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Gene That Controls Seed Size Identified
Nov. 16, 2009

Source: John Innes Centre

Scientists from the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK and the University of Freiburg in Germany have uncovered a gene in plants that is responsible for controlling the size of seeds, which could lead to ways of improving crops to help ensure food security in the future.

Increasing seed or grain size has been key in the domestication of the crops used in modern agriculture, and with a growing world population, further increasing the yield of crops is one goal of agricultural research. Michael Lenhard, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has identified a gene in the model plant Arabidopsis that determines overall seed size, and is now investigating how this could be used to for the improvement of crops.

Read the original news release.

New patented technology gives
soybeans a boost
This fall, Becker Underwood introduced a new multi-component, growth-promoting seed treatment system for soybeans — VAULT^® HP. The HP stands for High Performance and describes the power this new system brings to U.S. soybean growers.

New VAULT HP is comprised of three main components. The first is a patented growth promoter. This component helps enhance plant performance in a number of ways, including stimulating the rapid production of large numbers of highly-active nitrogen-fixing nodules on the plant's roots. Its science is unique from any other promoter-based product available.

The second part of the VAULT HP system is Integral^® biofungicide. Most chemical fungicide seed treatments only provide early-season protection. This EPA-registered product is designed to extend protection from soil-borne diseases like rhizoctonia and fusarium well into the growing season, even after any chemical seed-treatment protection has run its course.

The third component is a high concentration of fresh rhizobia bacteria. These bacteria inhabit the root nodules and perform the actual conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to a form useable by the plant (ammonium). VAULT HP delivers a minimum 10 billion of these active bacteria per milliliter of product. That's the highest live rhizobia count commercially available in a multi-component treatment system.

These bacteria are specially selected for their ability to fix nitrogen and are produced using a totally new growth and packaging system. The exclusive packaging and nutritional supplements used are designed to enhance the bacteria's survival and to preserve them in a highly viable condition for a longer time period, even after their application to the seed.

Growers see faster plant growth that yields higher performance

The combination of rapid establishment of highly vigorous rhizobia-filled nodules and added disease protection means soybeans can get off to a faster start with VAULT HP. Most growers who saw VAULT HP as an experimental product last spring in research or test plots reported that soybean plants treated with VAULT HP emerged and grew faster. They also reported that the plants produced more roots and had more active nitrogen-fixing root nodules per plant than non-treated seed. The difference was often easy to observe, right to the row. The plants were larger, greener and healthier looking through the growing season. And, healthier plants lead to more yield potential at harvest.

Lowest application rate — just 2.0 fluid ounces per hundredweight of seed

Another feature of the new VAULT HP growth-promoter system is its ultra-low application rate. At only 2.0 fluid ounces of liquid product per 100 pounds of seed, it's the lowest rate available in a liquid soybean product having high rhizobia counts as part of the system. New VAULT HP is conveniently applied by professional seed dealers and treaters at planting time. The ultra-low volume application lowers total applied liquid volume when it is applied in combination with various other compatible seed-applied fungicides, insecticides or required system treatments.

Improved on-seed survival and a new, more accurate ratings system

An area important to both growers and seed treaters is how long treatments remain viable on the seed after application. A longer days-on-seed viability rating allows treaters to extend their work load window of application in the spring. It also provides growers more assurance of maximum product performance. With the new class of multi-component products now available, it's important to understand that each component may have a different rating for its on-seed viability. Some companies may claim a very long days-on-seed rating for their product. That rating, however, may apply only to its longest-lasting component. If a product claims to contain a rhizobial bacteria component, it's important to realize that this component is typically the most "sensitive" and shortest-lived part.

To help give growers and treaters a more accurate measurement of product viability, Becker Underwood is introducing the Component Viability Rating™ system for its multi-component products. The on-seed viability rating for each component will be included because we believe that each component of the product is critical for maximum performance. We encourage you to ask for the component ratings of other products and compare apples-to-apples when evaluating which product to recommend or use.

Benefits to almost every soybean field

The powerful components of the VAULT HP system can help improve the potential of almost any soybean field. Since the components work with both existing native rhizobia populations and the high numbers of fresh, high-performance rhizobia, you can recommend new VAULT HP for every soybean acre. Dealers, seed treaters and soybean producers can all benefit from the nodulation and growth-enhancing yield potential of new VAULT HP multi-component, growth-enhancing soybean seed treatment from Becker Underwood.

MARKET INFO

Grains and Oilseeds

Last

Chg

Corn (E)

378.500

-2.750