Bioinformatics group

Seed performance after dispersal is highly dependent on parental environmental cues, especially during seed formation and maturation. Here we examine which environmental factors are the most dominant in this respect and whether their effects are dependent on the genotypes under investigation. We studied the influence of light intensity, photoperiod, temperature, nitrate, and phosphate during seed development on five plant attributes and thirteen seed attributes, using 12 Arabidopsis genotypes that have been reported to be affected in seed traits. As expected, the various environments during seed development resulted in changed plant and/or seed performances. Comparative analysis clearly indicated that, overall, temperature plays the most dominant role in both plant and seed performance, whereas light has a prominent impact on plant traits. In comparison to temperature and light, nitrate mildly affected some of the plant and seed traits while phosphate had even less influence on thos...

Color-flowered, high-tannin faba bean (FB; Vicia faba) cultivars are more tolerant to frost around harvest time than white-flowered, zero-tannin cultivars. Tannins concentrated on the seed hull reduce both starch and protein digestibility. We therefore evaluated feeding 2 zero-tannin (Snowbird, Snowdrop) or 2 high-tannin (Fabelle, Malik) FB cultivars and the effect of dehulling to reduce tannin content on broiler growth performance, carcass traits, and yield of saleable cuts. Male Ross 708 chicks (n = 585) were fed 1 of 4 FB cultivars either non-dehulled or dehulled in starter (12%, 0-12 d), grower (24%, 13-25 d), and finisher (36%, 26-41 d) mash diets replacing soybean meal (SBM) and wheat grain (control diet). Overall, daily feed intake was greatest for Snowbird and Fabelle, and lowest for Malik; Snowdrop was intermediate. Daily weight gain was greater for Fabelle than other cultivars, and greater for control than FB cultivars. Gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) was greatest for Fabelle but lowest for Snowbird; Snowdrop was not different from Fabelle or Malik, and Malik was not different from Snowbird. Broiler G:F and chilled carcass weight were greater for controls than FB cultivars. Breast meat yield (BMY) was greater for Snowbird, and lower for Fabelle; Malik was not different from Snowbird or Snowdrop; Snowdrop was not different from Fabelle. Dehulling FB lowered BMY. Feeding broilers low-vicine/convicine high-tannin Fabelle resulted in slightly better growth performance but lower BMY than feeding zero-tannin cultivars or high-tannin Malik. Dehulling FB did not improve broiler growth performance or carcass dressing to the level of controls fed SBM-wheat only.