So far in this course we have dealt entirely with the evolution of characters that are controlled by simple Mendelian inheritance at a single locus. There are notes on the course website about gametic disequilibrium and how allele frequencies change at two loci simultaneously, but we didn’t discuss them. In every example we’ve considered we’ve imagined that we could understand something about evolution by examining the evolution of a single gene. That’s the domain of classical population genetics. For the next few weeks we’re going to be exploring a field that’s actually older than classical population genetics, although the approach we’ll be taking to it involves the use of population genetic machinery. If you know a little about the history of evolutionary biology, you may know that after the rediscovery of Mendel’s work in 1900 there was a heated debate between the “biometricians” (e.g., Galton and Pearson) and the “Mendelians” (e.g., de Vries, Correns, Bateson, and Morgan). Biometricians asserted that the really important variation in evolution didn’t follow Mendelian rules. Height, weight, skin color, and similar traits seemed to

Human biochemical genetics

Virus Diseases of Peanut

Learning Expectations:
1.	Functions of water in crop plant
2.	Physical and chemical properties of water
3.	Thermodynamic description of water 
4.	Driving forces of water in SPAC
5.	Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum (SPAC)
6.	Water deficit, water use strategy and crop yield

Crop Production I

Summary The Lr34 gene encodes an ABC transporter and has provided wheat with durable, broad- spectrum resistance against multiple fungal pathogens for over 100 years. Because barley does not have an Lr34 ortholog, we expressed Lr34 in barley to investigate its potential as a broad- spectrum resistance resource in another grass species. We found that introduction of the genomic Lr34 sequence confers resistance against barley leaf rust and barley powdery mildew, two pathogens specific for barley but not virulent on wheat. In addition, the barley lines showed enhanced resistance against wheat stem rust. Transformation with the Lr34 cDNA or the genomic susceptible Lr34 allele did not result in increased resistance. Unlike wheat, where Lr34- conferred resistance is associated with adult plants, the genomic Lr34 transgenic barley lines exhibited multipathogen resistance in seedlings. These transgenic barley lines also developed leaf tip necrosis (LTN) in young seedlings, which correlated with an up-regulation of senescence marker genes and several pathogenesis-related (PR) genes. In wheat, transcriptional expression of Lr34 is highest in adult plants and correlates with increased resistance and LTN affecting the last emerging leaf. The severe phenotype of transgenic Lr34 barley resulted in reduced plant growth and total grain weight. These results demonstrate that Lr34 provides enhanced multipathogen resistance early in barley plant development and implies the conservation of the substrate and mechanism of the LR34 transporter and its molecular action between wheat and barley. With controlled gene expression, the use of Lr34 may be valuable for many cereal breeding programmes, particularly given its proven durability.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/pbi.12077

The wheat Lr34 gene provides resistance against multiple fungal pathogens in barley.

Television: What's On, Who's Watching, and What It Means. George Comstock and Erica Sharrer. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1999. 388 pp. S48 hbk. George Comstock has had plenty of experience summarizing research pertaining to the social impact of television. As Senior Research Coordinator of the Surgeon General's Advisory Committee, he helped edit several of the technical reports issued in 1970 as part of that landmark project. He was the lead author of Television and Human Behavior, a 1978 volume that summarized the research literature concerning the effects of TV. In 1991, Comstock and Hae-Jung Park collaborated on Television and the American Child, a thorough look at studies examining the impact of TV on youngsters. Comstock, a professor at Syracuse University, has collaborated with Ercia Sharer, a faculty member at the State University of New York, Geneseo, to produce the latest of his efforts to pull together what the social and behavioral research tells us about the impact of this pervasive medium. Television: What's On, Who's Watching and What It Means is a comprehensive review of the television research in selected areas. It is the end result of what must have been an enormous amount of work. The reference section contains nearly 1,200 entries; the author index is nearly ten pages long. Comstock and Sharrer are to be commended for compiling and organizing this massive body of information. They are also to be commended for including the "what it means" perspective in their reviews. As a result, the book is more than a cataloging of the available literature. The authors include their interpretations of the studies they cite and try to give the reader a sense of what it all means. Yet another commendable feature is the authors' statement of the principles they used to interpret their findings. They argue that truth ties in patterns and that no single study is perfect. Even though some data sets may have imperfections, they still provide valuable information when interpreted in the context of other studies. The authors dismiss the "fatal flaw" argument (used by some in the advertising, tobacco, and television industry to dismiss the importance of some studies) as a political expedient employed by vested interests. The book is divided into three sections. The first, "The Industry and the Audience," begins with a brief history of television followed by a review of the research dealing with the content, form, and effectiveness of commercials. …

Television: What's on, Who's Watching, and What It Means

An experiment was conducted at NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, to study maize varieties and Nitrogen (N) rates for growth, yield and yield components. Three varieties (Azam, Jalal and Sarhad white) and three N rates (90, 120, 150, kg N ha -1 ) were compared. Experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block design; split plot arrangement with 4 replications. Uniform and recommended cultural practices were applied during the crop growth. The results revealed that maize variety ‘Jalal’ performed relatively better crop growth rate (CGR) and leaf area profile (LAP) at nodal position one to six as compared to the other two varieties (Sarhad white and Azam). This resulted higher radiation use efficiency by the crop canopy at vegetative stage of development and hence contributed higher assimilates towards biomass production. Heavier grains in number and weight were due to higher LAP and taller plants of Jalal which yielded higher in the climate. Nitrogen applications have shown that maize seed yield increase in quadratic fashion with increased N to a plateau level. Considering soil fertility status and cropping system, the 150 kg ha -1 N application to maize variety Jalal in Peshawar is required for maximum biological and seed production.

Response of maize varieties to nitrogen application for leaf area profile, crop growth, yield and yield components.

The research work comprising of genetic variability, heritability and correlation study for seed cotton yield and its components in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars was carried out during 2005 at the NWFP Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan. Cultivars mean values manifested highly significant differences for all the traits except locules boll -1 . Genetic potential of cultivars for different parameters revealed plant height (137.30 to 155.30 cm), bolls sympodia -1 (2.28 to 3.31), bolls plant -1 (14.00 to 25.95), boll weight (3.07 to 4.16 g), locules boll -1 (4.30 to 4.48) and seed cotton yield (1200 to 2450 kg ha -1 ). Genetic variances were found almost greater than the environmental variances for all the traits except bolls sympodia -1 and locules boll -1 . High broad sense heritability (H 2 ) and genetic gain were recorded for plant height (0.94, 9.41 cm), bolls sympodia -1 (0.81, 0.44), bolls plant -1 (0.96, 6.63), boll weight (0.96, 0.64 g) and seed cotton yield (0.98, 643.16 kg), respectively. Correlation of seed cotton yield with other different traits was found significantly positive for majority of traits i.e., plant height (r = 0.560), bolls sympodia -1 (r = 0.158), bolls plant -1 (r = 0.820) and boll weight (r = 0.476). This type of correlation is desirable by cotton breeders and little genetic gain in bolls per plant, boll weight and bolls per sympodia is a great accomplishment. Cultivars CIM-499 CIM-473, CIM-496 and CIM-506 have larger genetic potential and room for enhancement of seed cotton yield and its attributes under the prevailing environmental conditions of Peshawar, Pakistan.

Genetic variability and heritability in upland cotton

The studies determining genetic variability and heritability in upland cotton were carried out in a randomized complete block (RCB) design with three replications during 2008 at the NWFP Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan. The breeding material comprised of eight Gossypium hirsutum cultivars viz., SLH-284, CIM-446, CIM-473, CIM-496, CIM-499, CIM-506, CIM-554 and CIM-707. The cultivars manifested highly significant differences (p<0.01) for plant height, monopodia and sympodia plant and seed cotton yield plant, while merely significant (p<0.05) for days to first flowering and boll weight. However, first internode length showed non-significant variation among the cultivars. The cultivar CIM-506 was found top promising by having maximum seed cotton yield plant, sympodia plant, short stature plants, and medium early maturity and boll weight as compared to other seven cultivars. The cultivars CIM-707 and CIM-554 also showed comparable yield contributing traits and seed cotton yield. The heritability broad sense (bs) was high for the traits days to first flowering (0.96), plant height (0.95), monopodia plant (0.88), sympodia plant (0.89), boll weight (0.97) and seed cotton yield plant (0.91) while first internode length (0.36) revealed low heritability. For majority of the traits the genetic variances were also greater than environmental variances and were found high heritable. Therefore, the said breeding material has the room for further improvement of morpho-yield traits and can safely be used in future breeding programmes.

Heritability and genetic potential of upland cotton genotypes for morpho-yield traits.

Brassica species are the most important source of vegetable oil and the second most important oilseed crop in the international oilseed market after soybean. Genetic improvement of the seed quality made Brassica a source for high quality edible oil for human consumption and high quality protein meal for feeding animals. To improve yield and quality of oil content of Brassica, presence of sufficient genetic diversity in the germplasm is an important prerequisite. On an average, 45.8 and 25.8 alleles were amplified using RAPD and Brassica specific SSR primer sets, respectively. Mean genetic distance estimates ranged from 26-89% and 5-61%, respectively. Size of scorable fragments ranged from approximately 250 to >2000 bp. A high level of genetic dissimilarity (GD= up to 100%) was estimated among the 14 genotypes. Entries were grouped in clusters using cluster analysis. On the basis of dendrogram, most diverse genotypes were identified, that can be used in future brassica breeding program.

Molecular analysis of genetic diversity in Brassica species.

To evaluate the effect of foliar application of zin c and boron on yield and yield components of wheat, the present experiment was conducted at Agricultural Re search Farm of NWFP Agricultural University Peshawa r during winter seasons of 2004-05 and 2005-06. Solutions of zinc, boron and zinc plus boron were used as folia r spray, each applied at tillering, jointing and boot stage. Wate r application and no spray application were used as control. During both of the seasons, significant increase was recor ded in number of spikes m -2 , grains spike -1 , thousand grain weight, biological yield and grain yield for foliar applica tion of zinc and boron as compared to both control treatments. Combined application of zinc and boron resulted in maximum grains spike -1 (56, during 2004-05 and 48.2 during 200506 with 52.2 as mean over years), thousand grains w eight (52.2 as mean over years), biological yield (kg ha -1 during 2004-05 and 11389 kg ha -1 during 2005-06 with 10069.4 kg ha -1 as mean value) and grain yield (2833 kg ha -1 , during 2004-05 and 2555 kg ha -1 , during 2005-06). Water application and control tr eatments resulted in minimum number of spikes m -2 , grains spike -1 , thousand grain weight, biological yield and grain yield, during both of the growing seasons. The present experiment shows that foliar a pplication of zinc and boron results in increased g rain yield and yield components of wheat, and thus is recommended to increase crop production.

/pdf/enhancement-of-wheat-grain-yield-and-yield-components-1d0ay5z1xq.pdf

Farhatullah

Papers

Response of maize varieties to nitrogen application for leaf area profile, crop growth, yield and yield components.

Genetic variability and heritability in upland cotton

Heritability and genetic potential of upland cotton genotypes for morpho-yield traits.

Molecular analysis of genetic diversity in Brassica species.

Enhancement of wheat grain yield and yield components through foliar application of zinc and boron.