Statistical method for testing the neutral mutation hypothesis by DNA polymorphism.

Evolution of Protein Molecules

https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/1480197.pdf

Big Data in Smart Farming – A review

Modern herbicides make major contributions to global food production by easily removing weeds and substituting for destructive soil cultivation. However, persistent herbicide selection of huge weed numbers across vast areas can result in the rapid evolution of herbicide resistance. Herbicides target specific enzymes, and mutations are selected that confer resistance-endowing amino acid substitutions, decreasing herbicide binding. Where herbicides bind within an enzyme catalytic site very few mutations give resistance while conserving enzyme functionality. Where herbicides bind away from a catalytic site many resistance-endowing mutations may evolve. Increasingly, resistance evolves due to mechanisms limiting herbicide reaching target sites. Especially threatening are herbicide-degrading cytochrome P450 enzymes able to detoxify existing, new, and even herbicides yet to be discovered. Global weed species are accumulating resistance mechanisms, displaying multiple resistance across many herbicides and posing a great challenge to herbicide sustainability in world agriculture. Fascinating genetic issues associated with resistance evolution remain to be investigated, especially the possibility of herbicide stress unleashing epigenetic gene expression. Understanding resistance and building sustainable solutions to herbicide resistance evolution are necessary and worthy challenges.

/pdf/evolution-in-action-plants-resistant-to-herbicides-2gtjx1z4z2.pdf

Evolution in Action: Plants Resistant to Herbicides

Microbes of the phytomicrobiome are associated with every plant tissue and, in combination with the plant form the holobiont. Plants regulate the composition and activity of their associated bacterial community carefully. These microbes provide a wide range of services and benefits to the plant; in return, the plant provides the microbial community with reduced carbon and other metabolites. Soils are generally a moist environment, rich in reduced carbon which supports extensive soil microbial communities. The rhizomicrobiome is of great importance to agriculture owing to the rich diversity of root exudates and plant cell debris that attract diverse and unique patterns of microbial colonization. Microbes of the rhizomicrobiome play key roles in nutrient acquisition and assimilation, improved soil texture, secreting, and modulating extracellular molecules such as hormones, secondary metabolites, antibiotics, and various signal compounds, all leading to enhancement of plant growth. The microbes and compounds they secrete constitute valuable biostimulants and play pivotal roles in modulating plant stress responses. Research has demonstrated that inoculating plants with plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) or treating plants with microbe-to-plant signal compounds can be an effective strategy to stimulate crop growth. Furthermore, these strategies can improve crop tolerance for the abiotic stresses (e.g., drought, heat, and salinity) likely to become more frequent as climate change conditions continue to develop. This discovery has resulted in multifunctional PGPR-based formulations for commercial agriculture, to minimize the use of synthetic fertilizers and agrochemicals. This review is an update about the role of PGPR in agriculture, from their collection to commercialization as low-cost commercial agricultural inputs. First, we introduce the concept and role of the phytomicrobiome and the agricultural context underlying food security in the 21st century. Next, mechanisms of plant growth promotion by PGPR are discussed, including signal exchange between plant roots and PGPR and how these relationships modulate plant abiotic stress responses via induced systemic resistance. On the application side, strategies are discussed to improve rhizosphere colonization by PGPR inoculants. The final sections of the paper describe the applications of PGPR in 21st century agriculture and the roadmap to commercialization of a PGPR-based technology.

/pdf/plant-growth-promoting-rhizobacteria-context-mechanisms-of-3ntrk6m34y.pdf

Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria: Context, Mechanisms of Action, and Roadmap to Commercialization of Biostimulants for Sustainable Agriculture.

Grass-Legume Mixed Cover Crops for Weed Management

The increased availability and high adoption rate of glyphosate-tolerant crops have selected for several glyphosate-resistant weed species. The response of representative weed species to glyphosate was assessed to provide insights and tools for optimizing glyphosate use for economic, agronomic and environmental reasons. Anoda cristata, Chenopodium album, Digitaria sanguinalis, Eleusine indica and Portulaca oleracea were grown outdoors in pots containing commercial potting medium. An increasing dose of glyphosate was applied to these species at three growth stages. Weed response was evaluated visually compared to the nontreated control and shoot dry weights were recorded. Fecundity was also determined. Based on visual evaluations, the dose of glyphosate required to attain 90% control of the species tested exhibited an application rate margin up to 28.5-fold compared to recommended rate, denoting a potential for rate optimization. Except for A. cristata, the recommended dose of glyphosate could be reduced by 30%–60% and still achieve 90% or greater control. The order of species sensitivity, based on effective dose 50 (ED50 )values, was E. indica > C. album > D. sanguinalis > P. oleracea > A. cristata. The ratio of ED90/ED50 was constant, indicating that increasing the glyphosate dose 8.7-fold would reduce weed biomass 1.8-fold. In most cases, the fecundity-avoidance biomass threshold (i.e., the maximum allowable weed biomass for herbicide application in order to prevent weed seed production and dispersal) for glyphosate was below the ED90 value. Complimentary measures such as fecundity-avoidance biomass threshold will improve herbicide evaluation procedures and preserve the effectiveness of herbicides, including glyphosate, on sensitive species, an important issue particularly when action to reduce herbicide resistance development is highly required.

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/9/12/851/pdf

Response of Annual Weeds to Glyphosate: Evaluation and Optimization of Application Rate Based on Fecundity-Avoidance Biomass Threshold Criterion

Background: Rice lines displaying resistance to quizalofop-p-ethyl (quizalofop), an acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicide, were developed to facilitate control of imidazolinone-resistant weedy rice (red rice), as well as other susceptible grasses. Objective: To assess the sensitivity of weedy rice accessions from Brazil to quizalofop. Methods: Two bioassays were conducted on the greenhouse from March to June 2016, in a completely random design with a two-factor factorial combination of treatments and four replications. The factor A was weedy rice accession and factor B was quizalofop rates (0, 25 and 50 g a.i. ha-1). It was assessed a total of 84 genotypes in the two bioassays, composed of 78 weedy rice accessions, 4 rice cultivars, and 2 lines resistant to aryloxyphenoxypropionate (AOPP) herbicides. Quizalofop was applied the 2-leaf stage. Weedy rice control was evaluated at 28 and 22 days after treatment (DAT), respectively for bioassay I and II, using a scale of 0% (no control) to 100% (dead). Results: All weedy rice accessions were susceptible to quizalofop, being controlled 100% with 50 g a.i. ha-1. Rice lines SC 964 and SC 965, resistant to AOPP herbicides, were not injured by quizalofop. Conclusions: quizalofop is an effective tool for weedy rice control in ACCase-resistant rice.

https://awsjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/articles_xml/0100-8358-PD-38-e020236589/0100-8358-PD-38-e020236589.pdf

Nilda R. Burgos

Papers

Grass-Legume Mixed Cover Crops for Weed Management

Response of Annual Weeds to Glyphosate: Evaluation and Optimization of Application Rate Based on Fecundity-Avoidance Biomass Threshold Criterion

Sensitivity of weedy rice populations to Quizalofop

Response of Edamame Soybean Variety AVS 4002 to Herbicides