Root system architecture (RSA) has positive effects on wheat growth and its yield performance. As root features are difficult to manipulate through conventional breeding strategies, marker-trait association (MTA) could be helpful for the improvement of RSA. In the present study, 112 durum wheat genotypes were investigated for several root system features as well as some agronomic traits. The population

Pythium sylvaticum is one of the most prevalent and aggressive Pythium species causing seedling and root rot of soybean. In this study, two recombinant inbred line populations (POP1 and POP2) and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) panel were used for mapping loci conferring partial resistance to P. sylvaticum in soybean using a greenhouse assay. POP1 (“E09014” × “E05226-T”) and POP2 (“E05226-T” × ‘E09088”)

Phakopsora pachyrhizi is an obligatory biotrophic fungus that causes Asian soybean rust (ASR) disease. ASR control primarily involves chemical control and the use of resistant soybean cultivars carrying an Rpp (resistance to P. pachyrhizi) gene. This study aimed to characterize the ASR resistance of three soybean Asian landraces. By screening the world core collection (WC) of soybean, which consists

Flowering time is an important agronomic trait, which is of great significance to the plant growth process. Salicylic acid (SA) is a key hormone that regulates plant growth and development. It can be converted into methyl salicylate (MeSA) catalyzed by SA carboxymethyl transferase (SAMT). Previous studies showed that SA was related to the regulation of plant flowering; however, the specific mechanism

The panicle erectness (PE) japonica cultivars have been widely planted in China. However, the relatively low yield level per plant and inferior eating and cooking quality of PE japonica cultivars are needed to improve further. In present study, a typical PE japonica cultivar, Nanjing 46, was selected as target for improving yield and grain quality by the way of introgression of Gn1a, qPC-1, and sd1

Grain size and shape are important for grain yield and quality in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Grain thickness (GT) is one of the constituent characteristics of grain shape and has a strong influence on grain weight in rice. In this study, a japonica cultivar (02428) with a thick grain phenotype was crossed with an indica cultivar (YZX) with a thin grain phenotype to construct a set of 192 recombinant inbred

In common wheat, genes/QTL for a number of traits including grain quality and resistance against all the three rusts were pyramided in the background of an erstwhile elite Indian wheat cv. PBW343. For this purpose, two improved lines (P1 and P2) each in the background of PBW343 were crossed; these two lines were earlier developed using marker-assisted selection (MAS). The genes carried by line “P1”

Plant morphogenetic regulation is an important part of plant development biology. An ideal plant architecture can be created to allow plant to fully capture and use solar energy and maximize rice yields per unit area. The TCP (THEOSINTE BRANCHCHED1-CYCLOIDEA-PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR1) family transcription factors participate in plant developmental processes associated with cell proliferation and growth

Soil salinity is widespread in rice-producing areas globally, restricting both vegetative growth and grain yield. Improving salt tolerance of rice is a promising approach to meet the increasing food demand. An extensive literature survey indicates that maintaining proper Na+/K+ ratio and reactive oxygen species (ROS) content is the key issues for rice adaption to salt stress. In this review, distinctive

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is an important agronomic crop and model system for studies of plant-pathogen interactions. Black shank, caused by Phytophthora nicotianae, is an important disease affecting tobacco production worldwide. In this study, a mapping population of 177 F7:8-9 recombinant inbred lines was generated from a cross between the highly resistant cultivar ‘Yunyan 85’ and a susceptible

Rice false smut (RFS), caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, is one of the most destructive grain diseases in rice production worldwide. Hence, to increase the ability of rice resistance to U. virens is a major breeding goal of rice breeders. However, it is difficult to evaluate rice resistance to U. virens. Hence, to clarify the RFS-resistance genetic mechanism is of great significance. In this study,

Hybrid rice breeding offers an important strategy to improve rice production, and therefore is crucial for ensuring worldwide food security. Purity of hybrids is a key factor in keeping the high production of hybrid rice. While another important thing is mechanical weeding of hybrid rice, which could greatly release labor from laborious work and cut the production cost. Both of these two problems could

Cold stress is a major abiotic factor that inhibits soybean (Glycine max (Linn.) Merr.) yield. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are prevalent endogenous gene regulators in eukaryotes that can cleave target messenger RNAs and play essential roles in soybean cold response. In this study, 105 genes, including 22 pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) genes and 4 growth-related genes, were predicted to be the target genes of

Leaf morphology varies significantly among Brassica juncea. However, little is known regarding the causal gene that controls lobed leaf shape in B. juncea. In our study, the BjRCO gene, which is associated with leaf morphological variation, was cloned from chromosome A10 in B. juncea via BSR-seq. Blast analysis suggested that the BjRCO encodes a HD-Zip I transcription factor, which may serve as a positive

Rice is one of most important crops in the world and is also the most advanced crop for breeding among cereal crops. Generally, rice is grown in lowland and flood-prone areas due to its ability to survive in semiaquatic environments. To adapt to excess water conditions, rice has developed specialized anatomical and morphological traits such as aerenchyma, radial oxygen loss barriers, adventitious roots

Pod dehiscence is a key trait in legumes due to its relevance for seed dispersal and yield losses. Although transcriptional networks controlling dehiscence have been well explored in cereal crops and models, such as Arabidopsis, our knowledge on molecular control of the trait in legumes is relatively limited. In chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), the identification of major and minor genes controlling

Molecular markers are efficient and essential genotyping tools for molecular breeding and genetic analysis of rice. We developed two 96-plex indica–japonica single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping sets for genetic analysis and molecular breeding in rice using the Fluidigm platform. Informative SNPs between indica and japonica were selected from SNP data of the Rice Diversity database, HapRice

High cane yield and commercially extractable sucrose (CCS) content are two of the key sugarcane commercial traits selected in sugarcane breeding programs. Advancements in genomic prediction may provide opportunities to speed up gains for these traits in breeding programs by combining accurate prediction of breeding values in candidate parent clones shortening generation intervals. Selection trials

Low temperature (LT) is a key environmental stress affecting the growth, development, yield, and quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). To better understand the genetic basis of cold tolerance in wheat, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of low-temperature tolerance at the seedling stage. A total of 543 accessions were genotyped by high-density 90K Illumina iSelect single nucleotide

Plant height directly affects the lodging resistance and yield of rice, a staple food for almost half the world’s population. To investigate the molecular mechanism of plant height development, a dwarf and brittle mutant dbc1 was obtained from the progeny of Ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS) treated indica restorer line Jinhui10. Cultivated in the paddy field, the dbc1 had a decreased plant height from

Until now, no distinct heterotic groups have been established in many rapeseed-growing countries. Numerous modern breeding lines with desirable seed quality have been developed but the loss of genetic diversity would be problematic. Simple sequence repeat markers covering all 19 B. napus linkage groups were used to evaluate the genetic diversity and to classify the heterotic groups of 169 Chinese semi-winter

Exploitation of heterosis is an efficient strategy to increase crop production, improve quality, and enhance resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, heterosis shows significant genetic × environment effects. Nitrogen is an important nutrient that affects crop development and grain yield. Hybrid maize performs significantly and differently depending on the nitrogen conditions, but the genetic

Previous studies have indicated the potential role of a TIFY family gene, GsJAZ2, for its response to alkaline stress in Arabidopsis. Here, we transformed GsJAZ2 into an elite soybean (Glycine max) using particle bombardment-based genetic transformation system to assess whether overexpression of GsJAZ2 in soybean improved alkaline tolerance. Results revealed that transgenic soybean overexpressing GsJAZ2

The analysis of association between genotypic markers and phenotypic traits allows identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs), which can be applied through marker-assisted selection in breeding programs to improve the quality of crops. However, success in these applications depends primarily on the stability and dominance of the QTL. We previously identified a significant fiber length (FL) QTL

Genetic control and location of QTLs associated with phytochemical compounds and fruit quality in peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] were evaluated using an F2 mapping population (ZC2) derived from cross between ‘Zin Dai’ × ‘Crimson Lady’. Antioxidant capacity, accumulation of phenolic compounds (total phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins), and fruit quality traits (fruit diameter, fruit weight

As a food consumed by more than half of the world’s population, rice (Oryza sativa) has always been a hot spot in plant science research. The three most important agronomic traits of rice, the yield, plant height, and flowering time, are controlled by many quantitative trait locus (QTLs). In this study, a newly identified QTL, qHD19, was found to be controlled by a single recessive gene. Using two

Phosphorus (P) is essential for the growth and development of plants, playing crucial roles in energy acquisition, storage and utilization, regulation of enzyme activities, and yield formation. Therefore, P deficiency in soil is a main factor restricting crop production. The main reason is that crop yields depend on photosynthesis which is vulnerable to low P stress. Thus, it is important to study

Crown rot of wheat and barley is a serious disease caused by the fungus Fusarium pseudograminearum, a stubble-borne pathogen common in no-till farming systems in water-limited grain growing regions. Marker assisted recurrent selection (MARS) was used to more effectively pyramid minor genes controlling plant response to crown rot disease. Two populations comprising 475 genotypes were phenotyped for

Heading date, a complex quantitative trait, determines regional adaptability and is associated with grain yield and quality in rice. In this study, we characterized qHd2-1, a minor-effect quantitative locus (QTL) for promoting heading date (by 3–4 days) under long-day (LD) conditions, but not short-day (SD) conditions. The qHd2-1 locus was detected in single segment substitution line (SSSL) N22-1,

Clubroot is a destructive soil-borne pathogen of Brassicaceae that causes significant recurrent reductions in yield of cruciferous crops. Although there is some resistance in oilseed rape (a crop type of the species Brassica napus), the genetic basis of that resistance is poorly understood. In this study, we used an associative transcriptomics approach to elucidate the genetic basis of resistance to

Annigeri 1 and JG 74 are elite high yielding desi cultivars of chickpea with medium maturity duration and extensively cultivated in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, respectively. Both cultivars, in recent years, have become susceptible to race 4 of Fusarium wilt (FW). To improve Annigeri 1 and JG 74, we introgressed a genomic region conferring resistance against FW race 4 (foc4) through marker-assisted

Selecting high-yielding wheat cultivars with more productive tillers per unit area (PTN) combined with more fertile spikelets per spike (fSNS) is difficult. QTL mapping of these traits may aid understanding of this bottleneck and accelerate precision breeding for high yield via marker-assisted selection. PTN and fSNS were assessed in four to five trials from 2015 to 2017 in a doubled haploid population

Species misclassification (misidentification) and handling errors have been frequently reported in various plant species conserved at diverse gene banks, which could restrict use of germplasm for correct purpose. The objectives of the present study were to (i) determine the extent of genotyping error (reproducibility) on DArTseq-based single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs); (ii) determine the proportion

The high content of carotenoids, sugars, dry matter, vitamins and minerals makes the fruit of winter squash (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne) a valuable fresh-market vegetable and an interesting material for the food industry. Due to their nutritional value, long shelf-life and health protective properties, winter squash fruits have gained increased interest from researchers in recent years. Despite these

One of the most important cucumber diseases is bacterial angular leaf spot (ALS), whose increased occurrence in open-field production has been observed over the last years. To map ALS resistance genes, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population was developed from a narrow cross of cucumber line Gy14 carrying psl resistance gene and susceptible B10 line. Parental lines and RILs were tested under

Breeding for resistance against the destructive fire blight disease of apples is the most sustainable strategy to control the menace of this disease, and has become increasingly important in European apple breeding programs. Since most cultivars are susceptible, wild accessions have been explored for resistance with quantitative trait loci detected in a few wild species. Fire blight resistance of Malus

Adult plant resistance against plant pathogens is of interest as a means to achieve durable resistance. Prior to this research, the barley lines CLE210 (from Uruguay) and Denar (from the Czech Republic) had been reported to exhibit adult-plant resistance against powdery mildew. Here, populations of doubled haploid lines from crosses of these lines with the susceptible cultivar Baudin were evaluated

Cowpea is one of the most important crops in West Africa and is essential for the region's food and nutrition security and economic development. Consequently, improving its agronomic performance and yield is a desirable goal. Brown blotch disease, caused by the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum capsici, is an important constraint of cowpea productivity, and at present, only limited genetic resources are

Advances in molecular biology have improved crops through transferring genes from one organism to new hosts, and these efforts have raised concerns about potential unexpected outcomes. Here, we provide evidence that a gene with a specific function in one organism can yield completely different effects in a new host. CaRZFP1 is a C3HC4-type RING zinc finger protein gene previously isolated from a cDNA

In sub-Saharan Africa, maize is the key determinant of food security for smallholder farmers. The sudden outbreak of maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease is seriously threatening the maize production in the region. Understanding the genetic basis of MLN resistance is crucial. In this study, we used four biparental populations applied linkage mapping and joint linkage mapping approaches to identify and

A maintainer line of 3-line hybrid rice commonly presents a certain genetic distance to a 2-line restorer line, but in many cases, 2-line restorer lines present defects upon recovery of the object cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) line of the maintainer line, which impedes the utilization of their heterosis. Here, we report a strategy and an example of converting a maintainer into a photoperiod/temperature-sensitive

The increasing cost of energy and finite oil and gas reserves have created a need to develop alternative fuels from renewable sources. Due to its abiotic stress tolerance and annual cultivation, high-biomass sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) shows potential as a bioenergy crop. Genomic selection is a useful tool for accelerating genetic gains and could restructure plant breeding programs by enabling

To create a framework for genetic dissection of hexaploid triticale, six populations of doubled haploid (DH) lines were developed from pairwise hybrids of high-yielding winter triticale cultivars. The six populations comprise between 97 and 231 genotyped DH lines each, totaling 957 DH lines. A consensus genetic map spans 4593.9 cM is composed of 1576 unique DArT markers. The maps reveal several structural

Seed hardness trait has a profound impact on cooking time and canning quality in dry beans. This study aims to identify the unknown genetic factors and associated molecular markers to better understand and tag this trait. An F2:7 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was derived from a cross between the hard and soft seeded black bean parents (H68-4 and BK04-001). Eighty-five RILs and the parental

Few public sector rice breeders have the capacity to use NGS-derived markers in their breeding programmes despite rapidly expanding repositories of rice genome sequence data. They rely on > 18,000 mapped microsatellites (SSRs) for marker-assisted selection (MAS) using gel analysis. Lack of knowledge about target SNP and InDel variant loci has hampered the uptake by many breeders of Kompetitive allele-specific

The advantages of open-pollinated (OP) family testing over controlled crossing (i.e., structured pedigree) are the potential to screen and rank a large number of parents and offspring with minimal cost and efforts; however, the method produces inflated genetic parameters as the actual sibling relatedness within OP families rarely meets the half-sib relatedness assumption. Here, we demonstrate the unsurpassed

Lodging continues to be a major cause of yield loss in important crop species such as Brassica napus. Understanding the genetic regulation of lodging resistance is therefore of key interest to breeders worldwide. Current strategies aimed at minimising lodging risk involve the incorporation of dwarfing genes or the application of plant growth regulators. However, despite these efforts, lodging continues

TDK1 is a popular rice variety from the Lao PDR. Originally developed for irrigated conditions, this variety suffers a high decline in yield under drought conditions. Studies have identified three quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for grain yield under drought conditions, qDTY3.1 , qDTY6.1 , and qDTY6.2 , that show a high effect in the background of this variety. We report here the pyramiding of these

Flavor improvement is currently one of the most important goals for strawberry breeders. At the same time, it is one of the most complex traits to improve, involving the balanced combination of several desired characteristics such as high sweetness, moderate acidity, and the appropriate combination of aroma compounds that are beginning to be delineated in consumer tests. DNA-informed breeding will

Crop improvement is a long-term, expensive institutional endeavor. Genomic selection (GS), which uses single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) information to estimate genomic breeding values, has proven efficient to increasing genetic gain by accelerating the breeding process in animal breeding programs. As for crop improvement, with few exceptions, GS applicability remains in the evaluation of algorithm

Despite possessing related ancestral genomes, hexaploid wheat behaves as a diploid during meiosis. The wheat Ph1 locus promotes accurate synapsis and crossover of homologous chromosomes. Interspecific hybrids between wheat and wild relatives are exploited by breeders to introgress important traits from wild relatives into wheat, although in hybrids between hexaploid wheat and wild relatives, which

Global warming has become a worldwide concern due to its adverse effects on agricultural output. In particular, long-term mildly high temperatures interfere with sexual reproduction and thus fruit and seed set. To uncover the genetic basis of observed variation in tolerance against heat, a bi-parental F2 mapping population from two contrasting cultivars, i.e. Nagcarlang and NCHS-1, was generated and

Partial resistance quantitative trait loci (QTLs) Rphq11 and rphq16 against Puccinia hordei isolate 1.2.1 were previously mapped in seedlings of the mapping populations Steptoe/Morex and Oregon Wolfe Barleys, respectively. In this study, QTL mapping was performed at adult plant stage for the two mapping populations challenged with the same rust isolate. The results suggest that Rphq11 and rphq16 are

Simple, reliable methods for the identification of alien genetic introgressions are required in plant breeding programmes. The use of genomic dot-blot hybridisation allows the detection of small Hordeum chilense genomic introgressions in the descendants of genetic crosses between wheat and H. chilense addition or substitution lines in wheat when molecular markers are difficult to use. Based on genomic

With the decrease of cost in genotyping, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have gained wide acceptance because of their abundance, even distribution throughout the maize (Zea mays L.) genome, and suitability for high-throughput analysis. In this study, a maize 55 K SNP array with improved genome coverage for molecular breeding was developed on an Affymetrix® Axiom® platform with 55,229 SNPs evenly

The genetic architecture determinants of yield traits in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) are poorly understood. In the present study, an effort was made to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for yield traits using recombinant inbred lines (RIL). A genetic linkage map was constructed containing 609 loci, covering a total of 1557.48 cM with an average distance of 2.56 cM between adjacent markers. The present

Gerbera hybrida is an economically important cut flower. In the production and transportation of gerbera with unavoidable periods of high relative humidity, grey mould occurs and results in losses in quality and quantity of flowers. Considering the limitations of chemical use in greenhouses and the impossibility to use these chemicals in auction or after sale, breeding for resistant gerbera cultivars

North American soybean breeders have successfully developed a large number of elite cultivars with diverse maturity groups (MG) from a small number of ancestral landraces. To understand molecular and genetic basis underlying the large variation in their maturity and flowering times, we integrated pedigree and maturity data of 166 cultivars representing North American soybean breeding. Network analysis

Podosphaera leucotricha is the causal agent of powdery mildew (PM) in apple. To reduce the amount of fungicides required to control this pathogen, the development of resistant apple cultivars should become a priority. Resistance to PM was achieved in various crops by knocking out specific members of the MLO gene family that are responsible for PM susceptibility (S-genes). In apple, the knockdown of

Quantitative trait locus (QTL) identification in perennial fruit crops is impeded largely by their lengthy generation time, resulting in costly and labor-intensive maintenance of breeding programs. In a grapevine (genus Vitis) breeding program, although experimental families are typically unreplicated, the genetic backgrounds may contain similar progenitors previously selected due to their contribution