Genetic Correlation Between Fe and Zn Biofortification and Yield Components in a Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important legume for direct human consumption worldwide. It is a rich and relatively inexpensive source of proteins and micronutrients, especially iron and zinc. Bean is a target for biofortification to develop new cultivars with high Fe/Zn levels that help to ameliorate malnutrition mainly in developing countries. A strong negative phenotypic correlation between Fe/Zn concentration and yield is usually reported, posing a significant challenge for breeders. The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic relationship between Fe/Zn. We used Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) mapping and Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) analysis in three bi-parental populations that included biofortified parents, identifying genomic regions associated with yield and micromineral accumulation. Significant negative correlations were observed between agronomic traits (pod harvest index, PHI; pod number, PdN; seed number, SdN; 100 seed weight, 100SdW; and seed per pod, Sd/Pd) and micronutrient concentration traits (SdFe and SdZn), especially between pod harvest index (PHI) and SdFe and SdZn. PHI presented a higher correlation with SdN than PdN. Seventy-nine QTLs were identified for the three populations: 14 for SdFe, 12 for SdZn, 13 for PHI, 11 for SdN, 14 for PdN, 6 for 100SdW, and 9 for Sd/Pd. Twenty-three hotspot regions were identified in which several QTLs were co-located, of which 13 hotpots displayed QTL of opposite effect for yield components and Fe/Zn accumulation. In contrast, eight QTLs for SdFe and six QTLs for SdZn were observed that segregated independently of QTL of yield components. The selection of these QTLs will enable enhanced levels of Fe/Zn and will not affect the yield performance of new cultivars focused on biofortification.

What is the Future of Rain-fed Horticultural Crops Production in a Changing West African Climate? : A Review

Within West Africa (WA), poverty, population growth rate and food insecurity are high and most agriculture is conducted at an un-mechanised level, reliant on rain-fed conditions. As with elsewhere around the world, there is a clear fingerprint of climate change on WA, with increasing temperatures and shifts in precipitation patterns. As the century progresses and climate change intensifies, so too will the impact on rain-fed horticulture. This creates an urgent need to understand and synthesis the responses of horticultural crops to climate change and identify adaptation options. This review provides an overview of climate change across WA and the impacts on key horticultural crop groups (vegetables, plantations, fruits and root and tubers) and identifies regions within WA where these crops may be more or less vulnerable to changing conditions. Adaptation actions and strategies- ranging from education, introduction of new cultivars and development of effective cropping systems, to transference of skills from other regions and expansion of farmer-government-NGO collaborations are discussed.

Assessment of genetic diversity within eucheumatoid cultivars in east Sabah, Malaysia

Studies have shown that cultivars of the carrageenophytes Kappaphycus and Eucheuma are clones of a limited number of strains originally domesticated from wild populations. For the development and selection of new cultivars, it is important that a comprehensive record of available variants exists. This study was conducted to provide up-to-date analysis and compilation of the current state of cultivars as the last list of cultivars was compiled nearly a decade ago. The present study analyzed the cox2–3 spacer and cox1 (1356 bp) genetic diversity of cultivars collected from 2019 to 2020 from the east coast of Sabah where the seaweed farms are concentrated. These data were compared with cultivars reported from 2010 to 2012 to assess changes, if any, to the gene pool of farmed eucheumatoid in Malaysia. Kappaphycus alvarezii, K. striatus, and K. malesianus are currently cultivated while Eucheuma denticulatum is no longer an important cultivar compared to a decade ago, probably due to its lower price. Analysis of the cox2–3 spacer revealed a new haplotype, LBT10, and, by including published GenBank data, a further four previously unnamed haplotypes were recognized from Sabah. This study confirms that there is a limited gene pool within cultivars in Malaysia and suggests the need for new or genetically diverse cultivars which can adapt to a changing environment, to ensure a more sustainable carrageenan industry.

Hop (Humulus lupulus L.): Traditional and Present Use, and Future Potential

Hop (Humulus lupulus L.): Traditional and Present Use, and Future Potential. Hop (Humulus lupulus) is best known for its use in beer brewing owing to its bittering flavor and floral aroma. Today, the brewing industry uses as much as 98% of the produced hop crop worldwide. However, there are many other uses, some of them known since prehistoric times. Hops, the cone–like female structures called strobili, are the most frequently used part of the hop plant, but other tissues are of interest as well. The present review compiles existing knowledge of the chemical and pharmacological properties, traditional and present uses and further use potential, genetic resources, and breeding attempts in H. lupulus, and discusses climate change challenges to hop production. It contains hundreds of phytochemicals, and some of the secondary metabolites have definite potential pharmacological and medicinal value, but further investigations are desirable. Hop substances are potential alternatives, e.g., in antimicrobial, cancer, metabolic syndrome, and hormone replacement therapy treatments, as well as insecticides, preservatives, and fragrances. There are presently a few hundred cultivated hop varieties, and new cultivars are being developed and tested. Future hop breeding efforts with different quality and adaptation targets can utilize existing genetic resources, such as wild populations and landraces present in many regions.

Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil of the New Cultivars of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Bred in Ukraine

Lavender, otherwise known as Lavandula angustifolia Mill., is widely used in landscaping, and its oil is a valuable raw material used in many industries. Therefore, new varieties of this plant are bred. The essential oil composition obtained from fresh flowers of thirteen new Ukrainian cultivars of L. angustifolia were analysed by GC-MS, and eighty-two components were identified. Linalool and linalyl acetate were principal constituents of all of the samples, and ranged from 11.4% to 46.7% and 7.4% to 44.2%, respectively. None of the studied samples fulfilled the requirements of Ph. Eur. and ISO 3515:2002. The main reason was a high content of α-terpineol (0.5–4.5%) and/or terpinene-4-ol (1.2–18.7%). Our results are in line with multiple researchers showing that the studied lavender oils do not comply with the industry standards despite their authenticity. We also investigated the effect of the growth year on the chemical composition of five tested cultivars grown on the same plots and noticed a considerable variability between years. The obtained experimental data did not show a significant inter-year trend for the content changes of the major components. Our results allow us to deeply characterize the new cultivars and evaluate their oil for a possible use in the industry, or to designate them for future selective breeding.

Physiological and Molecular Characterization of New Apricot Cultivars Grafted on Different Prunus Rootstocks

In the last years, an important renewal of plant material from different breeding programs is taking place in apricot in order to improve resistance to biotic stresses, extension of the harvest season, fruit quality, and productivity. However, the graft compatibility of many of these cultivars with most popular Prunus rootstocks is unknown, and this is an essential agronomical trait for their better performance and longevity. Hence, the introduction of new cultivars requires knowledge of the extent and nature of incompatibility reactions before releasing these cultivars on the market. In this study, the determination of graft compatibility was carried out in 13 new apricot cultivars grafted on four Prunus rootstocks: ‘Marianna2624′ (P. cerasifera ×x P. musoniana), ‘Miragreen’ (P. cerasifera × P. davidiana), ‘Mirared’ (P. cerasifera × Nemared), and ‘Montclar’ (P. persica L. seedlings) at early stages of development. By combining cytomorphological, anatomical, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene expression analysis at the graft interface, as well as different vegetative parameters, the results highlighted ‘Miragreen’ and ‘Mirared’ as promising rootstocks for apricot, showing the highest degree of compatibility with more than 90% of the apricot cultivars. These results provide useful information for breeders and growers by selecting the most suitable scion-rootstock for efficient orchard design by planting compatible graft combinations.

Subtropical and flower crops breeding at the Subtropical Scientific Centre

This paper presents the results on the breeding work carried out by the Subtropical Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Currently, the Centre’s breeders are doing a lot of work aimed at breeding new fine yielding cultivars of subtropical and flower crops that will be resistant to growing conditions; they include kaki persimmon, feijoa, mandarin, freesia, crown anemone, pelargonium and chrysanthemum. The sources of high-level priority traits in flower crops that are valuable for further breeding in order to improve decorative (colour, flower shape, inflorescence), economic and biological traits (flowering period, a large number of flowers in the inflorescence, storage period of cut flowers, disease resistance, high reproduction coefficient) were recorded. The aim of the research is to improve the subtropical and flower crops assortment. The objects of the research were 989 hybrid forms: 136 citrus crops, 56 persimmon, 36 feijoa, 38 tea plant, 11 pear, 24 hazel, 108 freesia, 398 crown anemone, 120 pelargonium and 62 chrysanthemum hybrids. New cultivars with a complex of valuable traits have been created as a result of the scientific work. Over the past five years, FRC SSC of RAS has created 50 new cultivars: 26 pelargonium, 15 anemone, 5 freesia, 2 chrysanthemum, 1 persimmon and 1 apple and submitted them to the State Cultivar Commission. The “State Register of Selection Achievements Authorized for Use for Production Purposes” has included 63 cultivars developed by FRC SSC RAS, including 26 pelargonium, 13 anemone, 9 chrysanthemum, 7 freesia, 4 hazel, 3 feijoa and 1 tea plant cultivars. 46 patents for breeding achievements have been obtained.

Apical Rooted Cuttings Revolutionize Seed Potato Production by Smallholder Farmers in the Tropics

Potato apical rooted cuttings (ARC) originating from juvenile simple rounded leaf mother plants are a significant new way of transplanting and field growing of seed potatoes under smallholder field conditions in the tropical highlands. The aim of this paper is to highlight the development of the technology by researchers and farmers in Vietnam, Philippines, Kenya and Uganda. The development of cultivars with late blight resistance for which no source of tuber seed was available stimulated the creation of using ARC. The demystification of tissue culture by the 1980s greatly aided this development. The key hurdle was to multiply tissue culture plants in beds of growing media and maintain the physiological young stage of the mother plants from which apical cuttings could be repeatedly taken for several months to produce ARC for sale to farmers who demanded the new cultivars (cvs) with all the desirable attributes. The technology was first developed in warmer climates at lower elevations of less than 1,500 meters above mean sea level (mamsl) but gradually it was successfully developed at cooler climates in East Africa. The technology is well established in the highlands of Vietnam and Philippines. The largest family operation is producing over 4 million ARC annually. These high-quality ARC along with improved cvs have markedly improved yields of smallholder farmers, improving food security and increasing their income levels. In Kenya and Uganda there is a rapid adoption of ARC by seed producers, smallholder farmers and youths. The ARC revolution is bringing a great deal of excitement and promise of prosperity to remote poor highland communities.

Almond Fruit Drop Patterns under Mediterranean Conditions

Almond is an important tree nut crop worldwide, and planted areas have been increasing year after year. While self-fertility is one of the key factors when it comes to improved almond productivity of new cultivars, yield is also affected by the number of flowers produced, pollination, fruit set, fruit drop, and fruit weight. Almond fruit drop patterns of 20 Mediterranean almond cultivars were studied over three years. In addition, fruit drop patterns of two scion cultivars ‘Marinada’ and ‘Vairo’ budded onto eight to 10 different rootstocks managed with three different pruning strategies were studied for two years. Cumulative flower and fruit drop ranged from 50% to 90% among cultivars and treatments, and there were up to four fruit drop events during the growing season, the main one occurring from 20–60 days from full bloom (DFFB). Subsequent drops were at 100 DFFB, 120–140 DFFB, and the last one at 160–180 DFFB. The later drops were less apparent. In general, about half of the cumulative drop was comprised of buds and flowers, and the remaining percentage was fruit that dropped 20 or more days after full bloom. Furthermore, different fruit drop patterns were observed depending on the cultivar. For late- and extra-late flowering cultivars, cumulative fruit drop began to decrease earlier, with most of the drops occurred already at full bloom, whereas the opposite was observed for the early flowering cultivars. Rootstocks also had an important effect on the fruit drop pattern, with different effects depending on the scion cultivar. Tree management, such as type of pruning, also had an important effect on the rate of fruit drop and cumulative drop. Therefore, each combination of cultivar × rootstock × pruning type will require different strategies in order to reduce the fruit drop and optimize crop loads.

Root traits for low input agroecosystems in Africa

In Africa, agriculture is largely based on low-input and small-holder farming systems that use little inorganic fertilizers and have limited access to irrigation and mechanization in comparison to modern agricultural systems. Improving agricultural practices and developing new cultivars adapted to these low-input environments, where production already suffers from climate change, is a major priority for ensuring food security in the future. Root phenes improving water and nutrient uptake could represent a solution toward achieving these goals. In this review, we illustrate how breeding for specific root phenes could improve crop adaptation and resilience in Africa using three case studies covering very contrasted low-input agro-ecosystems. We conclude with a discussion on how these phenes could be validated and made available to breeders and agronomists.