Natural Variation of Seed Tocopherol Composition in Diverse World Soybean Accessions from Maturity Group 0 to VI Grown in China

Tocopherols are natural antioxidants that increase the stability of fat-containing foods and are well known for their health benefits. To investigate the variation in seed tocopherol composition of soybeans from different origins, 493 soybean accessions from different countries (China, USA, Japan, and Russia) belonging to 7 maturity groups (MG 0–VI) were grown in 2 locations (Beijing and Hainan Provinces of China) for 2 years (2017 and 2018). The results showed that significant differences (p < 0.001) were observed among the accessions and origins for individual and total tocopherol contents. The total tocopherol content ranged from 118.92 μg g−1 to 344.02 μg g−1. Accessions from the USA had the highest average concentration of γ- and total tocopherols (152.92 and 238.21 μg g−1, respectively), whereas a higher level of α-tocopherol (12.82 μg g−1) was observed in the Russian accessions. The maturity group of the accession significantly (p < 0.001) influenced all tocopherol components, and higher levels of α-, γ-, and total tocopherols were observed in early maturing accessions, while late-maturing accessions exhibited higher levels of δ-tocopherol. The inclination of tocopherol concentrations with various MGs provided further evidence of the significance of MG in soybean breeding for seed tocopherol components. Furthermore, the correlation between the seed tocopherol components and geographical factors revealed that α-, γ-, and total tocopherols had significant positive correlations with latitude, while δ-tocopherol showed an opposite trend. The elite accessions with high and stable tocopherol concentrations determined could be used to develop functional foods, industrial materials, and breeding lines to improve tocopherol composition in soybean seeds.

Herbicide resistant confectionary sunflower variety Aladdin

The variety Aladdin is the new confectionary sunflower variety. It is developed in the laboratory of OP-sunflower breeding jointly with the laboratory of genetic at the V.S. Pustovoit AllRussian Research Institute of Oil Crops in 2014– 2020. It is developed by crossing plants of a line VK 1-imi (Imr Imr) used as a maternal form and a pollen mixture of an early maturing confectionary sunflower variety, with the further treatment by the herbicide Euro-Lightning. Later, there were conducted a multiple individual selection and estimation in progenies of families that were the best by their morphometric and economically valuable traits, tolerance to broomrape races E, F, and G and to downy mildew. The variety belongs to the middle maturity group, confectionary type. The major features of the cultivar Aladdin are its resistance to imi-herbicides, high productivity, tolerance to the main races of broomrape and downy mildew, increased level of autofertility. The variety is suitable for cultivation by Clearfield (BASF) technology. It is uniformed by plants height, flowering and maturing. A period emergence – physiological maturity is equal to 97–99 days. Weight of 1000 seeds at plant population of 25–30 thousand plants/ha exceeds 130 g.

Use of recurrent selection in middle late synthetic maize populations. results of the first cycle in synthetic “1/2017”

The present study shows the results of a completed first cycle of recurrent selection in a middle late synthetic population “1/2017” and the inbred lines PAU 1617 and B 113 are used as a recurrent parents. The aim of the improving selection is to obtain from the synthetic inbred lines which are later to be used as parental forms for receiving hybrids of this maturity group. The experimental work was carried out in the period 2017 – 2019 when two hundred and ten testcrosses were tested. After the data was analyzed, eighty even inbred progeny variants displaying the best results have been included for crosspollination and a new cycle of breeding. The genetic variability in the synthetic has been preserved as the selected progeny represent 41,4 % of the initially chosen ones. The index of variability after recurrent selection is 12,2 % which allows for efficient testing in the subsequent stages of the improving selection. As a direct outcome of the research, thirteen crosses have been pointed out – B 113 x 37/1, B 113 x 25/5, PAU 1617 x 71/3, B 113 x 29/1, B 113 x 33/1, PAU 1617 x 97/3, PAU 1617 x 85/3, B 113 x 71/5, B 113 x 71/6, B 113 x 53/1, B 113 x 55/1, B 113 x 77/3 and B 113 x 43/1. They exceed in grain yield the foreign standard in the maturity group respectively with 25.2, 20.0, 16.9, 16.6, 15.1, 15.0, 13.1, 12.5, 10.5, 9.0, 8.8, 8.8 and 8.2%. They are still tested in varietal and ecological trials.

VARIABILITY OF SUNFLOWER HEAD/CAPITULUM BY NEW MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS

New studies on the morphological characteristics of sunflower plants could provide new systems and directions in the complex progress of the future improvement of hybrids. Through the complex (Encheva & Shindrova, 2014) and wide genetic dowry together with the concrete cultivation conditions of the sunflower, the characteristic expression of the plant morphology takes place. In the recent improved Hysun 162 IT hybrid, some new characters were found, specific to the semi-early maturity group. Thus, the diameter of the sunflower head/capitulum had an average of 17 cm. The weight of the sunflower head was 105 g together with the achenes produced and only 39 g empty head, without achenes. The average of number of achenes/ head was 1470, and their weight was 65 g. The percentage of empty achenes was 2-3%, and the mass of one thousand seeds was on average 44 g. The seeds had a length of 10 mm and width of 5 mm. Positive correlations were generally obtained between the morphological characters of the sunflower head. Though this study carried out on the components of the heads of this new sunflower hybrid, a good adaptability to the current zonal agriculture was found.

The Coaches’ Efficacy Expectations of Youth Soccer Players with Different Maturity Status and Physical Performance

This study aimed to report possible anthropometrical and physical performance differences between youth soccer players with different maturity status and to report the coaches’ expectations, hypothesizing that coaches would expect more from players with advanced maturity. One hundred twenty-two (122) players completed a physical performance battery. Their maturity status was estimated and the coaches’ efficacy expectations (CEEs) were assessed. Players with advanced maturation had better physical performance (F = 26.5-73.4; p < 0.01) and their CEEs for strength-related tasks were different according to the maturity status (F = 8.3-10.9; p < 0.01), but not for speed-related tests, nor for their general ability to play soccer. Normalized data showed significant differences between physical performance tests and their respective CEEs within each maturity group, especially in the Post-PHV group. This study confirms the physical advantages of players with advanced maturity while it shows controversial results of how maturation affects the coaches’ perceptions and, indirectly, the coaches’ identification and selection of talented players.

Calibration and validation of a node appearance model in soybean crop

HIGHLIGHTS Improvement of the simulation by calculating a temperature function with the daily minimum and maximum temperatures. Equation to determine the maximum rate of node appearance of soybean cultivars recommended for Southern Brazil. Maximum node appearance rate varies with the maturity group and not with the type of growth of soybean cultivars.

Water Use Efficiencies of Different Maturity Group Soybean Cultivars in the Humid Mississippi Delta

Introducing alternative cultivars with enhanced water use efficiencies can help alleviate pressure on groundwater for crop irrigations in Mississippi (MS) Delta. A two-year field study was conducted in 2019–2020 to compare the water use efficiencies (WUE) of recently released and pre-released soybean {Glycine max (L.) Merr.} cultivars in maturity group (MG) III (‘P37A78’, ‘LG03-4561-14’), IV (‘Dyna-gro 4516x’, ‘DS25-1, DT97-4290’), and V (‘S12-1362’, ‘S14-16306’) in the MS Delta. The experimental design was a split-plot with cultivar as the first factor and the second factor was water variant irrigation (IR) and no irrigation (RF, rainfed), replicated three times. The MG IV cultivar Dyna-gro 4516x recorded the highest grain yield and WUE: grain yields were 4.58 Mg ha−1 and 3.89 Mg ha−1 under IR and RF, respectively in 2019, and 4.74 Mg ha−1 and 4.35 Mg ha−1 in 2020. The WUE were 7.2 and 6.9 kg ha−1 mm−1, respectively, in 2019 under IR and RF, and 13.4 and 16.9 kg ha−1 mm−1 in 2020. The data reveals that ‘Dyna-gro 4516x’ (MG IV), ‘LG03-4561-14’ (MG III), and ‘P37A78’ (MG III) are best adapted to the early soybean production system (ESPS) in MS Delta region for sustainable production for conserving water resources.