Soybean is an interesting plant. It provides a valuable protein source for human and animal consumption, it is an important feedstock for biodiesel production, and it interacts with soil-borne bacteria (Rhizobia) that capture atmospheric nitrogen and store it in the soil, a beneficial side-effect utilized during crop rotation. In an effort to unlock the full power of this plant, scientists have sequenced the soybean genome.
Posts Tagged ‘genome’
Soybean – The Wonder Legume
Posted in Food, Genetics, tagged bioenergy, genome, soybean on 06/09/2014|
Researchers Identify Gene to Improve Wheat Frost Tolerance
Posted in Food, Genetics, Nutrition and Health, tagged crop production, freezing tolerance, genome, wheat on 06/09/2014|
The United States, the world’s leading exporter of wheat, is struggling to keep pace with demand, and a decline in grain available is causing a worldwide crisis. Improving the performance of winter wheat is crucial to keeping pace with worldwide demand.
With funding from USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), scientists in California have identified the genes in wheat that are responsible for the plant’s tolerance to freezing temperatures. This discovery may lead to improved crop production.
EarthSpin 