Paper outline and progression:
Aphid Description > Aphid life cycle > Aphid infestation and destruction > Important to find aphid resistance > Our Project > specific parents used (G. soja & G. max) > Specific process used > my role in process
Aphid Description
Aphis Glycines, or the soybean aphid, is one of the top threats to soybean crops. Aphids originated in Asia but in 2002 were discovered in Southern Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin. Since 2002, Aphids have spread dramatically to over twenty states and three Canadian providences. Aphids, on average, are approximately 1/16 inches in length with a green or yellowed colored pear-shaped body. These aphids may have wings or be wingless (as described later in the life cycle of the soybean aphid) but both can be located on the plant at the same time (Cullen, 2010).
Aphid Life Cycle
Aphid mate and lay eggs on the Buckthorn plant, which is the overwintering host for the aphids, before migrating to the Soybean plant. They lay the overwinter eggs on the Buckthorn plant at the end of the fall where they will stay until spring when the temperatures begin to reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit and above. Once the aphids hatch in spring, they will have 2-3 generations with sexual reproduction on the Buckthorn plant. After their reproductions the winged females will migrate to the soybean. What is significant about these winged females is that they are fertile without mating and will bear live young once they have migrated to the soybean. Whilst colonizing on the soybean plant, aphids can have to 18 generations of females. After these 18 generations, in late summer, the winged females will migrate back to the Buckthorn plants where they will meet the males. They will then mate and lay the...
... middle of paper ...
...un a PCR with specified markers so that we can find our desirable gene and replicate it.
Works Cited
Cheng, R. L., Wang, S. Y., Bao, X. Z., Xu, E. P., & Xie, W. M. (1984). Prediction of soybean aphid using overwintering eggs. 56-61.
Cullen, E. (2010, January). Soybean Aphid (aphis glycines). Retrieved May 12, 2010, from UW Soybean Plant Health: http://www.plantpath.wisc.edu/soyhealth/aglycine.htm
Kartesz, J. T. (1994). Plants Profile. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from USDA NRCS: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GLMA4
Pedersen, P. (2007, October 17). Soybean Aphid. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from Iowa State University Soybean Extension and Research Program: http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/soybean/diseases_aphids.html
Ragsdale, D. (2009). Soybean Aphid. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from Plant Health Initiative: http://www.planthealth.info/aphids_basics.htm
It helps medics to find a direct genetic cause of the patient’s condition and target it with pharmaceutical or other therapies. The technology is used for the identification of DNA sequences that increase risks of current diseases and disorders; with this information carriers can start to make efforts to prevent them before the development of the problem. The video mentioned 200 actionable genes, structures that have direct links with a specific condition. Knowing about their presence, people have a chance to bring in preventive measures like taking anticoagulants in the case of identification of a thrombogenic gene. The technology led to the significant improvement of diagnostics and personalized treatments. It helped to find a rare, life-threatening mutation in case of Beery twins and assign a drug to a girl (Alexis) that returned her to a normal life. In the case of cancer genome sequencing led to the development of genetic drags, which target essential tumor genes and make malign structures to shrink. The video mentioned a product that works with the BRАF protein that induces cells to uncontrolled division; the drug led to the remission in the patient with metastasizing melanoma. Such treatment was effective in the case of cystic fibrosis. In the case of the breast cancer the technology helps to evaluate the aggressiveness of the condition and make a personalized decision about chemotherapy. The video also mentioned the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis – an early-staged technology that prevents the development of inherited disorders in
The boll weevil’s primary food source are cotton plants, a crop that covered the southern plantations at the time. In the spring, when they emerge from hibernation, they puncture the cotton buds and lay their eggs inside ("What is a Boll Weevil?"). After about four days, the larvae are born. This is where most of the damage occurs. The larvae eat and destroy the cotton fibers("What is a Boll Weevil?"). The plant is plagued by these insects; they eat them until the cotton plant’s eventual death. The boll weevil season allows for man...
Rhine, J. J, Stapples, R. (1968). Effect of high amylase field corn on larval growth and survival of five spp. Of stored grain insects. Jnl Econ., 16, 280-282
Ree, Bill. "Pecan Insect Pests." Pecan Kernel. Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. http://pecankernel.tamu.edu/pecan_insects/pests/index.html.
To most, the honeybee can be an annoying insect that has a powerful sting. Yet, the honeybee is so much more than just another insect. The honeybee is arguably the most vital component in the development of our food crops. With roughly 90 percent of our food crops dependent on the pollination of our honeybees, our food system, agricultural development, and diet rest on the work and well being of these buzzing insects. Unfortunately, since 2006 there has been a major decline in the population of honeybees, and has gotten progressively worse because of colony collapse disorder. The first reported increase of CCD was documented in November 2006 in Florida. By February 2007, several states began reporting major losses associated with CCD, ranging from 30% to 90%. A little over a half decade later in 2012 the attention paid towards CCD has grown substantially with more research being done as CCD continues to get worse. The main culprit for CCD, as research has suggested, is the use of pesticides on our food crops. With major corporations such as Bayer making millions and millions of dollars in profit each year in the distribution of pesticides, it is no wonder that nothing is being done to stop this practice despite evidence linking the use of pesticides and the drastic deterioration of the health of honeybees. With the continuation of the use of deadly pesticides and the vital role bees play in the pollination and development of our food crops, both the environment and our economy will be effected directly and face the potential for catastrophic results.
Different species differ widely in their duties and may be carnivorous, herbivorous, or omnivorous. Members of some species eat honeydew from plants infested with aphids and certain other insects; others called dairying ants, feed and protect the aphids ad “milk” them by stroking. Harvester ants eat and store seeds; these sometimes spout around the nest, leading to the erroneous belief that these ants cultivate food.
...hich inherited traits, such as those for genetic disease, can be tracked over generations. Throughout out the course of human development, scientists will continue to find new new ways to help the human race through the discovery of the human gene inside of each of us, its uses, as well as complications, that can help the survival of our species.
Schumann, Gail L., and Cleora J. D'Arcy. Hungry Planet: Stories of Plant Diseases. St. Paul: American Phytopathological Society, 2012. Print.
In order to understand the debate, it is important to understand genetically modified organisms, or GMOs for short. According to the Non-GMO Project, GMOs are plants that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals. In other words, these plants “have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content” (Whitman). The best-known example of this is the introduction of B.t. genes in corn and other crops. “B.t., or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are lethal to insect larvae.” The active protein genes of B.t. are transferred into corn, allowing the corn to produce its own pesticides (Whitman). Due to advancements like this, experts in the United States have acclaimed genetically modified foods as the “food of the future” and as a tool to substantially reduce hunger in poorer countries (Laros and Steenkamp 1).
Soy consumption is a controversial topic, mainly due to the way soy is processed. In 1995, farmers started using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to grow soy in larger quantities. GMOs allow farmers to increase the plant’s output to meet the demand for a growing population and for food manufacturing. Compared to 1995, almost 90% of soy plants today are grown using GMO seeds. Not only are soy products harmful for consumption, any GMO based product poses health risks to consumers. GMOs are linked to cause cancer, digestion problems, and other health concerns. Unfortunately, GMOs are the cheapest method to produce this food in bulk to meet the demand of the market. Considering 90% of soy is grown by GMOs, the public’s concern of soy’s harmful effects on the body is an understandable argument.
Aphids feed on plant sap of epidermal cells or phloem via their sucking mouthparts. Essentially when an aphid arrives on a plant, the stylets are inserted into the phloem f...
... book Silent Spring By Rachel Carson, she talks about after the glory days of the pesticides this problem was developing. this was getting worse. In the U.S., because of pest that have evolved, farmers were losing about seven percent of their crops. Since the 1980s, some 13 percent of crops are being lost, and more pesticides are being used (PBS). Since the pests are evolving, farmers are starting to use higher doses of the pesticide if the traditional dosage does not work. Every time a human uses a pesticide, the bugs evolve a little. the bugs can not help this because it is the process of evolution, it is the cycle of life. Because pest evolution has become such a widespread problem farmers and gardeners are starting to use natural pesticides on their crops and gardens. They might even lure the pest with a meal that is more tasty than the vulnerable crop.
Osborne, Walt D. "Mysterious Honeybee Deaths Leave Sting on Agriculture." FDA Veterinarian. Vol. 22 No. 3 2007: 9-11. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
Insecticides extracted from the bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis, known as Bt, have been commonly used to reduce pest populations and increase crop yields in modern agriculture. This insecticide has been credited for having the least amount of damage on the environment compared to synthetic pesticides. The application of Bt, however, has proven to be inefficient, primarily because the pesticide does not efficiently target underground pests and because the effects of the pesticide does not last for a significant amount of time. So, genetic engineers proposed that in order to increase the efficiency of the application of Bt insecticide on crops, genetically modified crops containing the genetic material from Bacillus Thuringiensis bacteria should be introduced into the market for farmers to grow in order to have the pesticide be efficiently delivered by having the plant produce the insecticide itself. In this manner, the effects of the insecticide would persist for a greater amount of time because the plant would produce the insecticide continuously, while root tunneling pests would also be affected as a result of the direct delivery of the Bt toxins in the roots of the crops. The integration of Bt toxic genes into the plants’ genetic material would also prevent exposure of this insecticide towards non-target insects.
In parts of the Southern United States, the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), often can be observed infesting grain sorghum that was planted later than normal. The infestations occur during the vegetative stages of development (Gardner et. al 1983). In North and South America, the fall armyworm is highly distributed (Sparks 1979). In crops such as cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), corn, (Zea mays), and many pasture grasses, it is considered an important pest and often needs to be controlled. Infestation during mid to late whorl stages can reduce grain yield, increase tillering, and decrease plant height (Henderson et al. 1966). Feeding injury fr...