Genetic studies of different agronomic, quality and yield contributing traits in Gossypium hirsutum L.

An experiment of 4 × 4 diallel was carried out to study the gene action of different yield and yield contributing traits of four advanced cotton cultivars using Mather and Jinks approach. Significant variation was present for all the characters (P< 0.01). The data on recorded parameters revealed that most of the traits were fully or partially fit for genetic interpretation. Additive gene action (D) was significant and pre-dominant for all the characters while seeds per locule showed dominance effect of H1& H2, and it was confirmed by the value of degree of dominance (H1/D 0.5). The value of H2/4H1 and h2 (measures the direction of dominance) demonstrated asymmetrical division of dominant genes for all traits, except ginning out turn (G.O.T) percentage and fiber length, in parental material. All the studied traits showed high value of narrow sense heritability (h2NS), however seeds per locule possessed low heritability. The genetic analysis revealed that all the characters could be improved by progeny and pedigree selection, whereas hybrid dynamism could be exploited in the trait like seeds per locule.

The variety trial of lawn red fescue in the Western Caucasus and Central Chernozem Region

В 2017–2020 годах проведены экологические испытания существующих сортов и новых селекционных образцов овсяницы красной, созданных на основе исходного материала, полученного из местных популяций, произрастающих в различных экотопах мелового юга Среднерусской возвышенности. Объектом изучения были сорта овсяницы красной газонного типа Россинант (стандарт), Гостёнка, Искринка, Везёлка и 14 селекционных образцов, выделившихся в селекционном питомнике по комплексу морфо-биологических признаков, характерных для сортов газонного направления. Опыты проводили в трёх экологических точках: г. Геленджике (Краснодарский край); пгт Новомихайловский (Туапсинский район Краснодарского края); с. Драгунское (Белгородский район Белгородской области). Изучали продуктивность побегообразования, выраженную в среднем количестве сформированных побегов в год, и урожайность зелёной массы. Установлено, что исходный материал обладает высокой побегообразующей способностью и невысокой надземной продуктивностью, сопоставимыми с сортами, широко используемыми в газонных культурфитоценозах. Анализ корреляции между изучаемыми признаками показал, что в условиях юга Среднерусской возвышенности (экологическая точка «Белгородская область») с высокой вероятностью можно вести селекционную работу и отбор ценных генотипов овсяницы красной для условий Черноморского побережья Западного Кавказа по признаку «Среднегодовой прирост побегов». Показана корреляционная связь этого признака между экологическими точками «г. Геленджик» и «Белгородская область», подтверждённая достоверной корреляцией рангов Спирмена средней силы (rs = 0,446, P > 0,05). Не установлено тесной связи между урожайностью зелёной массы в экологической точке «Белгородская область» и экологических точках Западного Кавказа. В связи с этим для оценки селекционного материала необходимо проводить широкие экологические испытания исходного материала в экологических точках регионов, в которых предполагается использовать перспективные сорта. Сделано заключение о возможности использования исходного селекционного материала мелового юга Среднерусской возвышенности для создания сортов газонного направления для условий Западного Кавказа. The variety trial for red fescue genotypes tool place in 2017–2020. Local populations growing in the south of the Central Russian Upland were used as parental material to obtain the genotypes. The following lawn varieties were tested: “Rossinant” (standard), “Gostenka”, “Iskrinka”, “Vezelka” as well as 14 other genotypes carrying the number of valuable traits. Plants were grown in three different locations: Gelendzhik; the Tuapse region; the Belgorod region. The trial tested the average number of shoots formed in a year as well as green mass productivity. Parental lines actively formed shoots but had low productivity similar to widely cultivated lawn varieties. Red fescue genotypes with high annual shoot yield were widely spread in Gelendzhik and the Belgorod region (rs = 0.446, P > 0.05). The correlation between green mass productivity and the Belgorod region were insignificant same as for the Western Caucasus. It is highly important to test parental lines in the area of respective cultivation. Parental material from the south of the Central Russian Upland can be used to develop lawn genotypes for the Western Caucasus.

Resistance of Winter Spelt Wheat [Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta (L.) Thell.] to Fusarium Head Blight

Resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) of spelt wheat was investigated in field trials carried out at three European locations between 2016 and 2018. Resistance was assessed after artificial inoculation by visual scoring of symptoms and the determination of the contamination of grains and glumes with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). It was found that typical spelt traits such as tall plant height, lax spikes, and tough glumes play a role as passive resistance factors. Across all test environments, modern spelt varieties with a significantly reduced plant height showed a significantly higher susceptibility to FHB and a higher contamination of the grains with DON compared to old landraces/varieties and plant genetic resources. Similarly, the lowest mycotoxin levels in grains were found only in old landraces and varieties, while the highest DON concentration was observed mainly in modern varieties. The results obtained can be used for the selection of suitable parental material for breeding spelt with improved FHB resistance.

Estimation of Yield Loss of Cowpea, [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] with Reaction Response of Few Genotypes against Root Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White), Chitwood

Background: Root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita is one of the main biotic constraints in reducing the quantity and quality of the cowpea crop in most of the growing areas of the world. The nematode produces galls on roots and disrupt the physiology of the plant by reducing crop yield and product quality and are therefore of great economic importance.Methods: Studies were conducted to estimate the yield loss of cowpea in field condition along with evaluation of few genotypes under net house condition against root knot nematode based on gall index, reaction response and number of egg masses/ 5 g of root at Directorate of Research, BCKV, West Bengal. Estimation of cowpea yield loss was conducted with the parameter of mean yield, percentage avoidable and increase in yield, Root Knot Index (RKI in 1-5 scale) and final nematode population reduction. Result: Under treated condition, cowpea yield was significantly increased ranging from 10.93 to 14.58% with 37.19 to 38.17% reduction of nematode population. The range of avoidable yield loss was 9.85 to 12.72%. In response reaction, 28 genotypes were found as moderately resistant. Local cowpea cultivar, Kashikanchan may be avoided at nematode infection area due to its high susceptibility and the moderately resistant genotypes may be suggested for the use in future breeding studies as a parental material to develop the root knot nematode resistant cultivars.

Chemical and technological assessment of All-Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding red currant cultivars for jellification

The jellification capacity of 16 cultivars and 79 selected nurselings of redcurrant from the All-Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding collection was studied in order to identify the parental forms that can effectively produce well jellifying hybrids. Material processing and jellification assessment were carried out in compliance with the “Programme and Protocol for Fruit, Berry and Nut Crops Varietal Testing” (Orel, 1999) and GOST R 55462-2013. The assignment of cultivars into well-, medium- and poorly-jellifying categories revealed a declining average gustatory score from the well-jellifying towards the medium- and poorly-jellifying groups, (4.4, 4.3, 4.2 points, respectively), which indicates the significance of the jellification value in gustatory score. The well-jellifying cultivars were: Valentinovka, Podarok Leta and selected nurselings 78-2-100, 80-4-11, 164-22-88, 164-22-97 (4.6 points); Orlovskaya Zvezda, Dar Orla, Orlovchanka and nurselings 618-32-16, 79-1-89, 168-18-73, 84-1-105, 77-1-56, 164-22-41 (4.5 points). The jelly from the fruits of these varieties was characterized by a visually attractive dense jelly without separation (syneresis), as a result of which they can be recommended for obtaining natural pectin-containing products with or without the minimal use of additional gelling agents. Most of the trial cultivars were obtained by breeding of the Rote Shpetleze and Tchulkovskaya cultivars as paternal forms. Among the 46 siblings of the Rote Shpetleze cultivar, 28, 8, and 10 demonstrated good, medium and poor jellification capacities, respectively. Among the 25 siblings of the Tchulkovskaya cultivar, only three demonstrated good jellification, with three having medium jellification and the rest demonstrating poor jellifying capability. The majority of well-jellifying strains were obtained with Rote Shpetleze, which therefore can be recommended as parental material for creating varieties having a high fruit jellification capacity.

The evaluation of collection variety samples of menthol mint (Mentha L.) for disease resistance

It is necessary to evaluate the variety samples of the crop to obtain the parental material of menthol mints, which will have a high content of essential oil, and be less affected by various diseases. We evaluated the variety samples of mint for disease resistance at the Voznesenskaya branch of V.S. Pustovoit of All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops. In the conditions of the branch in the piedmont area of the Western Ciscaucasia, there were identified diseases such as powdery mildew, rust, anthracnose and Fusarium blight. The studied variety samples were characterized by varying degrees of resistance to these diseases. The most harmful disease for mint is rust, the pathogens of which are the Puccinia menthae Pers. and P. angustata Peck. We identified the parental material for development a variety of peppermint Rozovskaya Aroma by analyzing the variety samples of menthol mint for three years of vegetation. Also, we developed and applied the modified scale for evaluation of resistance to the main diseases for the menthol forms of mint.

The Economic Impact of Exchanging Breeding Material: Assessing Winter Wheat Production in Germany

Climate change impacts imply that the stabilization and improvement of agricultural production systems using technological innovations has become vital. Improvements in plant breeding are integral to such innovations. In the context of German crop breeding programs, the economic impact of exchanging genetic material has yet to be determined. To this end, we analyze in this impact assessment the economic effects on German winter wheat production that are attributable to exchanging parental material amongst breeders in the breeding process. This exchange is supported by the breeders’ exemption, which is an integral part of the German plant variety protection legislation. It ensures that breeders can freely use licensed varieties created by other breeders for their own breeding activities and aims to speed up the development of improved varieties. For our analysis, we created a unique data set that combines variety-specific grain yield, adoption, and pedigree information of 133 winter wheat varieties. We determined the parental pedigree of each variety to see if a variety was created by interbreeding varieties that are internal or external to its specific breeder. Our study is the first that analyzes the economic impact of exchanging genetic material in German breeding programs. We found that more than 90 % of the tested varieties were bred with exchanged parental material, whereby the majority had two external parents. Also, these varieties were planted on an 8.5 times larger area than the varieties that were bred with two internal parents. Due to lower adoption, these only contributed 11 % to the overall winter wheat production in Germany, even though they yielded more. We used an economic surplus model to measure the benefits of exchanging parental breeding material on German winter wheat production. This resulted in an overall estimated economic surplus of 19.2 to 22.0 billion EUR from production year 1972 to 2018. This implies tremendous returns to using the breeder’s exemption, which, from an economic perspective, is almost cost-free for the breeder. We conclude that the exchange of breeding material contributes to improving Germany’s agricultural production and fosters the development of climate-resilient production systems and global food security.

Selenium Toxicity in Plants and Environment: Biogeochemistry and Remediation Possibilities

Selenium (Se) is a widely distributed trace element with dual (beneficial or toxic) effects for humans, animals, and plants. The availability of Se in the soil is reliant on the structure of the parental material and the procedures succeeding to soil formation. Anthropogenic activities affect the content of Se in the environment. Although plants are the core source of Se in animal and human diet, the role of Se in plants is still debatable. A low concentration of Se can be beneficial for plant growth, development, and ecophysiology both under optimum and unfavorable environmental conditions. However, excess Se results in toxic effects, especially in Se sensitive plants, due to changing structure and function of proteins and induce oxidative/nitrosative stress, which disrupts several metabolic processes. Contrary, Se hyperaccumulators absorb and tolerate exceedingly large amounts of Se, could be potentially used to remediate, i.e., remove, transfer, stabilize, and/or detoxify Se-contaminants in the soil and groundwater. Thereby, Se-hyperaccumulators can play a dynamic role in overcoming global problem Se-inadequacy and toxicity. However, the knowledge of Se uptake and metabolism is essential for the effective phytoremediation to remove this element. Moreover, selecting the most efficient species accumulating Se is crucial for successful phytoremediation of a particular Se-contaminated area. This review emphasizes Se toxicity in plants and the environment with regards to Se biogeochemistry and phytoremediation aspects. This review follows a critical approach and stimulates thought for future research avenues.

Screening of Restorable WA-CMS Rice Genotypes for Bacterial Blight (BB) Resistance

Aim: To screen and evaluate rice genotypes which were found to be having restorability for WA-CMS cytoplasm for their further use in the hybrid breeding program. Study Design: Laboratory-experimental design was used in the study. Place and Duration of the Study: The genotypes used in the study were comprised of promising lines from various experiments, local varieties and landraces, etc. The study was conducted during June 2017 to May 2018. Methodology: In the present study, 55 rice lines which were found to have restorable capacity for WA-CMS system were screened for 4 Bacterial Blight resistance genes viz. Xa4, xa5, xa13, Xa21, against most prevalent races of the pathogen throughout the country, using PCR based molecular markers namely, MP1+MP2, xa5 multiplex, xa13 prom and pTA248, respectively. Results: Bacterial Blight (BB) is considered to be one of the most important diseases of the rice crop. As hybrids are one of the most viable options to increase rice yields, the parental material used for the development of hybrids, must be having genes which show resistance against BB. Out of 55 restorer lines, 43 genotypes amplified for Xa4, 7 genotypes namely R. Bhagwati, IRBB5-9, Narendra Usar Dhan 3, Pratikhya, IR 88964-24-2-1-4, IR 94314-20-2-1B, HHZ 5-DT8-DT1-Y1 showed positive bands for xa5, 3 genotypes namely PAU 3220, N. Usar Dhan 3 and Pratikhya showed positive bands for xa13. However, only one genotype namely Pratikhya amplified for Xa21. In combinations, Narendra Usar Dhan 3 amplified for xa5 and xa13. Pratikhya was the only genotype found to have all 4 BB (Xa4, xa5, xa13, Xa21) resistance genes under consideration. Conclusion: Genotypes having different BB resistant genes in combinations along with good capability of restoration for prevalent WA-CMS system can further be used as male parent in the hybrid breeding programme for development of BB resistant hybrids.

Selection of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merril) genotypes for cultivation in the Brazilian Brejo Paraibano

Soybeans have great commercial value and there are still regions with no indications of promising genotypes, such as Brejo Paraibano region. The objective of this study was to analyze the adaptability of 20 soybean genotypes selected with a relative maturity degree above 9. The genotypes used were: M8867RR, M8766RR, M9144RR, SYN1059 RR, M-SOY 9350, ST 920 RR, TMG1175RR, M8372IPRO, M8527RR, M8644IPRO, TOPAZIORR, UFV - 16 (Capinópolis) and UFVS: Berilo RR, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2005, QUARTZO, 2001, and 2008. A completely randomized experimental design was used with five replicates. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and Tukey test to compare the means. From the Mahalanobis generalized distance, it was possible to apply the Tocher and UPGMA tests. In addition, using the Singh method and canonical correlation, the quantification of the characteristics that contributed most to genetic divergence was evaluated. Only ten genotypes reached the physiological maturity, and the following variables were evaluated: hypocotyl length, leaf width and length, plant height, flower diameter, and seed width and length. The characteristics leaf width, flower diameter, and seed width were significant (P<0.05) and obtained values above 1 for the ratio between genotypic variation and environmental variation (CVG/CVE). The higher means for the significant characteristics were observed in the genotypes SYN1059 RR, UFVS: Berilo and 2013. The genotypes SYN1059 RR, M8766RR, M8867RR, UFVS: Berilo, 2012 and 2013 were selected as the most suitable parental material to use in breeding programs.