It’s likely that 2009 will be known as the year of the genome in agricultural research.
Over the last 12 months, scientists working in collaboration at universities and institutes around the globe have cracked the genetic sequence of the hog, cow, canola, corn and sorghum.
The rush of discoveries last year, along with previous releases of the chicken, rice and soybean genome, means there is now a clearer picture of the genetic code of several major crops and the primary livestock animals in agriculture.
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Of all the codes to be mapped last year, one of the most challenging was sequencing the corn genome, a four year U.S. Department of Agriculture project and the cover story of the Nov. 20 issue of the journal Science.
Corn has 32,000 genes and 10 chromosomes, whereas humans have 20,000 genes spread over 23 chromosomes.
Most of the genome projects released results to the public. The unrestricted access will allow geneticists to identify genes of interest, which in turn will help plant breeders create drought resistant and higher yielding varieties and assist livestock breeders to develop animals that can resist a specific disease.
The one exception on public disclosure is canola. Bayer CropScience announced in October it had sequenced the canola genome but the company will retain the discovery as proprietary information.
Genomic sequences were front and centre last year, but there were other discoveries in ag research in 2009.
Drought tolerance
Last fall, scientists at the Van Andel Research Institute in Michigan announced they had found how abscisic acid (ABA) works at the molecular level to help plants respond to environmental stresses. ABA is a hormone that keeps seeds dormant until the time to sprout is right.
Researchers identified receptors for the hormone and now have a better understanding of how the plant remains dormant, which means scientists can manipulate the process to improve a plant’s response to heat, cold and lack of moisture.
Also last year, scientists at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York discovered an enzyme that controls the amount of water that a plant lets into its cells. The enzyme affects the production of suberin, a waxy substance found in cork. In plants, suberin limits the amount of water that passes through the cell walls and prevents pathogens from entering the cell.
The knowledge could be used to modify the production of suberin to increase the cell’s uptake of water while still protecting it from viruses and bacterium.
Naming cows boosts production
British researchers announced last winter that naming cows is more significant than once thought, at least when it comes to dairy cattle. In a study published in the journal Anthrozoos, researchers at Newcastle University discovered that giving a dairy cow a name increases its milk production by 285 litres per year, compared to a cow without a name.
“What our study shows is … placing more importance on the individual, such as calling a cow by her name or interacting with the animal more as it grows up, we cannot only improve the animal’s welfare … but also increase milk production,” said Catherine Douglas, lead researcher for the study.
Stem rust breakthrough?
In September, researchers at the USDA’s Cereal Crops Research Unit announced that they had developed a line of wheat that is resistant to Ug99, a deadly variant of stem rust that appeared in Uganda 10 years ago.
Scientists created a wheat variety with the Sr39 gene and tests show high resistanceto Ug99 and other types of stem rust.
The eyes have it
Cattle producers have long known that certain cattle can be crazy, but researchers now believe that a cow’s eyes may explain bovine behaviour.
Researchers at the University of Guelph have determined that cows with a larger proportion of white in their eyes are more likely to display unpredictable and violent reactions, compared to cows with darker eyes.
