Studying agronomic characters in new millet accessions from the VIR collection at Yekaterinino Experiment Station of VIR

Background. Adding new plant varieties to the VIR collection is an important effort to preserve the diversity of worldwide bioresources. The millet collection at VIR is formed through the study of acquired accessions, aimed at identification of biological features that have emerged under certain conditions. Such germplasm may be recommended for use in breeding practice. Studying new accessions makes it possible to predict long-term development of the collection.Materials and methods. The study was carried out at Yekaterinino Experiment Station of VIR, Tambov Province, in 2017–2019. New millet accessions added to the VIR collection served as the research material. The study was based on the descriptors and guidelines for Panicum miliaceum L. developed at VIR.Results and conclusions. An assessment was made for such agronomic characters as the growing season, plant height, grain size, grain yield, and resistance to bacteria. The identified accessions exceeded the reference (cv. ‘Gorlinka’) in a number of traits. Earliness was observed in k-10479 (‘Dozh’), k-10481 (‘Zapadnoye’), k-10324, k-10325, k-10478 (‘Nizhnevolzhskoye’), k-10275 (‘Kvartet’), k-10306 (‘Volga 59’), k-10322 (‘Soyuz’), k-10473 (‘Yarkoye 120’), and k-10474 (‘Kavkazskiye zori’). Low plant height was recorded for k-888, k-10324, k-10306, k-10474, k-10479, k-10326, k-10481, and k-10480 (‘Kamyshenskoye’). Large grain size was shown by k-888, k-10325, k-10306, k-10324, k-10479, k-10475 (local), k-10322, k-10473, k-10480, and k-10481. High grain yields under the conditions of the Central Black Earth Region of Russia were demonstrated by the accessions from Belarus (cv. ‘Zapadnoye’, k-10481) and from Chelyabinsk Province (local cultivar, k-888). Medium and strong resistance to bacterial pathogens was observed in k-888, k-10275, k-10473, k-10474, k-10324, and k-10325. The selected accessions can serve as source material for the development of new millet cultivars.

Response of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Varieties to Blended Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulfur Fertilizer Rate at Kokate, Southern Region

Low production and productivity of potato in Ethiopia is associated with poor soil fertility and limitation of high yielding crop variety. Matching high yielding cultivar with optimum fertilization of balanced nutrients is of paramount important to boost tuber yield of potato. Hence, a field experiment was conducted during 2019/20 cropping season at Kokate testing site of Areka Agricultural Research Center in southern Ethiopia in order to evaluate the response of potato varieties to NPS fertilizer rates. Treatments used in the study were two improved varieties of potato (Gudane and Belete) one local cultivar with six rates of blended NPS (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 kg/ha NPS) combined in factorial and laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. As this investigation indicated that at all rates of NPS fertilizer, improved varieties out yielded the local cultivar Asmara with relative superiority of variety Belete for marketable tuber yield. Economic analysis revealed that the highest net benefit of 276326 Birr/ha with marginal rate of return (MRR) 3762% was obtained from variety Belete at NPS fertilizer rate of 200 kg/ha followed by variety Gudane at the same fertilizer rate with net benefit of 270350 Birr/ha and MRR of 3372%. Based on this finding, varieties Belete and Gudane could be used for production at NPS fertilizer rate of 200 kg/ha near study area and similar agro-ecologies.

Determining conditions for best pollen quality of red-purple tree tomato (Solanum betaceum Cav.) germplasm

The germination and viability of pollen are characteristics required for fecundation when individuals of different or the same species are crossed. For this reason, assessing these parameters in selected individuals to be used in breeding programs will increase the chances for the obtainment of new progeny. In this study, pollen from different accessions of the red-purple tree tomato (Solanum betaceum Cav.) was used: local cultivar (Morado Puntón), two commercial varieties (Large Red and Oratia Red) and six segregants [(Solanum unilobum x Solanum betaceum) x Solanum betaceum]. Three types of flowers were taken (A-day of anthesis, B-one day after anthesis, and C-two days after anthesis). The pollen was conserved in two temperatures (4° and 22° C) and four storage times (0, 5, 10, 20 days). The percentage of germination and pollen viability of the selected individuals were evaluated. It was observed that the commercial materials showed higher germination percentages than the segregants in flower A and B at a temperature of 4 ° C at all storage times, except for the segregants GT7P47 and GT7P48 at the same temperature on day 0. In addition, high percentages of viability were obtained both in flowers A and B, at both temperatures and at all storage times. However, the immediate use of pollen after it is collected is recommended because better germination is achieved. This study is helpful to improve breeding procedures in the initial stages of directed crosses.

Response of a local rice variety Pandanwangi to infection of bacterial leaf blight Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae strain III, IV, and VIII

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is one of the limiting factors in rice production. A local cultivar, rice “Pandanwangi” is a superior variety much preferred and cultivated by the farmers in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia. The information about the response of “Pandangwangi” to Xoo is still poorly understood. This paper reports the results of the evaluation of “Pandanwangi” response against BLB. This research was conducted in a greenhouse with artificial inoculation using Xoo strains III, IV, and VIII with bacterial suspension at 108 cfu.mL−1. The results showed that the response of cv Pandanwangi to Xoo infection was different from the strain of Xoo. “Pandanwangi” cultivar was susceptible to Xoo strain III and VIII and very susceptible to strain IV.

Morphological characteristics of Madiun 1, the First Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume) released cultivar in Indonesia

Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume) is a tuber crop native to the tropics that belongs to the Araceae family. Porang is a potential tuber crops that has been known in Indonesia for a long time, but the value of its product has not been widely disclosed. The planting area covers over 45,000 ha with East Java as the main production areaMadiun-East Java has a long and the oldest history of porang cultivation in Indonesia and has great potential for porang development. Characterized and officially released its local cultivar as an official released cultivar would protect the local germplasm and can be used as a basis for character improvement. Porang Madiun 1 cultivar has morphological characteristics of compound leaf type, dark green-green leaf color. The color of the leaf edges is pink, but as the age of the plant increases, the leaf edges turn white. Porang leaf surface smooth-wavy, hairless. The edges of porang leaves are smooth- wavy, depend on sunlight intensity. Stem shape was round, stem color was green with white spots and longitudinal lines, The pattern of spots on the stems has a sparse density, with the color of the stems varying depending on the age of the plant. Shape of bulbil was irregular round with various size. Average corm weight of Madiun 1 was 0.1 kg for first year porang plant, 0.4 kg for second year porang plant, and 1.6 kg for third year it became 1.6 kg with the average number of bulbils 1.8, 4.9, and 16.7, respectively

Classifying cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.) clones based on principal component analysis of specific characters for use as selection criteria

There is an abundance of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.) genetic resources in Indonesia, and the local accessions are inseparable from the community of Indonesia. Several of the cultivars have cultural significance and over time have been bred for specific uses and products. The specific use and combination of traits encourages the use of local cultivars or aims for genetic improvement of the local cultivars. The objective of this study was to measure character variability and to categorize cassava clones based on specific characteristics to better inform selection criteria. A total of 156 cassava clones collected from all over Indonesia were evaluated along with three clones of the local cultivar Jatinangor as checks. This is basic research, so the data information can be a complement to the cassava germplasm in Indonesia. The experiment was performed as an augmented block design. The variability of characteristics was analyzed using principal components analysis with a Pearson correlation. Grouping of clones was accomplished using a symmetric biplot function. Three first principal components contributed to the maximum variability of cassava by 87.85 %, and characters that contributed variability had factor loadings>0.6. Having variability in characteristics suggests that there is an opportunity for performance-based clone selection. In this study,nine cassava clones with desirable trait combinations were identified based on PCA, of which four were identified as the best performing clones.

Isolation and Identification of Ssome Lactobacillus Spp. Bacteria and Evaluation Their Efficacy in The Management of Damping off Disease on Peas

Twenty-eight isolates of Lactobacillus bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of pea plants grown in the fields of five districts in Salah al-Din, which included: Tikrit, Al-Alam, Al-Sharqat, Samarra and Baiji, diagnosed according to phenotypic and biochemical tests. Results showed the effect of L. paralimentarius 1081 on vegetative growth characteristics. Treatment of (bacterial filtrate + Ridomil in the presence of pathogenic fungi) was recording the highest values in dry weight of the vegetative and root systems, was 3.91 and 1.23 g respectively in the local cultivar, compared with the lowest values was 2.60 g and 0.76 g respectively in the Syrian cultivar. All treatments inducing plant resistance compared with healthy plants, and the highest activity of the Peroxidase and Polyphenol oxides in the treatment of (Bacterial filtrate + ridomil in the presence of pathogenic fungi), were 1.08 and 1.33 units/ml in the local cultivar, compared to the Syrian cultivar were 0.015 and 0.013, respectively. Results showed a significant decrease in the severity of infection for all treatments compared to the pathogenic fungus treatment, and the lowest infection severity of the vegetative and root systems was recorded in the treatment of (Bacterial filtrate + ridomil in the presence of pathogenic fungi), which was 14.11 and 12.47% in the local cultivar. There was a significant superiority of all treatments in productivity parameters of pea compared to the treatment of pathogenic fungi only, the highest of those parameters including weight of pods and grains weight/plant were recorded in the treatment (Bacterial filtrate + ridomil in the presence of pathogenic fungi) for the local cultivar was 18.07 g and 14.04 g compared to 10.43 g and 8.20 g in the treatment of the Syrian cultivar with pathogenic fungi only.

Assessing the Productivity, Quality and Profitability of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes Grown in Riverbank of the Tista Floodplain Agro-Ecological Zone of Bangladesh

Orange fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) are desirable for high productivity and profitability and their distribution to improve the nutrition of river bank inhabitants of Gaibandha and Rangpur districts of Bangladesh. In this context, a field trial was conducted in two riverbank-based farmers’ fields such as Saghata, Gaibandha, and Pirganj, Rangpur, particularly in the Active Tista Floodplain Agro-ecological Zone of Bangladesh. Four OFSP varieties were evaluated, i.e., G1: BARI SP-8; G2: BARI SP-12; G3: BARI SP-14; G4: BARI SP-15, along with one local cultivar as a control (Red skin with white flesh). Significant variations among the sweet potato genotypes were noted for a number of tuberous roots plant−1, length of root diameter of roots, tuberous root weight plant−1, root yield (fresh), root yield (dry), beta-carotene yield, as well as energy output. Over the locations, BARI SP-12 produced about 73% higher root yield (32.00 t ha−1) and it was like the BARI SP-8 (31.07 t ha−1), which produced about 68% higher yield in comparison with local cultivar (18.51 t ha−1). Across the location, BARI SP-8 performed better in root yield (31.89 t ha−1) in Gaibandha, 69% superior to local cultivar, whereas BARI SP-12 performed better in Rangpur (33.66 t ha−1), which was 86% greater than the local sweet potato cultivar. Considering the root dry yield production, BARI SP-8 produced the highest in the Gaibandha location after that Rangpur location. Further, BARI SP-14 had wider adaptability and stability over the year and location depended on the AMMI model. The beta carotene yield (Vitamin-A precursor) ranged 336–2957 kg ha−1 among the OFSP varieties, whereas the highest (2957 kg ha−1) carotene was recorded in BARI SP-14, similar to BARI SP-15 (2952 kg ha−1) but was much lower in BARI SP-8 and BARI SP-12. Moreover, BARI SP-8 and BARI SP-12 were also economically profitable in terms of gross margin (3233 and 3364 US$ ha−1, respectively), net return (3039 and 3170 US$ ha−1, respectively) and BCR (3.21 and 3.31, respectively, vs. 1.91) due to higher returns with a similar production cost of the local cultivar. The results suggested that BARI SP-8 is economically profitable in the riverbank areas of Gaibandha, and BARI SP-12 is suitable for the riverbank areas of Rangpur.

Physical and Milling Quality of Milled Rice in Indonesia

More than 250 rice varieties are grown in Indonesia from new superior varieties and local varieties with aromatic, non-aromatic aromas and pigmented rice. Rice quality is one factor that must be considered in addition to high productivity. Generally, the quality of grain and rice quality in Indonesia have met the quality standards set based on SNI 0224-1987/SPI-TAN/01/01/1993 and SNI 6128:2020. Ricequality is determined by several factors such as grain appearance, nutritional value, cooking and eating quality and become one of the foremost considerations for rice buyers. Such information can be utilized as basic data of character of genetic resources on assembling of new superior varieties by rice breeders. Those information can be used as a descriptive information for farmers and rice productivity, high yield, and better rice quality. Good quality local cultivar can be used as parents for the formation of new superior varieties.

Evaluation of Colocasia esculenta Schott in anti-cancerous properties with proximity extension assays

Background: Colocasia esculenta Schott (called as Xiangshayu in Chinese) is an excellent local cultivar of the genus polymorpha in Jiangsu Province, China. Objective: In the present study, we have performed a comparative study before and after dietary consumption with Colocasia esculenta Schott to evaluate its anti-cancerous properties. Design: Forty-two healthy volunteers were recruited, and dietary consumption with 200 g of tap water cooked Colocasia esculenta Schott daily was conducted for 1 month. Plasma samples from the subjects before and after dietary consumption with Colocasia esculenta Schott were analyzed with proximity extension assays for the alteration of 92 proteins in relation with cancers, while blood samples were examined for physiological parameters with an automatic biochemical analyzer. Bioinformatic analyses were conducted using MalaCards and GEPIA. Results: After taking dietary consumption with Colocasia esculenta Schott, circulating CYR61, ANXA1, and VIM protein levels in the subjects was found to be most significantly downregulated, while for ITGB5, EPHA2, and CEACAM1, it was upregulated. Alternation of these proteins was predicted to be associated with the development of tumors such as pancreatic adenocarcinoma and breast and prostate cancers. Conclusion: The present study provides evidence that Colocasia esculenta Schott, as a healthy food, has anti-cancerous properties. Further investigation of phytochemistry in Colocasia esculenta Schott has been taken into our consideration.