Scottish Crop Research Institute Annual Report 1994 Contents on page 4 Governing Body Chairman J.L.Millar, C.B.E., C.A. Professor Heather M. Dick, M.D., F.R.C.P. Glas., F.R.C.Path., F.I.Biol., F.R.S.E. J.B. Forrest, F.R.Ag.S. J.E. Godfrey Professor J.D. Hayes, B.Sc., M.S., Ph.D., F.I.Biol. J.A. Inverarity, O.B.E. A.M. Jacobsen Professor D.L. Lee, B.Sc., Ph.D., C.Biol., F.I.Biol., F.R.S.A. A. Logan A.N. MacCallum, B.Sc.. (w.e.f. 1/4/95) Professor T.A. Mansfield, Ph.D., F.I.Biol., F.R.S. Professor J.W. Parsons, B.Sc., Ph.D., F.I.Biol. Professor J.A. Raven, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S.E., F.R.S. G. Rennie Professor A.R. Slabas, B.Sc., D.Phil. (w.e.f. 1/4/95) L.M. Thomson T.P.M. Thomson Accountants : KPMG, Royal Exchange, Dundee. Solicitors : Dundas and Wilson C.S., Saltire Court, 20 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh. Banking : Bank of Scotland, 11-19 Reform Street, Dundee. Patent Agents : Murgitroyd & Co, 373 Scotland Street, Glasgow. Supervisory Medical Officers : Dr Ann Simpson & Dr S Mitchell, Occupational Health Service, Panmure House, 4 Dudhope Terrace, Dundee. Occupational Health and Safety Agency : Mr J.R. Brownlie, 18-20 Hill Street, Edinburgh. Scottish Crop Research Institute Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, Scotland, UK. A charitable company (No. SC006662) limited by guarantee No. 29367 (Scotland) and registered at the above address. Telephone : 01382 562731 Fax : 01382 562426 Telex : 93121 33325 SC G CGNET : 10087 NQQ003 Electronic Mail JANET : [email protected] Editors : D.A. Perry, T.D. Heilbronn Graphics and Design : I.R. Pitkethly, G. Menzies Photography : T.G. Geoghegan, S.F. Malecki, G. Menzies ISSN 0263 7200 ISBN 0 9058 7508 7 ©Scottish Crop Research Institute 1995 The Scottish Crop Research Institute Das SCRI ist ein führendes (SCRI) is a major international internationales centre for research on agricultural, Forschungszentrum für horticultural and industrial crops, Nutzpflanzen im Acker- und and on the underlying processes Gartenbau sowie in der Industrie und auf dem common to all plants. It aims to increase knowledge Gebiet der allen Pflanzen zugrundeliegenden Prozesse. of the basic biological sciences; to improve crop Es hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, die Grundkenntnisse in quality and utilisation by the application of den Biowissenschaften zu vertiefen; die Qualität und conventional and molecular genetical techniques and Nutzung der Kulturpflanzen durch die Anwendung novel agronomic practices; and to develop konventioneller und molekular-genetischer Techniken environmentally benign methods of protecting crops und neuer agrarwissenschaftlicher Praktiken zu from depredations by pests, pathogens and weeds. A verbessern; sowie umweltfreundliche Methoden zum broad multidisciplinary approach to research is a Schutz der Pflanzen gegen Verlust durch Schädlinge, special strength of the Institute, and the range of skills Pathogene und Unkräuter zu entwickeln. Ein breiter available from fundamental studies on genetics and multidisziplinärer Forschungsansatz ist eine besondere physiology, through agronomy and pathology to Stärke des Instituts; und das zur Verfügung stehende glasshouse and field trials is unique within the UK Spektrum an fachlichen Ausrichtungen, das von research service. genetischer und physiologischer Grundlagenforschung über Agrarwissenschaften und Pathologie bis zu Gewächshaus- und Feldversuchen reicht, stellt ein einmaliges Forschungsangebot auf den Britischen Inseln dar. Le SCRI est un centre international Lo SCRI e’ uno dei maggiori centri majeur de recherche sur les cultures internazionali nel campo della ricerca agricoles, horticoles et industrielles et sulle colture agricole, orticole e les processus fondamentaux communs industriali e sui meccanismi à toutes les plantes. Son but est d’accrôitre les fondamentali comuni a tutte le piante. connaissances des sciences biologiques fondamentales; L’Istituto ha come obiettivo principale d’améliorer la qualité et l’utilisation des cultures par l’accrescimento del livello di conoscenza delle scienze l’utilisation de techniques conventionelles et de biologiche fondamentali, il miglioramento della génétique moléculaire et par l’application de procédés qualità e del potenziale di utilizzo delle colture tramite agronomiques nouveaux; de développer des méthodes l’applicazione di tecniche convenzionali o di genetica de protection moins dommageables pour molecolare e di nuove pratiche agronomiche, lo l’environnement contre les préjudices causés par les sviluppo di metodi ecologici di protezione delle ravageurs, les pathogènes et les adventices. L’une des colture da agenti patogeni o malerbe. Uno dei punti forces majeures de l’institut est une large approche di forza dell’Istituto e’ l’adozione di un approccio multidisciplinaire de la recherche. L’éventail des largamente multidisciplinare (probabilmente senza techniques disponibles allant des études eguali nel servizio di ricerca britannico) fondato su fondamentales en génétique et physiologie en passant una vasta gamma di capacità scientifiche derivanti da par l’agronomie et la phytopathologie jusqu’aux essais ricerche di fisiologia e genetica ma anche di en serres et aux champs est unique au sein du service agronomica e fitopatologia supportate da prove di de recherche du Royaume Uni. campo o in ambiente controllato. Contents Click to go to relevent page Report of the Director: J.R. Hillman..........................................................................................................................................6 People and Events .....................................................................................................................................................................21 An historical perspective of SCRI: D.A. Perry .........................................................................................................................23 A quarter century of plant virus research: B.D. Harrison ...........................................................................................................30 Plant genetics ........................................................................................................................................................................34 Overview: G.R. Mackay ..........................................................................................................................................................34 Potato breeding at SCRI: from wild species to finished cultivars: J.E. Bradshaw, M.F.B. Dale, G.R. Mackay & M.J. Wilkinson ....................................................................................................36 Increasing the applicability of tissue culture methods for the improvement of industrial oil crops: S. Millam, A. Craig, Moscheni & J.E. Lyon ..............................................................................................................................40 Aspects of environmental risk assessment for genetically modified plants with special reference to oilseed rape: A.M. Timmons, E.T. O’Brien, Y.M. Charters & M.J. Wilkinson .............................................................................................43 Genetic improvement of trees: R.J. McNicol & M. Van de Ven .............................................................................................45 New swede cultivar....................................................................................................................................................................47 New raspberry cultivar...............................................................................................................................................................47 Molecular biology .................................................................................................................................................................48 Overview: W. Powell...............................................................................................................................................................48 Molecular ecology of tropical tree species: detection of interspecific gene flow between Gliricidia sepium and G. maculata using PCR: I.K. Dawson, R. Waugh & W. Powell ...............................................................................................52 The Ty1-copia group retrotransposons in plants: A. Kumar, S.R. Pearce, A.J. Flavell, G. Harrison & J.S. Heslop-Harrison ....53 Molecular marker techniques for barley genome analysis and breeding: W. Powell, N. Bonar, E. Baird, J. Russell & R. Waugh ................................................................................................................57 Genetic control of albinism in barley regeneration: B.P. Forster, M. Macaulay, R. Waugh, M. Folling & S.B. Andersen.........59 Mapping genes of economic importance in spring barley: W.T.B. Thomas, W. Powell, R. Waugh, B.P. Forster, K.J. Chalmers, U.M. Barua, J.S. Swanston, R.P. Ellis, P. Jack & V. Lea ...................................................................................60 Isolation of a cDNA clone encoding polygalacturonase inhibitor protein from kiwifruit: C.G. Simpson & R.C. Gardner........65 Synthesis of intraspecific somatic hybrid plants between dihaploid lines of Solanum tuberosum: A. Kumar, S. Cooper-Bland, M.J. De,Maine, M.L.M.H. Fleming, M.S. Phillips, H.E. Stewart & W. Powell.................................................................................66 Molecular characterisation of the spliceosomal proteins, U1A and U2B": G.G. Simpson, G.P. Clark & J.W.S. Brown