Sunflower is one of the most important oil crops in Ethiopia in terms of edible oil and holds significant promise for improvement and development improved varieties. The present study was initiated to study the genetic diversity and performance of sunflower genotypes that enables to harness its seed yield and oil content improvement by using 25 genotypes including two standard checks namely Russian black

The aim of this study was to assess genotype by environment interaction for grain yield, plant height and thousand-grain weight in winter triticale cultivars by the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model. The study comprised of ten winter triticale varieties i.e.: Algoso, Baltiko, Grenado, Magnat, Moderato, Pawo, Todan, Trimester, Trismart and Witon. Field trials were performed

Aluminium toxicity in acidic soils (Al) and the maize streak virus disease (MSV) cause significant losses in maize productivity. These constraints can occur simultaneously in sub-Saharan Africa but there are no maize hybrids that combine resistance for both stresses. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to determine combining ability, gene action and heterosis for MSV and Al tolerance in maize

Breeding new rice varieties with high Eating and Cooking Quality (ECQ) characteristics is an important goal in rice breeding programs. To this end, 242 Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) of two populations derived from Alikazemi/IR67017-180-2-1-2 and Alikazemi/Saleh crosses were evaluated in two environments. The main and epistatic QTLs and QTL × Environment (Q × E) interactions were analyzed using the

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea L. Gaudich) is a major natural fiber crop cultivated in East Asia. The improvement of its fiber yield and fineness are important breeding goals. Fiber yield is a complex quantitative trait comprising ramet number, stem diameter, plant height, skin thickness, and fiber percentage. The fiber fineness is a crucial trait for ramie fiber quality. However, there are few association

Soybean oil is one of the most important vegetable oils in world. Increasing oil content and improve its composition is an important aim of many soybean breeding programs. In this context, the objective of this study was to identify QTLs controlling oil and fatty acid contents in soybean seed in different locations. For this, we developed F2-derived populations by crossing CS303TNKCA and FA22 lines

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is an economically important crop which provides a significant source of fiber, animal feed, and food oil worldwide. Bacterial blight (BB), caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum (Xcm), infects the aerial part of the cotton plant at all stages and can cause a significant loss in yield and fiber quality. In this study, 288 Upland (G. hirsutum) and 8 Pima (G. barbadense)

The aim of this study was to identify stable rice genotypes tolerant to a salt stress environment and to identify ideal mega-environments using AMMI (additive main effects and multiplicative interaction) stability model analysis. A total of 13 rice genotypes and three salt tolerance checks were evaluated across 13 salt stress locations (alkaline and saline) for the two kharif seasons of 2014 and 2015

Textural quality of watermelon fruit is mainly determined by rind hardness/firmness and its related traits. The determination of genetic regions harboring QTLs/gene(s) has a primary worth in genetic breeding studies. In this study, whole genome BSA-seq and QTL mapping through newly developed CAPS markers were successfully performed, respectively. Total 133-F2 mapping individuals were derived from crossing

In maize breeding programs, temperate germplasm can be used to introgress genes from temperate inbred lines into elite tropical maize inbred lines to improve grain yield and its components across environments. This study's objective was to determine the genetic gains for grain yield and its components achieved by the introgression of temperate maize germplasm in tropical elite maize inbred lines for

A yellow inbred line (SP3B) and a red doubled haploid line (H6) were used to produce a F2 mapping population of onion (Allium cepa L.). Initially, insertion/deletion and cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence markers were developed based on polymorphisms in the reference transcriptome. To improve efficiency of marker development, RNA-seq was carried out to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, is a destructive disease. A total of 23 rice genotypes, were screened using a set of 51 simple sequence repeats SSR/ InDel markers and 51 single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers to evaluate the sequence variation. Six newly identified Malaysian isolates of M. oryzae were used for blast screening. The resistant genotypes, consisting of Pongsu Seribu 2, O

Brazil is one of the world’s leading producers of sour passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims), a specie with high genetic variability. This variability can be exploited in breeding programs to develop cultivars with high yield potential and resistant to biotic and abiotic stress. The aim of the present study was to quantify the genetic divergence in families of full-sibs of sour passion fruit and to

Climate change is predicted to increase the probability of soil waterlogging due to severe rainfall, causing significant damage to soybean at the germination stage. Germination under waterlogging is also greatly influenced by temperature. To clarify the variation in germination responses of soybean genotypes to waterlogging at different temperatures, the seeds of 15 soybean genotypes were treated by

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important crop worldwide, but in many regions is increasingly faced with the issue of phosphorus (P)-deficient soils. The aim of this study was to screen for low P-tolerance in maize and to dissect the underlying phenotypic response. To this end, we evaluated a panel of 380 diverse inbred lines in the field under low and normal P conditions for 17 morphological, biomass- and

Perennial sorghum cropping offers substantial economic and ecological benefits, conserving fuel, water, and soil. To be perennial in temperate climates, a sorghum plant must over-winter and produce new growth the following spring—a trait derived from the weedy species Sorghum halepense. We have introduced perenniality from S. halepense into a S. bicolor background and identified QTL affecting eight

Low soil nitrogen (low-N) and stem borer attack are two of the major stresses limiting maize production in West and Central Africa (WCA). Thus, there is need to intensify efforts aimed at identifying inbred lines with resistance and tolerance to these stresses for hybrid development. The objectives of the study were to determine the combining ability of maize inbred lines, classify them into heterotic

There is current interest in the revalorization of legume crops such as one-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata) that was widely cultivated in the past, but is today underutilized. Characterization of responses of existing germplasm to major biotic constraints is crucial for cultivar development. Our studies confirm that V. articulata germplasm can be severely infected by rusts, particularly by the rusts

Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is widely cultivated in temperate regions owing to its excellent producibility and digestibility. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth; however, the overuse of nitrogen fertilizers can lead to excessive accumulation of nitrate-nitrogen in Italian ryegrass, which can prove to be lethal for ruminants. To study the genetic control of the nitrate-nitrogen

Wild relatives represent an important genetic pool for crop improvement. In wheat, a popular strategy for the introduction of alien genes is by manipulation of the Ph1 gene, to induce recombination between homoeologous chromosomes. However, the frequency of such homoeologous recombination is low and requires screening of large progeny samples. Consequently, the efficiency of selection of homoeologous

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally important crop species that feeds much of the world’s population and possesses morphology and phenotypic diversity that allow it to be manipulated to produce more productive varieties. Breeding programs have progressively optimized the structural feature of maize plant and organ to increase yield and to improve its adaptability to global climates and environments.

Barley stripe rust, Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei, (PSH) occurs worldwide and is one of the major barley diseases of South Asia and North Africa. The aim of this study was to identify and map rust resistance loci at the seedling and the adult plant stages in 336 barley genotypes assembled at ICARDA as AM-2014. The seedling resistance to PSH was evaluated in the greenhouse individually for six

Studies have shown that polyploidy has pronounced effects on plants in multiple aspects, including genome structure, gene expression, metabolism and so on, which finally induce changes in phenotype. Many of these changes occurred immediately after polyploidization and retained or lost later. Therefore, it is meaningful for crop breeders to gain knowledge of these changes when it is relatively stable

We present a summary of Puccinia triticina virulence surveys in former Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic from the 1960s to 2019. Cultivars Malakoff, Carina, Brevit, Webster, Loros, Mediterranean, Hussar, Democrat and, later Salzmünder Bartweizen, were used as differentials until 2002. Thereafter tests were carried out on Thatcher near-isogenic lines (NILs) possessing resistance genes Lr1, Lr2a, Lr2b

The domestication process of tomato (Solanum lycopersium L.) resulted in very low variability for most agronomic interesting traits. In this work we explore the variability present in an unusual segregating population obtained by selfing a second cycle hybrid to identify and mapping novel Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) for fruit quality traits. With this aim, a molecular characterization of the population

Maize production is on risk by Gibberella ear rot (GER) caused by Fusarium graminearum. This is one of the most important ear rot diseases in temperate zones as it leads to yield losses and production of harmful mycotoxins. We investigated, for the first time, the potential use of Brazilian tropical maize to increase resistance levels to GER in temperate European flint germplasm by analyzing six interconnected

Caraway (Carum carvi) is an economically important spice and medicinal plant of the Apiaceae family (syn. Umbelliferrae). Farmers often favor annual cultivation of caraway. However, the annual varieties, which are currently available, do not provide satisfying seed yields. Employing heterosis can be a promising approach to increase yield. Breeding of synthetic varieties utilizes heterosis and may be

Interspecific F1 hybrids were obtained from crosses between two Ogura cytoplasmic male sterility (Ogura CMS) broccoli lines (B14 and 137) and a rapeseed restorer line to introgress the Ogura CMS’s fertility-restoration gene Rfo from rapeseed into broccoli. Ten Rfo-positive interspecific, triploid plant progenies, phenotypically between rapeseed and broccoli, were obtained but still contained multiple

The inappropriate use of cacao clones either as female or male parents in seed gardens have been suggested as some of the reasons for the low yields of cacao hybrid varieties grown in West Africa. The concept of reciprocal effects in cacao crosses has not been well studied. To investigate the impact of maternal effect on growth and yield traits, reciprocal differences and combining abilities of recommended

A triploid was obtained from loquat (Eriobotrya japonica cv. ‘Ninghaibai’) (2n = 2x = 34) × bronze loquat (Eriobotrya deflexa, 2n = 2x = 34). The leaves of the triploid had no petioles, similar to the female parent, and its stipules were obvious and dark green, similar to those of the male parent. There were signals of male parent DNA on ten chromosomes of the triploid according to genomic in situ

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) meets a large portion of its nitrogen (N) need via biological N2 fixation, which is highly sensitive to drought stress. Nitrogen isotope ratios between 15N and 14N (δ15N) can be used as a metric for relative differences among soybean genotypes for N2 fixation, as δ15N is negatively associated with N2 fixation. This study aimed to dissect the genetic basis of δ15N using

Malus orientalis Uglitzk. is considered as one of the probable ancestors of domestic apples (M. × domestica) and has valuable traits such as late-blooming, adaptation to a wider array of habitats, and capacity for longer storage of the fruits. In the present investigation, morphological and pomological characteristics of M. orientalis were evaluated. Results showed significant differences among the

Problem soils impose various stresses on plants and significantly reduce crop yield. As a sizable area sown in food legume crops falls under the designation of problem soils, the development of tolerant varieties and appropriate agronomic practices to ameliorate problem soils is required to increase food legume production. With respect to food legume cultivation, research efforts focusing on the development

Research to control yield losses from Sclerotinia (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) has focused on stem resistance. However, resistance to leaf infection against this pathogen would also be beneficial, both in limiting additional plant leaf damage and in reducing inoculum build up within-crop and resultant spread onto stems. Three B. napus breeding populations, C2 (NC-8 ×

Thrips are a worldwide threat to Capsicum because they damage fruits, flowers and leaves directly by feeding, and indirectly by vectoring tospoviruses such as tomato spotted wilt virus. Therefore, growers would benefit from thrips-resistant varieties. Previously, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) that provides resistance to Frankliniella occidentalis has been identified. Here we explore the potential

Rhizobium rhizogenes exploits horizontal gene transfer as part of its mechanism of pathogenesis. In this respect, genetic material, transfer DNA (T-DNA) from the bacterium, is transferred transiently to the host plant genome. However, plant species within Nicotiana, Linaria and Ipomea genera contain genomic traces of ancient bacterial T-DNA. To determine if ancient bacterial T-DNA is present in uncultivated

Weed resistance to herbicides is a serious agricultural issue that threatens the sustainability of world food production, as its widespread appearance has reduced the diversity of weed control practices and posed economic and environmental risks. Wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis), a very competitive weed in winter cereals, has evolved resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides used in Greece. As growth

Studies on genetic gains in a historical set of wheat cultivars mostly refer to grain yield and the associated agronomical and physiological traits, while less attention is paid to the improvement of wheat quality. In order to analyze the breeding progress in grain yield and with an emphasis on the main grain and flour properties, twenty-five winter wheat cultivars released in the Southern Pannonian

Downy mildew is one of the most damaging fungal diseases of cauliflower. The present study was undertaken to identify molecular markers linked to the downy mildew resistance gene using 84 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from a cross of Pusa Sharad (susceptible [S] to downy mildew) and DMR-2-0-7 (resistant [R] to downy mildew). The resistant and susceptible lines in the 84 RILs segregated in 1:1 (R:S)

Sheath blight disease of rice causes substantial crop losses and resistance sources are rare. A moderately resistant genotype CR 1014 was identified and hybridized with highly susceptible genotype Swarna-Sub1. In the F2 and F2:3 generations, three QTLs (qShB-1.1, qShB-1.2 and qShB-1.3) were mapped in chromosome-1. In F5 generation of the same cross and F4 generation of an alternative mapping population

Miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) is an understudied tropical fruit species with potential as a source of natural, non-caloric sweetener. Miracle fruit berries have been consumed in Africa for over 100 years. The fruit pulp contains a protein called miraculin, a natural, non-caloric sweetener, that changes the perception of sour foods and beverages to sweet. Demand for natural, non-caloric sweeteners

Breeding for thermotolerance in processes determining fruit set and pollen germination is increasingly needed as global warming progresses. We previously reported good yields at high temperatures from the F1 hybrid of the Capsicum chinense cultivars ‘Sy-2’ and ‘No. 3686’, both of which yield poorly at high temperatures. Moreover, the percentages of fruit set at high temperature in the F2 population

Cucurbita pepo contains a wealth of genetic variability in fruit size, shape, and color. A common fruit color pattern in C. pepo is striping of the fruits. Stripes occur on the fruit exterior in accordance with the positions of the 10 main subepidermal vein tracts, and can be normal, with darker stripes occurring between and lighter stripes over and adjacent to the vein tracts, or reversed, with lighter

Identifying statistical methods that provide greater experimental precision in the selection of biofortified common bean lines is an unprecedented practice, according to the literature. The present study was thus conducted to examine the experimental precision of mineral concentration in experiments with common bean by employing different statistical methods and to identify more precise methods to

Time in breeding programs is a key factor. Shortening plant cycles allows to increase the efficiency of the programs. The objective of this work is to compare different rapid generation technologies on commercial varieties and then apply the most efficient on two segregating populations in order to develop a simple and low cost speed breeding system in pea. Three methods were evaluated. One completely

Controlled pollination (CP) was used to produce four reciprocal crosses of the interspecific hybrid between Acacia auriculiformis and A. mangium, and one additional reciprocal cross within each parental species. There were no reciprocal effects on seed yield index (filled seeds per 100 flowers pollinated) and germination success for filled seeds. The CP families, together with four additional CP hybrid

Common bacterial blight (CBB) of mungbean (Vigna radiata [L.] Wilczek var. radiata) is a major limitation to mungbean production in semi-arid areas of the world where mungbean is a major crop. Deployment of resistant varieties is a significant sustainable strategy for controlling CBB in marginal production systems. The objective of this study was to identify sources of resistance and the stability

Fusarium wilt race 1, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae, is one of the main diseases of lettuce in tropical and subtropical regions, including under summer conditions in Japan. Resistant lettuce cultivars have shown symptoms on occasion, which have led breeding programs to focus on the improvement of resistance phenotypes to race 1. Disease assays using Fusarium wilt race 1 were performed

The Cellulose synthase-like F6 (CslF6) gene has been reported as a key factor for β-glucan synthesis in grasses. However, the action of this gene on oat β-glucan content is poorly understood. The objectives of this study were: (i) to quantify the absolute expression of CslF6 transcripts in oats under field conditions; and (ii) to characterize the CslF6 homoeologs in oat genotypes with different levels

Maize ear-related traits are important components of grain yield that directly influence maize production. The genetic basis of ear-related traits is still not completely understood, which would be helpful in the improvement of grain yield. In this study, to dissect the genetic basis of ear diameter (ED), ear row number (ERN), and kernel number per row (KNR), a genome-wide association study of maize

According to the temperature and duration of the vernalization stage, three types of varieties adapted to different environments were bred in rapeseed breeding: spring, semi-winter, and winter type. Usually in a particular rapeseed producing area, only one type (spring or winter) is cultivated and almost none of the rapeseed varieties can adapt to both environments, which is mainly caused by the strong

Kazakhstan-Siberia Network for Spring Wheat Improvement (KASIB) was established in 2000 to conduct multi-location cooperative yield trials for the exchange of breeding material and to evaluate agronomic traits such as grain yield and disease resistance. In 2016, aggregated KASIB data were analyzed and 120 cultivars and breeding lines demonstrating different degrees of resistance to leaf rust selected

Potato is a heterozygous autotetraploid crop propagated as tubers. Diploid potatoes, which are mostly self-incompatible due to gametophytic self-incompatibility, are often used to reduce genetic complexity. The discovery of the S locus inhibitor (Sli) gene has created a way to develop diploid inbred lines and perform F1 hybrid breeding in potato. However, residual heterozygosity found in advanced-generation

Wheat breeding has significantly contributed to enhancing yield potential and stability. However, one of the most promising technologies for further sustainable yield increases, hybrid wheat, is still limited due to lack of well-established heterotic groups and insufficient heterosis to compensate cost of hybrid seed production. Thus, optimizing the appropriate parents and combinations of floral and

The objective of this work was to describe the sensory profile of 11 arabica coffee genotypes with different levels of resistance to rust and to evaluate their genetic potential for the production of specialty coffees. The experiments were conducted in three coffee producing municipalities, in the region of Matas de Minas, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized complete

Significant yield losses are caused by pod shattering during the harvest of domesticated crop plants. The phenotype evaluation of pod shattering requires fully grown plants, and it is a labor-intensive and time-consuming procedure. The purpose of this study was to test the applicability of previously identified KSS-SNP5 SNP marker on chromosome 16 in the marker assisted selection (MAS) system for pod

Notwithstanding the importance of eggplant in global horticulture, doubled haploid production in this species is still far from being efficient. Although acknowledged to have a role in the efficiency of androgenesis induction, factors such as the growth conditions of donor plant or the in vitro culture environment have not been deeply explored or not explored at all in eggplant, which leaves room for

Rapeseed/canola (Brassica napus L.) root system varied widely among the winter and spring growth habits in late growth stages. In this study, we have phenotyped seven different root architectural traits with a diversity panel consisting of 224 B. napus accessions grown in greenhouse during 2015 and 2016. A genome-wide association study with 37,500 single nucleotide polymorphism markers was conducted

Bread wheat is a widely cultivated crop with production that is often negatively influenced by disease outbreaks. Biological constraints in production include the wheat rusts (leaf rust, stem rust and stripe rust) and Fusarium head blight (FHB). Different strategies are available in the control of these important fungal diseases. However, resistance breeding remains the preferred option of control