Prior genetic studies on source-sink-regulated senescence in maize have characterized some genes associated with the trait, but the impact on yield is unknown and the molecular understanding of this trait is still in its infancy. We phenotyped source-sink-regulated senescence in a commercial maize exPVP inbred population and assessed its correlation with yield and other commercially relevant agronomic traits in testcrosses und...

There is growing recognition of the essential services provided to humanity by functionally intact ecosystems. Freshwater ecosystems are found throughout agricultural and urban landscapes and provide a wide range of ecosystem services, but globally they are also amongst the most vulnerable. In particular, ponds (lentic waters typically less than 2 ha), provide natural flood management, sequester carbon and hold significant cul...

7Massive fires in Indonesian peatlands in the 1990s and in eastern Russian peatlands in 2002 and last year have highlighted the need to manage forests overlying peat deposits, as well as converted peat forests and open peatlands. Peat or peaty soils, contain 65% or more of partially decayed vegetation, can burn freely or underground. They cover some 10 percent of worldwide forests and contain 25 percent of all terrestrial carb...