Metabolomics: A Powerful Tool to Study the Complexity of Wheat Metabolome

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Razzaq ◽  
Wajiha Guul ◽  
Muhammad Sarwar Khan ◽  
Fozia Saleem
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Stress Tolerance ◽  
Biotic Stress ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Stress Resilience ◽  
Regulatory Pathways ◽  
Improvement Programs

: Wheat is a widely cultivated cereal, consumed by nearly 80% of the total population in the world. Although wheat is growing on 215 million hectares annually, its production is still inadequate to meet the future demand of feeding the 10 billion human population. Global food security is the biggest challenge as climate change is threatening crop production. There is a need to fast-track the wheat breeding by devising modern biotechnological tools. Climate-smart wheat having greater stress resilience, better adaptability and improved agronomic traits are vital to guarantee food security. Substantial understanding and knowledge of vital biochemical pathways and regulatory networks is required for achieving stress resilience in wheat. Metabolomics has emerged as a fascinating technology to speed up the crop improvement programs by deciphering unique metabolic pathways for abiotic/biotic stress tolerance. State-of-the-art metabolomics tools such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and advanced mass spectrometry (MS) has opened new horizons for detailed analysis of wheat metabolome. The identification of unique metabolic pathways offers various types of stress tolerance and helps to screen the elite wheat cultivars. In this review, we summarize the applications of metabolomics to probe the stressresponsive metabolites and stress-inducive regulatory pathways that govern abiotic/biotic stress tolerance in wheat and highlight the significance of metabolic profiling to characterize wheat agronomics traits. Furthermore, we also describe the potential of metabolomics-assisted speed breeding for wheat improvement and propose future directions.

scholarly journals Next-Generation Breeding Strategies for Climate-Ready Crops

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Razzaq ◽  
Parwinder Kaur ◽  
Naheed Akhter ◽  
Shabir Hussain Wani ◽  
Fozia Saleem
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Gene Repertoire ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Base Editing ◽  
Global Food Security ◽  
Improvement Programs ◽  
Global Food

Climate change is a threat to global food security due to the reduction of crop productivity around the globe. Food security is a matter of concern for stakeholders and policymakers as the global population is predicted to bypass 10 billion in the coming years. Crop improvement via modern breeding techniques along with efficient agronomic practices innovations in microbiome applications, and exploiting the natural variations in underutilized crops is an excellent way forward to fulfill future food requirements. In this review, we describe the next-generation breeding tools that can be used to increase crop production by developing climate-resilient superior genotypes to cope with the future challenges of global food security. Recent innovations in genomic-assisted breeding (GAB) strategies allow the construction of highly annotated crop pan-genomes to give a snapshot of the full landscape of genetic diversity (GD) and recapture the lost gene repertoire of a species. Pan-genomes provide new platforms to exploit these unique genes or genetic variation for optimizing breeding programs. The advent of next-generation clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR-associated (CRISPR/Cas) systems, such as prime editing, base editing, and de nova domestication, has institutionalized the idea that genome editing is revamped for crop improvement. Also, the availability of versatile Cas orthologs, including Cas9, Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14, improved the editing efficiency. Now, the CRISPR/Cas systems have numerous applications in crop research and successfully edit the major crop to develop resistance against abiotic and biotic stress. By adopting high-throughput phenotyping approaches and big data analytics tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), agriculture is heading toward automation or digitalization. The integration of speed breeding with genomic and phenomic tools can allow rapid gene identifications and ultimately accelerate crop improvement programs. In addition, the integration of next-generation multidisciplinary breeding platforms can open exciting avenues to develop climate-ready crops toward global food security.

Genetic variation and path analysis for yield and other agronomic traits in Nigella sativa L. germplasm

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 521-527
Author(s):  
Muhammad Sajjad Iqbal ◽  
Abdul Ghafoor ◽  
Muhammad Akbar ◽  
Shamim Akhtar ◽  
Sammer Fatima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
Root Length ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Nigella Sativa ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Path Coefficient ◽  
Root Weight ◽  
Days To Maturity ◽  
Improvement Programs

Thirty two genotypes of Nigella sativa L. were evaluated for three consecutive years which showed significant differences for all the traits indicating high level of genetic variation. Heritability in broad sense ranged from 0.28 to 0.98 and the highest heritability was calculated for days to maturity and days to flowers. Grain yield was positively associated with plant height, capsule weight, capsule length, root length, whereas negatively with capsule width and 1000-seed weight that required the use of novel breeding techniques to break this undesired linkage to improve grain yield in N. sativa. Path coefficient indicated that direct effects of all the traits were positive except days to first flower, days to 50% flowers, flowering duration, number of capsules, root weight and harvest index. The characters exhibiting correlation along with direct effect towards grain yield viz., days to maturity, capsule weight, capsule length and root length should be given more preference while selecting high yielding N. sativa genotypes for future crop improvement programs.

scholarly journals Comparative Genomic Analysis of Quantitative Trait Loci Associated With Micronutrient Contents, Grain Quality, and Agronomic Traits in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikwan Shariatipour ◽  
Bahram Heidari ◽  
Ahmad Tahmasebi ◽  
Christopher Richards
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Trait Loci ◽  
Quantitative Trait ◽  
Grain Quality ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Trait Loci ◽  
Stable Qtls ◽  
Improvement Programs

Comparative genomics and meta-quantitative trait loci (MQTLs) analysis are important tools for the identification of reliable and stable QTLs and functional genes controlling quantitative traits. We conducted a meta-analysis to identify the most stable QTLs for grain yield (GY), grain quality traits, and micronutrient contents in wheat. A total of 735 QTLs retrieved from 27 independent mapping populations reported in the last 13 years were used for the meta-analysis. The results showed that 449 QTLs were successfully projected onto the genetic consensus map which condensed to 100 MQTLs distributed on wheat chromosomes. This consolidation of MQTLs resulted in a three-fold reduction in the confidence interval (CI) compared with the CI for the initial QTLs. Projection of QTLs revealed that the majority of QTLs and MQTLs were in the non-telomeric regions of chromosomes. The majority of micronutrient MQTLs were located on the A and D genomes. The QTLs of thousand kernel weight (TKW) were frequently associated with QTLs for GY and grain protein content (GPC) with co-localization occurring at 55 and 63%, respectively. The co- localization of QTLs for GY and grain Fe was found to be 52% and for QTLs of grain Fe and Zn, it was found to be 66%. The genomic collinearity within Poaceae allowed us to identify 16 orthologous MQTLs (OrMQTLs) in wheat, rice, and maize. Annotation of promising candidate genes (CGs) located in the genomic intervals of the stable MQTLs indicated that several CGs (e.g., TraesCS2A02G141400, TraesCS3B02G040900, TraesCS4D02G323700, TraesCS3B02G077100, and TraesCS4D02G290900) had effects on micronutrients contents, yield, and yield-related traits. The mapping refinements leading to the identification of these CGs provide an opportunity to understand the genetic mechanisms driving quantitative variation for these traits and apply this information for crop improvement programs.

scholarly journals Sustainable Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Production through Improved Technology: An Overview of Production, Challenges, and Opportunities in Myanmar

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Myint ◽  
Syed A. Gilani ◽  
Makoto Kawase ◽  
Kazuo N. Watanabe
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Sesamum Indicum ◽  
Genetic Maps ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Genomic Resources ◽  
Improvement Programs

This paper aims to review the research achievements concerning sustainable sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) production and outlook on the production constraints and future perspectives for Myanmar sesame. Sesame is an economically and nutritionally important crop, and it is prized for oil. The global sesame market demand is rising with increasing health awareness. Meanwhile, there is high competition in the market among producing countries for an international trade. Smallholder farmers in developing countries cultivate sesame as a cash crop on marginal soils. The edible oilseed sectors currently face several challenges, including ones affecting sesame crops. For sustainable production of sesame, an integrated approach is needed to overcome these challenges and the critical limiting factors should be identified. In recent years, sesame genomic resources, including molecular markers, genetic maps, genome sequences, and online functional databases, are available for sesame genetic improvement programs. Since ancient times, sesame has been cultivated in Myanmar, but productivity is still lower than that of other sesame producing countries. Myanmar sesame production is limited by many factors, including production technology, research and development, etc. With integration of these genomic resources, crop production and protection techniques, postharvest practices, crop improvement programs, and capacity building will play a crucial role for improving sesame production in Myanmar.

scholarly journals Phenotypic evaluation of DH-lines developed on the base of rice samples with blast resistance genes

2021 ◽  
Vol 285 ◽  
pp. 02021
Author(s):  
E. G. Savenko ◽  
Zh. M. Mukhina ◽  
V. A. Glazyrina ◽  
T. L. Korotenko ◽  
S. V. Garkusha
Keyword(s):  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Blast Resistance ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Improvement Programs ◽  
Dh Lines ◽  
Blast Resistance Genes

Gametoclonal changes are an additional source of genetic variation suitable for use in crop improvement programs for a range of agronomic traits. The aim of the study was to accelerate development of genetically stable DH rice lines with high morphological and genetic uniformity by the method of experimental haploidy in vitro based on breeding valuable samples with specified characteristics and carrying genes of a wide spectrum of blast resistance, as well as samples with racespecific genes for resistance to the pathogen, and subsequent assessment of agronomic traits of androgenic lines. The data on the callusogenic and regenerative capacity of 30 genotypes of domestic rice and samples of Chinese introduction with genes for blast resistance in anther culture in vitro are presented. Genetically stable (homozygous) androgenic lines were developed on the basis of these breeding valuable samples. The characteristics of economic and biological traits and elements of panicle productivity of 30 DH-line developed from three samples with blast resistance genes are given. The variability of traits arising as a result of gametoclonal variability in androgenic lines was noted for such traits as plant height, panicle length, blast resistance, and weight of 1000 grains.

scholarly journals Transcription Factors Associated with Abiotic and Biotic Stress Tolerance and Their Potential for Crops Improvement

Genes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baillo ◽  
Kimotho ◽  
Zhang ◽  
Xu
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Stress Tolerance ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Biotic Stress ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Abiotic And Biotic Stress ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Biotic Stresses ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Tf Gene

In field conditions, crops are adversely affected by a wide range of abiotic stresses including drought, cold, salt, and heat, as well as biotic stresses including pests and pathogens. These stresses can have a marked effect on crop yield. The present and future effects of climate change necessitate the improvement of crop stress tolerance. Plants have evolved sophisticated stress response strategies, and genes that encode transcription factors (TFs) that are master regulators of stress-responsive genes are excellent candidates for crop improvement. Related examples in recent studies include TF gene modulation and overexpression approaches in crop species to enhance stress tolerance. However, much remains to be discovered about the diverse plant TFs. Of the >80 TF families, only a few, such as NAC, MYB, WRKY, bZIP, and ERF/DREB, with vital roles in abiotic and biotic stress responses have been intensively studied. Moreover, although significant progress has been made in deciphering the roles of TFs in important cereal crops, fewer TF genes have been elucidated in sorghum. As a model drought-tolerant crop, sorghum research warrants further focus. This review summarizes recent progress on major TF families associated with abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and their potential for crop improvement, particularly in sorghum. Other TF families and non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression are discussed briefly. Despite the emphasis on sorghum, numerous examples from wheat, rice, maize, and barley are included. Collectively, the aim of this review is to illustrate the potential application of TF genes for stress tolerance improvement and the engineering of resistant crops, with an emphasis on sorghum.

scholarly journals Exploration of Epigenetics for Improvement of Drought and Other Stress Resistance in Crops: A Review

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1226
Author(s):  
Chao Sun ◽  
Kazim Ali ◽  
Kan Yan ◽  
Sajid Fiaz ◽  
Richard Dormatey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Tolerance ◽  
Stress Resistance ◽  
Complex Traits ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Plant Stress ◽  
Yield Potential ◽  
Epigenetic Changes ◽  
Stress Memory ◽  
Plant Stress Memory

Crop plants often have challenges of biotic and abiotic stresses, and they adapt sophisticated ways to acclimate and cope with these through the expression of specific genes. Changes in chromatin, histone, and DNA mostly serve the purpose of combating challenges and ensuring the survival of plants in stressful environments. Epigenetic changes, due to environmental stress, enable plants to remember a past stress event in order to deal with such challenges in the future. This heritable memory, called “plant stress memory”, enables plants to respond against stresses in a better and efficient way, not only for the current plant in prevailing situations but also for future generations. Development of stress resistance in plants for increasing the yield potential and stability has always been a traditional objective of breeders for crop improvement through integrated breeding approaches. The application of epigenetics for improvements in complex traits in tetraploid and some other field crops has been unclear. An improved understanding of epigenetics and stress memory applications will contribute to the development of strategies to incorporate them into breeding for complex agronomic traits. The insight in the application of novel plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) has opened a new plethora of options among plant scientists to develop germplasms for stress tolerance. This review summarizes and discusses plant stress memory at the intergenerational and transgenerational levels, mechanisms involved in stress memory, exploitation of induced and natural epigenetic changes, and genome editing technologies with their future possible applications, in the breeding of crops for abiotic stress tolerance to increase the yield for zero hunger goals achievement on a sustainable basis in the changing climatic era.

scholarly journals Identification of Novel Marker–Trait Associations for Lint Yield Contributing Traits in Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Using SSRs

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawan Kumar ◽  
Somveer Nimbal ◽  
Rajvir Singh Sangwan ◽  
Neeraj Budhlakoti ◽  
Varsha Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gossypium Hirsutum ◽  
Linear Model ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Mixed Linear Model ◽  
Lint Yield ◽  
Cotton Crop ◽  
Significant Marker ◽  
Improvement Programs ◽  
Trait Associations

Improving the yield of lint is the main objective for most of the cotton crop improvement programs throughout the world as it meets the demand of fiber for textile industries. In the current study, 96 genotypes of Gossypium hirsutum were used to find novel simple sequence repeat marker-based associations for lint yield contributing traits by linkage disequilibrium. Extensive phenotyping of 96 genotypes for various agronomic traits was done for two consecutive years (2018 and 2019) in early, normal, and late sown environments. Out of 168 SSR markers screened over the 96 genotypes, a total of 97 polymorphic markers containing 293 alleles were used for analysis. Three different models, i.e., mixed linear model (MLM), compressed mixed linear model (CMLM), and multiple locus mixed linear model (MLMM), were used to detect the significant marker–trait associations for six different environments separately. A total of 38 significant marker–trait associations that were common to at least two environments were considered as promising associations and detailed annotation of the significant markers has been carried out. Twenty-two marker–trait associations were found to be novel in the current study. These results will be very useful for crop improvement programs using marker-assisted cotton breeding.

The benefits of exotic food crops cultivated by small-scale growers in the UK

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 569-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Kell ◽  
A. Rosenfeld ◽  
S. Cunningham ◽  
S. Dobbie ◽  
N. Maxted
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Crop Diversity ◽  
Positive Sign ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Food Crops ◽  
Improvement Programs ◽  
Growing Conditions ◽  
The Uk

AbstractExotic crops—plant species grown in relatively small quantities and not traditionally cultivated in a country or region—are often intimately linked with the ethnic origins of their maintainers and are a principal source of culinary and nutritional diversity for many people. Recognizing that a wealth of exotic crop diversity and associated knowledge is held by small-scale growers in the UK, Garden Organic initiated the Sowing New Seeds project to capture and preserve some of this valuable resource by building a seed collection and knowledge base. To establish a sample of this diversity and knowledge, we undertook a survey at 31 allotment sites in the Midlands region of the UK with the objectives of identifying the exotic crops cultivated, characterizing the demography of those who grow them, understanding their direct use values, and assessing their potential indirect use value for the diversification and improvement of other crops. Results reveal that 26% of the food crops recorded are exotic and that they are grown by people belonging to 13 different ethnic groups. The majority save their own seed, indicating that these crops are performing well in the UK, with grower selection providing the basis for their continuing success. Further, most maintainers swap seed with other growers, indicating that exotic crops are likely to be gradually diversifying in response to different growing conditions—a positive sign for their value for local food security and as national genetic resources with potential for use in crop improvement programs. The research highlights the multitude of benefits that growers obtain through cultivating exotic crops, which are not only related to nutrition and culinary requirements, but also to general health and well-being, culture, and a range of other forms of life enrichment. It is critical that growers are encouraged and supported in continuing to cultivate, save and pass on their exotic crops to younger generations, as well as to protect allotments from development in order to maintain this important diversity adapted to local growing conditions. Importantly, many exotic crops currently grown on a small scale may enter into commerce, and thus expand the diversity of the UK's food crop base. Such a shift may be particularly important in the face of the increasingly detrimental impacts of climate change on crop production. We conclude that exotic crop diversity could be more important for future nutrition, health and food security than we currently appreciate.

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