Uruku Post 3

Improving Plants

The B. Orellana plant (uruku) is considered to be a xenogamus species. This means that the plant requires crossed pollination to reproduce. 

GMO Plants

I believe the use of transgenics plants in agriculture is an very advance technology in improving the genetics of a plant. I am completely in favor of using transgenic plants in agriculture. I believe it gives a huge advantage to the producer in having a more safe and reliable crop. GMO's is technology will allow many countries to become food secure and also reduce deforestatoin due to that you can increase the yield of crops. In many 3rd world countries yields are very low compared to 1st world countries and this is causes for higher rates of deforestation and no food security in that country. looking into a environmental point of viw, by having GMO's you can even reduce the area of production, produce more food and at the same tie have space to produce crops used for biogass, energy and others. 

Breeding programs of Uruku in Brasil 

In Brasil many studies have been done. They issolated wild B. Orellana plants as well as some that where already cultivated by humans. the wild plants had a bigger genetic variablity but where genetically different from themselves do to environmental issolation. This is caused due to the collection of wild plants in various regions of the brasilian rainforest. From the 32 different Microsatelite locai that where used, they found that 12 of them where polymorphic. The main goal of the breeding program is to increase the level of bixin in the seeds, which is the compound used to produce the coloring. Some of the cataloged plants showed a level of Bixin well above average and this where used in the breeding program to create a more apealing plant for production. Another goal was to improve the reproduction capability of the plant which many wild individual plants where used do to the genotypes they contained. In this breeding program, the technic used was the traditional technich of crossing individuals with very similar genetic characteristics as well as indiviuals with unique genetic characteristics.

Results

The results of the breeding program was that comercially now a days the level of bixin in annato seeds have risen giving a better yield and making the production of annato a more appealing busisnes to investors. Now a days a seed contains around 4-6 % of pigment. From this pigment 80% is bixin which is used for commercial purposes.

Genotype and Phenotype

The annato plant is a highly adaptable plant being able to adapt to any tropical and subtropical climate. Do to this feature if an individual plant containing the same genotypes is sewed in a different area to where it is, which has climatical conditions to its growth (no Frost) it will present the same phenotypes. This happens because the genetic information of the plant is the same, and since it is highly adaptable to different tropical and subtropical regions, it will be able to display it's phenotypes completely. 

References

Dequigiovanni, G. (2019). Genetic structure, mating system and domestication of annatto (<em>Bixa orellana</em> L.) using molecular markers. https://doi.org/10.11606/t.11.2018.tde-26102017-142451

How to Tell If a Plant Is Pollinated. (2012). Retrieved September 27, 2019, from Sfgate.com website: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/tell-plant-pollinated-34828.html

Kalayanasundaram, K. (2014). PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF ANNATTO (BIXA ORELLANA L.) AS A SOURCE OF NATURAL EDIBLE DYE. In Research Gate. Retrieved from Department of Tree BreedingForest College & Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University website: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293695379_PRODUCTION_POTENTIAL_OF_ANNATTO_BIXA_ORELLANA_L_AS_A_SOURCE_OF_NATURAL_EDIBLE_DYE

Schutte, A. L., & Wyk, V. (1998). Evolutionary relationships in the Podalyrieae and Liparieae (Fabaceae) based on morphological, cytological, and chemical evidence. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 209(1/2), 1–31. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/23643263?seq=11#metadata_info_tab_contents

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Uruku Post 2

Plant Physiology And Growth

Uruku is classified as a C3 plant. the difference between a C4 and C3 plant is the carbon sequestration due to a difference in the Calvin Cycle of the plants. C4 plants lack photorespiration and uses also dark to do photosynthesis. 

It is a perenial crop. Uruku starts giving fruits around five years after it has been planted.

The vegeattive stage of the uruku takes five years until it gives the first fruits. It has leaves that are around 8 to 20 cm of leanght and 4 to 15 cm of witdth. Once in reproduction the plant gives flowers at the edge of the branches. The number of flowers vary and are hermaphrodite flowers which then transform into an ovaled shaped fruit with flexible needle like structures. 

Uruku is not affected by photoperiodism. it flowers throughout the year having some certain months in which it produces a higher yield. 

Nitrgoen Fixation is not possible by the urucu plant. It is likely it can have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that create root nodules and are able to fixate the nitrogen. 

Climate change is something that will affect agricultural production world wide. Since the uruku plant is planted in tropical areas the extra heat is going to affect the plant growth. I think what mostly will affect the uruku plant is the changes in the rain cycles. 

Uruku

Taxonomy hierarchy of Uruku

 Kingdom:                               Plantae

    Subkingdom:                          Vidriplantae

       Infrakingdom:                         Streptophyta

          Superdivision:                          Embryophyta

             Division:                                   Tracheophyta

                Subdivision:                              Spermatophytina

                   Class:                                          Magnoliopsida

                      Superorder:                                 Rosanae                

                         Order:                                          Malvales

                            Family:                                        Bixaceae

                               Genus:                                          Bixa L.             

                                  Species:                                          Bixa Orellana  

Scientific Name:

Bixa Orellana.

Common Names:

Achiote, Annato, Uruku, Urucum

Categorization as Cash Crop:

Dye Crop. Uruku contains two main components in its seeds. One is the Bixin which contains the red pigmentation and Norobixin which contains a more yellowish pigmentation. This components are extracted and are the most used pigments in the world. It is highly used in the Culinary market, the textile market and also highly in the Cosmetic market, even getting the nickname of Lipstick Tree.

Origin:

Uruku originates from northern South America up to central America and Southern Mexico. It was first catalloged by and early explorer of the Amazon River called Francisco Orellana. After this it was highly traded do to its dye pigments to Southeast Asia, Africa, Southeastern Northamerica, ehich later began to be cultivated in India, Sri Lanka and Java mainly because of the coloring pigments the seed give.

Plant Anatomy and Morphology:

This plant is a dicot plant. This means that after germination two leafs are visible, with a more flat and round aspect to it. This is because the leafs contain embryosperm to feed the embryoplant.

In my opinion the most interesting morphological aspect of uruku are the arangments and shapes of the fruits. It normaly gives the fruits in clumps. The fruits are ovally shaped with hairlike parts. Once rype the fruits are easaly opened in half conting the red pigmented seeds inside. 

Urku root system is categorized as a tap root. It has a main root that goes deep in the ground having secondary and terciary roots coming out of the main root. 

It is considered and ideterminate plant since it will keep growing after the it has given fruits. It is a plant that is considered as a bush and it can reach heights of 3 to 10 meters.

Uruku gives flowers varying in color from white, yellow and red. The flowers contain an ovary which carries many a serie of eggs in its interior. The flowers are hermaphrodites and grow at the edge of rhe bush later froming into the fruits. The fruits form in a oval shape with inofensive spines. Inside this fruits you cna find an average of 40 seeds in the same oval shape but smaller.

References

CABI. (2019a). Bixa orellana (annatto). Retrieved September 20, 2019, from Cabi.org website: https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/9242

NA. (2010). ITIS Standard Report Page: Bixa orellana. Retrieved September 20, 2019, from Itis.gov website: https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=22251#null

NA. (2019b). Etnobot�nica e Taxonomia do Urucuzeiro. Retrieved September 20, 2019, from Infobibos.com website: http://www.infobibos.com/Artigos/2008_1/UrucumTaxon/Index.htm

Raddatz-Mota, D., Pérez-Flores, L. J., Carrari, F., Mendoza-Espinoza, J. A., de León-Sánchez, F. D., Pinzón-López, L. L., … Rivera-Cabrera, F. (2017). Achiote (Bixa orellana L.): a natural source of pigment and vitamin E. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 54(6), 1729–1741. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2579-7