| II. News The Program of the Botanical Expedition to the Northern Highland of Mesopotamia (B.E.M.), Kyoto University, Japan, 1970 B.E.M. Committee, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan During 1955-1968, Kyoto University has organized several scientific expeditions including four wheat and Aegilops expeditions*, namely KUSE 1955, BMUK 1959, BEC 1966 and KUSES 1967-1968. By these four expeditions, most of the important areas for the studies on the origin of wheat in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Caucasia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Ethiopia have been explored. The areas of the present project are the remaining very important places for the survey of wheat and Aegilops. Dr. H. KIHARA, Emeritus Professor of Kyoto University, and others have established the origin of Common Wheat or Dinkel (2n=42) that Aegilops squarrosa is one of its ancestors and the place of origin is the Transcaucasia. While, the origin of Emmer Wheat is still indefinite. In recent years, T. dicoccum, an oldest variety of Emmer Wheat (2n=28), was found in the archeological excavations at Jarmo in the North of Baghdad, which suggests the origin of this species as old as B.C. 7000. Two important wild species are known in Emmer Wheat, namely T. dicoccoides and T. araraticum ; the former was found in the skirt area of Mt. Hermon, Syria by BMUK 1959 and the latter was found in the Highland of Armenia by BEC 1966. These two wild species and Einkorn Wheat (2n=14), T. aegilopoides and T. monococcum, will occur together with Ae. speltoides, which is most likely one of the ancestors of Emmer Wheat, in the range between the above two regions, named as "Fertile Crescent". Hence, many important materials for furthering the studies on the origin of Emmer Wheat will be collected by the present expedition. From mountainous regions many endemic varieties will be also collected as a part of the world program of gene introduction and preservation. The present program will be carried out under co-operation with FAO and respective Governmental Organizations of Iraq, Syria and Turkey. The party will leave Tokyo around May 11 and return around July 25, 1970. Detailed schedule will be arranged according to the local situations. Members Kosuke YAMASHITA(Leader) : Dr. Ag., Professor, School of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Kyoto University, Botanist & Geneticist Masatake TANAKA : Dr. Ag., Assistant Professor; Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Agronomist & Geneticist Sadao SAKAMOTO : Dr. Ag., Researcher, National Institute of Genetics, Botanist & Geneticist Three junior members will join the party. The Death of Dr. Isamu UCHIKAWA It is really regretable to report that Dr. Isamu UCHIKAWA, Emeritus Professor, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan, passed away due to the softening of the brain on January 14, 1970. He made considerable contributions to WIS, as one of the members of the Coordinating Committee. His death means certainly a serious loss to the world of science. (K.Y.) Correction WIS No. 29 : In an article "Telocentric mapping of a second gene for grass-clump dwarfism" by R.A. MCINTOSH and E.P. BAKER, the following correction should be noted. Page 7, Line 6 : For "MCINTOSH and BAKER (1968) located D2" read "MCINTOSH and BAKER (1968) located D1" |
| *KUSE : Kyoto University Scientific Expedition to the Karakoram
and Hindukush, 1955. *BMUK : Botanical Mission of Kyoto University to the Eastern Mediterranean Countries, 1959. *BEC : Botanical Expedition to the Caucasia, Kyoto University, 1966. *KUSES : Kyoto University Scientific Expedition to the Sahara and its Surrounding Areas, l967-1968. |