The wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar Waldron carries at least six genes for resistance to stem rust caused by Puccinia graminis Pers.:Pers. f.sp. tritici Eriks. and Henn. (Pgt). The identity and map location of some of these genes are known, but there is limited knowledge of SrWld1, an important gene that conditions resistance to all North American Pgt races. Our objective was to identify and

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) has a wide range of seed dormancy. Seed dormancy is a crucial trait for plant survival and crop production. To explore genes and functions associated with the difference in barley seed dormancy, we performed differentially expressed gene and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analyses on seed embryos from a wild barley accession H602 with strong dormancy, a cultivated malting barley

In light of the fact that climate change has emerged as one of the difficulties confronting the global food system, researchers are obligated to work toward developing fundamental crops, particularly wheat, to combat environmental stress, including drought and salt. In the present study, genetic engineering was used to transfer the Arabidopsis MDAR1 gene, which controls the buildup of ascorbic acid

Heading date is a pivotal agronomic trait that influences grain yield, and it is determined by florigen genes. However, the regulation of heading date and its impact on other agronomic traits remain to be fully understood. In this study, we identified a mutant named late‐flowering and big panicle 1 (lbp1) in rice; we surveyed the growth and yield traits in lbp1. Changes in gene expression between lbp1

The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters and studying the influence of early-life and parental factors on the semen traits of boars. The dataset included measurements on 449,966 ejaculates evaluated using a Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA) system from 5692 artificial insemination (AI) boars. In total, we considered 16 semen traits measured on fresh semen and 6 sperm motility

The previous study indicated that ubiquitination is involved in the freezing tolerance of hydrated seeds. Parthenolide (PN), inducing the ubiquitination of MDM2, an E3 ring-finger ubiquitin ligase, adversely affects the freezing tolerance of hydrated lettuce seeds. Therefore, a proteomics analysis was conducted to identify PN's targets in hydrated seeds exposed to cooling conditions. Several pathways

Pre‐harvest sprouting, in which grain germinates while still on the spikes, causes substantial yield and quality losses, particularly in regions where the rainy season and harvest times overlap. Breeders have used a natural mutation in the A‐box motif in the promoter of wheat (Triticum aestivum) MFT2 gene on chromosome 3A (TaMFT‐3A) to prevent pre‐harvest sprouting in wheat cultivars in East Asia.

Increasing wheat yields is critical to meet the demands of a growing population and ensure socioeconomic stability. Rising photosynthesis is being proposed as a promising avenue to increase wheat yields, but evidence for this is conflicting across studies. To test the viability of this hypothesis, here we report a systematic and quantitative literature review examining the association between historic

Milk production traits are complex and influenced by many genetic and environmental factors. Although extensive research has been performed for these traits, with many associations unveiled thus far, due to their crucial economic importance, complex genetic architecture, and the fact that causal variants in cattle are still scarce, there is a need for a better understanding of their genetic background

One of the challenges of maize (Zea mays) hybrid seed production is to ensure synchrony at flowering of the two inbred parents of a hybrid, which depends on the specific parental combination and environmental conditions of the production field. Maize flowering can be simulated using a mechanistic crop growth model that converts thermal time accumulation to leaf numbers based on inbred‐specific physiological

Seed shattering, that is, the loss of seeds at ripening stage shortly before or during seed harvest, is strongly reducing seed yield in Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility to reduce seed shattering within breeding germplasm via recurrent phenotypic selection on spaced plants. Starting from a founder population of 300 plants not previously

Hairy vetch is a promising legume cover crop (Vicia villosa Roth) for the northern United States. Based on evidence from molecular markers, multi‐site evaluations, and morphological observations, a distinct second species exists within US hairy vetch germplasm, referred to hereafter as smooth vetch (Vicia varia Host). Morphologically, hairy vetch is highly variable, but this study found statistically

Chocolate spot (CS), caused by Botrytis fabae, is one of the most destructive fungal diseases affecting faba bean (Vicia faba L.) globally. This study evaluated 33 faba bean cultivars across two locations and over 2 years to assess genetic resistance and the effect of fungicide application on CS progression. The utility of unmanned aerial vehicle–mounted multispectral camera for disease monitoring

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. syn. Lolium arundinaceum), an important cool‐season grass, has limited understanding regarding its genetic inheritance patterns and the potential for simultaneous selection across forage, seed, and turf traits. In this study, 24 half‐sib families derived from polycrosses, along with their corresponding parental genotypes, were assessed for different agro‐morphological

Seeds are crucial for plant reproduction, dispersal and agriculture. Seed quality and vigour greatly impact crop production by enabling rapid and uniform germination under various environmental conditions. This leads to healthy seedlings that can withstand both biotic and abiotic stresses, which are particularly important in the context of the accentuation of global climate change. Upon imbibition

Endozoochory, the dispersal of seeds through the animal gut passage, plays a significant role in vegetation dynamics. The success of endozoochorous seed dispersal depends on each stage of the process: ingestion by animals, gut passage, and post-dispersal events after defecation. After the deposition of seeds through feces, the effects of feces on the initial stages of seedling establishment, including

Family-based selective breeding programs typically employ both between-family and within-family selection in aquaculture. However, these programs may exhibit a reduced genetic gain in the presence of a genotype by environment interactions (G × E) when employing biosecurity-based breeding schemes (BS), compared to non-biosecurity-based breeding schemes (NBS). Fortunately, genomic selection shows promise

Many plants developed unique adaptations such as protective seed coatings or eatable fruits/seeds that aid in seed dispersal by animals. Birds are among the animals that perform endozoochoric diaspore dispersal. In this study, we used mechanically demucilaginated seeds and seeds covered with artificial mucilage with the aim of determining the protective potential of the mucilage envelope against seed

The importance of underutilized crops in the diversification of diets for both humans and animals, among other uses, has been highlighted in literature in recent times. Underutilized crops are especially important because of their potential to provide nutrient‐packed, climate‐resilient, and sustainable farming practices. One such crop is Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc], whose genetic

There is growing demand across the turfgrass industry for turfgrasses that require minimal watering. St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze], a warm‐season turfgrass favored in the southeastern United States for its shade tolerance and vigorous stoloniferous growth, falls short in drought resistance. Integrating genomic and conventional breeding methodologies could accelerate the

Variety testing programs (VTPs) use multi‐environment trials (MET) to evaluate and report the performance of commercially available and pre‐commercial soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) varieties targeting a specific set of environments. Adequate modeling of the environmental variability and genotype–environment interactions (G × E) within the VTP would help farmers and seed companies decide which variety

The objective of this study was the characterization of commercial cultivars, differentiating lines/cultivars of Phytophthora sojae carrying Rps (resistance Phytophthora Sojae) genes, inoculated with different pathotypes. Thirty‐one differentiating soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) lines/cultivars carrying Rps genes and six commercial cultivars were evaluated for virulence pattern to PS2.4, PS14

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a widely grown food crop around the world. Drought stress seriously affects the growth and development process of plants and causes serious damage to maize yield. In the early stage, our research group conducted transcriptome sequencing analysis on the drought-resistant maize inbred line H8186 and screened out a gene with significantly down-regulated expression, Phylloplanin-like

Genetically modified foods (GMFs) have garnered significant attention due to their implications for health, agriculture, and food security. Understanding knowledge and perceptions of GMFs is essential, as these factors influence acceptance and attitudes. This study, the first of its kind in Lebanon, aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding GMFs and to explore their association

Malic acid markedly affects watermelon flavor. Reducing the malic acid content can significantly increase the sweetness of watermelon. An effective solution strategy is to reduce watermelon malic acid content through molecular breeding technology. In this study, we measured the TSS and pH of six watermelon varieties at four growth nodes. The TSS content was very low at 10 DAP and accumulated rapidly

The magnitude of inbreeding depression depends on the recessive burden of the individual, which can be traced back to the hidden (recessive) inbreeding load among ancestors. However, these ancestors carry different alleles at potentially deleterious loci and therefore there is individual variability of this inbreeding load. Estimation of the additive genetic value for inbreeding load is possible using

Seeds rely on temperature to adjust their germination timing by modulating primary and secondary dormancy. The knowledge regarding an intraspecific variation in the germination responses to supra-optimal temperatures during imbibition within the Solanum lycopersicon species and its relation with pre- and post-harvest environments is limited. Here, we studied the impact of imbibition at 35°C in 17 genotypes

For many decades, seed germination data have been modelled by probit analysis. In particular, it is the basis of the seed viability equation used, in the first instance, to describe the decline in germination of seeds in storage, but then also the rate of the decline, depending on seed moisture content and the temperature of storage. The underlying assumption of a probit model is that the response

Golf courses are increasingly affected by water scarcity and climate change. An understanding of spatial variability of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) and turfgrass quality (TQ) site‐specific management zones (SSMZ) is important for the implementation of precision turfgrass management. Therefore, the main objectives of this study were to quantify the relationship between remotely sensed TQ and ETa

Bacterial leaf spot (BLS), caused by Pseudomonas syringae pathovar aptata (Psa), is a seedborne, foliar disease affecting members of the Amaranthaceae and Cucurbitaceae families, including table beet and Swiss chard crops. There is no known resistance to BLS in beet or chard. A diversity panel, modified from the Wisconsin Beta Diversity Panel (WBDP) and comprised of 219 accessions from the Beta vulgaris

Previous literature documented an imbalance for sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] between source (leaves) and sink (grains), favoring the source. Therefore, reducing leaf number, anticipating maturity, and placing the dry‐down with more favorable environment might be advantageous for producers to fit another crop in the rotation. The aims of this study were to (1) evaluate via in‐silico the effects

As a longstanding and indispensable part of developing countries, small farmers face challenges brought by the dissemination of GM technology. Despite governments' efforts to promote collective cultivation of GM crops through top-down policies aimed at enhancing small farmers' production efficiency and market competitiveness, actual participation rates among small farmers in many developing countries

The wheat (Triticum spp.) stem rust pathogen, Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici Eriks. and E. Henn. (Pgt), has continued to be a devastating biotic stress in wheat production. Over previous decades, scientists have identified several resistance genes effective against Pgt. However, the ever‐evolving Pgt and low availability of durable resistance necessitates continuous identification and wise deployment

The present study is aimed at the postulation of Ut genes in loose smut‐resistant bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes and establishing a correlation with their pedigree. Loose smut caused by Ustilago segetum tritici (Ust) is an internal seed‐borne disease of wheat that can be managed through chemical seed treatment. However, due to the absence of evident symptoms, seed treatment is not a regular

Sex identification in farmed fish is important for the management of fish stocks and breeding programs, but identification based on visual characteristics is typically difficult or impossible in juvenile or premature fish. The amount of genomic data obtained from farmed fish is rapidly growing with the implementation of genomic selection in aquaculture. In comparison to mammals and birds, ray-finned

We explore the application of machine learning algorithms specifically to enhance the selection process of Russet potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) clones in breeding trials by predicting their suitability for advancement. This study addresses the challenge of efficiently identifying high‐yield, disease‐resistant, and climate‐resilient potato varieties that meet processing industry standards. Leveraging

Deficit irrigation is a water conserving practice that involves watering below an estimated evapotranspiration (ET) replacement level. Research is limited to comparing cool‐season (CS) and warm‐season (WS) turfgrass varieties grown in arid regions under varying deficit irrigation replacement levels. This study investigated the effects of five levels of reference evapotranspiration for short grass (ETOS)

Plants are often exposed to fluctuating light from a few seconds to a few minutes due to cloud movements, mutual shading of leaves, and change in the angle of the sun. Slow stomatal response to fluctuating light leads to carbon loss, but the influence of planting density on light fluctuation frequency and on stomatal response and carbon gain has yet to be fully explored. To fill this knowledge gap

The number of authorized genetically modified (GM) soybeans has increased worldwide. In Japan, 34 GM soybeans containing single events and their stacked varieties have been approved as food. However, not all approved GM events are commercially cultivated or distributed. In this study, we evaluated domestically distributed samples from the United States (US) and Canada using 17 event-specific detection

Although the seeds of various Orchidaceae members can be readily germinated on sterile nutrient media, numerous species exhibit complete asymbiotic germination failure. Also, while seed morphology in orchids has been previously linked to dispersal, associations with germinability have not been widely explored. We compiled seed morphometric and germination data for 203 orchid species globally, drawing

Wheat crops (Triticum aestivum) that are conventionally planted may exhibit susceptibility to yellow rust (YR). However, the disease can be mitigated if the crops are planted earlier than the recommended planting time. A wheat screening experiment was carried out at the Borlaug Institute of South Asia located in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. The purpose of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of

To feed the world's expanding population, crop breeders need to increase agricultural productivity and expand major crops base. Orphan crops are indigenously important crops with great potential because they are climate resilient, highly nutritious, contain nutraceutical compounds, and can improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers and consumers, but they have received little or no scientific attention

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a major food and feed crop and an important raw material for energy, chemicals, and livestock. The NF-Y family of transcription factors in maize plays a crucial role in the regulation of plant development and response to environmental stress. In this study, we successfully cloned and characterized the maize NF-Y transcription factor gene ZmNF-YB10. We used bioinformatics, quantitative

This manuscript delves into the intersection of genomics and phenotypic prediction, focusing on the statistical innovation required to navigate the complexities introduced by noisy covariates and confounders. The primary emphasis is on the development of advanced robust statistical models tailored for genomic prediction from single nucleotide polymorphism data in plant and animal breeding and multi‐field

The genome-wide association study (GWAS) is a powerful method for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL). However, standard GWAS can detect only QTL that segregate in the mapping population. Crossing populations with different characteristics increases genetic variability but F2 or back-crosses lack mapping resolution due to the limited number of recombination events. This drawback can be overcome with

We have reviewed seed dormancy and germination in the Rubiaceae, the fourth-largest angiosperm family (in terms of species richness), in relation to ecology, life form, biogeography and phylogeny (subfamily/tribe). Life forms include trees, shrubs, vines and herbs, and tropical rainforest trees have the greatest number of tribes and species. The family has five kinds of embryos: investing, linear-full

Nitrogen is an essential macronutrient for crop development and growth. However, nitrogen‐based fertilizer application not only increases the cost of crop production systems, but also causes serious environmental pollution and low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in cereal crops. To enhance the NUE of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), the transgenic approach was used to create a new variety. In this study

Protecting floral buds (squares) from insect damage in cotton during early growth is a priority for crop managers despite unclear implications for yield potential and increased system risks from early‐season insecticide use. This study was conducted to determine the compensatory responses of high‐yielding Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. cultivars, following manual square damage

Scrapie is an infectious prion disease in sheep. Selective breeding for resistant genotypes of the prion protein gene (PRNP) is an effective way to prevent scrapie outbreaks. Genotyping all selection candidates in a population is expensive but existing pedigree records can help infer the probabilities of genotypes in relatives of genotyped animals. We used linear models to predict allele content for

Although seed trait variations and their relationship to the ecological niche have been studied extensively at the species level, they do not necessarily reflect variations at the population level. In this study, we explored the intra-specific variation in relative embryo length, seed mass and germination speed in 40 populations of Daucus carota distributed across Europe and North America. By including

The annual bluegrass weevil, Listronotus maculicollis Kirby, is considered the most destructive insect pest of short‐mown turfgrasses in northeastern North America. Poa annua L. is the preferred host plant, though the weevil can develop in other cool‐season (C3) turfgrasses such as bentgrasses (Agrostis spp. L.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Recently, damaging populations have been reported

Nypa fruticans Wurmb is both a relic plant and a true mangrove. In China, wild populations are distributed only on Hainan Island and face significant challenges in regeneration from seedlings. This study explored the underlying causes of recruitment limitation by examining seed morphological traits from three distinct populations (Haikou, Wenchang and Wanning) and analysing seed germination and seedling

Seed longevity influences the success of ex situ storage and preservation of plant genetic diversity and is thus a critical factor in conservation efforts. Rapid seed ageing experiments at high temperature and high humidity have been widely used to classify seed longevity for hundreds of plant species, with potential implications for longevity in ex situ conservation. In this approach, radicle emergence

The endemic tree Neltuma caldenia Burk. and the shrub Neltuma flexuosa var depressa F.A. Roig (Fabaceae; subfam: Mimosoideae) are two promising species from the central region of Argentina, with high potential for use in the restoration of disturbed environments, for extensive livestock grazing and apiculture. Both species have seeds with physical dormancy. Ecological study of native species is important

Genetic selection improves a population by increasing the frequency of favorable alleles. Understanding and monitoring allele frequency changes is, therefore, important to obtain more insight into the long-term effects of selection. This study aimed to investigate changes in allele frequencies and in results of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and how those two are related to each other. This

The performance of plants in any one generation can be influenced not just by the prevailing biotic and abiotic factors, but also by those factors experienced by the parental generation. These maternal effects have been recorded in an array of plant species, but most studies tend to focus on abiotic factors over two generations. Here we show that maternal effects in the annual forb Senecio vulgaris

Seedling vigor is a critical trait for successful cover crop varieties. Selection for seed size can impact fall seedling vigor in the cover crop hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth). Fall vigor and seed size measurements from 1239 plants and fall vigor measurements from 13,923 progeny across 25 different growing environments were used to calculate narrow sense heritabilities and identify relationships

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a major cereal crop grown worldwide for human consumption, malting, and animal feed. Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that reduce grain yield and quality in barley. This study was conducted to evaluate a set of 250 barley lines grown under irrigated, water‐stressed, and rainfed conditions and to identify genomic regions associated with 10 traits related to

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) is highly adaptable to different soils and climates, but it is more sensitive to cold due to its tropical origin. Low‐temperature stress is a key factor affecting storage and has a significant impact on sweetpotato quality. During sweetpotato storage, prolonged exposure to low temperatures causes chilling damage to the root system, altering its physiological functions

Wild rice species are invaluable resources for genetic improvement of cultivated rice. “Breeding super rice using double advantages of wide cross and polyploidization” is a novel pathway in rice breeding. To exploit the favorable genes of wild rice fully, a technical system composed of hormone treatment, repeated pollination, hybrid embryo rescue, and chromosome doubling was established for efficient