Increasing Production of Seed Oils

Increasing Production of Seed Oils


Many plants store oil and protein in their seeds as energy sources needed for germination. The National Institute for Basic Biology's Drs. Masatake Kanai, Shoji Mano and Mikio Nishimura et al., in the process of studying the mechanism that controls the synthesis and degradation of oils in plant seeds, revealed that oils are actively synthesized only during the mid-phase of the seed formation process.

Increasing Production of Seed Oils

The research group considered that by extending the period seeds synthesize oils, they should be able to increase their oil content in seeds. Therefore, using the model plant Arabidopsis, they extended the expression time of WRI1, a gene that activates oil synthesis. As a result, they were able to increase the oil content of the seeds to 140% as compared to wild-type. Also, while extending the oil synthesis phase, suppressing protein synthesis in the late-phase of seed formation increased the oil content of the seeds as compared to wild-type to 170%.
Because of this study it is now clear that the length of the oil synthesis phase in seed formation is one of the primary factors that determine final oil content. Moreover, by suppressing protein synthesis while extending the oil synthesis period they succeeded in a further large increase in oil production.

Increasing Production of Seed Oils

Dr. Kanai of the research group, said "By applying the current results to crop breeding, prolonging the period of oil synthesis will generate many new crops with high oil content."

Popular posts from this blog

Grafting Method - Inarching or Approach Grafting

Image
Inarching or Approach Grafting Unlike other grafting operations, in inarching the scion is attached to the stock while it is still attached to the parent plant. Round the world, the method has been extensively used in the vegetative propagation of mango. The method involves potting healthy one-year- old seedling in earthen pots, which are usually 12 in deep and 8 in wide at the top. The earth ball along with root system is kept intact and placed in the pot. The unfilled space in the pot is then filled with a mixture of well- rotted manure and canal silt. The soil is firmly pressed around the earth ball and the transplanted seedlings are then watered. Potting of seedlings is usually done one month ahead of actual inarching operations. This allows sufficient time for the seedlings to set before grafting. Inarching can either be done in the spring months or in the rainy season. July and August are preferred over the spring season because after inarching operations in the spr...
Read more

Parent Material of Soil

Image
Parent Material of Soil Unconsolidated product of weathering from which soil develops is called parent material. Generally there are two groups of parent materials, i.e. sedentary and transported. The transported materials are further subdivided according to transporting agency and place of deposition. Sedentary or Residual                                            The parent material formed in place and still at the original site. Transported                       The parent material carried and deposited by various transporting agencies. By gravity- Colluvial By water- Alluvial By ice- Glacial By wind- Eolian The nature and properties of parent material together with climate are the most important factors affecting the kind and quality of soils. So to understand soils we must know the...
Read more

Green Manuring

Image
Green Manuring A growing crop that is plowed under and mixed with soil to enrich the organic matter is called green manure crop. The practice of plowing under or soil incorporation of such green manure is called green manuring. Green manures are mostly leguminous crops which are high in nitrogen contents. Generally following crops are suitable for green manuring: Jantar, Guara, Cow peas, Alfalfa, Sun hemp and Clover etc. Criteria for the selection of green manure crops It should be fast growing and easily established. It should produce abundant and succulent biomass. It should be well adapted to the local conditions. Growth habit of crop should encourage ground cover soon after its establishment. It should be able to fix nitrogen in the soil. It should have a wide climatic and soil adaptation and ability to grow on poor soil. Advantages Improves the soil fertility Adds nutrients and organic matter to the soil Improves the soil structure Improves soil aer...
Read more