f Biologists ITHACA, N.Y. Familiarity breeds contempt. Nonfamiliarity produces seed. Just as humans have a natural aversion toward marrying kin, some food crop plants have genes that allow them to avoid being fertilized by “self-related” pollen. Now Cornell University’s biolo gists have solved one more piece of the puzzle of how plants’ self incompatibility works oh the mo lecular level. The discovery, as reported in the journal Science (Sept 7, 2001), could enable genetic engi neers to short-circuit the repro duction process and more easily hybridize improved varieties of plants. Many commercial crops are genetic hybrids. Obtaining seed to plant commercial quantities of these crops, such as tomatoes, for example, requires the labor-inten sive work of manual crossing. Without the process of manual crossing, the plants would not have the desired qualities of hy brids. But nature has come up with an efficient system for mak ing hybrid seed, which, when un derstood at tiie molecular level, can have applications on a com mercial scale. This process, termed self-incompatibility, '‘pre vents inbreeding and promotes out-crossing and variability in Ornamental Plant Disease • COLUMBUS, Ohio • An orna mental plant disease, first diag nosed in Ohio recently, can pose a serious threat to daylilies. Daylily rust, caused by a rust fungus of the Puccinia species, has been reported in Franklin and Cuyahoga counties. First re ported in the southeastern ;U.S. last year, it also exists in Ken tucky, Indiana, and other mid western states, and poses poten tial problems for nursery, greenhouse and garden growers. “Daylily rust is a pretty serious disease,” said Steve Nameth, an Ohio State University plant pa thologist. “In Florida, if the dis ease is found in a greenhouse, that greenhouse is immediately Email: GO TOGETHER > 260 New Herds This Year > Quality, Dependable, Technician Service > Low Cost Rental for PCDART & Pocket Dairy Software >Free Computer Set-Up and Support > Simple Basic Owner-Sampler Programs Solve Part Of Puzzle plants,” says June Nasrallah, Cornell professor of plant biolo gy, and the lead author on the Science paper. In addition to Nasrallah, co authors of “Allele-Specific Re ceptor-Ligand Interactions in Brassica Self-Incompatibility” in clude Mikhail Nasrallah, Cornell professor of plant biology; Aar dra Kachroo, Cornell postdoctor al researcher in plant biology; and Christel R. Schopfer, a for mer Cornell postdoctoral re searcher who now conducts re search in Germany. Funding for the research was provided by a four-year grant from the Nation al Institutes of Health for the purpose of understanding cellu lar communication systems. The Nasrallah group examined the re productive processes of Brassica plants. Like humans' and animal species, plants use eggs and sperm in order to make seed and multiply. On the plant’s pistil is the stigma, which is the site for capturing pollen. Pollen, which carries the male sperm, is re leased by stamens and is carried by wind or insects, and it is drawn to a plant’s stigma. If genetically unrelated (non matching) pollen lands on the stigma, file pollen germinates and produces a pollen tube that then runs through the plant’s pis til and into the plant’s ovaries. quarantined. The ODA (Ohio Dc- In addition, it can not only ger partment of Agriculture) hasn’t minate on its host plant, but can made any quarantine decisions as also produce spores via a second of yet, but we are following the ary host a weed of ttxPatrinia situation closely to see what will species, which is also grown as a ha JPP en *” perennial. The presence of a sec- The disease germinates on ondary host increases the severity dajifly leaves, producing lesions of infection. Six species of Pat that leaf tfiefoack. Since rinia arc sold and grown in the photosynthesis, the process of u.S. as ornamentals how the plant obtains food, is ...., . . . ... conducted through the leaves. Since httie ui known about the limited number of leaves on the ***** “ lts b,ol J °By> plant reduces its chances of sur- * reproduces, and what is needed viving through winter. The dis- “jr it to survive - Nameth and ease spreads easily from plant to OSU plant pathologist Mac Rie plant via spores carried by wind- del will team up with Pat Henley, driven rain and has a short incu- a daylily expert formerly with bation period, infecting leaves ODA, to conduct variety and two to three days after inocula- fungicide studies beginning in tion. September. f/Z2HXA Lancaster Dairy Herd Improvement Association 1592 Old Line Road, Manheim, PA 17545-8222 Telephone (717) 665-5960 FAX (717) 664-2911 1-888-202-DHIA (3442) • Web Site - www.lancasterdhia.com ••• Pocket Dairy ••• So small you can actually carry your dairy herd in your pocket to look up and enter data Lancaster DHIA services Southeastern & Southcentral Pennsylvania AND Northern Maryland JL ancm&t&r & Fertilized eggs then develop into seed ready to be grown in a gar den or a producer’s field. However, if “self-related” pol len lands on the stigma, the stig ma’s outer (epidermal) layer ge netically recognizes the type of pollen and precipitates a self-in compatible reaction that inhibits the pollen tubes from growing. The Cornell group found that pollen recognition is based on highly specific lock-and-key in teractions between receptors (the lock) on the stigma surface and ligands (the key) on the pollen surface. “If the pollen is match ing kin, the receptor on the stig ma is activated to prevent pollen tube growth,” said Kachroo. “If the pollen is nonmatching, the re ceptor is not activated and pollen tubes can grow.” With this revelation, scientists are one step closer to understand ing the reproductive barriers of flowering plants and their evolu tion. “The potential is to finally grasp at the molecular level which genes are needed for pol len rejection,” said Mikhail Nas rallah. “The ability to silence, mutate and transfer the genes that control the self-incompatibil ity barrier could be a boon to breeders. Even self-fertilizing crops like tomatoes and rice can benefit from increased genetic variability.” New To Ohio Poses Threat 2002 Pork Checkoff Budget Approved By Board DBS MOINES, lowa The members of the National Pork Board have approved plans for spending $55.6 million in check off-funded programming in 2002. Of that, $45.8 million is for pro gramming determined at the na tional level and $9.8 million will be returned to states for local checkoff-funded programs. “Throughout the eight-month budgeting process, pork produc ers volunteered their time to share ideas and work with indus try experts to determine the most efficient and effective ways to in crease demand for pork in the U.S., increase exports, and to communicate those checkoff funded programs with pork pro ducers and others,” explains Marlin Pankratz, a pork produc er from Mt. Lake, Minn., and chairman of the National Pork Board Plan of Work/Budget Task Force. “Pork producers in vest in the pork checkoff and di rect how those funds will be used. Changes in overall spending tar gets for 2002 as compared to 2001 include pork producers’ changing priorities.” Pork producers on the Plan of Work/Budget Task Force, includ ing seven board members and five other pork producers, recom mended increased expenses for programs related to biosecurity, “We will study multiple variet ies to see which ones show the most resistance to the disease. Pat has literally hundreds of vari eties that we can use for the proj ect,” said Nameth. “We will also study which fungicides have the most impact on the disease. There are no fungicides on the market that are labeled specif ically for rust on daylilies.” Nameth speculates that the wet spring aided in the develop ment of the disease, which may have found its way to Ohio via transport of infected plant mater ial. Growers concerned about the disease infecting their daylilies should cut the plants back to two to three inches above the ground, said Nameth. VEGETABLE WKR GROWERS SPECIALS " MULCHING PLASTIC (Proven Excellent Quality) 4’x2ooo’ 1 Mill Smooth, Black Or Clear $27.75 4’x4ooo’ 1 Mill Smooth, Black Or Clear $35.00 s’x2ooo’ 1 Mill Smooth, Black Or Clear $33.50 EMBOSSED 4'x2ooo’ 1 Mill Embossed, Black Or Clear $30.75 4’x4ooo’ 1 Mill Embossed, Black Or Clear $61.50 s’x2ooo’ 1 Mill Embossed, Black Or Clear $37.50 AGRIBON ROW COVERS (.55 oz. pr. yard) 83’x1000’ Row Cover $85.00 10’xlOOO’ Row Cover $130.00 14’x1000’ Row Cover $170.00 20’x1000’ Row Cover $255.00 SO’xIOOO* Row Cover $370.00 40’x1000' Row Cover $480.00 BERRIGUARD BERRY BOXES 1 Qt. Berry Boxes, 250 Per Case $17.00 1 Pt. Berry Boxes, 600 Per Case $21.75 4% Discount For Early Pay Before Jan. 23rd - Dclv. Available - We Ship UPS - I Check Our Early Order Fertilizer Prices 1 HENRY B. HOOVER, INC. 1731 W. Main St., Ephrata, PA 17522 717-733-6593 Hours: Mon. -Thurs. 7:30-6 PM MR #AI3IffIV#AT. Fri. 7:30-8 PM; Sat. 7:30-3 PM J' m ■ ' - - * - •* -V * •?-» **«•**•«» Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 15,2001-A33 xS^KW^Sar« < sf<¥’‘ animal welfare and communica tions. The National Pork Board approved these recommendations during a meeting in Des Moines. In other areas, funding for specif ic projects increased or decreased while the overall budget was stable. The 2002 pork checkoff budget is based on expectations for checkoff revenue of $49.1 mil lion and expenses of $55.6 mil lion, for a deficit of $6.5 million. Overall for 2002, ihe producer leaders of the National Pork Board and state associations di rected 59 percent of the checkoff funds be directed to promotion, 27 percent to research and 14 percent to consumer information. Nationally, the Board directed 65 percent of checkoff pro gramming for promotion, 28 per cent research and 7 percent con sumer information. At the state level, 40 percent of the checkoff programming is for consumer in formation, 37 percent promotion and 23 percent research. The approval of the plan and budget by the volunteer producer members was the final step for the National Pork Board in the checkoff budget process, which began in the spring. Now the USDA must approve the budget, which is expected to occur in De cember. To Daylilies The disease is characterized by a rusty spore mass that streaks along the leaf veins. Any leaves found with the disease should be removed from the plant and dis posed of either through burning or placed in lawn bags and dis carded. “We are not recommending that people use the infected leaves as compost,” said Nameth. “Also, prevent as much overhead watering as possible. Spores need moisture to germinate. If need be, water in the morning rather than at night so that the water has a chance to evaporate. If spores penetrate the leaves in damp con ditions overnight, the plants will be infected by the next morning.” >0
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers