Combining Ability and Heterosis Studies in Blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper]

Background: Blackgram is one of the important pulse crops. To improve the yield levels in this crop, studies on combining ability and heterosis are a method to select suitable parents based on their general and specific combing ability and heterotic effects for use in further breeding programmes. Methods: The present investigation was conducted during Kharif 2019. The crosses were made in line × tester mating fashion during the summer season of 2019 for obtaining 15 (Fifteen) crosses. Fifteen hybrids and their parents (3 lines and 5 testers), including one check, were grown and eleven traits were recorded to estimate general and specific combining ability in the modified line × tester method. Result: In the present investigation the predominance of non-additive gene effect in the expression of plant height, no. of clusters per plant, no. of pods per cluster, no. of pods per plant, seed yield per plant, biological yield per plant, 100 seed weight and harvest index was found. Among parents, KUP 18-346 and KUP 18-350, Pant U-31 were found to be good general combiner for seed yield and some other characters. Hybrids viz., KUP 18-350 × Pant U-31, KUP 18-345 × T-9 and KUP 18-345 × Uttara were found promising combinations for seed yield per plant. Hybrid, KUP 18-350 × Pant U-31 recorded significant standard heterosis, heterobeltiosis and average heterosis for most of the important characters.

Biometric Identification of Taxodium spp. and Their Hybrid Progenies by Electrochemical Fingerprints

The use of electrochemical fingerprints for plant identification is an emerging application in biosensors. In this work, Taxodium ascendens, T. distichum, T. mucronatum, and 18 of their hybrid progenies were collected for this purpose. This is the first attempt to use electrochemical fingerprinting for the identification of plant hybrid progeny. Electrochemical fingerprinting in the leaves of Taxodium spp. was recorded under two conditions. The results showed that the electrochemical fingerprints of each species and progeny possessed very suitable reproducibility. These electrochemical fingerprints represent the electrochemical behavior of electrochemically active substances in leaf tissues under specific conditions. Since these species and progenies are very closely related to each other, it is challenging to identify them directly using a particular electrochemical fingerprinting. Therefore, electrochemical fingerprints measured under different conditions were used to perform pattern recognition. We can identify different species and progenies by locating the features in different pattern maps. We also performed a phylogenetic study with data from electrochemical fingerprinting. The results proved that the electrochemical classification results and the relationship between them are closely related.

Against the Odds: Hybrid Zones between Mangrove Killifish Species with Different Mating Systems

Different mating systems are expected to affect the extent and direction of hybridization. Due to the different levels of sexual conflict, the weak inbreeder/strong outbreeder (WISO) hypothesis predicts that gametes from self-incompatible (SI) species should outcompete gametes from self-compatible (SC) ones. However, other factors such as timing of selfing and unilateral incompatibilities may also play a role on the direction of hybridization. In addition, differential mating opportunities provided by different mating systems are also expected to affect the direction of introgression in hybrid zones involving outcrossers and selfers. Here, we explored these hypotheses with a unique case of recent hybridization between two mangrove killifish species with different mating systems, Kryptolebias ocellatus (obligately outcrossing) and K. hermaphroditus (predominantly self-fertilizing) in two hybrid zones in southeast Brazil. Hybridization rates were relatively high (~20%), representing the first example of natural hybridization between species with different mating systems in vertebrates. All F1 individuals were sired by the selfing species. Backcrossing was small, but mostly asymmetrical with the SI parental species, suggesting pattern commonly observed in plant hybrid zones with different mating systems. Our findings shed light on how contrasting mating systems may affect the direction and extent of gene flow between sympatric species, ultimately affecting the evolution and maintenance of hybrid zones.

Mari Mutare

Mari mutare is a transdisciplinary design research project about biocompatible prostheses inspired by the early Christian being called Green Man, a human-plant hybrid that represents the nature-culture continuum. These objects are intended to address human exceptionalism from a post-anthropocentric, feminist and queer perspective. The aim of Mari mutare is to explore the multiplicity of subjectivities in ourselves and, consequently, to influence the perception of others. Arising from the emerging field of synthetic biology, speculative design methodology supports this proposal and it materialises through transhackfeminist biopractices as tools for creating knowledge and projecting other possible futures. The experiments are conducted around the Petri dish as an epistemic object. The dish contains a symbiotic assembly of human and plant cells that interpenetrate, digest and partially assimilate while grazing the categories of kingdom, species, gender, culture and nature. While this process materialises, human subjects test their future limbs aided by an augmented reality (AR) filter, as a proxy for the physical reality, to hack into self-reflection and subjectivity, thus projecting themselves beyond the self. This project is currently a work-in-progress and is supported by Pro Helvetia, Hangar Barcelona (EU Biofriction programme), Utopiana Geneva and Hackuarium.

Assessment of quality attributes of hybrids developed from pure lines of cherry and cocktail-type tomatoes

Tomato is worldwide the most grown vegetable. The primary target of breeding programs is to develop new tomato cultivars that are resistant to pests and diseases, in combination with high quality and yield, well-adaptation and good firmness. Among the different tomato types, cherry and cocktail tomatoes are widely preferred by consumers due to their better taste and appearance. In this study, two female tester lines were crossed with four male lines to obtain new tomato hybrids. The eight F1 hybrids and two commercial hybrids were planted in a randomised complete block design with two replications in a greenhouse in Antalya. The tomatoes of the hybrids and lines were harvested at fully ripened stage to evaluate yield, total soluble solids (TSS), fruit firmness, lycopene content and fruit colour parameters. TSS values of the cultivars and lines ranged from 4.5 to 9.5 °Bx, fruit firmness from 7.94 to 11.85 kg cm−2, lycopene from 52.10 to 55.88 mg kg−1, yield from 554.3 to 1336.7 g/plant. Hybrid AK0020 was found the best for both yield and quality.