College of Agriculture
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As the foundation of the land grant mission at Montana State University, the College of Agriculture and the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station provide instruction in traditional and innovative degree programs and conduct research on old and new challenges for Montana’s agricultural community. This integration creates opportunities for students and faculty to excel through hands-on learning, to serve through campus and community engagement, to explore unique solutions to distinct and interesting questions and to connect Montanans with the global community through research discoveries and outreach.
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Item A “solid” solution for wheat stem sawfly (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) resistance: Genetics, breeding and development of solid stem wheat(Wiley, 2023-06) Bathini, Akshara; Mendu, Lavanya; Pratap Singh, Nagendra; Cook, Jason; Weaver, David; Sherman, Jamie; Hager, Megan; Mondal, Suchismita; Mendu, VenugopalWheat (Triticum spp. L) production needs to be improved to meet the needs of a global population of >9 billion people by 2050. Increasing the productivity of the crop under conditions of abiotic and biotic stress to achieve food security continues to be a challenging proposition. Wheat stem sawfly (WSS) (Cephus cinctus Norton) has been considered as a serious pest of wheat since the late 19th century, causing devastating losses of wheat productivity in the Northern Great Plains of United States and regions of Canada. Developing resistant varieties of wheat that show consistent agronomic performances in varying environments is an effective strategy to manage WSS infestations. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms of WSS infestation, damage, subsequent response of the host plant, and resulting yield losses. The review focuses on genetics, breeding, and development of solid stem (SS)-mediated WSS resistance in wheat since it has been the most effective method of genetic resistance in reducing wheat yield losses. Furthermore, the knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to develop an effective resistant cultivar against WSS are also discussed.Item Dosage response to reduced height‐1 (Rht‐1) loss‐of‐function mutations and characterization of slender phenotype in hexaploid wheat(Wiley, 2023-10) Ugrin, Josey M.; Hogg, Andrew C.; Tracy, Emma M.; Tillet, Brandon J.; Cook, Jason P.; Martin, John M.; Giroux, Michael J.The reduced height (Rht-1) genes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are integral in controlling plant height. Previous studies in other plant species have demonstrated that loss-of-function mutations in their orthologous Rht-1 genes results in plants with a slender phenotype illustrated by increased plant heights, sterility, and a constitutive gibberellic acid (GA3) response; however, this phenotype has not been described in wheat. In this study, nonsense alleles occurring in the GRAS domain of Rht-A1, B1, and D1 were combined to create single, double, and triple Rht-1 mutants. Homozygous lines possessing none, one, two, or three Rht-1 stop mutations were grown in replicated field trials in three environments to assess agronomic traits. Germination tests to measure GA3 responsiveness and gene expression analysis via RNA-seq were also performed. Rht-1 triple mutants exhibited a slender phenotype characterized by rapid growth, elongated coleoptiles and internodes, elongated spikes, decreased tiller and spikelet number, and sterile heads. The presence of a single functional Rht-1 gene resulted in a normal phenotype. Differences in plant height among the Rht-1 double mutants, Rht-1 single mutants, and Rht-1 all wild-type dosages trended toward increased plant height with increased Rht-1 stop mutation dosage. Differences in Rht-1 homeolog gene expression did not equate to differences in plant height between the different Rht-1 stop mutations.Item Citrate Synthase GltA Modulates the 2,4-Diacetylphloroglucinol Biosynthesis of Pseudomonas fluorescens 2P24 and is Essential for the Biocontrol Capacity(American Chemical Society, 2023-07) Yang, Qingqing; Yan, Qing; Zhang, Bo; Zhang, Li-qun; Wu, XiaogangCarbon metabolism is critical for microbial physiology and remarkably affects the outcome of secondary metabolite production. The production of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG), a bacterial secondary metabolite with a broad spectrum of antibiotic activity, is a major mechanism used by the soil bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens 2P24 to inhibit the growth of plant pathogens and control disease occurrence. Strain 2P24 has evolved a complex signaling cascade to regulate the production of 2,4-DAPG. However, the role of the central carbon metabolism in modulating 2,4-DAPG production has not been fully determined. In this study, we report that the gltA gene, which encodes citrate synthase, affects the expression of the 2,4-DAPG biosynthesis gene and is essential for the biocontrol capacity of strain 2P24. Our data showed that the mutation of gltA remarkably decreased the biosynthesis of 2,4-DAPG. Consistent with this result, the addition of citrate in strain 2P24 resulted in increased 2,4-DAPG production and decreased levels of RsmA and RsmE. In comparison with the wild-type strain, the gltA mutant was severely impaired in terms of biocontrol activity against the bacterial wilt disease of tomato plants caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. Moreover, the gltA mutant exhibited increased antioxidant activity, and the expression of oxidative, stress-associated genes, including ahpB, katB, and oxyR, was significantly upregulated in the gltA mutant compared to the wild-type strain. Overall, our data indicate that the citrate synthase GltA plays an important role in the production of 2,4-DAPG and oxidative stress and is required for biocontrol capacity.Item Exopolysaccharide is required for motility, stress tolerance, and plant colonization by the endophytic bacterium Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN(Frontiers Media SA, 2023-08) Fu, Benzhong; Yan, QingParaburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN is an endophytic bacterium and has been shown to promote the growth and health of many different plants. Exopolysaccharide (EPS) plays important roles in plant-bacteria interaction and tolerance to environmental stresses. However, the function of EPS in PsJN and its interaction with plants remain largely unknown. In this study, a deletion mutation of bceQ gene, encoding a putative flippase for the EPS biosynthesis, was introduced in the genome of PsJN. The ΔbceQ mutant produced a significantly lower level of EPS than the wild type strain in culture media. Compared to the wild type PsJN, the ΔbceQ mutant was more sensitive to desiccation, UV damage, salt (NaCl) and iron (FeCl3) stresses, and bacteriophage infection. More importantly, the mutation of bceQ decreased the endophytic colonization of PsJN in camelina (Camelina sativa) and pea (Camelina sativa) under plant drought stress conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that EPS production is required for the maximal colonization of an endophytic bacterium in the plant tissues under stress conditions.Item Reconstitution of some tribes and genera of Lagriinae (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)(Pensoft Publishers, 2023-07) Aalbu, Rolf L.; Kanda, Kojun; Merkl, Ottó; Ivie, Michael A.; Andrew Johnston, M.The tribes Goniaderini Lacordaire, 1859 and Lupropini Lesne, 1926 within the tenebrionid subfamily Lagriinae Latreille, 1825 have previously been shown to be non-monophyletic by molecular phylogenetic analyses. The tribes and constituent genera are here reviewed and redefined morphologically. As part of tribal redefinitions, we establish PrateiniNew Tribe with type genus Prateus LeConte, 1862. We reestablish the subtribe Phobeliina Ardoin, 1961 Revised Status, which is transferred from Goniaderini and placed as a subtribe of Lagriini Latreille, 1825 where it is comprised of Phobelius Blanchard, 1842, and Rhosaces Champion, 1889 (previously in Lagriini: Statirina Blanchard, 1845). The fossil tribe Archaeolupropini Nabozhenko, Perkovsky, & Nazarenko, 2023 is transferred from Lagriinae to Tetratomidae: Tetratominae Billberg, 1820. Keys to extant tribes and subtribes of Lagriinae and genera of Goniaderini, Lupropini, and Prateini are provided. Generic and species-level changes from this work are as follows: Prateini is comprised of the following 15 genera: Antennoluprops Schawaller, 2007, Ardoiniellus Schawaller, 2013, Bolitrium Gebien, 1914, Enicmosoma Gebien, 1922, Indenicmosoma Ardoin, 1964, Iscanus Fauvel, 1904, Kuschelus Kaszab, 1982, Lorelopsis Champion, 1896, Mesotretis Bates, 1872, Microcalcar Pic, 1925, Micropedinus Lewis, 1894, Paratenetus Spinola, 1845, Prateus, Terametus Motschulsky, 1869, and Tithassa Pascoe, 1860. Lorelus Sharp, 1876 is Returned to Synonymy with Prateus, resulting in the following 49 New Combinations: Prateus angulatus (Doyen & Poinar, 1994), P. angustulus (Champion, 1913), P. armatus (Montrouzier, 1860), P. biroi (Kaszab, 1956), P. blairi (Kaszab, 1955), P. brevicornis (Champion, 1896), P. breviusculus (Champion, 1913), P. caledonicus (Kaszab, 1982), P. carolinensis (Blair, 1940), P. chinensis (Kaszab, 1940), P. clarkei (Kulzer, 1957), P. crassicornis (Broun, 1880), P. crassepunctatus (Kaszab, 1982), P. cribricollis (Kaszab, 1940), P. curvipes (Champion, 1913), P. dybasi (Kulzer, 1957), P. fijianus (Kaszab, 1982), P. fumatus (Lea, 1929), P. glabriventris (Kaszab, 1982), P. greensladei (Kaszab, 1982), P. guadeloupensis (Kaszab, 1940), P. hirtus (Kaszab, 1982), P. ivoirensis (Ardoin, 1969), P. kanak (Kaszab, 1986), P. kaszabi (Watt, 1992), P. laticornis (Watt, 1992), P. latulus (Broun, 1910), P. longicornis (Kaszab, 1982), P. mareensis (Kaszab, 1982), P. marginalis (Broun, 1910), P. niger (Kaszab, 1982), P. norfolkianus (Kaszab, 1982), P. obtusus (Watt, 1992), P. ocularis (Fauvel, 1904), P. opacus (Watt, 1992), P. palauensis (Kulzer, 1957), P. politus (Watt, 1992), P. priscus (Sharp, 1876), P. prosternalis (Kaszab, 1982), P. pubescens (Broun, 1880), P. pubipennis (Lea, 1929), P. punctatus (Watt, 1992), P. quadricollis (Broun, 1886), P. queenslandicus (Kaszab, 1986), P. rugifrons (Champion, 1913), P. solomonis (Kaszab, 1982), P. tarsalis (Broun, 1910), P. unicornis (Kaszab, 1982), and P. watti (Kaszab, 1982). Microlyprops Kaszab, 1939 is placed as a New Synonym of Micropedinus resulting in the following New Combinations: Micropedinus ceylonicus (Kaszab, 1939) and M. maderi (Kaszab, 1940). LorelopsisRevised Status is revalidated as a genus and eight species formerly in Lorelus are transferred to it resulting in the following six New Combinations: Lorelopsis bicolor (Doyen, 1993), L. glabrata (Doyen, 1993), L. exilis (Champion, 1913), L. foraminosa (Doyen & Poinar, 1994), L. minutulis (Doyen & Poinar, 1994), L. trapezidera (Champion, 1913), and L. wolcotti (Doyen, 1993). Lorelopsis pilosa Champion, 1896 becomes a Restored Combination. In Goniaderini, Aemymone Bates, 1868 Revised Status and Opatresthes Gebien, 1928 Revised Status, which were recently considered as subgenera of Goniadera Perty, 1832, are restored as valid genera based on new character analysis resulting in the following New Combinations: Aemymone hansfranzi (Ferrer & Delatour, 2007), A. simplex (Fairmaire, 1889), A. striatipennis (Pic, 1934) and Restored Combinations: Aemymone cariosa (Bates, 1868), A. crenata Champion, 1893, and A. semirufa Pic, 1917. Gamaxus Bates, 1868 is Returned to Synonymy with Phymatestes Pascoe, 1866, and the type species Gamaxus hauxwelli Bates, 1868 is placed as a New Synonym of Phymatestes brevicornis (Lacordaire, 1859). The following seven genera are placed as New Synonyms of Anaedus Blanchard, 1842: Microanaedus Pic, 1923, Pengaleganus Pic, 1917, Pseudanaedus Gebien, 1921, Pseudolyprops Fairmaire, 1882, Spinolyprops Pic, 1917, Spinadaenus Pic, 1921, and Sphingocorse Gebien, 1921. Fourteen species described by Pic in Aspisoma Duponchel & Chevrolat, 1841 (not Aspisoma Laporte, 1833) are returned to Tenebrionidae as valid species of Anaedus. These synonymies necessitate the following 51 New Combinations: Anaedus albipes (Gebien, 1921), A. amboinensis (Kaszab, 1964), A. amplicollis (Fairmaire, 1896), A. anaedoides (Gebien, 1921), A. angulicollis (Gebien, 1921), A. angustatus (Pic, 1921), A. australiae (Carter, 1930), A. bartolozzii (Ferrer, 2002), A. beloni Fairmaire, 1888), A. biangulatus (Gebien, 1921), A. borneensis (Pic, 1917), A. carinicollis (Gebien, 1921), A. conradti (Gebien, 1921), A. cribricollis (Schawaller, 2012), A. gabonicus (Pic, 1917), A. himalayicus (Kaszab, 1965), A. inaequalis (Pic, 1917), A. jacobsoni (Gebien, 1927), A. lateralis (Pic, 1917), A. latus (Pic, 1917), A. longeplicatus (Gebien, 1921) , A. maculipennis (Schawaller, 2011), A. major (Pic, 1917), A. nepalicus (Kaszab, 1975), A. nigrita (Gebien, 1927), A. notatus (Pic, 1923), A. pakistanicus (Schawaller, 1996), A. pinguis (Gebien, 1927), A. punctatus (Carter, 1914), A. raffrayi (Pic, 1917), A. rufithorax (Pic, 1917), A. rufus (Pic, 1917), A. serrimargo (Gebien, 1914), A. sumatrensis (Pic, 1917), A. terminatus (Gebien, 1921), A. testaceicornis (Pic, 1921), A. testaceipes (Pic, 1917), A. thailandicus (Schawaller, 2012), A. trautneri (Schawaller, 1994); and 13 restored combinations: Anaedus boliviensis (Pic, 1934), A. claveri (Pic, 1917), A. diversicollis (Pic, 1917), A. elongatus (Pic, 1934), A. guyanensis (Pic, 1917), A. holtzi (Pic, 1934), A. inangulatus (Pic, 1934), A. inhumeralis (Pic, 1917), A. mendesensis (Pic, 1917), A. minutus (Pic, 1917), A. rufimembris (Pic, 1932), A. rufipennis (Pic, 1917), A. subelongatus (Pic, 1932). The new synonymies with Anaedus necessitate the following six New Replacement NamesAnaedus maculipennis (for Spinolyprops maculatus Kulzer, 1954), A. grimmi (for Aspisoma forticornis Pic, 1917), A. minimus (for Anaedus minutus Pic, 1938), A. merkli (for Anaedus diversicollis Pic, 1938), A. ottomerkli (for Anaedus lateralis Pic, 1923), A. schawalleri (for Anaedus nepalicus Schawaller, 1994). Capeluprops Schawaller, 2011 is removed from Lupropini and provisionally placed in Laenini Seidlitz, 1895. Plastica Waterhouse, 1903 is transferred from Apocryphini Lacordaire, 1859 to Laenini. Paralorelopsis Marcuzzi, 1994 is removed from Lupropini and provisionally placed in Lagriinae incertae sedis. Pseudesarcus Champion, 1913 is transferred from Lagriinae incertae sedis to Diaperinae incertae sedis. Falsotithassa Pic, 1934 is transferred from Lupropini to Leiochrinini Lewis, 1894 (Diaperinae). Mimocellus Wasmann, 1904 is transferred from Lupropini to Tenebrionidae incertae sedis, and likely belongs in either Diaperinae or Stenochiinae.Item The Toothpick Project: commercialization of a virulence-selected fungal bioherbicide for Striga hermonthica (witchweed) biocontrol in Kenya(Wiley, 2023-09) Baker, Claire S.; Sands, David C.; Nzioki, Henry SilaThe high-level view of global food systems identifies three all-encompassing barriers to the adoption of food systems solutions: knowledge, policy, and finance. These barriers, and the siloed characteristics of each of these, have hindered the development and adoption of microbial herbicides. How knowledge, policy, and finance are related to the Toothpick Project's path of commercializing a new bioherbicide, early in the scope of the industry, is discussed here. The Toothpick Project's innovation, developed over four decades and commercialized in 2021, uses strains of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae selected for overproduction and excretion of specific amino acids, killing the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica (Striga or witchweed), Africa's worst pest threat to food security. Historically, bioherbicides have not been a sufficient alternative to the dominant use of synthetic chemical herbicides. To be used safely as bioherbicides, plant pathogens need to be host specific, non-toxic, and yet sufficiently virulent to control a specific weed. For commercialization, bioherbicides must be affordable and require a sufficient shelf life for distribution. Given the current triple storm encountered by the chemical herbicide industry (herbicide-resistant weeds, lawsuits, and consumer pushback), there exists an opportunity to use certain plant pathogens as bioherbicides by enhancing their virulence. By discussing barriers in the scope of knowledge, policy, and finance in the development of the Toothpick Project's new microbial bioherbicide, we hope to help others to anticipate the challenges and provide change-leaders, particularly in policy and finance, a ground level perspective of bioherbicide development. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.Item Genetic dissection of endosperm hydration in malting barley (Hordeum vulgare)(Wiley, 2023-08) Jensen, Joseph; Turner, Hannah; Lachowiec, Jennifer; Lutgen, Greg; Yin, Xiang S.; Sherman, JamieHydration of the endosperm is a critical part of the malting process that ensures proper modification of the grain. However, little is known about the genetic controls of endosperm hydration and its relationship to agronomic and malt quality traits. The extent of endosperm hydration is estimated through hydration index (HYI). We measured HYI, agronomic, and malt quality traits on a 169-line subset of the NSGC Barley Core Panel, which includes global malt lines, some dating from the inception of European breeding programmes. Utilizing GWAS, 61 QTLs were identified for HYI, dormancy, agronomic, and malt quality traits. Of these, six were found to be related to HYI and were located on 1H, 2H, 3H, 6H, and 7H. We found HYI QTLs cosegregating with kernel size and hardness (1H and 3H), malting quality (2H and 6H), and dormancy (2H and 6H). These results indicate that endosperm hydration after steeping can be improved by selecting high HYI alleles on 2H, 6H, and 7H, positively impacting malting quality without negatively impacting kernel size or dormancy.Item Will Molecular Phylogenetics Help Decrease Nomenclatural Instability?(Wiley, 2023-08) Lesica, Peter; Lavin, MattIn the process of compiling a flora for Montana (Lesica, 2012, 2022), we came to realize that many published nomenclatural changes are only weakly supported by the data presented which has often been based on recent findings in the field of molecular evolution. In this essay we attempt to present a summary of the reasons why taxonomic changes may be less than robust and our guidelines for accepting newly proposed nomenclature that we attempted to follow in our work.Item Characterization of chromatin accessibility and gene expression reveal the key genes involved in cotton fiber elongation(Wiley, 2023-07) Chen, Guoquan; Liu, Zhao; Li, Shengdong; Liu, Lili; Wang, Zhi; Mendu, Venugopal; Li, Fuguang; Yang, ZuorenCotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an important economic crop, and cotton fiber is one of the longest plant cells, which provides an ideal model for the study of cell elongation and secondary cell wall synthesis. Cotton fiber length is regulated by a variety of transcription factors (TF) and their target genes; however, the mechanism of fiber elongation mediated by transcriptional regulatory networks is still unclear to a large extent. Here, we used a comparative assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) assay and RNA-seq analysis to identify fiber elongation transcription factors and genes using the short-fiber mutant ligon linless-2 (Li2) and wild type (WT). A total of 499 differential target genes were identified and GO analysis shows that differential genes are mainly involved in plant secondary wall synthesis and microtubule-binding processes. Analysis of the genomic regions preferentially accessible (Peak) has identified a number of overrepresented TF-binding motifs, highlighting sets of TFs that are important for cotton fiber development. Using ATAC-seq and RNA-seq data, we have constructed a functional regulatory network of each TF regulatory target gene and also the network pattern of TF regulating differential target genes. Further, to obtain the genes related to fiber length, the differential target genes were combined with FLGWAS data to identify the genes highly related to fiber length. Our work provides new insights into cotton fiber elongation.Item A preliminary evaluation of phenotypic traits of tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray)(AOSIS, 2023-06) Nong, Refilwe A.; Gerrano, Abe S.; Gwata, Eastonce T.Background: Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray) is an underutilised grain legume crop and important source of food, nutrition and income. To date, there are no significant breeding efforts aimed at cultivar development and the crop remains under-utilised and under-researched. Aim: Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate eight phenotypic traits and their relationships among 42 genotypes of tepary bean in a controlled drought screening greenhouse environment. Setting: Agricultural Research Council – Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants, South Africa in drought screening glasshouse. Method: A 6 × 7 rectangular lattice design replicated three times was used in the study. Results: There were highly significant (p < 0.01) differences in all the phenotypic traits that were measured. The highest number (30) of secondary roots was recorded for genotype ‘Ac-39’, which exceeded the trial, mean value by 62.87%. In comparison with the check, only Ac-33’, ‘Ac-39’, ‘Ac-40’ and ‘Ac-7’, ‘Ac-8’, ‘Ac-40’, ‘Ac-41’ genotypes achieved a significantly (p < 0.05) higher secondary root length (SRL) and shoot dry weight (SDW), respectively. A highly significant (p < 0.01) positive association was observed between the shoot fresh weight and the SDW suggesting that there was a strong linear relationship between the two parameters. Similarly, at least 68.0% of the changes in root dry weight were attributed to the changes in the SRL. Conclusion: These results suggested that the observed phenotypic variability in this germplasm which could be exploited for the enhancement of tepary bean. Contribution: There will be merit in validating these results on a field basis together with grain yield evaluation and genotyping over multiple locations and seasons to determine elite germplasm for production and utilisation by growers.