Significance Strigolactones are a new class of plant hormones regulating plant shoot and root architecture in response to the environment. Also present in root exudates, strigolactones stimulate the germination of parasitic plant seeds. This report describes a genomic polymorphism—associated with the Indica / Japonica subspecies divide in rice that has a major impact on the biosynthesis of strigolactones, plant tillering, and germination of the parasitic plant Striga hermonthica —consisting of the deletion of two strigolactone biosynthetic genes orthologous to Arabidopsis MAX1 . Both of these genes rescued the Arabidopsis max1-1 highly branched mutant phenotype and increased the strigolactone level when overexpressed in the Indica rice variety Bala. This finding is of great interest for plant physiologists, plant evolutionary biologists, and breeders.

HighlightAssessing gall numbers in 331 cultivars of a rice diversity panel has identified two resistant landraces, 11 quantitative trait loci and good candidate genes for resistance to Meloidogyne graminicola.

Mycoflora of copra cultivars and effect of brining on the preservation of the product was investigated. Brining at 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% concentrations irrespective of the cultivar, had no significant effect on the total oil contents of the copra, total free fatty acid and iodine value but significantly affected the severity of infection of the mycoflora. Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus Flavus and Rhizopus stolonifer were isolated from the copra cultivars and were found to reduce total oil content, and increased the free fatty acid and iodine value of the oil, indicating deteriorative processes of the oil. Brining increased the acceptability of the taste but reduced the weights of the copra. Similarly, the acceptability of the physical characteristics was generally reduced by brining irrespective of time and cultivar used. In general, 10% brine concentration and reduced time of dipping (6 hours) appears to hold promise for the preservation of copra. Other recommendations are also addressed.

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