Author
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Abdul Baki, Aref |
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Submitted to: American Vegetable Grower
Publication Type: Popular Publication Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2004 Publication Date: 9/1/2004 Citation: Abdul Baki, A.A. 2004. Sustainability by cover crops . American Vegetable Grower. p.26. Interpretive Summary: Legume cover crops, like hairy vetch, enhance vegetable plant growth and yield by delaying senescence and incresing resistance against diseases and insects. In addition they fix and recycle nitrogen. Delayed senescence and enhanced pest and disease resistance is accomplished through specific genes that become activated by hairy vetch mulch residues. The activity of these genes can be measured. Users of this information are agronomists, breeders, and plant scientists in general. This information explains at a molecular level how specific genes can become active to delay senescence and increased pest resistence in plants grown in a hairy vetch mulch. Technical Abstract: Leguminous cover crops, like hairy vetch, support sustainability by fixing nitrogen, recycling nutrients, and adding organic matter to the soil. However, at the gene level, residues activate specific genes that are involved in delayed senescence and increased disease resistance. Evidence for the activation of these specific genes has been confirmed by using a new molecular biology technique known as cDNA subtraction cloning. This technique is briefly desribed in the article. |
