Effect of supplementing an α-amylase enzyme or a blend of essential oil components on the performance, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen balance of dairy cows.

Lowering dietary protein content is a promising strategy to reduce N excretions in cattle but it requires improved N utilization by the animal. Feed enzymes (e.g.

Can permanent grassland soils with elevated organic carbon buffer negative effects of more persistent precipitation regimes on forage grass performance?

Agricultural practices enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) show potential to buffer negative effects of climate change on forage grass performance. We tested this by subjecting five forage grass varieties differing in fodder quality and drought/flooding resistance to increased persistence in summer precipitation regimes (PR) across sandy and sandy-loam soils from either permanent (high SOC) or temporary grasslands (low SOC) in adjacent parcels. Over the course of two consecutive summers, monoculture mesocosms were subjected to rainy/dry weather alternation either every 3 days or every 30 days, whilst keeping total precipitation equal.

Untangling the hedge: Genetic diversity in clonally and sexually transmitted genomes of European wild roses, Rosa L.

While European wild roses are abundant and widely distributed, their morphological taxonomy is complicated and ambiguous. In particular, the polyploid Rosa section Caninae (dogroses) is characterised by its unusual meiosis, causing simultaneous clonal and sexual transmission of sub-genomes. This hemisexual reproduction, which often co-occurs with vegetative reproduction, defies the standard definition of species boundaries.

CRISPR/Cas-mediated plant genome editing: outstanding challenges a decade after implementation.

The discovery of the CRISPR/Cas genome-editing system has revolutionized our understanding of the plant genome. CRISPR/Cas has been used for over a decade to modify plant genomes for the study of specific genes and biosynthetic pathways as well as to speed up breeding in many plant species, including both model and non-model crops. Although the CRISPR/Cas system is very efficient for genome editing, many bottlenecks and challenges slow down further improvement and applications.

Ordinal or visual analogue scales for assessing aspects of broiler chicken welfare?

When the gradation of animal welfare is scored through ordinal scales and equidistant tags are used, empirical data between tags tend to be non-equidistant. Ordinal rate scales (ORS) and visual analogue scales (VAS) were tested for the assessment of contact dermatitis on breast and abdominal areas (CD), footpad dermatitis (FP), hock burns (HB) and bird soiling (BS) in broiler chickens. Calculations regarding the inter-rater reliability, the correlation between VAS and ORS and amongst the welfare indicators measured with both scales, and the equidistance of ORS categories in relation to values measured using VAS, were made.

Covering the Combinatorial Design Space of Multiplex CRISPR/Cas Experiments in Plants.

Over the past years, CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing has revolutionized plant genetic studies and crop breeding. Specifically, due to its ability to simultaneously target multiple genes, the multiplex CRISPR/Cas system has emerged as a powerful technology for functional analysis of genetic pathways. As such, it holds great potential for application in plant systems to discover genetic interactions and to improve polygenic agronomic traits in crop breeding.

Can Knowledge of Genetic Distances, Genome Sizes and Chromosome Numbers Support Breeding Programs in Hardy Geraniums?

Breeding programs in ornamentals can be facilitated by integrating knowledge of phylogenetic relatedness of potential parents along with other genomic information. Using AFLP, genetic distances were determined for 59 genotypes, comprising 55 commercial cultivars of the three subgenera of a total collection of 61 genotypes. A subgroup of 45 genotypes, including intragroup and intergroup hybrids, were selected and further characterized for genome sizes and chromosome numbers.

Compact shoot architecture of Osteospermum fruticosum transformed with Rhizobium rhizogenes.

Improved compact shoot architecture of Osteospermum fruticosum Ri lines obtained through Rhizobium rhizogenes transformation reduces the need for chemical growth retardants. Compactness is for many ornamental crops an important commercial trait that is usually obtained through the application of growth retardants. Here, we have adopted a genetic strategy to introduce compactness in the perennial shrub Cape daisy (Osteospermum fruticosum Norl.

Pinpointing the role of Aeromonas salmonicida in the development of skin ulcerations in common dab (Limanda limanda).

Aeromonas salmonicida was isolated from ulcerations in common dab (Limanda limanda). An experiment was performed to pinpoint its role in ulceration development, considering the importance of the skin barrier and the pigmented and non-pigmented sides. The skin of dab was treated in three zones, one where scales and epidermis were removed, one where mucus was discarded and one non-treated zone.

Differential efficiency of wild type rhizogenic strains for rol gene transformation of plants.

Rhizogenic agrobacteria induce extensive root proliferation, in several economically valuable, dicotyledonous plant species, a phenomenon referred to as "hairy roots." Besides their pathogenic nature, agrobacteria have proven to be a valuable asset in biotechnology and molecular plant breeding. To assess the potential of frequently used rhizogenic strains, growth in yeast extract glucose broth and antibiotic resistance was analyzed.

Impact of veA on the development, aggressiveness, dissemination and secondary metabolism of Penicillium expansum.

Penicillium expansum, the causal agent of blue mould disease, produces the mycotoxins patulin and citrinin amongst other secondary metabolites. Secondary metabolism is associated with fungal development, which responds to numerous biotic and abiotic external triggers. The global transcription factor VeA plays a key role in the coordination of secondary metabolism and differentiation processes in many fungal species.

Potential of chopped heath biomass and spent growth media to replace wood chips as bulking agent for composting high N-containing residues.

We investigated the potential of C-rich byproducts to replace wood chips as bulking agent (BA) during composting. The impact of these alternatives on the composting process and on compost stability and characteristics was assessed. Three BA (chopped heath biomass and spent growth media used in strawberry and tomato cultivation) were used for processing leek residues in windrow composting.