TS. Hohn T, Richert-Pöggeler KR, Staginnus C, Harper G, Schwarzacher T, Teo CH, Teycheney P-Y, Iskra-Caruana M-L, Hull R. 2008. Evolution of Integrated Plant Viruses. Chapter 4 pp 53-81. In: Plant Virus Evolution Ed Roossinck MJ. Springer: Berlin Link to Publisher homepage about the book with links to downloadable copies of the whole book or the chapter….
Tag: crops
Descriptors for Crocus (Crocus spp.)
312. Molina RV, Guardiola JL, García-Luis D, Renau-Morata B, Sanchis E, González-Nebauer S, de los Mozos M, Rodríguez-Conde MF, Santana O, Pastor-Férriz MT, Fernández JA, Santaella M, Roldán M, Tsimidou M, Polissiou M, Heslop-Harrison JS, Branca F, Mathew B. 2015. Descriptors for Crocus (Crocus spp.). 74pp. Bioversity International, Rome. ISBN-13: 978-92-9043-999-8 Full document: http://www.bioversityinternational.org/uploads/tx_news/Descriptors_for_Crocus_1872_01.pdf Abstract…
Diversity in Ethiopian linseed (Linum usitatissimum): morphology and seed oil
311. Worku N, Heslop-Harrison JS, Wakjira A. 2015. Diversity in 198 Ethiopian linseed (Linum usitatissimum) accessions based on morphological characterization and seed oil characteristics. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution (GRACE) 62: 1037–1053. doi:10.1007/s10722-014-0207-1 (on-line 20 Jan 2015). And Worku: Linum / Linseed Morphological Diversity in Ethiopia – Author Version. Morphological and molecular characterization of germplasm is important…
The origin of an old, resource-efficient crop, Broomcorn millet or Panicum miliaceum
307. Hunt HV, Badakshi F, Romanova O, Howe CJ, Jones M, Heslop-Harrison JS. 2014. Reticulate evolution in Panicum (Poaceae): the origin of tetraploid broomcorn millet, P. miliaceum. Journal of Experimental Botany 65 (12), 3165-3175. DOI:10.1093/jxb/eru161 . (Link to local copy J. Exp. Bot.-2014-Hunt-3165-75) Panicum miliaceum (broomcorn millet) is a tetraploid cereal which was among the first domesticated crops, but is now a minor…
In situ hybridization: a course on FISH and ChIp
In situ hybridization – a course on FISH and ChIp In situ hybridization, now largely with fluorescent detection so ‘fluorescent in situ hybridization’ or FISH, is a key method for localizing DNA sequences along chromosomes and occassionally within interphase nuclei. RNA in situ hybridization (not discussed here) is used for locating gene transcripts within nuclei….
From vegan to meat: human diet and trophic levels
Where are humans in the food chain? Bonhommeau et al. address this question in PNAS, apparently for the first time, in detail across all countries and over the period from 1961 that FAO statistics on food consumption and production are available (FAOstat.FAO.org). If we ate only the primary producers – plants – we would have a…
Faisal Nouroz : Collaborator from Hazara University, Pakistan on genome organization
Dr Faisal Nouroz completed his PhD at the University of Leicester in 2012, working on mobile element evolution in two contrasting crop groups, Musa and Brassica. Dr. Faisal Nouroz held a Ph.D scholarship from the Higher Education Commission and Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan and joined the Molecular Cytogenetics Lab, Department of Biology, University of Leicester…
Discussing diversity, genes and the future of bananas on the BBC Food Programme
Pat Heslop-Harrison was interviewed for BBC Radio 4 “The Food Programme”. I have posted some of the points I wanted to make on AoBBlog.com, and a link to the whole interesting programme including my interview is here after broadcast of the longer version of the programme. http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/foodprog
Repetitive DNA in tetraploid peanut and its evolution from diploid Arachis
302. Bertioli DJ, Vidigal B, Nielen S, Ratnaparkhe MB, Lee T-JH, Leal-Bertioli SCM, Kim C, Guimaraes PM, Seijo G, Schwarzacher T, Paterson AH, Heslop-Harrison P, Araujo ACG. 2013. The repetitive component of the A genome of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) and its role in remodelling intergenic sequence space since its evolutionary divergence from the B genome. Annals…
Worku Mhiret: Biodiversity and its exploitation in Ethiopian Linseed
Worku Mhiret from the University of Gondar, Ethiopia and Pat Heslop-Harrison (University of Leicester, UK) are working on linseed or flax: measuring the diversity of accessions from Ethiopia and comparing this with varieties from Ireland, Canada and elsewhere. We are also making crosses between lines and between cultivars and wild species of Linum; these are…
Nouf Alsayied: PhD student with Saffron Crocus at the University of Leicester and faculty member Umm Al-Qura University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
My research focuses on understanding the origin and diversity of the genus Crocus (Iridaceae), with particular emphasis on a triploid sterile plant, Crocus sativus (2n=3x=24) that yields Saffron, one of the most expensive spices on earth. The saffron is the stigmas of the flowers, and nearly 200,000 must be collected to give 1kg of spice,…
The origin of saffron: Crocus sativus
Our research projects are studying the origins and diversity in several polyploid crops: banana, wheats, Brassica, Panicum millets, Nicotiana and the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus. The spice saffron is the stigmas of the flowers, and widely appreciated in Indian and Mediterranean cooking. Saffron crocus is a sterile triploid, with 2n=3x=24 chromosomes – that is, 3…
Dr Ijaz Rasool Noorka – Collaborator from University of Sargodha, Pakistan and Visiting Research Fellow
Dr Ijaz Rasool Noorka has broad interests in the development of productive and sustainable agriculture for Pakistan and developing countries. His interests complement those of the Molecular Cytogenetics Group, and have enabled us to extend our consideration of the outcomes and impact of our work on exploitation of biodiversity by chromosome engineering. Ijaz has been…
New views on fixed nitrogen and other nutrients in crops and the environment
Two works have been published which substantially update long-standing views about nitrogen and crops. The first, Bender et al. (2013), points out that the whole nutrient balance of maize, and applications of NPK (nitrogen, phosphate and potassium) and micronutrients may well not have kept pace with their removal from fields – because of yield and…
Superdomestication, feed-forward breeding and climate proofing crops
Climate Proofing of Food Crops, through genetic improvement for adaptation, is an important, medium-term, objective to ensure food-security and increase production while enhancing the sustainability of agriculture. The IAEA has a Coordinated Research Project discussing this topic (archive version). In the YouTube video here, I discuss some of the challenges plant researchers are addressing, and…
Molecular cytogenetics, genome evolution and agricultural genomics 