forage Articles
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Bahiagrass tetraploid germplasm: Reproductive and agronomic characterization of segregating progeny
The tetraploid germplasm of bahiagrass, Paspalum notatum Flüggé, is an unexploited source of variability that can be used for the genetic improvement of this species as forage or turf. The objectives of this research were to develop a segregating population by hybridizing induced sexual and apomictic clones and to characterize the resulting population for mode of reproduction, seed fertility, ...
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Pollinator community structure and sources of spatial variation in plant–pollinator interactions in Clarkia xantiana ssp. xantiana
The structure of diverse floral visitor assemblages and the nature of spatial variation in plant–pollinator interactions have important consequences for floral evolution and reproductive interactions among pollinator-sharing plant species. In this study, I use surveys of floral visitor communities across the geographic range of Clarkia xantiana ssp. xantiana (hereafter C. x. xantiana) ...
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USGS Study Points To Biofuel Crop Related Land-Use Change Reducing Honey Bee Habitat
On August 29, 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published a study on the result of land-use changes on North and South Dakota commercial honey bee colonies in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. USGS scientists found that grasslands and other landscape features favored by beekeepers were decreasing, with crops that are avoided by beekeepers, such as corn and ...
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Assignment of individual genotypes to specific forage cultivars of perennial ryegrass based on ssr markers
Assignment or exclusion of an individual to specific populations or cultivars based on molecular genetic markers provides an attractive approach for varietal identification at the individual level in cross-pollinated plant species. The objectives of this study were (i) to explore the molecular diversity and relationships between Australasian perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) populations; ...
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Mutations perturbing petal cell shape and anthocyanin synthesis influence bumblebee perception of Antirrhinum majus flower colour
We wished to understand the effects on pollinator behaviour of single mutations in plant genes controlling flower appearance. To this end, we analysed snapdragon flowers (Antirrhinum majus), including the mixta and nivea mutants, in controlled laboratory conditions using psychophysical tests with bumblebees. The MIXTA locus controls petal epidermal cell shape, and thus the path that incident ...
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Genetic variation within and among wildrye (Elymus canadensis and E. Virginicus) populations from the Southern Great Plains
There is interest in Canada wildrye (CWR, Elymus canadensis L.) and Virginia wildrye (VWR, E. virginicus L.) for conservation and forage uses. Our objectives were to identify a set of molecular markers to assess genetic structure within and diversity among populations of CWR and VWR from the Southern Great Plains and to determine if these populations had an associated fungal endophyte. Nine CWR ...
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Metal contaminant accumulation in the hive: Consequences for whole colony health and brood production in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)
Metal pollution has been increasing rapidly over the past century, and at the same time, the human population has continued to rise and produce contaminants that may negatively impact pollinators. Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) forage over large areas and can collect contaminants from the environment. The primary objective was to determine whether the metal contaminants cadmium (Cd), copper ...
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Risks of neonicotinoid insecticides to honeybees
The European honeybee, Apis mellifera, is an important pollinator of agricultural crops. Since 2006, when unexpectedly high colony losses were first reported, articles have proliferated in the popular press suggesting a range of possible causes and raising alarm over the general decline of bees. Suggested causes include pesticides, genetically modified crops, habitat fragmentation, and ...
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Earth out of sync rising temperatures throwing off seasonal timing
A newly hatched chick waits with hungry mouth agape for a parent to deliver its first meal. A crocus peaks up through the snow. Rivers flow swiftly as ice breaks up and snows melt. Sleepy mammals emerge from hibernation, and early frog songs penetrate the night. Spring awakening has long provided fodder for poets, artists, and almanac writers. Even for a notoriously fickle time of sunshine, ...
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The newest strategy for saving bees is really, really old
With pollinators in decline around the world, conservationists turn to traditional farmers for answers. In northwestern India, the Himalaya Mountains rise sharply out of pine and cedar forests. The foothills of the Kullu Valley are blanketed with apple trees beginning to bloom. It’s a cool spring morning, and Lihat Ram, a farmer in Nashala village, shows me a small opening in a log hive ...
By Ensia
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