Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76FEBRUARY 2017 SEEDWORLD.COM / 65 and policy advocacy. Adongo says the association started the project based on the experiences of its members, among which was access to inputs. The lead researcher, profes- sor Joseph Yaro, says the research indicated that the gap among policies, pro- grams and implemented strategies in the input sector had left smallholder farmers at the mercies of inefficient markets for inputs. He says the commercial input sector had not been able to provide easy access to afford- able and desirable seeds and fertilizers at the right times and locations. Rather, he says traditional mechanisms of access predominated the seed sector, while the fertilizer sector struggled with distribu- tional problems. “Farmers preferred cheaper local varieties to expen- sive modern seeds. The link between fertilizers and modern seeds makes poorer farmers shy away from using these seeds due to high cost of fertilizers and other chemi- cals,” he says. Yaro says the findings ema- nated from an empirical study, which used a mix-method strategy involving expert interviews, a farmer survey, individual farmer interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis in five regions of Ghana straddling the different ecological zones. — Source: Graphic Online. STATUS RUSSIA Winters in eastern Russia are intensely cold. It is a seem- ingly inhospitable climate, but native plants have found ways to thrive. University of Illinois plant geneticist Erik Sacks suspected one of these plants may hold the key to breeding cold-tolerant food and bio- mass crops. To find out, he set off across eastern Russia with colleagues from the N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) to collect specimens of the perennial grass Miscanthus sacchariflorus. “Miscanthus is part of a tribe of grasses ... that includes sor- ghum, sugarcane, and corn,” Sacks explains. “Because it is found so far north, this population of Miscanthus sac- chariflorus is likely the most cold-hardy of that group. If we want to improve cold har- diness ... this is going to be the best population to study.” Sacks and his colleagues collected miscanthus from 47 locations across eastern Russia. Live rhizome frag- ments were sent back to the university to be geneti- cally analyzed and to USDA’s National Plant Germplasm System to be maintained and distributed to scientists world- wide for use in breeding and research. While in the field, Sacks’ team also measured traits that can be used to predict biomass production: height, number of stems and stem diameter. When plant geneticist and lead author Lindsay Clark analyzed the plant material, she found several genetic markers associated with the traits measured in the field. The analysis also showed that plants in the collection were genetically diverse. Furthermore, most of the plants were diploid — with each cell containing two copies of each chromosome — but 2 percent were tetra- ploid, with four copies. The most widely grown mis- canthus variety in the United States, M. x giganteus, is a sterile hybrid derived from tetraploid M. sacchariflorus and diploid M. sinensis. “We have this one genotype of M. x giganteus that’s grown for biomass right now. When we have cold winters like we had at the beginning of 2014 here in Illinois, it doesn’t do well. That’s because it’s from a sub- tropical area in Japan,” Clark explains. “If we used the tetraploids from this collection to make new sterile M. x giganteus varieties, they would have a lot more cold hardiness than the current variety,” Sacks adds. The research team has a lot more work to do before new miscanthus varieties are commercially available, but Sacks sees the exploration as a success. — Source: Science Daily. SW • Multi-purpose • Re-Useable • Waterproof Glues Used • Sift Resistance Built In • Rugged 100lb. Tag Stock Construction • Easy To Use: Fold-In Flaps, Fold-Down & Tuck-In 2802 Hedberg Drive, Hopkins, MN 55305-3405 Ph (952) 545-7124 Fax (952) 545-0196 With SPEAR, It’s In The Bag. Seed/Grain & Special Safety Envelopes For Sampling and Storage. Call or Send For Free Sample Kit & Prices Gummed and Ungummed Coin Envelopes Available