified grain (59122), a nontransgenic near-isoline grain (control corn), and a commercial corn (Pioneer brand hybrid 35P12) were grown in a 2005 production trial in individually isolated plots that were located 201 m apart. A total of 108 pigs were allotted to corn-soybean meal diets containing 1 of the 3 grains as the sole source of corn. There were 3 pigs per pen and 12 replicate pens per treatment. Pigs were fed grower diets from 37 to 60 kg, early finisher diets from 60 to 90 kg, and late finisher diets from 90 to 127 kg. Within each phase, data for ADG, ADFI, and G:F were calculated. At the conclusion of the experiment, pigs were slaughtered and data for carcass quality were collected. Differences between 59122 and the control corn were evaluated, with statistical significance at P<0.05. No differences in ADG, ADFI, or G:F between pigs fed the control corn and pigs fed the modified corn were observed during the grower, early finisher, or late finisher phases. For the entire experimental period, no difference between pigs fed the control and the 59122 corn were observed for final BW (128.9 vs. 127.1 kg), ADG (1.02 vs. 1.00 kg), ADFI (2.88 vs. 2.80 kg), or G:F (0.356 vs. 0.345 kg/kg). Likewise, no differences in dressing percentage (76.48 vs. 76.30%), LM area (49.8 vs. 50.4 cm(2)), 10th-rib back fat (2.20 vs. 2.12 cm), and carcass lean content (52.9 vs. 53.4%) were observed between pigs fed the control and the 59122 corn grain. It was concluded that the nutritional value of the modified transgenic corn grain containing event DAS-59122-7 was similar to that of the nontransgenic near-isoline control.

Maize and soybean root front velocity and maximum depth in the Iowa, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Quantitative measurements of root traits can improve our understanding of how crops respond to soil-weather conditions. However, such data are rare. Our objective was to quantify maximum root depth and root front velocity (RFV) for corn and soybean crops across a range of growing conditions in the M...

76 FR 3135 - Pesticide Experimental Use Permit; Receipt of Extension Application;

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-19

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0608; FRL-8855-3] Pesticide Experimental Use... (PIP) [Event 5307] Bacillus thuringiensis eCry3.1Ab protein and the genetic material necessary for its production (vector pSYN12274) in Event 5307 corn (SYN-[Oslash]53[Oslash]7-1) and combined and single trait...

Synchrotron X-ray Scattering Analysis of the Interaction Between Corn Starch and an Exogenous Lipid During Hydrothermal Treatment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

E Hernandez-Hernandez; C Avila-Orta; B Hsiao

Lipids have an important effect on starch physicochemical properties. There exist few reports about the effect of exogenous lipids on native corn starch structural properties. In this work, a study of the morphological, structural and thermal properties of native corn starch with L-alpha-lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC, the main phospholipid in corn) was performed under an excess of water. Synchrotron radiation, in the form of real-time small and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS), was used in order to track structural changes in corn starch, in the presence of LPC during a heating process from 30 to 85 C. When adding LCP, water absorption decreasedmore » within starch granule amorphous regions during gelatinization. This is explained by crystallization of the amylose-LPC inclusion complex during gelatinization, which promotes starch granule thermal stability at up to 95 C. Finally, a conceptual model is proposed for explaining the formation mechanism of the starch-LPC complex.« less

Development of CACTA transposon derived SCAR markers and their use in population structure analysis in Zea mays.

PubMed

Roy, Neha Samir; Park, Kyong-Cheul; Lee, Sung-Il; Im, Min-Ji; Ramekar, Rahul Vasudeo; Kim, Nam-Soo

2018-02-01

Molecular marker technologies have proven to be an important breakthrough for genetic studies, construction of linkage maps and population genetics analysis. Transposable elements (TEs) constitute major fractions of repetitive sequences in plants and offer a wide range of possible areas to be explored as molecular markers. Sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker development provides us with a simple and time saving alternative approach for marker development. We employed the CACTA-TD to develop SCARs and then integrated them into linkage map and used them for population structure and genetic diversity analysis of corn inbred population. A total of 108 dominant SCAR markers were designed out of which, 32 were successfully integrated in to the linkage map of maize RIL population and the remaining were added to a physical map for references to check the distribution throughout all chromosomes. Moreover, 76 polymorphic SCARs were used for diversity analysis of corn accessions being used in Korean corn breeding program. The overall average polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.34, expected heterozygosity was 0.324 and Shannon's information index was 0.491 with a percentage of polymorphism of 98.67%. Further analysis by associating with desirable traits may also provide some accurate trait specific tagged SCAR markers. TE linked SCARs can provide an added level of polymorphism as well as improved discriminating ability and therefore can be useful in further breeding programs to develop high yielding germplasm.

The influence of choice feeding and cereal type (corn or triticale) during the finishing period on performance of mule ducks.

PubMed

Arroyo, J; Fortun-Lamothe, L; Dubois, J P; Lavigne, F; Bijja, M; Molette, C

2014-09-01

The aim of this trial was to study the influence of choice feeding and cereal type (corn or triticale) during the finishing period on performance of ducks. In total, 624 one-day-old male mule ducks (Cairina moschata × Anas platyrhynchos) were divided into 3 groups differing in the diet they received between 56 and 84 d of age: a commercial complete pelleted diet (control group; AMEn 12.1 MJ/kg, CP 15%), or corn whole seeds (AMEn 14.4 MJ/kg, CP 7.3%) and protein-rich pellets (AMEn 9.9 MJ/kg, CP 22.7%) in 2 separated feeders [choice feeding with corn (CFC) group]; or triticale whole seeds (AMEn 13.0 MJ/kg, CP 10.5%) and protein-rich pellets (AMEn 11.2 MJ/kg, CP 19.5%) in 2 separated feeders [choice feeding with triticale (CFT) group]. From 85 to 96 d, 96 birds/group were overfed with corn. Feed intake (complete pellets or cereal and protein-rich pellets) per pen was measured at 60, 62, 65, 69, 78, and 84 d of age. Body weight and body traits were measured at 56 to 84 d of age. Over the entire period, from 56 to 84 d, the feed intake of the CFC group was 7% lower than the control group, and 5% lower than that in the CFT group (P = 0.002). Whatever the diet tested, at 56 and 84 d of age, the BW (4,099 and 4,779 g, P = 0.42 and P = 0.35, respectively) and the carcass traits (P > 0.05) of ducks were similar in the 3 groups. During and after overfeeding, the performances of the ducks were also similar (P > 0.05). The present results suggest that CFC during the finishing period is a solution to reduce the cost of diet destined to ducks. Indeed, using locally grown grains could reduce the economic and environmental impacts of duck feeding, reducing the transportation and crushing processes. © 2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Inhibition of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Growth by Transgenic Corn Expressing Bt Toxins and Development of Resistance to Cry1Ab.

PubMed

Reisig, Dominic D; Reay-Jones, Francis P F

2015-08-01

Transgenic corn, Zea mays L., that expresses the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin Cry1Ab is only moderately toxic to Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and has been planted commercially since 1996. Growth and development of H. zea was monitored to determine potential changes in susceptibility to this toxin over time. Small plots of corn hybrids expressing Cry1F, Cry1F × Cry1Ab, Cry1Ab × Cry3Bb1, Cry1A.105 × Cry2Ab2 × Cry3Bb1, Cry1A.105 × Cry2Ab2, and Vip3Aa20 × Cry1Ab × mCry3A were planted in both 2012 and 2013 inNorth and South Carolina with paired non-Bt hybrids from the same genetic background. H. zea larvae were sampled on three time periods from ears and the following factors were measured: kernel area injured (cm(2)) by H. zea larvae, larval number per ear, larval weight, larval length, and larval head width. Pupae were sampled on a single time period and the following factors recorded: number per ear, weight, time to eclosion, and the number that eclosed. There was no reduction in larval weight, number of insect entering the pupal stadium, pupal weight, time to eclosion, and number of pupae able to successfully eclose to adulthood in the hybrid expressing Cry1Ab compared with a non-Bt paired hybrid. As Cry1Ab affected these in 1996, H. zea may be developing resistance to Cry1Ab in corn, although these results are not comprehensive, given the limited sampling period, size, and geography. We also found that the negative impacts on larval growth and development were greater in corn hybrids with pyramided traits compared with single traits. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Breeding for Increased Water Use Efficiency in Corn (Maize) Using a Low-altitude Unmanned Aircraft System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Y.; Veeranampalayam-Sivakumar, A. N.; Li, J.; Ge, Y.; Schnable, J. C.; Rodriguez, O.; Liang, Z.; Miao, C.

2017-12-01

Low-altitude aerial imagery collected by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) at centimeter-level spatial resolution provides great potential to collect high throughput plant phenotyping (HTP) data and accelerate plant breeding. This study is focused on UAS-based HTP for breeding increased water use efficiency in corn in eastern Nebraska. The field trail is part of an effort by the Genomes to Fields consortium effort to grow and phenotype many of the same corn (maize) hybrids at approximately 40 locations across the United States and Canada in order to stimulate new research in crop modeling, the development of new plant phenotyping technologies and the identification of genetic loci that control the adaptation of specific corn (maize) lines to specific environments. It included approximately 250 maize hybrids primary generated using recently off patent material from major seed companies. These lines are the closest material to what farmers are growing today which can be legally used for research purposes and genotyped by the public sector. During the growing season, a hexacopter equipped with a multispectral and a RGB cameras was flown and used to image this 1-hectare field trial near Mead, NE. Sensor data from the UAS were correlated directly with grain yield, measured at the end of the growing season, and were also be used to quantify other traits of interest to breeders including flowering date, plant height, leaf orientation, canopy spectral, and stand count. The existing challenges of field data acquisition (to ensure data quality) and development of effective image processing algorithms (such as detecting corn tassels) will be discussed. The success of this study and others like it will speed up the process of phenotypic data collection, and provide more accurate and detailed trait data for plant biologists, plant breeders, and other agricultural scientists. Employing advanced UAS-based machine vision technologies in agricultural applications have the potential to increase the rate of genetic gain in plant breeding applications, as well as guide the optimization of management practices in precision agriculture.

Modification of aqueous enzymatic oil extraction to increase the yield of corn oil from dry fractionated corn germ

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In previous aqueous enzymatic extraction experiments we reported an oil yield of 67 grams from 800 grams of dry fractionated corn germ. In the current experiments, a dispersion of 10% cooked, dry-fractionated germ in water and was treated with amylases and a cellulase complex. A foam fraction was s...

Effects of adding corn oil and soy protein to corn starch on the physicochemical and digestive properties of the starch.

PubMed

Chen, Xu; He, Xiao-Wei; Zhang, Bin; Fu, Xiong; Jane, Jay-Lin; Huang, Qiang

2017-11-01

This study aimed to understand effects of adding corn oil (CO) and soy protein (SP) to corn starch on the physicochemical properties and digestive rates of annealed starch complex and mechanisms of interactions between corn starch (CS), CO and SP. Binary and ternary blends were prepared using CS mixed with CO (10%, dsb) and/or SP (10%, dsb) and incubated in a water bath at 50°C for 14h. Results showed that more agglomerates of the granules were in the ternary blends. With the addition of CO and/or SP, the CS displayed a decreased pasting temperature, an increased peak viscosity and a decreased enthalpy change of amylose-lipid complex dissociation. The CO can reinforce but SP hinder the annealing phenomenon. Results also showed that CO decreased retrogradation of CS, whereas SP increased it. The digestibility studies showed that the addition of CO and SP decreased the content of rapidly digestible starch and increased the sum of slowly digestible starch and resistant starch contents. SP displayed more impact on the digestibility of the ternary blends than CO. The physical barrier of CO, and amylose-lipid complex and protein-starch matrix can provide resistance to starch digestion. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

77 FR 26548 - Issuance of an Experimental Use Permit

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-04

... following EUP: 29964 EUP-11. Issuance. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, P.O. Box 1000, Johnston, IA 50131-1000. This EUP allows the use of combined and single trait corn containing one or more of the following plant...- [Oslash][Oslash]81[Oslash]-6). The focus of the EUP are the three breeding stacks: (1) MIR604 x 1507 x...

Quantitative Trait Loci for Endosperm Modification and Amino Acid Contents in Quality Protein Maize

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The deficient protein quality of corn grain can be improved by replacing the normal Opaque2 (O2) alleles with non-functional mutant alleles o2. Unfortunately, o2 alleles are associated with a very soft endosperm texture, poor yield and susceptibility to diseases and insects. Plant breeders have been...

77 FR 26547 - Amendment/Extension of an Experimental Use Permit

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-04

...-incorporated protectant (PIP) [Event 5307] Bacillus thuringiensis eCry3.1Ab protein and the genetic material necessary for its production (vector pSYN12274) in Event 5307 corn (SYN-[Oslash]53[Oslash]7-1) and combined and single trait hybrids with one or more of the following additional PIPs: (1) [Bt11] Bacillus...

The changes of dominant lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites during corn stover ensiling.

PubMed

Xu, Zhenshang; Zhang, Susu; Zhang, Rongling; Li, Shixu; Kong, Jian

2018-05-15

Monitoring the succession of bacterial populations during corn stover ensiling are helpful for improving the silage quality. Fermentation characteristics were assessed and bacterial communities were described along with the ensiling process. The ensiled corn stover exhibited chemical traits as low pH value (3.92 ± 0.02) and high levels of lactic acid (66.75 ± 1.97 g kg -1 dry matter) which were associated with well ensiled forages, as well as moderate concentrations of acetic acid (19.69 ± 1.51 g kg -1 dry matter) and small amounts of 1, 2-propanediol (4.4 ± 0.11 g kg -1 dry matter). In the early stages of the ensiling process, a significant increase and then reduction of the abundance of species Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Weissella sp. were observed. The species Lactobacillus plantarum (Lb. plantarum) group and Lb. brevis grew vigorously, and the species Lb. farciminis and Lb. parafarraginis gradually increased along with the course of ensiling. High-throughput sequencing was successfully used to describe bacterial communities throughout the process of corn stover ensiling. The knowledge about the ecological succession of the dominant lactic acid bacteria could lead to improved ensiling practices and the selection of corn stover silage inoculants. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

On the Origin of Complex Adaptive Traits: Progress Since the Darwin Versus Mivart Debate.

PubMed

Suzuki, Takao K

2017-06-01

The evolutionary origin of complex adaptive traits has been a controversial topic in the history of evolutionary biology. Although Darwin argued for the gradual origins of complex adaptive traits within the theory of natural selection, Mivart insisted that natural selection could not account for the incipient stages of complex traits. The debate starting from Darwin and Mivart eventually engendered two opposite views: gradualism and saltationism. Although this has been a long-standing debate, the issue remains unresolved. However, recent studies have interrogated classic examples of complex traits, such as the asymmetrical eyes of flatfishes and leaf mimicry of butterfly wings, whose origins were debated by Darwin and Mivart. Here, I review recent findings as a starting point to provide a modern picture of the evolution of complex adaptive traits. First, I summarize the empirical evidence that unveils the evolutionary steps toward complex traits. I then argue that the evolution of complex traits could be understood within the concept of "reducible complexity." Through these discussions, I propose a conceptual framework for the formation of complex traits, named as reducible-composable multicomponent systems, that satisfy two major characteristics: reducibility into a sum of subcomponents and composability to construct traits from various additional and combinatorial arrangements of the subcomponents. This conceptual framework provides an analytical foundation for exploring evolutionary pathways to build up complex traits. This review provides certain essential avenues for deciphering the origin of complex adaptive traits. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Establishment of Striacosta albicosta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as a Primary Pest of Corn in the Great Lakes Region.

PubMed

Smith, J L; Baute, T S; Sebright, M M; Schaafsma, A W; DiFonzo, C D

2018-05-30

Western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a pest of corn, Zea maize L., and dry edible beans, Phaseolus sp. L., native to the western United States. Following the range expansion into the U.S. Corn Belt, pheromone trap monitoring began in the Great Lakes region in 2006. The first S. albicosta was captured in Michigan in 2006 and in Ontario, Canada in 2008. Pheromone traps were used to document spread and increasing captures of S. albicosta across Michigan and Ontario until 2012. Trapping confirmed the univoltine life cycle of S. albicosta in this region and identified peak flight, typically occurring in late July. Overwintering of S. albicosta in this region was confirmed by emergence from infested fields and overwintering experiments. Multiple soil textures were infested with prepupae, and recovery was assessed throughout the winter. Overwintering success was not affected by soil texture; however, prepupae were found at greater depths in coarse-textured soils. Soil temperatures at overwintering depths did not reach the supercooling point. Injury to corn by S. albicosta increased in incidence, severity and geographic range from 2010 to 2014 in field plots. Decreasing control of injury by Cry1F corn hybrids was observed over time. These findings show that S. albicosta has established as a perennial corn pest in the Great Lakes region due to observations of overwintering success and unmanaged injury. We recommend S. albicosta obtain primary pest status in this region within regulatory framework and a resistance management plan be required for traits targeting this pest.

The effects of dry-rolled corn particle size on performance, carcass traits, and starch digestibility in feedlot finishing diets containing wet distiller's grains.

PubMed

Schwandt, E F; Wagner, J J; Engle, T E; Bartle, S J; Thomson, D U; Reinhardt, C D

2016-03-01

Crossbred yearling steers ( = 360; 395 ± 33.1 kg initial BW) were used to evaluate the effects of dry-rolled corn (DRC) particle size in diets containing 20% wet distiller's grains plus solubles on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and starch digestibility. Steers were used in a randomized complete block design and allocated to 36 pens (9 pens/treatment, with 10 animals/pen). Treatments were coarse DRC (4,882 μm), medium DRC (3,760 μm), fine DRC (2,359 μm), and steam-flaked corn (0.35 kg/L; SFC). Final BW and ADG were not affected by treatment ( > 0.05). Dry matter intake was greater and G:F was lower ( < 0.05) for steers fed DRC vs. steers fed SFC. There was a linear decrease ( < 0.05) in DMI in the final 5 wk on feed with decreasing DRC particle size. Fecal starch decreased (linear, < 0.01) as DRC particle size decreased. In situ starch disappearance was lower for DRC vs. SFC ( < 0.05) and linearly increased ( < 0.05) with decreasing particle size at 8 and 24 h. Reducing DRC particle size did not influence growth performance but increased starch digestion and influenced DMI of cattle on finishing diets. No differences ( > 0.10) were observed among treatments for any of the carcass traits measured. Results indicate improved ruminal starch digestibility, reduced fecal starch concentration, and reduced DMI with decreasing DRC particle size in feedlot diets containing 20% wet distiller's grains on a DM basis.

Performance and carcass measurements of ewe lambs reared in a feedlot and fed wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) middlings total mixed rations in the summer season.

PubMed

Tufarelli, Vincenzo; Khan, Rifat Ullah; Mazzei, Domenico; Laudadio, Vito

2012-04-01

The effect of total mixed ratios containing wheat middlings (WM) as a corn grain substitute on the growth performance and carcass traits of Comisana ewe lambs was evaluated. Forty ewe lambs, with average live body weight of 13 ± 0.3 kg (mean ± SEM), were allocated randomly to two isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets for 50 days. Control diet contained 400 g/kg of dry matter (DM) of corn as the main starchy source, whereas experimental diet contained 600 g/kg DM of WM. In vivo nutrient apparent digestibility of the two diets was determined using Comisana rams (mean body weight, 65 ± 2.3 kg) and indicated significant (P < 0.05) differences for neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose and hemicellulose fractions. Results from the trial using Comisana ewe lambs showed that growth traits were unaffected by dietary treatments as well as none of the carcass measurements examined (P > 0.05). These findings indicate that WM results as a suitable feed ingredient for growing ewe lambs that can be a satisfactory substitute to conventional grain source.

Uptake, distribution, and velocity of organically complexed plutonium in corn (Zea mays).

PubMed

Thompson, Shannon W; Molz, Fred J; Fjeld, Robert A; Kaplan, Daniel I

2012-10-01

Lysimeter experiments and associated simulations suggested that Pu moved into and through plants that invaded field lysimeters during an 11-year study at the Savannah River Site. However, probable plant uptake and transport mechanisms were not well defined, so more detailed study is needed. Therefore, experiments were performed to examine movement, distribution, and velocity of soluble, complexed Pu in corn. Corn was grown and exposed to Pu using a "long root" system in which the primary root extended through a soil pot and into a hydroponic container. To maintain solubility, Pu was complexed with the bacterial siderophore DFOB (Desferrioxamine B) or the chelating agent DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid). Corn plants were exposed to nutrient solutions containing Pu for periods of 10 min to 10 d. Analysis of root and shoot tissues permitted concentration measurement and calculation of uptake velocity and Pu retardation in corn. Results showed that depending on exposure time, 98.3-95.9% of Pu entering the plant was retained in the roots external to the xylem, and that 1.7-4.1% of Pu entered the shoots (shoot fraction increased with exposure time). Corn Pu uptake was 2-4 times greater as Pu(DFOB) than as Pu(2)(DTPA)(3). Pu(DFOB) solution entered the root xylem and moved 1.74 m h(-1) or greater upward, which is more than a million times faster than Pu(III/IV) downward movement through soil during the lysimeter study. The Pu(DFOB) xylem retardation factor was estimated to be 3.7-11, allowing for rapid upward Pu transport and potential environmental release. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In vitro digestion and physicochemical characteristics of corn starch mixed with amino acid modified by low pressure treatment.

PubMed

Ji, Ying

2018-03-01

The digestibility and molecular structure of corn starch mixed with amino acid modified by low-pressure treatment (LPT) was investigated. Amino acid induced a significant increase in the slowly digestible starch (SDS) and decrease in the rapidly digestible starch (RDS) after LPT. The reason is the formation of ester bond between the molecular chains of amino acid and starch. Low pressure treatment altered greatly the morphology of corn starch mixed with or without amino acid. After LPT, less ordered Maltese and more granule fragments were observed for starch-amino acid complex. An increase in size distribution was obvious after LPT and the size distribution curves provided from a new variety. We found that higher enthalpy and relative crystallinity of the starch-amino acid complex were associated with a higher SDS content. It can be inferred that LPT had a greater impact on the digestion and structural characterization of corn starch mixed with amino acids. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unlinked genetic loci control the reduced transcription of aminopeptidase N 1 and 3 in the European corn borer and determine tolerance to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab toxin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crystalline (Cry) toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) control insect feeding damage on crop plants via foliar applications or by expression within transgenic plants, but continued Bt use is threatened by the buildup of insect resistance traits. Aminopeptidase N (apn) gene family members encode m...

When a Spoonful of Fallacies Helps the Sweetener Go Down: The Corn Refiner Association's Use of Straw-Person Arguments in Health Debates Surrounding High-Fructose Corn Syrup.

PubMed

Heiss, Sarah N; Bates, Benjamin R

2016-08-01

The American public is increasingly concerned about risks associated with food additives like high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). To promote its product as safe, the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) employed two forms of straw-person arguments. First, the CRA opportunistically misrepresented HFCS opposition as inept. Second, the CRA strategically chose to refute claims that were easier to defeat while remaining ambiguous about more complex points of contention. We argue that CRA's discursive contributions represented unreasonable yet sustainable use of straw-person arguments in debates surrounding health and risk.

Impact of Increased Corn Production on Ground Water Quality and Human Health

EPA Science Inventory

In this study, we use a complex coupled modeling system to assess the impacts of increased corn production on groundwater. In particular, we show how the models provide new information on the drivers of contamination in groundwater, and then relate pollutant concentration change...

Peroxidase mediated conjugation of corn fibeer gum and bovine serum albumin to improve emulsifying properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The emulsifying properties of corn fiber gum (CFG), a naturally-occurring polysaccharide protein complex, were improved by kinetically controlled formation of hetero-covalent linkages with bovine serum albumin (BSA), using horseradish peroxidase. The formation of hetero-crosslinked CFG-BSA conjugate...

Fuel ethanol production from alkaline peroxide pretreated corn stover

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn stover (CS) has the potential to serve as an abundant low-cost feedstock for production of fuel ethanol. Due to heterogeneous complexity and recalcitrance of lignocellulosic feedstocks, pretreatment is required to break the lignin seal and/or disrupt the structure of crystalline cellulose to in...

Pawcatuck River and Narragansett Bay Drainage Basins. Water and Related Land Resources Study. Blackstone River Watershed. Appendices.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

immediately within the flood plain; the Owens - Corning Fiberglass Company at Ashton; and the Berkshire-Hathaway Mill Complex at Albion. Within the remaining...this reach, three of which have been built since 1955. Recurring damages to the Owens - Corning Fiberglas Co. amount to over $900,000 at current price...the Corps are as follow: 26 March 1968 -- Plant Manager, Owens - Corning Corp., Ashton, Rhode Island reported a total loss of $100,000 in damages after a

Fungicide seed treatments for evaluating the corn seedling disease complex following a winter rye cover crop

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Seed treatments have been used to manage corn seedling diseases since the 1970’s and they contain a combination of active ingredients with specificity towards different pathogens. We hypothesized that using different seed treatment combinations and assessing seedling disease incidence and severity ...

Fumonisins, Tortillas and Neural Tube Defects: Untangling a Complex Issue

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fumonisin mycotoxins are found in corn and corn-based foods. Fumonisin B1 (FB1), the most common, disrupts sphingolipid metabolism thereby causing species-specific diseases in animals that include cancer in rodents and (birth) neural tube defects (NTD) in LM/Bc mice. Fumonisins’ affect on human heal...

Performance of lactating dairy cows fed corn as whole plant silage and grain produced from genetically modified corn containing event DAS-59122-7 compared to a nontransgenic, near-isogenic control.

PubMed

Brouk, M J; Cvetkovic, B; Rice, D W; Smith, B L; Hinds, M A; Owens, F N; Iiams, C; Sauber, T E

2011-04-01

The nutritional equivalency of grain plus whole plant silage from genetically modified corn plants containing the DAS-59122-7 (59122) event expressing the Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1 proteins to grain and silage from a near-isogenic corn hybrid without this trait (control) was assessed using lactating dairy cows. Corn plants with event 59122 are resistant to western corn rootworm and tolerant to the herbicide active ingredient glufosinate-ammonium. Effects on feed intake, milk production, and milk composition were determined. The 59122 grain and the control grain were produced in 2005 from isolated plots in Richland, Iowa. Whole plant corn silage for the 59122 and control treatments were grown in isolated plots at the Kansas State University Dairy Center and ensiled in Ag-Bags. Thirty lactating Holstein cows blocked by lactation number, day of lactation, and previous energy-corrected milk production were used in a switchback design. All cows were fed diets that contained 22.7% grain plus 21.3% whole plant silage from either the 59122 or the control hybrid, in addition to 21% wet corn gluten feed, 12.3% protein mix, 8.0% whole cottonseed, and 14.7% alfalfa hay. Each period of the switchback trial included 2 wk for diet adjustment followed by 4 wk for data and sample collection. Milk samples (a.m. and p.m.) collected from 2 consecutive milkings of each collection wk were analyzed for fat, protein, lactose, solids-not-fat, milk urea nitrogen, and somatic cell count. Percentages of milk fat, protein, lactose, and solids-not-fat were not affected by dietary treatment. Yields of milk, 4% fat-corrected milk, energy-corrected milk, solids-corrected milk, and the concentrations and yields of milk fat, milk protein, milk solids, and milk lactose were not significantly different between treatments. Efficiencies of milk, fat-corrected milk, energy-corrected milk, and solids-corrected milk production also were not different when cows were fed crops from 59122 than when they were fed the control hybrid. Milk production efficiency averaged 1.48 and 1.50 kg/kg of dry matter intake for cows fed diets containing the control and 59122 corn, respectively. These data indicate that the nutritional value for milk production was not different between a diet containing grain plus whole plant corn silage produced from a 59122 corn hybrid versus a diet containing grain and corn silage from its near-isogenic control corn hybrid. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predicting the digestible energy of corn determined with growing swine from nutrient composition and cross-species measurements.

PubMed

Smith, B; Hassen, A; Hinds, M; Rice, D; Jones, D; Sauber, T; Iiams, C; Sevenich, D; Allen, R; Owens, F; McNaughton, J; Parsons, C

2015-03-01

The DE values of corn grain for pigs will differ among corn sources. More accurate prediction of DE may improve diet formulation and reduce diet cost. Corn grain sources ( = 83) were assayed with growing swine (20 kg) in DE experiments with total collection of feces, with 3-wk-old broiler chick in nitrogen-corrected apparent ME (AME) trials and with cecectomized adult roosters in nitrogen-corrected true ME (TME) studies. Additional AME data for the corn grain source set was generated based on an existing near-infrared transmittance prediction model (near-infrared transmittance-predicted AME [NIT-AME]). Corn source nutrient composition was determined by wet chemistry methods. These data were then used to 1) test the accuracy of predicting swine DE of individual corn sources based on available literature equations and nutrient composition and 2) develop models for predicting DE of sources from nutrient composition and the cross-species information gathered above (AME, NIT-AME, and TME). The overall measured DE, AME, NIT-AME, and TME values were 4,105 ± 11, 4,006 ± 10, 4,004 ± 10, and 4,086 ± 12 kcal/kg DM, respectively. Prediction models were developed using 80% of the corn grain sources; the remaining 20% was reserved for validation of the developed prediction equation. Literature equations based on nutrient composition proved imprecise for predicting corn DE; the root mean square error of prediction ranged from 105 to 331 kcal/kg, an equivalent of 2.6 to 8.8% error. Yet among the corn composition traits, 4-variable models developed in the current study provided adequate prediction of DE (model ranging from 0.76 to 0.79 and root mean square error [RMSE] of 50 kcal/kg). When prediction equations were tested using the validation set, these models had a 1 to 1.2% error of prediction. Simple linear equations from AME, NIT-AME, or TME provided an accurate prediction of DE for individual sources ( ranged from 0.65 to 0.73 and RMSE ranged from 50 to 61 kcal/kg). Percentage error of prediction based on the validation data set was greater (1.4%) for the TME model than for the NIT-AME or AME models (1 and 1.2%, respectively), indicating that swine DE values could be accurately predicted by using AME or NIT-AME. In conclusion, regression equations developed from broiler measurements or from analyzed nutrient composition proved adequate to reliably predict the DE of commercially available corn hybrids for growing pigs.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism markers associated with silk maysin, antibiosis to corn earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae, in a dent and sweet corn cross.

PubMed

Guo, B Z; Zhang, Z J; Li, R G; Widstrom, N W; Snook, M E; Lynch, R E; Plaisted, D

2001-04-01

Maysin, a C-glycosylflavone in maize silk, has insecticidal activity against corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), larvae. Sweet corn, Zea mays L., is a vulnerable crop to ear-feeding insects and requires pesticide protection from ear damage. This study was conducted to identify maize chromosome regions associated with silk maysin concentration and eventually to transfer and develop high silk maysin sweet corn lines with marker-assisted selection (MAS). Using an F2 population derived from SC102 (high maysin dent corn) and B31857 (low maysin sh2 sweet corn), we detected two major quantitative trait loci (QTL). It was estimated that 25.6% of the silk maysin variance was associated with segregation in the genomic region of npi286 (flanking to p1) on chromosome 1S. We also demonstrated that a1 on chromosome 3L had major contribution to silk maysin (accounted for 15.7% of the variance). Locus a1 has a recessive gene action for high maysin with the presence of functional p1 allele. Markers umc66a (near c2) and umc105a on chromosome 9S also were detected in this analysis with minor contribution. A multiple-locus model, which included npi286, a1, csu3 (Bin 1.05), umc245 (Bin 7.05), agrr21 (Bin 8.09), umc105a, and the epistatic interactions npi286 x a1, a1 x agrr21, csu3 x umc245, and umc105a x umc245, accounted for 76.3% of the total silk maysin variance. Tester crosses showed that at the a1 locus, SC102 has functional A1 alleles and B31857 has homozygous recessive a1 alleles. Individuals of (SC102 x B31857) x B31857 were examined with MAS and plants with p1 allele from SC102 and homozygous a1 alleles from B31857 had consistent high silk maysin. Marker-assisted selection seems to be a suitable method to transfer silk maysin to sweet corn lines to reduce pesticide application.

Plant nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) B subunits confer drought tolerance and lead to improved corn yields on water-limited acres.

PubMed

Nelson, Donald E; Repetti, Peter P; Adams, Tom R; Creelman, Robert A; Wu, Jingrui; Warner, David C; Anstrom, Don C; Bensen, Robert J; Castiglioni, Paolo P; Donnarummo, Meghan G; Hinchey, Brendan S; Kumimoto, Roderick W; Maszle, Don R; Canales, Roger D; Krolikowski, Katherine A; Dotson, Stanton B; Gutterson, Neal; Ratcliffe, Oliver J; Heard, Jacqueline E

2007-10-16

Commercially improved crop performance under drought conditions has been challenging because of the complexity of the trait and the multitude of factors that influence yield. Here we report the results of a functional genomics approach that identified a transcription factor from the nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) family, AtNF-YB1, which acts through a previously undescribed mechanism to confer improved performance in Arabidopsis under drought conditions. An orthologous maize transcription factor, ZmNF-YB2, is shown to have an equivalent activity. Under water-limited conditions, transgenic maize plants with increased ZmNF-YB2 expression show tolerance to drought based on the responses of a number of stress-related parameters, including chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, leaf temperature, reduced wilting, and maintenance of photosynthesis. These stress adaptations contribute to a grain yield advantage to maize under water-limited environments. The application of this technology has the potential to significantly impact maize production systems that experience drought.

Plant nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) B subunits confer drought tolerance and lead to improved corn yields on water-limited acres

PubMed Central

Nelson, Donald E.; Repetti, Peter P.; Adams, Tom R.; Creelman, Robert A.; Wu, Jingrui; Warner, David C.; Anstrom, Don C.; Bensen, Robert J.; Castiglioni, Paolo P.; Donnarummo, Meghan G.; Hinchey, Brendan S.; Kumimoto, Roderick W.; Maszle, Don R.; Canales, Roger D.; Krolikowski, Katherine A.; Dotson, Stanton B.; Gutterson, Neal; Ratcliffe, Oliver J.; Heard, Jacqueline E.

2007-01-01

Commercially improved crop performance under drought conditions has been challenging because of the complexity of the trait and the multitude of factors that influence yield. Here we report the results of a functional genomics approach that identified a transcription factor from the nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) family, AtNF-YB1, which acts through a previously undescribed mechanism to confer improved performance in Arabidopsis under drought conditions. An orthologous maize transcription factor, ZmNF-YB2, is shown to have an equivalent activity. Under water-limited conditions, transgenic maize plants with increased ZmNF-YB2 expression show tolerance to drought based on the responses of a number of stress-related parameters, including chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, leaf temperature, reduced wilting, and maintenance of photosynthesis. These stress adaptations contribute to a grain yield advantage to maize under water-limited environments. The application of this technology has the potential to significantly impact maize production systems that experience drought. PMID:17923671

Lactation and calf weight traits of mature crossbred cows fed varying daily levels of metabolizable energy.

PubMed

Jenkins, T G; Ferrell, C L; Roberts, A J

2000-01-01

Our objective was to evaluate differences in lactation traits and calf weights produced by F1 cows under varying daily metabolizable energy availability. Measures of milk yields and calf weight traits were recorded on mature F1 cows. The cows were produced from matings of Angus or Hereford dams with sires representing Angus/Hereford, Shorthorn, Galloway, Longhorn, Nellore, and Salers breeds. The cows' daily DM intakes of a diet composed of a corn silage or alfalfa silage plus corn silage were recorded from approximately 2 wk postpartum until the calves were weaned at an average age of 170 d. Milk yield measurements were recorded when the calves were approximately 14, 28, 56, 84, 112, 140, and 168 d of age. Sources of variation considered for the traits of interest included sire breed of the cow (SBC) and the covariates weaning age of the calf and daily metabolizable energy intake (DMEI) of the cow for lactation and calf weights. The linear and quadratic effects were evaluated for DMEI. The SBC x DMEI (linear) interaction was significant for total milk yield. Sire breed of cow differences (P < .05) were observed for milk yield at time of peak yield, persistency, preweaning ADG, and weaning weight. Salers- and Shorthorn-sired cows had greater (P < .05) peak yield than Galloway, Longhorn, or Nellore cross-bred cows but were not significantly different from the Hereford/Angus. Increasing DMEI linearly increased peak yield and total yield (P < .05). Preweaning ADG of calves from Nellore-sired cows was greater (P < .05) than all SBC. Preweaning ADG of calves from Galloway-sired cows was less than all SBC (P < .05). The linear effect of DMEI was heterogeneous across SBC for total yield. The pooled quadratic effect of DMEI was significant for all traits except birth weight. The DMEI for expression of maximum weaning weight was estimated to be 29 Mcal. Feed efficiency ratios for the test period were 28, 27, 30, 25, 28, 32, and 30 g calf weight:Mcal DMEI for reference and 1980s Angus/Hereford-, Shorthorn-, Galloway-, Longhorn-, Nellore-, and Salers-sired cows, respectively, at the DMEI level of 29 Mcal.

Intraear Compensation of Field Corn, Zea mays, from Simulated and Naturally Occurring Injury by Ear-Feeding Larvae.

PubMed

Steckel, S; Stewart, S D

2015-06-01

Ear-feeding larvae, such as corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea Boddie (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), can be important insect pests of field corn, Zea mays L., by feeding on kernels. Recently introduced, stacked Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) traits provide improved protection from ear-feeding larvae. Thus, our objective was to evaluate how injury to kernels in the ear tip might affect yield when this injury was inflicted at the blister and milk stages. In 2010, simulated corn earworm injury reduced total kernel weight (i.e., yield) at both the blister and milk stage. In 2011, injury to ear tips at the milk stage affected total kernel weight. No differences in total kernel weight were found in 2013, regardless of when or how much injury was inflicted. Our data suggested that kernels within the same ear could compensate for injury to ear tips by increasing in size, but this increase was not always statistically significant or sufficient to overcome high levels of kernel injury. For naturally occurring injury observed on multiple corn hybrids during 2011 and 2012, our analyses showed either no or a minimal relationship between number of kernels injured by ear-feeding larvae and the total number of kernels per ear, total kernel weight, or the size of individual kernels. The results indicate that intraear compensation for kernel injury to ear tips can occur under at least some conditions. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Promotion of chlamydoconidium formation in Candida albicans by corn meal broth incubation.

PubMed

Nakamoto, S

1998-04-01

Chlamydoconidium formation can be used as a tool for the identification of Candida albicans. While chlamydoconidia are known to be inducible on corn meal agar, this report demonstrates that testing in liquid media supplemented with milk or serum enhances chlamydoconidium formation and the formation of complex mycelial clusters.

Diallel analysis of corn for special use as corn grits: determining the main genetic effects for corn gritting ability.

PubMed

Conrado, T V; Scapim, C A; Bignotto, L S; Pinto, R J B; Freitas, I L J; Amaral, A T; Pinheiro, A C

2014-08-26

Corn grits are used for various purposes such as flakes, snacks, livestock feed, hominy, extruded products, beer, etc. The grit size proportion varies according to the hybrid, and thus, once the use of the grits is linked to the particle size, determining the genetic effects is essential to develop hybrids for any specific use. For this purpose a complete diallel series of crosses, involving eight parents, was performed near Maringá, PR, Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities of 28 progeny for selection of hybrids for breeding programs and extraction of inbred lines for hybrid development. The response variables, such as plant height, ear insertion height, crop stand, grain yield, and grits, small grits and bran production, were gauged and appraised for each of the 28 progeny. The trait effects and GCA were significant for all response variables, while for SCA, only grain yield and crop stand showed significance (P < 0.05), according to Griffing (1955) analysis. A significant weak negative partial correlation was found between grain yield and grits conversion. In relation to the hybrid selection for breeding programs, the parent IAC Nelore was highly recommended for recurrent selection and the hybrids IPR 119 x HT 392 and IAC Nelore x HD 332 for the extraction of pure lines for hybrid development.

Exploring Corn-Ethanol As A Complex Problem To Teach Sustainability Concepts Across The Science-Business-Liberal Arts Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oches, E. A.; Szymanski, D. W.; Snyder, B.; Gulati, G. J.; Davis, P. T.

2012-12-01

The highly interdisciplinary nature of sustainability presents pedagogic challenges when sustainability concepts are incorporated into traditional disciplinary courses. At Bentley University, where over 90 percent of students major in business disciplines, we have created a multidisciplinary course module centered on corn ethanol that explores a complex social, environmental, and economic problem and develops basic data analysis and analytical thinking skills in several courses spanning the natural, physical, and social sciences within the business curriculum. Through an NSF-CCLI grant, Bentley faculty from several disciplines participated in a summer workshop to define learning objectives, create course modules, and develop an assessment plan to enhance interdisciplinary sustainability teaching. The core instructional outcome was a data-rich exercise for all participating courses in which students plot and analyze multiple parameters of corn planted and harvested for various purposes including food (human), feed (animal), ethanol production, and commodities exchanged for the years 1960 to present. Students then evaluate patterns and trends in the data and hypothesize relationships among the plotted data and environmental, social, and economic drivers, responses, and unintended consequences. After the central data analysis activity, students explore corn ethanol production as it relates to core disciplinary concepts in their individual classes. For example, students in Environmental Chemistry produce ethanol using corn and sugar as feedstocks and compare the efficiency of each process, while learning about enzymes, fermentation, distillation, and other chemical principles. Principles of Geology students examine the effects of agricultural runoff on surface water quality associated with extracting greater agricultural yield from mid-continent croplands. The American Government course examines the role of political institutions, the political process, and various stakeholders in developing and implementing policy on renewable fuels standards and ethanol production targets for the U.S. In Microeconomics students learn cost-benefit analysis and other concepts by applying economics principles to the corn ethanol problem. Following the disciplinary activities, students are asked to reconsider the central corn ethanol problem and evaluate it from a sustainability perspective. Assessment is ongoing, although initial results suggest that undergraduate students have difficulty integrating knowledge across multiple disciplines when evaluating a complex sustainability problem. Based on our initial assessment, we are exploring ways to modify the corn ethanol module as well as fine-tune the assessment instruments to provide the most effective outcomes possible. Because there are commonly institutional barriers to team teaching and other methods of cross-disciplinary instruction, we are recruiting faculty from additional disciplines to adapt and implement the corn ethanol module as a way of integrating sustainability concepts across the curriculum. Our goal is to teach complex, trans-disciplinary problem-solving and have students explore ways in which sustainability issues must be addressed through the application of concepts from the environmental and social sciences, public policy, and economics.

Ion Transport Processes in Corn Mitochondria 1

PubMed Central

Klein, Robert R.; Koeppe, David E.

1985-01-01

The local anesthetic dibucaine inhibited respiration-dependent contraction mediated by the K+/H+ antiport system of isolated corn mitochondria. Respiration declined concurrently. Nigericin, an exogenous K+/H+ exchanger, restored ion efflux in dibucaine-blocked corn mitochondria. It was concluded that dibucaine inhibited ion efflux via blockage of the K+/H+ antiport. Further experiments determined that dibucaine also inhibited proton influx facilitated by protonophores and by the ATPase complex during state III respiration. These results are discussed in relation to the mechanism by which dibucaine inhibits proton translocation across the inner mitochondrial membrane. PMID:16664160

Enzymatic production of xylooligosaccharides from corn stover and corn cobs treated with aqueous ammonia.

PubMed

Zhu, Yongming; Kim, Tae Hyun; Lee, Y Y; Chen, Rongfu; Elander, Richard T

2006-01-01

A novel method of producing food-grade xylooligosaccharides from corn stover and corn cobs was investigated. The process starts with pretreatment of feedstock in aqueous ammonia, which results delignified and xylan-rich substrate. The pretreated substrates are subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan using endoxylanase for production of xylooligosaccharides. The conventional enzyme-based method involves extraction of xylan with a strong alkaline solution to form a liquid intermediate containing soluble xylan. This intermediate is heavily contaminated with various extraneous components. A costly purification step is therefore required before enzymatic hydrolysis. In the present method, xylan is obtained in solid form after pretreatment. Water-washing is all that is required for enzymatic hydrolysis of this material. The complex step of purifying soluble xylan from contaminant is essentially eliminated. Refining of xylooligosaccharides to food-grade is accomplished by charcoal adsorption followed by ethanol elution. Xylanlytic hydrolysis of the pretreated corn stover yielded glucan-rich residue that is easily digestible by cellulase enzyme. The digestibility of the residue reached 86% with enzyme loading of 10 filter paper units/g-glucan. As a feedstock for xylooligosaccharides production, corn cobs are superior to corn stover because of high xylan content and high packing density. The high packing density of corn cobs reduces water input and eventually raises the product concentration.

Sexual selection and the evolution of genital shape and complexity in water striders.

PubMed

Rowe, Locke; Arnqvist, Göran

2012-01-01

Animal genitalia show two striking but incompletely understood evolutionary trends: a great evolutionary divergence in the shape of genitalic structures, and characteristic structural complexity. Both features are thought to result from sexual selection, but explicit comparative tests are hampered by the fact that it is difficult to quantify both morphological complexity and divergence in shape. We undertake a comparative study of multiple nongenitalic and male genital traits in a clade of 15 water strider species to quantify complexity and shape divergence. We show that genital structures are more complex and their shape more divergent among species than nongenital traits. Further, intromittent genital traits are more complex and have evolved more divergently than nonintromittent genital traits. More importantly, shape and complexity of nonintromittent genital traits show correlated evolution with indices of premating sexual selection and intromittent genital traits with postmating sexual selection, suggesting that the evolution of different components of genital morphology are shaped independently by distinct forms of sexual selection. Our quantitative results provide direct comparative support for the hypothesis that sexual selection is associated with morphological complexity in genitalic traits and highlight the importance of quantifying morphological shape and complexity, rather than size in studies of genital evolution. © 2011 The Author(s). Evolution © 2011 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Effect of biological pretreatments in enhancing corn straw biogas production.

PubMed

Zhong, Weizhang; Zhang, Zhongzhi; Luo, Yijing; Sun, Shanshan; Qiao, Wei; Xiao, Meng

2011-12-01

A biological pretreatment with new complex microbial agents was used to pretreat corn straw at ambient temperature (about 20°C) to improve its biodegradability and anaerobic biogas production. A complex microbial agent dose of 0.01% (w/w) and pretreatment time of 15 days were appropriate for biological pretreatment. These treatment conditions resulted in 33.07% more total biogas yield, 75.57% more methane yield, and 34.6% shorter technical digestion time compared with the untreated sample. Analyses of chemical compositions showed 5.81-25.10% reductions in total lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose contents, and 27.19-80.71% increases in hot-water extractives; these changes contributed to the enhancement of biogas production. Biological pretreatment could be an effective method for improving biodegradability and enhancing the highly efficient biological conversion of corn straw into bioenergy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ion transport processes in corn mitochondria : I. Effect of the local anesthetic dibucaine.

PubMed

Klein, R R; Koeppe, D E

1985-04-01

The local anesthetic dibucaine inhibited respiration-dependent contraction mediated by the K(+)/H(+) antiport system of isolated corn mitochondria. Respiration declined concurrently. Nigericin, an exogenous K(+)/H(+) exchanger, restored ion efflux in dibucaine-blocked corn mitochondria. It was concluded that dibucaine inhibited ion efflux via blockage of the K(+)/H(+) antiport. Further experiments determined that dibucaine also inhibited proton influx facilitated by protonophores and by the ATPase complex during state III respiration. These results are discussed in relation to the mechanism by which dibucaine inhibits proton translocation across the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Effects of exogenous enzymes in corn-based and Canadian pearl millet-based diets with reduced soybean meal on growth performance, intestinal nutrient digestibility, villus development, and selected microbial populations in broiler chickens.

PubMed

Baurhoo, N; Baurhoo, B; Zhao, X

2011-12-01

An experiment was conducted to compare a commercial corn-soybean meal diet with a pearl millet diet containing less soybean meal (-27%), alone or in combination with exogenous enzymes, on growth performance, jejunal villus development, ileal CP, and AA digestibility, and cecal microbial populations in broilers. One hundred sixty 1-d-old male Ross 508 broilers (5/cage) were randomly allocated to one of the following dietary treatments: 1) a standard corn-soybean meal control diet (CTL); 2) a pearl millet-soybean meal diet (PM); 3) CTL + exogenous enzymes (CE); and 4) PM + exogenous enzymes (PE) with 8 replicate cages/treatment. The PM and PE diets contained less soybean meal because of greater CP and AA contents of pearl millet. All diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly over 35 d. At d 21 and 35, 8 broilers per treatment were euthanized for sample collection and analyses. Gain-to-feed was greater (P < 0.01) for pearl millet- than corn-based diets. Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of CP and most AA was similar between corn-based and pearl millet-based diets, and enzyme supplementation improved AID of CP (P < 0.01) and most AA at both d 21 and 35. However, for AID of some AA at d 21, the response to enzyme supplementation was less pronounced in broilers fed pearl millet-based diets than those fed corn-based diets (grain × enzyme, P ≤ 0.05). The villus was longer (P < 0.01) in broilers fed PM and PE than CTL and CE at d 35. Similarly, at d 35, lactobacilli loads were greater (P < 0.01) in broilers fed PM and PE than CTL and CE. It is concluded that, in comparison with corn, broiler diets formulated with pearl millet require less soybean meal and can be used to improve growth performance traits, intestinal lactobacilli populations, and villus development, whereas enzyme supplementation increases AID of CP and AA.

Signatures of negative selection in the genetic architecture of human complex traits.

PubMed

Zeng, Jian; de Vlaming, Ronald; Wu, Yang; Robinson, Matthew R; Lloyd-Jones, Luke R; Yengo, Loic; Yap, Chloe X; Xue, Angli; Sidorenko, Julia; McRae, Allan F; Powell, Joseph E; Montgomery, Grant W; Metspalu, Andres; Esko, Tonu; Gibson, Greg; Wray, Naomi R; Visscher, Peter M; Yang, Jian

2018-05-01

We develop a Bayesian mixed linear model that simultaneously estimates single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability, polygenicity (proportion of SNPs with nonzero effects), and the relationship between SNP effect size and minor allele frequency for complex traits in conventionally unrelated individuals using genome-wide SNP data. We apply the method to 28 complex traits in the UK Biobank data (N = 126,752) and show that on average, 6% of SNPs have nonzero effects, which in total explain 22% of phenotypic variance. We detect significant (P < 0.05/28) signatures of natural selection in the genetic architecture of 23 traits, including reproductive, cardiovascular, and anthropometric traits, as well as educational attainment. The significant estimates of the relationship between effect size and minor allele frequency in complex traits are consistent with a model of negative (or purifying) selection, as confirmed by forward simulation. We conclude that negative selection acts pervasively on the genetic variants associated with human complex traits.

Hydroxycinnamate Synthesis and Association with Mediterranean Corn Borer Resistance.

PubMed

Santiago, Rogelio; Malvar, Rosa Ana; Barros-Rios, Jaime; Samayoa, Luis Fernando; Butrón, Ana

2016-01-27

Previous results suggest a relationship between maize hydroxycinnamate concentration in the pith tissues and resistance to stem tunneling by Mediterranean corn borer (MCB, Sesamia nonagrioides Lef.) larvae. This study performs a more precise experiment, mapping an F2 derived from the cross between two inbreds with contrasting levels for hydroxycinnamates EP125 × PB130. We aimed to co-localize genomic regions involved in hydroxycinnamate synthesis and resistance to MCB and to highlight the particular route for each hydroxycinnamate component in relation to the better known phenylpropanoid pathway. Seven quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for p-coumarate, two QTLs for ferulate, and seven QTLs for total diferulates explained 81.7, 26.9, and 57.8% of the genotypic variance, respectively. In relation to borer resistance, alleles for increased hydroxycinnamate content (affecting one or more hydroxycinnamate compounds) could be associated with favorable effects on stem resistance to MCB, particularly the putative role of p-coumarate in borer resistance.

Additive effects of two quantitative trait loci that confer Rhopalosiphum maidis (corn leaf aphid) resistance in maize inbred line Mo17

PubMed Central

Betsiashvili, Mariam; Ahern, Kevin R.; Jander, Georg

2015-01-01

Plants show considerable within-species variation in their resistance to insect herbivores. In the case of Zea mays (cultivated maize), Rhopalosiphum maidis (corn leaf aphids) produce approximately twenty times more progeny on inbred line B73 than on inbred line Mo17. Genetic mapping of this difference in maize aphid resistance identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) on chromosomes 4 and 6, with the Mo17 allele reducing aphid reproduction in each case. The chromosome 4 QTL mapping interval includes several genes involved in the biosynthesis of DIMBOA (2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one), a maize defensive metabolite that also is required for callose accumulation in response to aphid feeding. Consistent with the known association of callose with plant defence against aphids, R. maidis reproduction on B73×Mo17 recombinant inbred lines was negatively correlated with both DIMBOA content and callose formation. Further genetic mapping, as well as experiments with near-isogenic lines, confirmed that the Mo17 allele causes increased DIMBOA accumulation relative to the B73 allele. The chromosome 6 aphid resistance QTL functions independently of DIMBOA accumulation and has an effect that is additive to that of the chromosome 4 QTL. Thus, at least two separate defence mechanisms account for the higher level of R. maidis resistance in Mo17 compared with B73. PMID:25249072

Corn rootworm-active RNA DvSnf7: Repeat dose oral toxicology assessment in support of human and mammalian safety.

PubMed

Petrick, Jay S; Frierdich, Gregory E; Carleton, Stephanie M; Kessenich, Colton R; Silvanovich, Andre; Zhang, Yuanji; Koch, Michael S

2016-11-01

Genetically modified (GM) crops have been developed and commercialized that utilize double stranded RNAs (dsRNA) to suppress a target gene(s), producing virus resistance, nutritional and quality traits. MON 87411 is a GM maize variety that leverages dsRNAs to selectively control corn rootworm through production of a 240 base pair (bp) dsRNA fragment targeting for suppression the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) Snf7 gene (DvSnf7). A bioinformatics assessment found that endogenous corn small RNAs matched ∼450 to 2300 unique RNA transcripts that likely code for proteins in rat, mouse, and human, demonstrating safe dsRNA consumption by mammals. Mice were administered DvSnf7 RNA (968 nucleotides, including the 240 bp DvSnf7 dsRNA) at 1, 10, or 100 mg/kg by oral gavage in a 28-day repeat dose toxicity study. No treatment-related effects were observed in body weights, food consumption, clinical observations, clinical chemistry, hematology, gross pathology, or histopathology endpoints. Therefore, the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) for DvSnf7 RNA was 100 mg/kg, the highest dose tested. These results demonstrate that dsRNA for insect control does not produce adverse health effects in mammals at oral doses millions to billions of times higher than anticipated human exposures and therefore poses negligible risk to mammals. Copyright © 2016 Monsanto Company. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Physicochemical properties of nixtamalized corn flours with and without germ.

PubMed

Vega Rojas, Lineth J; Rojas Molina, Isela; Gutiérrez Cortez, Elsa; Rincón Londoño, Natalia; Acosta Osorio, Andrés A; Del Real López, Alicia; Rodríguez García, Mario E

2017-04-01

This research studied the influence of the germ components on the physicochemical properties of cooked corn and nixtamalized corn flours as a function of the calcium hydroxide content (from 0 to 2.1 w/w) and steeping time (between 0 and 9h). A linear relationship was found between calcium content in germ and steeping time used during nixtamalization process. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that calcium carbonate is formed into the germ structure to 2.1 w/w of calcium hydroxide and 9h steeping time. The presence of the germ improves the development of peak viscosity in flours, and it is related to the increases in calcium concentration in germ and the formation of amylose-lipid complexes. No significant changes were observed in palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids of corn oil. The levels of further corn oil deterioration were 2.1 w/w of calcium hydroxide concentration and 9h of steeping time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationships among dietary fiber components and the digestibility of energy, dietary fiber, and amino acids and energy content of nine corn coproducts fed to growing pigs.

PubMed

Gutierrez, N A; Serão, N V L; Kerr, B J; Zijlstra, R T; Patience, J F

2014-10-01

An experiment was conducted to determine a best fitting dietary fiber (DF) component to estimate the effect of DF concentration on the digestibility of energy, DF, and AA and energy value of 9 corn coproducts: corn bran (37.0% total nonstarch polysaccharides [NSP]); corn bran with solubles (17.1% NSP); cooked corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS; 20.4% NSP); reduced oil DDGS (25.0% NSP); uncooked DDGS (22.0% NSP); high protein distillers dried grains (21.9% NSP); dehulled, degermed corn (1.1% NSP); corn germ meal (44.4% NSP); and corn gluten meal (4.9% NSP). A total of 20 growing pigs (initial BW: 25.9 ± 2.5 kg) were fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and allotted to 10 dietary treatment groups in a 4-period incomplete block design with 8 observations per treatment. Treatments included a corn-soybean meal-based basal diet and 9 diets obtained by mixing 70% of the basal diet with 30% of the test ingredient. In tested ingredients, 11 DF components were determined: 1) ADF, 2) NDF, 3) total dietary fiber, 4) hemicellulose, 5) total NSP, 6) NSP arabinose, 7) NSP xylose, 8) NSP mannose, 9) NSP glucose, 10) NSP galactose, and 11) arabinoxylan. The apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of GE, DM, and NDF and the AID of AA of ingredients were measured. A single best fitting DF component was assessed and ranked for each trait, showing that arabinoxylan concentration best explained variance in AID of GE (R(2) = 0.65; cubic, P < 0.01) and DM (R(2) = 0.67; cubic, P < 0.01). The NSP xylose residue best explained variance in ATTD of GE (R(2) = 0.80; cubic, P < 0.01), DM (R(2) = 0.78; cubic, P < 0.01), and NDF (R(2) = 0.63; cubic, P < 0.01); AID of Met (R(2) = 0.40; cubic, P = 0.02), Met + Cys (R(2) = 0.44; cubic, P = 0.04), and Trp (R(2) = 0.11; cubic, P = 0.04); and DE (R(2) = 0.66; linear, P = 0.02) and ME (R(2) = 0.71; cubic, P = 0.01) values. The AID of Lys was not predictable (P > 0.05) from the DF concentration. In conclusion, the arabinoxylan and NSP xylose residue were the DF components that best explained variation due to DF concentration and, with the exception of AID of Lys, can be used to predict the digestibility of energy and DF and the DE and ME values in corn coproducts.

Improved biomass degradation using fungal glucuronoyl-esterases-hydrolysis of natural corn fiber substrate.

PubMed

d'Errico, Clotilde; Börjesson, Johan; Ding, Hanshu; Krogh, Kristian B R M; Spodsberg, Nikolaj; Madsen, Robert; Monrad, Rune Nygaard

2016-02-10

Lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) are in part responsible for the recalcitrance of lignocellulosics in relation to industrial utilization of biomass for biofuels. Glucuronoyl esterases (GEs) belonging to the carbohydrate esterase family 15 have been proposed to be able to degrade ester LCCs between glucuronic acids in xylans and lignin alcohols. By means of synthesized complex LCC model substrates we provide kinetic data suggesting a preference of fungal GEs for esters of bulky arylalkyl alcohols such as ester LCCs. Furthermore, using natural corn fiber substrate we report the first examples of improved degradation of lignocellulosic biomass by the use of GEs. Improved C5 sugar, glucose and glucuronic acid release was observed when heat pretreated corn fiber was incubated in the presence of GEs from Cerrena unicolor and Trichoderma reesei on top of different commercial cellulase/hemicellulase preparations. These results emphasize the potential of GEs for delignification of biomass thereby improving the overall yield of fermentable sugars for biofuel production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increased water resistance of paper treated with amylose-fatty ammonium salt inclusion complexes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Amylose inclusion complexes were prepared from high amylose corn starch and the HCl salts of hexadecylamine and octadecylamine. Solutions of the complexes were applied to paper at concentrations of 2-4%. After the treated papers were dried, sodium hydroxide solution was applied to convert the adsorb...

Effect of spray drying on the properties of amylose-hexadecylammonium chloride inclusion complexes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water soluble amylose-hexadecyl ammonium chloride complexes were prepared from high amylose corn starch and hexadecyl ammonium chloride by excess steam jet cooking. Amylose inclusion complexes were spray dried to determine the viability of spray drying as a production method. The variables tested in...

Association of candidate genes with drought tolerance traits in diverse perennial ryegrass accessions

Treesearch

Xiaoqing Yu; Guihua Bai; Shuwei Liu; Na Luo; Ying Wang; Douglas S. Richmond; Paula M. Pijut; Scott A. Jackson; Jianming Yu; Yiwei Jiang

2013-01-01

Drought is a major environmental stress limiting growth of perennial grasses in temperate regions. Plant drought tolerance is a complex trait that is controlled by multiple genes. Candidate gene association mapping provides a powerful tool for dissection of complex traits. Candidate gene association mapping of drought tolerance traits was conducted in 192 diverse...

Use of Multivariate Linkage Analysis for Dissection of a Complex Cognitive Trait

PubMed Central

Marlow, Angela J.; Fisher, Simon E.; Francks, Clyde; MacPhie, I. Laurence; Cherny, Stacey S.; Richardson, Alex J.; Talcott, Joel B.; Stein, John F.; Monaco, Anthony P.; Cardon, Lon R.

2003-01-01

Replication of linkage results for complex traits has been exceedingly difficult, owing in part to the inability to measure the precise underlying phenotype, small sample sizes, genetic heterogeneity, and statistical methods employed in analysis. Often, in any particular study, multiple correlated traits have been collected, yet these have been analyzed independently or, at most, in bivariate analyses. Theoretical arguments suggest that full multivariate analysis of all available traits should offer more power to detect linkage; however, this has not yet been evaluated on a genomewide scale. Here, we conduct multivariate genomewide analyses of quantitative-trait loci that influence reading- and language-related measures in families affected with developmental dyslexia. The results of these analyses are substantially clearer than those of previous univariate analyses of the same data set, helping to resolve a number of key issues. These outcomes highlight the relevance of multivariate analysis for complex disorders for dissection of linkage results in correlated traits. The approach employed here may aid positional cloning of susceptibility genes in a wide spectrum of complex traits. PMID:12587094

Relationships between structural complexity, coral traits, and reef fish assemblages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darling, Emily S.; Graham, Nicholas A. J.; Januchowski-Hartley, Fraser A.; Nash, Kirsty L.; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Wilson, Shaun K.

2017-06-01

With the ongoing loss of coral cover and the associated flattening of reef architecture, understanding the links between coral habitat and reef fishes is of critical importance. Here, we investigate whether considering coral traits and functional diversity provides new insights into the relationship between structural complexity and reef fish communities, and whether coral traits and community composition can predict structural complexity. Across 157 sites in Seychelles, Maldives, the Chagos Archipelago, and Australia's Great Barrier Reef, we find that structural complexity and reef zone are the strongest and most consistent predictors of reef fish abundance, biomass, species richness, and trophic structure. However, coral traits, diversity, and life histories provided additional predictive power for models of reef fish assemblages, and were key drivers of structural complexity. Our findings highlight that reef complexity relies on living corals—with different traits and life histories—continuing to build carbonate skeletons, and that these nuanced relationships between coral assemblages and habitat complexity can affect the structure of reef fish assemblages. Seascape-level estimates of structural complexity are rapid and cost effective with important implications for the structure and function of fish assemblages, and should be incorporated into monitoring programs.

Technical/commercial feasibility study of the production of fuel-grade ethanol from corn: 100-million-gallon-per-year production facility in Myrtle Grove, Louisiana. Volume one. Executive summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1982-05-31

This Executive Summary is Volume I of 7 volumes of a detailed feasibility study for a 100 million gallon/year Power Alcohol plant using corn as feedstock to be constructed in the vicinity of Belle Chaise, Louisiana, adjacent to an existing grain elevator complex. The proposed plant will ultimately have the capability to produce 100 million gallons/year of anhydrous alcohol from an estimated 40 million bushels of corn and will be designed so as to allow construction in modules of 25 million gallons each. Alcohol produced at this plant is intended essentially for use as a gasoline octane booster, a motormore » fuel in gasoline/alcohol blends and as a chemical feedstock. In addition, the plant will produce a number of by-products, each of which has existing commercial markets; namely, 236,400 tons of CO/sub 2/ 237,600 tons of Protein Meal Mixture (40.2% Protein) or 124,000 tons of Gluten Meal (41% Protein), 20,000 tons of yeast, 68,400 tons of Corn Bran, 89,600 tons of Corn Germ Cake and 4,584,000 gallons of Corn Oil (food grade).« less

Effect of amylopectin on the rheological properties of aqueous dispersions of starch-sodium palmitate complexes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aqueous dispersions of normal and high-amylose corn starch were steam jet cooked and blended with aqueous solutions of sodium palmitate to form amylose inclusion complexes. Partial conversion of complexed sodium palmitate to palmitic acid by addition of acetic acid led to the formation of gels. Bl...

Global genetic differentiation of complex traits shaped by natural selection in humans.

PubMed

Guo, Jing; Wu, Yang; Zhu, Zhihong; Zheng, Zhili; Trzaskowski, Maciej; Zeng, Jian; Robinson, Matthew R; Visscher, Peter M; Yang, Jian

2018-05-14

There are mean differences in complex traits among global human populations. We hypothesize that part of the phenotypic differentiation is due to natural selection. To address this hypothesis, we assess the differentiation in allele frequencies of trait-associated SNPs among African, Eastern Asian, and European populations for ten complex traits using data of large sample size (up to ~405,000). We show that SNPs associated with height ([Formula: see text]), waist-to-hip ratio ([Formula: see text]), and schizophrenia ([Formula: see text]) are significantly more differentiated among populations than matched "control" SNPs, suggesting that these trait-associated SNPs have undergone natural selection. We further find that SNPs associated with height ([Formula: see text]) and schizophrenia ([Formula: see text]) show significantly higher variance in linkage disequilibrium (LD) scores across populations than control SNPs. Our results support the hypothesis that natural selection has shaped the genetic differentiation of complex traits, such as height and schizophrenia, among worldwide populations.

Assessment of the nutritional values of genetically modified wheat, corn, and tomato crops.

PubMed

Venneria, Eugenia; Fanasca, Simone; Monastra, Giovanni; Finotti, Enrico; Ambra, Roberto; Azzini, Elena; Durazzo, Alessandra; Foddai, Maria Stella; Maiani, Giuseppe

2008-10-08

The genetic modification in fruit and vegetables could lead to changes in metabolic pathways and, therefore, to the variation of the molecular pattern, with particular attention to antioxidant compounds not well-described in the literature. The aim of the present study was to compare the quality composition of transgenic wheat ( Triticum durum L.), corn ( Zea mays L.), and tomato ( Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) to the nontransgenic control with a similar genetic background. In the first experiment, Ofanto wheat cultivar containing the tobacco rab1 gene and nontransgenic Ofanto were used. The second experiment compared two transgenic lines of corn containing Bacillus thuringiensis "Cry toxin" gene (PR33P67 and Pegaso Bt) to their nontransgenic forms. The third experiment was conducted on transgenic tomato ( Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) containing the Agrobacterium rhizogenes rolD gene and its nontransgenic control (cv. Tondino). Conventional and genetically modified crops were compared in terms of fatty acids content, unsaponifiable fraction of antioxidants, total phenols, polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamin C, total antioxidant activity, and mineral composition. No significant differences were observed for qualitative traits analyzed in wheat and corn samples. In tomato samples, the total antioxidant activity (TAA), measured by FRAP assay, and the naringenin content showed a lower value in genetically modified organism (GMO) samples (0.35 mmol of Fe (2+) 100 g (-1) and 2.82 mg 100 g (-1), respectively), in comparison to its nontransgenic control (0.41 mmol of Fe (2+) 100 g (-1) and 4.17 mg 100 g (-1), respectively). On the basis of the principle of substantial equivalence, as articulated by the World Health Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, these data support the conclusion that GM events are nutritionally similar to conventional varieties of wheat, corn, and tomato on the market today.

Breed effect between Mos rooster (Galician indigenous breed) and Sasso T-44 line and finishing feed effect of commercial fodder or corn.

PubMed

Franco, D; Rois, D; Vázquez, J A; Purriños, L; González, R; Lorenzo, J M

2012-02-01

The aim of this research was to study the Mos rooster breed growth performance, carcass, and meat quality. The breed effect (Mos vs. Sasso T-44) and finishing feed in the last month (fodder vs. corn) on animal growth, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and fatty and amino acid profiles were studied using a randomized block design with initial weight as covariance. In total, 80 roosters (n = 30 of Sasso T-44 line and n = 50 of Mos breed) were used. They were separated by breed and allocated to 2 feeding treatment groups (concentrate and corn). Each feeding treatment group consisted of 15 and 25 roosters, for Sasso T-44 line and Mos breed, respectively. Finishing feeding did not affect growth parameters in the 2 genotypes of rooster tested (P > 0.05). Nonetheless, the comparison between both types of roosters led to significant differences in growth parameters (P < 0.05). Regarding carcass characteristics, no significant influences of finishing feeding treatment (P > 0.05) were found, and as expected, carcass weight clearly differed between genotypes due to the lower growth rate of Mos roosters. However, drumstick, thigh, and wing percentages were greater in the Mos breed than in the hybrid line. In color instrumental traits, roosters feeding with corn showed breast meat with significantly (P < 0.001) higher a* and b* values than those of cocks feeding with commercial fodder. Values of shear force were less than 2 kg for both genotypes, thus it can be classified as very tender meat. Finishing with corn significantly increased (P < 0.001) the polyunsaturated fatty acid content in the breast; the Mos breed had a polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio of 0.73. The amino acid profile of the indigenous breed was not similar to that of the commercial strain. Finishing feeding treatment had a greater influence than breed effect on amino acid profile.

Directed evolution and synthetic biology applications to microbial systems.

PubMed

Bassalo, Marcelo C; Liu, Rongming; Gill, Ryan T

2016-06-01

Biotechnology applications require engineering complex multi-genic traits. The lack of knowledge on the genetic basis of complex phenotypes restricts our ability to rationally engineer them. However, complex phenotypes can be engineered at the systems level, utilizing directed evolution strategies that drive whole biological systems toward desired phenotypes without requiring prior knowledge of the genetic basis of the targeted trait. Recent developments in the synthetic biology field accelerates the directed evolution cycle, facilitating engineering of increasingly complex traits in biological systems. In this review, we summarize some of the most recent advances in directed evolution and synthetic biology that allows engineering of complex traits in microbial systems. Then, we discuss applications that can be achieved through engineering at the systems level. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enzyme resistant feruloylated xylooligomer analogues from thermochemically treated corn fiber contain large side chains, ethyl glycosides and novel sites of acetylation.

PubMed

Appeldoorn, Maaike M; de Waard, Pieter; Kabel, Mirjam A; Gruppen, Harry; Schols, Henk A

2013-11-15

In order to use corn fiber as a source for bioethanol production the enzymatic hydrolysis of the complex glucuronoarabinoxylans present has to be improved. Several oligosaccharides present in the supernatant of mild acid pretreated and enzymatically saccharified corn fiber that resist the current available enzymes were (semi)purified for structural analysis by NMR or ESI-MS(n). The structural features of 21 recalcitrant oligosaccharides are presented. A common feature of almost all these oligosaccharides is that they contain (part of) an α-l-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→2)-5-O-trans-feruloyl-l-arabinofuranose side chain attached to the O-3 position of the β-1-4 linked xylose backbone. Several of the identified oligosaccharides contained an ethyl group at the reducing end hypothesized to be formed during SSF. The ethyl glycosides found are far more complex than previously described structures. A new feature present in more than half of the oligosaccharides is an acetyl group attached to the O-2 position of the same xylose to which the oligomeric side chain was attached to the O-3 position. Finding enzymes attacking these large side chains and the dense substituted xylan backbone will boost the hydrolysis of corn fiber glucuronoxylan. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Network-based integration of systems genetics data reveals pathways associated with lignocellulosic biomass accumulation and processing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mizrachi, Eshchar; Verbeke, Lieven; Christie, Nanette

As a consequence of their remarkable adaptability, fast growth, and superior wood properties, eucalypt tree plantations have emerged as key renewable feedstocks (over 20 million ha globally) for the production of pulp, paper, bioenergy, and other lignocellulosic products. However, most biomass properties such as growth, wood density, and wood chemistry are complex traits that are hard to improve in long-lived perennials. Systems genetics, a process of harnessing multiple levels of component trait information (e.g., transcript, protein, and metabolite variation) in populations that vary in complex traits, has proven effective for dissecting the genetics and biology of such traits. We havemore » applied a network-based data integration (NBDI) method for a systems-level analysis of genes, processes and pathways underlying biomass and bioenergy-related traits using a segregating Eucalyptus hybrid population. We show that the integrative approach can link biologically meaningful sets of genes to complex traits and at the same time reveal the molecular basis of trait variation. Gene sets identified for related woody biomass traits were found to share regulatory loci, cluster in network neighborhoods, and exhibit enrichment for molecular functions such as xylan metabolism and cell wall development. These findings offer a framework for identifying the molecular underpinnings of complex biomass and bioprocessing-related traits. Furthermore, a more thorough understanding of the molecular basis of plant biomass traits should provide additional opportunities for the establishment of a sustainable bio-based economy.« less

Network-based integration of systems genetics data reveals pathways associated with lignocellulosic biomass accumulation and processing

DOE PAGES

Mizrachi, Eshchar; Verbeke, Lieven; Christie, Nanette; ...

2017-01-17

As a consequence of their remarkable adaptability, fast growth, and superior wood properties, eucalypt tree plantations have emerged as key renewable feedstocks (over 20 million ha globally) for the production of pulp, paper, bioenergy, and other lignocellulosic products. However, most biomass properties such as growth, wood density, and wood chemistry are complex traits that are hard to improve in long-lived perennials. Systems genetics, a process of harnessing multiple levels of component trait information (e.g., transcript, protein, and metabolite variation) in populations that vary in complex traits, has proven effective for dissecting the genetics and biology of such traits. We havemore » applied a network-based data integration (NBDI) method for a systems-level analysis of genes, processes and pathways underlying biomass and bioenergy-related traits using a segregating Eucalyptus hybrid population. We show that the integrative approach can link biologically meaningful sets of genes to complex traits and at the same time reveal the molecular basis of trait variation. Gene sets identified for related woody biomass traits were found to share regulatory loci, cluster in network neighborhoods, and exhibit enrichment for molecular functions such as xylan metabolism and cell wall development. These findings offer a framework for identifying the molecular underpinnings of complex biomass and bioprocessing-related traits. Furthermore, a more thorough understanding of the molecular basis of plant biomass traits should provide additional opportunities for the establishment of a sustainable bio-based economy.« less

Network-based integration of systems genetics data reveals pathways associated with lignocellulosic biomass accumulation and processing.

PubMed

Mizrachi, Eshchar; Verbeke, Lieven; Christie, Nanette; Fierro, Ana C; Mansfield, Shawn D; Davis, Mark F; Gjersing, Erica; Tuskan, Gerald A; Van Montagu, Marc; Van de Peer, Yves; Marchal, Kathleen; Myburg, Alexander A

2017-01-31

As a consequence of their remarkable adaptability, fast growth, and superior wood properties, eucalypt tree plantations have emerged as key renewable feedstocks (over 20 million ha globally) for the production of pulp, paper, bioenergy, and other lignocellulosic products. However, most biomass properties such as growth, wood density, and wood chemistry are complex traits that are hard to improve in long-lived perennials. Systems genetics, a process of harnessing multiple levels of component trait information (e.g., transcript, protein, and metabolite variation) in populations that vary in complex traits, has proven effective for dissecting the genetics and biology of such traits. We have applied a network-based data integration (NBDI) method for a systems-level analysis of genes, processes and pathways underlying biomass and bioenergy-related traits using a segregating Eucalyptus hybrid population. We show that the integrative approach can link biologically meaningful sets of genes to complex traits and at the same time reveal the molecular basis of trait variation. Gene sets identified for related woody biomass traits were found to share regulatory loci, cluster in network neighborhoods, and exhibit enrichment for molecular functions such as xylan metabolism and cell wall development. These findings offer a framework for identifying the molecular underpinnings of complex biomass and bioprocessing-related traits. A more thorough understanding of the molecular basis of plant biomass traits should provide additional opportunities for the establishment of a sustainable bio-based economy.

Dissecting the genetics of complex traits using summary association statistics.

PubMed

Pasaniuc, Bogdan; Price, Alkes L

2017-02-01

During the past decade, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been used to successfully identify tens of thousands of genetic variants associated with complex traits and diseases. These studies have produced extensive repositories of genetic variation and trait measurements across large numbers of individuals, providing tremendous opportunities for further analyses. However, privacy concerns and other logistical considerations often limit access to individual-level genetic data, motivating the development of methods that analyse summary association statistics. Here, we review recent progress on statistical methods that leverage summary association data to gain insights into the genetic basis of complex traits and diseases.

Dissecting the genetics of complex traits using summary association statistics

PubMed Central

Pasaniuc, Bogdan; Price, Alkes L.

2017-01-01

During the past decade, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified tens of thousands of genetic variants associated with complex traits and diseases. These studies have produced extensive repositories of genetic variation and trait measurements across large numbers of individuals, providing tremendous opportunities for further analyses. However, privacy concerns and other logistical considerations often limit access to individual-level genetic data, motivating the development of methods that analyze summary association statistics. Here we review recent progress on statistical methods that leverage summary association data to gain insights into the genetic basis of complex traits and diseases. PMID:27840428

Films prepared from poly(vinyl alcohol) and amylose-fatty acid salt inclusion complexes with increased surface hydrophobicity and high elongation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this study, water-soluble amylose-inclusion complexes were prepared from high amylose corn starch and sodium salts of lauric, palmitic, and stearic acid by steam jet cooking. Cast films were prepared by combining the amylose complexes with poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVOH) solution at ratios varying from...

Market Anatomy of a Drought: Modeling Barge and Corn Market Adaptation to Reduced Rainfall and Low Mississippi River Water Levels During the 2012 Midwestern U.S. Drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, B.; Characklis, G. W.; Thurman, W. N.

2015-12-01

In mid 2012, a severe drought swept across the Midwest, the heartland of corn production in the U.S. When the drought persisted into late Fall, corn markets were affected in two distinct ways: (1) reduced rainfall led to projected and actual corn yields that were lower than expected and (2) navigation restrictions, a result of low water levels on the Mississippi River, disrupted barge transportation, the most common and inexpensive mode for moving corn to many markets. Both (1) and (2) led to significant financial losses, but due to the complexity of the economic system and the coincidence of two different market impacts, the size of the role that low water levels played wass unclear. This is important, as losses related to low water levels are used to justify substantial investments in dredging activities on the Mississippi River. An "engineering" model of the system, suggests that low water levels should drive large increases in barge and corn prices, while some econometric models suggest that water levels explain very little of the changes in barge rates and corn prices. Employing a model that integrates both the engineering and economic elements of the system indicates that corn prices and barge rates during the drought display spatial and temporal behavior that is difficult to explain using either the engineering or econometric models alone. This integrated model accounts for geographic and temporal variations in drought impacts and identifies unique market responses to four different sets of conditions over the drought's length. Results illustrate that corn and barge price responses during the drought were a product of comingled, but distinct, reactions to both supply changes and navigation disruptions. Results also provide a more structured description of how the economic system that governs corn allocation interacts with the Mississippi River system during drought. As both public and private parties discuss potential managerial or infrastructural methods for keeping shipping channels open during drought, the results of this work should help them to decide how different interventions might benefit or hurt barge operators and/or corn sellers.

Genetic and agronomic assessment of cob traits in corn under low and normal nitrogen management conditions.

PubMed

Jansen, Constantin; Zhang, Yongzhong; Liu, Hongjun; Gonzalez-Portilla, Pedro J; Lauter, Nick; Kumar, Bharath; Trucillo-Silva, Ignacio; Martin, Juan Pablo San; Lee, Michael; Simcox, Kevin; Schussler, Jeff; Dhugga, Kanwarpal; Lübberstedt, Thomas

2015-07-01

Exploring and understanding the genetic basis of cob biomass in relation to grain yield under varying nitrogen management regimes will help breeders to develop dual-purpose maize. With rising energy demands and costs for fossil fuels, alternative energy from renewable sources such as maize cobs will become competitive. Maize cobs have beneficial characteristics for utilization as feedstock including compact tissue, high cellulose content, and low ash and nitrogen content. Nitrogen is quantitatively the most important nutrient for plant growth. However, the influence of nitrogen fertilization on maize cob production is unclear. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been analyzed for cob morphological traits such as cob weight, volume, length, diameter and cob tissue density, and grain yield under normal and low nitrogen regimes. 213 doubled-haploid lines of the intermated B73 × Mo17 (IBM) Syn10 population have been resequenced for 8575 bins, based on SNP markers. A total of 138 QTL were found for six traits across six trials using composite interval mapping with ten cofactors and empirical comparison-wise thresholds (P = 0.001). Despite moderate to high repeatabilities across trials, few QTL were consistent across trials and overall levels of explained phenotypic variance were lower than expected some of the cob trait × trial combinations (R (2) = 7.3-43.1 %). Variation for cob traits was less affected by nitrogen conditions than by grain yield. Thus, the economics of cob usage under low nitrogen regimes is promising.

Drought-Tolerant Corn Hybrids Yield More in Drought-Stressed Environments with No Penalty in Non-stressed Environments

PubMed Central

Adee, Eric; Roozeboom, Kraig; Balboa, Guillermo R.; Schlegel, Alan; Ciampitti, Ignacio A.

2016-01-01

The potential benefit of drought-tolerant (DT) corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids may depend on drought intensity, duration, crop growth stage (timing), and the array of drought tolerance mechanisms present in selected hybrids. We hypothesized that corn hybrids containing DT traits would produce more consistent yields compared to non-DT hybrids in the presence of drought stress. The objective of this study was to define types of production environments where DT hybrids have a yield advantage compared to non-DT hybrids. Drought tolerant and non-DT hybrid pairs of similar maturity were planted in six site-years with different soil types, seasonal evapotranspiration (ET), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD), representing a range of macro-environments. Irrigation regimes and seeding rates were used to create several micro-environments within each macro-environment. Hybrid response to the range of macro and micro-environmental stresses were characterized in terms of water use efficiency, grain yield, and environmental index. Yield advantage of DT hybrids was positively correlated with environment ET and VPD. Drought tolerant hybrids yielded 5 to 7% more than non-DT hybrids in high and medium ET environments (>430 mm ET), corresponding to seasonal VPD greater than 1200 Pa. Environmental index analysis confirmed that DT hybrids were superior in stressful environments. Yield advantage for DT hybrids appeared as yield dropped below 10.8 Mg ha-1 and averaged as much as 0.6–1 Mg ha-1 at the low yield range. Hybrids with DT technology can offer a degree of buffering against drought stress by minimizing yield reduction, but also maintaining a comparable yield potential in high yielding environments. Further studies should focus on the physiological mechanisms presented in the commercially available corn drought tolerant hybrids. PMID:27790237

Resistance Risk Assessment of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to Vip3Aa20 Insecticidal Protein Expressed in Corn.

PubMed

Bernardi, Oderlei; Bernardi, Daniel; Amado, Douglas; Sousa, Renan S; Fatoretto, Julio; Medeiros, Fernanda C L; Conville, Jared; Burd, Tony; Omoto, Celso

2015-12-01

Transgenic Agrisure Viptera 3 corn that expresses Cry1Ab, Vip3Aa20, and EPSPS proteins and Agrisure Viptera expressing Vip3Aa20 are used for control of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) and Diatraea saccharalis (F.) in Brazil. To support a resistance management program, resistance risk assessment studies were conducted to characterize the dose expression of Vip3Aa20 protein and level of control against these species. The Vip3Aa20 expression in Agrisure Viptera 3 and Agrisure Viptera decreased from V6 to V10 stage of growth. However, Vip3Aa20 expression in Agrisure Viptera 3 at V6 and V10 stages was 13- and 16-fold greater than Cry1Ab, respectively. The Vip3Aa20 expression in lyophilized tissue of Agrisure Viptera 3 and Agrisure Viptera diluted 25-fold in an artificial diet caused complete larval mortality of S. frugiperda and D. saccharalis. In contrast, lyophilized tissue of Bt11 at the same dilution does not provide complete mortality of these species. Agrisure Viptera 3 and Agrisure Viptera also caused a high level of mortality against S. frugiperda and D. saccharalis. Moreover, 100% mortality was observed for S. frugiperda larvae (neonates through fifth-instar larvae) when fed in corn with the Vip trait technology. Viptera corn achieves a high level of control against S. frugiperda and D. saccharalis providing a high dose, which is an important determination to support the refuge strategy for an effective resistance management program. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mapping complex traits as a dynamic system

PubMed Central

Sun, Lidan; Wu, Rongling

2017-01-01

Despite increasing emphasis on the genetic study of quantitative traits, we are still far from being able to chart a clear picture of their genetic architecture, given an inherent complexity involved in trait formation. A competing theory for studying such complex traits has emerged by viewing their phenotypic formation as a “system” in which a high-dimensional group of interconnected components act and interact across different levels of biological organization from molecules through cells to whole organisms. This system is initiated by a machinery of DNA sequences that regulate a cascade of biochemical pathways to synthesize endophenotypes and further assemble these endophenotypes toward the end-point phenotype in virtue of various developmental changes. This review focuses on a conceptual framework for genetic mapping of complex traits by which to delineate the underlying components, interactions and mechanisms that govern the system according to biological principles and understand how these components function synergistically under the control of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) to comprise a unified whole. This framework is built by a system of differential equations that quantifies how alterations of different components lead to the global change of trait development and function, and provides a quantitative and testable platform for assessing the multiscale interplay between QTLs and development. The method will enable geneticists to shed light on the genetic complexity of any biological system and predict, alter or engineer its physiological and pathological states. PMID:25772476

Efficiency of a zinc lignosulfonate as Zn source for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) under hydroponic culture conditions.

PubMed

Martín-Ortiz, Diego; Hernández-Apaolaza, Lourdes; Gárate, Agustin

2009-01-14

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a zinc lignosulfonate (ZnLS) as Zn source for wheat and corn plants under hydroponic conditions. The Zn-complexing capacity of three commercial lignosulfonates (byproducts of the paper and pulp industry) was tested, and a LS-NH4, from spruce wood, was selected. Its efficacy as Zn fertilizer for wheat and corn plants was assessed at different pH values (7.0 and 8.0) in comparison with a chelate (ZnEDTA) and an inorganic salt (ZnSO4). For wheat at pH 7.0, it was concluded that the efficacy of the Zn fertilizers followed the sequence Zn-EDTA > Zn-LS approximately ZnSO4 > zero-Zn; and for wheat and corn at pH 8.0, similar results were obtained: Zn-LS > ZnSO4 approximately 0 Zn. These data give evidence that ZnLS could be used as Zn source to the roots of wheat and corn and seems to be more efficient than ZnSO4 to correct Zn deficiency in both plants.

Structure stabilization in starch-quinoa bran doughs: The role of water availability and gelatinization.

PubMed

Föste, Maike; Jekle, Mario; Becker, Thomas

2017-10-15

Bran is a promising ingredient for nutritional fortification in starch-based dough systems. However its incorporation is a technological challenge favoring a shift in dough functionality. The objective of this study was to elucidate the impact of bran on baking performance independent of dough firmness and start of gelatinization. Therefore, corn starch was replaced by quinoa bran (10% to 50%) and water addition (80-110g/100g flour) was standardized on a fixed complex shear modulus (G*) and start of gelatinization (T Onset ) based on a corn starch reference dough. A destabilizing effect by bran particles was counteracted in corn starch dough by adjusting the water content up to 110 g/100g flour. Moreover, a negative correlation between T Onset and loaf volume was determined (r=- 0.9042), thus an early T Onset should be aspired in order to prevent gas release and to stabilize corn starch- quinoa bran dough. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Not Available].

PubMed

El Ketani, A; Amir, F; Ali, T B; Hamdani, M; Zaghloul, K

2006-12-31

Les enfants célèbrent la fête de Achoura au Maroc par des jeux de feu, ce qui occasionne des blessures oculaires plus au moins graves. Nous rapportons 15 observations de malades traités au Service d'Ophtalmologie Pédiatrique de l'Hôpital 20 Août 1953 de Casablanca. L'âge moyen des patients était de 12 ans et demi, avec des extrêmes de 3 et 25 ans. Les pétards, la première cause des accidents (50%), ont occasionné des contusions oculaires avec parfois un oedème de Berlin (deux cas). L'atteinte oculaire par fusée a occasionné un éclatement de globe et une plaie de paupière. Les bombes de carbone ont été responsables de brûlures de deuxième degré palpébrales et conjonctivo-cornéennes avec de multiples corps étrangers cornéens profonds. Les «étoiles» et la limaille de fer ont provoqué des brûlures cornéennes moins graves avec des corps étrangers superficiels. Les pistolets à bille ont été responsables de contusions oculaires. La réglementation de vente des jeux de feu et la sensibilisation du grand public par les moyens audiovisuels permettraient de prévenir ces blessures oculaires.

Opportunities for Energy Crop Production Based on Subfield Scale Distribution of Profitability

DOE PAGES

Bonner, Ian J.; Cafferty, Kara G.; Muth, Jr., David J.; ...

2014-10-01

Incorporation of dedicated herbaceous energy crops into row crop landscapes is a promising means to supply an expanding biofuel industry while increasing biomass yields, benefiting soil and water quality, and increasing biodiversity. Despite these positive traits energy crops remain largely unaccepted due to concerns over their practicality and cost of implementation. This paper presents a case study on Hardin County, Iowa to demonstrate how subfield decision making can be used to target candidate areas for conversion to energy crop production. The strategy presented integrates switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) into subfield landscape positions where corn (Zea mays L.) grain is modeledmore » to operate at a net economic loss. The results of this analysis show that switchgrass integration has the potential to increase sustainable biomass production from 48 to 99% (depending on the rigor of conservation practices applied to corn stover collection) while also improving field level profitability. Candidate land area is highly sensitive to grain price (0.18 to 0.26 US$ kg-1) and dependent on the acceptable net profit for corn production (ranging from 0 to -1,000 US$ ha-1). This work presents the case that switchgrass can be economically implemented into row crop production landscapes when management decisions are applied at a subfield scale and compete against areas of the field operating at a negative net profit.« less

Genetic population structure of Fusarium graminearum species complex in Korean cereals

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Small grain cereals are frequently contaminated with toxigenic Fusarium species. Members of the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) are known as a head blight pathogens and mycotoxin producers. In order to characterize the FGSC populations associated with cereals in Korea, barley, corn, maiz...

Effects of Feeding Purple Rice (Oryza sativa L. Var. Glutinosa) on the Quality of Pork and Pork Products

PubMed Central

Jaturasitha, Sanchai; Ratanapradit, Punnares; Piawong, Witapong; Kreuzer, Michael

2016-01-01

Purple rice is a strain of glutaneous rice rich in anthocyanins and γ-oryzanol. Both types of compounds are involved in antioxidant and lipid metabolism of mammals. Three experimental diet types were used which consisted approximately by half either of purple rice, white rice or corn. Diets were fed to 3×10 pigs growing from about 30 to 100 kg. Meat samples were investigated either as raw or cured loin chops or as smoked bacon produced from the belly. Various physicochemical traits were assessed and data were evaluated by analysis of variance. Traits describing water-holding capacity (drip, thaw, and cooking losses) and tenderness (sensory grading, shear force) of the meat were mostly not significantly affected by the diet type. However, purple rice feeding of pigs resulted in lower fat and cholesterol contents of loin and smoked bacon compared to white rice, but not compared to corn feeding except of the fat content of the loin. The shelf life of the raw loin chops was improved by purple rice as well. In detail, the occurrence of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances after 9 days of chilled storage was three to four times higher in the white rice and corn diets than with purple rice. The n-6:n-3 ratio in the raw loin chops was 9:1 with purple rice and clearly higher with 12:1 with the other diets, meat lipids. Level and kind of effect of purple rice found in raw meat was not always recovered in the cured loin chops and the smoked bacon. Still the impression of flavor and color, as well as overall acceptability were best in the smoked bacon from the purple-rice fed pigs, whereas this effect did not occur in the cured loin chops. These findings suggest that purple rice has a certain, useful, bioactivity in pigs concerning meat quality, but some of these effects are of low practical relevance. Further studies have to show ways how transiency and low recovery in meat products of some of the effects can be counteracted. PMID:26949957

Network Analysis Reveals Putative Genes Affecting Meat Quality in Angus Cattle.

PubMed

Mateescu, Raluca G; Garrick, Dorian J; Reecy, James M

2017-01-01

Improvements in eating satisfaction will benefit consumers and should increase beef demand which is of interest to the beef industry. Tenderness, juiciness, and flavor are major determinants of the palatability of beef and are often used to reflect eating satisfaction. Carcass qualities are used as indicator traits for meat quality, with higher quality grade carcasses expected to relate to more tender and palatable meat. However, meat quality is a complex concept determined by many component traits making interpretation of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on any one component challenging to interpret. Recent approaches combining traditional GWAS with gene network interactions theory could be more efficient in dissecting the genetic architecture of complex traits. Phenotypic measures of 23 traits reflecting carcass characteristics, components of meat quality, along with mineral and peptide concentrations were used along with Illumina 54k bovine SNP genotypes to derive an annotated gene network associated with meat quality in 2,110 Angus beef cattle. The efficient mixed model association (EMMAX) approach in combination with a genomic relationship matrix was used to directly estimate the associations between 54k SNP genotypes and each of the 23 component traits. Genomic correlated regions were identified by partial correlations which were further used along with an information theory algorithm to derive gene network clusters. Correlated SNP across 23 component traits were subjected to network scoring and visualization software to identify significant SNP. Significant pathways implicated in the meat quality complex through GO term enrichment analysis included angiogenesis, inflammation, transmembrane transporter activity, and receptor activity. These results suggest that network analysis using partial correlations and annotation of significant SNP can reveal the genetic architecture of complex traits and provide novel information regarding biological mechanisms and genes that lead to complex phenotypes, like meat quality, and the nutritional and healthfulness value of beef. Improvements in genome annotation and knowledge of gene function will contribute to more comprehensive analyses that will advance our ability to dissect the complex architecture of complex traits.

A simple model clarifies the complicated relationships of complex networks

PubMed Central

Zheng, Bojin; Wu, Hongrun; Kuang, Li; Qin, Jun; Du, Wenhua; Wang, Jianmin; Li, Deyi

2014-01-01

Real-world networks such as the Internet and WWW have many common traits. Until now, hundreds of models were proposed to characterize these traits for understanding the networks. Because different models used very different mechanisms, it is widely believed that these traits origin from different causes. However, we find that a simple model based on optimisation can produce many traits, including scale-free, small-world, ultra small-world, Delta-distribution, compact, fractal, regular and random networks. Moreover, by revising the proposed model, the community-structure networks are generated. By this model and the revised versions, the complicated relationships of complex networks are illustrated. The model brings a new universal perspective to the understanding of complex networks and provide a universal method to model complex networks from the viewpoint of optimisation. PMID:25160506

Piezoelectric Resonance Enhanced Microwave And Optoelectronic Interactive Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

0080 glass complex permittivity measured by NECVP method near 4.01GHz (TE103) and 5.19 (TE105) GHz...144 Table A.4 Corning 0080 glass complex permittivity measured by post resonant technique ...... 144 Table A.5...144 Table A.6 Complex permittivity of Pyrex glass rod measured by NECVP method near 4.01GHz (TE103) and 5.19

Preparation and properties of amylose complexes prepared from hexadecylamine and its hydrochloride salt

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Amylose inclusion complexes were prepared from jet-cooked aqueous mixtures of high amylose corn starch and 1-hexadecylamine (HDA). Slow-cooling produced torus/disc-shaped spherulites, whereas aggregates of smaller spherulites were obtained by rapid-cooling in ice. The morphologies and 6(1)V x-ray ...

Effects of laccase on lignin depolymerization and enzymatic hydrolysis of ensiled corn stover.

PubMed

Chen, Qin; Marshall, Megan N; Geib, Scott M; Tien, Ming; Richard, Tom L

2012-08-01

The aim of this study was to explore the synergies of laccase, a ligninolytic enzyme, with cellulose and hemicellulase amendments on ensiled corn stover. Molecular signals of lignin decomposition were observed by tetramethylammonium hydroxide thermochemolysis and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (TMAH-GC-MS) analysis. The significant findings suggest that ensilage might provide a platform for biological pretreatment. By partially hydrolyzing cellulose and hemicellulose into soluble sugars, ensilage facilitates laccase penetration into the lignocellulose complex to enhance lignin degradation. Downstream cellulose hydrolysis was improved 7% with increasing laccase loading rate. These results demonstrate the potential of enzymes, either directly amended or expressed by microbes during ensilage, to maximize utilization of corn stover for cellulosic biofuels and other downstream fermentations. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Integrating genome-wide association study summaries and element-gene interaction datasets identified multiple associations between elements and complex diseases.

PubMed

He, Awen; Wang, Wenyu; Prakash, N Tejo; Tinkov, Alexey A; Skalny, Anatoly V; Wen, Yan; Hao, Jingcan; Guo, Xiong; Zhang, Feng

2018-03-01

Chemical elements are closely related to human health. Extensive genomic profile data of complex diseases offer us a good opportunity to systemically investigate the relationships between elements and complex diseases/traits. In this study, we applied gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) approach to detect the associations between elements and complex diseases/traits though integrating element-gene interaction datasets and genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of complex diseases/traits. To illustrate the performance of GSEA, the element-gene interaction datasets of 24 elements were extracted from the comparative toxicogenomics database (CTD). GWAS summary datasets of 24 complex diseases or traits were downloaded from the dbGaP or GEFOS websites. We observed significant associations between 7 elements and 13 complex diseases or traits (all false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05), including reported relationships such as aluminum vs. Alzheimer's disease (FDR = 0.042), calcium vs. bone mineral density (FDR = 0.031), magnesium vs. systemic lupus erythematosus (FDR = 0.012) as well as novel associations, such as nickel vs. hypertriglyceridemia (FDR = 0.002) and bipolar disorder (FDR = 0.027). Our study results are consistent with previous biological studies, supporting the good performance of GSEA. Our analyzing results based on GSEA framework provide novel clues for discovering causal relationships between elements and complex diseases. © 2017 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

Integrating Gene Expression with Summary Association Statistics to Identify Genes Associated with 30 Complex Traits.

PubMed

Mancuso, Nicholas; Shi, Huwenbo; Goddard, Pagé; Kichaev, Gleb; Gusev, Alexander; Pasaniuc, Bogdan

2017-03-02

Although genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified thousands of risk loci for many complex traits and diseases, the causal variants and genes at these loci remain largely unknown. Here, we introduce a method for estimating the local genetic correlation between gene expression and a complex trait and utilize it to estimate the genetic correlation due to predicted expression between pairs of traits. We integrated gene expression measurements from 45 expression panels with summary GWAS data to perform 30 multi-tissue transcriptome-wide association studies (TWASs). We identified 1,196 genes whose expression is associated with these traits; of these, 168 reside more than 0.5 Mb away from any previously reported GWAS significant variant. We then used our approach to find 43 pairs of traits with significant genetic correlation at the level of predicted expression; of these, eight were not found through genetic correlation at the SNP level. Finally, we used bi-directional regression to find evidence that BMI causally influences triglyceride levels and that triglyceride levels causally influence low-density lipoprotein. Together, our results provide insight into the role of gene expression in the susceptibility of complex traits and diseases. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic studies of plasma analytes identify novel potential biomarkers for several complex traits

PubMed Central

Deming, Yuetiva; Xia, Jian; Cai, Yefei; Lord, Jenny; Del-Aguila, Jorge L.; Fernandez, Maria Victoria; Carrell, David; Black, Kathleen; Budde, John; Ma, ShengMei; Saef, Benjamin; Howells, Bill; Bertelsen, Sarah; Bailey, Matthew; Ridge, Perry G.; Hefti, Franz; Fillit, Howard; Zimmerman, Earl A.; Celmins, Dzintra; Brown, Alice D.; Carrillo, Maria; Fleisher, Adam; Reeder, Stephanie; Trncic, Nadira; Burke, Anna; Tariot, Pierre; Reiman, Eric M.; Chen, Kewei; Sabbagh, Marwan N.; Beiden, Christine M.; Jacobson, Sandra A.; Sirrel, Sherye A.; Doody, Rachelle S.; Villanueva-Meyer, Javier; Chowdhury, Munir; Rountree, Susan; Dang, Mimi; Kowall, Neil; Killiany, Ronald; Budson, Andrew E.; Norbash, Alexander; Johnson, Patricia Lynn; Green, Robert C.; Marshall, Gad; Johnson, Keith A.; Sperling, Reisa A.; Snyder, Peter; Salloway, Stephen; Malloy, Paul; Correia, Stephen; Bernick, Charles; Munic, Donna; Stern, Yaakov; Honig, Lawrence S.; Bell, Karen L.; Relkin, Norman; Chaing, Gloria; Ravdin, Lisa; Paul, Steven; Flashman, Laura A.; Seltzer, Marc; Hynes, Mary L.; Santulli, Robert B.; Bates, Vernice; Capote, Horacio; Rainka, Michelle; Friedl, Karl; Murali Doraiswamy, P.; Petrella, Jeffrey R.; Borges-Neto, Salvador; James, Olga; Wong, Terence; Coleman, Edward; Schwartz, Adam; Cellar, Janet S.; Levey, Allan L.; Lah, James J.; Behan, Kelly; Scott Turner, Raymond; Johnson, Kathleen; Reynolds, Brigid; Pearlson, Godfrey D.; Blank, Karen; Anderson, Karen; Obisesan, Thomas O.; Wolday, Saba; Allard, Joanne; Lerner, Alan; Ogrocki, Paula; Tatsuoka, Curtis; Fatica, Parianne; Farlow, Martin R.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Foroud, Tatiana M.; Shen, Li; Faber, Kelly; Kim, Sungeun; Nho, Kwangsik; Marie Hake, Ann; Matthews, Brandy R.; Brosch, Jared R.; Herring, Scott; Hunt, Cynthia; Albert, Marilyn; Onyike, Chiadi; D’Agostino, Daniel; Kielb, Stephanie; Graff-Radford, Neill R; Parfitt, Francine; Kendall, Tracy; Johnson, Heather; Petersen, Ronald; Jack, Clifford R.; Bernstein, Matthew; Borowski, Bret; Gunter, Jeff; Senjem, Matt; Vemuri, Prashanthi; Jones, David; Kantarci, Kejal; Ward, Chad; Mason, Sara S.; Albers, Colleen S.; Knopman, David; Johnson, Kris; Chertkow, Howard; Hosein, Chris; Mintzer, Jacob; Spicer, Kenneth; Bachman, David; Grossman, Hillel; Mitsis, Effie; Pomara, Nunzio; Hernando, Raymundo; Sarrael, Antero; Potter, William; Buckholtz, Neil; Hsiao, John; Kittur, Smita; Galvin, James E.; Cerbone, Brittany; Michel, Christina A.; Pogorelec, Dana M.; Rusinek, Henry; de Leon, Mony J; Glodzik, Lidia; De Santi, Susan; Johnson, Nancy; Chuang-Kuo; Kerwin, Diana; Bonakdarpour, Borna; Weintraub, Sandra; Grafman, Jordan; Lipowski, Kristine; Mesulam, Marek-Marsel; Scharre, Douglas W.; Kataki, Maria; Adeli, Anahita; Kaye, Jeffrey; Quinn, Joseph; Silbert, Lisa; Lind, Betty; Carter, Raina; Dolen, Sara; Borrie, Michael; Lee, T-Y; Bartha, Rob; Martinez, Walter; Villena, Teresa; Sadowsky, Carl; Khachaturian, Zaven; Ott, Brian R.; Querfurth, Henry; Tremont, Geoffrey; Frank, Richard; Fleischman, Debra; Arfanakis, Konstantinos; Shah, Raj C.; deToledo-Morrell, Leyla; Sorensen, Greg; Finger, Elizabeth; Pasternack, Stephen; Rachinsky, Irina; Drost, Dick; Rogers, John; Kertesz, Andrew; Furst, Ansgar J.; Chad, Stevan; Yesavage, Jerome; Taylor, Joy L.; Lane, Barton; Rosen, Allyson; Tinklenberg, Jared; Black, Sandra; Stefanovic, Bojana; Caldwell, Curtis; Robin Hsiung, Ging-Yuek; Mudge, Benita; Assaly, Michele; Fox, Nick; Schultz, Susan K.; Boles Ponto, Laura L.; Shim, Hyungsub; Ekstam Smith, Karen; Burns, Jeffrey M.; Swerdlow, Russell H.; Brooks, William M.; Marson, Daniel; Griffith, Randall; Clark, David; Geldmacher, David; Brockington, John; Roberson, Erik; Natelson Love, Marissa; DeCarli, Charles; Carmichael, Owen; Olichney, John; Maillard, Pauline; Fletcher, Evan; Nguyen, Dana; Preda, Andrian; Potkin, Steven; Mulnard, Ruth A.; Thai, Gaby; McAdams-Ortiz, Catherine; Landau, Susan; Jagust, William; Apostolova, Liana; Tingus, Kathleen; Woo, Ellen; Silverman, Daniel H.S.; Lu, Po H.; Bartzokis, George; Thompson, Paul; Donohue, Michael; Thomas, Ronald G.; Walter, Sarah; Gessert, Devon; Brewer, James; Vanderswag, Helen; Sather, Tamie; Jiminez, Gus; Balasubramanian, Archana B.; Mason, Jennifer; Sim, Iris; Aisen, Paul; Davis, Melissa; Morrison, Rosemary; Harvey, Danielle; Thal, Lean; Beckett, Laurel; Neylan, Thomas; Finley, Shannon; Weiner, Michael W.; Hayes, Jacqueline; Rosen, Howard J.; Miller, Bruce L.; Perry, David; Massoglia, Dino; Brawman-Mentzer, Olga; Schuff, Norbert; Smith, Charles D.; Hardy, Peter; Sinha, Partha; Oates, Elizabeth; Conrad, Gary; Koeppe, Robert A.; Lord, Joanne L.; Heidebrink, Judith L.; Arnold, Steven E.; Karlawish, Jason H.; Wolk, David; Clark, Christopher M.; Trojanowki, John Q.; Shaw, Leslie M.; Lee, Virginia; Korecka, Magdalena; Figurski, Michal; Toga, Arthur W.; Crawford, Karen; Neu, Scott; Schneider, Lon S.; Pawluczyk, Sonia; Beccera, Mauricio; Teodoro, Liberty; Spann, Bryan M.; Womack, Kyle; Mathews, Dana; Quiceno, Mary; Foster, Norm; Montine, Tom; Fruehling, J. Jay; Harding, Sandra; Johnson, Sterling; Asthana, Sanjay; Carlsson, Cynthia M.; Petrie, Eric C.; Peskind, Elaine; Li, Gail; Porsteinsson, Anton P.; Goldstein, Bonnie S.; Martin, Kim; Makino, Kelly M.; Ismail, M. Saleem; Brand, Connie; Smith, Amanda; Ashok Raj, Balebail; Fargher, Kristin; Kuller, Lew; Mathis, Chet; Ann Oakley, Mary; Lopez, Oscar L.; Simpson, Donna M.; Sink, Kaycee M.; Gordineer, Leslie; Williamson, Jeff D.; Garg, Pradeep; Watkins, Franklin; Cairns, Nigel J.; Raichle, Marc; Morris, John C.; Householder, Erin; Taylor-Reinwald, Lisa; Holtzman, David; Ances, Beau; Carroll, Maria; Creech, Mary L.; Franklin, Erin; Mintun, Mark A.; Schneider, Stacy; Oliver, Angela; Duara, Ranjan; Varon, Daniel; Greig, Maria T.; Roberts, Peggy; Varma, Pradeep; MacAvoy, Martha G.; Carson, Richard E.; van Dyck, Christopher H.; Davies, Peter; Holtzman, David; Morris, John C.; Bales, Kelly; Pickering, Eve H.; Lee, Jin-Moo; Heitsch, Laura; Kauwe, John; Goate, Alison; Piccio, Laura; Cruchaga, Carlos

2016-01-01

Genome-wide association studies of 146 plasma protein levels in 818 individuals revealed 56 genome-wide significant associations (28 novel) with 47 analytes. Loci associated with plasma levels of 39 proteins tested have been previously associated with various complex traits such as heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Type 2 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. These data suggest that these plasma protein levels may constitute informative endophenotypes for these complex traits. We found three potential pleiotropic genes: ABO for plasma SELE and ACE levels, FUT2 for CA19-9 and CEA plasma levels, and APOE for ApoE and CRP levels. We also found multiple independent signals in loci associated with plasma levels of ApoH, CA19-9, FetuinA, IL6r, and LPa. Our study highlights the power of biological traits for genetic studies to identify genetic variants influencing clinically relevant traits, potential pleiotropic effects, and complex disease associations in the same locus.

Systems genetics approaches to understand complex traits

PubMed Central

Civelek, Mete; Lusis, Aldons J.

2014-01-01

Systems genetics is an approach to understand the flow of biological information that underlies complex traits. It uses a range of experimental and statistical methods to quantitate and integrate intermediate phenotypes, such as transcript, protein or metabolite levels, in populations that vary for traits of interest. Systems genetics studies have provided the first global view of the molecular architecture of complex traits and are useful for the identification of genes, pathways and networks that underlie common human diseases. Given the urgent need to understand how the thousands of loci that have been identified in genome-wide association studies contribute to disease susceptibility, systems genetics is likely to become an increasingly important approach to understanding both biology and disease. PMID:24296534

The search for Pleiades in trait constellations: functional integration and phenotypic selection in the complex flowers of Morrenia brachystephana (Apocynaceae).

PubMed

Baranzelli, M C; Sérsic, A N; Cocucci, A A

2014-04-01

Pollinator-mediated natural selection on single traits, such as corolla tube or spur length, has been well documented. However, flower phenotypes are usually complex, and selection is expected to act on several traits that functionally interact rather than on a single isolated trait. Despite the fact that selection on complex phenotypes is expectedly widespread, multivariate selection modelling on such phenotypes still remains under-explored in plants. Species of the subfamily Asclepiadoideae (Apocynaceae) provide an opportunity to study such complex flower contrivances integrated by fine-scaled organs from disparate developmental origin. We studied the correlation structure among linear floral traits (i) by testing a priori morphological, functional or developmental hypotheses among traits and (ii) by exploring the organization of flower covariation, considering alternative expectations of modular organization or whole flower integration through conditional dependence analysis (CDA) and integration matrices. The phenotypic selection approach was applied to determine whether floral traits involved in the functioning of the pollination mechanism were affected by natural selection. Floral integration was low, suggesting that flowers are organized in more than just one correlation pleiad; our hypothetical functional correlation matrix was significantly correlated with the empirical matrix, and the CDA revealed three putative modules. Analyses of phenotypic selection showed significant linear and correlational gradients, lending support to expectations of functional interactions between floral traits. Significant correlational selection gradients found involved traits of different floral whorls, providing evidence for the existence of functional integration across developmental domains. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Genetic constraints on wing pattern variation in Lycaeides butterflies: A case study on mapping complex, multifaceted traits in structured populations.

PubMed

Lucas, Lauren K; Nice, Chris C; Gompert, Zachariah

2018-03-13

Patterns of phenotypic variation within and among species can be shaped and constrained by trait genetic architecture. This is particularly true for complex traits, such as butterfly wing patterns, that consist of multiple elements. Understanding the genetics of complex trait variation across species boundaries is difficult, as it necessitates mapping in structured populations and can involve many loci with small or variable phenotypic effects. Here, we investigate the genetic architecture of complex wing pattern variation in Lycaeides butterflies as a case study of mapping multivariate traits in wild populations that include multiple nominal species or groups. We identify conserved modules of integrated wing pattern elements within populations and species. We show that trait covariances within modules have a genetic basis and thus represent genetic constraints that can channel evolution. Consistent with this, we find evidence that evolutionary changes in wing patterns among populations and species occur in the directions of genetic covariances within these groups. Thus, we show that genetic constraints affect patterns of biological diversity (wing pattern) in Lycaeides, and we provide an analytical template for similar work in other systems. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of liquid feeding of corn condensed distiller's solubles and whole stillage on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and sensory traits of pigs.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaojian; Nath, Carissa; Doering, Alan; Goihl, John; Baidoo, Samuel Kofi

2017-01-01

The immense growth in global bioethanol production has greatly increased the supply of by-products such as whole stillage and condensed distiller's solubles, which could be potentially used for animal feeding. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of liquid feeding high levels of corn condensed distiller's solubles (CCDS) and whole stillage (CWS) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, belly firmness and meat sensory traits of pigs. A total of 256 pigs were blocked by sex and initial BW (13.5 ± 2.5 kg), and pens of pigs (8 pigs/pen) were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 dietary treatments (8 pens/treatment): 1) corn-soybean meal based diet as control, 2) 25% CWS + 5% CCDS, 3) 19.5% CWS + 10.5% CCDS, and 4) 19.5, 26, and 32.5% CWS + 10.5, 14, and 17.5% CCDS in phases 1 (28 d), 2 (38 d), and 3 (60 d), respectively. Inclusion levels of CCDS and CWS for Treatments 1, 2, and 3 were fixed during all the three phases of the experiment. Inclusion levels of CWS and CCDS were on 88% dry matter basis. The liquid feeding system delivered feed from the mixing tank to feed troughs by high-pressure air, had sensors inside feed troughs, and recorded daily feed intake on the basis of a reference feed intake curve. The pigs were fed 5 to 10 times per day with increasing frequency during the experiment. Control pigs had greater ( P  < 0.05) average daily gain (0.91 vs. 0.84, 0.85, 0.85 kg/d) and gain to feed ratio (0.37 vs. 0.33, 0.34, 0.34) than pigs in the other three treatments during the overall period. Compared with the control, the other three groups had ( P  < 0.05) or tended to have ( P  < 0.10) lower carcass weight and backfat depth due to lighter ( P  < 0.05) slaughter body weight, but similar ( P  > 0.10) dressing percentage, loin muscle depth, and lean percentage were observed among the four treatments. Inclusion of CWS and CCDS reduced ( P  < 0.05) or tended to reduce ( P  < 0.10) belly firmness but did not influence ( P  > 0.10) the overall like, flavor, tenderness and juiciness of loin chops when compared with the control group. In conclusion, our results indicate that including 30-50% of a mixture of whole stillage and condensed distiller's solubles in the growing-finishing diets may reduce growth performance, carcass weight and belly firmness, but does not affect pork sensory traits.

Extruded foams prepared from high amylose starch with sodium stearate to form amylose inclusion complexes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Starch foams were prepared from high amylose corn starch in the presence and absence of sodium stearate and PVOH to determine how the formation of amylose-sodium stearate inclusion complexes and the addition of PVOH would affect foam properties. Low extrusion temperatures were used, and X-ray diffra...

Properties of extruded starch-poly(methyl acrylate) graft copolymers prepared from spherulites formed from amylose-oleic acid inclusion complexes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Mixtures of high amylose corn starch and oleic acid were processed by steam jet-cooking, and the dispersions were rapidly cooled to yield amylose-oleic acid inclusion complexes as sub-micron spherulites and spherulite aggregates. Dispersions of these spherulite particles were then graft polymerized ...

Structure-function properties of amylose-oleic acid inclusion complexes grafted with poly(methyl acrylate)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Spherulites, produced by steam jet-cooking high-amylose starch and oleic acid, were grafted with methyl acrylate, both before and after removal of un-complexed amylopectin. For comparison, granular high-amylose corn starch was graft polymerized in a similar manner. The amount of grafted and ungrafte...

Genetic and Genomic Analysis of a Fat Mass Trait with Complex Inheritance Reveals Marked Sex Specificity

PubMed Central

Wang, Hui; Drake, Thomas A; Lusis, Aldons J

2006-01-01

The integration of expression profiling with linkage analysis has increasingly been used to identify genes underlying complex phenotypes. The effects of gender on the regulation of many physiological traits are well documented; however, “genetical genomic” analyses have not yet addressed the degree to which their conclusions are affected by sex. We constructed and densely genotyped a large F2 intercross derived from the inbred mouse strains C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ on an apolipoprotein E null (ApoE−/−) background. This BXH.ApoE−/− population recapitulates several “metabolic syndrome” phenotypes. The cross consists of 334 animals of both sexes, allowing us to specifically test for the dependence of linkage on sex. We detected several thousand liver gene expression quantitative trait loci, a significant proportion of which are sex-biased. We used these analyses to dissect the genetics of gonadal fat mass, a complex trait with sex-specific regulation. We present evidence for a remarkably high degree of sex-dependence on both the cis and trans regulation of gene expression. We demonstrate how these analyses can be applied to the study of the genetics underlying gonadal fat mass, a complex trait showing significantly female-biased heritability. These data have implications on the potential effects of sex on the genetic regulation of other complex traits. PMID:16462940

Effects of dietary potato by-product and rumen-protected histidine on growth, carcass characteristics and quality attributes of beef.

PubMed

Thornton, K J; Richard, R P; Colle, M J; Doumit, M E; de Veth, M J; Hunt, C W; Murdoch, G K

2015-09-01

We hypothesized that variable composition in finishing rations, more specifically; the proportion of potato-by-product (PBP) and rumen protected histidine (His) supplementation may influence growth and meat quality attributes. Two different diets were fed (1) finishing ration with corn and barley as grains (CB, n = 20) and (2) substitution of 10% corn, DM basis, with PBP (PBP, n = 20). Additionally, half of each dietary treatment received 50 g/hd/d rumen protected His (HS, n= 20) while the other half received no supplement (NS, n = 20). Inclusion of 10% PBP or HS did not affect growth or carcass traits. Color stability was analyzed using Hunter color values as well as AMSA visual appraisal in both longissimus thoracis (LT) and gluteus medius (GM) muscles. The LT, but not the GM, of CB steers was more color stable over a 9 d simulated retail display compared to those fed a PB diet. Steers receiving HS produced significantly (P < 0.05) more color stable LT and GM steaks. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Progress of genome wide association study in domestic animals

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Domestic animals are invaluable resources for study of the molecular architecture of complex traits. Although the mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) responsible for economically important traits in domestic animals has achieved remarkable results in recent decades, not all of the genetic variation in the complex traits has been captured because of the low density of markers used in QTL mapping studies. The genome wide association study (GWAS), which utilizes high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), provides a new way to tackle this issue. Encouraging achievements in dissection of the genetic mechanisms of complex diseases in humans have resulted from the use of GWAS. At present, GWAS has been applied to the field of domestic animal breeding and genetics, and some advances have been made. Many genes or markers that affect economic traits of interest in domestic animals have been identified. In this review, advances in the use of GWAS in domestic animals are described. PMID:22958308

Decomposition rates and residue-colonizing microbial communities of Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein Cry3Bb-expressing (Bt) and non-Bt corn hybrids in the field.

PubMed

Xue, Kai; Serohijos, Raquel C; Devare, Medha; Thies, Janice E

2011-02-01

Despite the rapid adoption of crops expressing the insecticidal Cry protein(s) from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), public concern continues to mount over the potential environmental impacts. Reduced residue decomposition rates and increased tissue lignin concentrations reported for some Bt corn hybrids have been highlighted recently as they may influence soil carbon dynamics. We assessed the effects of MON863 Bt corn, producing the Cry3Bb protein against the corn rootworm complex, on these aspects and associated decomposer communities by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis. Litterbags containing cobs, roots, or stalks plus leaves from Bt and unmodified corn with (non-Bt+I) or without (non-Bt) insecticide applied were placed on the soil surface and at a 10-cm depth in field plots planted with these crop treatments. The litterbags were recovered and analyzed after 3.5, 15.5, and 25 months. No significant effect of treatment (Bt, non-Bt, and non-Bt+I) was observed on initial tissue lignin concentrations, litter decomposition rate, or bacterial decomposer communities. The effect of treatment on fungal decomposer communities was minor, with only 1 of 16 comparisons yielding separation by treatment. Environmental factors (litterbag recovery year, litterbag placement, and plot history) led to significant differences for most measured variables. Combined, these results indicate that the differences detected were driven primarily by environmental factors rather than by any differences between the corn hybrids or the use of tefluthrin. We conclude that the Cry3Bb corn tested in this study is unlikely to affect carbon residence time or turnover in soils receiving these crop residues.

Effect of extrusion conditions on physicochemical and sensorial properties of corn-broad beans (Vicia faba) spaghetti type pasta.

PubMed

Giménez, M A; González, R J; Wagner, J; Torres, R; Lobo, M O; Samman, N C

2013-01-15

Corn-broad bean spaghetti type pasta was made with a corn/broad bean flour blend in a 70:30 ratio, through an extrusion-cooking process (Brabender 10 DN single-screw extruder with a 3:1 compression ratio). The effect of temperature (T=80, 90 and 100°C) and moisture (M=28%, 31% and 34%) on the extrusion responses (specific consumption of mechanical energy and pressure) and the quality of this pasta-like product (expansion, cooking-related losses, water absorption, firmness and stickiness) was assessed. The structural changes of starch were studied by means of DSC and XRD. The extrusion-cooking process, at M=28% and T=100°C, is appropriate to obtain corn-broad bean spaghetti-type pasta with high protein and dietary fibre content and adequate quality. The cooking characteristics and resistance to overcooking depended on the degree of gelatinisation and formation of amylose-lipid complexes. The critical gelatinisation point was 46.55%; beyond that point, the quality of the product declines. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Powerful Approach to Estimating Annotation-Stratified Genetic Covariance via GWAS Summary Statistics.

PubMed

Lu, Qiongshi; Li, Boyang; Ou, Derek; Erlendsdottir, Margret; Powles, Ryan L; Jiang, Tony; Hu, Yiming; Chang, David; Jin, Chentian; Dai, Wei; He, Qidu; Liu, Zefeng; Mukherjee, Shubhabrata; Crane, Paul K; Zhao, Hongyu

2017-12-07

Despite the success of large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on complex traits, our understanding of their genetic architecture is far from complete. Jointly modeling multiple traits' genetic profiles has provided insights into the shared genetic basis of many complex traits. However, large-scale inference sets a high bar for both statistical power and biological interpretability. Here we introduce a principled framework to estimate annotation-stratified genetic covariance between traits using GWAS summary statistics. Through theoretical and numerical analyses, we demonstrate that our method provides accurate covariance estimates, thereby enabling researchers to dissect both the shared and distinct genetic architecture across traits to better understand their etiologies. Among 50 complex traits with publicly accessible GWAS summary statistics (N total ≈ 4.5 million), we identified more than 170 pairs with statistically significant genetic covariance. In particular, we found strong genetic covariance between late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), two major neurodegenerative diseases, in single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with high minor allele frequencies and in SNPs located in the predicted functional genome. Joint analysis of LOAD, ALS, and other traits highlights LOAD's correlation with cognitive traits and hints at an autoimmune component for ALS. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

E-Index for Differentiating Complex Dynamic Traits

PubMed Central

Qi, Jiandong; Sun, Jianfeng; Wang, Jianxin

2016-01-01

While it is a daunting challenge in current biology to understand how the underlying network of genes regulates complex dynamic traits, functional mapping, a tool for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), has been applied in a variety of cases to tackle this challenge. Though useful and powerful, functional mapping performs well only when one or more model parameters are clearly responsible for the developmental trajectory, typically being a logistic curve. Moreover, it does not work when the curves are more complex than that, especially when they are not monotonic. To overcome this inadaptability, we therefore propose a mathematical-biological concept and measurement, E-index (earliness-index), which cumulatively measures the earliness degree to which a variable (or a dynamic trait) increases or decreases its value. Theoretical proofs and simulation studies show that E-index is more general than functional mapping and can be applied to any complex dynamic traits, including those with logistic curves and those with nonmonotonic curves. Meanwhile, E-index vector is proposed as well to capture more subtle differences of developmental patterns. PMID:27064292

Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL)-Guided Metabolic Engineering of a Complex Trait.

PubMed

Maurer, Matthew J; Sutardja, Lawrence; Pinel, Dominic; Bauer, Stefan; Muehlbauer, Amanda L; Ames, Tyler D; Skerker, Jeffrey M; Arkin, Adam P

2017-03-17

Engineering complex phenotypes for industrial and synthetic biology applications is difficult and often confounds rational design. Bioethanol production from lignocellulosic feedstocks is a complex trait that requires multiple host systems to utilize, detoxify, and metabolize a mixture of sugars and inhibitors present in plant hydrolysates. Here, we demonstrate an integrated approach to discovering and optimizing host factors that impact fitness of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during fermentation of a Miscanthus x giganteus plant hydrolysate. We first used high-resolution Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping and systematic bulk Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis (bRHA) to discover 17 loci that differentiate hydrolysate tolerance between an industrially related (JAY291) and a laboratory (S288C) strain. We then used this data to identify a subset of favorable allelic loci that were most amenable for strain engineering. Guided by this "genetic blueprint", and using a dual-guide Cas9-based method to efficiently perform multikilobase locus replacements, we engineered an S288C-derived strain with superior hydrolysate tolerance than JAY291. Our methods should be generalizable to engineering any complex trait in S. cerevisiae, as well as other organisms.

The transformative potential of an integrative approach to pregnancy.

PubMed

Eidem, Haley R; McGary, Kriston L; Capra, John A; Abbot, Patrick; Rokas, Antonis

2017-09-01

Complex traits typically involve diverse biological pathways and are shaped by numerous genetic and environmental factors. Pregnancy-associated traits and pathologies are further complicated by extensive communication across multiple tissues in two individuals, interactions between two genomes-maternal and fetal-that obscure causal variants and lead to genetic conflict, and rapid evolution of pregnancy-associated traits across mammals and in the human lineage. Given the multi-faceted complexity of human pregnancy, integrative approaches that synthesize diverse data types and analyses harbor tremendous promise to identify the genetic architecture and environmental influences underlying pregnancy-associated traits and pathologies. We review current research that addresses the extreme complexities of traits and pathologies associated with human pregnancy. We find that successful efforts to address the many complexities of pregnancy-associated traits and pathologies often harness the power of many and diverse types of data, including genome-wide association studies, evolutionary analyses, multi-tissue transcriptomic profiles, and environmental conditions. We propose that understanding of pregnancy and its pathologies will be accelerated by computational platforms that provide easy access to integrated data and analyses. By simplifying the integration of diverse data, such platforms will provide a comprehensive synthesis that transcends many of the inherent challenges present in studies of pregnancy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of distiller's dried grains with solubles on ram lamb growth and reproductive traits.

PubMed

Crane, Alison R; Redden, Reid R; Crouse, Matthew S; Kirsch, James D; Borowicz, Pawel P; Held, Jeffrey E; Swanson, Kendall C; Schauer, Christopher S

2018-04-14

The hypothesis of this experiment was that increasing the inclusion level of distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in the diets would decrease semen quality but have no negative effects on growth performance. Following the removal of DDGS from the diet, it was hypothesized that the ram lambs would recover and become reproductively sound, independent of treatment. To test this hypothesis, Suffolk and Hampshire ram lambs (n = 112) were allocated to 4 treatments (n = 4 pens per treatment; 7 rams per pen) in a completely randomized design. Dietary treatments were 60% corn, 25% oats, and 15% commercial lamb pellet (CON), 15% of the ration as DDGS substituted for corn (% DM basis; 15DDGS), 30% of the ration as DDGS substituted for corn (% DM basis; 30DDGS), and 45% of the ration as DDGS substituted for corn (% DM basis; 45DDGS). Lambs were fed for 112 d on their respective treatment, after which they were placed on the CON ration until day 168. Lambs were weighed on consecutive d at the beginning (days 0 and 1) and end (days 167 and 168) of the study. Scrotal circumference was measured on all lambs on days 84, 112, 140, and 168. Semen samples were collected on a subset of 64 rams (4 rams per pen) to evaluate semen quality on days 84, 112, 140, and 168. Blood samples were collected on the same subset of rams every 14 d throughout the study. A quadratic effect on BW on day 112 and overall BW (P = 0.03 and P = 0.005, respectively), ADG on day 112 and overall ADG (P = 0.02 and P = 0.02, respectively), DMI (P = 0.007) on day 112, and a cubic effect (P = 0.05) for overall G:F were observed. Overall and day 168 scrotal circumference had a quadratic (P = 0.05) response. A linear increase in spermatozoa concentration on day 168 was observed (P = 0.03) as DDGS concentration increased in the treatment diets, although rams in this stage of the study were no longer receiving DDGS. Overall, testosterone concentrations exhibited a linear decrease (P = 0.005) as DDGS increased in the diet. The linear increase (P = 0.04) on day 168 in morphologically normal sperm as DDGS increased in the diets indicated that all rams, regardless of treatment, would have passed a reproductive soundness exam. In the current study, no negative effects were observed in lamb feedlot or reproductive traits due to increasing DDGS in the diet, indicating that DDGS may be included at levels up to 45% of growing lamb diets.

Comparative Effectiveness of Potential Elicitors of Plant Resistance against Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Four Crop Plants.

PubMed

Gordy, John W; Leonard, B Rogers; Blouin, David; Davis, Jeffrey A; Stout, Michael J

2015-01-01

Feeding by insect herbivores activates plant signaling pathways, resulting in the enhanced production of secondary metabolites and other resistance-related traits by injured plants. These traits can reduce insect fitness, deter feeding, and attract beneficial insects. Organic and inorganic chemicals applied as a foliar spray, seed treatment, or soil drench can activate these plant responses. Azelaic acid (AA), benzothiadiazole (BTH), gibberellic acid (GA), harpin, and jasmonic acid (JA) are thought to directly mediate plant responses to pathogens and herbivores or to mimic compounds that do. The effects of these potential elicitors on the induction of plant defenses were determined by measuring the weight gains of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (FAW) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae on four crop plants, cotton, corn, rice, and soybean, treated with the compounds under greenhouse conditions. Treatment with JA consistently reduced growth of FAW reared on treated cotton and soybean. In contrast, FAW fed BTH- and harpin-treated cotton and soybean tissue gained more weight than those fed control leaf tissue, consistent with negative crosstalk between the salicylic acid and JA signaling pathways. No induction or inconsistent induction of resistance was observed in corn and rice. Follow-up experiments showed that the co-application of adjuvants with JA failed to increase the effectiveness of induction by JA and that soybean looper [Chrysodeixis includens (Walker)], a relative specialist on legumes, was less affected by JA-induced responses in soybean than was the polyphagous FAW. Overall, the results of these experiments demonstrate that the effectiveness of elicitors as a management tactic will depend strongly on the identities of the crop, the pest, and the elicitor involved.

Higher value films prepared from poly(vinyl alcohol) and amylose-fatty acid derivatives inclusion complexes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water soluble amylose fatty acid and fatty ammonium salt inclusion complexes (AIC) were prepared by jet cooked high amylose corn starch with water soluble salts of long chain fatty acids or fatty amines. The formation of AIC was confirmed by X-ray diffraction of freeze-dried samples. After dissoluti...

Integrated genomics and molecular breeding approaches for dissecting the complex quantitative traits in crop plants.

PubMed

Kujur, Alice; Saxena, Maneesha S; Bajaj, Deepak; Laxmi; Parida, Swarup K

2013-12-01

The enormous population growth, climate change and global warming are now considered major threats to agriculture and world's food security. To improve the productivity and sustainability of agriculture, the development of highyielding and durable abiotic and biotic stress-tolerant cultivars and/climate resilient crops is essential. Henceforth, understanding the molecular mechanism and dissection of complex quantitative yield and stress tolerance traits is the prime objective in current agricultural biotechnology research. In recent years, tremendous progress has been made in plant genomics and molecular breeding research pertaining to conventional and next-generation whole genome, transcriptome and epigenome sequencing efforts, generation of huge genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic resources and development of modern genomics-assisted breeding approaches in diverse crop genotypes with contrasting yield and abiotic stress tolerance traits. Unfortunately, the detailed molecular mechanism and gene regulatory networks controlling such complex quantitative traits is not yet well understood in crop plants. Therefore, we propose an integrated strategies involving available enormous and diverse traditional and modern -omics (structural, functional, comparative and epigenomics) approaches/resources and genomics-assisted breeding methods which agricultural biotechnologist can adopt/utilize to dissect and decode the molecular and gene regulatory networks involved in the complex quantitative yield and stress tolerance traits in crop plants. This would provide clues and much needed inputs for rapid selection of novel functionally relevant molecular tags regulating such complex traits to expedite traditional and modern marker-assisted genetic enhancement studies in target crop species for developing high-yielding stress-tolerant varieties.

Poly-Omic Prediction of Complex Traits: OmicKriging

PubMed Central

Wheeler, Heather E.; Aquino-Michaels, Keston; Gamazon, Eric R.; Trubetskoy, Vassily V.; Dolan, M. Eileen; Huang, R. Stephanie; Cox, Nancy J.; Im, Hae Kyung

2014-01-01

High-confidence prediction of complex traits such as disease risk or drug response is an ultimate goal of personalized medicine. Although genome-wide association studies have discovered thousands of well-replicated polymorphisms associated with a broad spectrum of complex traits, the combined predictive power of these associations for any given trait is generally too low to be of clinical relevance. We propose a novel systems approach to complex trait prediction, which leverages and integrates similarity in genetic, transcriptomic, or other omics-level data. We translate the omic similarity into phenotypic similarity using a method called Kriging, commonly used in geostatistics and machine learning. Our method called OmicKriging emphasizes the use of a wide variety of systems-level data, such as those increasingly made available by comprehensive surveys of the genome, transcriptome, and epigenome, for complex trait prediction. Furthermore, our OmicKriging framework allows easy integration of prior information on the function of subsets of omics-level data from heterogeneous sources without the sometimes heavy computational burden of Bayesian approaches. Using seven disease datasets from the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC), we show that OmicKriging allows simple integration of sparse and highly polygenic components yielding comparable performance at a fraction of the computing time of a recently published Bayesian sparse linear mixed model method. Using a cellular growth phenotype, we show that integrating mRNA and microRNA expression data substantially increases performance over either dataset alone. Using clinical statin response, we show improved prediction over existing methods. PMID:24799323

MicroRNA-guided prioritization of genome-wide association signals reveals the importance of microRNA-target gene networks for complex traits in cattle.

PubMed

Fang, Lingzhao; Sørensen, Peter; Sahana, Goutam; Panitz, Frank; Su, Guosheng; Zhang, Shengli; Yu, Ying; Li, Bingjie; Ma, Li; Liu, George; Lund, Mogens Sandø; Thomsen, Bo

2018-06-19

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are key modulators of gene expression and so act as putative fine-tuners of complex phenotypes. Here, we hypothesized that causal variants of complex traits are enriched in miRNAs and miRNA-target networks. First, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for seven functional and milk production traits using imputed sequence variants (13~15 million) and >10,000 animals from three dairy cattle breeds, i.e., Holstein (HOL), Nordic red cattle (RDC) and Jersey (JER). Second, we analyzed for enrichments of association signals in miRNAs and their miRNA-target networks. Our results demonstrated that genomic regions harboring miRNA genes were significantly (P < 0.05) enriched with GWAS signals for milk production traits and mastitis, and that enrichments within miRNA-target gene networks were significantly higher than in random gene-sets for the majority of traits. Furthermore, most between-trait and across-breed correlations of enrichments with miRNA-target networks were significantly greater than with random gene-sets, suggesting pleiotropic effects of miRNAs. Intriguingly, genes that were differentially expressed in response to mammary gland infections were significantly enriched in the miRNA-target networks associated with mastitis. All these findings were consistent across three breeds. Collectively, our observations demonstrate the importance of miRNAs and their targets for the expression of complex traits.

Improving breeding efficiency in potato using molecular and quantitative genetics.

PubMed

Slater, Anthony T; Cogan, Noel O I; Hayes, Benjamin J; Schultz, Lee; Dale, M Finlay B; Bryan, Glenn J; Forster, John W

2014-11-01

Potatoes are highly heterozygous and the conventional breeding of superior germplasm is challenging, but use of a combination of MAS and EBVs can accelerate genetic gain. Cultivated potatoes are highly heterozygous due to their outbreeding nature, and suffer acute inbreeding depression. Modern potato cultivars also exhibit tetrasomic inheritance. Due to this genetic heterogeneity, the large number of target traits and the specific requirements of commercial cultivars, potato breeding is challenging. A conventional breeding strategy applies phenotypic recurrent selection over a number of generations, a process which can take over 10 years. Recently, major advances in genetics and molecular biology have provided breeders with molecular tools to accelerate gains for some traits. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) can be effectively used for the identification of major genes and quantitative trait loci that exhibit large effects. There are also a number of complex traits of interest, such as yield, that are influenced by a large number of genes of individual small effect where MAS will be difficult to deploy. Progeny testing and the use of pedigree in the analysis can provide effective identification of the superior genetic factors that underpin these complex traits. Recently, it has been shown that estimated breeding values (EBVs) can be developed for complex potato traits. Using a combination of MAS and EBVs for simple and complex traits can lead to a significant reduction in the length of the breeding cycle for the identification of superior germplasm.

Use of biological priors enhances understanding of genetic architecture and genomic prediction of complex traits within and between dairy cattle breeds.

PubMed

Fang, Lingzhao; Sahana, Goutam; Ma, Peipei; Su, Guosheng; Yu, Ying; Zhang, Shengli; Lund, Mogens Sandø; Sørensen, Peter

2017-08-10

A better understanding of the genetic architecture underlying complex traits (e.g., the distribution of causal variants and their effects) may aid in the genomic prediction. Here, we hypothesized that the genomic variants of complex traits might be enriched in a subset of genomic regions defined by genes grouped on the basis of "Gene Ontology" (GO), and that incorporating this independent biological information into genomic prediction models might improve their predictive ability. Four complex traits (i.e., milk, fat and protein yields, and mastitis) together with imputed sequence variants in Holstein (HOL) and Jersey (JER) cattle were analysed. We first carried out a post-GWAS analysis in a HOL training population to assess the degree of enrichment of the association signals in the gene regions defined by each GO term. We then extended the genomic best linear unbiased prediction model (GBLUP) to a genomic feature BLUP (GFBLUP) model, including an additional genomic effect quantifying the joint effect of a group of variants located in a genomic feature. The GBLUP model using a single random effect assumes that all genomic variants contribute to the genomic relationship equally, whereas GFBLUP attributes different weights to the individual genomic relationships in the prediction equation based on the estimated genomic parameters. Our results demonstrate that the immune-relevant GO terms were more associated with mastitis than milk production, and several biologically meaningful GO terms improved the prediction accuracy with GFBLUP for the four traits, as compared with GBLUP. The improvement of the genomic prediction between breeds (the average increase across the four traits was 0.161) was more apparent than that it was within the HOL (the average increase across the four traits was 0.020). Our genomic feature modelling approaches provide a framework to simultaneously explore the genetic architecture and genomic prediction of complex traits by taking advantage of independent biological knowledge.

Corn forage biological pretreatment by Trametes versicolor in a tray bioreactor.

PubMed

Planinić, Mirela; Zelić, Bruno; Čubel, Ivan; Bucić-Kojić, Ana; Tišma, Marina

2016-08-01

Trametes versicolor is a white-rot fungus known to be efficient in lignin removal due to its complex extracellular lignocellulolytic enzymatic system. Therefore, it can be used in the treatment of lignocellulose waste from agro, food, and wood industries. In a first experiment, corn forage treatment with T. versicolor was investigated in laboratory jars. In a second experiment, the process was scaled up to a tray bioreactor. In the tray bioreactor, the process of lignin degradation was improved, resulting in an increase in lignin conversion of up to 71% during seven days' treatment. © The Author(s) 2016.

Integrative approaches for large-scale transcriptome-wide association studies

PubMed Central

Gusev, Alexander; Ko, Arthur; Shi, Huwenbo; Bhatia, Gaurav; Chung, Wonil; Penninx, Brenda W J H; Jansen, Rick; de Geus, Eco JC; Boomsma, Dorret I; Wright, Fred A; Sullivan, Patrick F; Nikkola, Elina; Alvarez, Marcus; Civelek, Mete; Lusis, Aldons J.; Lehtimäki, Terho; Raitoharju, Emma; Kähönen, Mika; Seppälä, Ilkka; Raitakari, Olli T.; Kuusisto, Johanna; Laakso, Markku; Price, Alkes L.; Pajukanta, Päivi; Pasaniuc, Bogdan

2016-01-01

Many genetic variants influence complex traits by modulating gene expression, thus altering the abundance levels of one or multiple proteins. Here, we introduce a powerful strategy that integrates gene expression measurements with summary association statistics from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify genes whose cis-regulated expression is associated to complex traits. We leverage expression imputation to perform a transcriptome wide association scan (TWAS) to identify significant expression-trait associations. We applied our approaches to expression data from blood and adipose tissue measured in ~3,000 individuals overall. We imputed gene expression into GWAS data from over 900,000 phenotype measurements to identify 69 novel genes significantly associated to obesity-related traits (BMI, lipids, and height). Many of the novel genes are associated with relevant phenotypes in the Hybrid Mouse Diversity Panel. Our results showcase the power of integrating genotype, gene expression and phenotype to gain insights into the genetic basis of complex traits. PMID:26854917

Sensitivity assessment of freshwater macroinvertebrates to pesticides using biological traits.

PubMed

Ippolito, A; Todeschini, R; Vighi, M

2012-03-01

Assessing the sensitivity of different species to chemicals is one of the key points in predicting the effects of toxic compounds in the environment. Trait-based predicting methods have proved to be extremely efficient for assessing the sensitivity of macroinvertebrates toward compounds with non specific toxicity (narcotics). Nevertheless, predicting the sensitivity of organisms toward compounds with specific toxicity is much more complex, since it depends on the mode of action of the chemical. The aim of this work was to predict the sensitivity of several freshwater macroinvertebrates toward three classes of plant protection products: organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids. Two databases were built: one with sensitivity data (retrieved, evaluated and selected from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ECOTOX database) and the other with biological traits. Aside from the "traditional" traits usually considered in ecological analysis (i.e. body size, respiration technique, feeding habits, etc.), multivariate analysis was used to relate the sensitivity of organisms to some other characteristics which may be involved in the process of intoxication. Results confirmed that, besides traditional biological traits, related to uptake capability (e.g. body size and body shape) some traits more related to particular metabolic characteristics or patterns have a good predictive capacity on the sensitivity to these kinds of toxic substances. For example, behavioral complexity, assumed as an indicator of nervous system complexity, proved to be an important predictor of sensitivity towards these compounds. These results confirm the need for more complex traits to predict effects of highly specific substances. One key point for achieving a complete mechanistic understanding of the process is the choice of traits, whose role in the discrimination of sensitivity should be clearly interpretable, and not only statistically significant.

Advanced complex trait analysis.

PubMed

Gray, A; Stewart, I; Tenesa, A

2012-12-01

The Genome-wide Complex Trait Analysis (GCTA) software package can quantify the contribution of genetic variation to phenotypic variation for complex traits. However, as those datasets of interest continue to increase in size, GCTA becomes increasingly computationally prohibitive. We present an adapted version, Advanced Complex Trait Analysis (ACTA), demonstrating dramatically improved performance. We restructure the genetic relationship matrix (GRM) estimation phase of the code and introduce the highly optimized parallel Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms (BLAS) library combined with manual parallelization and optimization. We introduce the Linear Algebra PACKage (LAPACK) library into the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) analysis stage. For a test case with 8999 individuals and 279,435 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we reduce the total runtime, using a compute node with two multi-core Intel Nehalem CPUs, from ∼17 h to ∼11 min. The source code is fully available under the GNU Public License, along with Linux binaries. For more information see http://www.epcc.ed.ac.uk/software-products/acta. a.gray@ed.ac.uk Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Constitutional mechanisms of vulnerability and resilience to nicotine dependence

PubMed Central

Hiroi, N; Scott, D

2017-01-01

The core nature of nicotine dependence is evident in wide variations in how individuals become and remain smokers. Individuals with pre-existing behavioral traits are more likely to develop nicotine dependence and experience difficulty when attempting to quit. Many molecular factors likely contribute to individual variations in the development of nicotine dependence and behavioral traits in complex manners. However, the identification of such molecules has been hampered by the phenotypic complexity of nicotine dependence and the complex ways molecules affect elements of nicotine dependence. We hypothesize that nicotine dependence is, in part, a result of interactions between nicotine and pre-existing behavioral traits. This perspective suggests that the identification of the molecular bases of such pre-existing behavioral traits will contribute to the development of effective methods for reducing smoking dependence and for helping smokers to quit. PMID:19238150

Untargeted Metabolic Quantitative Trait Loci Analyses Reveal a Relationship between Primary Metabolism and Potato Tuber Quality1[W][OA

PubMed Central

Carreno-Quintero, Natalia; Acharjee, Animesh; Maliepaard, Chris; Bachem, Christian W.B.; Mumm, Roland; Bouwmeester, Harro; Visser, Richard G.F.; Keurentjes, Joost J.B.

2012-01-01

Recent advances in -omics technologies such as transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics along with genotypic profiling have permitted dissection of the genetics of complex traits represented by molecular phenotypes in nonmodel species. To identify the genetic factors underlying variation in primary metabolism in potato (Solanum tuberosum), we have profiled primary metabolite content in a diploid potato mapping population, derived from crosses between S. tuberosum and wild relatives, using gas chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry. In total, 139 polar metabolites were detected, of which we identified metabolite quantitative trait loci for approximately 72% of the detected compounds. In order to obtain an insight into the relationships between metabolic traits and classical phenotypic traits, we also analyzed statistical associations between them. The combined analysis of genetic information through quantitative trait locus coincidence and the application of statistical learning methods provide information on putative indicators associated with the alterations in metabolic networks that affect complex phenotypic traits. PMID:22223596

Small- and Large-Effect Quantitative Trait Locus Interactions Underlie Variation in Yeast Sporulation Efficiency

PubMed Central

Lorenz, Kim; Cohen, Barak A.

2012-01-01

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) with small effects on phenotypic variation can be difficult to detect and analyze. Because of this a large fraction of the genetic architecture of many complex traits is not well understood. Here we use sporulation efficiency in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model complex trait to identify and study small-effect QTL. In crosses where the large-effect quantitative trait nucleotides (QTN) have been genetically fixed we identify small-effect QTL that explain approximately half of the remaining variation not explained by the major effects. We find that small-effect QTL are often physically linked to large-effect QTL and that there are extensive genetic interactions between small- and large-effect QTL. A more complete understanding of quantitative traits will require a better understanding of the numbers, effect sizes, and genetic interactions of small-effect QTL. PMID:22942125

Enhancing genomic prediction with genome-wide association studies in multiparental maize populations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Genome-wide association mapping using dense marker sets has identified some nucleotide variants affecting complex traits which have been validated with fine-mapping and functional analysis. Many sequence variants associated with complex traits in maize have small effects and low repeatability, howev...

New insights from monogenic diabetes for “common” type 2 diabetes

PubMed Central

Tallapragada, Divya Sri Priyanka; Bhaskar, Seema; Chandak, Giriraj R.

2015-01-01

Boundaries between monogenic and complex genetic diseases are becoming increasingly blurred, as a result of better understanding of phenotypes and their genetic determinants. This had a large impact on the way complex disease genetics is now being investigated. Starting with conventional approaches like familial linkage, positional cloning and candidate genes strategies, the scope of complex disease genetics has grown exponentially with scientific and technological advances in recent times. Despite identification of multiple loci harboring common and rare variants associated with complex diseases, interpreting and evaluating their functional role has proven to be difficult. Information from monogenic diseases, especially related to the intermediate traits associated with complex diseases comes handy. The significant overlap between traits and phenotypes of monogenic diseases with related complex diseases provides a platform to understand the disease biology better. In this review, we would discuss about one such complex disease, type 2 diabetes, which shares marked similarity of intermediate traits with different forms of monogenic diabetes. PMID:26300908

Mapping of quantitative trait loci controlling adaptive traits in coastal Douglas-fir. III

Treesearch

Kathleen D. Jermstad; Daniel L. Bassoni; Keith S. Jech; Gary A. Ritchie; Nicholas C. Wheeler; David B. Neale

2003-01-01

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) were mapped in the woody perennial Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) for complex traits controlling the timing of growth initiation and growth cessation. QTL were estimated under controlled environmental conditions to identify QTL interactions with photoperiod, moisture stress, winter chilling, and spring...

The Impact of Population Demography and Selection on the Genetic Architecture of Complex Traits

PubMed Central

Lohmueller, Kirk E.

2014-01-01

Population genetic studies have found evidence for dramatic population growth in recent human history. It is unclear how this recent population growth, combined with the effects of negative natural selection, has affected patterns of deleterious variation, as well as the number, frequency, and effect sizes of mutations that contribute risk to complex traits. Because researchers are performing exome sequencing studies aimed at uncovering the role of low-frequency variants in the risk of complex traits, this topic is of critical importance. Here I use simulations under population genetic models where a proportion of the heritability of the trait is accounted for by mutations in a subset of the exome. I show that recent population growth increases the proportion of nonsynonymous variants segregating in the population, but does not affect the genetic load relative to a population that did not expand. Under a model where a mutation's effect on a trait is correlated with its effect on fitness, rare variants explain a greater portion of the additive genetic variance of the trait in a population that has recently expanded than in a population that did not recently expand. Further, when using a single-marker test, for a given false-positive rate and sample size, recent population growth decreases the expected number of significant associations with the trait relative to the number detected in a population that did not expand. However, in a model where there is no correlation between a mutation's effect on fitness and the effect on the trait, common variants account for much of the additive genetic variance, regardless of demography. Moreover, here demography does not affect the number of significant associations detected. These findings suggest recent population history may be an important factor influencing the power of association tests and in accounting for the missing heritability of certain complex traits. PMID:24875776

Joint Analysis of Strain and Parent-of-Origin Effects for Recombinant Inbred Intercrosses Generated from Multiparent Populations with the Collaborative Cross as an Example.

PubMed

Liu, Yanyan; Xiong, Sican; Sun, Wei; Zou, Fei

2018-02-02

Multiparent populations (MPP) have become popular resources for complex trait mapping because of their wider allelic diversity and larger population size compared with traditional two-way recombinant inbred (RI) strains. In mice, the collaborative cross (CC) is one of the most popular MPP and is derived from eight genetically diverse inbred founder strains. The strategy of generating RI intercrosses (RIX) from MPP in general and from the CC in particular can produce a large number of completely reproducible heterozygote genomes that better represent the (outbred) human population. Since both maternal and paternal haplotypes of each RIX are readily available, RIX is a powerful resource for studying both standing genetic and epigenetic variations of complex traits, in particular, the parent-of-origin (PoO) effects, which are important contributors to many complex traits. Furthermore, most complex traits are affected by >1 genes, where multiple quantitative trait locus mapping could be more advantageous. In this paper, for MPP-RIX data but taking CC-RIX as a working example, we propose a general Bayesian variable selection procedure to simultaneously search for multiple genes with founder allelic effects and PoO effects. The proposed model respects the complex relationship among RIX samples, and the performance of the proposed method is examined by extensive simulations. Copyright © 2018 Liu et al.

Phenotyping: Using Machine Learning for Improved Pairwise Genotype Classification Based on Root Traits

PubMed Central

Zhao, Jiangsan; Bodner, Gernot; Rewald, Boris

2016-01-01

Phenotyping local crop cultivars is becoming more and more important, as they are an important genetic source for breeding – especially in regard to inherent root system architectures. Machine learning algorithms are promising tools to assist in the analysis of complex data sets; novel approaches are need to apply them on root phenotyping data of mature plants. A greenhouse experiment was conducted in large, sand-filled columns to differentiate 16 European Pisum sativum cultivars based on 36 manually derived root traits. Through combining random forest and support vector machine models, machine learning algorithms were successfully used for unbiased identification of most distinguishing root traits and subsequent pairwise cultivar differentiation. Up to 86% of pea cultivar pairs could be distinguished based on top five important root traits (Timp5) – Timp5 differed widely between cultivar pairs. Selecting top important root traits (Timp) provided a significant improved classification compared to using all available traits or randomly selected trait sets. The most frequent Timp of mature pea cultivars was total surface area of lateral roots originating from tap root segments at 0–5 cm depth. The high classification rate implies that culturing did not lead to a major loss of variability in root system architecture in the studied pea cultivars. Our results illustrate the potential of machine learning approaches for unbiased (root) trait selection and cultivar classification based on rather small, complex phenotypic data sets derived from pot experiments. Powerful statistical approaches are essential to make use of the increasing amount of (root) phenotyping information, integrating the complex trait sets describing crop cultivars. PMID:27999587

Comparison of ethanol production from corn cobs and switchgrass following a pyrolysis-based biorefinery approach.

PubMed

Luque, Luis; Oudenhoven, Stijn; Westerhof, Roel; van Rossum, Guus; Berruti, Franco; Kersten, Sascha; Rehmann, Lars

2016-01-01

One of the main obstacles in lignocellulosic ethanol production is the necessity of pretreatment and fractionation of the biomass feedstocks to produce sufficiently pure fermentable carbohydrates. In addition, the by-products (hemicellulose and lignin fraction) are of low value, when compared to dried distillers grains (DDG), the main by-product of corn ethanol. Fast pyrolysis is an alternative thermal conversion technology for processing biomass. It has recently been optimized to produce a stream rich in levoglucosan, a fermentable glucose precursor for biofuel production. Additional product streams might be of value to the petrochemical industry. However, biomass heterogeneity is known to impact the composition of pyrolytic product streams, as a complex mixture of aromatic compounds is recovered with the sugars, interfering with subsequent fermentation. The present study investigates the feasibility of fast pyrolysis to produce fermentable pyrolytic glucose from two abundant lignocellulosic biomass sources in Ontario, switchgrass (potential energy crop) and corn cobs (by-product of corn industry). Demineralization of biomass removes catalytic centers and increases the levoglucosan yield during pyrolysis. The ash content of biomass was significantly decreased by 82-90% in corn cobs when demineralized with acetic or nitric acid, respectively. In switchgrass, a reduction of only 50% for both acids could be achieved. Conversely, levoglucosan production increased 9- and 14-fold in corn cobs when rinsed with acetic and nitric acid, respectively, and increased 11-fold in switchgrass regardless of the acid used. After pyrolysis, different configurations for upgrading the pyrolytic sugars were assessed and the presence of potentially inhibitory compounds was approximated at each step as double integral of the UV spectrum signal of an HPLC assay. The results showed that water extraction followed by acid hydrolysis and solvent extraction was the best upgrading strategy. Ethanol yields achieved based on initial cellulose fraction were 27.8% in switchgrass and 27.0% in corn cobs. This study demonstrates that ethanol production from switchgrass and corn cobs is possible following a combined thermochemical and fermentative biorefinery approach, with ethanol yields comparable to results in conventional pretreatments and fermentation processes. The feedstock-independent fermentation ability can easily be assessed with a simple assay.

Loci under selection and markers associated with host plant and host-related strains shape the genetic structure of Brazilian populations of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae).

PubMed

Silva-Brandão, Karina Lucas; Peruchi, Aline; Seraphim, Noemy; Murad, Natália Faraj; Carvalho, Renato Assis; Farias, Juliano Ricardo; Omoto, Celso; Cônsoli, Fernando Luis; Figueira, Antonio; Brandão, Marcelo Mendes

2018-01-01

We applied the ddRAD genotyping-by-sequencing technique to investigate the genetic distinctiveness of Brazilian populations of the noctuid moth Spodoptera frugiperda, the fall armyworm (FAW), and the role of host-plant association as a source of genetic diversification. By strain-genotyping all field-collected individuals we found that populations collected from corn were composed primarily of corn-strain individuals, while the population collected from rice was composed almost entirely of rice-strain individuals. Outlier analyses indicated 1,184 loci putatively under selection (ca. 15% of the total) related to 194 different Gene Ontologies (GOs); the most numerous GOs were nucleotide binding, ATP binding, metal-ion binding and nucleic-acid binding. The association analyses indicated 326 loci associated with the host plant, and 216 loci associated with the individual strain, including functions related to Bacillus thuringiensis and insecticide resistance. The genetic-structure analyses indicated a moderate level of differentiation among all populations, and lower genetic structure among populations collected exclusively from corn, which suggests that the population collected from rice has a strong influence on the overall genetic structure. Populations of S. frugiperda are structured partially due to the host plant, and pairs of populations using the same host plant are more genetically similar than pairs using different hosts. Loci putatively under selection are the main factors responsible for the genetic structure of these populations, which indicates that adaptive selection on important traits, including the response to control tactics, is acting in the genetic differentiation of FAW populations in Brazil.

Loci under selection and markers associated with host plant and host-related strains shape the genetic structure of Brazilian populations of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

PubMed Central

Peruchi, Aline; Seraphim, Noemy; Murad, Natália Faraj; Carvalho, Renato Assis; Farias, Juliano Ricardo; Omoto, Celso; Cônsoli, Fernando Luis; Figueira, Antonio; Brandão, Marcelo Mendes

2018-01-01

We applied the ddRAD genotyping-by-sequencing technique to investigate the genetic distinctiveness of Brazilian populations of the noctuid moth Spodoptera frugiperda, the fall armyworm (FAW), and the role of host-plant association as a source of genetic diversification. By strain-genotyping all field-collected individuals we found that populations collected from corn were composed primarily of corn-strain individuals, while the population collected from rice was composed almost entirely of rice-strain individuals. Outlier analyses indicated 1,184 loci putatively under selection (ca. 15% of the total) related to 194 different Gene Ontologies (GOs); the most numerous GOs were nucleotide binding, ATP binding, metal-ion binding and nucleic-acid binding. The association analyses indicated 326 loci associated with the host plant, and 216 loci associated with the individual strain, including functions related to Bacillus thuringiensis and insecticide resistance. The genetic-structure analyses indicated a moderate level of differentiation among all populations, and lower genetic structure among populations collected exclusively from corn, which suggests that the population collected from rice has a strong influence on the overall genetic structure. Populations of S. frugiperda are structured partially due to the host plant, and pairs of populations using the same host plant are more genetically similar than pairs using different hosts. Loci putatively under selection are the main factors responsible for the genetic structure of these populations, which indicates that adaptive selection on important traits, including the response to control tactics, is acting in the genetic differentiation of FAW populations in Brazil. PMID:29787608

Genetic Complexity and Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping of Yeast Morphological Traits

PubMed Central

Nogami, Satoru; Ohya, Yoshikazu; Yvert, Gaël

2007-01-01

Functional genomics relies on two essential parameters: the sensitivity of phenotypic measures and the power to detect genomic perturbations that cause phenotypic variations. In model organisms, two types of perturbations are widely used. Artificial mutations can be introduced in virtually any gene and allow the systematic analysis of gene function via mutants fitness. Alternatively, natural genetic variations can be associated to particular phenotypes via genetic mapping. However, the access to genome manipulation and breeding provided by model organisms is sometimes counterbalanced by phenotyping limitations. Here we investigated the natural genetic diversity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cellular morphology using a very sensitive high-throughput imaging platform. We quantified 501 morphological parameters in over 50,000 yeast cells from a cross between two wild-type divergent backgrounds. Extensive morphological differences were found between these backgrounds. The genetic architecture of the traits was complex, with evidence of both epistasis and transgressive segregation. We mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) for 67 traits and discovered 364 correlations between traits segregation and inheritance of gene expression levels. We validated one QTL by the replacement of a single base in the genome. This study illustrates the natural diversity and complexity of cellular traits among natural yeast strains and provides an ideal framework for a genetical genomics dissection of multiple traits. Our results did not overlap with results previously obtained from systematic deletion strains, showing that both approaches are necessary for the functional exploration of genomes. PMID:17319748

From genotype to phenotype: unraveling the complexities of cold adaptation in forest trees

Treesearch

Glenn T. Howe; Sally N. Aitken; David B. Neale; Kathleen D. Jermstad; Nicholas C. Wheeler; Tony H.H Chen

2003-01-01

Adaptation to winter cold in temperate and boreal trees involves complex genetic, physiological, and developmental processes. Genecological studies demonstrate the existence of steep genetic clines for cold adaptation traits in relation to environmental (mostly temperature related) gradients. Population differentiation is generally stronger for cold adaptation traits...

Gout Diet

MedlinePlus

... provide complex carbohydrates. Avoid foods and beverages with high-fructose corn syrup, and limit consumption of naturally sweet fruit juices. Water. Stay well-hydrated by drinking water. Fats. Cut back on saturated ... fatty poultry and high-fat dairy products. Proteins. Focus on lean meat ...

32. STUDIO VIEW OF PLAQUE PLACED ON MILL HOUSE AT ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

32. STUDIO VIEW OF PLAQUE PLACED ON MILL HOUSE AT TIME OF COMPLETION, COMMEMORATING EDWARD J. LUKE (SEE TEXT) - Sperry Corn Elevator Complex, Weber Avenue (North side), West of Edison Street, Stockton, San Joaquin County, CA

Indicators of the statuses of amphibian populations and their potential for exposure to atrazine in four midwestern U.S. conservation areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sadinski, Walter; Roth, Mark; Hayes, Tyrone; Jones, Perry; Gallant, Alisa

2014-01-01

Extensive corn production in the midwestern United States has physically eliminated or fragmented vast areas of historical amphibian habitat. Midwestern corn farmers also apply large quantities of fertilizers and herbicides, which can cause direct and indirect effects on amphibians. Limited field research regarding the statuses of midwestern amphibian populations near areas of corn production has left resource managers, conservation planners, and other stakeholders needing more information to improve conservation strategies and management plans. We repeatedly sampled amphibians in wetlands in four conservation areas along a gradient of proximity to corn production in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin from 2002 to 2005 and estimated site occupancy. We measured frequencies of gross physical deformities in recent metamorphs and triazine concentrations in the water at breeding sites. We also measured trematode infection rates in kidneys of recently metamorphosed Lithobates pipiens collected from nine wetlands in 2003 and 2004. We detected all possible amphibian species in each study area. The amount of nearby row crops was limited in importance as a covariate for estimating site occupancy. We observed deformities in <5% of metamorphs sampled and proportions were not associated with triazine concentrations. Trematode infections were high in metamorphs from all sites we sampled, but not associated with site triazine concentrations, except perhaps for a subset of sites sampled in both years. We detected triazines more often and in higher concentrations in breeding wetlands closer to corn production. Triazine concentrations increased in floodplain wetlands as water levels rose after rainfall and were similar among lotic and lentic sites. Overall, our results suggest amphibian populations were not faring differently among these four conservation areas, regardless of their proximity to corn production, and that the ecological dynamics of atrazine exposure were complex.

Indicators of the Statuses of Amphibian Populations and Their Potential for Exposure to Atrazine in Four Midwestern U.S. Conservation Areas

PubMed Central

Sadinski, Walt; Roth, Mark; Hayes, Tyrone; Jones, Perry; Gallant, Alisa

2014-01-01

Extensive corn production in the midwestern United States has physically eliminated or fragmented vast areas of historical amphibian habitat. Midwestern corn farmers also apply large quantities of fertilizers and herbicides, which can cause direct and indirect effects on amphibians. Limited field research regarding the statuses of midwestern amphibian populations near areas of corn production has left resource managers, conservation planners, and other stakeholders needing more information to improve conservation strategies and management plans. We repeatedly sampled amphibians in wetlands in four conservation areas along a gradient of proximity to corn production in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin from 2002 to 2005 and estimated site occupancy. We measured frequencies of gross physical deformities in recent metamorphs and triazine concentrations in the water at breeding sites. We also measured trematode infection rates in kidneys of recently metamorphosed Lithobates pipiens collected from nine wetlands in 2003 and 2004. We detected all possible amphibian species in each study area. The amount of nearby row crops was limited in importance as a covariate for estimating site occupancy. We observed deformities in <5% of metamorphs sampled and proportions were not associated with triazine concentrations. Trematode infections were high in metamorphs from all sites we sampled, but not associated with site triazine concentrations, except perhaps for a subset of sites sampled in both years. We detected triazines more often and in higher concentrations in breeding wetlands closer to corn production. Triazine concentrations increased in floodplain wetlands as water levels rose after rainfall and were similar among lotic and lentic sites. Overall, our results suggest amphibian populations were not faring differently among these four conservation areas, regardless of their proximity to corn production, and that the ecological dynamics of atrazine exposure were complex. PMID:25216249

Identification of genotyping-by-sequencing sequence tags associated with milling performance and end-use quality traits in hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wheat quality is defined by culinary end-uses and processing characteristics. Wheat breeders are interested to identify quantitative trait loci for grain, milling, and end-use quality traits because it is imperative to understand the genetic complexity underlying quantitatively inherited traits to ...

Does structural complexity determine the morphology of assemblages? An experimental test on three continents.

PubMed

Gibb, Heloise; Parr, Catherine L

2013-01-01

Understanding how species will respond to global change depends on our ability to distinguish generalities from idiosyncrasies. For diverse, but poorly known taxa, such as insects, species traits may provide a short-cut to predicting species turnover. We tested whether ant traits respond consistently to habitat complexity across geographically independent ant assemblages, using an experimental approach and baits. We repeated our study in six paired simple and complex habitats on three continents with distinct ant faunas. We also compared traits amongst ants with different foraging strategies. We hypothesised that ants would be larger, broader, have longer legs and more dorsally positioned eyes in simpler habitats. In agreement with predictions, ants had longer femurs and dorsally positioned eyes in simple habitats. This pattern was most pronounced for ants that discovered resources. Body size and pronotum width responded as predicted for experimental treatments, but were inconsistent across continents. Monopolising ants were smaller, with shorter femurs than those that occupied or discovered resources. Consistent responses for several traits suggest that many, but not all, aspects of morphology respond predictably to habitat complexity, and that foraging strategy is linked with morphology. Some traits thus have the potential to be used to predict the direction of species turnover, changes in foraging strategy and, potentially, evolution in response to changes in habitat structure.

Biodiversity in a complex world: consolidation and progress in functional biodiversity research.

PubMed

Hillebrand, Helmut; Matthiessen, Birte

2009-12-01

The global decline of biodiversity caused by human domination of ecosystems worldwide is supposed to alter important process rates and state variables in these ecosystems. However, there is considerable debate on the prevalence and importance of biodiversity effects on ecosystem function (BDEF). Here, we argue that much of the debate stems from two major shortcomings. First, most studies do not directly link the traits leading to increased or decreased function to the traits needed for species coexistence and dominance. We argue that implementing a trait-based approach and broadening the perception of diversity to include trait dissimilarity or trait divergence will result in more realistic predictions on the consequences of altered biodiversity. Second, the empirical and theoretical studies do not reflect the complexity of natural ecosystems, which makes it difficult to transfer the results to natural situations of species loss. We review how different aspects of complexity (trophic structure, multifunctionality, spatial or temporal heterogeneity, and spatial population dynamics) alter our perception of BDEF. We propose future research avenues concisely testing whether acknowledging this complexity will strengthen the observed biodiversity effects. Finally, we propose that a major future task is to disentangle biodiversity effects on ecosystem function from direct changes in function due to human alterations of abiotic constraints.

Sunflower Hybrid Breeding: From Markers to Genomic Selection

PubMed Central

Dimitrijevic, Aleksandra; Horn, Renate

2018-01-01

In sunflower, molecular markers for simple traits as, e.g., fertility restoration, high oleic acid content, herbicide tolerance or resistances to Plasmopara halstedii, Puccinia helianthi, or Orobanche cumana have been successfully used in marker-assisted breeding programs for years. However, agronomically important complex quantitative traits like yield, heterosis, drought tolerance, oil content or selection for disease resistance, e.g., against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum have been challenging and will require genome-wide approaches. Plant genetic resources for sunflower are being collected and conserved worldwide that represent valuable resources to study complex traits. Sunflower association panels provide the basis for genome-wide association studies, overcoming disadvantages of biparental populations. Advances in technologies and the availability of the sunflower genome sequence made novel approaches on the whole genome level possible. Genotype-by-sequencing, and whole genome sequencing based on next generation sequencing technologies facilitated the production of large amounts of SNP markers for high density maps as well as SNP arrays and allowed genome-wide association studies and genomic selection in sunflower. Genome wide or candidate gene based association studies have been performed for traits like branching, flowering time, resistance to Sclerotinia head and stalk rot. First steps in genomic selection with regard to hybrid performance and hybrid oil content have shown that genomic selection can successfully address complex quantitative traits in sunflower and will help to speed up sunflower breeding programs in the future. To make sunflower more competitive toward other oil crops higher levels of resistance against pathogens and better yield performance are required. In addition, optimizing plant architecture toward a more complex growth type for higher plant densities has the potential to considerably increase yields per hectare. Integrative approaches combining omic technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and phenomics) using bioinformatic tools will facilitate the identification of target genes and markers for complex traits and will give a better insight into the mechanisms behind the traits. PMID:29387071

Using a system of differential equations that models cattle growth to uncover the genetic basis of complex traits.

PubMed

Freua, Mateus Castelani; Santana, Miguel Henrique de Almeida; Ventura, Ricardo Vieira; Tedeschi, Luis Orlindo; Ferraz, José Bento Sterman

2017-08-01

The interplay between dynamic models of biological systems and genomics is based on the assumption that genetic variation of the complex trait (i.e., outcome of model behavior) arises from component traits (i.e., model parameters) in lower hierarchical levels. In order to provide a proof of concept of this statement for a cattle growth model, we ask whether model parameters map genomic regions that harbor quantitative trait loci (QTLs) already described for the complex trait. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) with a Bayesian hierarchical LASSO method in two parameters of the Davis Growth Model, a system of three ordinary differential equations describing DNA accretion, protein synthesis and degradation, and fat synthesis. Phenotypic and genotypic data were available for 893 Nellore (Bos indicus) cattle. Computed values for parameter k 1 (DNA accretion rate) ranged from 0.005 ± 0.003 and for α (constant for energy for maintenance requirement) 0.134 ± 0.024. The expected biological interpretation of the parameters is confirmed by QTLs mapped for k 1 and α. QTLs within genomic regions mapped for k 1 are expected to be correlated with the DNA pool: body size and weight. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which were significant for α mapped QTLs that had already been associated with residual feed intake, feed conversion ratio, average daily gain (ADG), body weight, and also dry matter intake. SNPs identified for k 1 were able to additionally explain 2.2% of the phenotypic variability of the complex ADG, even when SNPs for k 1 did not match the genomic regions associated with ADG. Although improvements are needed, our findings suggest that genomic analysis on component traits may help to uncover the genetic basis of more complex traits, particularly when lower biological hierarchies are mechanistically described by mathematical simulation models.

Influence of the incorporation mode of sugar beet pulp in the finishing diet on the digestive tract and performances of geese reared for foie gras production.

PubMed

Arroyo, J; Lavigne, F; Bannelier, C; Fortun-Lamothe, L

2017-09-01

The aim of this work was to study the effects of incorporating sugar beet pulp (SBP) into the diet of geese in two feeding systems (complete pelleted feed or loose-mix feeding system) on crop development and performance. A total of 480 1-d-old male geese were divided into three groups whose diet differed from d 56 to 90: a complete pelleted diet containing 50% corn (control diet: AMEn 11.5 MJ/kg; CP 161 g/kg), and no SBP; a complete pelleted diet containing 50% corn and 10% SBP (SBPcp diet: AMEn: 11.5 MJ/kg; CP: 161 g/kg); and a mix in the same feeder (SBPlm diet) of 500 g/kg of protein-rich pellets containing 20% SBP (SBPprp: AMEn: 9.0 MJ/kg; CP: 250 g/kg) and 500 g/kg of whole corn (WC: AMEn: 14.0 MJ/kg; CP: 72 g/kg). Body traits, including crop volume, were measured at d 91. From d 91 to 106, 88 birds/group were overfed with a mixture containing mainly corn and water before slaughter to measure fatty liver performance. Feed intake from d 56 to 90 was higher (+10%; P = 0.004) in the SBPcp group than the other two, but at d 90, the body weight (BW) of the birds was higher (+7%; P = 0.002) in the SBPlm group than the other two. At d 91, the volume of the crop was greater in the SBPcp group (80.4 mL/kg of BW, P < 0.001) than in the control group (60.3 mL/kg of BW), the SBPlm group being intermediate (64.1 mL/kg of BW). Feed intake (13,321 g), weight gain (2,733 g), and feed-to-gain ratio (4.9) during the overfeeding period, as well as fatty liver weight (963 g) and commercial grading, were similar (P > 0.05) between the three groups. In conclusion, the use of sugar beet pulp in the diet of finishing geese helps the adaptation of the digestive tract to the overfeeding period, even in a loose-mix feeding system based on whole corn. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Ensemble learning of QTL models improves prediction of complex traits

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Quantitative trait locus (QTL) models can provide useful insights into trait genetic architecture because of their straightforward interpretability, but are less useful for genetic prediction due to difficulty in including the effects of numerous small effect loci without overfitting. Tight linkage ...

Nested association mapping for dissecting complex traits using Peanut 58K SNP array

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and linkage mapping have been the two most predominant strategies to dissect complex traits, but are limited by the occurrence of false positives reported for GWAS, and low resolution in the case of linkage analysis. This has led to the development of a joint a...

The genetic architecture of a complex ecological trait: host plant use in the specialist moth, HELIOTHIS SUBFLEXA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The study of the genetic basis of ecological adaptation remains in its infancy, and most studies have focused on phenotypically simple traits. Host plant use by herbivorous insects is phenotypically complex. While research has illuminated the evolutionary determinants of host use, knowledge of its...

The Genetic Architecture of Complex Traits in Teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis): New Evidence from Association Mapping

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Our previous association analyses showed that variation at major regulatory genes contributes to standing variation for complex traits in Balsas teosinte, the progenitor of maize. This study expands our previous association mapping effort in teosinte by testing 123 markers in 52 candidate genes for ...

Association analysis of three diverse rice (Oryza sativa L.) germplasm collections for loci regulating grain quality traits

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In rice (Oryza sativa L.), end-use/cooking quality is vital for producers and millions of consumers worldwide. Grain quality is a complex trait with interacting genetic and environmental factors. Deciphering the complex genetic architecture associated with grain quality, will provide vital informati...

Handling Complexity in Animal and Plant Science Research-From Single to Functional Traits: Are We There Yet?

PubMed

Roberts, Jessica; Power, Aoife; Chandra, Shaneel; Chapman, James; Cozzolino, Daniel

2018-05-28

The current knowledge of the main factors governing livestock, crop and plant quality as well as yield in different species is incomplete. For example, this can be evidenced by the persistence of benchmark crop varieties for many decades in spite of the gains achieved over the same period. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that molecular breeding based on DNA markers has led to advances in breeding (animal and crops). However, these advances are not in the way that it was anticipated initially by the researcher in the field. According to several scientists, one of the main reasons for this was related to the evidence that complex target traits such as grain yield, composition or nutritional quality depend on multiple factors in addition to genetics. Therefore, some questions need to be asked: are the current approaches in molecular genetics the most appropriate to deal with complex traits such as yield or quality? Are the current tools for phenotyping complex traits enough to differentiate among genotypes? Do we need to change the way that data is collected and analysed?

Local Genetic Correlation Gives Insights into the Shared Genetic Architecture of Complex Traits.

PubMed

Shi, Huwenbo; Mancuso, Nicholas; Spendlove, Sarah; Pasaniuc, Bogdan

2017-11-02

Although genetic correlations between complex traits provide valuable insights into epidemiological and etiological studies, a precise quantification of which genomic regions disproportionately contribute to the genome-wide correlation is currently lacking. Here, we introduce ρ-HESS, a technique to quantify the correlation between pairs of traits due to genetic variation at a small region in the genome. Our approach requires GWAS summary data only and makes no distributional assumption on the causal variant effect sizes while accounting for linkage disequilibrium (LD) and overlapping GWAS samples. We analyzed large-scale GWAS summary data across 36 quantitative traits, and identified 25 genomic regions that contribute significantly to the genetic correlation among these traits. Notably, we find 6 genomic regions that contribute to the genetic correlation of 10 pairs of traits that show negligible genome-wide correlation, further showcasing the power of local genetic correlation analyses. Finally, we report the distribution of local genetic correlations across the genome for 55 pairs of traits that show putative causal relationships. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of growing phase feed efficiency classification on finishing phase growth performance and carcass characteristics of beef steers fed different diet types.

PubMed

Russell, J R; Lundy, E L; Minton, N O; Sexten, W J; Kerley, M S; Hansen, S L

2016-07-01

A 5-yr study was conducted using 985 crossbred steers (464 kg [SD 32]) fed in 6 separate, replicated groups to determine the influence of growing phase (GP) feed efficiency (FE) classification and diet type on finishing phase (FP) FE of steers. During the GP at the University of Missouri, steers were fed either a whole shell corn-based diet (G-Corn; 528 steers) or a roughage-based diet (G-Rough; 457 steers) using GrowSafe feed bunks to measure DMI for 69 to 89 d. At the end of the GP, steers were ranked by residual feed intake (RFI) within diet, shipped to Iowa State University, and blocked into FP pens (5 to 6 steers/pen) by GP diet and RFI rank (upper, middle, or lower one-third). Steers were transitioned to either FP cracked corn- or byproduct-based diets and fed until 1.27 cm backfat was reached. After completion of the sixth group, average GP G:F within GP diet was calculated for each FP pen (168 total pens) using GP initial BW as a covariate (G-Corn: 0.207 [SD 0.038]; G-Rough: 0.185 [SD 0.036]). Pens were classified as highly feed efficient (HFE; >0.5 SD from the G:F mean; 58 pens), mid feed efficient (MFE; ±0.5 SD from the G:F mean; 60 pens), or lowly feed efficient (LFE; <0.5 SD from the G:F mean; 50 pens). Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS. Experimental unit was FP pen and the model included the fixed effects of GP diet, FE classification, FP diet, and the interactions. Group (1 to 6) was included as a fixed effect. There were no 3-way interactions ( ≥ 0.2) for any measured traits. Finishing phase G:F was not affected by any interactions ( ≥ 0.5) but was greater ( ≤ 0.03) for HFE versus MFE and LFE and greater ( = 0.02) for MFE versus LFE. Growing phase diet × FE classification effects were detected ( ≤ 0.01) for FP final BW (FBW), ADG, and DMI. Among G-Rough steers, HFE and MFE had greater ( ≤ 0.04) FBW and ADG than LFE, but among G-Corn steers, LFE had heavier ( = 0.03) FBW than HFE whereas ADG was unaffected ( ≥ 0.2) by FE classification. Dry matter intake was unaffected ( ≥ 0.3) by FE classification among G-Rough steers, but among G-Corn steers, LFE had greater ( ≤ 0.003) DMI than MFE and HFE. Overall, differences in FP G:F between FE classifications were driven by different factors depending on diet; ADG differed among roughage-grown steers and DMI differed among corn-grown steers. Ultimately, steers classified as HFE during the GP still had superior FE during the FP.

A systems-genetics approach and data mining tool to assist in the discovery of genes underlying complex traits in Oryza sativa.

PubMed

Ficklin, Stephen P; Feltus, Frank Alex

2013-01-01

Many traits of biological and agronomic significance in plants are controlled in a complex manner where multiple genes and environmental signals affect the expression of the phenotype. In Oryza sativa (rice), thousands of quantitative genetic signals have been mapped to the rice genome. In parallel, thousands of gene expression profiles have been generated across many experimental conditions. Through the discovery of networks with real gene co-expression relationships, it is possible to identify co-localized genetic and gene expression signals that implicate complex genotype-phenotype relationships. In this work, we used a knowledge-independent, systems genetics approach, to discover a high-quality set of co-expression networks, termed Gene Interaction Layers (GILs). Twenty-two GILs were constructed from 1,306 Affymetrix microarray rice expression profiles that were pre-clustered to allow for improved capture of gene co-expression relationships. Functional genomic and genetic data, including over 8,000 QTLs and 766 phenotype-tagged SNPs (p-value < = 0.001) from genome-wide association studies, both covering over 230 different rice traits were integrated with the GILs. An online systems genetics data-mining resource, the GeneNet Engine, was constructed to enable dynamic discovery of gene sets (i.e. network modules) that overlap with genetic traits. GeneNet Engine does not provide the exact set of genes underlying a given complex trait, but through the evidence of gene-marker correspondence, co-expression, and functional enrichment, site visitors can identify genes with potential shared causality for a trait which could then be used for experimental validation. A set of 2 million SNPs was incorporated into the database and serve as a potential set of testable biomarkers for genes in modules that overlap with genetic traits. Herein, we describe two modules found using GeneNet Engine, one with significant overlap with the trait amylose content and another with significant overlap with blast disease resistance.

A Systems-Genetics Approach and Data Mining Tool to Assist in the Discovery of Genes Underlying Complex Traits in Oryza sativa

PubMed Central

Ficklin, Stephen P.; Feltus, Frank Alex

2013-01-01

Many traits of biological and agronomic significance in plants are controlled in a complex manner where multiple genes and environmental signals affect the expression of the phenotype. In Oryza sativa (rice), thousands of quantitative genetic signals have been mapped to the rice genome. In parallel, thousands of gene expression profiles have been generated across many experimental conditions. Through the discovery of networks with real gene co-expression relationships, it is possible to identify co-localized genetic and gene expression signals that implicate complex genotype-phenotype relationships. In this work, we used a knowledge-independent, systems genetics approach, to discover a high-quality set of co-expression networks, termed Gene Interaction Layers (GILs). Twenty-two GILs were constructed from 1,306 Affymetrix microarray rice expression profiles that were pre-clustered to allow for improved capture of gene co-expression relationships. Functional genomic and genetic data, including over 8,000 QTLs and 766 phenotype-tagged SNPs (p-value < = 0.001) from genome-wide association studies, both covering over 230 different rice traits were integrated with the GILs. An online systems genetics data-mining resource, the GeneNet Engine, was constructed to enable dynamic discovery of gene sets (i.e. network modules) that overlap with genetic traits. GeneNet Engine does not provide the exact set of genes underlying a given complex trait, but through the evidence of gene-marker correspondence, co-expression, and functional enrichment, site visitors can identify genes with potential shared causality for a trait which could then be used for experimental validation. A set of 2 million SNPs was incorporated into the database and serve as a potential set of testable biomarkers for genes in modules that overlap with genetic traits. Herein, we describe two modules found using GeneNet Engine, one with significant overlap with the trait amylose content and another with significant overlap with blast disease resistance. PMID:23874666

Optimization of enzyme complexes for efficient hydrolysis of corn stover to produce glucose.

PubMed

Yu, Xiaoxiao; Liu, Yan; Meng, Jiatong; Cheng, Qiyue; Zhang, Zaixiao; Cui, Yuxiao; Liu, Jiajing; Teng, Lirong; Lu, Jiahui; Meng, Qingfan; Ren, Xiaodong

2015-05-01

Hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose is the critical step for transferring the lignocellulose to the industrial chemicals. For improving the conversion rate of cellulose of corn stover to glucose, the cocktail of celllulase with other auxiliary enzymes and chemicals was studied in this work. Single factor tests and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were applied to optimize the enzyme mixture, targeting maximum glucose release from corn stover. The increasing rate of glucan-to-glucose conversion got the higher levels while the cellulase was added 1.7μl tween-80/g cellulose, 300μg β-glucosidase/g cellulose, 400μg pectinase/g cellulose and 0.75mg/ml sodium thiosulphate separately in single factor tests. To improve the glucan conversion, the β-glucosidase, pectinase and sodium thiosulphate were selected for next step optimization with RSM. It is showed that the maximum increasing yield was 45.8% at 377μg/g cellulose Novozyme 188, 171μg/g cellulose pectinase and 1mg/ml sodium thiosulphate.

Effects of water states on steam explosion of lignocellulosic biomass.

PubMed

Sui, Wenjie; Chen, Hongzhang

2016-01-01

The work aimed to identify the complexity and roles of water states in steam explosion process of corn stalk to enhance the treatment efficiency. Results showed that two main water states with different mobility existed in corn stalk and influenced steam explosion treatment. By correlating dynamic water states data to feedstock mechanical properties and treatment process characteristics, the bound water being the excellent plasticizer that reduced the mechanical strength of fibers by over 30%, was conducive to treatment; while, the free water presenting buffering effects in treatment by hindering heat transfer which was reflected by the increase of temperature rising time by 1.29 folds and steam consumption by 2.18 folds, was not conducive. The distinguished point of these two waters was fiber saturated point. By considering treatment efficacy and energy consumption, the significance of fiber saturated point was highlighted as the optimal water states for steam explosion of corn stalk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Male pregnancy and the evolution of body segmentation in seahorses and pipefishes.

PubMed

Hoffman, Eric A; Mobley, Kenyon B; Jones, Adam G

2006-02-01

The evolution of complex traits, which are specified by the interplay of multiple genetic loci and environmental effects, is a topic of central importance in evolutionary biology. Here, we show that body and tail vertebral numbers in fishes of the pipefish and seahorse family (Syngnathidae) can serve as a model for studies of quantitative trait evolution. A quantitative genetic analysis of body and tail vertebrae from field-collected families of the Gulf pipefish, Syngnathus scovelli, shows that both traits exhibit significantly positive additive genetic variance, with heritabilities of 0.75 +/- 0.13 (mean +/- standard error) and 0.46 +/- 0.18, respectively. We do not find any evidence for either phenotypic or genetic correlations between the two traits. Pipefish are characterized by male pregnancy, and phylogenetic consideration of body proportions suggests that the position of eggs on the pregnant male's body may have contributed to the evolution of vertebral counts. In terms of numbers of vertebrae, tail-brooding males have longer tails for a given trunk size than do trunk-brooding males. Overall, these results suggest that vertebral counts in pipefish are heritable traits, capable of a response to selection, and they may have experienced an interesting history of selection due to the phenomenon of male pregnancy. Given that these traits vary among populations within species as well as among species, they appear to provide an excellent model for further research on complex trait evolution. Body segmentation may thus afford excellent opportunities for comparative study of homologous complex traits among disparate vertebrate taxa.

Autistic traits and social anxiety predict differential performance on social cognitive tasks in typically developing young adults

PubMed Central

Burk, Joshua A.; Fleckenstein, Katarina; Kozikowski, C. Teal

2018-01-01

The current work examined the unique contribution that autistic traits and social anxiety have on tasks examining attention and emotion processing. In Study 1, 119 typically-developing college students completed a flanker task assessing the control of attention to target faces and away from distracting faces during emotion identification. In Study 2, 208 typically-developing college students performed a visual search task which required identification of whether a series of 8 or 16 emotional faces depicted the same or different emotions. Participants with more self-reported autistic traits performed more slowly on the flanker task in Study 1 than those with fewer autistic traits when stimuli depicted complex emotions. In Study 2, participants higher in social anxiety performed less accurately on trials showing all complex faces; participants with autistic traits showed no differences. These studies suggest that traits related to autism and to social anxiety differentially impact social cognitive processing. PMID:29596523

Fitness consequences of larval traits persist across the metamorphic boundary.

PubMed

Crean, Angela J; Monro, Keyne; Marshall, Dustin J

2011-11-01

Metamorphosis is thought to provide an adaptive decoupling between traits specialized for each life-history stage in species with complex life cycles. However, an increasing number of studies are finding that larval traits can carry-over to influence postmetamorphic performance, suggesting that these life-history stages may not be free to evolve independently of each other. We used a phenotypic selection framework to compare the relative and interactive effects of larval size, time to hatching, and time to settlement on postmetamorphic survival and growth in a marine invertebrate, Styela plicata. Time to hatching was the only larval trait found to be under directional selection, individuals that took more time to hatch into larvae survived better after metamorphosis but grew more slowly. Nonlinear selection was found to act on multivariate trait combinations, once again acting in opposite directions for selection acting via survival and growth. Individuals with above average values of larval traits were most likely to survive, but surviving individuals with intermediate larval traits grew to the largest size. These results demonstrate that larval traits can have multiple, complex fitness consequences that persist across the metamorphic boundary; and thus postmetamorphic selection pressures may constrain the evolution of larval traits. © 2011 The Author(s). Evolution© 2011 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

31. DETAIL VIEW OF ELECTRIC WINCH AND CABLE SYSTEM, SOUTH ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

31. DETAIL VIEW OF ELECTRIC WINCH AND CABLE SYSTEM, SOUTH SIDE OF MILL HOUSE, USED TO WINCH RAIL CARS INTO LOADING POSITION, LOOKING NORTHEAST - Sperry Corn Elevator Complex, Weber Avenue (North side), West of Edison Street, Stockton, San Joaquin County, CA

Heterogeneous variances in multi-environment yield trials for corn hybrids

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recent developments in statistics and computing have enabled much greater levels of complexity in statistical models of multi-environment yield trial data. One particular feature of interest to breeders is simultaneously modeling heterogeneity of variances among environments and cultivars. Our obj...

An evaluation of the bioaccessibility of arsenic in corn and rice samples based on cloud point extraction and hydride generation coupled to atomic fluorescence spectrometry.

PubMed

Castor, José Martín Rosas; Portugal, Lindomar; Ferrer, Laura; Hinojosa-Reyes, Laura; Guzmán-Mar, Jorge Luis; Hernández-Ramírez, Aracely; Cerdà, Víctor

2016-08-01

A simple, inexpensive and rapid method was proposed for the determination of bioaccessible arsenic in corn and rice samples using an in vitro bioaccessibility assay. The method was based on the preconcentration of arsenic by cloud point extraction (CPE) using o,o-diethyldithiophosphate (DDTP) complex, which was generated from an in vitro extract using polyethylene glycol tert-octylphenyl ether (Triton X-114) as a surfactant prior to its detection by atomic fluorescence spectrometry with a hydride generation system (HG-AFS). The CPE method was optimized by a multivariate approach (two-level full factorial and Doehlert designs). A photo-oxidation step of the organic species prior to HG-AFS detection was included for the accurate quantification of the total As. The limit of detection was 1.34μgkg(-1) and 1.90μgkg(-1) for rice and corn samples, respectively. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by analyzing certified reference material ERM BC-211 (rice powder). The corn and rice samples that were analyzed showed a high bioaccessible arsenic content (72-88% and 54-96%, respectively), indicating a potential human health risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying Specific Genes Controlling Complex Traits Through A Genome-Wide Screen For cis-Acting Regulatory Elements - An Example Using Marek's Disease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The identification of specific genes underlying phenotypic variation of complex traits remains one of the greatest challenges in biology despite having genome sequences and more powerful tools. Most genome-wide screens lack sufficient resolving power as they typically depend on linkage. One altern...

Comprehensive Identification Of Specific Genes Controlling Complex Traits Through A Genome-Wide Screen for Cis-Acting Regulatory Elements - An Example Using Marek's Disease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The comprehensive identification of genes underlying phenotypic variation of complex traits remains a major challenge. Most genome-wide screens lack sufficient resolving power as they typically depend on linkage. An alternate method is to screen for allele-specific expression (ASE), a simple yet pow...

Characterization of mature maize (Zea mays L.) root system architecture and complexity in a diverse set of Ex-PVP inbreds and hybrids.

PubMed

Hauck, Andrew L; Novais, Joana; Grift, Tony E; Bohn, Martin O

2015-01-01

The mature root system is a vital plant organ, which is critical to plant performance. Commercial maize (Zea mays L.) breeding has resulted in a steady increase in plant performance over time, along with noticeable changes in above ground vegetative traits, but the corresponding changes in the root system are not presently known. In this study, roughly 2500 core root systems from field trials of a set of 10 diverse elite inbreds formerly protected by Plant Variety Protection plus B73 and Mo17 and the 66 diallel intercrosses among them were evaluated for root traits using high throughput image-based phenotyping. Overall root architecture was modeled by root angle (RA) and stem diameter (SD), while root complexity, the amount of root branching, was quantified using fractal analysis to obtain values for fractal dimension (FD) and fractal abundance (FA). For each trait, per se line effects were highly significant and the most important contributor to trait performance. Mid-parent heterosis and specific combining ability was also highly significant for FD, FA, and RA, while none of the traits showed significant general combining ability. The interaction between the environment and the additive line effect was also significant for all traits. Within the inbred and hybrid generations, FD and FA were highly correlated (rp ≥ 0.74), SD was moderately correlated to FD and FA (0.69 ≥ rp ≥ 0.48), while the correlation between RA and other traits was low (0.13 ≥ rp ≥ -0.40). Inbreds with contrasting effects on complexity and architecture traits were observed, suggesting that root complexity and architecture traits are inherited independently. A more comprehensive understanding of the maize root system and the way it interacts with the environment will be useful for defining adaptation to nutrient acquisition and tolerance to stress from drought and high plant densities, critical factors in the yield gains of modern hybrids.

Mapping, fine mapping, and molecular dissection of quantitative trait Loci in domestic animals.

PubMed

Georges, Michel

2007-01-01

Artificial selection has created myriad breeds of domestic animals, each characterized by unique phenotypes pertaining to behavior, morphology, physiology, and disease. Most domestic animal populations share features with isolated founder populations, making them well suited for positional cloning. Genome sequences are now available for most domestic species, and with them a panoply of tools including high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism panels. As a result, domestic animal populations are becoming invaluable resources for studying the molecular architecture of complex traits and of adaptation. Here we review recent progress and issues in the positional identification of genes underlying complex traits in domestic animals. As many phenotypes studied in animals are quantitative, we focus on mapping, fine mapping, and cloning of quantitative trait loci.

Deciphering the Interdependence between Ecological and Evolutionary Networks.

PubMed

Melián, Carlos J; Matthews, Blake; de Andreazzi, Cecilia S; Rodríguez, Jorge P; Harmon, Luke J; Fortuna, Miguel A

2018-05-24

Biological systems consist of elements that interact within and across hierarchical levels. For example, interactions among genes determine traits of individuals, competitive and cooperative interactions among individuals influence population dynamics, and interactions among species affect the dynamics of communities and ecosystem processes. Such systems can be represented as hierarchical networks, but can have complex dynamics when interdependencies among levels of the hierarchy occur. We propose integrating ecological and evolutionary processes in hierarchical networks to explore interdependencies in biological systems. We connect gene networks underlying predator-prey trait distributions to food webs. Our approach addresses longstanding questions about how complex traits and intraspecific trait variation affect the interdependencies among biological levels and the stability of meta-ecosystems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advances in cereal genomics and applications in crop breeding.

PubMed

Varshney, Rajeev K; Hoisington, David A; Tyagi, Akhilesh K

2006-11-01

Recent advances in cereal genomics have made it possible to analyse the architecture of cereal genomes and their expressed components, leading to an increase in our knowledge of the genes that are linked to key agronomically important traits. These studies have used molecular genetic mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) of several complex traits that are important in breeding. The identification and molecular cloning of genes underlying QTLs offers the possibility to examine the naturally occurring allelic variation for respective complex traits. Novel alleles, identified by functional genomics or haplotype analysis, can enrich the genetic basis of cultivated crops to improve productivity. Advances made in cereal genomics research in recent years thus offer the opportunities to enhance the prediction of phenotypes from genotypes for cereal breeding.

Tilting at Quixotic Trait Loci (QTL): An Evolutionary Perspective on Genetic Causation

PubMed Central

Weiss, Kenneth M.

2008-01-01

Recent years have seen great advances in generating and analyzing data to identify the genetic architecture of biological traits. Human disease has understandably received intense research focus, and the genes responsible for most Mendelian diseases have successfully been identified. However, the same advances have shown a consistent if less satisfying pattern, in which complex traits are affected by variation in large numbers of genes, most of which have individually minor or statistically elusive effects, leaving the bulk of genetic etiology unaccounted for. This pattern applies to diverse and unrelated traits, not just disease, in basically all species, and is consistent with evolutionary expectations, raising challenging questions about the best way to approach and understand biological complexity. PMID:18711218

40 CFR 174.502 - Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A.105 protein; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... or on the food and feed commodities of corn; corn, field, flour; corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, grits; corn, field, meal; corn, field, refined oil; corn, field, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, stover; and corn, pop, grain and...

40 CFR 174.502 - Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A.105 protein; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... or on the food and feed commodities of corn; corn, field, flour; corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, grits; corn, field, meal; corn, field, refined oil; corn, field, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, stover; and corn, pop, grain and...

40 CFR 174.502 - Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A.105 protein; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... or on the food and feed commodities of corn; corn, field, flour; corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, grits; corn, field, meal; corn, field, refined oil; corn, field, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, stover; and corn, pop, grain and...

Integrating modelling and phenotyping approaches to identify and screen complex traits - Illustration for transpiration efficiency in cereals.

PubMed

Chenu, K; van Oosterom, E J; McLean, G; Deifel, K S; Fletcher, A; Geetika, G; Tirfessa, A; Mace, E S; Jordan, D R; Sulman, R; Hammer, G L

2018-02-21

Following advances in genetics, genomics, and phenotyping, trait selection in breeding is limited by our ability to understand interactions within the plants and with their environments, and to target traits of most relevance for the target population of environments. We propose an integrated approach that combines insights from crop modelling, physiology, genetics, and breeding to identify traits valuable for yield gain in the target population of environments, develop relevant high-throughput phenotyping platforms, and identify genetic controls and their values in production environments. This paper uses transpiration efficiency (biomass produced per unit of water used) as an example of a complex trait of interest to illustrate how the approach can guide modelling, phenotyping, and selection in a breeding program. We believe that this approach, by integrating insights from diverse disciplines, can increase the resource use efficiency of breeding programs for improving yield gains in target populations of environments.

The Evolution of Biological Complexity in Digital Organisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ofria, Charles

2013-03-01

When Darwin first proposed his theory of evolution by natural selection, he realized that it had a problem explaining the origins of traits of ``extreme perfection and complication'' such as the vertebrate eye. Critics of Darwin's theory have latched onto this perceived flaw as a proof that Darwinian evolution is impossible. In anticipation of this issue, Darwin described the perfect data needed to understand this process, but lamented that such data are ``scarcely ever possible'' to obtain. In this talk, I will discuss research where we use populations of digital organisms (self-replicating and evolving computer programs) to elucidate the genetic and evolutionary processes by which new, highly-complex traits arise, drawing inspiration directly from Darwin's wistful thinking and hypotheses. During the process of evolution in these fully-transparent computational environments we can measure the incorporation of new information into the genome, a process akin to a natural Maxwell's Demon, and identify the original source of any such information. We show that, as Darwin predicted, much of the information used to encode a complex trait was already in the genome as part of simpler evolved traits, and that many routes must be possible for a new complex trait to have a high probability of successfully evolving. In even more extreme examples of the evolution of complexity, we are now using these same principles to examine the evolutionary dynamics the drive major transitions in evolution; that is transitions to higher-levels of organization, which are some of the most complex evolutionary events to occur in nature. Finally, I will explore some of the implications of this research to other aspects of evolutionary biology and as well as ways that these evolutionary principles can be applied toward solving computational and engineering problems.

Integrating Nonadditive Genomic Relationship Matrices into the Study of Genetic Architecture of Complex Traits.

PubMed

Nazarian, Alireza; Gezan, Salvador A

2016-03-01

The study of genetic architecture of complex traits has been dramatically influenced by implementing genome-wide analytical approaches during recent years. Of particular interest are genomic prediction strategies which make use of genomic information for predicting phenotypic responses instead of detecting trait-associated loci. In this work, we present the results of a simulation study to improve our understanding of the statistical properties of estimation of genetic variance components of complex traits, and of additive, dominance, and genetic effects through best linear unbiased prediction methodology. Simulated dense marker information was used to construct genomic additive and dominance matrices, and multiple alternative pedigree- and marker-based models were compared to determine if including a dominance term into the analysis may improve the genetic analysis of complex traits. Our results showed that a model containing a pedigree- or marker-based additive relationship matrix along with a pedigree-based dominance matrix provided the best partitioning of genetic variance into its components, especially when some degree of true dominance effects was expected to exist. Also, we noted that the use of a marker-based additive relationship matrix along with a pedigree-based dominance matrix had the best performance in terms of accuracy of correlations between true and estimated additive, dominance, and genetic effects. © The American Genetic Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Does Structural Complexity Determine the Morphology of Assemblages? An Experimental Test on Three Continents

PubMed Central

Gibb, Heloise; Parr, Catherine L.

2013-01-01

Understanding how species will respond to global change depends on our ability to distinguish generalities from idiosyncrasies. For diverse, but poorly known taxa, such as insects, species traits may provide a short-cut to predicting species turnover. We tested whether ant traits respond consistently to habitat complexity across geographically independent ant assemblages, using an experimental approach and baits. We repeated our study in six paired simple and complex habitats on three continents with distinct ant faunas. We also compared traits amongst ants with different foraging strategies. We hypothesised that ants would be larger, broader, have longer legs and more dorsally positioned eyes in simpler habitats. In agreement with predictions, ants had longer femurs and dorsally positioned eyes in simple habitats. This pattern was most pronounced for ants that discovered resources. Body size and pronotum width responded as predicted for experimental treatments, but were inconsistent across continents. Monopolising ants were smaller, with shorter femurs than those that occupied or discovered resources. Consistent responses for several traits suggest that many, but not all, aspects of morphology respond predictably to habitat complexity, and that foraging strategy is linked with morphology. Some traits thus have the potential to be used to predict the direction of species turnover, changes in foraging strategy and, potentially, evolution in response to changes in habitat structure. PMID:23691137

Environmental variability and acoustic signals: a multi-level approach in songbirds.

PubMed

Medina, Iliana; Francis, Clinton D

2012-12-23

Among songbirds, growing evidence suggests that acoustic adaptation of song traits occurs in response to habitat features. Despite extensive study, most research supporting acoustic adaptation has only considered acoustic traits averaged for species or populations, overlooking intraindividual variation of song traits, which may facilitate effective communication in heterogeneous and variable environments. Fewer studies have explicitly incorporated sexual selection, which, if strong, may favour variation across environments. Here, we evaluate the prevalence of acoustic adaptation among 44 species of songbirds by determining how environmental variability and sexual selection intensity are associated with song variability (intraindividual and intraspecific) and short-term song complexity. We show that variability in precipitation can explain short-term song complexity among taxonomically diverse songbirds, and that precipitation seasonality and the intensity of sexual selection are related to intraindividual song variation. Our results link song complexity to environmental variability, something previously found for mockingbirds (Family Mimidae). Perhaps more importantly, our results illustrate that individual variation in song traits may be shaped by both environmental variability and strength of sexual selection.

The Allelic Landscape of Human Blood Cell Trait Variation and Links to Common Complex Disease.

PubMed

Astle, William J; Elding, Heather; Jiang, Tao; Allen, Dave; Ruklisa, Dace; Mann, Alice L; Mead, Daniel; Bouman, Heleen; Riveros-Mckay, Fernando; Kostadima, Myrto A; Lambourne, John J; Sivapalaratnam, Suthesh; Downes, Kate; Kundu, Kousik; Bomba, Lorenzo; Berentsen, Kim; Bradley, John R; Daugherty, Louise C; Delaneau, Olivier; Freson, Kathleen; Garner, Stephen F; Grassi, Luigi; Guerrero, Jose; Haimel, Matthias; Janssen-Megens, Eva M; Kaan, Anita; Kamat, Mihir; Kim, Bowon; Mandoli, Amit; Marchini, Jonathan; Martens, Joost H A; Meacham, Stuart; Megy, Karyn; O'Connell, Jared; Petersen, Romina; Sharifi, Nilofar; Sheard, Simon M; Staley, James R; Tuna, Salih; van der Ent, Martijn; Walter, Klaudia; Wang, Shuang-Yin; Wheeler, Eleanor; Wilder, Steven P; Iotchkova, Valentina; Moore, Carmel; Sambrook, Jennifer; Stunnenberg, Hendrik G; Di Angelantonio, Emanuele; Kaptoge, Stephen; Kuijpers, Taco W; Carrillo-de-Santa-Pau, Enrique; Juan, David; Rico, Daniel; Valencia, Alfonso; Chen, Lu; Ge, Bing; Vasquez, Louella; Kwan, Tony; Garrido-Martín, Diego; Watt, Stephen; Yang, Ying; Guigo, Roderic; Beck, Stephan; Paul, Dirk S; Pastinen, Tomi; Bujold, David; Bourque, Guillaume; Frontini, Mattia; Danesh, John; Roberts, David J; Ouwehand, Willem H; Butterworth, Adam S; Soranzo, Nicole

2016-11-17

Many common variants have been associated with hematological traits, but identification of causal genes and pathways has proven challenging. We performed a genome-wide association analysis in the UK Biobank and INTERVAL studies, testing 29.5 million genetic variants for association with 36 red cell, white cell, and platelet properties in 173,480 European-ancestry participants. This effort yielded hundreds of low frequency (<5%) and rare (<1%) variants with a strong impact on blood cell phenotypes. Our data highlight general properties of the allelic architecture of complex traits, including the proportion of the heritable component of each blood trait explained by the polygenic signal across different genome regulatory domains. Finally, through Mendelian randomization, we provide evidence of shared genetic pathways linking blood cell indices with complex pathologies, including autoimmune diseases, schizophrenia, and coronary heart disease and evidence suggesting previously reported population associations between blood cell indices and cardiovascular disease may be non-causal. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancing knowledge and technology adoption in a misunderstood discipline: The weight trait project

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Currently several commercial DNA marker panels are available for complex traits. In the fall of 2009, the American Angus Association integrated the results of an Angus-specific marker panel into their national cattle evaluation for carcass traits. Despite this advancement, there still exists treme...

Systems genetics: a paradigm to improve discovery of candidate genes and mechanisms underlying complex traits.

PubMed

Feltus, F Alex

2014-06-01

Understanding the control of any trait optimally requires the detection of causal genes, gene interaction, and mechanism of action to discover and model the biochemical pathways underlying the expressed phenotype. Functional genomics techniques, including RNA expression profiling via microarray and high-throughput DNA sequencing, allow for the precise genome localization of biological information. Powerful genetic approaches, including quantitative trait locus (QTL) and genome-wide association study mapping, link phenotype with genome positions, yet genetics is less precise in localizing the relevant mechanistic information encoded in DNA. The coupling of salient functional genomic signals with genetically mapped positions is an appealing approach to discover meaningful gene-phenotype relationships. Techniques used to define this genetic-genomic convergence comprise the field of systems genetics. This short review will address an application of systems genetics where RNA profiles are associated with genetically mapped genome positions of individual genes (eQTL mapping) or as gene sets (co-expression network modules). Both approaches can be applied for knowledge independent selection of candidate genes (and possible control mechanisms) underlying complex traits where multiple, likely unlinked, genomic regions might control specific complex traits. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Callous-unemotional traits are associated with deficits in recognizing complex emotions in preadolescent children.

PubMed

Sharp, Carla; Vanwoerden, Salome; Van Baardewijk, Y; Tackett, J L; Stegge, H

2015-06-01

The aims of the current study were to show that the affective component of psychopathy (callous-unemotional traits) is related to deficits in recognizing emotions over and above other psychopathy dimensions and to show that this relationship is driven by a specific deficit in recognizing complex emotions more so than basic emotions. The authors administered the Child Eyes Test to assess emotion recognition in a community sample of preadolescent children between the ages of 10 and 12 (N = 417; 53.6% boys). The task required children to identify a broad array of emotions from photographic stimuli depicting the eye region of the face. Stimuli were then divided into complex or basic emotions. Results demonstrated a unique association between callous-unemotional traits and complex emotions, with weaker associations with basic emotion recognition, over and above other dimensions of psychopathy.

Analysis of Resistant Starches in Rat Cecal Contents Using Fourier Transform Infrared Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Timothy J.; Ai, Yongfeng; Jones, Roger W.

Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) qualitatively and quantitatively measured resistant starch (RS) in rat cecal contents. Fisher 344 rats were fed diets of 55% (w/w, dry basis) starch for 8 weeks. Cecal contents were collected from sacrificed rats. A corn starch control was compared against three RS diets. The RS diets were high-amylose corn starch (HA7), HA7 chemically modified with octenyl succinic anhydride, and stearic-acid-complexed HA7 starch. To calibrate the FTIR-PAS analysis, samples from each diet were analyzed using an enzymatic assay. A partial least-squares cross-validation plot generated from the enzymatic assay and FTIR-PAS spectral results for starch fitmore » the ideal curve with a R2 of 0.997. A principal component analysis plot of components 1 and 2 showed that spectra from diets clustered significantly from each other. This study clearly showed that FTIR-PAS can accurately quantify starch content and identify the form of starch in complex matrices.« less

Finishing performance and diet digestibility for feedlot steers fed corn distillers grains plus solubles and distillers solubles with and without oil extraction.

PubMed

Jolly-Breithaupt, M L; Nuttelman, B L; Schneider, C J; Burken, D B; Gramkow, J L; Shreck, A L; MacDonald, J C; Klopfenstein, T J; Erickson, G E

2018-05-04

Three experiments evaluated the effects of corn oil removal using centrifugation in ethanol plants, on animal performance and digestion characteristics by finishing cattle fed by-products. In Exp. 1, 225 crossbred steers (300 ± 9.1 kg) were utilized in a randomized block design with a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement of treatments. Factors consisted of oil concentration [de-oiled (DO) or full fat (FF)] and by-product type [condensed distillers solubles (CDS) or modified distillers grains plus solubles (MDGS)] compared to a corn-based control. Fat concentration was 6.0% for DO CDS, 21.1% for FF CDS, 9.2% for DO MDGS, and 11.8% for FF MDGS. No oil concentration by by-product type interactions (P ≥ 0.17) were observed. There were no differences in DMI, ADG, or G:F between DO and FF CDS (P ≥ 0.29) or DO and FF MDGS (P ≥ 0.58). No differences (P ≥ 0.25) due to oil concentration were observed for carcass characteristics. Experiment 2 was a 5 × 5 Latin Square digestion trial with treatments similar to Exp. 1. Fat concentration was 8.7% or 15.4% for DO or FF CDS and 9.2% or 12.3% for DO or FF MDGS. Intake and total tract digestibility of fat were greater (P ≤ 0.02) for FF CDS compared with DO CDS. Digestible energy (megacalorie per kilogram), adjusted for intake, was greater (P = 0.02) for steers fed FF CDS compared to DO CDS. Average ruminal pH for cattle fed FF MDGS was greater than DO MDGS (P = 0.06). In Exp. 3, 336 yearling, crossbred steers (352 ± 19 kg) were utilized in a randomized block design with a 2 × 3 + 1 factorial arrangement of treatments. Factors included oil concentration (DO or FF) and inclusion [35%, 50%, and 65% wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS)] along with a corn-based control. The fat concentrations of DO and FF WDGS were 7.9% and 12.4%, respectively. A linear interaction (P < 0.01) was observed for DMI, which produced different slopes for DO and FF WDGS. No linear or quadratic interactions were observed for BW, ADG, or G:F (P ≥ 0.31). For the main effect of oil concentration, there were no statistical differences (P > 0.19) for final BW, ADG, or G:F. No statistical differences were observed for all carcass traits (P ≥ 0.34). Corn oil removal via centrifugation had minimal impact on finishing performance suggesting that cattle fed DO by-products will have similar performance to cattle fed FF by-products in dry-rolled and high-moisture corn diets.

Striving Toward Energy Sustainability: How Plants Will Play a Role in Our Future (453rd Brookhaven Lecture)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ferrieri, Richard A.

2009-10-28

Edible biomass includes sugars from sugar cane or sugar beets, starches from corn kernels or other grains, and vegetable oils. The fibrous, woody and generally inedible portions of plants contain cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, three key cell-wall components that make up roughly 70 percent of total plant biomass. At present, starch can readily be degraded from corn grain into glucose sugar, which is then fermented into ethanol, and an acre of corn can yield roughly 400 gallons of ethanol. In tapping into the food supply to solve the energy crisis, however, corn and other crops have become more expensive asmore » food. One solution lies in breaking down other structural tissues of plants, including the stalks and leaves of corn, grasses and trees. However, the complex carbohydrates in cellulose-containing biomass are more difficult to break down and convert to ethanol. So researchers are trying to engineer plants having optimal sugars for maximizing fuel yield. This is a challenge because only a handful of enzymes associated with the more than 1,000 genes responsible for cell-wall synthesis have had their roles in controlling plant metabolism defined. As Richard Ferrieri, Ph.D., a leader of a biofuel research initiative within the Medical Department, will discuss during the 453rd Brookhaven Lecture, he and his colleagues use short-lived radioisotopes, positron emission tomography and biomarkers that they have developed to perform non-invasive, real time imaging of whole plants. He will explain how the resulting metabolic flux analysis gives insight into engineering plant metabolism further.« less

Application of air classification and formulation to manage feedstock cost, quality and availability for bioenergy

DOE PAGES

Thompson, Vicki S.; Lacey, Jeffrey A.; Hartley, Damon; ...

2016-04-22

Biomass such as agricultural residues, energy crops and yard waste has significant potential to be used as renewable feedstocks for production of fuels, chemicals and energy. However, in a given location, biomass availability, cost and quality can vary markedly. Strategies to manage these traits must be identified and implemented so that consistent low-cost and high-quality feedstocks can be delivered to biorefineries year round. In this study, we examine air classification as a method to mitigate high ash concentrations in corn stover, switchgrass, and grass clippings. Formulation techniques were then used to produce blends that met ash quality and biomass quantitymore » specifications at the lowest possible cost for biopower and biochemical conversion applications. It was found that air classification can separate the biomass into light fractions which contain concentrated amounts of elemental ash components introduced through soil contamination such as sodium, alumina, silica, iron and titania; and heavy fractions that are depleted in these components and have relatively lower total ash content. Light fractions of corn stover and grass clippings were found to be suitable for combustion applications since they had less propensity to slag than the whole biomass material. The remaining heavy fractions of corn stover or grass clippings could then be blended with switchgrass to produce blends that met the 5% total ash specifications suggested for biochemical conversions. However, ternary blends of the three feedstocks were not possible due to the high ash content of grass clippings. Lastly, it was determined that air classification by itself was not suitable to prepare these feedstocks for pyrolysis due to high ash content.« less

Application of air classification and formulation to manage feedstock cost, quality and availability for bioenergy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thompson, Vicki S.; Lacey, Jeffrey A.; Hartley, Damon

Biomass such as agricultural residues, energy crops and yard waste has significant potential to be used as renewable feedstocks for production of fuels, chemicals and energy. However, in a given location, biomass availability, cost and quality can vary markedly. Strategies to manage these traits must be identified and implemented so that consistent low-cost and high-quality feedstocks can be delivered to biorefineries year round. In this study, we examine air classification as a method to mitigate high ash concentrations in corn stover, switchgrass, and grass clippings. Formulation techniques were then used to produce blends that met ash quality and biomass quantitymore » specifications at the lowest possible cost for biopower and biochemical conversion applications. It was found that air classification can separate the biomass into light fractions which contain concentrated amounts of elemental ash components introduced through soil contamination such as sodium, alumina, silica, iron and titania; and heavy fractions that are depleted in these components and have relatively lower total ash content. Light fractions of corn stover and grass clippings were found to be suitable for combustion applications since they had less propensity to slag than the whole biomass material. The remaining heavy fractions of corn stover or grass clippings could then be blended with switchgrass to produce blends that met the 5% total ash specifications suggested for biochemical conversions. However, ternary blends of the three feedstocks were not possible due to the high ash content of grass clippings. Lastly, it was determined that air classification by itself was not suitable to prepare these feedstocks for pyrolysis due to high ash content.« less

The sh2-R allele of the maize shrunken-2 locus was caused by a complex chromosomal rearrangement.

PubMed

Kramer, Vance; Shaw, Janine R; Senior, M Lynn; Hannah, L Curtis

2015-03-01

The mutant that originally defined the shrunken - 2 locus of maize is shown here to be the product of a complex chromosomal rearrangement. The maize shrunken-2 gene (sh2) encodes the large subunit of the heterotetrameric enzyme, adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylases and a rate-limiting enzyme in starch biosynthesis. The sh2 gene was defined approximately 72 years ago by the isolation of a loss-of-function allele conditioning a shrunken, but viable seed. In subsequent years, the realization that this allele, termed zsh2-R or sh2-Reference, causes an extremely high level of sucrose to accumulate in the developing seed led to a revolution in the sweet corn industry. Now, the vast majority of sweet corns grown throughout the world contain this mutant allele. Through initial Southern analysis followed by genomic sequencing, the work reported here shows that this allele arose through a complex set of events involving at least three breaks of chromosome 3 as well as an intra-chromosomal inversion. These findings provide an explanation for some previously reported, unexpected observations concerning rates of recombination within and between genes in this region.

Genetic architecture of wood properties based on association analysis and co-expression networks in white spruce.

PubMed

Lamara, Mebarek; Raherison, Elie; Lenz, Patrick; Beaulieu, Jean; Bousquet, Jean; MacKay, John

2016-04-01

Association studies are widely utilized to analyze complex traits but their ability to disclose genetic architectures is often limited by statistical constraints, and functional insights are usually minimal in nonmodel organisms like forest trees. We developed an approach to integrate association mapping results with co-expression networks. We tested single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 2652 candidate genes for statistical associations with wood density, stiffness, microfibril angle and ring width in a population of 1694 white spruce trees (Picea glauca). Associations mapping identified 229-292 genes per wood trait using a statistical significance level of P < 0.05 to maximize discovery. Over-representation of genes associated for nearly all traits was found in a xylem preferential co-expression group developed in independent experiments. A xylem co-expression network was reconstructed with 180 wood associated genes and several known MYB and NAC regulators were identified as network hubs. The network revealed a link between the gene PgNAC8, wood stiffness and microfibril angle, as well as considerable within-season variation for both genetic control of wood traits and gene expression. Trait associations were distributed throughout the network suggesting complex interactions and pleiotropic effects. Our findings indicate that integration of association mapping and co-expression networks enhances our understanding of complex wood traits. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Modeling Long-Term Corn Yield Response to Nitrogen Rate and Crop Rotation

PubMed Central

Puntel, Laila A.; Sawyer, John E.; Barker, Daniel W.; Dietzel, Ranae; Poffenbarger, Hanna; Castellano, Michael J.; Moore, Kenneth J.; Thorburn, Peter; Archontoulis, Sotirios V.

2016-01-01

Improved prediction of optimal N fertilizer rates for corn (Zea mays L.) can reduce N losses and increase profits. We tested the ability of the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) to simulate corn and soybean (Glycine max L.) yields, the economic optimum N rate (EONR) using a 16-year field-experiment dataset from central Iowa, USA that included two crop sequences (continuous corn and soybean-corn) and five N fertilizer rates (0, 67, 134, 201, and 268 kg N ha-1) applied to corn. Our objectives were to: (a) quantify model prediction accuracy before and after calibration, and report calibration steps; (b) compare crop model-based techniques in estimating optimal N rate for corn; and (c) utilize the calibrated model to explain factors causing year to year variability in yield and optimal N. Results indicated that the model simulated well long-term crop yields response to N (relative root mean square error, RRMSE of 19.6% before and 12.3% after calibration), which provided strong evidence that important soil and crop processes were accounted for in the model. The prediction of EONR was more complex and had greater uncertainty than the prediction of crop yield (RRMSE of 44.5% before and 36.6% after calibration). For long-term site mean EONR predictions, both calibrated and uncalibrated versions can be used as the 16-year mean differences in EONR’s were within the historical N rate error range (40–50 kg N ha-1). However, for accurate year-by-year simulation of EONR the calibrated version should be used. Model analysis revealed that higher EONR values in years with above normal spring precipitation were caused by an exponential increase in N loss (denitrification and leaching) with precipitation. We concluded that long-term experimental data were valuable in testing and refining APSIM predictions. The model can be used as a tool to assist N management guidelines in the US Midwest and we identified five avenues on how the model can add value toward agronomic, economic, and environmental sustainability. PMID:27891133

Modeling Long-Term Corn Yield Response to Nitrogen Rate and Crop Rotation.

PubMed

Puntel, Laila A; Sawyer, John E; Barker, Daniel W; Dietzel, Ranae; Poffenbarger, Hanna; Castellano, Michael J; Moore, Kenneth J; Thorburn, Peter; Archontoulis, Sotirios V

2016-01-01

Improved prediction of optimal N fertilizer rates for corn ( Zea mays L. ) can reduce N losses and increase profits. We tested the ability of the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) to simulate corn and soybean ( Glycine max L. ) yields, the economic optimum N rate (EONR) using a 16-year field-experiment dataset from central Iowa, USA that included two crop sequences (continuous corn and soybean-corn) and five N fertilizer rates (0, 67, 134, 201, and 268 kg N ha -1 ) applied to corn. Our objectives were to: (a) quantify model prediction accuracy before and after calibration, and report calibration steps; (b) compare crop model-based techniques in estimating optimal N rate for corn; and (c) utilize the calibrated model to explain factors causing year to year variability in yield and optimal N. Results indicated that the model simulated well long-term crop yields response to N (relative root mean square error, RRMSE of 19.6% before and 12.3% after calibration), which provided strong evidence that important soil and crop processes were accounted for in the model. The prediction of EONR was more complex and had greater uncertainty than the prediction of crop yield (RRMSE of 44.5% before and 36.6% after calibration). For long-term site mean EONR predictions, both calibrated and uncalibrated versions can be used as the 16-year mean differences in EONR's were within the historical N rate error range (40-50 kg N ha -1 ). However, for accurate year-by-year simulation of EONR the calibrated version should be used. Model analysis revealed that higher EONR values in years with above normal spring precipitation were caused by an exponential increase in N loss (denitrification and leaching) with precipitation. We concluded that long-term experimental data were valuable in testing and refining APSIM predictions. The model can be used as a tool to assist N management guidelines in the US Midwest and we identified five avenues on how the model can add value toward agronomic, economic, and environmental sustainability.

In Vivo fitness associated with high virulence in a vertebrate virus is a complex trait regulated by host entry, replication, and shedding

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wargo, Andrew R.; Kurath, Gael

2011-01-01

The relationship between pathogen fitness and virulence is typically examined by quantifying only one or two pathogen fitness traits. More specifically, it is regularly assumed that within-host replication, as a precursor to transmission, is the driving force behind virulence. In reality, many traits contribute to pathogen fitness, and each trait could drive the evolution of virulence in different ways. Here, we independently quantified four viral infection cycle traits, namely, host entry, within-host replication, within-host coinfection fitness, and shedding, in vivo, in the vertebrate virus Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). We examined how each of these stages of the viral infection cycle contributes to the fitness of IHNV genotypes that differ in virulence in rainbow trout. This enabled us to determine how infection cycle fitness traits are independently associated with virulence. We found that viral fitness was independently regulated by each of the traits examined, with the largest impact on fitness being provided by within-host replication. Furthermore, the more virulent of the two genotypes of IHNV we used had advantages in all of the traits quantified. Our results are thus congruent with the assumption that virulence and within-host replication are correlated but suggest that infection cycle fitness is complex and that replication is not the only trait associated with virulence.

Structural and Biophysical Characterization of Bacillus thuringiensis Insecticidal Proteins Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1

PubMed Central

Kelker, Matthew S.; Berry, Colin; Evans, Steven L.; Pai, Reetal; McCaskill, David G.; Wang, Nick X.; Russell, Joshua C.; Baker, Matthew D.; Yang, Cheng; Pflugrath, J. W.; Wade, Matthew; Wess, Tim J.; Narva, Kenneth E.

2014-01-01

Bacillus thuringiensis strains are well known for the production of insecticidal proteins upon sporulation and these proteins are deposited in parasporal crystalline inclusions. The majority of these insect-specific toxins exhibit three domains in the mature toxin sequence. However, other Cry toxins are structurally and evolutionarily unrelated to this three-domain family and little is known of their three dimensional structures, limiting our understanding of their mechanisms of action and our ability to engineer the proteins to enhance their function. Among the non-three domain Cry toxins, the Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1 proteins from B. thuringiensis strain PS149B1 are required to act together to produce toxicity to the western corn rootworm (WCR) Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Le Conte via a pore forming mechanism of action. Cry34Ab1 is a protein of ∼14 kDa with features of the aegerolysin family (Pfam06355) of proteins that have known membrane disrupting activity, while Cry35Ab1 is a ∼44 kDa member of the toxin_10 family (Pfam05431) that includes other insecticidal proteins such as the binary toxin BinA/BinB. The Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 proteins represent an important seed trait technology having been developed as insect resistance traits in commercialized corn hybrids for control of WCR. The structures of Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1 have been elucidated to 2.15 Å and 1.80 Å resolution, respectively. The solution structures of the toxins were further studied by small angle X-ray scattering and native electrospray ion mobility mass spectrometry. We present here the first published structure from the aegerolysin protein domain family and the structural comparisons of Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1 with other pore forming toxins. PMID:25390338

Inheritance of Diapause in Crosses between the Northernmost and the Southernmost Strains of the Asian Corn Borer Ostrinia furnacalis

PubMed Central

Fu, Shu; Chen, Chao; Xiao, Liang; He, Haimin; Xue, Fangsen

2015-01-01

The northernmost Harbin strain (N strain) of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis enters facultative diapause as fully grown larvae in response to short daylengths; whereas the southernmost Ledong strain (S strain) exhibits almost no diapause under the same light conditions. In the present study, we examined the inheritance of diapause induction and termination by crossing the two strains under a range of environmental conditions. The N strain showed a typical long-day response with a critical daylength of approximately15.88 h at 22°C, 15.72 h at 25°C and 15.14 h at 28°C, whereas the S strain showed a weak photoperiodic response at 22°C. The F1 progeny also showed a long-day response at 22, 25 and 28°C. However, the critical daylengths in S ♀ × N ♂ crosses were significantly longer than those in N ♀ × S ♂ crosses, indicating a sex linkage in the inheritance of diapause induction, with the male parent having more influence on the following F1 progeny. The incidence of diapause in S ♀ × N ♂ crosses was the same as in the N strain under short daylengths of 11-13 h, indicating that diapause trait is completely dominant over the non-diapause trait. The critical daylength in backcross to N was significantly longer than it was in backcross to S, showing a grandfather gene effect. Whether the inheritance of diapause fits an additive hypothesis or not was dependent on the rearing photoperiod, and the capacity for diapause was transmitted genetically in the manner of incomplete dominance. The duration of diapause for the reciprocal crosses under different diapause-terminating conditions showed different patterns of inheritance. The results in this study reveal that genetic and genetic-environmental interactions are involved in diapause induction and termination in O. furnacalis. PMID:25706525

Impacts of Population Structure and Analytical Models in Genome-Wide Association Studies of Complex Traits in Forest Trees: A Case Study in Eucalyptus globulus

PubMed Central

Garcia, Martín N.; Acuña, Cintia; Borralho, Nuno M. G.; Grattapaglia, Dario; Marcucci Poltri, Susana N.

2013-01-01

The promise of association genetics to identify genes or genomic regions controlling complex traits has generated a flurry of interest. Such phenotype-genotype associations could be useful to accelerate tree breeding cycles, increase precision and selection intensity for late expressing, low heritability traits. However, the prospects of association genetics in highly heterozygous undomesticated forest trees can be severely impacted by the presence of cryptic population and pedigree structure. To investigate how to better account for this, we compared the GLM and five combinations of the Unified Mixed Model (UMM) on data of a low-density genome-wide association study for growth and wood property traits carried out in a Eucalyptus globulus population (n = 303) with 7,680 Diversity Array Technology (DArT) markers. Model comparisons were based on the degree of deviation from the uniform distribution and estimates of the mean square differences between the observed and expected p-values of all significant marker-trait associations detected. Our analysis revealed the presence of population and family structure. There was not a single best model for all traits. Striking differences in detection power and accuracy were observed among the different models especially when population structure was not accounted for. The UMM method was the best and produced superior results when compared to GLM for all traits. Following stringent correction for false discoveries, 18 marker-trait associations were detected, 16 for tree diameter growth and two for lignin monomer composition (S∶G ratio), a key wood property trait. The two DArT markers associated with S∶G ratio on chromosome 10, physically map within 1 Mbp of the ferulate 5-hydroxylase (F5H) gene, providing a putative independent validation of this marker-trait association. This study details the merit of collectively integrate population structure and relatedness in association analyses in undomesticated, highly heterozygous forest trees, and provides additional insights into the nature of complex quantitative traits in Eucalyptus. PMID:24282578

Standardized research protocols enable transdisciplinary research of climate variation impacts in corn production systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The important questions about agriculture, climate, and sustainability have become increasingly complex and require a coordinated, multi-faceted approach for developing new knowledge and understanding. A multi-state, transdisciplinary project was begun in 2011 to study the potential for both mitigat...

Process technologies for production of fuel ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lignocellulosic biomass such as corn stover, wheat straw, rice straw, and switchgrass can serve as low-cost feedstock for production of fuel ethanol. These feedstocks contain complex carbohydrates (cellulose and hemicelluloses) which need to be converted to fermentable sugars and then these sugars b...

Methane production, ruminal fermentation characteristics, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen excretion, and milk production of dairy cows fed conventional or brown midrib corn silage.

PubMed

Hassanat, F; Gervais, R; Benchaar, C

2017-04-01

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of replacing conventional corn silage (CCS) with brown midrib corn silage (BMCS) in dairy cow diets on enteric CH 4 emission, nutrient intake, digestibility, ruminal fermentation characteristics, milk production, and N excretion. Sixteen rumen-cannulated lactating cows used in a crossover design (35-d periods) were fed (ad libitum) a total mixed ration (forage:concentrate ratio = 65:35, dry matter basis) based (59% dry matter) on either CCS or BMCS. Dry matter intake and milk yield increased when cows were fed BMCS instead of CCS. Of the milk components, only milk fat content slightly decreased when cows were fed the BMCS-based diet compared with when fed the CCS-based diet (3.81 vs. 3.92%). Compared with CCS, feeding BMCS to cows increased yields of milk protein and milk fat. Ruminal pH, protozoa numbers, total VFA concentration, and molar proportions of acetate and propionate were similar between cows fed BMCS and those fed CCS. Daily enteric CH 4 emission (g/d) was unaffected by dietary treatments, but CH 4 production expressed as a proportion of gross energy intake or on milk yield basis was lower for cows fed the BMCS-based diet than for cows fed the CCS-based diet. A decline in manure N excretion and a shift in N excretion from urine to feces were observed when BMCS replaced CCS in the diet, suggesting reduced potential of manure N volatilization. Results from this study show that improving fiber quality of corn silage in dairy cow diets through using brown midrib trait cultivar can reduce enteric CH 4 emissions as well as potential emissions of NH 3 and N 2 O from manure. However, CH 4 emissions during manure storage may increase due to excretion of degradable OM when BMCS diet is fed, which merits further investigation. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 180.1254 - Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... NRRL 21882 on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover. [75 FR 6576, Feb. 10, 2010] ...

40 CFR 180.1254 - Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... NRRL 21882 on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover. [75 FR 6576, Feb. 10, 2010] ...

40 CFR 180.1254 - Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... NRRL 21882 on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover. [75 FR 6576, Feb. 10, 2010] ...

40 CFR 180.1254 - Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... NRRL 21882 on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover. [75 FR 6576, Feb. 10, 2010] ...

40 CFR 180.1254 - Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... NRRL 21882 on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover. [75 FR 6576, Feb. 10, 2010] ...

Medium chain triglycerides dose-dependently prevent liver pathology in a rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

PubMed

Ronis, Martin J J; Baumgardner, January N; Sharma, Neha; Vantrease, Jamie; Ferguson, Matthew; Tong, Yudong; Wu, Xianli; Cleves, Mario A; Badger, Thomas M

2013-02-01

Metabolic syndrome is often accompanied by development of hepatic steatosis and less frequently by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) leading to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Replacement of corn oil with medium chain triacylglycerols (MCT) in the diets of alcohol-fed rats has been shown to protect against steatosis and alcoholic liver injury. The current study was designed to determine if a similar beneficial effect of MCT occurs in a rat model of NAFLD. Groups of male rats were isocalorically overfed diets containing 10%, 35% or 70% total energy as corn oil or a 70% fat diet in which corn oil was replaced with increasing concentrations of saturated fat (18:82, beef tallow:MCT oil) from 20% to 65% for 21 days using total enteral nutrition (TEN). As dietary content of corn oil increased, hepatic steatosis and serum alanine amino transferases were elevated (P < 0.05). This was accompanied by greater expression of cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2E1 (P < 0.05) and higher concentrations of polyunsaturated 18:2 and 20:4 fatty acids (FA) in the hepatic lipid fractions (P < 0.05). Keeping the total dietary fat at 70%, but increasing the proportion of MCT-enriched saturated fat resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in steatosis and necrosis without affecting CYP2E1 induction. There was no incorporation of C8-C10 FAs into liver lipids, but increasing the ratio of MCT to corn oil: reduced liver lipid 18:2 and 20:4 concentrations; reduced membrane susceptibility to radical attack; stimulated FA β- and ω-oxidation as a result of activation of peroxisomal proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)α, and appeared to increase mitochondrial respiration through complex III. These data suggest that replacing unsaturated fats like corn oil with MCT oil in the diet could be utilized as a potential treatment for NAFLD.

40 CFR 180.555 - Trifloxystrobin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... pulp 1.0 Citrus, oil 38 Corn, field, forage 6.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 7 Corn, field, refined oil 0.1 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 7 Corn, sweet, cannery waste 0.6 Corn, sweet, forage 7.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.04 Corn, sweet, stover 4.0 Egg 0.04...

40 CFR 180.555 - Trifloxystrobin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... pulp 1.0 Citrus, oil 38 Corn, field, forage 6.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 7 Corn, field, refined oil 0.1 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 7 Corn, sweet, cannery waste 0.6 Corn, sweet, forage 7.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.04 Corn, sweet, stover 4.0 Egg 0.04...

40 CFR 180.555 - Trifloxystrobin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Corn, field, forage 6.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 7 Corn, field, refined oil 0.1 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 7 Corn, sweet, cannery waste 0.6 Corn, sweet, forage 7.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.04 Corn, sweet, stover 4.0 Egg 0.04 Fruit, citrus, group 10 0.6...

40 CFR 180.555 - Trifloxystrobin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Corn, field, forage 6.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 7 Corn, field, refined oil 0.1 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 7 Corn, sweet, cannery waste 0.6 Corn, sweet, forage 7.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.04 Corn, sweet, stover 4.0 Egg 0.04 Fruit, citrus, group 10 0.6...

From cultural traditions to cumulative culture: parameterizing the differences between human and nonhuman culture.

PubMed

Kempe, Marius; Lycett, Stephen J; Mesoudi, Alex

2014-10-21

Diverse species exhibit cultural traditions, i.e. population-specific profiles of socially learned traits, from songbird dialects to primate tool-use behaviours. However, only humans appear to possess cumulative culture, in which cultural traits increase in complexity over successive generations. Theoretically, it is currently unclear what factors give rise to these phenomena, and consequently why cultural traditions are found in several species but cumulative culture in only one. Here, we address this by constructing and analysing cultural evolutionary models of both phenomena that replicate empirically attestable levels of cultural variation and complexity in chimpanzees and humans. In our model of cultural traditions (Model 1), we find that realistic cultural variation between populations can be maintained even when individuals in different populations invent the same traits and migration between populations is frequent, and under a range of levels of social learning accuracy. This lends support to claims that putative cultural traditions are indeed cultural (rather than genetic) in origin, and suggests that cultural traditions should be widespread in species capable of social learning. Our model of cumulative culture (Model 2) indicates that both the accuracy of social learning and the number of cultural demonstrators interact to determine the complexity of a trait that can be maintained in a population. Combining these models (Model 3) creates two qualitatively distinct regimes in which there are either a few, simple traits, or many, complex traits. We suggest that these regimes correspond to nonhuman and human cultures, respectively. The rarity of cumulative culture in nature may result from this interaction between social learning accuracy and number of demonstrators. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plasticity first: molecular signatures of a complex morphological trait in filamentous cyanobacteria.

PubMed

Koch, Robin; Kupczok, Anne; Stucken, Karina; Ilhan, Judith; Hammerschmidt, Katrin; Dagan, Tal

2017-08-31

Filamentous cyanobacteria that differentiate multiple cell types are considered the peak of prokaryotic complexity and their evolution has been studied in the context of multicellularity origins. Species that form true-branching filaments exemplify the most complex cyanobacteria. However, the mechanisms underlying the true-branching morphology remain poorly understood despite of several investigations that focused on the identification of novel genes or pathways. An alternative route for the evolution of novel traits is based on existing phenotypic plasticity. According to that scenario - termed genetic assimilation - the fixation of a novel phenotype precedes the fixation of the genotype. Here we show that the evolution of transcriptional regulatory elements constitutes a major mechanism for the evolution of new traits. We found that supplementation with sucrose reconstitutes the ancestral branchless phenotype of two true-branching Fischerella species and compared the transcription start sites (TSSs) between the two phenotypic states. Our analysis uncovers several orthologous TSSs whose transcription level is correlated with the true-branching phenotype. These TSSs are found in genes that encode components of the septosome and elongasome (e.g., fraC and mreB). The concept of genetic assimilation supplies a tenable explanation for the evolution of novel traits but testing its feasibility is hindered by the inability to recreate and study the evolution of present-day traits. We present a novel approach to examine transcription data for the plasticity first route and provide evidence for its occurrence during the evolution of complex colony morphology in true-branching cyanobacteria. Our results reveal a route for evolution of the true-branching phenotype in cyanobacteria via modification of the transcription level of pre-existing genes. Our study supplies evidence for the 'plasticity-first' hypothesis and highlights the importance of transcriptional regulation in the evolution of novel traits.

40 CFR 180.1219 - Foramsulfuron; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... pesticide foramsulfuron is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance in corn, field, grain/corn, field, forage/ corn, field, stover/corn, pop, grain/corn, pop, forage/corn, pop, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed; corn, sweet, stover when applied as a herbicide in...

40 CFR 180.1219 - Foramsulfuron; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... pesticide foramsulfuron is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance in corn, field, grain/corn, field, forage/ corn, field, stover/corn, pop, grain/corn, pop, forage/corn, pop, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed; corn, sweet, stover when applied as a herbicide in...

40 CFR 180.1219 - Foramsulfuron; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... pesticide foramsulfuron is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance in corn, field, grain/corn, field, forage/ corn, field, stover/corn, pop, grain/corn, pop, forage/corn, pop, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed; corn, sweet, stover when applied as a herbicide in...

40 CFR 180.1219 - Foramsulfuron; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... pesticide foramsulfuron is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance in corn, field, grain/corn, field, forage/ corn, field, stover/corn, pop, grain/corn, pop, forage/corn, pop, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed; corn, sweet, stover when applied as a herbicide in...

40 CFR 180.1206 - Aspergillus flavus AF36; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover, when applied/used as an antifungal agent. [68 FR 41541, July 14...

40 CFR 180.1219 - Foramsulfuron; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... pesticide foramsulfuron is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance in corn, field, grain/corn, field, forage/ corn, field, stover/corn, pop, grain/corn, pop, forage/corn, pop, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed; corn, sweet, stover when applied as a herbicide in...

Does plant architectural complexity increase with increasing habitat complexity? A test with a pioneer shrub in the Brazilian Cerrado.

PubMed

Silveira, F A O; Oliveira, E G

2013-05-01

Understanding variation in plant traits in heterogeneous habitats is important to predict responses to changing environments, but trait-environment associations are poorly known along ecological gradients. We tested the hypothesis that plant architectural complexity increases with habitat complexity along a soil fertility gradient in a Cerrado (Neotropical savanna) area in southeastern Brazil. Plant architecture and productivity (estimated as the total number of healthy infructescences) of Miconia albicans (SW.) Triana were examined in three types of vegetation which together form a natural gradient of increasing soil fertility, tree density and canopy cover: grasslands (campo sujo, CS), shrublands (cerrado sensu strico, CE) and woodlands (cerradão, CD). As expected, plants growing at the CS were shorter and had a lower branching pattern, whereas plants at the CD were the tallest. Unexpectedly, however, CD plants did not show higher architectural complexity compared to CE plants. Higher architectural similarity between CE and CD plants compared to similarity between CS and CE plants suggests reduced expression of functional architectural traits under shade. Plants growing at the CE produced more quaternary shoots, leading to a larger number of infructescences. This higher plant productivity in CE indicates that trait variation in ecological gradients is more complex than previously thought. Nematode-induced galls accounted for fruit destruction in 76.5% infructescences across physiognomies, but percentage of attack was poorly related to architectural variables. Our data suggest shade-induced limitation in M. albicans architecture, and point to complex phenotypic variation in heterogeneous habitats in Neotropical savannas.

40 CFR 180.438 - Lambda-cyhalothrin and an isomer gamma-cyhalothrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 1.0 Corn, sweet, forage 6.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with..., seed 1.0 Cattle, fat 3.0 Cattle, meat 0.2 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.2 Corn, field, flour 0.15 Corn, field, forage 6.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 1.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, grain...

40 CFR 180.438 - Lambda-cyhalothrin and an isomer gamma-cyhalothrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 1.0 Corn, sweet, forage 6.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with..., seed 1.0 Cattle, fat 3.0 Cattle, meat 0.2 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.2 Corn, field, flour 0.15 Corn, field, forage 6.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 1.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, grain...

40 CFR 180.438 - Lambda-cyhalothrin and an isomer gamma-cyhalothrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 1.0 Corn, sweet, forage 6.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with..., seed 1.0 Cattle, fat 3.0 Cattle, meat 0.2 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.2 Corn, field, flour 0.15 Corn, field, forage 6.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 1.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, grain...

Urban habitat complexity affects species richness but not environmental filtering of morphologically-diverse ants

PubMed Central

Nash, Michael A.; Christie, Fiona J.; Hahs, Amy K.; Livesley, Stephen J.

2015-01-01

Habitat complexity is a major determinant of structure and diversity of ant assemblages. Following the size-grain hypothesis, smaller ant species are likely to be advantaged in more complex habitats compared to larger species. Habitat complexity can act as an environmental filter based on species size and morphological traits, therefore affecting the overall structure and diversity of ant assemblages. In natural and semi-natural ecosystems, habitat complexity is principally regulated by ecological successions or disturbance such as fire and grazing. Urban ecosystems provide an opportunity to test relationships between habitat, ant assemblage structure and ant traits using novel combinations of habitat complexity generated and sustained by human management. We sampled ant assemblages in low-complexity and high-complexity parks, and high-complexity woodland remnants, hypothesizing that (i) ant abundance and species richness would be higher in high-complexity urban habitats, (ii) ant assemblages would differ between low- and high-complexity habitats and (iii) ants living in high-complexity habitats would be smaller than those living in low-complexity habitats. Contrary to our hypothesis, ant species richness was higher in low-complexity habitats compared to high-complexity habitats. Overall, ant assemblages were significantly different among the habitat complexity types investigated, although ant size and morphology remained the same. Habitat complexity appears to affect the structure of ant assemblages in urban ecosystems as previously observed in natural and semi-natural ecosystems. However, the habitat complexity filter does not seem to be linked to ant morphological traits related to body size. PMID:26528416

Spatio-temporal evaluation of plant height in corn via unmanned aerial systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varela, Sebastian; Assefa, Yared; Vara Prasad, P. V.; Peralta, Nahuel R.; Griffin, Terry W.; Sharda, Ajay; Ferguson, Allison; Ciampitti, Ignacio A.

2017-07-01

Detailed spatial and temporal data on plant growth are critical to guide crop management. Conventional methods to determine field plant traits are intensive, time-consuming, expensive, and limited to small areas. The objective of this study was to examine the integration of data collected via unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at critical corn (Zea mays L.) developmental stages for plant height and its relation to plant biomass. The main steps followed in this research were (1) workflow development for an ultrahigh resolution crop surface model (CSM) with the goal of determining plant height (CSM-estimated plant height) using data gathered from the UAS missions; (2) validation of CSM-estimated plant height with ground-truthing plant height (measured plant height); and (3) final estimation of plant biomass via integration of CSM-estimated plant height with ground-truthing stem diameter data. Results indicated a correlation between CSM-estimated plant height and ground-truthing plant height data at two weeks prior to flowering and at flowering stage, but high predictability at the later growth stage. Log-log analysis on the temporal data confirmed that these relationships are stable, presenting equal slopes for both crop stages evaluated. Concluding, data collected from low-altitude and with a low-cost sensor could be useful in estimating plant height.

Genetic basis of allochronic differentiation in the fall armyworm.

PubMed

Hänniger, Sabine; Dumas, Pascaline; Schöfl, Gerhard; Gebauer-Jung, Steffi; Vogel, Heiko; Unbehend, Melanie; Heckel, David G; Groot, Astrid T

2017-03-06

Very little is known on how changes in circadian rhythms evolve. The noctuid moth Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) consists of two strains that exhibit allochronic differentiation in their mating time, which acts as a premating isolation barrier between the strains. We investigated the genetic basis of the strain-specific timing differences to identify the molecular mechanisms of differentiation in circadian rhythms. Through QTL analyses we identified one major Quantitative trait chromosome (QTC) underlying differentiation in circadian timing of mating activity. Using RADtags, we identified this QTC to be homologous to Bombyx mori C27, on which the clock gene vrille is located, which thus became the major candidate gene. In S. frugiperda, vrille showed strain-specific polymorphisms. Also, vrille expression differed significantly between the strains, with the rice-strain showing higher expression levels than the corn-strain. In addition, RT-qPCR experiments with the other main clock genes showed that pdp1, antagonist of vrille in the modulatory feedback loop of the circadian clock, showed higher expression levels in the rice-strain than in the corn-strain. Together, our results indicate that the allochronic differentiation in the two strains of S. frugiperda is associated with differential transcription of vrille or a cis-acting gene close to vrille, which contributes to the evolution of prezygotic isolation in S. frugiperda.

A powerful approach reveals numerous expression quantitative trait haplotypes in multiple tissues.

PubMed

Ying, Dingge; Li, Mulin Jun; Sham, Pak Chung; Li, Miaoxin

2018-04-26

Recently many studies showed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affect gene expression and contribute to development of complex traits/diseases in a tissue context-dependent manner. However, little is known about haplotype's influence on gene expression and complex traits, which reflects the interaction effect between SNPs. In the present study, we firstly proposed a regulatory region guided eQTL haplotype association analysis approach, and then systematically investigate the expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) haplotypes in 20 different tissues by the approach. The approach has a powerful design of reducing computational burden by the utilization of regulatory predictions for candidate SNP selection and multiple testing corrections on non-independent haplotypes. The application results in multiple tissues showed that haplotype-based eQTLs not only increased the number of eQTL genes in a tissue specific manner, but were also enriched in loci that associated with complex traits in a tissue-matched manner. In addition, we found that tag SNPs of eQTL haplotypes from whole blood were selectively enriched in certain combination of regulatory elements (e.g. promoters and enhancers) according to predicted chromatin states. In summary, this eQTL haplotype detection approach, together with the application results, shed insights into synergistic effect of sequence variants on gene expression and their susceptibility to complex diseases. The executable application "eHaplo" is implemented in Java and is publicly available at http://grass.cgs.hku.hk/limx/ehaplo/. jonsonfox@gmail.com, limiaoxin@mail.sysu.edu.cn. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

How rare bone diseases have informed our knowledge of complex diseases.

PubMed

Johnson, Mark L

2016-01-01

Rare bone diseases, generally defined as monogenic traits with either autosomal recessive or dominant patterns of inheritance, have provided a rich database of genes and associated pathways over the past 2-3 decades. The molecular genetic dissection of these bone diseases has yielded some major surprises in terms of the causal genes and/or involved pathways. The discovery of genes/pathways involved in diseases such as osteopetrosis, osteosclerosis, osteogenesis imperfecta and many other rare bone diseases have all accelerated our understanding of complex traits. Importantly these discoveries have provided either direct validation for a specific gene embedded in a group of genes within an interval identified through a complex trait genome-wide association study (GWAS) or based upon the pathway associated with a monogenic trait gene, provided a means to prioritize a large number of genes for functional validation studies. In some instances GWAS studies have yielded candidate genes that fall within linkage intervals associated with monogenic traits and resulted in the identification of causal mutations in those rare diseases. Driving all of this discovery is a complement of technologies such as genome sequencing, bioinformatics and advanced statistical analysis methods that have accelerated genetic dissection and greatly reduced the cost. Thus, rare bone disorders in partnership with GWAS have brought us to the brink of a new era of personalized genomic medicine in which the prevention and management of complex diseases will be driven by the molecular understanding of each individuals contributing genetic risks for disease.

40 CFR 180.570 - Isoxadifen-ethyl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (safener) in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.20 Corn, field, grain 0.08 Corn, field, stover 0.40 Corn, oil 0.50 Corn, pop, grain 0.04 Corn, pop, stover 0.25 Corn, sweet, forage 0.30 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed 0.04 Corn...

40 CFR 180.1206 - Aspergillus flavus AF36; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... tolerance is established for residues of Aspergillus flavus AF36 in or on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover, when...

40 CFR 180.1206 - Aspergillus flavus AF36; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... tolerance is established for residues of Aspergillus flavus AF36 in or on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover, when...

40 CFR 180.570 - Isoxadifen-ethyl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (safener) in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.20 Corn, field, grain 0.08 Corn, field, stover 0.40 Corn, oil 0.50 Corn, pop, grain 0.04 Corn, pop, stover 0.25 Corn, sweet, forage 0.30 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed 0.04 Corn...

40 CFR 180.570 - Isoxadifen-ethyl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (safener) in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.20 Corn, field, grain 0.08 Corn, field, stover 0.40 Corn, oil 0.50 Corn, pop, grain 0.04 Corn, pop, stover 0.25 Corn, sweet, forage 0.30 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed 0.04 Corn...

40 CFR 180.570 - Isoxadifen-ethyl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (safener) in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.20 Corn, field, grain 0.08 Corn, field, stover 0.40 Corn, oil 0.50 Corn, pop, grain 0.04 Corn, pop, stover 0.25 Corn, sweet, forage 0.30 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed 0.04 Corn...

40 CFR 180.570 - Isoxadifen-ethyl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (safener) in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.20 Corn, field, grain 0.08 Corn, field, stover 0.40 Corn, oil 0.50 Corn, pop, grain 0.04 Corn, pop, stover 0.25 Corn, sweet, forage 0.30 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed 0.04 Corn...

40 CFR 180.1206 - Aspergillus flavus AF36; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... tolerance is established for residues of Aspergillus flavus AF36 in or on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover, when...

40 CFR 180.617 - Metconazole; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

....04 Corn, field, forage 3.0 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 4.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 4.5 Corn, sweet, forage 3.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn...

40 CFR 180.617 - Metconazole; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

....04 Corn, field, forage 3.0 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 4.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 4.5 Corn, sweet, forage 3.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn...

Structure-function properties of starch graft poly(methyl acrylate)copolymers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Spherulites, produced by steam jet-cooking high-amylose starch and oleic acid, were grafted with methyl acrylate, both before and after removal of un-complexed amylopectin. For comparison, granular high-amylose corn starch was graft polymerized in a similar manner. The amount of grafted and ungrafte...

Structure-function properties of starch spherulites grafted with poly(methyl acrylate)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Spherulites, produced by steam jet-cooking high-amylose starch and oleic acid, were grafted with methyl acrylate, both before and after removal of un-complexed amylopectin. For comparison, granular high-amylose corn starch was graft polymerized in a similar manner. The amount of grafted and ungrafte...

Energy-efficient membrane separations in the sweetener industry. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ray, R.J.

1986-02-14

Objective was to investigate the use of membrane processes as energy-efficient alternatives to certain conventional separation processes now in use in the corn-sweetener industry. Three applications of membranes were studied during the program: the concentration of corn steep water by reverse osmosis; the concentration of dilute wastes, called ''sweetwater,'' by a combination of reverse osmosis and countercurrent reverse osmosis; and the enrichment of corn syrup in fructose by a process involving selective complexation of fructose by membrane filtration. Laboratory experiments were conducted for all three applications, and the results were used to conduct technical and economic analyses of the process.more » Calculations indicate that the use of reverse osmosis in combination with conventional mechanical-vapor-recompression evaporation to concentrate steep water, offers savings of a factor of 2.5 in capital costs and a factor of 4.5 in operating costs over currently used evaporation alone. In the concentration of sweetwater by reverse osmosis and countercurrent reverse osmosis, capital costs would be about the same as those for evaporation, but operating costs would only be about one-half those of evaporation. For the fructose-enrichment scheme, preliminary results indicate that the savings in energy alone for the membrane process would be about $0.01/lb of sweetener produced by the process, or about $20 million annually, for the corn-sweetener industry.« less

CLIPS: A tool for corn disease diagnostic system and an aid to neural network for automated knowledge acquisition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Cathy; Taylor, Pam; Whitson, George; Smith, Cathy

1990-01-01

This paper describes the building of a corn disease diagnostic expert system using CLIPS, and the development of a neural expert system using the fact representation method of CLIPS for automated knowledge acquisition. The CLIPS corn expert system diagnoses 21 diseases from 52 symptoms and signs with certainty factors. CLIPS has several unique features. It allows the facts in rules to be broken down to object-attribute-value (OAV) triples, allows rule-grouping, and fires rules based on pattern-matching. These features combined with the chained inference engine result to a natural user query system and speedy execution. In order to develop a method for automated knowledge acquisition, an Artificial Neural Expert System (ANES) is developed by a direct mapping from the CLIPS system. The ANES corn expert system uses the same OAV triples in the CLIPS system for its facts. The LHS and RHS facts of the CLIPS rules are mapped into the input and output layers of the ANES, respectively; and the inference engine of the rules is imbedded in the hidden layer. The fact representation by OAC triples gives a natural grouping of the rules. These features allow the ANES system to automate rule-generation, and make it efficient to execute and easy to expand for a large and complex domain.

Sensitive Quantification of Aflatoxin B1 in Animal Feeds, Corn Feed Grain, and Yellow Corn Meal Using Immunomagnetic Bead-Based Recovery and Real-Time Immunoquantitative-PCR

PubMed Central

Babu, Dinesh; Muriana, Peter M.

2014-01-01

Aflatoxins are considered unavoidable natural mycotoxins encountered in foods, animal feeds, and feed grains. In this study, we demonstrate the application of our recently developed real-time immunoquantitative PCR (RT iq-PCR) assay for sensitive detection and quantification of aflatoxins in poultry feed, two types of dairy feed (1 and 2), horse feed, whole kernel corn feed grains, and retail yellow ground corn meal. Upon testing methanol/water (60:40) extractions of the above samples using competitive direct enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, the aflatoxin content was found to be <20 μg/kg. The RT iq-PCR assay exhibited high antigen hook effect in samples containing aflatoxin levels higher than the quantification limits (0.1–10 μg/kg), addressed by comparing the quantification results of undiluted and diluted extracts. In testing the reliability of the immuno-PCR assay, samples were spiked with 200 μg/kg of aflatoxin B1, but the recovery of spiked aflatoxin was found to be poor. Considering the significance of determining trace levels of aflatoxins and their serious implications for animal and human health, the RT iq-PCR method described in this study can be useful for quantifying low natural aflatoxin levels in complex matrices of food or animal feed samples without the requirement of extra sample cleanup. PMID:25474493

Sensitive quantification of aflatoxin B1 in animal feeds, corn feed grain, and yellow corn meal using immunomagnetic bead-based recovery and real-time immunoquantitative-PCR.

PubMed

Babu, Dinesh; Muriana, Peter M

2014-12-02

Aflatoxins are considered unavoidable natural mycotoxins encountered in foods, animal feeds, and feed grains. In this study, we demonstrate the application of our recently developed real-time immunoquantitative PCR (RT iq-PCR) assay for sensitive detection and quantification of aflatoxins in poultry feed, two types of dairy feed (1 and 2), horse feed, whole kernel corn feed grains, and retail yellow ground corn meal. Upon testing methanol/water (60:40) extractions of the above samples using competitive direct enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, the aflatoxin content was found to be <20 μg/kg. The RT iq-PCR assay exhibited high antigen hook effect in samples containing aflatoxin levels higher than the quantification limits (0.1-10 μg/kg), addressed by comparing the quantification results of undiluted and diluted extracts. In testing the reliability of the immuno-PCR assay, samples were spiked with 200 μg/kg of aflatoxin B1, but the recovery of spiked aflatoxin was found to be poor. Considering the significance of determining trace levels of aflatoxins and their serious implications for animal and human health, the RT iq-PCR method described in this study can be useful for quantifying low natural aflatoxin levels in complex matrices of food or animal feed samples without the requirement of extra sample cleanup.

Protection of color and chemical degradation of anthocyanin from purple corn (Zea mays L.) by zinc ions and alginate through chemical interaction in a beverage model.

PubMed

Luna-Vital, Diego; Cortez, Regina; Ongkowijoyo, Paulina; Gonzalez de Mejia, Elvira

2018-03-01

Anthocyanin-rich purple corn pericarp water extract (PCW) has the potential to be used as a natural pigment in beverages. However, it has a limited shelf-life in aqueous solutions. The aim was to evaluate the effect of zinc ion (Zn 2+ ) and alginate on color and chemical stability of anthocyanins from colored corn (PCW) in a beverage model for 12weeks. PCW was incorporated to Kool-Aid® Invisible™ along with ZnCl 2 and/or alginate. Individual ANC were quantified through HPLC, and color stability was evaluated through the CIE-L*a*b* color system. Complexation between PCW and Zn/alginate was evaluated with fluorescence spectroscopy. The combination of Zn and alginate was the most effective treatment improving the half-life of total ANC concentration (10.4weeks), cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (7.5weeks) and chroma (18.4weeks), compared to only PCW (6.6, 4.5 and 12.7weeks, respectively). Zn and alginate had bimolecular quenching constants (Zn k q : 3.4×10 11 M -1 S -1 and AA k q : 1.0×10 12 M -1 S -1 ) suggesting that fluorescence quenching was binding rather than collisional. Results suggested that Zn/alginate interacted with ANC from purple corn slowing its chemical degradation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utilisation of corn (Zea mays) bran and corn fiber in the production of food components.

PubMed

Rose, Devin J; Inglett, George E; Liu, Sean X

2010-04-30

The milling of corn for the production of food constituents results in a number of low-value co-products. Two of the major co-products produced by this operation are corn bran and corn fiber, which currently have low commercial value. This review focuses on current and prospective research surrounding the utilization of corn fiber and corn bran in the production of potentially higher-value food components. Corn bran and corn fiber contain potentially useful components that may be harvested through physical, chemical or enzymatic means for the production of food ingredients or additives, including corn fiber oil, corn fiber gum, cellulosic fiber gels, xylo-oligosaccharides and ferulic acid. Components of corn bran and corn fiber may also be converted to food chemicals such as vanillin and xylitol. Commercialization of processes for the isolation or production of food products from corn bran or corn fiber has been met with numerous technical challenges, therefore further research that improves the production of these components from corn bran or corn fiber is needed.

40 CFR 180.431 - Clopyralid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Cattle, meat byproducts, except liver 36.0 Corn, field, forage 3.0 Corn, field, grain 1.0 Corn, field, milled byproducts 1.5 Corn, field, stover 10.0 Corn, pop, grain 1.0 Corn, pop, stover 10.0 Corn, sweet, forage 7.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 1.0 Corn, sweet, stover 10.0 Cranberry 4.0 Egg...

40 CFR 180.544 - Methoxyfenozide; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Canistel 0.6 Cattle, fat 0.50 Cattle, meat 0.02 Coriander, leaves 30 Corn, field, forage 15 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, refined oil 0.20 Corn, field, stover 125 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 125 Corn, sweet, forage 30 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 60...

40 CFR 180.544 - Methoxyfenozide; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 0.6 Cattle, fat 0.50 Cattle, meat 0.02 Cherimoya 0.60 Citrus, oil 100 Corn, field, forage 15 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, refined oil 0.20 Corn, field, stover 125 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 125 Corn, sweet, forage 30 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.220 - Atrazine; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Cattle, meat 0.02 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.02 Corn, field, forage 1.5 Corn, field, grain 0.20 Corn, field, stover 0.5 Corn, pop, forage 1.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.20 Corn, pop, stover 0.5 Corn, sweet, forage 15 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.20 Corn, sweet, stover 2.0 Goat, fat 0.02 Goat...

40 CFR 180.220 - Atrazine; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Cattle, meat 0.02 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.02 Corn, field, forage 1.5 Corn, field, grain 0.20 Corn, field, stover 0.5 Corn, pop, forage 1.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.20 Corn, pop, stover 0.5 Corn, sweet, forage 15 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.20 Corn, sweet, stover 2.0 Goat, fat 0.02 Goat...

40 CFR 180.220 - Atrazine; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Cattle, meat 0.02 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.02 Corn, field, forage 1.5 Corn, field, grain 0.20 Corn, field, stover 0.5 Corn, pop, forage 1.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.20 Corn, pop, stover 0.5 Corn, sweet, forage 15 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.20 Corn, sweet, stover 2.0 Goat, fat 0.02 Goat...

40 CFR 180.431 - Clopyralid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Cattle, meat byproducts, except liver 36.0 Corn, field, forage 3.0 Corn, field, grain 1.0 Corn, field, milled byproducts 1.5 Corn, field, stover 10.0 Corn, pop, grain 1.0 Corn, pop, stover 10.0 Corn, sweet, forage 7.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 1.0 Corn, sweet, stover 10.0 Cranberry 4.0 Egg...

40 CFR 180.617 - Metconazole; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... byproducts 0.04 Corn, field, forage 3.0 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 30 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 30 Corn, sweet, forage 3.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn... Soybean, hay 6.0 Soybean, hulls 0.08 Soybean, seed 0.05 Sugarcane, cane 0.06 Vegetable, tuberous and corn...

Host Genome Influence on Gut Microbial Composition and Microbial Prediction of Complex Traits in Pigs.

PubMed

Camarinha-Silva, Amelia; Maushammer, Maria; Wellmann, Robin; Vital, Marius; Preuss, Siegfried; Bennewitz, Jörn

2017-07-01

The aim of the present study was to analyze the interplay between gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiota, host genetics, and complex traits in pigs using extended quantitative-genetic methods. The study design consisted of 207 pigs that were housed and slaughtered under standardized conditions, and phenotyped for daily gain, feed intake, and feed conversion rate. The pigs were genotyped with a standard 60 K SNP chip. The GIT microbiota composition was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing technology. Eight from 49 investigated bacteria genera showed a significant narrow sense host heritability, ranging from 0.32 to 0.57. Microbial mixed linear models were applied to estimate the microbiota variance for each complex trait. The fraction of phenotypic variance explained by the microbial variance was 0.28, 0.21, and 0.16 for daily gain, feed conversion, and feed intake, respectively. The SNP data and the microbiota composition were used to predict the complex traits using genomic best linear unbiased prediction (G-BLUP) and microbial best linear unbiased prediction (M-BLUP) methods, respectively. The prediction accuracies of G-BLUP were 0.35, 0.23, and 0.20 for daily gain, feed conversion, and feed intake, respectively. The corresponding prediction accuracies of M-BLUP were 0.41, 0.33, and 0.33. Thus, in addition to SNP data, microbiota abundances are an informative source of complex trait predictions. Since the pig is a well-suited animal for modeling the human digestive tract, M-BLUP, in addition to G-BLUP, might be beneficial for predicting human predispositions to some diseases, and, consequently, for preventative and personalized medicine. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

A computational interactome for prioritizing genes associated with complex agronomic traits in rice (Oryza sativa).

PubMed

Liu, Shiwei; Liu, Yihui; Zhao, Jiawei; Cai, Shitao; Qian, Hongmei; Zuo, Kaijing; Zhao, Lingxia; Zhang, Lida

2017-04-01

Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most important staple foods for more than half of the global population. Many rice traits are quantitative, complex and controlled by multiple interacting genes. Thus, a full understanding of genetic relationships will be critical to systematically identify genes controlling agronomic traits. We developed a genome-wide rice protein-protein interaction network (RicePPINet, http://netbio.sjtu.edu.cn/riceppinet) using machine learning with structural relationship and functional information. RicePPINet contained 708 819 predicted interactions for 16 895 non-transposable element related proteins. The power of the network for discovering novel protein interactions was demonstrated through comparison with other publicly available protein-protein interaction (PPI) prediction methods, and by experimentally determined PPI data sets. Furthermore, global analysis of domain-mediated interactions revealed RicePPINet accurately reflects PPIs at the domain level. Our studies showed the efficiency of the RicePPINet-based method in prioritizing candidate genes involved in complex agronomic traits, such as disease resistance and drought tolerance, was approximately 2-11 times better than random prediction. RicePPINet provides an expanded landscape of computational interactome for the genetic dissection of agronomically important traits in rice. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Searching new signals for production traits through gene-based association analysis in three Italian cattle breeds.

PubMed

Capomaccio, Stefano; Milanesi, Marco; Bomba, Lorenzo; Cappelli, Katia; Nicolazzi, Ezequiel L; Williams, John L; Ajmone-Marsan, Paolo; Stefanon, Bruno

2015-08-01

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been widely applied to disentangle the genetic basis of complex traits. In cattle breeds, classical GWAS approaches with medium-density marker panels are far from conclusive, especially for complex traits. This is due to the intrinsic limitations of GWAS and the assumptions that are made to step from the association signals to the functional variations. Here, we applied a gene-based strategy to prioritize genotype-phenotype associations found for milk production and quality traits with classical approaches in three Italian dairy cattle breeds with different sample sizes (Italian Brown n = 745; Italian Holstein n = 2058; Italian Simmental n = 477). Although classical regression on single markers revealed only a single genome-wide significant genotype-phenotype association, for Italian Holstein, the gene-based approach identified specific genes in each breed that are associated with milk physiology and mammary gland development. As no standard method has yet been established to step from variation to functional units (i.e., genes), the strategy proposed here may contribute to revealing new genes that play significant roles in complex traits, such as those investigated here, amplifying low association signals using a gene-centric approach. © 2015 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Glass transitions and physical aging of cassava starch - corn oil blends.

PubMed

Pérez, Adriana; Sandoval, Aleida J; Cova, Aura; Müller, Alejandro J

2014-05-25

Glass transition temperatures and physical aging of amorphous cassava starch and their blends with corn oil were assessed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Two enthalpic relaxation endotherms, well separated in temperature values, were exhibited by neat amorphous cassava starch with 10.6% moisture content, evidencing two amorphous regions within the starch with different degrees of mobility. The phase segregation of these two amorphous regions was favored by added corn oil at low moisture contents during storage. The presence of amylose-lipid complexes in this matrix, may also affect the molecular dynamics of these two amorphous regions at low moisture contents. Increasing moisture content, leads to a homogeneous amorphous phase, with an aging process characterized by a single enthalpic relaxation peak. In all cases, after deleting the thermal history of the samples only one glass transition temperature was detected (during DSC second heating runs) indicating that a single homogeneous amorphous phase was attained after erasing the effects of physical aging. Trends of the enthalpic relaxation parameters were also different at the two moisture contents considered in this work. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 6576 - Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance; Technical Amendment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-10

... the requirement of a tolerance is established for residues of Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882 on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain...

40 CFR 180.582 - Pyraclostrobin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 12.5 Citrus, oil 9.0 Coffee, bean, green 0.31 Corn, field, forage 5.0 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, refined oil 0.2 Corn, field, stover 17.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, pop, stover 17.0 Corn, sweet, forage 5.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.04 Corn, sweet, stover 23.0 Cotton, gin...

40 CFR 180.617 - Metconazole; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... byproducts 0.04 Corn, field, forage 3.0 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 4.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 4.5 Corn, sweet, forage 3.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn... Soybean, hay 6.0 Soybean, hulls 0.08 Soybean, seed 0.05 Sugarcane, cane 0.06 Vegetable, tuberous and corn...

40 CFR 180.220 - Atrazine; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Cattle, meat 0.02 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.02 Corn, field, forage 15 Corn, field, grain 0.20 Corn, field, stover 0.5 Corn, pop, forage 1.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.20 Corn, pop, stover 0.5 Corn, sweet, forage 15 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.20 Corn, sweet, stover 2.0 Goat, fat 0.02 Goat, meat 0.02...

40 CFR 180.582 - Pyraclostrobin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 12.5 Citrus, oil 9.0 Coffee, bean, green 0.31 Corn, field, forage 5.0 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, refined oil 0.2 Corn, field, stover 17.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, pop, stover 17.0 Corn, sweet, forage 5.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.04 Corn, sweet, stover 23.0 Cotton, gin...

40 CFR 180.220 - Atrazine; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Cattle, meat 0.02 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.02 Corn, field, forage 15 Corn, field, grain 0.20 Corn, field, stover 0.5 Corn, pop, forage 1.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.20 Corn, pop, stover 0.5 Corn, sweet, forage 15 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.20 Corn, sweet, stover 2.0 Goat, fat 0.02 Goat, meat 0.02...

40 CFR 180.617 - Metconazole; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... byproducts 0.04 Corn, field, forage 3.0 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 4.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 4.5 Corn, sweet, forage 3.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn... Soybean, hay 6.0 Soybean, hulls 0.08 Soybean, seed 0.05 Sugarcane, cane 0.06 Vegetable, tuberous and corn...

Limited plasticity in the phenotypic variance-covariance matrix for male advertisement calls in the black field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus

PubMed Central

Pitchers, W. R.; Brooks, R.; Jennions, M. D.; Tregenza, T.; Dworkin, I.; Hunt, J.

2013-01-01

Phenotypic integration and plasticity are central to our understanding of how complex phenotypic traits evolve. Evolutionary change in complex quantitative traits can be predicted using the multivariate breeders’ equation, but such predictions are only accurate if the matrices involved are stable over evolutionary time. Recent work, however, suggests that these matrices are temporally plastic, spatially variable and themselves evolvable. The data available on phenotypic variance-covariance matrix (P) stability is sparse, and largely focused on morphological traits. Here we compared P for the structure of the complex sexual advertisement call of six divergent allopatric populations of the Australian black field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus. We measured a subset of calls from wild-caught crickets from each of the populations and then a second subset after rearing crickets under common-garden conditions for three generations. In a second experiment, crickets from each population were reared in the laboratory on high- and low-nutrient diets and their calls recorded. In both experiments, we estimated P for call traits and used multiple methods to compare them statistically (Flury hierarchy, geometric subspace comparisons and random skewers). Despite considerable variation in means and variances of individual call traits, the structure of P was largely conserved among populations, across generations and between our rearing diets. Our finding that P remains largely stable, among populations and between environmental conditions, suggests that selection has preserved the structure of call traits in order that they can function as an integrated unit. PMID:23530814

Dissection of complex adult traits in a mouse synthetic population.

PubMed

Burke, David T; Kozloff, Kenneth M; Chen, Shu; West, Joshua L; Wilkowski, Jodi M; Goldstein, Steven A; Miller, Richard A; Galecki, Andrzej T

2012-08-01

Finding the causative genetic variations that underlie complex adult traits is a significant experimental challenge. The unbiased search strategy of genome-wide association (GWAS) has been used extensively in recent human population studies. These efforts, however, typically find only a minor fraction of the genetic loci that are predicted to affect variation. As an experimental model for the analysis of adult polygenic traits, we measured a mouse population for multiple phenotypes and conducted a genome-wide search for effector loci. Complex adult phenotypes, related to body size and bone structure, were measured as component phenotypes, and each subphenotype was associated with a genomic spectrum of candidate effector loci. The strategy successfully detected several loci for the phenotypes, at genome-wide significance, using a single, modest-sized population (N = 505). The effector loci each explain 2%-10% of the measured trait variation and, taken together, the loci can account for over 25% of a trait's total population variation. A replicate population (N = 378) was used to confirm initially observed loci for one trait (femur length), and, when the two groups were merged, the combined population demonstrated increased power to detect loci. In contrast to human population studies, our mouse genome-wide searches find loci that individually explain a larger fraction of the observed variation. Also, the additive effects of our detected mouse loci more closely match the predicted genetic component of variation. The genetic loci discovered are logical candidates for components of the genetic networks having evolutionary conservation with human biology.

Early allelic selection in maize as revealed by ancient DNA.

PubMed

Jaenicke-Després, Viviane; Buckler, Ed S; Smith, Bruce D; Gilbert, M Thomas P; Cooper, Alan; Doebley, John; Pääbo, Svante

2003-11-14

Maize was domesticated from teosinte, a wild grass, by approximately 6300 years ago in Mexico. After initial domestication, early farmers continued to select for advantageous morphological and biochemical traits in this important crop. However, the timing and sequence of character selection are, thus far, known only for morphological features discernible in corn cobs. We have analyzed three genes involved in the control of plant architecture, storage protein synthesis, and starch production from archaeological maize samples from Mexico and the southwestern United States. The results reveal that the alleles typical of contemporary maize were present in Mexican maize by 4400 years ago. However, as recently as 2000 years ago, allelic selection at one of the genes may not yet have been complete.

HPLC-DAD method development and validation for the quantification of hydroxymethylfurfural in corn chips by means of response surface optimisation.

PubMed

Salvatierra Virgen, Sara; Ceballos-Magaña, Silvia Guillermina; Salvatierra-Stamp, Vilma Del Carmen; Sumaya-Martínez, Maria Teresa; Martínez-Martínez, Francisco Javier; Muñiz-Valencia, Roberto

2017-12-01

In recent years, there has been an increased concern about the presence of toxic compounds derived from the Maillard reaction produced during food cooking at high temperatures. The main toxic compounds derived from this reaction are acrylamide and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The majority of analytical methods require sample treatments using solvents which are highly polluting for the environment. The difficulty of quantifying HMF in complex fried food matrices encourages the development of new analytical methods. This paper provides a rapid, sensitive and environmentally-friendly analytical method for the quantification of HMF in corn chips using HPLC-DAD. Chromatographic separation resulted in a baseline separation for HMF in 3.7 min. Sample treatment for corn chip samples first involved a leaching process using water and afterwards a solid-phase extraction (SPE) using HLB-Oasis polymeric cartridges. Sample treatment optimisation was carried out by means of Box-Behnken fractional factorial design and Response Surface Methodolog y to examine the effects of four variables (sample weight, pH, sonication time and elution volume) on HMF extraction from corn chips. The SPE-HPLC-DAD method was validated. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.82 and 2.20 mg kg -1 , respectively. Method precision was evaluated in terms of repeatability and reproducibility as relative standard deviations (RSDs) using three concentration levels. For repeatability, RSD values were 6.9, 3.6 and 2.0%; and for reproducibility 18.8, 7.9 and 2.9%. For a ruggedness study the Yuden test was applied and the result demonstrated the method as robust. The method was successfully applied to different corn chip samples.

Novel throughput phenotyping platforms in plant genetic studies.

PubMed

Montes, Juan M; Melchinger, Albrecht E; Reif, Jochen C

2007-10-01

Unraveling the genetic basis of complex traits in plants is limited by the lack of appropriate phenotyping platforms that enable high-throughput screening of many genotypes in multilocation field trials. Near-infrared spectroscopy on agricultural harvesters and spectral reflectance of plant canopies have recently been reported as promising components of novel phenotyping platforms. Understanding the genetic basis of complex traits is now within reach with the use of these new techniques.

Decomposing genomic variance using information from GWA, GWE and eQTL analysis.

PubMed

Ehsani, A; Janss, L; Pomp, D; Sørensen, P

2016-04-01

A commonly used procedure in genome-wide association (GWA), genome-wide expression (GWE) and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analyses is based on a bottom-up experimental approach that attempts to individually associate molecular variants with complex traits. Top-down modeling of the entire set of genomic data and partitioning of the overall variance into subcomponents may provide further insight into the genetic basis of complex traits. To test this approach, we performed a whole-genome variance components analysis and partitioned the genomic variance using information from GWA, GWE and eQTL analyses of growth-related traits in a mouse F2 population. We characterized the mouse trait genetic architecture by ordering single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on their P-values and studying the areas under the curve (AUCs). The observed traits were found to have a genomic variance profile that differed significantly from that expected of a trait under an infinitesimal model. This situation was particularly true for both body weight and body fat, for which the AUCs were much higher compared with that of glucose. In addition, SNPs with a high degree of trait-specific regulatory potential (SNPs associated with subset of transcripts that significantly associated with a specific trait) explained a larger proportion of the genomic variance than did SNPs with high overall regulatory potential (SNPs associated with transcripts using traditional eQTL analysis). We introduced AUC measures of genomic variance profiles that can be used to quantify relative importance of SNPs as well as degree of deviation of a trait's inheritance from an infinitesimal model. The shape of the curve aids global understanding of traits: The steeper the left-hand side of the curve, the fewer the number of SNPs controlling most of the phenotypic variance. © 2015 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Receiver discriminability drives the evolution of complex sexual signals by sexual selection.

PubMed

Cui, Jianguo; Song, Xiaowei; Zhu, Bicheng; Fang, Guangzhan; Tang, Yezhong; Ryan, Michael J

2016-04-01

A hallmark of sexual selection by mate choice is the evolution of exaggerated traits, such as longer tails in birds and more acoustic components in the calls of birds and frogs. Trait elaboration can be opposed by costs such as increased metabolism and greater predation risk, but cognitive processes of the receiver can also put a brake on trait elaboration. For example, according to Weber's Law traits of a fixed absolute difference will be more difficult to discriminate as the absolute magnitude increases. Here, we show that in the Emei music frog (Babina daunchina) increases in the fundamental frequency between successive notes in the male advertisement call, which increases the spectral complexity of the call, facilitates the female's ability to compare the number of notes between calls. These results suggest that female's discriminability provides the impetus to switch from enhancement of signaling magnitude (i.e., adding more notes into calls) to employing a new signal feature (i.e., increasing frequency among notes) to increase complexity. We suggest that increasing the spectral complexity of notes ameliorates some of the effects of Weber's Law, and highlights how perceptual and cognitive biases of choosers can have important influences on the evolution of courtship signals. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution © 2016 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Integrating Genomic Analysis with the Genetic Basis of Gene Expression: Preliminary Evidence of the Identification of Causal Genes for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Traits Related to Nutrition in Mexicans123

PubMed Central

Bastarrachea, Raúl A.; Gallegos-Cabriales, Esther C.; Nava-González, Edna J.; Haack, Karin; Voruganti, V. Saroja; Charlesworth, Jac; Laviada-Molina, Hugo A.; Veloz-Garza, Rosa A.; Cardenas-Villarreal, Velia Margarita; Valdovinos-Chavez, Salvador B.; Gomez-Aguilar, Patricia; Meléndez, Guillermo; López-Alvarenga, Juan Carlos; Göring, Harald H. H.; Cole, Shelley A.; Blangero, John; Comuzzie, Anthony G.; Kent, Jack W.

2012-01-01

Whole-transcriptome expression profiling provides novel phenotypes for analysis of complex traits. Gene expression measurements reflect quantitative variation in transcript-specific messenger RNA levels and represent phenotypes lying close to the action of genes. Understanding the genetic basis of gene expression will provide insight into the processes that connect genotype to clinically significant traits representing a central tenet of system biology. Synchronous in vivo expression profiles of lymphocytes, muscle, and subcutaneous fat were obtained from healthy Mexican men. Most genes were expressed at detectable levels in multiple tissues, and RNA levels were correlated between tissue types. A subset of transcripts with high reliability of expression across tissues (estimated by intraclass correlation coefficients) was enriched for cis-regulated genes, suggesting that proximal sequence variants may influence expression similarly in different cellular environments. This integrative global gene expression profiling approach is proving extremely useful for identifying genes and pathways that contribute to complex clinical traits. Clearly, the coincidence of clinical trait quantitative trait loci and expression quantitative trait loci can help in the prioritization of positional candidate genes. Such data will be crucial for the formal integration of positional and transcriptomic information characterized as genetical genomics. PMID:22797999

Epistatic effects between pairs of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a, growth hormone, growth hormone receptor, non-SMC condensin I complex, subunit G and stearoyl-CoA desaturase genes on carcass, price-related and fatty acid composition traits in Japanese Black cattle.

PubMed

Komatsu, Masanori; Nishino, Kagetomo; Fujimori, Yuki; Haga, Yasutoshi; Iwama, Nagako; Arakawa, Aisaku; Aihara, Yoshito; Takeda, Hisato; Takahashi, Hideaki

2018-02-01

Growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHSR1a), growth hormone (GH), growth hormone receptor (GHR), non-SMC condensin I complex, subunit G (NCAPG) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), are known to play important roles in growth and lipid metabolisms. Single and epistatic effects of the five genes on carcass, price-related and fatty acid (FA) composition traits were analyzed in a commercial Japanese Black cattle population of Ibaraki Prefecture. A total of 650 steers and 116 heifers for carcass and price-related traits, and 158 steers for FA composition traits were used in this study. Epistatic effects between pairs of the five genes were found in several traits. Alleles showing strain-specific differences in the five genes had significant single and epistatic effects in some traits. The data suggest that a TG-repeat polymorphism of the GHSR1a.5'UTR-(TG) n locus plays a central role in gene-gene epistatic interaction of FA composition traits in the adipose tissue of Japanese Black cattle. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Twin- or single-screw extrusion of raw soybeans and preconditioned soybean meal and corn as individual ingredients or as corn-soybean product blends in diets for weanling swine.

PubMed

Veum, T L; Serrano, X; Hsieh, F H

2017-03-01

Two 28-d experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of extrusion of ground yellow corn, solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM), and cracked whole soybeans (CWS) individually or as corn-soybean product blends on growth performance of weanling pigs. For Exp. 1, ground corn, SBM, and the corn-SBM blend were extruded at 137.5°C, 131.5°C, and 135.0°C, respectively, in a twin-screw extruder. Transit time was 60 s. Water was injected at 125 gmin during extrusion. The 5 treatments were the corn-SBM control diet and the diets with extruded (EX) corn + SBM, EX-SBM + corn, EX-corn + EX-SBM, and the EX-blend of corn-SBM. Ninety crossbred pigs with an initial average BW of 5.98 kg were allotted to 9 treatment replications with a barrow and gilt per pen. For Exp. 2, ground corn was preconditioned with water (10.0% of corn weight), and SBM was preconditioned with water and soybean oil (each at 20.0% of SBM weight) before extrusion. Raw CWS were not preconditioned. The corn, SBM, CWS, corn-SBM blend, and corn-CWS blend were extruded at 113.0°C, 132.0°C, 132.0°C, 88.0°C, and 102°C, respectively, with a single-screw extruder. Transit time was 30 s. The 8 isocaloric treatments were the corn-SBM control diet and the diets with EX-corn + SBM, EX-SBM + corn, EX-corn + EX-SBM, the EX-blend of corn-SBM, EX-CWS + corn, EX-CWS + EX-corn, and the EX-blend of corn-CWS. A total of 296 crossbred pigs with an initial average BW of 6.56 kg were allotted to 10 treatment replications. Sex and pigs per pen (3 or 4) were equalized within replication. Results for both experiments indicate that single- or twin-screw extrusion of ground corn or SBM as individual ingredients or as corn-SBM blends in diets for weanling pigs did not improve 28-d growth performance. However, for Exp. 2 weanling pigs fed the diets with EX-CWS + corn and EX-CWS + EX-corn had greater ( < 0.01) ADG and G:F, respectively, than pigs fed the corn-SBM control diet. The extrusion temperature of 102°C for the corn-CWS blend did not inactivate adequate protease inhibitors in CWS, and pigs fed that diet had poor growth performance. In conclusion, single-screw extrusion of CWS (132°C for 30 s) in diets for weanling pigs improved growth performance compared with pigs fed the corn-SBM control diet. However, twin- or single-screw extrusion of ground yellow corn or solvent-extracted SBM as individual ingredients or as corn-SBM blends in diets for weanling pigs did not improve growth performance compared with pigs fed the corn-SBM control diets.

40 CFR 180.342 - Chlorpyrifos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., oil 20 Corn, field, forage 8.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, refined oil 0.25 Corn, field, stover 8.0 Corn, sweet, forage 8.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed 0.05 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.342 - Chlorpyrifos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., oil 20 Corn, field, forage 8.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, refined oil 0.25 Corn, field, stover 8.0 Corn, sweet, forage 8.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed 0.05 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.565 - Thiamethoxam; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

....20 Corn, field, forage 0.10 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, forage 0.10 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.10 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.02 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05...

40 CFR 180.342 - Chlorpyrifos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., oil 20 Corn, field, forage 8.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, refined oil 0.25 Corn, field, stover 8.0 Corn, sweet, forage 8.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed 0.05 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.342 - Chlorpyrifos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., oil 20 Corn, field, forage 8.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, refined oil 0.25 Corn, field, stover 8.0 Corn, sweet, forage 8.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed 0.05 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.565 - Thiamethoxam; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

....20 Corn, field, forage 0.10 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, forage 0.10 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.10 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.02 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05...

40 CFR 180.342 - Chlorpyrifos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., oil 20 Corn, field, forage 8.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, refined oil 0.25 Corn, field, stover 8.0 Corn, sweet, forage 8.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed 0.05 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.565 - Thiamethoxam; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

....05 Corn, field, forage 0.10 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, forage 0.10 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.10 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.02 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05...

40 CFR 180.549 - Diflufenzopyr; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... diflufenzopyr, in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.05 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05...

40 CFR 180.440 - Tefluthrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.06 Corn, field, grain 0.06 Corn, field, stover 0.06 Corn, pop, grain 0.06 Corn, pop, stover 0.06 Corn, sweet, forage 0.06 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.06 Corn, sweet, stover 0.06 (b) Section 18 emergency exemptions. [Reserved...

40 CFR 180.470 - Acetochlor; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... stoichiometric equivalents of acetochlor, in or on the following commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 4.5 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 2.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 2.5 Corn, sweet, forage 1.5 Corn, sweet, kernels plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.350 - Nitrapyrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-chloropicolinic acid in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 1.0 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, milled byproducts 0.2 Corn, field, stover 1.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, pop, stover 1.0 Corn, sweet, forage 1.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed...

40 CFR 180.350 - Nitrapyrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-chloropicolinic acid in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 1.0 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, milled byproducts 0.2 Corn, field, stover 1.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, pop, stover 1.0 Corn, sweet, forage 1.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed...

40 CFR 180.549 - Diflufenzopyr; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... diflufenzopyr, in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.05 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05...

40 CFR 180.350 - Nitrapyrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-chloropicolinic acid in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 1.0 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, milled byproducts 0.2 Corn, field, stover 1.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, pop, stover 1.0 Corn, sweet, forage 1.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed...

40 CFR 180.469 - Dichlormid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.05 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 (b) Section 18 emergency exemptions. [Reserved] (c) Tolerances with...

40 CFR 180.486 - Chlorethoxyfos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) phosphorothioate, in or on the commodity. Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.01 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.01 (b) Section 18 emergency...

40 CFR 180.253 - Methomyl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Cabbage, Chinese, bok choy 5 Cabbage, Chinese, napa 5 Cauliflower 2 Celery 3 Collards 6 Corn, field, forage 10 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, stover 10 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, pop, stover 10 Corn, sweet, forage 10 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1(N) Corn, sweet, stover 10 Cotton...

40 CFR 180.440 - Tefluthrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.06 Corn, field, grain 0.06 Corn, field, stover 0.06 Corn, pop, grain 0.06 Corn, pop, stover 0.06 Corn, sweet, forage 0.06 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.06 Corn, sweet, stover 0.06 (b) Section 18 emergency exemptions. [Reserved...

40 CFR 180.639 - Flubendiamide; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... million Almond, hulls 9.0 Apple, wet pomace 5.0 Corn, field, forage 8.0 Corn, field, grain 0.03 Corn, field, stover 15 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 15 Corn, sweet, forage 9.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 25 Cotton gin byproducts 60 Cotton, undelinted...

40 CFR 180.549 - Diflufenzopyr; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... diflufenzopyr, in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.05 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05...

40 CFR 180.486 - Chlorethoxyfos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) phosphorothioate, in or on the commodity. Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.01 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.01 (b) Section 18 emergency...

40 CFR 180.434 - Propiconazole; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

....05 Cattle, meat byproducts, except liver and kidney 0.05 Cilantro, leaves 13 Citrus, oil 1000 Corn, field, forage 12 Corn, field, grain 0.2 Corn, field, stover 30 Corn, pop, grain 0.2 Corn, pop, stover 30 Corn, sweet, forage 6.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 Corn, sweet, stover 30...

40 CFR 180.470 - Acetochlor; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... stoichiometric equivalents of acetochlor, in or on the following commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 4.5 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 2.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 2.5 Corn, sweet, forage 1.5 Corn, sweet, kernels plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.549 - Diflufenzopyr; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... diflufenzopyr, in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.05 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05...

40 CFR 180.544 - Methoxyfenozide; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

....0 Canistel 0.6 Cattle, fat 0.50 Cattle, meat 0.02 Citrus, oil 100 Coriander, leaves 30 Corn, field, forage 15 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, refined oil 0.20 Corn, field, stover 125 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 125 Corn, sweet, forage 30 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0...

40 CFR 180.440 - Tefluthrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.06 Corn, field, grain 0.06 Corn, field, stover 0.06 Corn, pop, grain 0.06 Corn, pop, stover 0.06 Corn, sweet, forage 0.06 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.06 Corn, sweet, stover 0.06 (b) Section 18 emergency exemptions. [Reserved...

40 CFR 180.440 - Tefluthrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.06 Corn, field, grain 0.06 Corn, field, stover 0.06 Corn, pop, grain 0.06 Corn, pop, stover 0.06 Corn, sweet, forage 0.06 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.06 Corn, sweet, stover 0.06 (b) Section 18 emergency exemptions. [Reserved...

40 CFR 180.470 - Acetochlor; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... stoichiometric equivalents of acetochlor, in or on the following commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 4.5 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 2.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 2.5 Corn, sweet, forage 1.5 Corn, sweet, kernels plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.486 - Chlorethoxyfos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) phosphorothioate, in or on the commodity. Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.01 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.01 (b) Section 18 emergency...

40 CFR 180.440 - Tefluthrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.06 Corn, field, grain 0.06 Corn, field, stover 0.06 Corn, pop, grain 0.06 Corn, pop, stover 0.06 Corn, sweet, forage 0.06 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.06 Corn, sweet, stover 0.06 (b) Section 18 emergency exemptions. [Reserved...

40 CFR 180.169 - Carbaryl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 70 None Corn, field, forage 30 None Corn, field, grain 0.02 None Corn, field, stover 20 None Corn, pop, grain 0.02 None Corn, pop, stover 20 None Corn, sweet, forage 185 None Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 None Corn, sweet, stover 215 None Cotton, undelinted seed 5.0 10/31/09...

40 CFR 180.639 - Flubendiamide; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... following commodities: Commodity Parts per million Almond, hulls 9.0 Apple, wet pomace 2.0 Corn, field, forage 8.0 Corn, field, grain 0.03 Corn, field, stover 15 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 15 Corn, sweet, forage 9.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 25 Cotton gin...

40 CFR 180.253 - Methomyl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Cabbage, Chinese, bok choy 5 Cabbage, Chinese, napa 5 Cauliflower 2 Celery 3 Collards 6 Corn, field, forage 10 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, stover 10 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, pop, stover 10 Corn, sweet, forage 10 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1(N) Corn, sweet, stover 10 Cotton...

40 CFR 180.169 - Carbaryl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 70 None Corn, field, forage 30 None Corn, field, grain 0.02 None Corn, field, stover 20 None Corn, pop, grain 0.02 None Corn, pop, stover 20 None Corn, sweet, forage 185 None Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 None Corn, sweet, stover 215 None Cotton, undelinted seed 5.0 10/31/09...

40 CFR 180.1206 - Aspergillus flavus AF36; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... flavis AF 36 is temporarily exempt from the requirement of a tolerance on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, pop, grain; corn, pop, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed; corn, sweet, stover when used in accordance with the Experimental Use...

40 CFR 180.639 - Flubendiamide; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... million Almond, hulls 9.0 Apple, wet pomace 5.0 Corn, field, forage 8.0 Corn, field, grain 0.03 Corn, field, stover 15 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 15 Corn, sweet, forage 9.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 25 Cotton gin byproducts 60 Cotton, undelinted...

40 CFR 180.469 - Dichlormid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.05 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 (b) Section 18 emergency exemptions. [Reserved] (c) Tolerances with...

40 CFR 180.639 - Flubendiamide; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... following commodities: Commodity Parts per million Almond, hulls 9.0 Apple, wet pomace 2.0 Corn, field, forage 8.0 Corn, field, grain 0.03 Corn, field, stover 15 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 15 Corn, sweet, forage 9.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 25 Cotton gin...

40 CFR 180.469 - Dichlormid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.05 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 (b) Section 18 emergency exemptions. [Reserved] (c) Tolerances with...

40 CFR 180.612 - Topramezone; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...)methanone) in or on the following commodities: Commodity Parts permillion Cattle, meat byproducts 0.80 Corn, field, forage 0.05 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.469 - Dichlormid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.05 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 (b) Section 18 emergency exemptions. [Reserved] (c) Tolerances with...

40 CFR 180.486 - Chlorethoxyfos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) phosphorothioate, in or on the commodity. Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.01 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.01 (b) Section 18 emergency...

40 CFR 180.470 - Acetochlor; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... stoichiometric equivalents of acetochlor, in or on the following commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 4.5 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 2.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 2.5 Corn, sweet, forage 1.5 Corn, sweet, kernels plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.350 - Nitrapyrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...-chloropicolinic acid in or on the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 1.0 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, milled byproducts 0.2 Corn, field, stover 1.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, pop, stover 1.0 Corn, sweet, forage 1.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed...

40 CFR 180.169 - Carbaryl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 70 None Corn, field, forage 30 None Corn, field, grain 0.02 None Corn, field, stover 20 None Corn, pop, grain 0.02 None Corn, pop, stover 20 None Corn, sweet, forage 185 None Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 None Corn, sweet, stover 215 None Cotton, undelinted seed 5.0 10/31/09...

The complexity underlying invasiveness precludes the identification of invasive traits: A comparative study of invasive and non-invasive heterocarpic Atriplex congeners

PubMed Central

Doudová, Jana; Douda, Jan; Mandák, Bohumil

2017-01-01

Heterocarpy enables species to effectively spread under unfavourable conditions by producing two or more types of fruit differing in ecological characteristics. Although it is frequent in annuals occupying disturbed habitats that are vulnerable to invasion, there is still a lack of congeneric studies addressing the importance of heterocarpy for species invasion success. We compared two pairs of heterocarpic Atriplex species, each of them comprising one invasive and one non-invasive non-native congener. In two common garden experiments, we (i) simulated the influence of different levels of nutrients and population density on plants grown from different types of fruits and examined several traits that are generally positively associated with invasion success, and (ii) grew plants in a replacement series experiment to evaluate resource partitioning between them and to compare their competitive ability. We found that specific functional traits or competitiveness of species cannot explain the invasiveness of Atriplex species, indicating that species invasiveness involves more complex interactions of traits that are important only in certain ecological contexts, i.e. in specific environmental conditions and only some habitats. Interestingly, species trait differences related to invasion success were found between plants growing from the ecologically most contrasting fruit types. We suggest that fruit types differing in ecological behaviour may be essential in the process of invasion or in the general spreading of heterocarpic species, as they either the maximize population growth (type C fruit) or enhance the chance of survival of new populations (type A fruit). Congeners offer the best available methodical framework for comparing traits among phylogenetically closely related invasive and non-invasive species. However, as indicated by our results, this approach is unlikely to reveal invasive traits because of the complexity underlying invasiveness. PMID:28445514

40 CFR 180.361 - Pendimethalin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., oil 0.5 Corn, field, forage 0.1 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, stover 0.1 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, sweet, forage 0.1 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 Corn, sweet, stover 0.1...

40 CFR 180.232 - Butylate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Corn, field, forage 0.1 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, stover 0.1 Corn, pop, forage 0.1 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, sweet, forage 0.1 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 (b) Section 18...

40 CFR 180.232 - Butylate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Corn, field, forage 0.1 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, stover 0.1 Corn, pop, forage 0.1 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, sweet, forage 0.1 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 (b) Section 18...

40 CFR 180.645 - Thiencarbazone-methyl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... food and feed commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.04 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.02 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 Wheat, forage 0.10 Wheat, grain...

40 CFR 180.612 - Topramezone; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Parts per million Cattle, kidney 0.05 Cattle, liver 0.15 Corn, field, forage 0.05 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 Goat, kidney 0.05 Goat...

40 CFR 180.378 - Permethrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... byproducts 0.10 Cauliflower 0.5 Cherry, sweet 4.0 Cherry, tart 4.0 Corn, field, forage 50 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 30 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 30 Corn, sweet, forage 50 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.10 Corn, sweet, stover 30 Egg 0.10 Eggplant 0.50 Fruit, pome...

40 CFR 180.464 - Dimethenamid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., sugar, dried pulp 0.01 Beet, sugar, molasses 0.01 Beet, sugar, roots 0.01 Beet, sugar, tops 0.01 Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, forage 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.01 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks...

40 CFR 180.571 - Mesotrione; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Asparagus 0.01 Berry, group 13 0.01 Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 1.5 Cranberry...

40 CFR 180.213 - Simazine; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Cherry 0.25 Corn, field, forage 0.20 Corn, field, grain 0.20 Corn, field, stover 0.25 Corn, pop, grain 0.20 Corn, pop, stover 0.25 Corn, sweet, forage 0.20 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.25 Corn, sweet, stover 0.25 Cranberry 0.25 Currant 0.25 Egg 0.03 Goat, meat 0.03 Goat, meat...

40 CFR 180.571 - Mesotrione; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Asparagus 0.01 Berry, group 13 0.01 Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 1.5 Cranberry...

40 CFR 180.470 - Acetochlor; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., sugar, dried pulp 0.50 Beet, sugar, molasses 0.80 Beet, sugar, roots 0.30 Beet, sugar, tops 0.70 Corn, field, forage 4.5 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 2.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 2.5 Corn, sweet, forage 1.5 Corn, sweet, kernels plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet...

40 CFR 180.378 - Permethrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... byproducts 0.10 Cauliflower 0.5 Cherry, sweet 4.0 Cherry, tart 4.0 Corn, field, forage 50 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 30 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 30 Corn, sweet, forage 50 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.10 Corn, sweet, stover 30 Egg 0.10 Eggplant 0.50 Fruit, pome...

40 CFR 180.612 - Topramezone; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Parts per million Cattle, kidney 0.05 Cattle, liver 0.15 Corn, field, forage 0.05 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 Goat, kidney 0.05 Goat...

40 CFR 180.645 - Thiencarbazone-methyl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... food and feed commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.04 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.02 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 Wheat, forage 0.10 Wheat, grain...

40 CFR 180.645 - Thiencarbazone-methyl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... food and feed commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.04 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.02 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 Wheat, forage 0.10 Wheat, grain...

40 CFR 180.142 - 2,4-D; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

....3 Cattle, meat byproducts, except kidney 0.3 Corn, field, forage 6.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 50 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 50 Corn, sweet, forage 6.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 50 Cranberry 0.5 Fish 0.1 Fruit, citrus, group 10...

40 CFR 180.565 - Thiamethoxam; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., meat 0.02 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.04 Citrus, dried pulp 0.60 ppm Coffee, bean, green 1 0.05 Corn, field, forage 0.10 Corn, field, grain 0.020 Corn, field, stover 0.05 Corn, pop, forage 0.10 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.10 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks...

40 CFR 180.262 - Ethoprop; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Cabbage 0.02 Corn, field, forage 0.02 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 0.02 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 0.02 Corn, sweet, forage 0.02 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.02 Corn, sweet, stover 0.02 Cucumber 0.02 Hop, dried cones 0.02 Peppermint, tops 0.02 Pineapple 0.02...

40 CFR 180.629 - Flutriafol; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, sweet, forage 0.09 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk... Cattle, meat byproducts 0.07 Corn, field, forage 0.75 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, refined oil 0.02 Corn, field, stover 1.5 Corn, pop 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 1.5 Fruit, pome, group 11-09 0.40 Fruit...

40 CFR 180.431 - Clopyralid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Cattle, fat 1.0 Cattle, liver 3.0 Cattle, meat 1.0 Cattle, meat byproducts, except liver 36.0 Corn, field, forage 3.0 Corn, field, grain 1.0 Corn, field, milled byproducts 1.5 Corn, field, stover 10.0 Corn, pop, grain 1.0 Corn, pop, stover 10.0 Corn, sweet, forage 7.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed...

40 CFR 180.378 - Permethrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... byproducts 0.10 Cauliflower 0.5 Cherry, sweet 4.0 Cherry, tart 4.0 Corn, field, forage 50 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 30 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 30 Corn, sweet, forage 50 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.10 Corn, sweet, stover 30 Egg 0.10 Eggplant 0.50 Fruit, pome...

40 CFR 180.629 - Flutriafol; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol) in or on the following commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.09 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, refined oil 0.02 Corn, field, stover 0.07 Corn, pop 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.07 Corn, sweet, forage 0.09 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk...

40 CFR 180.434 - Propiconazole; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., leaves 13 Citrus, oil 1000 Corn, field, forage 12 Corn, field, grain 0.2 Corn, field, stover 30 Corn, pop, grain 0.2 Corn, pop, stover 30 Corn, sweet, forage 6.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 Corn, sweet, stover 30 Fruit, citrus, group 10-10 8.0 Fruit, stone, group 12, except plum 4.0 Goat...

40 CFR 180.464 - Dimethenamid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., sugar, dried pulp 0.01 Beet, sugar, molasses 0.01 Beet, sugar, roots 0.01 Beet, sugar, tops 0.01 Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, forage 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.01 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks...

40 CFR 180.213 - Simazine; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Cherry 0.25 Corn, field, forage 0.20 Corn, field, grain 0.20 Corn, field, stover 0.25 Corn, pop, grain 0.20 Corn, pop, stover 0.25 Corn, sweet, forage 0.20 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.25 Corn, sweet, stover 0.25 Cranberry 0.25 Currant 0.25 Egg 0.03 Goat, meat 0.03 Goat, meat...

40 CFR 180.434 - Propiconazole; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., leaves 13 Citrus, oil 1000 Corn, field, forage 12 Corn, field, grain 0.2 Corn, field, stover 30 Corn, pop, grain 0.2 Corn, pop, stover 30 Corn, sweet, forage 6.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 Corn, sweet, stover 30 Fruit, citrus, group 10-10 8.0 Fruit, stone, group 12, except plum 4.0 Goat...

40 CFR 180.142 - 2,4-D; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

....3 Cattle, meat byproducts, except kidney 0.3 Corn, field, forage 6.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 50 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 50 Corn, sweet, forage 6.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 50 Cranberry 0.5 Fish 0.1 Fruit, citrus, group 10...

40 CFR 180.645 - Thiencarbazone-methyl; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... food and feed commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.04 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.02 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 Wheat, forage 0.10 Wheat, grain...

40 CFR 180.464 - Dimethenamid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., sugar, dried pulp 0.01 Beet, sugar, molasses 0.01 Beet, sugar, roots 0.01 Beet, sugar, tops 0.01 Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, forage 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.01 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks...

40 CFR 180.571 - Mesotrione; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Asparagus 0.01 Berry, group 13 0.01 Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 1.5 Cranberry...

40 CFR 180.571 - Mesotrione; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Asparagus 0.01 Berry, group 13 0.01 Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 1.5 Cranberry...

40 CFR 180.142 - 2,4-D; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

....3 Cattle, meat byproducts, except kidney 0.3 Corn, field, forage 6.0 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 50 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 50 Corn, sweet, forage 6.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 50 Cranberry 0.5 Fish 0.1 Fruit, citrus, group 10...

40 CFR 180.431 - Clopyralid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Cattle, fat 1.0 Cattle, liver 3.0 Cattle, meat 1.0 Cattle, meat byproducts, except liver 36.0 Corn, field, forage 3.0 Corn, field, grain 1.0 Corn, field, milled byproducts 1.5 Corn, field, stover 10.0 Corn, pop, grain 1.0 Corn, pop, stover 10.0 Corn, sweet, forage 7.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed...

40 CFR 180.431 - Clopyralid; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Cattle, fat 1.0 Cattle, liver 3.0 Cattle, meat 1.0 Cattle, meat byproducts, except liver 36.0 Corn, field, forage 3.0 Corn, field, grain 1.0 Corn, field, milled byproducts 1.5 Corn, field, stover 10.0 Corn, pop, grain 1.0 Corn, pop, stover 10.0 Corn, sweet, forage 7.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed...

40 CFR 180.213 - Simazine; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Cherry 0.25 Corn, field, forage 0.20 Corn, field, grain 0.20 Corn, field, stover 0.25 Corn, pop, grain 0.20 Corn, pop, stover 0.25 Corn, sweet, forage 0.20 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.25 Corn, sweet, stover 0.25 Cranberry 0.25 Currant 0.25 Egg 0.03 Goat, meat 0.03 Goat, meat...

40 CFR 180.213 - Simazine; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Cherry 0.25 Corn, field, forage 0.20 Corn, field, grain 0.20 Corn, field, stover 0.25 Corn, pop, grain 0.20 Corn, pop, stover 0.25 Corn, sweet, forage 0.20 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.25 Corn, sweet, stover 0.25 Cranberry 0.25 Currant 0.25 Egg 0.03 Goat, meat 0.03 Goat, meat...

Practical applications of the bioinformatics toolbox for narrowing quantitative trait loci.

PubMed

Burgess-Herbert, Sarah L; Cox, Allison; Tsaih, Shirng-Wern; Paigen, Beverly

2008-12-01

Dissecting the genes involved in complex traits can be confounded by multiple factors, including extensive epistatic interactions among genes, the involvement of epigenetic regulators, and the variable expressivity of traits. Although quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis has been a powerful tool for localizing the chromosomal regions underlying complex traits, systematically identifying the causal genes remains challenging. Here, through its application to plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) in mice, we demonstrate a strategy for narrowing QTL that utilizes comparative genomics and bioinformatics techniques. We show how QTL detected in multiple crosses are subjected to both combined cross analysis and haplotype block analysis; how QTL from one species are mapped to the concordant regions in another species; and how genomewide scans associating haplotype groups with their phenotypes can be used to prioritize the narrowed regions. Then we illustrate how these individual methods for narrowing QTL can be systematically integrated for mouse chromosomes 12 and 15, resulting in a significantly reduced number of candidate genes, often from hundreds to <10. Finally, we give an example of how additional bioinformatics resources can be combined with experiments to determine the most likely quantitative trait genes.

Divide and conquer: intermediate levels of population fragmentation maximize cultural accumulation.

PubMed

Derex, Maxime; Perreault, Charles; Boyd, Robert

2018-04-05

Identifying the determinants of cumulative cultural evolution is a key issue in the interdisciplinary field of cultural evolution. A widely held view is that large and well-connected social networks facilitate cumulative cultural evolution because they promote the spread of useful cultural traits and prevent the loss of cultural knowledge through factors such as drift. This view stems from models that focus on the transmission of cultural information, without considering how new cultural traits actually arise. In this paper, we review the literature from various fields that suggest that, under some circumstances, increased connectedness can decrease cultural diversity and reduce innovation rates. Incorporating this idea into an agent-based model, we explore the effect of population fragmentation on cumulative culture and show that, for a given population size, there exists an intermediate level of population fragmentation that maximizes the rate of cumulative cultural evolution. This result is explained by the fact that fully connected, non-fragmented populations are able to maintain complex cultural traits but produce insufficient variation and so lack the cultural diversity required to produce highly complex cultural traits. Conversely, highly fragmented populations produce a variety of cultural traits but cannot maintain complex ones. In populations with intermediate levels of fragmentation, cultural loss and cultural diversity are balanced in a way that maximizes cultural complexity. Our results suggest that population structure needs to be taken into account when investigating the relationship between demography and cumulative culture.This article is part of the theme issue 'Bridging cultural gaps: interdisciplinary studies in human cultural evolution'. © 2018 The Author(s).

40 CFR 180.301 - Carboxin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Cattle, fat 0.05 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.1 Cattle, meat 0.05 Corn, field, forage 0.2 Corn, field, grain 0.2 Corn, field, stover 0.2 Corn, pop, grain 0.2 Corn, pop, stover 0.2 Corn, sweet, forage 0.2 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.2 Corn, sweet, stover 0.2 Cotton, undelinted seed 0.2 Egg 0...

40 CFR 180.418 - Cypermethrin and an isomer zeta-cypermethrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 10 Citrus, dried pulp 1.8 Citrus, oil 4.0 Corn, field, forage 0.20 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 3.00 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 3.00 Corn, sweet, forage 15.00 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 15.00 Cotton, undelinted seed 0.5 Crambe...

40 CFR 180.418 - Cypermethrin and an isomer zeta-cypermethrin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 10 Citrus, dried pulp 1.8 Citrus, oil 4.0 Corn, field, forage 0.20 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 3.00 Corn, pop, grain 0.05 Corn, pop, stover 3.00 Corn, sweet, forage 15.00 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, stover 15.00 Cotton, undelinted seed 0.5 Crambe...

40 CFR 180.352 - Terbufos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... million Banana 0.025 Beet, sugar, roots 0.05 Beet, sugar, tops 0.1 Coffee, green bean 1 0.05 Corn, field, forage 0.5 Corn, field, grain 0.5 Corn, field, stover 0.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.5 Corn, pop, stover 0.5 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 Corn, sweet, stover 0.5 Sorghum...

40 CFR 180.352 - Terbufos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... million Banana 0.025 Beet, sugar, roots 0.05 Beet, sugar, tops 0.1 Coffee, green bean 1 0.05 Corn, field, forage 0.5 Corn, field, grain 0.5 Corn, field, stover 0.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.5 Corn, pop, stover 0.5 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 Corn, sweet, stover 0.5 Sorghum...

40 CFR 180.352 - Terbufos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... million Banana 0.025 Beet, sugar, roots 0.05 Beet, sugar, tops 0.1 Coffee, green bean 1 0.05 Corn, field, forage 0.5 Corn, field, grain 0.5 Corn, field, stover 0.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.5 Corn, pop, stover 0.5 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 Corn, sweet, stover 0.5 Sorghum...

40 CFR 180.352 - Terbufos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... million Banana 0.025 Beet, sugar, roots 0.05 Beet, sugar, tops 0.1 Coffee, green bean 1 0.05 Corn, field, forage 0.5 Corn, field, grain 0.5 Corn, field, stover 0.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.5 Corn, pop, stover 0.5 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 Corn, sweet, stover 0.5 Sorghum...

40 CFR 180.301 - Carboxin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Cattle, fat 0.05 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.1 Cattle, meat 0.05 Corn, field, forage 0.2 Corn, field, grain 0.2 Corn, field, stover 0.2 Corn, pop, grain 0.2 Corn, pop, stover 0.2 Corn, sweet, forage 0.2 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.2 Corn, sweet, stover 0.2 Cotton, undelinted seed 0.2 Egg 0...

40 CFR 180.533 - Esfenvalerate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Cauliflower 0.5 Collards 3.0 Corn, field, forage 15.0 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 15.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 15.0 Corn, sweet, forage 15.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 Corn, sweet, stover 15.0 Cotton, undelinted seed 0.2 Cucumber 0.5 Egg 0.03 Eggplant 0...

40 CFR 180.533 - Esfenvalerate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Cauliflower 0.5 Collards 3.0 Corn, field, forage 15.0 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 15.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 15.0 Corn, sweet, forage 15.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 Corn, sweet, stover 15.0 Cotton, undelinted seed 0.2 Cucumber 0.5 Egg 0.03 Eggplant 0...

40 CFR 180.533 - Esfenvalerate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Cauliflower 0.5 Collards 3.0 Corn, field, forage 15.0 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 15.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 15.0 Corn, sweet, forage 15.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 Corn, sweet, stover 15.0 Cotton, undelinted seed 0.2 Cucumber 0.5 Egg 0.03 Eggplant 0...

40 CFR 180.117 - S-Ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 0.4 Beet, sugar, tops 0.5 Clover, forage 0.1 Clover, hay 0.1 Corn, field, forage 0.08 Corn, field, grain 0.08 Corn, field, stover 0.08 Corn, pop, grain 0.08 Corn, pop, stover 0.08 Corn, sweet, forage 0.08 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.08 Corn, sweet, stover 0.08 Cotton, gin...

40 CFR 180.301 - Carboxin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Cattle, fat 0.05 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.1 Cattle, meat 0.05 Corn, field, forage 0.2 Corn, field, grain 0.2 Corn, field, stover 0.2 Corn, pop, grain 0.2 Corn, pop, stover 0.2 Corn, sweet, forage 0.2 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.2 Corn, sweet, stover 0.2 Cotton, undelinted seed 0.2 Egg 0...

40 CFR 180.533 - Esfenvalerate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Cauliflower 0.5 Collards 3.0 Corn, field, forage 15.0 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 15.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.02 Corn, pop, stover 15.0 Corn, sweet, forage 15.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 Corn, sweet, stover 15.0 Cotton, undelinted seed 0.2 Cucumber 0.5 Egg 0.03 Eggplant 0...

40 CFR 180.352 - Terbufos; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... million Banana 0.025 Beet, sugar, roots 0.05 Beet, sugar, tops 0.1 Coffee, green bean 1 0.05 Corn, field, forage 0.5 Corn, field, grain 0.5 Corn, field, stover 0.5 Corn, pop, grain 0.5 Corn, pop, stover 0.5 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 Corn, sweet, stover 0.5 Sorghum...

40 CFR 180.665 - Sedaxane; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., grain 0.01 Barley, hay 0.04 Barley, straw 0.01 Canola, seed 0.01 Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.01 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.01 Oat, forage 0.015...

40 CFR 180.117 - S-Ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 0.4 Beet, sugar, tops 0.5 Clover, forage 0.1 Clover, hay 0.1 Corn, field, forage 0.08 Corn, field, grain 0.08 Corn, field, stover 0.08 Corn, pop, grain 0.08 Corn, pop, stover 0.08 Corn, sweet, forage 0.08 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.08 Corn, sweet, stover 0.08 Cotton, gin...

40 CFR 180.301 - Carboxin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Cattle, fat 0.05 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.1 Cattle, meat 0.05 Corn, field, forage 0.2 Corn, field, grain 0.2 Corn, field, stover 0.2 Corn, pop, grain 0.2 Corn, pop, stover 0.2 Corn, sweet, forage 0.2 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.2 Corn, sweet, stover 0.2 Cotton, undelinted seed 0.2 Egg 0...

40 CFR 180.117 - S-Ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 0.4 Beet, sugar, tops 0.5 Clover, forage 0.1 Clover, hay 0.1 Corn, field, forage 0.08 Corn, field, grain 0.08 Corn, field, stover 0.08 Corn, pop, grain 0.08 Corn, pop, stover 0.08 Corn, sweet, forage 0.08 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.08 Corn, sweet, stover 0.08 Cotton, gin...

40 CFR 180.117 - S-Ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 0.4 Beet, sugar, tops 0.5 Clover, forage 0.1 Clover, hay 0.1 Corn, field, forage 0.08 Corn, field, grain 0.08 Corn, field, stover 0.08 Corn, pop, grain 0.08 Corn, pop, stover 0.08 Corn, sweet, forage 0.08 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.08 Corn, sweet, stover 0.08 Cotton, gin...

40 CFR 180.665 - Sedaxane; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., grain 0.01 Barley, hay 0.04 Barley, straw 0.01 Canola, seed 0.01 Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.01 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.01 Oat, forage 0.015...

7 CFR 718.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... sterile high-sugar corn that follows the standard planting and harvesting practices for corn for the area in which the corn is grown. Popcorn, corn nuts, blue corn, sweet corn, and corn varieties grown for.... Sweet sorghum is not considered a grain sorghum. Ground measurement means the distance between 2 points...

7 CFR 718.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... sterile high-sugar corn that follows the standard planting and harvesting practices for corn for the area in which the corn is grown. Popcorn, corn nuts, blue corn, sweet corn, and corn varieties grown for.... Sweet sorghum is not considered a grain sorghum. Ground measurement means the distance between 2 points...

7 CFR 718.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... sterile high-sugar corn that follows the standard planting and harvesting practices for corn for the area in which the corn is grown. Popcorn, corn nuts, blue corn, sweet corn, and corn varieties grown for.... Sweet sorghum is not considered a grain sorghum. Ground measurement means the distance between 2 points...

7 CFR 718.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... sterile high-sugar corn that follows the standard planting and harvesting practices for corn for the area in which the corn is grown. Popcorn, corn nuts, blue corn, sweet corn, and corn varieties grown for.... Sweet sorghum is not considered a grain sorghum. Ground measurement means the distance between 2 points...

Screening for corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) resistance to transgenic Bt corn in North Dakota

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Western (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, and northern corn rootworms (NCR), D. barberi Smith & Lawrence, are major economic pests of corn in much of the U.S. Corn Belt. Western corn rootworm resistance to transgenic corn expressing Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) endotoxins has been confi...

Using a Coupled Modelling System to Examine the Impacts of Increased Corn Production on Groundwater Quality and Human Health

EPA Science Inventory

Attributing nitrogen (N) in the environment to emissions from agricultural management practices is difficult because of the complex and inter-related chemical and biological reactions associated with N and its cascading effects across land, air and water. Such analyses are critic...

An overview of the genetic dissection of complex traits.

PubMed

Rao, D C

2008-01-01

Thanks to the recent revolutionary genomic advances such as the International HapMap consortium, resolution of the genetic architecture of common complex traits is beginning to look hopeful. While demonstrating the feasibility of genome-wide association (GWA) studies, the pathbreaking Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) study also serves to underscore the critical importance of very large sample sizes and draws attention to potential problems, which need to be addressed as part of the study design. Even the large WTCCC study had vastly inadequate power for several of the associations reported (and confirmed) and, therefore, most of the regions harboring relevant associations may not be identified anytime soon. This chapter provides an overview of some of the key developments in the methodological approaches to genetic dissection of common complex traits. Constrained Bayesian networks are suggested as especially useful for analysis of pathway-based SNPs. Likewise, composite likelihood is suggested as a promising method for modeling complex systems. It discusses the key steps in a study design, with an emphasis on GWA studies. Potential limitations highlighted by the WTCCC GWA study are discussed, including problems associated with massive genotype imputation, analysis of pooled national samples, shared controls, and the critical role of interactions. GWA studies clearly need massive sample sizes that are only possible through genuine collaborations. After all, for common complex traits, the question is not whether we can find some pieces of the puzzle, but how large and what kind of a sample we need to (nearly) solve the genetic puzzle.

Integrative analysis of omics summary data reveals putative mechanisms underlying complex traits.

PubMed

Wu, Yang; Zeng, Jian; Zhang, Futao; Zhu, Zhihong; Qi, Ting; Zheng, Zhili; Lloyd-Jones, Luke R; Marioni, Riccardo E; Martin, Nicholas G; Montgomery, Grant W; Deary, Ian J; Wray, Naomi R; Visscher, Peter M; McRae, Allan F; Yang, Jian

2018-03-02

The identification of genes and regulatory elements underlying the associations discovered by GWAS is essential to understanding the aetiology of complex traits (including diseases). Here, we demonstrate an analytical paradigm of prioritizing genes and regulatory elements at GWAS loci for follow-up functional studies. We perform an integrative analysis that uses summary-level SNP data from multi-omics studies to detect DNA methylation (DNAm) sites associated with gene expression and phenotype through shared genetic effects (i.e., pleiotropy). We identify pleiotropic associations between 7858 DNAm sites and 2733 genes. These DNAm sites are enriched in enhancers and promoters, and >40% of them are mapped to distal genes. Further pleiotropic association analyses, which link both the methylome and transcriptome to 12 complex traits, identify 149 DNAm sites and 66 genes, indicating a plausible mechanism whereby the effect of a genetic variant on phenotype is mediated by genetic regulation of transcription through DNAm.

Lessons learned from the dog genome.

PubMed

Wayne, Robert K; Ostrander, Elaine A

2007-11-01

Extensive genetic resources and a high-quality genome sequence position the dog as an important model species for understanding genome evolution, population genetics and genes underlying complex phenotypic traits. Newly developed genomic resources have expanded our understanding of canine evolutionary history and dog origins. Domestication involved genetic contributions from multiple populations of gray wolves probably through backcrossing. More recently, the advent of controlled breeding practices has segregated genetic variability into distinct dog breeds that possess specific phenotypic traits. Consequently, genome-wide association and selective sweep scans now allow the discovery of genes underlying breed-specific characteristics. The dog is finally emerging as a novel resource for studying the genetic basis of complex traits, including behavior.

40 CFR 180.486 - Phosphorothioic acid, 0,0-diethyl 0-(1,2,2,2-tetrachloroethyl) ester; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the following raw agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.01 Corn, field, grain 0.01 Corn, field, stover 0.01 Corn, pop, grain 0.01 Corn, pop, stover 0.01 Corn, sweet, forage 0.01 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.01 Corn, sweet, stover 0.01 [60 FR 49792...

40 CFR 180.582 - Pyraclostrobin; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 13-07A 4.0 Canistel 0.6 Citrus, dried pulp 12.5 Citrus, oil 9.0 Coffee, green bean 1 0.3 Corn, field, forage 5.0 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, refined oil 0.2 Corn, field, stover 17.0 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, pop, stover 17.0 Corn, sweet, forage 5.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0...

76 FR 16308 - Dichlormid; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-23

..., stover; corn, pop, grain; corn, pop, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks... sweet corn forage, kernel plus cob with husks removed, and stover at 0.05 ppm. EPA has extended the..., sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed; and corn, sweet, stover at 0.05 ppm...

[Corn.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iowa History for Young People, 1993

1993-01-01

This theme issue focuses on corn. Iowa is the number one corn producing state in the United States. The featured articles in the issue concern, among other topics, Iowa children who live on farms, facts and statistics about corn, the Mesquakie Indians and corn shelling, corn hybrids, a short story, and the corn palaces of Sioux City. Activities,…

Phenotypic integration among trabecular and cortical bone traits establishes mechanical functionality of inbred mouse vertebrae.

PubMed

Tommasini, Steven M; Hu, Bin; Nadeau, Joseph H; Jepsen, Karl J

2009-04-01

Conventional approaches to identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) regulating bone mass and fragility are limited because they examine cortical and trabecular traits independently. Prior work examining long bones from young adult mice and humans indicated that skeletal traits are functionally related and that compensatory interactions among morphological and compositional traits are critical for establishing mechanical function. However, it is not known whether trait covariation (i.e., phenotypic integration) also is important for establishing mechanical function in more complex, corticocancellous structures. Covariation among trabecular, cortical, and compositional bone traits was examined in the context of mechanical functionality for L(4) vertebral bodies across a panel of 16-wk-old female AXB/BXA recombinant inbred (RI) mouse strains. The unique pattern of randomization of the A/J and C57BL/6J (B6) genome among the RI panel provides a powerful tool that can be used to measure the tendency for different traits to covary and to study the biology of complex traits. We tested the hypothesis that genetic variants affecting vertebral size and mass are buffered by changes in the relative amounts of cortical and trabecular bone and overall mineralization. Despite inheriting random sets of A/J and B6 genomes, the RI strains inherited nonrandom sets of cortical and trabecular bone traits. Path analysis, which is a multivariate analysis that shows how multiple traits covary simultaneously when confounding variables like body size are taken into consideration, showed that RI strains that tended to have smaller vertebrae relative to body size achieved mechanical functionality by increasing mineralization and the relative amounts of cortical and trabecular bone. The interdependence among corticocancellous traits in the vertebral body indicated that variation in trabecular bone traits among inbred mouse strains, which is often thought to arise from genetic factors, is also determined in part by the adaptive response to variation in traits describing the cortical shell. The covariation among corticocancellous traits has important implications for genetic analyses and for interpreting the response of bone to genetic and environmental perturbations.

Leaf traits in parental and hybrid species of Sorbus (Rosaceae).

PubMed

Durkovic, Jaroslav; Kardosová, Monika; Canová, Ingrid; Lagana, Rastislav; Priwitzer, Tibor; Chorvát, Dusan; Cicák, Alojz; Pichler, Viliam

2012-09-01

Knowledge of functional leaf traits can provide important insights into the processes structuring plant communities. In the genus Sorbus, the generation of taxonomic novelty through reticulate evolution that gives rise to new microspecies is believed to be driven primarily by a series of interspecific hybridizations among closely related taxa. We tested hypotheses for dispersion of intermediacy across the leaf traits in Sorbus hybrids and for trait linkages with leaf area and specific leaf area. Here, we measured and compared the whole complex of growth, vascular, and ecophysiological leaf traits among parental (Sorbus aria, Sorbus aucuparia, Sorbus chamaemespilus) and natural hybrid (Sorbus montisalpae, Sorbus zuzanae) species growing under field conditions. A recently developed atomic force microscopy technique, PeakForce quantitative nanomechanical mapping, was used to characterize the topography of cell wall surfaces of tracheary elements and to map the reduced Young's modulus of elasticity. Intermediacy was associated predominantly with leaf growth traits, whereas vascular and ecophysiological traits were mainly parental-like and transgressive phenotypes. Larger-leaf species tended to have lower modulus of elasticity values for midrib tracheary element cell walls. Leaves with a biomass investment related to a higher specific leaf area had a lower density. Leaf area- and length-normalized theoretical hydraulic conductivity was related to leaf thickness. For the whole complex of examined leaf traits, hybrid microspecies were mosaics of parental-like, intermediate, and transgressive phenotypes. The high proportion of transgressive character expressions found in Sorbus hybrids implies that generation of extreme traits through transgressive segregation played a key role in the speciation process.

Identification of loci governing eight agronomic traits using a GBS-GWAS approach and validation by QTL mapping in soya bean.

PubMed

Sonah, Humira; O'Donoughue, Louise; Cober, Elroy; Rajcan, Istvan; Belzile, François

2015-02-01

Soya bean is a major source of edible oil and protein for human consumption as well as animal feed. Understanding the genetic basis of different traits in soya bean will provide important insights for improving breeding strategies for this crop. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to accelerate molecular breeding for the improvement of agronomic traits in soya bean. A genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach was used to provide dense genome-wide marker coverage (>47,000 SNPs) for a panel of 304 short-season soya bean lines. A subset of 139 lines, representative of the diversity among these, was characterized phenotypically for eight traits under six environments (3 sites × 2 years). Marker coverage proved sufficient to ensure highly significant associations between the genes known to control simple traits (flower, hilum and pubescence colour) and flanking SNPs. Between one and eight genomic loci associated with more complex traits (maturity, plant height, seed weight, seed oil and protein) were also identified. Importantly, most of these GWAS loci were located within genomic regions identified by previously reported quantitative trait locus (QTL) for these traits. In some cases, the reported QTLs were also successfully validated by additional QTL mapping in a biparental population. This study demonstrates that integrating GBS and GWAS can be used as a powerful complementary approach to classical biparental mapping for dissecting complex traits in soya bean. © 2014 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Real-time monitoring of high-gravity corn mash fermentation using in situ raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Gray, Steven R; Peretti, Steven W; Lamb, H Henry

2013-06-01

In situ Raman spectroscopy was employed for real-time monitoring of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of corn mash by an industrial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. An accurate univariate calibration model for ethanol was developed based on the very strong 883 cm(-1) C-C stretching band. Multivariate partial least squares (PLS) calibration models for total starch, dextrins, maltotriose, maltose, glucose, and ethanol were developed using data from eight batch fermentations and validated using predictions for a separate batch. The starch, ethanol, and dextrins models showed significant prediction improvement when the calibration data were divided into separate high- and low-concentration sets. Collinearity between the ethanol and starch models was avoided by excluding regions containing strong ethanol peaks from the starch model and, conversely, excluding regions containing strong saccharide peaks from the ethanol model. The two-set calibration models for starch (R(2)  = 0.998, percent error = 2.5%) and ethanol (R(2)  = 0.999, percent error = 2.1%) provide more accurate predictions than any previously published spectroscopic models. Glucose, maltose, and maltotriose are modeled to accuracy comparable to previous work on less complex fermentation processes. Our results demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy is capable of real time in situ monitoring of a complex industrial biomass fermentation. To our knowledge, this is the first PLS-based chemometric modeling of corn mash fermentation under typical industrial conditions, and the first Raman-based monitoring of a fermentation process with glucose, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides present. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

40 CFR 180.221 - O-Ethyl S-phenyl ethylphos-phonodithioate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... Beet, sugar, tops 0.1 Do. Corn, field, forage 0.1 Do. Corn, field, grain 0.1 Do. Corn, field, stover 0.1 Do. Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Do. Corn, pop, stover 0.1 Do. Corn, sweet, forage 0.1 Do. Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 Do. Corn, sweet, stover 0.1 Do. Peanut 0.1 Do. Peanut, hay 0.1 Do...

40 CFR 180.450 - Beta-(4-Chlorophenoxy)-alpha-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol; tolerances for...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... None Corn, field, forage 0.05 None Corn, field, grain 0.05 None Corn, field, stover 0.05 None Corn, pop, grain 0.05 None Corn, pop, stover 0.05 None Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 None Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 None Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 None Cotton, undelinted seed 0.02 None Oat...

40 CFR 180.221 - O-Ethyl S-phenyl ethylphos-phonodithioate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

.... Beet, sugar, tops 0.1 Do. Corn, field, forage 0.1 Do. Corn, field, grain 0.1 Do. Corn, field, stover 0.1 Do. Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Do. Corn, pop, stover 0.1 Do. Corn, sweet, forage 0.1 Do. Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 Do. Corn, sweet, stover 0.1 Do. Peanut 0.1 Do. Peanut, hay 0.1 Do...

40 CFR 180.221 - O-Ethyl S-phenyl ethylphos-phonodithioate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

.... Beet, sugar, tops 0.1 Do. Corn, field, forage 0.1 Do. Corn, field, grain 0.1 Do. Corn, field, stover 0.1 Do. Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Do. Corn, pop, stover 0.1 Do. Corn, sweet, forage 0.1 Do. Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 Do. Corn, sweet, stover 0.1 Do. Peanut 0.1 Do. Peanut, hay 0.1 Do...

40 CFR 180.450 - Beta-(4-Chlorophenoxy)-alpha-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol; tolerances for...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... None Corn, field, forage 0.05 None Corn, field, grain 0.05 None Corn, field, stover 0.05 None Corn, pop, grain 0.05 None Corn, pop, stover 0.05 None Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 None Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 None Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 None Cotton, undelinted seed 0.02 None Oat...

40 CFR 180.450 - Beta-(4-Chlorophenoxy)-alpha-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol; tolerances for...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... None Corn, field, forage 0.05 None Corn, field, grain 0.05 None Corn, field, stover 0.05 None Corn, pop, grain 0.05 None Corn, pop, stover 0.05 None Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 None Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 None Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 None Cotton, undelinted seed 0.02 None Oat...

40 CFR 180.450 - Beta-(4-Chlorophenoxy)-alpha-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol; tolerances for...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... None Corn, field, forage 0.05 None Corn, field, grain 0.05 None Corn, field, stover 0.05 None Corn, pop, grain 0.05 None Corn, pop, stover 0.05 None Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 None Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 None Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 None Cotton, undelinted seed 0.02 None Oat...

40 CFR 180.312 - 4-Aminopyridine; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... million Expiration/Revocation Date Corn, field, forage 0.1 1/15/06 Corn, field, grain 0.1 1/15/06 Corn, field, stover 0.1 1/15/06 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 1/15/06 Corn, pop, stover 0.1 1/15/06 Corn, sweet, forage 0.1 1/15/06 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 1/15/06 Corn, sweet, stover 0.1 1/15...

40 CFR 180.450 - Beta-(4-Chlorophenoxy)-alpha-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol; tolerances for...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... None Corn, field, forage 0.05 None Corn, field, grain 0.05 None Corn, field, stover 0.05 None Corn, pop, grain 0.05 None Corn, pop, stover 0.05 None Corn, sweet, forage 0.05 None Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 None Corn, sweet, stover 0.05 None Cotton, undelinted seed 0.02 None Oat...

Compositional variability of nutrients and phytochemicals in corn after processing.

PubMed

Prasanthi, P S; Naveena, N; Vishnuvardhana Rao, M; Bhaskarachary, K

2017-04-01

The result of various process strategies on the nutrient and phytochemical composition of corn samples were studied. Fresh and cooked baby corn, sweet corn, dent corn and industrially processed and cooked popcorn, corn grits, corn flour and corn flakes were analysed for the determination of proximate, minerals, xanthophylls and phenolic acids content. This study revealed that the proximate composition of popcorn is high compared to the other corn products analyzed while the mineral composition of these maize products showed higher concentration of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and low concentration of calcium, manganese, zinc, iron, copper, and sodium. Popcorn was high in iron, zinc, copper, manganese, sodium, magnesium and phosphorus. The xanthophylls lutein and zeaxanthin were predominant in the dent corn and the total polyphenolic content was highest in dent corn while the phenolic acids distribution was variable in different corn products. This study showed preparation and processing brought significant reduction of xanthophylls and polyphenols.

Functional Regression Models for Epistasis Analysis of Multiple Quantitative Traits.

PubMed

Zhang, Futao; Xie, Dan; Liang, Meimei; Xiong, Momiao

2016-04-01

To date, most genetic analyses of phenotypes have focused on analyzing single traits or analyzing each phenotype independently. However, joint epistasis analysis of multiple complementary traits will increase statistical power and improve our understanding of the complicated genetic structure of the complex diseases. Despite their importance in uncovering the genetic structure of complex traits, the statistical methods for identifying epistasis in multiple phenotypes remains fundamentally unexplored. To fill this gap, we formulate a test for interaction between two genes in multiple quantitative trait analysis as a multiple functional regression (MFRG) in which the genotype functions (genetic variant profiles) are defined as a function of the genomic position of the genetic variants. We use large-scale simulations to calculate Type I error rates for testing interaction between two genes with multiple phenotypes and to compare the power with multivariate pairwise interaction analysis and single trait interaction analysis by a single variate functional regression model. To further evaluate performance, the MFRG for epistasis analysis is applied to five phenotypes of exome sequence data from the NHLBI's Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) to detect pleiotropic epistasis. A total of 267 pairs of genes that formed a genetic interaction network showed significant evidence of epistasis influencing five traits. The results demonstrate that the joint interaction analysis of multiple phenotypes has a much higher power to detect interaction than the interaction analysis of a single trait and may open a new direction to fully uncovering the genetic structure of multiple phenotypes.

40 CFR 180.232 - Butylate; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... on the following food commodities: Commodity Parts per million Corn, field, forage 0.1 Corn, field, grain 0.1 Corn, field, stover 0.1 Corn, pop, forage 0.1 Corn, pop, grain 0.1 Corn, sweet, forage 0.1 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.1 (b) Section 18 emergency exemptions. [Reserved] (c...

40 CFR 180.258 - Ametryn; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Expiration/Revocation Date Banana 0.25 6/16/10 Corn, field, forage 0.1 None Corn, field, grain 0.05 None Corn, field, stover 0.05 None Corn, pop, grain 0.05 None Corn, pop, stover 0.05 None Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 6/16/10 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with...

40 CFR 180.258 - Ametryn; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Expiration/Revocation Date Banana 0.25 6/16/10 Corn, field, forage 0.1 None Corn, field, grain 0.05 None Corn, field, stover 0.05 None Corn, pop, grain 0.05 None Corn, pop, stover 0.05 None Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 6/16/10 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with...

40 CFR 180.258 - Ametryn; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Expiration/Revocation Date Banana 0.25 6/16/10 Corn, field, forage 0.1 None Corn, field, grain 0.05 None Corn, field, stover 0.05 None Corn, pop, grain 0.05 None Corn, pop, stover 0.05 None Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 6/16/10 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with...

40 CFR 180.258 - Ametryn; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Expiration/Revocation Date Banana 0.25 6/16/10 Corn, field, forage 0.1 None Corn, field, grain 0.05 None Corn, field, stover 0.05 None Corn, pop, grain 0.05 None Corn, pop, stover 0.05 None Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 6/16/10 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with...

40 CFR 180.258 - Ametryn; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... agricultural commodities: Commodity Parts per million Expiration/Revocation Date Banana 0.25 6/16/10 Corn, field, forage 0.1 None Corn, field, grain 0.05 None Corn, field, stover 0.05 None Corn, pop, grain 0.05 None Corn, pop, stover 0.05 None Corn, sweet, forage 0.5 6/16/10 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with...

9 CFR 319.102 - Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. 319.102 Section 319.102 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... Meats, Unsmoked and Smoked § 319.102 Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. In preparing “Corned...

9 CFR 319.102 - Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. 319.102 Section 319.102 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... Meats, Unsmoked and Smoked § 319.102 Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. In preparing “Corned...

9 CFR 319.102 - Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. 319.102 Section 319.102 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... Meats, Unsmoked and Smoked § 319.102 Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. In preparing “Corned...

9 CFR 319.102 - Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. 319.102 Section 319.102 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... Meats, Unsmoked and Smoked § 319.102 Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. In preparing “Corned...

9 CFR 319.102 - Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. 319.102 Section 319.102 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... Meats, Unsmoked and Smoked § 319.102 Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. In preparing “Corned...

Effect of transgenic corn hybrids and a soil insecticide on corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) beetle emergence in North Dakota

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Northern, Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence, and western corn rootworms, D. virgifera virgifera LeConte, are economic pests of corn, Zea mays L. (Poaceae) in North Dakota. Many area corn growers rely on transgenic Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn hybrids to manage corn rootworms. Our objective was...

21 CFR 184.1321 - Corn gluten.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Corn gluten. 184.1321 Section 184.1321 Food and....1321 Corn gluten. (a) Corn gluten (CAS Reg. No. 66071-96-3), also known as corn gluten meal, is the principal protein component of corn endosperm. It consists mainly of zein and glutelin. Corn gluten is a...

Genetic, Genomic, and Breeding Approaches to Further Explore Kernel Composition Traits and Grain Yield in Maize

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Da Silva, Helena Sofia Pereira

2009-01-01

Maize ("Zea mays L.") is a model species well suited for the dissection of complex traits which are often of commercial value. The purpose of this research was to gain a deeper understanding of the genetic control of maize kernel composition traits starch, protein, and oil concentration, and also kernel weight and grain yield. Germplasm with…

Levels and domains in personality: an introduction.

PubMed

Emmons, R A

1995-09-01

This special issue is centered around the problem of levels and domains in personality functioning. What kind of constructs--and at what levels and in what domains--are needed to understand what a person is like? To account for the complexity and scope of human lives, personality psychologists have traditionally put forth lists and taxonomies of factors, features, and variables that must be taken into consideration in formulating an adequate psychological portrait of the whole person. The five-factor model of personality traits has recently been offered as a comprehensive framework; however, critical analyses of the trait concept have revealed the limitations of a trait-based model of personality. Recognizing that the concept of trait is indispensable to a vital psychology of personality, this special issue aims to (a) communicate recent developments and organizational frameworks for understanding the person at multiple levels and in varied domains, and (b) articulate and elaborate units of analysis that, when combined with trait assessments, yield a psychology of personality that is commensurate with the complexity of individual functioning and that offers greater potential for the attainment of the original goals of the discipline.

Yield and fruit quality of four sweet corn hybrids (Zea mays) under conventional and integrated fertilization with vermicompost.

PubMed

Lazcano, Cristina; Revilla, Pedro; Malvar, Rosa Ana; Domínguez, Jorge

2011-05-01

Vermicompost has been proposed as a valuable fertilizer for sustainable agriculture. The effects of vermicompost on yield and quality of sweet corn were evaluated in this study. In two field trials, sweet corn plants were grown under (i) a conventional fertilization regime with inorganic fertilizer, and integrated fertilization regimes in which 75% of the nutrients were supplied by the inorganic fertilizer and 25% of the nutrients were supplied by either (ii) rabbit manure, or (iii) vermicompost. All three types of fertilization regime were supplied at two doses. Two pairs of nearly isogenic sweet corn hybrids homozygous for sugary1 and shrunken2 mutants were included in the trials to explore fertilizer × genotype interactions. Growth, yield and ear quality of the plants were evaluated in relation to the three fertilization regimes. In general, the integrated regimes yielded the same productivity levels as the conventional treatment. Moreover, both vermicompost and manure produced significant increases in plant growth and marketable yield, and also affected the chemical composition and quality of the marketable ear. Nevertheless, most of the observed effects of the organic fertilizers were genotype-dependent. The results confirm that the use of organic fertilizers such as vermicompost has a positive effect on crop yield and quality. Nevertheless, these effects were not general, indicating the complexity of the organic amendment-plant interactions and the importance of controlling genetic variation when studying the effects of vermicompost on plant growth. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

40 CFR 180.262 - Ethoprop; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., succulent 0.02 Cabbage 0.02 Corn, field, forage 0.02 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 0.02 Corn, sweet, forage 0.02 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.02 Corn, sweet, stover 0.02...

40 CFR 180.262 - Ethoprop; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., succulent 0.02 Cabbage 0.02 Corn, field, forage 0.02 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 0.02 Corn, sweet, forage 0.02 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.02 Corn, sweet, stover 0.02...

40 CFR 180.262 - Ethoprop; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., succulent 0.02 Cabbage 0.02 Corn, field, forage 0.02 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 0.02 Corn, sweet, forage 0.02 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.02 Corn, sweet, stover 0.02...

40 CFR 180.262 - Ethoprop; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., succulent 0.02 Cabbage 0.02 Corn, field, forage 0.02 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 0.02 Corn, sweet, forage 0.02 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.02 Corn, sweet, stover 0.02...

Nutritive value of corn silage as affected by maturity and mechanical processing: a contemporary review.

PubMed

Johnson, L; Harrison, J H; Hunt, C; Shinners, K; Doggett, C G; Sapienza, D

1999-12-01

Stage of maturity at harvest and mechanical processing affect the nutritive value of corn silage. The change in nutritive value of corn silage as maturity advances can be measured by animal digestion and macro in situ degradation studies among other methods. Predictive equations using climatic data, vitreousness of corn grain in corn silage, starch reactivity, gelatinization enthalpy, dry matter (DM) of corn grain in corn silage, and DM of corn silage can be used to estimate starch digestibility of corn silage. Whole plant corn silage can be mechanically processed either pre- or postensiling with a kernel processor mounted on a forage harvester, a recutter screen on a forage harvester, or a stationary roller mill. Mechanical processing of corn silage can improve ensiling characteristics, reduce DM losses during ensiling, and improve starch and fiber digestion as a result of fracturing the corn kernels and crushing and shearing the stover and cobs. Improvements in milk production have ranged from 0.2 to 2.0 kg/d when cows were fed mechanically processed corn silage. A consistent improvement in milk protein yield has also been observed when mechanically processed corn silage has been fed. With the advent of mechanical processors, alternative strategies are evident for corn silage management, such as a longer harvest window.

Diagravitropism in corn roots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leopold, A. C.; Wettlaufer, S. H.

1988-01-01

The diagravitropic behavior of Merit corn (Zea mays L.) roots grown in darkness provides an opportunity for comparison of two qualitatively different gravitropic systems. As with positive gravitropism, diagravitropism is shown to require the presence of the root cap, have a similar time course for the onset of curvature, and a similar presentation time. In contrast with positive gravitropism, diagravitropism appears to have a more limited requirement for calcium, for it is insensitive to the elution of calcium by EGTA and insensitive to the subsequent addition of a calcium/EGTA complex. These results are interpreted as indicating that whereas the same sensing system is shared by the two types of gravitropism, separate transductive systems are involved, one for diagravitropism, which is relatively independent of calcium, and one for positive gravitropism, which is markedly dependent on calcium.

Ethanol extraction of phytosterols from corn fiber

DOEpatents

Abbas, Charles; Beery, Kyle E.; Binder, Thomas P.; Rammelsberg, Anne M.

2010-11-16

The present invention provides a process for extracting sterols from a high solids, thermochemically hydrolyzed corn fiber using ethanol as the extractant. The process includes obtaining a corn fiber slurry having a moisture content from about 20 weight percent to about 50 weight percent solids (high solids content), thermochemically processing the corn fiber slurry having high solids content of 20 to 50% to produce a hydrolyzed corn fiber slurry, dewatering the hydrolyzed corn fiber slurry to achieve a residual corn fiber having a moisture content from about 30 to 80 weight percent solids, washing the residual corn fiber, dewatering the washed, hydrolyzed corn fiber slurry to achieve a residual corn fiber having a moisture content from about 30 to 80 weight percent solids, and extracting the residual corn fiber with ethanol and separating at least one sterol.

40 CFR 180.523 - Metaldehyde; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

....15 Cactus 0.07 Caneberry subgroup 13-07A 0.15 Corn, field, forage 0.30 Corn, field, grain 0.05 Corn, field, stover 0.10 Corn, sweet, forage 0.30 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.05 Corn...

Updates to the Corn Ethanol Pathway and Development of an Integrated Corn and Corn Stover Ethanol Pathway in the GREET™ Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Zhichao; Dunn, Jennifer B.; Wang, Michael Q.

Corn ethanol, a first-generation biofuel, is the predominant biofuel in the United States. In 2013, the total U.S. ethanol fuel production was 13.3 billion gallons, over 95% of which was produced from corn (RFA, 2014). The 2013 total renewable fuel mandate was 16.6 billion gallons according to the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) (U.S. Congress, 2007). Furthermore, until 2020, corn ethanol will make up a large portion of the renewable fuel volume mandated by Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2). For the GREET1_2014 release, the corn ethanol pathway was subject to updates reflecting changes in corn agriculture and at corn ethanolmore » plants. In the latter case, we especially focused on the incorporation of corn oil as a corn ethanol plant co-product. Section 2 covers these updates. In addition, GREET now includes options to integrate corn grain and corn stover ethanol production on the field and at the biorefinery. These changes are the focus of Section 3.« less

40 CFR 180.535 - Fluroxypyr 1-methylheptyl ester; tolerances for residues.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Cattle, meat 0.1 Cattle, meat byproducts 0.1 Corn, field, forage 1.0 Corn, field, grain 0.02 Corn, field, stover 0.5 Corn, sweet, forage 1.0 Corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husks removed 0.02 Corn, sweet...

Corn insect pests

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Historically, the major corn insect pests in South Dakota have been the larvae of corn rootworms (northern and western), European corn borer, and black cutworm. Bt-corn hybrids are effective against most of these pests. However, there are also minor or sporadic pests of corn in South Dakota includin...