I call it maize.

"Even before the constitutional reform, it was mostly illegal to plant modified corn in Mexico thanks to a 2013 lawsuit brought by farmer activists. But experts say it still happens. And they say the presence of engineered seeds and corn in Mexico threatens the vast diversity of maize crops here, which span from burnt orange to purple and pink and which have been adapted over centuries to be grown at different altitudes and climates."
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-03-13/mexico-bans-planting-of-gmo-american-corn

Genetics of Alternating Sexes in Walnuts

Scientists have uncovered a genetic mechanism in walnuts and their ancestors that has remained stable for 40 million years. Male-first or female-first flowering, balanced by a single genetic locus, parallels sex determination in animals. This evolutionary trait ensures genetic diversity, with distinct pathways evolving independently in walnuts and pecans.

https://globalplantcouncil.org/genetics-of-alternating-sexes-in-walnuts/#PlantScience #Plantsci #Palnts #walnuts #PlantGenetics #PlantReproduction

"Some of these fixed genotypes are presumably as old as the Roman period," says Nicholas Howard, a geneticist at Fresh Forward in the Netherlands who has drawn heavily on the collection at Brogdale Farms in his research. The Romans, when they invaded the British Isles two millennia ago, are said to have brought domesticated apples with them.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241205-the-apple-library-with-a-lost-world-on-its-limbs

Increasing experimental efficiency in plant genome editing

Researchers have enhanced CRISPR/Cas9 efficiency for plant genome editing. By optimizing vector design, they achieved higher mutation rates with reduced complexity and cost. This advancement significantly improves large-scale genetic experiments, facilitating complex plant genome editing projects.

https://globalplantcouncil.org/increasing-experimental-efficiency-in-plant-genome-editing/ via VIB #PlantScience #Science #Plants #PlantGenome #PlantGenetics

Twisted pollen tubes induce infertility in Plants

Plants with multiple sets of chromosomes have advantages over their relatives with a double set. But why they often start out infertile was only partially understood. Biologists have now discovered a new reason for the initial difficulties.

https://globalplantcouncil.org/twisted-pollen-tubes-induce-infertility-in-plants/ via ETH Zurich #PlantScience #PlantSci #Crops #Flowers #Pollination #PlantGenetics #PlantGenomics #Science #Agriculture

New genetic mechanisms could provide the basis for breeding plants that can better tolerate #borondeficiency and avoid yield losses: http://go.tum.de/357006

#plantgenetics #oilseedrape #cropbreeding #sustainableagriculture

G.P. Bienert

Researchers present new approach to identify key regulatory factors in wheat spike development

A study unveils a novel approach to identify pivotal regulators in wheat spike development. By integrating omics and population genetics, researchers pinpoint 227 potential factors. Phenotypic screening of 61 genes led to 36 mutations, validating the method's efficacy.

https://globalplantcouncil.org/researchers-present-new-approach-to-identify-key-regulatory-factors-in-wheat-spike-development/ via IGDB #PlantScience #PlantSci #Science #Plants #Wheat #Agriculture #Cereals #Crops #PlantGenetics

How plants pass down genetic memories

Plant scientists team up to pinpoint the exact mechanism that controls epigenetic inheritance in plants. Their discovery could have implications for agriculture, food supplies, the environment, and our understanding of the human genome.

https://globalplantcouncil.org/how-plants-pass-down-genetic-memories/ via @cshlnews #PlantScience #PlantSci #plants #food #agriculture #science #PlantGenetics

A Roadmap for Gene Regulation in Plants

A novel approach to synthetic biology could revolutionize how scientists improve plants for bioenergy and agriculture. Researchers have developed a genome-scale way to map the regulatory role of transcription factors, proteins that play a key role in gene expression and determining a plant’s physiological traits.

https://globalplantcouncil.org/a-roadmap-for-gene-regulation-in-plants/ via Berkeley Lab #plantscience #plantsci #plants #PlantGenes #plantphysiology #science #PlantGenetics

This month, we’re celebrating all of the UC members who were the first in their family to complete a college degree! Meet Flor Ercoli (https://bit.ly/3Vi3pue) and Benny Ordoñez (https://bit.ly/3XBpFBg), two of IGI's talented #FirstGen researchers!