Crosses between a set of deletion lines for chromosome 7D in Chinese Spring (CS) background and the CS-Hordeum chilense substitution line CS(7D)7Hch were used for the physical mapping of the genes(s) for lutein esterification on chromosome 7D. Genotyping by DArTSeq and using genomic tools allowed the identification of candidate genes with acyltransferase or GDSL esterase/lipase activity that are worthy for further investigation.

Production of grains and oilseeds is associated with considerable environmental impacts such as GHG emissions and eutrophication. This research developed life cycle inventories that were used to estimate the climate change, land-use, ecotoxicity, eutrophication and abiotic depletion (fossil fuel) impacts for crop production in 14 regions across Australia. These inventories will be an asset to practitioners and researchers aiming to estimate the impacts of products that use Australian crops as an input.

Nitrogen and phosphorus are scarce in the soil, and the adequate supply of these nutrients depends on the use of chemical fertilisers, which are harmful to the environment and health. Beneficial soil microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) in symbiosis with plants can supply these nutrients to the plants and improve their growth and yield, reducing the chemical fertiliser inputs. In this study, single inoculation and co-inoculation with Rhizobium laguerreae and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improved growth and yield of faba bean.

Intensive conventional agriculture has diminished the local biodiversity and soil quality, and (re)introduction of neglected grain legumes can reduce this environmental impact. We demonstrated that the legume species bitter vetch is worth consideration as crop for seed production under no-input farming systems, especially in marginal soils of Southern Europe with climate conditions similar to those of Central Italy.

Cotton is a crop of great industrial importance. However, cotton cultivars have different productivities and fibre qualities when submitted to different environments. In this work, we use modern statistical techniques to identify cotton cultivars that have stable behaviour for these characteristics throughout Brazilian environments

Productivity of sugarcane crops varies at each cutting stage, and knowledge of proteins involved in the regrowth of sugarcane within the cutting process is important for the development of greater longevity cultivars. The present study revealed a reduction in the number of proteins at the fifth cutting stage. The reduction in the number of proteins may be related to the reduction in agricultural productivity, sprouting and tillering at advanced stages of the sugarcane crop.