In this study, we used mass spectrometry (MS)-based techniques to assess the metabolic profile of fast neutron radiated soybean (Glycine max) seeds that had higher protein content. This mutant showed 1743 gene duplication compared to the nonmutated counterpart. The metabolic profiling of soybean seeds identified 629 metabolites, of which 95 exhibited increased abundance and 127 decreased abundances

With declining funding in agricultural research and development coupled with tremendous pressure from different stakeholders, it is now essential for research institutes to demonstrate the return on investments in projects they implement. In response to the above need, this study evaluated the return on investment of seed sector interventions implemented by the International Potato Center in Malawi

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] yield loss due to terminal drought stress is common in semiarid regions. Stay-green is a drought adaptation trait, and a deeper understanding of stay-green associated traits is necessary for sorghum breeding. We hypothesize that the stay-green trait in sorghum may be associated with root architecture and transpiration rate under drought stress. The objectives were

This study evaluates the impact of genomic prediction models on selecting inbred lines as parents in hybrid breeding programs. New parents in a hybrid breeding program are typically selected from early-stage yield trials based on general combining ability (GCA) from testcrosses. Genomic studies have largely focused on predicting hybrid performance in the late stages of the breeding pipeline and largely

Choosing the right method to discover superior genotypes is always one of the major challenges that oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) researchers deal with. This work aimed to compare the univariate and multivariate selection indices utilizing Variance-based, AMMI (Additive Main effects and Multiplicative Interaction)-based, BLUP (Best Linear Unbiased Prediction)-based and GE/T (Genotype × Environment/Trait)-based

In hybrid sorghum breeding, basic agronomic traits such as days to flowering and plant height of sorghum seed parents must be within a specific range for hybrid seed production. Because many sorghum programs select new B-lines outside of commercial seed production environments, the purpose of this study was to determine if genomic prediction is effective to evaluate new lines for their agronomic potential

This article presents a graphical method to visually analyze the trait-by-yield association (TYA) patterns based on data from multi-location, multi-year crop variety trials, exemplified using oat data from trials conducted across Canada from 2017 to 2022. Each year a new set of 60 to 66 oat (Avena sativa L.) breeding lines were tested in replicated yield trials at nine to 11 locations, and data for

Background: Phosphorus has been proposed as an important factor determining photosynthesis through improvements in leaf anatomical traits and carboxylation efficiency. However, little is known about the combined effects of straw mulch and P fertilizer on the relationship between flag leaf P content and photosynthesis.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations puts forward a transformational vision to cope with food security, nutrition and health challenges, in which sweetpotato can play an important role. Globally sweetpotato production is valued at US$53.83 billion. The ARC sweetpotato research and development (R&D) program over the past seven decades delivered 31 genetically

Eastern gamagrass (EG), Tripsacum dactyloides, is a diverse warm-season, perennial bunchgrass that is widespread in the eastern half of the United States. The objectives of this study were to obtain a large assortment of ecotypes, measure and quantify some of their morphological aspects, and determine ploidy level for many of these ecotypes. Nearly 300 ecotypes were collected from 10 states and planted

On the cover: Nurturing soybean seeds. Photo credit: Damaris Hansel.

Long-term weather patterns (environmental conditions or stresses exceeding 10 days in length) have the potential to influence corn (Zea mays L.) growth, development, and yield. This review summarizes the current knowledge (with emphasis placed on the Midwestern U.S. production environment) on how long-term weather conditions affect corn growth and yield, including (i) drought and heat stress, (ii)

Human activity has created an environmental imbalance, which is reflected in climate change and resulting temperature variations, harmful levels of air quality, and more frequent and more intense meteorological phenomena, thus having significant consequences on the agricultural sector, e.g., changes in soil, climate, and water characteristics as well as in available resources for agricultural production

The prevalence of Sweet potato virus 2 (SPV2) and Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV) in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Gauteng provinces of South Africa was determined using serological and nucleic acid based methods. Cloning and sequencing part of the coat protein (CP) gene and the complete genome using next generation sequencing (NGS) were also conducted to characterize and determine the sequence

This article corrects the following: “Univ. Nacional de Colombia” has been corrected to “Universidad Nacional de Colombia” in Mauricio Parra Quijano's affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Ciudad Universitaria, A.A. 14490, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important food crop in the world. Reasonably increasing planting density is an important way to increase maize yield. Test weight (TW) determines the classification and affects market price. In order to clarify the influence and mechanism of planting density on TW, in this study, a 2-year field experiment was carried out in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2019

Raffinose and stachyose (raffinose family oligosaccharides, RFOs) in soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] are anti-nutritional carbohydrate components. Previous studies identified mutant alleles of raffinose synthase (rs) 2 and 3 and D-myo-inositol-3-phosphate synthase 1 (mips1) to increase sucrose and reduce RFOs content. Although earlier studies investigated the effects of rs2 and rs3 mutations, a mips1

Key message Variance-covariances in elite sweetpotato breeding material suggest an opportunity to combine high storage root yields, high root dry matter and high root β-carotene contents; optimized single-trait yield selection scenarios can serve as appropriate selection scenarios across yield and quality traits.

Poor diet quality for women and children under 2 years of age is the major public health problem in developing countries claiming lives of millions of children and mothers. Nutrition-sensitive, climate smart orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] intervention has been proved to be an effective approach to ensure enhanced diet quality and reduce the health burden faced by women

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a staple food widely consumed in Tunisia and represents a source of various secondary metabolites with human health benefits. However, cold storage of potato tuber affects their bioactive properties and functional quality. Despite the importance of this fact, few studies have examined the effects of extended cold storage on potato tubers quality. Therefore, the objective

Co-inoculation of soybean with plant growth-promoting microorganisms has the potential to increase yield, and the Amazon is a biome rich in these beneficial microorganisms. Soybean is the most important grain crop in Brazil and is highly benefited by inoculation with Bradyrhizobium spp. strains, both of which represent exotic symbiotic partners. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects

Reduced tillage (RT) increased soil water storage compared with conventional tillage, enabling an associated increase in crop performance. However, information on nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates for RT systems is limited. The objectives of this long-term study were to determine agronomic and economical optimal N rates for a continuous winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) system under RT at different yield

Climate change is threatening environmental and nutritional security. In this scenario, forage crops and their wild relatives may contribute to maintain ecosystem services and minimize the effects of global warming. We reviewed the literature regarding the ecological, agronomic and nutraceutical values of wild Onobrychis Miller species (sainfoins, Family Fabaceae). We also discuss their application

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), 2n = 2x = 26, is an important oilseed crop with high heterosis potential. In this study, we explored the histological and genetic characters and causal gene of a male sterile sesame mutant, ms1812 (ms3). The microspore abortion of ms1812 that led to male sterility (MS) occurred at the tetrad stage of microspore development. No normal pollens were formed and observed in

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) is a versatile dryland crop known for its high calcium (Ca) content. Estimating the variability for grain nutrients in diverse germplasm is important for developing biofortified cultivars. A finger millet diversity panel consisting of 310 accessions and four controls was evaluated in two rainy seasons at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics

Understanding the genetic control of traits linked to phenology is essential to address strategies and efforts in the development of resilient cultivars capable of adapting to climate change. In this study, we performed genome-wide association studies on a cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] mini-core collection to dissect the genetic architecture and identify genomic regions associated with days

Sustainable wheat production is challenged by climate change events such as drought, salinity, and heat stress. Senescence is a gradual programmed cell death trait occurring post anthesis in wheat (Triticum aestivum), with significant affecting stability of yield and quality-related traits under climate severities. Phenotyping of complex traits is increasingly perceived as a bottleneck due to elevated

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are an important source of genetic diversity useful for crop improvement. This study was conducted to create both a checklist and a priority inventory of CWR in Northeast Africa. A partial CWR regional checklist was obtained by combining the floras of Djibouti, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan for priority crop genera. It includes 1020 taxa belonging to

Accurate estimation of grain yield potential in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] progeny rows (PRs) by measuring yield itself is challenging due to the small number of seeds available. To obtain more precise estimates of soybean yield potential and control nongenetic sources of variability, soybean breeders in the United States use secondary traits, visual selection (VIS), adjustments for field spatial

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield can be expressed as the product of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR), radiation use efficiency (RUE), and harvest index (HI). Studies comparing genetic diversity in functional yield drivers for the progeny of elite breeding lines are limited or non-existent. A field study was conducted during the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons to characterize

Plant breeders widely use recurrent selection schemes to increase the frequency of favorable alleles for quantitative traits in a population. Although simultaneous selection is complex because it involves several traits combined with selection cycles, the use of selection indexes (SI) is applied to increase the chance of success of the breeding program. Despite many indices are available in the literature

This study aimed to investigate the genetics of sucrose and soluble sugar accumulation in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill.] and the impact on food quality. A recombinant inbred line population, constructed from ZD27 and HF25 with parents having significantly different levels of sucrose and soluble sugar content, was used. Using the QTL-Sequencing method, we identified 16 QTLs affecting sucrose and

Short stature maize (SSM), which carries the brachytic2 (br2) mutation, has reduced plant height and increased plant standability. Since a large area of maize (Zea mays L.) is planted for silage, it is important to investigate the forage nutritive value of SSM. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of the br2 mutation alone or its combination with the brown midrib3 (bm3) mutation on feeding value parameters

Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) is an emerging bioenergy oilseed crop of interest to farmers in the Upper Midwestern United States. Improved lines with beneficial agronomic traits are being developed, including lines with reduced silicle shattering and altered seed coat characteristics, though planting and establishment is still challenging for this small-seeded crop. A controlled-environment experiment

Cotton bacterial blight (CBB), caused by the pathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. malvacearum (Xcm), can inflict significant damage to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production. Previously, we identified and mapped the broad-spectrum CBB-resistant locus BB-13 on the long arm of chromosome D02 using array-based single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In the current study, linked SNPs were converted into

Rice plants are generally sensitive to cold temperatures, which adversely affect their yield. Japonica rice, a major subspecies of Oryza sativa L. (Asian cultivated rice), exhibits cold tolerance. Recently, we identified that the plant-specific transcription factor DNA binding with one finger 1 (Dof1) was associated with the cold resistance of Japonica rice. The purpose of this study was to delineate

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) has a major effect on the time-dependent darkening of noodle products. Development of varieties with low PPO activity is one method to eliminate this problem and respond to the demands of consumers. Among the common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Ppo genes, Ppo-A1 has the highest effect on grain PPO activity, and several Ppo-A1 alleles with low or no activity have been reported

Light intensity is an important factor affecting crop yield and quality. Studies on the effect of light intensity on the synthesis and accumulation of anthocyanin and soluble sugar in purple sweet potato tubers (Ipomea batatas L.) have rarely been documented. In this experiment, the effects of different shading intensities (no shading [L0], 20% shading [L1], 40% shading [L2], 60% shading [L3], and

Improving the management of water and fertilizers is an effective method for enhancing the seed-setting performance of rice. This study aimed to explore the regulation of optimized water and nitrogen management on the root–leaf hormone balance and seed-setting performance of drip-irrigated rice. In a 2-year field experiment, T-43 (a drought-resistant cultivar) and LX-3 (a drought-sensitive cultivar)

The gynoecious melon shows a high degree of hybrid seed production advantage, and exploitation of this property could improve both seed production and breeding, as well as reduce labor costs in melon production. The mechanism responsible the formation of hermaphroditic flowers by exogenous AgNO3 spraying is unclear. In the present study, the gynoecious inbred melon line WI998 was treated with AgNO3

Winter annual forages can extend grazing into the cool-season in the US southeast, however uncertainty regarding potential tradeoffs between winter annual mixtures versus monocultures exists. We examined increasingly species-rich and functionally diverse winter annual forage mixtures at two Florida locations to evaluate impacts of including more plant species with distinct traits (e.g., different maturities

Plant breeding progress is often based on assessments of genetic gain, a measure of year-on-year improvement of newly developed varieties for important traits of interest. Herein, we present data from the USDA-coordinated hard winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Northern regional performance nursery (NRPN) collected from 1959 to 2021 for grain yield, grain volume weight, days-to-heading, and plant

Functional genomics research on indica rice is often hindered by its long growth cycle and recalcitrance to genetic transformation. Therefore, there is an urgent need for Arabidopsis-like indica rice varieties that have a high efficiency in genetic transformation in order to facilitate functional genomics research. Here, we report the development of a new indica variety, named 6-23, which has a significantly

The conflict between rice production and water scarcity is becoming more pronounced. Therefore, the advancement of water-saving rice cultivation is crucial in guaranteeing both food and ecological security. This study provides a summary of the development and characteristics of various water-saving cultivation techniques for rice, including alternate wetting and drying irrigation, wet irrigation, controlled

Poa annua L. (annual bluegrass) is a common weed in turfgrass and has been reported resistant to 12 different herbicide sites of action, with various combinations of multiple-herbicide resistance having been identified. To quantify the extent of herbicide-resistant P. annua, the ResistPoa Project (resistpoa.org) surveyed 1349 P. annua populations for resistance to nine sites of action and one plant

Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flüggé) is a rhizomatous, perennial, warm-season forage widely grown in the southeastern United States "UF Riata" bahiagrass is more upright growing with greater herbage production when days are shorter compared with most other cultivars. Lesser daylength sensitivity extends the grazing season, but in combination with more upright growth may negatively affect persistence

Sustainable management of plant diseases has been a challenge in the effort to feed a human population that has increased substantially. One of the main diseases that affect common bean and dry bean is Fusarium wilt, caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli (Fop), which can cause losses of up to 100% in crop production. The Fop infection process starts in the roots, followed by colonization

Turfgrass stakeholder surveys have indicated fine fescue (Festuca spp.) seed will become in higher demand, but fine fescue seed production in the United States, especially in Oregon, has not increased. Northern Minnesota is conducive for cool-season turfgrass seed production and has existing infrastructure to produce turfgrass seed. There is an exciting opportunity for Northern Minnesotan farmers to

Urochloa spp. are excellent perennial forages and are among the best grasses for livestock production. The seed yield is an important trait because it impacts the seed production cost and, consequently, the cost of establishing pastures. The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic correlation between traits related to seed production in Urochloa spp. The experiment was evaluated in 2019

Developing potato varieties that have enhanced tolerance to soil moisture and high-temperature stress could improve household food and nutrition security in drought and heat prone areas. A field experiment was conducted at two locations in Ethiopia to evaluate the effectiveness of some stress tolerance indices for the identification of drought and heat tolerant potato genotypes. Treatments consisted

Powdery mildew is a very destructive disease that threatens yield and quality of wheat. In the present study, 262 recombinant inbred lines derived from a cross between Zhongmai 578 (ZM578) with moderate resistance to powdery mildew and Jimai 22 (JM22) with high resistance to powdery mildew in the field were used to map powdery mildew resistance loci using the high-density Illumina iSelect 50K single-nucleotide

The starch synthase has been identified well as a core enzyme in the starch biosynthesis pathway in monocots. However, only a few starch synthase genes (SSs) are known in dicots. Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) is one of the dicots-enriched starch in the seeds, but its starch synthesis pathway remains unclear. Here, 15 SS genes were identified in the Tartary buckwheat genome, including

The fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) and amylase–trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) present in wheat flour can trigger irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms and intestinal inflammation. Lowering FODMAPs and ATIs concentrations in wheat flour could make the grain accessible to humans with IBS. This study evaluated a diverse panel of heritage and modern spring wheat lines for

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is one of the world's oldest and most diversely cultivated plants, but legal constraints and a lack of agronomic rules have curtailed its production. This study aimed to determine the optimum nitrogen (N) application rate and harvesting stage for hemp yield in terms of seed, fiber, and stem. Treatments included (1) five nitrogen application rates (control [N0], 60 kg ha−1

Nirmal Sharma's name was misspelled in the published version.

The future of African youth probably lies in agriculture; however, this can be realized by making agriculture both profitable and attractive to young people. The importance of increasing youth involvement in agricultural value chains is primarily to sustain food production and secondly to reduce youth unemployment. Youth can be involved in various segments of agriculture and food value chains including

Malnutrition remains a global challenge contributing to 45% of child mortality worldwide. Agri-nutrition-sensitive interventions have been judged as cost-effective in addressing the key underlying determinants of nutrition. There is conclusive evidence of nutritional benefits from agriculture-related programs such as the orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) program in addressing vitamin A deficiency which

Seed increase through manual pollination is a critical part of maize breeding and genetics research to advance generations in breeding programs, to create desired research crosses, and produce hybrid seed for trials. Pollination in the field and in controlled environments relies on the availability of high-quality pollen at the time that recipient silks are receptive. Generally, pollinations are made

Solvent retention capacity (SRC) is an important tool for assessing wheat quality by estimating the biochemical characteristics of flour components. Although it has been widely used in wheat breeding programs, its genetic architecture is still poorly understood. Hence, the objective of this study was to find quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with four SRC traits, namely sucrose SRC, sodium

Professional turfgrass managers and consumers continue to express interest in low-input turfgrasses; however, the potential reductions in maintenance inputs from “low-input” turfgrasses are largely assumed and have not been well-quantified. Over 3 years, replicated field experiments at Purdue University and the University of Minnesota quantified the performance and the amount of fertilizer and pesticide