. -The title compound is hydrothermally synthesized from a CuO:3.2SiO2:3.02Na2O:4.57NH3:146H2O mixture (autoclave, 220°C, 96 h). The product is characterized by powder XRD, optical microscopy, and SEM. The effects of ammonia, Na2O/CuO, SiO2/CuO, and H2O/CuO molar ratios, and crystallization time on the synthesis of pure Na 2 Cu 2 Si 4 O 11 ·2H 2 O are discussed. -(JIANG, Q.; SHI, Q.; XU, H.; LI, J.; DONG*, J.; Eur.

No abstract

Buffelgrass [Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Link (syn. Cenchrus ciliaris L.)], an important pasture and range grass in the arid semi‐tropics and tropics, has excellent drought‐tolerance but lacks winter hardiness. It is a polymorphic, apomictic species and its most common chromosome number is 2n = 4x = 36. Eighty‐six pentaploid (2n = 5x = 45) accessions from South Africa were deposited into the USDA National Germplasm System (NPGS) in 1976 and these were more winter‐hardy than all tetraploid accessions. Prior to 1976, only 31 pentaploids were in the NPGS but they lacked cold tolerance. Since 1976, ten pentaploid accessions with unknown cold tolerance have been added to the NPGS and they were included. The genetic diversity among all these pentaploid accessions was investigated to determine if the winter‐hardy and non‐winter‐hardy genotypes were distinct. Amplified fragment length polymorphisms were used to determine the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among the accessions. Ten primer combinations generated 862 polymorphic bands; the number of bands identified by each primer ranged from 74 to 117 (mean 93.4). Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis revealed two groups with one separating into two sub‐groups and one sub‐group separating into two subdivisions. Genetic similarity coefficients ranged from 0.39 to 0.98 (mean 0.74). These findings show considerable genetic diversity among the pentaploid accessions. Most cold‐tolerant and non‐cold‐tolerant genotypes separated by subgroups but not by group. Nine tetraploid accessions, included for reference, clustered into several subgroups. The pentaploid genotypes appear to have polyphyletic origins.

Molecular tools have not identified markers for host-plarit resistance to fall armyworm [Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)], one of the most damaging insect pests in turfgrasses in the southeastern United States. Available quantitative trait loci (QTL) in maize {Zea mays L.) have further not been assessed for utility as comparative martcers for the trait across related taxa. This study reports a linkage map of the region conferring major control of fall armyworm resistance in zoysiagrass {Zoysia spp.). One genomic simple sequence repeat (ZgAg136) and one amplified fragment length polymorphism (Zgaw216) were linked to and flanked the locus for fall armyworm resistance [Zfawri) by 6.3 and 8.8 cM, respecttvely. These markers offer immediate value toward marker-assisted selection for fall armp«>rm resistance in zoysiagrass and potentially across additional important crops. Nonsynteny between the fall armyworm resistance loci tn zoysiagrass and maize was indicated by the absence of linkage between 38 candidate markers from maize fall armyworm resistance QTL regions and Zfawri. As a major-effect locus and putative novel source for fall armyworm resistaince gene(s), Zfawri is a promising target for further investigation.

The objective of this study was to differentiate six intraclonal variants of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar Russet Norkotah. One-hundred-twelve AFLP primer combinations producing 3755 bands and 79 microsatellite primers producing over 400 bands failed to identify any reproducible polymorphisms among the intraclonal variants and `Russet Norkotah'. The inability to detect differences between clones underscores the degree of genetic similarity between them, despite differences in phenotypic expression. This inability could be due to the tetraploid nature of the clones and/or to epigenetic differences not detected by the utilized procedures.