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It is crucial for agricultural production to identify the trigger that switches plants from vegetative to reproductive growth. Agricultural sustainability in semiarid regions is challenged by nitrogen (N) fertilizer overuse, inadequate soil water, and heavy carbon emissions. Previous studies focused on the short-term effects of a single application of N and water but have not investigated the long-term effects of different irrigation and N fertilizer regimens on crop yields and yield components. N application is routinely coupled with water availability, and crop yields can be maximized by optimizing both. We examined the growth of western wheatgrass [Pascopyrum smithii (Rydb.) Á. Löve], a temperate-region forage and turf grass, using multiple different combinations of N fertilizer [(NH4)2·CO3] and irrigation levels over 3 years to determine optimal field management. We conducted multifactorial, orthogonally designed field experiments with large sample sizes, and measured fertile tillers m-2 (Y1), spikelets/fertile tillers (Y2), florets/spikelet (Y3), seed numbers/spikelet (Y4), seed weight (Y5), and seed yield (Z) to study factors associated with the switch between vegetative and reproductive growth. Fertilization had a greater effect on seed yield and yield components than irrigation. Y1 had the strongest positive effect on Z, whereas Y5 had a negative effect on Z. Irrigation and fertilization affected Z, Y1, and Y5. Fertilizer concentrations were positively correlated with Z, Y1, and Y5, whereas irrigation levels were negatively correlated. The ridge regression linear model results suggested N application rate and irrigation had antagonistic effects on Y1 (X3 = 867.6-4.23×X2; R2 = 0.988, F = Infinity, P<0.0001). We conclude that the optimal amount of N fertilizer and irrigation was 156 kg ha-1 + 115 mm for seed yield, 120 kg ha-1 + 146 mm for spikelets/fertile tillers, and 108 kg ha-1 + 119 mm for seed numbers/spikelets. These results will improve yield and reduce agricultural inputs for P. smithii in semiarid and arid regions, thereby reducing fertilizer pollution and conserving water., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Beef cattle consume more tall fescue [ (Schreb.) Darbysh.] than any other perennial cool-season grass in North America. Tall fescue forms a mutualistic relationship with the fungus (Morgan-Jones and W. Cams) C.W. Bacon & Schardl, comb. nov.; these plants are often referred to as endophyte-infected tall fescue. Agronomically, endophyte infection is good; endophyte-infected plants resist biotic and abiotic stresses better than do endophyte-free plants. However, tall fescue plants infected with a common toxic endophyte produce the ergot alkaloids that cause tall fescue toxicosis. Several agronomic practices can eliminate or reduce the effects of tall fescue toxicosis. Renovating tall fescue fields infected with a common toxic endophyte to new cultivars infected with a novel (or nontoxic) endophyte eliminates the problem for that field. Although the cost to renovate currently exceeds US$600/ha, most economic analyses show it to be a good long-term investment, especially on fields with high forage production potential. Less effective, but popular, methods of dealing with tall fescue toxicosis include adding clovers ( spp.) or other forage species to the pastures to dilute the effects of the toxins, avoiding the use of high rates of nitrogen fertilizers, feeding supplements, and rotating cattle to warm-season forages in summer. Also, the alkaloid concentration in forage can be reduced by making it (drying) into hay. Recent research shows that animal tolerance to tall fescue toxicosis is possible, although there is still much to learn about this topic. Tall fescue toxicosis is likely a reality in the beef industry for some time to come. We contend that renovation of the most productive fields to cultivars infected with a novel endophyte coupled with the prospect of using tolerant livestock in scenarios where renovation is not possible will give innovative producers a competitive edge.

Temperate grasses belonging to the Festuca-Lolium complex are important throughout the world in pasture and grassland agriculture. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is the predominant species in the United States, covering approximately 15 million ha. Tall fescue has distinctive morphotypes, two of which are Continental (summer active) and Mediterranean (summer semidormant). This is the first report of a linkage map created for Mediterranean tall fescue, while updating the Continental map with additional simple sequence repeat and sequence-tagged site markers. Additionally, this is the first time that diversity arrays technology (DArT) markers were used in the construction of a tall fescue map. The male parent (Continental), R43-64, map consisted of 594 markers arranged in 22 linkage groups (LGs) and covered a total of 1577 cM. The female parent (Mediterranean), 103-2, map was shorter (1258 cM) and consisted of only 208 markers arranged in 29 LGs. Marker densities for R43-64 and 103-2 were 2.65 and 6.08 cM per marker, respectively. When compared with the other Poaceae species, meadow fescue (F. pratensis Huds.), annual ryegrass (L. multiflorum Lam.), perennial ryegrass (L. perenne L.), Brachypodium distachyon (L.) Beauv., and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), a total of 171 and 98 orthologous or homologous sequences, identified by DArT analysis, were identified in R43-64 and 103-2, respectively. By using genomic in situ hybridization, we aimed to identify potential progenitors of both morphotypes. However, no clear conclusion on genomic constitution was reached. These maps will aid in the search for quantitative trait loci of various traits as well as help define and distinguish genetic differences between the two morphotypes., (© 2015 The Authors.)

Fescue toxicosis (FT) reduces beef animal growth and fertility. Animals afflicted with FT typically have decreased circulating prolactin concentrations and thicker summer hair coats. Preliminary experiments examined the informativeness of a novel Dopamine Receptor 2 (DRD2) G/A SNP for resistance to FT. Steers grazed tall fescue containing a toxic (E+) or non-toxic (NTE) strain of endophyte. Decreased serum prolactin concentrations were observed in GG steers in May compared to AA steers when grazing E+ pastures (P < 0.02). In a second study, GG steers had decreased prolactin concentrations (P = 0.004) and increased hair coat scores (P = 0.01) relative to AA steers when grazing E+ pastures. Allele and genotypic frequencies were different (P = 0.016 and 0.026, respectively) between spring-calving and fall-calving herds grazing E+ pastures, such that the A allele and the AA genotype were more prevalent in spring-calving herds, suggesting active selection for the A allele. Regardless of calving season, AA heifers tended toward fewer days to first calf (733.6 ± 4.4 d) than did GG heifers (756.6 ± 9.2 days; P = 0.055). These results suggest that the DRD2 SNP may have use in selecting animals resistant to FT.

The space-qualified design of a miniaturized laser for pulsed operation at a wavelength of 1064 nm and at repetition rates up to 10 Hz is presented. This laser consists of a pair of diode-laser pumped, actively q-switched Nd:YAG rod oscillators hermetically sealed and encapsulated in an environment of dry synthetic air. The system delivers at least 300 million laser pulses with 50 mJ energy and 5 ns pulse width (FWHM). It will be launched in 2017 aboard European Space Agency's Mercury Planetary Orbiter as part of the BepiColombo Laser Altimeter, which, after a 6-years cruise, will start recording topographic data from orbital altitudes between 400 and 1500 km above Mercury's surface.

Despite increased attention and demand for the adoption of agroforestry practices throughout the world, rigorous long-term scientific studies confirming environmental benefits from the use of agroforestry practices are limited. The objective was to examine nonpoint-source pollution (NPSP) reduction as influenced by agroforestry buffers in watersheds under grazing and row crop management. The grazing study consists of six watersheds in the Central Mississippi Valley wooded slopes and the row crop study site consists of three watersheds in a paired watershed design in Central Claypan areas. Runoff water samples were analyzed for sediment, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) for the 2004 to 2008 period. Results indicate that agroforestry and grass buffers on grazed and row crop management sites significantly reduce runoff, sediment, TN, and TP losses to streams. Buffers in association with grazing and row crop management reduced runoff by 49 and 19%, respectively, during the study period as compared with respective control treatments. Average sediment loss for grazing and row crop management systems was 13.8 and 17.9 kg ha yr, respectively. On average, grass and agroforestry buffers reduced sediment, TN, and TP losses by 32, 42, and 46% compared with the control treatments. Buffers were more effective in the grazing management practice than row crop management practice. These differences could in part be attributed to the differences in soils, management, and landscape features. Results from this study strongly indicate that agroforestry and grass buffers can be designed to improve water quality while minimizing the amount of land taken out of production., (American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.)

Consumers are increasingly concerned with the form and quantity of fat present in the foods they consume. This is leading to a shift in the way food is produced. In particular the animal industry is increasing the number of organic and naturally finished meat animals rather than finishing them on grains. The objective of this study was to determine if different pasture compositions (i.e. grass only or grass legume mixtures) would impact the fatty acid (FA) meat composition of beef steers (Bos taurus L.). The pasture treatments were tall fescue [Lollium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbysh] only, or tall fescue combined with either red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) or alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. ssp. sativa L.). Beef steers (n=9-10 per treatment) rotationally grazed each pasture treatment. Forage from treatments were different for crude protein (CP), in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) and the FA myristric (C14:0), palmitic (C16:0), palmitoleic (C16:1), stearic (C18:0), oleic (C18:1), linoleic (C18:2), and total FA. Steers grazing mixtures with either red clover (RC) or alfalfa (ALF) had greater average daily gains (ADG) than tall fescue only. Additionally, RC treatment steers had larger ribeye areas (REA) and greater finishing weights than those in the ALF treatment. However, the differences found between pasture treatments in FA concentration did not translate to any differences in the FA concentration of meat harvested from steers. Thus, it is concluded that although the pastures contained different FA concentrations, with the levels of legumes present, this does not influence the FA composition of beef., (Copyright (c) 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Sea urchin eggs continuously exposed to a hypertonic solution were ultrastructurally examined for osmotic-stress induced alterations. No fertilization membranes formed during the treatment and the surface-cortex complexes remained unaltered from the unfertilized state. However, the osmotic stress did induce a number of subcellular changes. During the first 30 minutes of the treatment the eggs formed many endoplasmic reticulum whorls and compacted Golgi body aggregations. Both of these new formations can be correlated with rapid changes in intracellular calcium, known to occur in hypertonic stressed eggs. Aggregations of mitochondria could be observed at later stages; these aggregations can also be related to subcellular stress and possible changes in internal calcium concentrations. The various morphological transitions within the cytoplasm, along with the lack of a cortical reaction in these eggs, not only supports the idea that calcium is released during parthenogenetic activation, but also suggests that this free calcium originates from stores other than the stores that are involved during fertilization or simple artificial activation.

Eggs from two species of sea urchins were subjected to a variety of novel two-step parthenogenetic activation procedures. These treatments readily resulted in the formation of cytasters and centrioles. Centrioles are restricted to the cytasters, as well as to the broad perinuclear zone, and it appears that all cytasters contain one or more centrioles. The mode of centriolar origin and maturation, as revealed by these new procedures, is identical to that of centrioles induced by other procedures. Both centriolar and cytastral development are retarded by the parthenogenetic treatments; also, mitosis is generally delayed. These results, along with those of others, reveal that parthenogenetic agents have opposing effects on eggs. The agents are stimulatory in that they activate latent centrioles and the cell cycle, in general. They are inhibitory in that they suppress a variety of physiochemical events. Of these events, only one appears to be common to all parthenogenetic agents: the inhibition of protein synthesis. Egg centrioles may be kept in a latent state by repressor proteins. If these proteins normally cycle rapidly, then an inhibition of their continuous synthesis will disrupt their normal replacement rate. As such, a delay in replacement will allow functioning repressor proteins, associated with latent centrioles, to become nonfunctional, which in turn allows latent centrioles to become derepressed. This deblocking reaction would then activate the appearance of de novo centrioles in eggs.

Centrioles induced via a number of parthenogenetic agents regularly reveal the presence of one or more granules within their central cores. Though not a new discovery, these centriolar granules have carefully been re-evaluated here. Considering various criteria, it is proposed that these granules are intra-centriolar ribosomes. More specifically, they are more comparable to 70S ribosomes than to 80S cytoribosomes. The data suggest that within the lumen of centrioles, certain centriolar proteins are synthesized on ribosomes that may be uniquely centriolar.

Two approaches were used to study the origin and overall development of cytasters in relation to the emergence and maturation of new centrioles in sea-urchin eggs. A continuous hypertonic treatment was used to gather information on cytoplasmic areas of potential cytaster formation and the subsequent development of these cytastral areas. A two-step parthenogenetic stimulation procedure was used to analyse various cytastral changes during and after mitosis. Potential cytastral areas are associated with extensive Golgi complexes and astral formation occurs only about newly induced centrioles. The construction of a single aster involves a large redistribution of local cytoplasmic structures, concentrating some components, excluding others and orienting more and more microtubules in an increasingly focussed arrangement. These events are correlated with an extensive accumulation of astral endoplasmic reticulum, an increase in the size of the astral area, and a gradual acquisition of a more typical radial configuration. The astral shape becomes more pronounced during mitosis, after which the cytasters regress, but retain the mature centrioles. The data reveal that cytaster formation is initiated after the activation and appearance of centriolar precursor bodies, and that both centrioles and associated cytasters are complementary structures, which develop in unison. The results suggest that developing centrioles, from the moment of their emergence, control and direct the events of cytastral formation.

Sea urchin eggs exposed to a continuous hypertonic treatment rapidly form many concentric whorls of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during the pre-activation period of the parthenogenetic development. These whorls, however, are only a temporary configurational alteration of ER which begin to break up just prior to egg activation. The conversion back to normal vesicles and lamellae occurs not only concurrently with the appearance of early cytastral areas, but also frequently in close association with the formation of these membranous areas. It is revealed here that membrane elements from disrupting whorls may become incorporated into adjacent, developing clear areas, early cytastral areas, and that this ER constitutes an initial major source of membranes for these early astral areas. Having previously suggested that the actual formation of ER whorls occurs in direct response to released intracellular calcium in hypertonic stressed eggs, the new findings, along with other related data and correlations, further suggest that whorl disruption and the formation of associated astral areas can be correlated with a corresponding decrease in the concentration of this released calcium in the cytoplasm.

Unfertilized sea urchin eggs were parthenogenetically activated via a prolonged hypertonic treatment. The continuous subjection to the osmotic stress turned on the cell cycle and brought about the very slow development of mature centrioles. Within 1 h of the exposure, large osmiophilic aggregates were detected at the nuclear surface and were interpreted as early centriolar precursor forms. Ultrastructural examination of eggs during the 8 h of treatment revealed that the precursor forms systematically converted into mature centrioles which then produced daughter centrioles. All centriolar precursor bodies were associated with microtubules; cartwheel structures were the earliest morphological feature of centrioles detected within the osmiophilic bodies. Nascent centrioles appeared at the nuclear surface and, during their development into centrioles, continually maintained intimate associations with the nuclear envelope. We suggest that the resultant modification of the intracellular environment via the hypertonic stress promotes the activation of centriolar 'information-bearing-residues' or 'seeds' located at the nuclear envelope. The oocyte centrioles, before disappearing from the maturing egg, may have produced these 'seeds' and left them at the nuclear surface.