Insect-pests are global problems that cause severe damage to crop plants, and their control is commonly based on chemical insecticides. However, negative effects of pesticides on the environment and human health emphasize the necessity to develop alternative methods for insect-pest control. In the present study, a gene coding for the insecticidal peptide TX4(6-1) of the Brazilian armed spider (Phoneutria nigriventer) was cloned in fusion with maltose binding protein (MBP) and expressed in Escherichia coli. The affinity purified protein MBP-GlyTX4 was cleaved with the Xa factor and used for a bioassay against Spodoptera frugiperda and rabbit immunization. Five micrograms GlyTX4 protein injected into the hemocoel of larvae and abdominal cavity of adults produced trembling and uncoordinated movements immediately after injection and all adult insects died after 12h. After two days, larvae became paralyzed and the epidermal color changed to dark brown. Furthermore, the development stage was prolonged for two weeks. Alternatively, slices of maize leaves were imbibed with 15 micrograms of the recombinant protein cleaved with the Xa factor and used as diet for larvae. In this experiment, all larvae died in about 30 minutes. Polyclonal antibodies anti-MBP-GlyTX4 were effective for recognizing MBP and GlyTX4 in whole cell extract from E. coli expressing the recombinant protein.

Seven cotton lines were investigated for their resistant to cotton leafhopper or jassid, Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida). The experiment was conducted at the National Corn and Sorghum Research Center, Pakchong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province during August-December 2006. The experiment was conducted in RCB with 3 replications. The results showed that the variety SRT 1 had the lowest jassid density throughout the crop season. Moreover, it showed no leaf injury by hopperburn. Thus SRT 1 can be used as a genetic source for breeding cotton resistance to jassid. Inaddition, two other cotton lines, DORA 11 (5) X Bioseed-7 and brown fiber line 661 were also rated as jassid resistant.

International audience | The effect of feeding grain sorghum silage, sweet sorghum silage, and corn silage on intake, milk production, milk composition, and nutrient digestibility of lactation dairy cows was evaluated. Twenty-four Prim' Holstein (PO) cows were used, forming three groups of eight cows each. The experimental treatments were: 1) corn silage; 2) grain sorghum silage; and 3) sweet sorghum silage, fed ad libitum, with two commercial concentrates, distributed following the cow milk production. Grain sorghum silage promoted greater DM intake (22.98 kg/day) compared to corn silage (21.95 kg/day), and sweet sorghum silage (19.43 kg/day). Dry matter intake was greater for corn silage than for sweet sorghum silage. Water intake (L/cow/day) was similar for the animals fed corn silage (71.91) and grain sorghum silage (76.30), and both were greater than the water intake of animals fed sweet sorghum silage (56.95). Total milk production (28.81; 24.69 and 24.14 kg/day), 4% fat corrected milk (30.65; 25.63 and 26.10 kg/day), and milk chemical composition was greater for cows fed corn silage when compared to the ones receiving grain sorghum silage and sweet sorghum silage. Cows fed sweet sorghum silage, but showed higher milk fat percentage (4.56%) compared to cows fed corn silage (4.39%) or grain sorghum silage (4.31%). Milk protein concentration was higher for cows fed corn silage (3.25%), intermediate for cows fed sweet sorghum silage (3.05%), and lower for the ones fed grain sorghum silage (2.97%). Nutrient digestibility coefficients were greater for cows fed sweet sorghum silage compared to other silages.

Amylose contents and amylopectin chain architecture of sorghum and waxy sorghum starches were determined and compared with those of other common cereal and tuber starches. Also, in vitro digestibility of sorghum starch was estimated using a novel methodology. The absolute amylose content of sorghum starch was similar to that of corn and wheat starches. The side chain length distribution patterns for sorghum and waxy sorghum amylopectin were very similar to those of corn and waxy corn, respectively. The k∧cat/K∧m values for sorghum and potato amylopectin did not show a significant difference. The kinetic parameters could be used as novel indicators for starch digestibility.

orghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.) belongs to the Poaceae family and is widely cultivated. It is considered to be one of the most important cereal crops in the world. There are about 30 Sorghum species; S. bicolor is cultivated for grain and forage while S.halepense (L.) Pers. (Johnson grass) and S. propinquum (Kunth) Hitchc. are cultivated only for forage. Wild relatives of sorghum include S. bicolor subsp. verticilliflorum (Steud.) de Wet ex Wiersema & J. Dahlb. (common wild sorghum; synonym: S. arundinaceum), Sorghum purpureosericeum (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Asch. & Schweinf. and Sorghum versicolor (Andersson). Sorghum is an important part of the diet for many of the world’s population. It is mainly consumed as flat bread or porridge. It is also used as a forage crop (ICRISAT 2008) and sweet sorghum is grown to produce sorghum syrup. Sorghum is extremely drought-tolerant, making it an excellent choice for semi-arid and dry areas. Most cultivars are annuals although some are perennial. Sorghum stems may reach over 4 m height, with small grains of 3–4 mm diameter. It is usually grown in clumps. The inflorescence varies greatly in size and shape, ranging from loose drooping branches to a compact-oval shape (IBPGR and ICRISAT 1993). Although it is mostly self-pollinating, protogyny may cause at least 5% natural cross- pollination (Purseglove 1972). The genetic integrity of sorghum accessions is thus maintained by selfing.

Information about the potential for crop–wild hybridization is needed to understand how crop genes, including transgenes, affect the population genetics and ecology of sexually compatible relatives. Transgenic sorghum is under development for use by traditional farmers in Africa, the center of origin for sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], but systematic surveys of the current extent of contact with wild and weedy relatives are lacking. We studied wild and weedy sorghums that are interfertile with the crop and constitute a crop–wild–weed complex. The survey was conducted in 2005 in areas of traditional sorghum cultivation in three regions of Ethiopia and two regions of Niger. Within each region, we examined eight representative sorghum fields at each of 10 locations during peak flowering of the crop. In all regions, wild and weedy sorghum occurred intermixed with and adjacent to cultivated sorghum. Wild and weedy sorghums were detected at 56, 44, and 13% of the Ethiopian sites (Amhara, Tigray, and Hararghe regions, respectively), and 74 and 63% of sites in Niger (Maradi-Tahoua and Tillabery-Dosso regions, respectively). Flowering periods of wild and weedy sorghum populations overlapped with those of cultivated sorghum at most sites where the two co-occurred, especially in Ethiopia, and many putative crop–wild hybrids were observed. Therefore, current gene transfer from cultivated sorghum to wild and weedy sorghum populations in Ethiopia and Niger is likely to be widespread.

Based on 2 years evaluation of 6 stay green and 4 go brown sorghum cultivars for nutritional and morphological attributes, 2 promising cultivars each of stay green (M35_1 and CSV_15) and go brown sorghum (HD_20 and J Sel_10) were gown, harvested 1 month after grain collection and then conserved as silage. Silage was fed ad lib. to 16 crossbred sheep divided equally to silage of each cultivar. Metabolism trial was conducted to assess intake, nutrients utilization and N balance, and rumen liquor samples were collected at 0 h to determine the rumen fermentation pattern. The intake of stay green sorghum was higher than go brown. Similarly w 0.75 intake of DE, TDN and DCP was higher in sheep fed stay green sorghum silage. Sheep fed stay green sorghum silage had 4_5 units more nutrients digestibility. OM and hemicellulose digestibility was higher in animals fed stay green. N absorption and retention was higher in sheep stay green than go brown sorghum silage. DCP, TDN and DE contents of stay green sorghum were higher than go brown sorghum silage. Mean NH3_N contents were higher in rumen liquor of sheep fed stay green than go brown sorghum silage. Results indicated that silage from stay green sorghum cultivars is more palatable and nutritious than go brown cultivars.