scholarly journals Comparative Analysis Delineates the Transcriptional Resistance Mechanisms for Pod Borer Resistance in the Pigeonpea Wild Relative Cajanus scarabaeoides (L.) Thouars

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 309
Author(s):  
Isaac Njaci ◽  
Abigail Ngugi-Dawit ◽  
Richard O. Oduor ◽  
Leah Kago ◽  
Brett Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Agricultural Pests ◽  
Wild Genotype ◽  
Pod Borer ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Wild Pigeonpea

Insect pests pose a serious threat to global food production. Pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner)) is one of the most destructive pests of leguminous crops. The use of host resistance has been an effective, environmentally friendly and sustainable approach for controlling several agricultural pests. The exploitation of natural variations in crop wild relatives could yield pest-resistant crop varieties. In this study, we used a high-throughput transcriptome profiling approach to investigate the defense mechanisms of susceptible cultivated and tolerant wild pigeonpea genotypes against H. armigera infestation. The wild genotype displayed elevated pest-induced gene expression, including the enhanced induction of phytohormone and calcium/calmodulin signaling, transcription factors, plant volatiles and secondary metabolite genes compared to the cultivated control. The biosynthetic and regulatory processes associated with flavonoids, terpenes and glucosinolate secondary metabolites showed higher accumulations in the wild genotype, suggesting the existence of distinct tolerance mechanisms. This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying insect resistance in the wild pigeonpea genotype. This information highlights the indispensable role of crop wild relatives as a source of crucial genetic resources that could be important in devising strategies for crop improvement with enhanced pest resistance.

Spatial analyses of occurrence data of crop wild relatives (CWR) taxa as tools for selection of sites for conservation of priority CWR in Zambia

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dickson Ng'uni ◽  
Graybill Munkombwe ◽  
Godfrey Mwila ◽  
Hannes Gaisberger ◽  
Joana Magos Brehm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Relative Distribution ◽  
Spatial Analyses ◽  
Threat Status ◽  
Occurrence Data

AbstractCrop wild relatives (CWR) are valuable gene pools for crop improvement and offer unique potential and opportunity for enhancing food security and adaptation to climate change. However, current actions towards conservation of plant genetic resources in Zambia do not adequately cover CWR occurring in the country. The article describes the process leading to the development of a national strategic action plan (NSAP) for the conservation and sustainable use of priority CWR in Zambia. Based on 59 prioritized crops, a partial checklist of 459 CWR taxa was generated from the national flora checklist of 6305 taxa. The generated CWR taxa were prioritized based on the socio-economic value of the related crop, their utilization potential in crop improvement, relative distribution and threat status to produce 30 prioritized CWR taxa. Occurrence data were compiled for all CWR inventory taxa and used in spatial analyses to establish species distribution, species richness, gaps in in situ conservation and genebank collections, and to identify priority sites for in situ conservation and ex situ collecting. Consistent with the national developmental agenda, along with the contribution of national stakeholders, spatial analyses of occurrence data of priority CWR taxa are valuable input for the development of the NSAP for the conservation and sustainable use of the priority CWR.

A crop wild relative inventory for Southern Africa: a first step in linking conservation and use of valuable wild populations for enhancing food security

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Allen ◽  
H. Gaisberger ◽  
J. Magos Brehm ◽  
N. Maxted ◽  
I. Thormann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Human Food

AbstractSuccessful conservation strategies require that taxa are prioritized because resources for planning and implementation are always limited. In this study, we created a partial checklist of crop wild relatives (CWR) that occur in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and identified the taxa of highest priority for regional conservation planning based on their importance for food and economic security. We found that the region contains over 1900 wild relatives of species cultivated for food, beverages, ornamental, forage/fodder, forestry, medicinal, environmental and other uses. Prioritization of these species was based on two criteria: (i) the value of the related crop for human food and economic security in the region and/or globally, and (ii) the potential or known value of the wild relatives of those crops for crop improvement. The region contains 745 CWR species related to 64 human food and beverage crops that are of high socioeconomic importance and 100 of these are of immediate priority for conservation action. The results of this study show that the SADC region contains a wealth of CWR diversity that is not only of value for food and economic security within the region but also globally. Furthermore, this study represents the first step in developing a CWR conservation and sustainable use strategy for the region, where its implementation would contribute to food security and well-being.

scholarly journals Enhancement of the use and impact of germplasm in crop improvement

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (S1) ◽  
pp. S155-S159 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. D. Upadhyaya ◽  
S. L. Dwivedi ◽  
S. Sharma ◽  
N. Lalitha ◽  
S. Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insect Pests ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Plant Genetic Resources ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Pod Borer ◽  
Genetic Stocks ◽  
Beneficial Traits ◽  
Allelic Variations

Plant genetic resources are raw materials and their use in breeding is one of the most sustainable ways to conserve biodiversity. The ICRISAT has over 120,000 accessions of its five mandate crops and six small millets. The management and utilization of such large diversity are greatest challenges to germplasm curators and crop breeders. New sources of variations have been discovered using core and minicore collections developed at the ICRISAT. About 1.4 million seed samples have been distributed; some accessions with specific attributes have been requested more frequently. The advances in genomics have led researchers to dissect population structure and diversity and mine allelic variations associated with agronomically beneficial traits. Genome-wide association mapping in sorghum has revealed significant marker–trait associations for many agronomically beneficial traits. Wild relatives harbour genes for resistance to diseases and insect pests. Resistance to pod borer in chickpea and pigeonpea and resistance to rust and late leaf spot in groundnut have been successfully introgressed into a cultivated genetic background. Synthetics in groundnut are available to broaden the cultigen's gene pool. ICRISAT has notified the release of 266 varieties/cultivars, germplasm, and elite genetic stocks with unique traits, with some having a significant impact on breeding programs. Seventy-five germplasm lines have been directly released for cultivation in 39 countries.

Harnessing Crop Wild Relatives for Crop Improvement

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mukesh Choudhary ◽  
Vishal Singh ◽  
Vignesh Muthusamy ◽  
Shabir Hussain Wani
Keyword(s):  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives

scholarly journals Amenability of Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to gene silencing through exogenous administration and host-delivered dsRNA in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhurima Chatterjee ◽  
Jyoti Yadav ◽  
Maniraj Rathinam ◽  
Kesiraju Karthik ◽  
Gopal Chowdhary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Silencing ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Maruca Vitrata ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Biotic Stresses ◽  
Pod Borer ◽  
Plant Level

Abstract Insect pests are one of the major biotic stresses limiting yield in commercially important food crops. The lepidopteran polyphagous spotted pod borer, Maruca vitrata causes significant economic losses in legumes including pigeonpea. RNAi-based gene silencing has emerged as one of the potential biotechnological tools for crop improvement. We report in this paper, RNAi in M. vitrata through exogenous administration of dsRNA encoding three functionally important genes, Alpha-amylase (α-amylase), Chymotrypsin-like serine protease (CTLP) and Tropomyosin (TPM) into the larval haemolymph and their host-delivered RNAi in pigeonpea. Significant decline in the expression of selected genes supported by over-expression of DICER and generation of siRNA indicated the occurrence of RNAi in the dsRNA-injected larvae. Additionally, the onset of RNAi in the herbivore was demonstrated in pigeonpea, one of the prominent hosts, by host-delivered RNAi. Transgenics in pigeonpea (cv. Pusa992), a highly recalcitrant crop, were developed through a shoot apical meristem-targeted in planta transformation strategy and evaluated. Plant level bioassays in transgenic events characterized and selected at molecular level showed mortality of M. vitrata larvae as well as reduced feeding when compared to wild type. Furthermore, molecular evidences for down regulation of target genes in the insects that fed on transgenics authenticated RNAi. Considering the variability of gene silencing in lepidopteran pests, this study provided corroborative proof for the possibility of gene silencing in M. vitrata through both the strategies.

scholarly journals Cross-compatibility of cultivated cowpea varieties and their wild relatives: Implications for crop improvement

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-119
Author(s):  
D.J. Nwosu ◽  
C. Nwadike
Keyword(s):  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
F1 Hybrid ◽  
Hybrid Plants ◽  
Cross Compatibility ◽  
Cowpea Varieties ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Viable Seeds ◽  
Cultivated Populations

Hybridization programmes that potentially exploit the variability existing in the wild germplasm of Vigna unguiculata L. Walpers could be of great potential for the future of plant breeding. Bearing this in mind, four cultivated cowpea varieties (Achi shuru, Ife Brown, Kanannado and Zebra bean) were crossed to two of their wild relatives: subsp. dekindtiana var. pubescens and subsp. unguiculata var. spontanea to ascertain the cross compatibility, reproductive potential and possible heterosis in the F1 generations. Results showed that the cultivated varieties hybridized relatively well with their wild relatives showing pod set range of 42.9% to 52.3% in crosses with subsp. dekindtiana var. pubescens and 40.0% to 52.0% in crosses with subsp. unguiculata var. spontanea. The F1 hybrid plants showed high heterosis in plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of flowers per plant, number of pods per plant and percentage pod set. They also produced viable seeds for F2 generations. These results are indications of a good reproductive potential of the hybrids thus making the wild relatives, good sources of important gene pool for the improvement of the cultivated populations.

scholarly journals Understanding patterns of abiotic and biotic stress resilience to unleash the potential of crop wild relatives for climate-smart legume breeding

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten van Zonneveld ◽  
Mohamed Rakha ◽  
Shin-yee Tan ◽  
Yu-yu Chou ◽  
Ching-huan Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Biotic Stress ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Abiotic And Biotic Stress ◽  
Stress Resilience ◽  
Pests And Diseases ◽  
Legume Breeding ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Legume Production

AbstractAlthough new varieties are urgently needed for climate-smart legume production, legume breeding lags behind with cereals and underutilizes wild relatives. This paper provides insights in patterns of abiotic and biotic stress resilience of legume crops and wild relatives to enhance the use and conservation of these genetic resources for climate-smart legume breeding. We focus onVigna, a pantropical genus with more than 88 taxa including important crops such as cowpea and mung bean. Sources of pest and disease resistance occur in more than 50 percent of theVignataxa, which were screened while sources of abiotic stress resilience occur in less than 20 percent of the taxa, which were screened. This difference suggests thatVignataxa co-evolve with pests and diseases while taxa are more conservative to adapt to climatic changes and salinization. Twenty-twoVignataxa are poorly conserved in genebanks or not at all. This germplasm is not available for legume breeding and requires urgent germplasm collecting before these taxa extirpate on farm and in the wild.Vignataxa, which tolerate heat and drought stress are rare compared with taxa, which escape these stresses or tolerate salinity. These rareVignataxa should be prioritized for conservation and screening for multifunctional traits of combined abiotic and biotic stress resilience. The high presence of salinity tolerance compared with drought stress tolerance, suggests thatVignataxa are good at developing salt-tolerant traits compared with drought-tolerant traits.Vignataxa are therefore of high value for legume production in areas that suffer from salinization.

Crop wild relative diversity and conservation planning in two isolated oceanic islands of a biodiversity hotspot (Mauritius and Rodrigues)

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Bissessur ◽  
C. Baider ◽  
N. Boodia ◽  
M.G.H. Badaloo ◽  
J.A. Bégué ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Relative Distribution ◽  
Scoring Method

AbstractThe rising need for crop diversification to mitigate the impacts of climate change on food security urges the exploration of crop wild relatives (CWR) as potential genetic resources for crop improvement. This study aimed at assessing the diversity of CWR of the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues and proposing cost-effective conservation measures for their sustainable use. A comprehensive list of the native species was collated from The Mauritius Herbarium and published literature. Each species was assessed for the economic value of its related crop, utilization potential for crop improvement, relative distribution, occurrence status and Red List conservation status, using a standard scoring method for prioritization. The occurrence data of the priority species were collected, verified, geo-referenced and mapped. A total of 43 crop-related species were identified for both islands and 21 species were prioritized for active conservation. The CWR diversity hotspots in Mauritius included Mondrain, followed by Florin and Le Pouce Mountain. Although a wide diversity of CWR has been recorded on both islands, most do not relate to major economic crops in use, therefore only a few species may be gene donors to economic crops at the regional and global level. For example, coffee, a major global beverage crop, has three wild relatives on Mauritius, which could potentially be of interest for future predictive characterization.

Genomics of crop wild relatives: expanding the gene pool for crop improvement

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1070-1085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Brozynska ◽  
Agnelo Furtado ◽  
Robert J. Henry
Keyword(s):  
Gene Pool ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives

scholarly journals Cabo Verde’s Poaceae Flora: A Reservoir of Crop Wild Relatives Diversity for Crop Improvement

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanézia Rocha ◽  
Maria C. Duarte ◽  
Silvia Catarino ◽  
Ivani Duarte ◽  
Maria M. Romeiras
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Genetic Resources ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Plant Genetic Resources ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Foxtail Millet ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Eragrostis Tef ◽  
Cabo Verde

Africa is home to important centers of origin and diversity of crop wild relatives (CWR), including many species adapted to adverse agroecological conditions, namely drought and poor soils. Plant genetic resources from Cabo Verde Islands have been poorly explored for their potential to supplement the genetic pool of cultivated species. In this paper we identify Cabo Verde’s CWR from the Poaceae family and provide a checklist of priority CWR taxa, highlighting those of particular conservation concern and the areas which should be the focus of the most intensive conservation efforts in these islands. Our results revealed that Cabo Verde archipelago is an important center of CWR diversity of West African crop millets, namely fonio (e.g., white fonio, Digitaria exilis, and black fonio, Digitaria iburua) and other African millets [e.g., pearl millet (Cenchrus americanus = Pennisetum glaucum), teff millet (Eragrostis tef), finger millet (Eleusine coracana), barnyard millet (Echinochloa colona), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum), and foxtail millet (Setaria italica)], which represent a diverse group of cereal crops, and important components in agriculture and food security of this country. Also, hotspot areas of diversity for in situ conservation were identified in Cabo Verde, as well as several populations occurring under extreme habitats conditions that are well adapted to drylands and poor soils. The evaluation of their potential for new ecologically important adaptive characteristics associated with tolerance to abiotic stresses is discussed. The survey of international Germplasm Banks revealed that very few accessions from Cabo Verde are conserved, contributing to the loss of genetic diversity of plant genetic resources in this archipelago. Particularly, the diversity of millets and the associated indigenous knowledge are critical for the food security and cultural identity of many poor farmers in Cabo Verde.

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