Main conclusion

Soil acidity in Ethiopian highlands impacts barley production, affecting root system architecture. Study on 300 accessions showed significant trait variability, with potential for breeding enhancement.

Abstract

Soil acidity poses a significant challenge to crop production in the highland regions of Ethiopia, particularly impacting barley, a crucial staple crop. This acidity serves as a key stressor affecting the root system architecture (RSA) of this crop. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the RSA traits variability under acidic soil conditions using 300 barley accessions in a greenhouse experiment. The analysis of variance indicated substantial variations among the accessions across all traits studied. The phenotypic coefficient of variation ranged from 24.4% for shoot dry weight to 11.1% for root length, while the genotypic coefficient variation varied between 18.83 and 9.2% for shoot dry weight and root length, respectively. The broad-sense heritability ranged from 36.7% for leaf area to 69.9% for root length, highlighting considerable heritability among multiple traits. The genetic advances as a percent of the mean ranged from 13.63 to 29.9%, suggesting potential for enhancement of these traits through breeding efforts. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into two major clusters, each containing varying numbers of genotypes with contrasting traits. This diverse group presents an opportunity to access a wide range of potential parent candidates to enhance genetic variablity in breeding programs. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant negative associations between root angle (RA) and other RSA traits. This helps indirect selection of accessions for further improvement in soil acidity. In conclusion, this study offers valuable insights into the RSA characteristics of barley in acidic soil conditions, aiding in the development of breeding strategies to enhance crop productivity in acidic soil environments.

中文翻译：

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土壤酸性条件下大麦(Hordeum vulgare L.)苗期根系结构的变化

主要结论

埃塞俄比亚高地的土壤酸度影响大麦产量，影响根系结构。对 300 份材料的研究显示出显着的性状变异，具有育种增强的潜力。

抽象的

土壤酸度对埃塞俄比亚高原地区的作物生产构成重大挑战，特别是对重要的主粮作物大麦的影响。这种酸度是影响该作物根系结构（RSA）的关键压力源。因此，本研究的目的是在温室实验中使用 300 个大麦材料来评估酸性土壤条件下 RSA 性状的变异性。方差分析表明所有研究性状的种质之间存在显着差异。表型变异系数范围为茎干重的24.4%至根长的11.1%，而茎干重和根长的基因型系数变异分别为18.83%和9.2%。广义遗传力从叶面积的36.7%到根长的69.9%，凸显了多个性状之间相当大的遗传力。遗传进步占平均值的百分比范围为 13.63% 至 29.9%，表明通过育种努力增强这些性状的潜力。主成分分析和聚类分析将基因型分为两个主要簇，每个簇包含不同数量的具有对比性状的基因型。这个多样化的群体提供了接触广泛的潜在亲本候选者的机会，以增强育种计划中的遗传变异性。 Pearson 相关分析显示根角 (RA) 与其他 RSA 性状之间存在显着负相关。这有助于间接选择种质以进一步改善土壤酸度。总之，这项研究为酸性土壤条件下大麦的 RSA 特征提供了宝贵的见解，有助于制定育种策略，以提高酸性土壤环境中的作物生产力。