Posts by cinchws
Implementation of Epigenetic Variation in Sorghum Selection and Implications for Crop Resilience Breeding
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE Crop resilience and yield stability are complex traits essential for food security. Sorghum bicolor is an important grain crop that shows promise for its natural resilience to drought and potential for marginal land production. We have developed sorghum lines in the Tx430 genetic background suppressed for MSH1 expression as a means of inducing de novo epigenetic variation,…
Read MoreEpigenetics Could Alter the Way We Breed Crops for Drought and Climate Change
GENETIC LITERACY PROJECT Crops that can withstand the ravages of climate change or resist killer diseases? Many already have been developed — including varieties of bananas, cassava, wheat and oranges — but they languish on laboratory shelves as their creators navigate the complex, and sometimes contradictory, regulations developed over the years to deal with genetically…
Read MorePlants Pass On ‘Memory’ Of Stress to Some Progeny, Making Them More Resilient
SCIENCEBLOG.COM By manipulating the expression of one gene, geneticists can induce a form of “stress memory” in plants that is inherited by some progeny, giving them the potential for more vigorous, hardy and productive growth, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest the discovery has significant implications for plant breeding. Read the full article here.
Read MoreFindings by Epicrop Technologies Founder Launches New Era in Epigenetics Applications for Agriculture
SEEDQUEST TechAccel, the Kansas City-based technology and venture development company, today congratulates Dr. Sally Mackenzie, founder of Epicrop Technologies Inc., for publication of an important discovery in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications. Read the full article here.
Read MoreScientist Warns Against Completely Abandoning Genetic Modification
THE WESTERN PRODUCER Transgenic, or genetically modified crops, have been around for more than 25 years, but the public remains skeptical. However, protecting crops from disease is just one reason why the ag industry should stop and ponder the true value of transgenic crops. Read the full article here.
Read MoreGrafting With Epigenetically-Modified Rootstock Yields Surprise
PHYS.ORG Novel grafted plants—consisting of rootstock epigenetically modified to “believe” it has been under stress—joined to an unmodified scion, or above-ground shoot, give rise to progeny that are more vigorous, productive and resilient than the parental plants. That is the surprising finding of a team of researchers that conducted large-scale field trials with tomato plants at…
Read MoreGrafted tomatoes grow best with one stressed parent and one chill one
IFL SCIENCE In a world struggling to feed more people without consuming additional land or resources, any boost to crop growth is worth celebrating. By grafting epigenetically modified rootstock to unmodified shoots, scientists have produced seeds that dramatically outperform either parent, creating what may be the biggest advance in crop productivity for a long time. Read…
Read MoreHigh-Yielding Plants That Survive Temperature Swings May Be Our Next Weapon Against Climate Change
GENETIC LITERACY PROJECT Increasingly unpredictable growing seasons are a threat to income and livelihoods not only in California, but also around the world. Now Sally Mackenzie, Ph.D., is working to do something about that. As producers and scientists search for ways to make crops more resilient in the face of such challenges, she sees promising…
Read MoreThe Truth About GMOs with Sally Mackenzie, Ph.D.
FREE THINKING WITH MONTEL Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs, are a hotly debated topic. Learn what GMOs are and aren’t as Montel speaks with Sally Mackenzie, Ph.D. on this episode of Free Thinking. Watch the episode here.
Read MoreEngaging Plant Armor
THE FURROW, A JOHN DEERE PUBLICATION Buried in a plant’s genetic code are abilities such as withstanding heat stress and performing better in drought conditions. By manipulating epigenetic expression, plant scientists have learned to activate these abilities—abilities that stay engaged in subsequent generations. This science isn’t about breaking yield records, though, it’s about achieving yield…
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