scholarly journals Genetic Resources of The Universal Flavor, Vanilla

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minoo Divakaran ◽  
N.T. Fathima Rafieah

Commercially cultivated vanilla (V. planifolia) is native to Mexico and its cultivation and breeding programmes face major bottlenecks. This study reports presence of important agronomic characters in two important and endangered species of Vanilla, V. aphylla and V. pilifera, indigenous to India. V. aphylla was tolerant to Fusarium wilt and had longer flower life than the cultivated vanilla. V. pilifera flowers were fragrant, showed signs of insect pollination and had large fruit size. The species were amenable to interspecific hybridization and successful reciprocal crosses were done. Sequence similarity studies indicated the clustering of leafy and leafless species separately.

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohar Singh ◽  
Z. Khan ◽  
Krishna Kumar ◽  
M. Dutta ◽  
Anju Pathania ◽  
...  

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum, Schlecht. emend. Snyd. & Hans. f. sp. ciceri is prevalent in most chickpea-growing countries and is a major devastating disease. Host plant resistance is the most practical method of disease management. Indigenous chickpea germplasm reveals a heterogeneous genetic make-up and the response of resistance to wilt is an unexplored potential source for disease resistance. There are 70 indigenous germplasm lines selected on the basis of their agronomic performance and diverse areas of collections in the country. Of these, four accessions had a highly resistant score of 1 and six had a score of 3 using a 1–9 rating scale, indicating their level of resistance to Fusarium wilt (race 4). Other germplasm accessions of chickpea were found to be moderately resistant to highly susceptible disease reaction. Likewise, the same set of germplasm was also screened for Meloidogyne incognita (race 1) using pot culture under controlled condition. Only one accession was found to be resistant to this pest. These resistant gene sources can be utilised effectively for race-specific chickpea wilt and root-knot resistance breeding programmes.


Author(s):  
Michaela Benková ◽  
Iveta Čičová ◽  
Daniela Benedikova ◽  
Lubomir Mendel ◽  
Miroslav Glasa

Abstract The work is focused on the evaluation of variability of morphological and pomological characteristics of several old sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) that were found in different Slovak regions. The experimental work has been performed during two years, 2014 and 2015. The following characteristics according to the descriptor list of subgenus Cerasus were evaluated - period of flowering and ripening, morphological characteristics of the flowers, fruit size, fruit weight, and quality parameters. The results showed high variability of evaluated accessions. From the 13 surveyed localities, the most valuable accessions were found in the locality Hornį Streda - places Čachtice, Krakovany, Nitra, and Brdárka. During the collecting expeditions, 170 accessions of sweet cherry, with fruit of the different quality were found. The most interesting accessions were grafted onto rootstocks with different intensity of growth (Prunus avium L., Prunus mahaleb L., and ‘Gisela5’). Some of the selected cherry accessions can be used for commercial growing after tests, while some of them can be used only for collection of genetic resources and as potential genitors in breeding programmes.


Author(s):  
Gunārs Lācis ◽  
Irita Kota-Dombrovska ◽  
Sarmīte Strautiņa

Abstract The structure of raspberry cultivars and genetic resources in the Baltic countries have been influenced by the historical political situation in the 20th century and climatic conditions, especially winterhardiness. The genetic resources consist of some old European and American cultivars, but mostly of cultivars and hybrids bred in Russia. Currently, targeted breeding programmes are active only in Estonia and Latvia, which aim to develop winterhardy, disease-resistant cultivars, well adapted to the local climate. Therefore, parent material for hybridisation has been chosen from local advanced hybrids and introduced cultivars suitable to the regional climatic conditions. The aim of the study was to estimate the level of genetic diversity of Rubus germplasm and assess inter-specific and intra-specific relationships using phenotypical characterisation and molecular markers. Forty one Rubus genotypes were evaluated by 41 phenotypical traits and 15 previously described SSR markers. Both characterisation approaches discovered high correspondence with pedigree and a low level of diversity. A limited amount of the diversity of raspberry genetic material has been used in various breeding programmes, despite their broad geographical origin. The obtained results indicate the need for including local wild R. idaeus plant material into breeding programmes.


2021 ◽  
pp. 110-147
Author(s):  
Sisir Mitra

Abstract The major objectives of guava breeding are aimed at improving both plant and fruit characteristics such as to develop high-yielding, high-quality dwarf cultivars with fruits of uniform shape, good size, attractive skin and pulp colour, fewer and/or soft seeds, resistant to wilt, nematodes and long storage life. Selection of superior seedlings has resulted in the development of a number of cultivars in different countries. This chapter describes the Psidium species used in breeding (Psidium cattleyanum, P. guineense, P. acutangulum, P. friedrichsthalianum, P. angulatum and P. littorale), objectives of breeding programmes, introduction and selection, inheritance pattern, interspecific hybridization, polyploidy, mutation and molecular characterization. Guava cultivars growing in different countries (Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, USA and vietnam) are also described.


OCL ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sreten Terzić ◽  
Marie-Claude Boniface ◽  
Laura Marek ◽  
Daniel Alvarez ◽  
Karin Baumann ◽  
...  

Modern breeding of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), which started 100 years ago, increased the number and the diversity of cultivated forms. In addition, for more than 50 years, wild sunflower and other Helianthus species have been collected in North America where they all originated. Collections of both cultivated and wild forms are maintained in gene banks in many countries where sunflower is an important crop, with some specificity according to the availability of germplasm and to local research and breeding programmes. Cultivated material includes land races, open pollinated varieties, synthetics and inbred lines. The majority of wild accessions are ecotypes of wild Helianthus annuus, but also 52 other species of Helianthus and a few related genera. The activities of three gene banks, in USA, France and Serbia, are described in detail, supplemented by data from seven other countries. Past and future uses of the genetic resources for environmental adaptation and breeding are discussed in relation to genomic and improved phenotypic knowledge of the cultivated and wild accessions available in the gene banks.


2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 557-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. K. Bozokalfa ◽  
Bülent Yağmur ◽  
Tansel Kaygısız Aşçıoğul ◽  
Dursun Eşiyok

Mineral concentration levels in cultivated vegetables have received very little concern in the context of biodiversity despite the fact that most vegetables have a rich micronutrient composition. Swiss chard is an important salad crop which is high yielding and rich in minerals, vitamins and phenolic compounds. It is also extremely easy to grow. However, there is a lack of information on the genetic variability of mineral concentration of Swiss chard. Mineral composition diversity of 54 genetically diverse Swiss chard accessions, representative of all Turkish Swiss chard genetic resources, was investigated using multivariate analysis. These traits are useful in evaluating germplasm diversity in the nutritional concentration context and for use in further breeding programmes which will focus on improving mineral concentrations in Swiss chard cultivars. The results displayed significant differences among accessions and remarkably high nutrient contents. The data gathered were analyzed using principal components (PCs) and cluster analysis and revealed five major groupings. The data also observed 74.39% of total variation. The first three PCs accounted for 49.86% of the total variation in the population. Present values provided great variability among accessions and the results demonstrate that it is possible to identify genetic differentiation among Swiss chard accession for some nutritional elements. The genetic resources that exist indicate that potentially important accessions could be used as a gene source due to their high levels of K, Ca, Cu and Zn in breeding programmes.


2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen D. Hopper

Conservation of Australian plants depends on a spectrum of activities from descriptive and experimental biological studies to active management and restoration of wild ecosystems by local communities who value their native biota. On the basis of the premise that available resources for conservation will not allow for all threatened biodiversity to be saved, some systematists and conservation geneticists argue that phylogenetic relationships should be used to set conservation priorities. The principle advocated is that characters, not species number, should become the currency of conservation, that cladistic analysis of phylogenetic pattern provides a predictive means of modelling the underlying distribution of characters among taxa, and that priority should be given to that subset of taxa with the greatest number of character states. This approach has been applied for some time in the conservation of genetic resources within species (e.g. Eucalyptus caesia), and has been an extra impetus for action with taxonomically isolated endangered species such as the recently discovered araucarian Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis). However, most plant conservation activity in Australia has paid little heed to phylogenetic relationships. Degree of threat has been a driving motivation, with endangered species receiving legislative and management attention irrespective of their systematic relationships. Moreover, the current revolution in understanding plant phylogeny associated with DNA sequence studies highlights the need for caution in accepting results of morphologically based analyses. A series of studies on the kangaroo paw and bloodroot family Haemodoraceae highlights this cautionary tale. The derivation of phylogenetic principles relevant to ecosystem and landscape processes is a new field of some promise to conservation managers. An understanding of the Gondwanan origins and landscape evolution of the south-west Australian flora provides a useful case study. Scaling up phylogenetic knowledge of genetic resources within species, and of the evolutionary relationships of taxa to an integrated overview of best management practices for all taxa at the local landscape level, is perhaps the most effective contribution phylogeneticists might make to help conserve Australian plants.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
M. Fujihara ◽  
S. Goel ◽  
Y. Kimura ◽  
N. Minami ◽  
M. Yamada ◽  
...  

Gonocytes are primitive germ cells that reside in neonatal testis and are believed to be progenitor-type stem cells that differentiate into spermatogonial stem cells. Because of their self-renewal ability, gonocytes may be one of the targets for cryopreservation of genetic resources in domestic animals and in endangered species. However, there are only a few reports regarding the preservation of gonocytes and spermatogonial stem cells isolated from the testis. In this experiment, porcine gonocytes were used as a model for preservation of genetic resources. Porcine testes were collected at 2–6 days after birth. They were divided into the 5 experimental groups for storage: (1) DMEM/F12 medium, (2) DMEM/F12 + 15 mm HEPES, (3) PBS, (4) PBS + 15 mm HEPES, and (5) Liquid-Free, and stored at 4�C for 24 h. The testes were minced by scissors and digested with 2-step enzyme treatments. The gonocytes were isolated by Percoll density gradients and recovered from the fraction between 50 and 60%. The viability of cells was assessed using trypan blue dye exclusion. To determine optimum cryopreservation conditions for gonocytes, 10% DMSO, 10% glycerol, and 0.07 mm sucrose were used as cryoprotectants. The isolated gonocytes were suspended in DMEM/F12 + 10% FBS containing cryoprotectant at 4�C, kept at –80�C overnight, and finally immersed in liquid nitrogen. After freezing and thawing of gonocytes, cells were examined for viability and then cultured in DMEM/F12 + 10% FBS in 5% CO2, 95% air at 37�C in humidified atmosphere. Identification of gonocytes was performed using a specific marker of gonocytes, a lectin Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA; Goel et al. 2007 Biol. Reprod. 77, 127–137). The gonocytes were recovered from testes at the purity level of around 70%. Cell viability in average after storage of testes at 4�C was significantly higher in DMEM/F12 + HEPES (95.3%) and PBS + HEPES (89.8%) than in DMEM/F12 (73.9%), PBS (79.7%), and Liquid-Free (72.2%) (P < 0.05; ANOVA). The addition of HEPES in storage medium seemed to be effective for improving cell viability. The use of 10% DMSO and 0.07 mm sucrose as cryoprotectants supported high cell viability (74.4%) of gonocytes after freezing and thawing. The addition of glycerol had an adverse effect on cell viability after freezing (18.3%). When cells were cultured, gonocytes started to form colonies after 3 days and continued to proliferate for at least 7 days in culture. These colonies showed DBA affinity and maintained their nature as gonocytes. The viability of gonocytes can be maintained in the testis at 4�C for at least 24 h and after freezing and thawing. The stored gonocytes successfully proliferated in culture for at least 7 days. In conclusion, these results may provide useful information for short-term storage of primitive germ cells and preservation of genetic resources in domestic animals and in endangered species. It may also have implications for assisted reproductive technology in humans.


2011 ◽  
Vol 40 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 118-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Žáková ◽  
M. Benková

A set of 140 winter barley genetic resources of foreign and domestic origins was tested on experimental basis of RIPP in 1997&ndash;1999 to characterise the variability of the accessions based on agronomic data using multivariate methods. In the set tested, variability was studied of selected traits and characteristics such as: plant height (PH), weight of 1000 grains (W), grain number per a&nbsp;spike (SNG), grain uniformity &ndash; ratio of front seeds over 2.5 &nbsp;m sieve (GU), vegetation period &ndash; sowing/full maturity (VM) and seed yield (Y). Agronomic characters show great variability between cultivars. The study of matrix interrelationships between different variables showed that the yield is greatly correlated with traits:&nbsp; vegetation period &ndash; sowing/full maturity, grain uniformity and grain number per a&nbsp;spike. High positive correlation was obtained between the grain uniformity and the weight of 1000 grains. Negative correlation was found between the grain number per&nbsp;a spike and weight of 1000&nbsp;grains in six-row barley. Correlations between agronomic traits differed between two- and six-row barley sets. The study revealed the existence of genetic differences among accessions as well as differences between two- and six-row winter barley and between the genotypes of domestic and foreign country origin, respectively. Results of this study provided information about diversity which should be of particular interest for the further collecting of genetic resources. &nbsp;


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 964-967 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Hemmings ◽  
M. West ◽  
T. R. Birkhead

About 10 per cent of birds' eggs fail to hatch, but the incidence of failure can be much higher in endangered species. Most studies fail to distinguish between infertility (due to a lack of sperm) and embryo mortality as the cause of hatching failure, yet doing so is crucial in order to understand the underlying problem. Using newly validated techniques to visualize sperm and embryonic tissue, we assessed the fertility status of unhatched eggs of five endangered species, including both wild and captive birds. All eggs were classified as ‘infertile’ when collected, but most were actually fertile with numerous sperm on the ovum. Eggs of captive birds had fewer sperm and were more likely to be infertile than those of wild birds. Our findings raise important questions regarding the management of captive breeding programmes.


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