IAEA-FAO Manual on mutation breeding and introduction to plant breeding and selection

346. Nielen S., Forster BP, Heslop-Harrison JS. 2018. Mutagen effects in the first generation after seed treatment: biological effects of mutation treatments. Chapter 4 In: FAO/IAEA. Manual on Mutation Breeding – Third edition. Spencer-Lopes MM, Forster BP, Jankuloski L (eds), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome, Italy. 301 pp. Free download of whole book:…

Obituary for Dr Mark Goodwin

I am so saddened to write about the sudden death of my good friend, colleague and co-project leader, Mark Goodwin. We had very extensive common interests in the application and delivery of research for developing countries, research ethics, and in the role and importance of tertiary education and pedagogy. His inputs to my thinking about…

Biodiversity in Ethiopian linseed: molecular characterization of landraces

342. Mhiret WN, Heslop-Harrison JS. 2018. Biodiversity in Ethiopian linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.): molecular characterization of landraces and some wild species. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 65: 1603–1614. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-018-0636-3 or author version: Linseed Linum Ethiopia Molecular Diversity Worku Mhiret GRACE 2018 Author Version Molecular characterization of germplasm is important for sustainable exploitation of crops. DNA diversity was…

Identification and characterization of mobile genetic elements LINEs from Brassica genome

Nouroz F, Noreen S, Khan MF, Ahmed S, Heslop-Harrison JS. 2017. Identification and characterization of mobile genetic elements LINEs from Brassica genomes. Gene 627: 94-105. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.06.015.. Abstract Among transposable elements (TEs), the LTR retrotransposons are abundant followed by nonLTR retrotransposons in plant genomes, the lateral being represented by LINEs and SINEs. Computational and molecular approaches were…

Wild banana species: their classification and the sequencing of Musa balbisiana

Crop relatives are important – we learn about the relationships of wild germplasm in comparison to the domesticated forms, and about the genetics and genes in the wild species. Two papers in the last month advance our understanding of wild banana (Musa) from different perspectives. The first presents “A draft Musa balbisiana genome sequence for…

Preserving genetic resources in agriculture: saffron and other EU projects

Maintaining and developing sustainable uses for agricultural genetic resources is essential for ensuring food security in a sustainable manner. In this report, the outcomes of 17 EU projects on genetic resources in animals, arable crops, forest trees and “fruits, vegetables and spices” is discussed. We were involved with the project on the Saffron Crocus, reported on pages…