Efficiency of Numerical Images Analysis in Selection of Durum Wheat [Triticum turgidum (L.) ssp. durum (Desf.) Husn.] Genotypes Growing under Semi-arid Conditions in Algeria

Background: This study was conducted during the 2020/2021 cropping season at Setif Agricultural Experimental Station, it aims to assess the efficiency of using numerical image analysis (NIA) in the selection of durum wheat genotypes in semi-arid areas. Methods: The genetic materials used in this study consist of 11 advanced lines and 4 genotypes of which 3 are local landraces used as control to evaluate their performance, the genotypes tested were sown in a randomized block design (RDB) with three replications. each plot consisted of 6 lines of 10 m long spaced of 0.2 m witdth makes 12 m2 as plot area. Result: Analysis of variance showed that all the parameters measured numerically (senescence and total reflectance) had a very high genotypic significance. The chlorophyll content at full heading showed a very highly significant genotypic effect. Thousand kernels weight, number of spikes per meter square, number of days to heading and plant height had a significant genotypic effect. The correlation study showed that all senescence parameters were significantly correlated. A significant and negative correlation was observed between chlorophyll contents; average of velocity and total reflectance. Grain yield was highly and significantly correlated with thousand kernels weight and number of spikes per meter square. Number of spikes per meter square was significantly and positively correlated with average of velocity and negatively correlated with sum of temperatures at mid-senescence. Number of days to heading was significantly and negatively correlated with senescence average and maximum of senescence average. A significant correlation was observed between plant height and sum of temperatures at mid-senescence.

Growth And Yield of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) Varities in Sokoto Sudan Savanna of Nigeria

Field trial was carried out during the 2019 rainy season (June to October) at the Dryland Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto to determine the growth and yield of sorghum varieties in the study area. The treatments consisted of five (5) sorghum varieties (Samsorg 45, Samsorg 46, Janjari, Yartawa and Jardawa), the treatments were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated three (3) times. Data were collected on the growth and yield of the crop. Janjari and Jardawa varieties were higher in plant height. Jardawa and Yartawa varieties were higher in number of leaves. Janjari and Yartawa varieties were higher in total dry weight. Janjari, Jardawa and Yartawa varieties were higher in harvest index. Yartawa variety was higher in leaf area, leaf area index and 1000-grain weight. Jardawa variety was higher in panicle length. Janjari variety was early in number of days to heading, flowering, and maturity and was higher in dry stalk weight. The grain yield (249 – 1506kg ha-1 ) was higher in Janjari and Yartawa varieties (1268 – 1506 kg ha-1). Based on the findings of this research, it could be concluded that Janjari and Yartawa varieties performed better than other varieties in the study area.

Hd1 Allele Types and Their Associations with Major Agronomic Traits in Korean Rice Cultivars

Optimizing flowering time in crop plants is critical for maximizing yield and quality under target environments. While there is a wide range of heading date variation in Korean rice cultivars, the underlying gene mechanisms are unclear. Here, we sequenced the protein coding regions of Hd1, the major rice heading date gene, from 293 Korean rice cultivars and investigated the associations between Hd1 allele types and major agronomic traits under four different environments. There were four functional Hd1 and five nonfunctional hd1 alleles distributed among the 293 Korean rice cultivars. The effects of the Hd1 allele types were highly significant for days to heading in all four environments, explaining 51.4–65.8% of the phenotypic variation. On average, cultivars carrying nonfunctional hd1 headed 13.7 days earlier than those carrying functional Hd1. While the Hd1 allele types exhibited highly significant effects on culm length and protein content under all four environments, the differences between cultivars carrying Hd1 and hd1 were minimal. The effects of the Hd1 allele types on amylose content were significant in only one of the four environments. Our results provide useful information for fine-tuning rice heading dates by utilizing different Hd1 alleles in rice breeding programs.

Statistical Analysis of the Relationships Between Yield and Yield Components in Some Durum Wheat (Triticum durum desf.) Genotypes Growing under Semi-Arid Conditions

The aim of this study was to know the relation between the grain yield and its components in order to identify the most important attributes in grain yield prediction which would serve as a criterion for the selection of genotypes growing under semi-arid conditions. Fifteen genotypes were studied composed of 11 advanced lines, 03 local landraces and 01 introduced genotype used as controls. Analysis of variance, simple linear correlation multiple linear regression, stepwise multiple linear regression, path analysis, principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis were used to evaluate six traits including grain yield, plant height, days to heading, number of grains spike-1, number of spikes m-2 and thousand kernels weight. Analysis of variance showed that genotype effect was significant for the majority of traits studied (p=0.001), advanced line G10 was shown to be most performing (4.723 t ha-1). Simple linear regression revealed that the number of grains spike-1, number of spikes m-2 and thousand kernels weight contributed significantly in grain yield changes (R2=43, 17%). Path analysis showed that the number of grains spike-1, number of spikes m-2 and thousand kernels weight had a direct and significant effect on grain yield. Principal component analysis showed that thousand kernels weight and negative days to heading were most important factors traits in grain yield. According to these results number of grains spike-1 and thousand kernels weight were crucial for the majority of static analysis.

Genetic Mechanisms Determining Grain Number Distribution Along the Spike and Their Effect on Yield Components in Wheat

The number of wheat grains is one of the major determinant of yield. Many quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and some causal genes such as GNI-A1 and WAPO-A1 that are associated with grain number per spike (GNS) have been identified, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. We analyzed QTLs for grain number and other related traits using 188 doubled haploid lines derived from the Japanese high-yield variety, Kitahonami, as a parent to elucidate the genetic mechanism determining grain number. The major QTLs for grain number at the apical, central and basal parts of the spike were identified in different chromosomal regions. We considered GNI-A1 and WAPO-A1 as candidate genes controlling grain number at the central and basal parts of the spike, respectively. Kitahonami had the favorable 105Y allele of GNI-A1 and WAPO-A1b allele, and unfavorable alleles of QTLs for grain number at the apical part of spikes. Pyramiding the favorable alleles of these QTLs significantly increased GNS without significantly reducing thousand-grain weight (TGW). In contrast, the accumulation of favorable alleles of QTLs for TGW significantly decreased GNS, whereas days to heading positively correlated with GNS. Late heading increased the spikelet number per spike, resulting in a higher GNS. Pyramiding of the QTLs for TGW and days to heading also altered the GNS. In conclusion, GNS is a complex trait controlled by many QTLs, and it is essential for breeding to design.

Genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in Triticum aestivum

The present investigation was carried out to study gene action, heterosis, correlations, variance, genetic advance, heritability using diallel mating design at Research farm, Department of Agriculture, Mata Gujri college, Fatehgarh sahib during rabi, 2016-17 and 2017-18. The experiment was carried out in Randomized Block Design and observations were recorded on fifteen characters. The best heterotic cross for grain yield per plant was Kalyan Sona × WH-1080 followed by PDW-215 × CPAN-1796, Kalyan Sona× CPAN-1796, DBW-90 × PDW-215, DBW-90 ×WH-1080 and Kalyan Sona × DBW-90. Results revealed that grains per plant showed highly significant and positive genotypic correlations with days to booting, days to heading, spike length, plant height, harvest index and peduncle length. The experimental materials for the present investigation consisted of five lines viz., Kalyan sona , WH-1080, PDW-215, DBW-90 and CPAN-1796 and one check viz., PBW-725.

Genome-Wide Association Mapping for Yield and Related Traits Under Drought Stressed and Non-stressed Environments in Wheat

Understanding the genetics of drought tolerance in hard red spring wheat (HRSW) in northern USA is a prerequisite for developing drought-tolerant cultivars for this region. An association mapping (AM) study for drought tolerance in spring wheat in northern USA was undertaken using 361 wheat genotypes and Infinium 90K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay. The genotypes were evaluated in nine different locations of North Dakota (ND) for plant height (PH), days to heading (DH), yield (YLD), test weight (TW), and thousand kernel weight (TKW) under rain-fed conditions. Rainfall data and soil type of the locations were used to assess drought conditions. A mixed linear model (MLM), which accounts for population structure and kinship (PC+K), was used for marker–trait association. A total of 69 consistent QTL involved with drought tolerance-related traits were identified, with p ≤ 0.001. Chromosomes 1A, 3A, 3B, 4B, 4D, 5B, 6A, and 6B were identified to harbor major QTL for drought tolerance. Six potential novel QTL were identified on chromosomes 3D, 4A, 5B, 7A, and 7B. The novel QTL were identified for DH, PH, and TKW. The findings of this study can be used in marker-assisted selection (MAS) for drought-tolerance breeding in spring wheat.

Effect of Nitrogen and Seeding Rate on β-Glucan, Protein, and Grain Yield of Naked Food Barley in No-Till Cropping Systems in the Palouse Region of the Pacific Northwest

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has a storied history as a food crop, and it has long been a dietary staple of peoples in temperate climates. Contemporary research studies have focused mostly on hulled barley for malt and animal feed. As such, nitrogen (N) and seeding rate agronomic data for naked food barley are lacking. In this study, we evaluated the effects of N on ß-glucan and protein content, and N and seeding rate on phenotypic characteristics of naked food barley, including grain yield, emergence, plant height, days to heading, days to maturity, test weight, percent plump kernels, and percent thin kernels. Experiments were conducted at two no-till farms, located in Almota, WA, and Genesee, ID, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest from 2016 to 2018. The experiment comprised two varieties (“Havener” and “Julie”), employed N rates of 0, 62, 95, 129, and 162 kg N ha−1, and seeding rates of 250, 310, and 375 seeds/m−2. Increased N fertilization rate was shown to significantly increase all response variables, except β-glucan content of the variety Julie, days to heading, test weight, and percent plump and thin kernels. Increased N fertilization resulted in higher mean grain yield of Havener and Julie in both Almota and Genesee up to 95 kg N ha−1. Havener had higher yields (3,908 kg N ha−1) than Julie (3,099 kg N ha−1) across locations and years. Julie had higher β-glucan (8.2%) and protein (12.6%) content compared to Havener (β-glucan = 6.6%; protein = 9.1%). Our results indicate that β-glucan content is associated with genotype, environmental, and agronomic factors in dryland cropping systems of the Palouse.

Comparison of Broadcast and Row Planting Methods on Growth, Grain yield and Yield Components of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Khost Province, Afghanistan

Appropriate planting method is an important work from the agronomic practices for the high and qualitative yield of wheat crop according to the agro - ecological condition of one area. This study was conducted to investigate the agronomic performance of three wheat varieties (Junt 01, Kabul 013 and Lalmi 04) in two planting methods (broadcast and row methods) in the growing season of 2019 - 2020 in Nadir shah kot District, Khost Province. The experimental design was Randomized Complete Block with three replications. Planting method differed significantly (p < 0.05) for days to heading (DH) 50%, plant height (PH) and significantly (p<0.01) for grain yield (GY). Row planting methods had superior means of the mentioned traits compare to broadcast method. In case of varieties, also were significant differences (p<0.01). Junt 01 variety produced the highest GY followed by Kabul 013 and Lalmi 01 produced the lowest GY. From the study found that the above mentioned varieties to be cultivated in row planting method under Khost climate conditions, and can be used in local studied area.