Forage conservation is a neglected nitrous oxide source.

Agricultural activities are the major anthropogenic source of nitrous oxide ( ), an important greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance. However, the role of forage conservation as a potential source of has rarely been studied. We investigated production from the simulated silage of the three major crops-maize, alfalfa, and sorghum-used for silage in the United States, which comprises over 90% of the total silage production.

Evaluation and optimization of lysis method for microbial DNA extraction from epiphytic phyllosphere samples.

Analysis of microbial communities in the epiphytic phyllosphere can be challenging, especially when applying sequencing-based techniques, owing to the interference of plant-derived biomolecules such as nucleic acids. A review of recent studies on the epiphytic microbiome revealed that both mechanical and enzymatic lysis methods are widely used. Here, we evaluated the effects of the two lysis methods on DNA extraction yield, purity, integrity, and microbial 16S rRNA gene copy number per ng of template genomic DNA under different extraction conditions.

Yield gap analysis of rainfed alfalfa in the United States.

The United States (US) is the largest alfalfa ( L.) producer in the world. More than 44% of the US alfalfa is produced under rainfed conditions, although it requires a relatively high amount of water compared to major field crops.

Omics Path to Increasing Productivity in Less-Studied Crops Under Changing Climate-Lentil a Case Study.

Conventional breeding techniques for crop improvement have reached their full potential, and hence, alternative routes are required to ensure a sustained genetic gain in lentils. Although high-throughput omics technologies have been effectively employed in major crops, less-studied crops such as lentils have primarily relied on conventional breeding. Application of genomics and transcriptomics in lentils has resulted in linkage maps and identification of QTLs and candidate genes related to agronomically relevant traits and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance.

Harvesting schedule effects on forage yield and nutritive values in low-lignin alfalfa.

Under the four-cut system, low-lignin alfalfa ( L.) may extend harvesting intervals improving harvest management flexibility and producing forage products with higher nutritive values. The objective of this study was to compare forage yield and nutritive values of low-lignin and conventional alfalfa varieties when applied to six different harvest schedules in the first (2016) and second (2017) production years.

Genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying root architecture and function under heat stress-A hidden story.

Heat stress events are resulting in a significant negative impact on global food production. The dynamics of cellular, molecular and physiological homoeostasis in aboveground parts under heat stress are extensively deciphered. However, root responses to higher soil/air temperature or stress signalling from shoot to root are limited.

Cultivated and wild pearl millet display contrasting patterns of abundance and co-occurrence in their root mycobiome.

Fungal communities associated with roots play a key role in nutrient uptake and in mitigating the abiotic and biotic stress of their host. In this study, we characterized the roots mycobiome of wild and cultivated pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.

Effects of harvest intervals and seeding rates on dry matter yield and nutritive value of alfalfa cultivars.

Maturation process of alfalfa ( L.) could be prevented by the reduction of lignin content in terms of conventional breeding or transgenic technology. Alfalfa could exhibit higher leaf/stem ratio, with a concern of yield loss.

Effect of a fall cut on dry matter yield, nutritive value, and stand persistence of alfalfa.

Information is lacking about the effect of date of a fall cut of alfalfa ( L.) on dry matter yield (DMY), forage nutritive value, and stands persistence. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of timing of a fall cut on DMY, forage nutritive value and stand persistence of three alfalfa varieties: low-lignin Hi-Gest 360, Roundup Ready Tonica, and conventional Gunner in Northeastern Kansas in the United States.

Effects of cultivar and harvest days after planting on dry matter yield and nutritive value of teff.

One of the most pressing issues facing the dairy industry is drought. In areas where annual precipitation is low, irrigation for growing feed presents the greatest water-utilization challenge for dairy producers. Here, we investigated the effects of cultivar and harvest days after planting (DAP) on dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive value of teff (), a warm-season annual grass native to Ethiopia that is well adapted to drought conditions.

Effects of alfalfa and alfalfa-grass mixtures with nitrogen fertilization on dry matter yield and forage nutritive value.

Alfalfa ( L.) is an important forage legume grown in Kansas, USA and its productivity with cool-season grasses however is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the dry matter yield (DMY) and forage nutritive value of alfalfa-grass mixtures compared to those of alfalfa and grasses grown in monoculture with and without nitrogen fertilization.

Development of a model estimating root length density from root impacts on a soil profile in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br). Application to measure root system response to water stress in field conditions.

Pearl millet is able to withstand dry and hot conditions and plays an important role for food security in arid and semi-arid areas of Africa and India. However, low soil fertility and drought constrain pearl millet yield. One target to address these constraints through agricultural practices or breeding is root system architecture.

Impact of Nitrogen Application Rate on Switchgrass Yield, Production Costs, and Nitrous Oxide Emissions.

Switchgrass ( L.) has been promoted as a potential feedstock for cellulosic biofuel in the United States. Switchgrass is known to respond to N fertilizer, but optimal rates remain unclear.

Production of free fatty acids from switchgrass using recombinant Escherichia coli.

Switchgrass is a promising feedstock to generate fermentable sugars required for the sustainable operation of biorefineries because of their abundant availability, easy cropping system, and high cellulosic content. The objective of this study was to investigate the potentiality of switchgrass as an alternative sugar supplier for free fatty acid (FFA) production using engineered Escherichia coli strains. Recombinant E.

Self-Assembled Dendron-Cyclodextrin Nanotubes with a Polyethylenimine Surface and Their Gene Delivery Capability.

Self-assembled dendron-cyclodextrin nanotubes (Den-CD-NTs) with selected surface functionalities can serve as templates for the formation of complexes with polymers, and the resulting nanotube-polymer complexes can be utilized as gene carriers. The negatively charged surfaces of Den-CD-NTs were covered with a positively charged polyethylenimine (PEI) layer using electrostatic interactions, and the resulting nanotube-PEI complex, having a positively charged surface exhibited intracellular uptake. Furthermore, the nanotube-PEI complex exhibited the capability for DNA complexation with reduced enzymatic degradation, and also showed higher transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity than PEI.