Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

About: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is a facility organization based out in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Soil water. The organization has 10921 authors who have published 21332 publications receiving 748193 citations. The organization is also known as: Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Characterization of seedling infection types and adult plant infection responses of monogenic Sr gene lines to race TTKS of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici.

Abstract: Stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, historically was one of the most destructive diseases of wheat and barley. The disease has been under effective control worldwide thr...

EFFECTS OF ACIDITY ON MINERALIZATION: pH- DEPENDENCE OF ORGANIC MATTER MINERALIZATION IN WEAKLY ACIDIC SOILS

Abstract: The literature is ambiguous regarding the influence of acidity on mineralization of soil organic matter. Although mineralization is often regarded as being relatively insensitive to acidity, reports of agronomically-significant increases in N mineralization after liming of acid soils are common. We analyzed 61 soils (pH 5.1–7.9), representing all agro-ecological zones of Saskatchewan, Canada, to determine the pH-dependence of N mineralization. Mineralization was measured by aerobic incubation. There was no statistical relationship between the parameters of the first-order kinetic equation [i.e. the rate constant (k) and potentially mineralizable N (N0)] used to describe the incubation data and soil pH. However, when pH of two slightly acid (pH 5.7 and 5.8) soils was raised using Ca(OH)2, mineralization of N and C was stimulated. Initially, the rate of CO2 evolution from soils treated with Ca(OH)2, to raise pH to 7.3–7.4, was 2–3 times that from the unamended soils. Rate of CO2 evolution from Ca(OH)2-treated soil declined rapidly after about 7–10 d. During the entire 100-d incubation, Ca(OH)2-treated soils at pH 7.3–7.4 produced 37% and 67% more CO2C than their untreated counterparts. We observed comparable increases in N mineralization. The effect of Ca(OH)2 was attributed to release of labile organic matter when pH was increased. Dissolved organic matter in saturated paste extracts was well correlated with C and N mineralized. A model consisting of two simultaneous first-order equations was needed to describe mineralization in Ca(OH)2-treated soil. Application of Ca(OH)2 increased the labile pool of mineralizable C from 18 to 157 mg kg−1 in one soil and from 45 to 301 mg kg−1 in the other. We showed that the phosphate-borate buffer test for mineralizable N is pH-dependent because of the effect of pH on organic N solubility. In contact with the buffer, soil pH is raised to 11.2 (i.e. buffer pH), resulting in release of organic N, which is then susceptible to hydrolysis. Organic N extracted using an unbuffered extractant, hot 2 m KCl, was independent of soil pH.

SNP Discovery through Next-Generation Sequencing and Its Applications.

Abstract: The decreasing cost along with rapid progress in next-generation sequencing and related bioinformatics computing resources has facilitated large-scale discovery of SNPs in various model and nonmodel plant species. Large numbers and genome-wide availability of SNPs make them the marker of choice in partially or completely sequenced genomes. Although excellent reviews have been published on next-generation sequencing, its associated bioinformatics challenges, and the applications of SNPs in genetic studies, a comprehensive review connecting these three intertwined research areas is needed. This paper touches upon various aspects of SNP discovery, highlighting key points in availability and selection of appropriate sequencing platforms, bioinformatics pipelines, SNP filtering criteria, and applications of SNPs in genetic analyses. The use of next-generation sequencing methodologies in many non-model crops leading to discovery and implementation of SNPs in various genetic studies is discussed. Development and improvement of bioinformatics software that are open source and freely available have accelerated the SNP discovery while reducing the associated cost. Key considerations for SNP filtering and associated pipelines are discussed in specific topics. A list of commonly used software and their sources is compiled for easy access and reference.

Recent Advances in the Understanding of the Health Benefits and Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Green Tea Polyphenols.

Abstract: Tea, leaf, or bud from the plant Camellia sinensis, make up some of the beverages popularly consumed in different parts of the world as green tea, oolong tea, or black tea. More particularly, as a nonfermented tea, green tea has gained more renown because of the significant health benefits assigned to its rich content in polyphenols. As a main constituent, green tea polyphenols were documented for their antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anticancer, anticardiovascular, antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic, and antiobesity properties. Recent reports demonstrate that green tea may exert a positive effect on the reduction of medical chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and diabetes. The health benefits of green teas, in particular EGCG, are widely investigated, and these effects are known to be primarily associated with the structure and compositions of its polyphenols. This Review focuses on the diverse constituents of green tea polyphenols and their molecular mechanisms from the perspective of their potential therapeutic function. Recent advances of green tea polyphenols on their bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and microbiota were also summarized in this article. Dietary supplementation with green tea represents an attractive alternative toward promoting human health.