BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Grasses bite back! The role of silicon-based defences in the inter
 actions between plants and herbivores - Prof Sue Hartley\, University of Y
 ork
DTSTART:20140128T200000Z
DTEND:20140128T211500Z
UID:TALK49642@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Adam
DESCRIPTION:Grasslands cover almost a quarter of the Earth's surface and p
 rovide food for us\, our livestock and natural populations of grazing anim
 als. Thus understanding interactions between grasses and their herbivores 
 is central to the conservation of grasslands rich in biodiversity and to o
 ur future food security – almost half the world’s calories come from m
 aize\, wheat and rice and ~20% of the crop is currently lost to pests. But
  grasses are not completely defenceless – they accumulate silicon (Si)\,
  a sharp abrasive substance\, in their leaves. This talk will illustrate h
 ow and why Si is an effective anti-herbivore defence in grasses\, its pote
 ntial impact on herbivore populations and how it could be useful in sustai
 nable methods of crop protection in future. High levels of Si make grasses
  more unpalatable\, reduce the ability of herbivores to digest the grass a
 nd extract essential nutrients from it and can even affect herbivore abund
 ance\, but grass species differ in their allocation to Si defences\, and i
 n the extent to which they respond to herbivore attack by increasing the l
 evels of these defences. Interestingly\, modern crop cultivars use Si defe
 nces differently\, and potentially less effectively\, when compared with a
 ncestral varieties. \n\nEveryone is welcome. Free for members\, £2 on the
  door for non-members. Followed by refreshments (that means smoothies\, ch
 eese and grapes!).
LOCATION:Department of Pharmacology Lecture Theatre\, Tennis Court Road
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR