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West Lafayette, Ind. (UPI) Jan 31, 2011 New findings on how plants adapt to unfavorable conditions could one day be used to help food crops survive changing environments, a U.S. researcher says. A Purdue University professor of horticulture studying how a particular plant from coastal areas developed a high tolerance for sodium has found changes in a gene linked to adaptation to that specific environmental factor, a university release said Monday. While it has long been understood that plants are adapted to their local soil environments, the molecular basis of such adaptation has remained elusive. "What we're looking at is evolution in action," David Salt said. "It looks like natural selection is matching expression of this gene to the local soil conditions." Since crops grown around the world could be affected by climate change, it was important to identify mechanisms by which plants adapt to drought conditions, higher temperatures or changes in soil nutrition, Salt said. "Driven by natural selection, plants have been evolving to grow under harsh conditions for millennia," Salt said. "We need to understand genetically what is allowing these plants to survive these conditions."
earlier related report It was the fourth major purchase by a Chinese company of wine property in the famed Bordeaux grape region since 2008, and comes amid fast-growing investment by China across Europe. "The deal illustrates the growing interest of China in French wine-growing excellence in response to exponential Chinese demand for quality wines," said a statement from top Paris law firm Gide Loyrette Nouel. It said the chateau's owner Philippe Raoux had sold the 18-hectare property for an unspecified amount to COFCO, which is listed in Hong Kong and majority owned by the Chinese state. It described the property as "a top-rate vineyard" in the coveted Lalande-de-Pomerol wine region. Vineyard managers confirmed the sale to AFP. The law firm said COFCO is the biggest Chinese foodstuffs company with turnover of more than $21 billion (15 billion euros). COFCO's website says it is a Fortune-listed leading importer and exporter of grain, oils and foodstuffs and "is also very successful in real estate, hotel business and financial services".
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Smaller Rows Contribute To More Soybean Yields In Colder ClimatesMadison WI (SPX) Jan 31, 2011 Soybean production has continued to increase in the Northeast United States with more and more first time growers planting the crop and many experienced growers planting alongside corn crops. To save on time and expenses, some farmers plant soybeans with a corn planter in 30-inch rows instead of 7.5-inch rows with the regularly used grain drill. Dr. William Cox, a Cornell University scient ... read more |
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