The development and commercialization of extra‐early quality protein maize (QPM)‐provitamin A (PVA) hybrids, tolerant of low soil nitrogen (LN) and Striga resistant are essential for addressing the food insecurity and undernourishment challenges currently faced by sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). This study was designed to (i) determine the genetic effects regulating grain yield (GY) and important secondary

In wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), cultivars resistant to imidazolinone herbicides are an important tool for weed management. The target site of imidazolinones is acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), an enzyme coded by three homeologous genes (ahasL‐A1, ahasL‐B1, and ahasL‐D1). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the imidazolinone herbicide imazamox on a single‐gene (AhasL‐D1) resistant line (R1)

Perennial plants provide extensive environmental services and increasing their prevalence on the agricultural landscape is one way to improve sustainability. Direct domestication of intermediate wheatgrass [Thinopyrum intermedium; (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey] as a perennial grain crop is underway, and selection has focused primarily on improving seed size and grain yield. Breeders lack understanding

Better understanding of the genetic control of traits in breeding populations is crucial for the selection of superior varieties and parents. This study aimed to assess genetic parameters and breeding values for six essential traits in white Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.) breeding populations. For this, pedigree‐based best linear unbiased prediction (P‐BLUP) was used. The results revealed significant

Zinc (Zn) deficiency is the most important abiotic factor limiting rice productivity and also a nutritional disorder with adverse impacts on human health worldwide. The present study investigated the comparative effect of four Zn application methods: Zn seed coating (2 g Zn kg−1 seed), Zn seed priming (0.25 M Zn solution), basal application (10 kg ha−1), and Zn foliar spray (0.5% Zn solution) in improving

Plant breeders face multiple global challenges that impact food security, productivity, accessibility and nutritional quality. One major challenge for plant breeders is developing environmentally resilient crop cultivars in response to rapid shifts in cultivation conditions and resources due to climate change. Plant breeders rely on different crop genetic resources, breeding tools and methods to incorporate

The central temperate Argentinean region is currently affected by rising water tables, allowing higher and more stable maize yields (Zea mays L) when they fluctuate within optimum depth. However, limited information was available for optimizing N management in these environments. Yield response to N rates was explored in soils with influencing groundwater (always less than 3.5 m depth), and different

Robustness is the measure of the ability to perform well across multiple environments. The genetics of robustness in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under changing nitrogen application was studied by two parameters obtained from linear regression analysis. Robustness in changing water application was assessed by two parameters, relative efficiency component (REC) and susceptibility component (SC). The

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana subsp. coracana) is the most important millet in East Africa (EA) and perhaps the oldest domesticated cereal grain in Africa. One of the major factors limiting finger millet production is blast disease caused by the fungus Magnaporthe grisea. Crop wild relatives (CWR) and landraces present a potential source of novel genes. This study investigated the response of cultivated

Loss of crop genetic diversity due to modern plant breeding is an enduring global concern. The U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW) is an important wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)‐producing region. We examined population structure and changes in genomic‐level and agroecosystem‐level genetic diversity of PNW wheat over the past 120 yr. Wheat varieties were slightly structured by spring and winter growth habit

The photosynthetic rate (Pn) and leaf area index (LAI) play an important role in dry matter production. To understand the role of Zn fertilizer in increasing the yield of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and summer maize (Zea mays L.) by regulating Pn and LAI, a field experiment with six Zn rates (0, 2.3, 5.7, 11.4, 22.7, and 34.1 kg Zn ha−1) was conducted from 2013 to 2015 on a calcareous soil

The productivity of durum wheat [Triticum turgidum subsp. durum (Desf.) van Slageren] is affected by drought and/or high temperatures, challenges to be amplified by climate change. Pre‐breeding using wild relatives can supply useful traits for durum wheat improvement to adapt to major abiotic and biotic stresses. Sixty‐seven lines issued from backcrosses of Cham5 and Haurani durum wheat varieties with

The leaf area is essential for solar radiation and photosynthesis, and it determines the light penetration in the canopy and the growth rate of the plant. Measurement of the total leaf area in plants, which considerably varies in the number, size, and shape of the leaves, is extremely difficult, time‐consuming, and costly. In this study, the leaf area was estimated by different regression models and

Although genetic diversity for aboveground traits has been well characterized in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), little is known about population‐specific variation within this species for root architecture. To assess the diversity of root phenotypes, a total of 196 accessions from a core collection were evaluated in the laboratory and field in Pennsylvania, USA, and Chokwe, Mozambique. Substantial

The introduction of the semi‐dwarfing alleles, Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b, into wheat varieties significantly increased wheat yields beginning in the 1960s. Despite their agronomic advantage, Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b are also associated with decreased grain protein content and decreased coleoptile length. Furthermore, there is limited allelic diversity available to wheat breeders beyond Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b. We

CMD and CBSD are two important biotic constraints affecting cassava production in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) and the deployment of cassava varieties dually resistant to both diseases is the most effective and realistic way of reducing losses. Crosses were done to develop dual resistant progenies and they were evaluated for two seasons at Naliendele in Southern Tanzania, which is a CMD and CBSD hotspot

St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walter) Kuntze] is a popular warm‐season turfgrass in the Southern United States. Gray leaf spot (GLS), caused by the fungal pathogen Pyricularia oryzae Cavara, is one of the major diseases in St. Augustinegrass. While previous studies have reported polyploid lines with resistance to GLS, no comprehensive evaluations of sources of resistance have been performed

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has the A, B, and D genomes, whereas durum wheat (T. turgidum L. ssp. durum) has the A and B genomes. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of the square of predictive ability for the ith subgenome [rMP(i)2] for estimating subgenome contribution to trait variation, and determine which subgenomes in bread wheat and durum wheat populations had the largest and smallest

The annual bluegrass weevil (Listronotus maculicollis (Kirby)) is a severe pest of golf course turf in North America. Most turf managers attempt to minimize larval damage by targeting adults with insecticides upon emergence from overwintering habitats in spring. Fluctuations in weather often create asynchronous emergence patterns that lead to inefficacious applications. We sought to describe L. maculicollis

Zoysiagrasses (Zoysia spp.) are relatively low‐input and warm‐season turfgrasses which have grown in popularity in the United States since their introduction in the 1890's. Over thirty improved zoysiagrass cultivars were released in the past three decades, but many lack freezing tolerance and their use is limited to warm‐humid climates. Understanding the genetic controls of winter hardiness and freezing

Cynodon Rich. is one of the major turfgrass and forage genera in warmer climates of the United States and other world regions. New cultivars of Cynodon spp. are often developed by hybridization of a limited number of accessions of two species: C. transvaalensis Burtt Davy and C. dactylon (L.) Pers., or by selection from existing cultivars. This may lead to an erosion of diversity. Several other species

Future cotton production systems need improved fiber quality to meet global market demands and provide the textile industry high quality fiber. To achieve this, cotton breeding programs must develop cultivars that overcome the negative relationship between agronomic performance and fiber quality. Since 1935, the USDA‐ARS Pee Dee germplasm enhancement program has prioritized improving fiber quality

Barley is a crop of global significance with multiple uses (feed, food and beverages), but its productivity worldwide is limited by several abiotic and biotic stresses. Crop wild relatives, exclusively, Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum and H. bulbosum, are important genetic resources needed to develop new adapted varieties. A total of 117 accessions of H. spontaneum from different origins and 145 lines

Spatial variation is a recurrent issue in field trials and can cause significant obstacles in terms of genetic selection. Analyses that account for spatial variation within‐location can lead breeders to predict genetic values accurately across locations in multi‐environment trials. The present study aims to fit spatial models for analyzing soybean seed composition traits using a two‐stage analysis

Anthracnose (ANT) and angular leaf spot (ALS) are devastating diseases of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) worldwide, and identification of new sources of ANT and ALS resistance is a major priority in breeding programs. The ANT and ALS reaction of 57 Andean and 58 Mesoamerican accessions from five Brazilian states were evaluated. Three Mesoamerican and eight Andean accessions were resistant to races

A long fallow period (∼15 months) in a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum)‐fallow (W‐F) cropping system is meant to store soil water for the following crop, but loss of soil quality, low precipitation use‐efficiency and increased cost of fallow management are among its drawbacks. Replacing a portion of the fallow period with a short season cover crop may be an option to store soil water and alleviate

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) is cultivated worldwide, and it is a staple food in many developing countries. In some regions (e.g., Africa) drought is a major production constraint that results in significant yield loss. Climate change is predicted to result in even greater losses due to long periods of drought and elevated temperatures. The goal of this study was to assess the potential of

As an important forage legume in the world, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has high adaptability to various unfavorable climatic conditions and high biomass, and have been playing critical roles in animal husbandry and industrial applications. As α‐linolenic acid cannot be synthesized by animals and most of which must be obtained from plants, the increasing of α‐linolenic acid content in alfalfa will

Potato is one of the most important crops for human consumption worldwide, representing an essential component for the food security of several countries. However, yield and quality are negatively affected by biotic and abiotic stresses. In this sense, the selection of potato cultivars tolerant to heat and resistant to diseases is of great importance. Our goal was to select clones suitable for the

Thinopyrum distichum (Thunb.) Löve (2n = 4x = 28; J1dJ1dJ2dJ2d) inhabits harsh and dry saline coastal dunes. Its adaptive genes can be of value to cultivated cereals; therefore, single chromosome additions were previously developed in hexaploid triticale (× Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus) and common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.); however, their homoeology to triticale and wheat chromosomes remained

There is growing interest in developing calibrations for soybean seed sugars on near‐infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) instruments in order to increase the efficiency of sugar profiling. In this study, a set of 253 samples from Virginia Tech's soybean germplasm with wide range of sugar content were used to create prediction models for sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose in ground soybean seed

The effects of N source, fall fertilization, and preventive fungicides were evaluated in bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] artificially inoculated with Ophiosphaerella korrae and O. herpotricha, the most common spring dead spot (SDS) pathogens in the United States. The source of N applied to bermudagrass from May to August 2006–2008 had a significant effect on SDS symptoms appearing in the

Breeding for salt tolerance or abiotic stress, in general, requires rapid but reliable screening protocols that reflect the actual field situation as much as possible. A collection of 200 CWR‐derived BC3F3‐4 rice (Oryza sativa L.) lines developed at IRRI were evaluated by farmers in the Mekong Delta over two seasons for agronomic performance. Fifty stable BC3F5 lines were selected and subsequently

Winter pea (Pisum sativum L.) can be used as a forage and cover crop in the Southeast and Mid‐Atlantic USA, however minimal effort has been devoted to optimize pea genetics for forage and cover crop production in these regions. Studies were conducted from 2015–2017 in Maryland and North Carolina screening eighteen winter pea genotypes for forage and cover crop use. Winter pea genotypes were compared

It is important for yield test sites to elicit differences among genotypes, minimize redundancy of performance information, and generate a genotype × environment interaction representative of the targeted region. The objective of this study was to use corn (Zea mays L.) variety trial data from three relative maturity group (MG) tests (early, medium, and late) at five Tennessee locations spanning 14

Understanding seasonal changes in herbage accumulation (HA) and canopy characteristics of tropical grasses aids management of forage‐livestock systems and optimizes use of novel cultivars in both traditional and integrated systems. The objective of this study was to describe and explain seasonal herbage accumulation and canopy characteristics of three standard brachiariagrasses, including ‘Basilisk’

General combining ability (GCA) referencing additive genetic effects and specific combining ability (SCA) referencing non‐additive effects have been applied for decades in maize breeding and other crops to produce higher genetic gains in crop breeding. This study examined the magnitude of GCA and SCA for cane yield and evaluated potential for application in sugarcane breeding. Data were collected from

Haploids are naturally produced in maize (Zea mays L.) at different rates and can also be induced through different methods. Haploids are used to develop doubled haploids (DHs), which have many potential uses. The development of DH lines in maize involves haploid induction, haploid identification, chromosome doubling, and field sowing for self‐pollination of D0 plants. Different potential methods are

Sorghum is a common feed grain globally with vast genetic and phytochemical diversity that may provide numerous health benefits, including its aptitude as an antimicrobial feed grain. This study highlights the antimicrobial potential of a collection of 384 diverse sorghum accessions against two prominent foodborne pathogens, Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella enterica. Following extensive screening

Reniform nematode (RN) Rotylenchulus reniformis (Linford & Oliveria) is a parasite that reduces and limits cotton yields. At present, nematicides and crop rotations are the most effective management tool for producers. Our study investigated the use of six composite breeding lines that have QTLs for RN resistance and the interaction effect of a nematicide under high RN pressure. The study compared

Leaf‐color mutants have been extensively studied in rice and many corresponding genes have been identified and cloned. However, the mechanism of complex leaf‐color mutations requires further study. In this study, we obtained an introgression line (TIL22) from a set of introgression lines raised using African cultivated rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.) as the donor parent and Oryza sativa subsp. indica

Seed weight (SW) is a component of soybean yield, and it is also an important determinant of quality for food products such as edamame, soy nuts, and tofu. A better understanding of the genetic basis of SW is important for cultivar development and for use in various food industries. The objective of this study was to identify and confirm the genomic regions, favorable alleles, and candidate genes associated

Both Silicon (Si) and selenium (Se) are the nutrient elements which had significant effects on crop growth and development. However, the application of Si and Se fertilizer management in field production of fragrant rice was rarely reported. Present study was conducted with the objective to explore the effects of Si and Se fertilizer on fragrant rice performance though a six‐season field experiment

This article is part of a series of brief commentaries to highlight papers that have resulted in important and distinctly new perspectives in crop science. A criterion for selection of papers is that they must have been published at least 20 years ago to allow for a long‐range perspective in assessment of the papers. The current article briefly reviews the paper by M. Wayne Adams published in 1967

Transgenerational epigenetics inheritance refers to the possibility to inherit epigenetic‐based information acquired from previous generations. The design of experiments able to measure this phenomenon presents complexities. These are related mainly to difficulties in the identification of epigenetic variation components that are independent from genetic variation, and to difficulties related to the

The AP2/ERF transcription factors (TFs) regulate various processes of plant growth, development, and response to environmental stimuli. Although they have been extensively documented in many plants, little is known about stress responsive APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) genes in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.). In this study, 20 putative AP2/ERF genes, named IbERF1, IbERF2, and IbERF5–IbERF23

Common rust (CR) caused by Puccinia sorghi Schwein is one of the major foliar diseases of maize (Zea mays L.) in Eastern and Southern Africa. This study was conducted to (i) evaluate the response of elite tropical adapted maize inbred lines to Puccinia sorghi and identify resistant lines (ii) examine associations between CR disease parameters and agronomic traits, and (iii) assess the genetic diversity

The majority of paddy fields in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) are characterized by nutrient‐poor soils. In such fields, tillering in rice plants is severely restricted, which results in a reduced number of panicles and thus a decrease in grain yield. In this study, we evaluated the effects of a quantitative trait locus (QTL), associated with number of panicles and referred as MP3, on rice growth and grain

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is one of the world's hardiest warm season cereal crop and is cultivated mainly in the semi‐arid tropics of Asia and Africa for food, feed, fodder and brewing. It is mainly cultivated for its gluten‐free grains with high content and better quality of nutrients. Pearl millet is a resilient crop that can produce grain and biomass under harsh conditions like

The responses of different genotypes to an environmental gradient are often nonlinear and nonparallel. Current tests for differential genotypic responses are based largely on linear regression models (stability analysis) or on evaluations of all quadruples for crossover interactions (COIs) from a two‐way genotype × environment (G × E) table if the environments are unquantified. The objective of this

The selection of genotypes at the early stages is one of the main challenges facing sugarcane breeding programs. The present work aimed to compare classification techniques, namely, logistic regression (LR), k‐nearest neighbor (KNN), random forests (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) against the selection among families of sugarcane via artificial neural networks (ANN) and via a procedure based on

The DP‐305423‐1 transgene elevates oleic acid concentration and reduces polyunsaturated fatty acids in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] oil, resulting in increased oxidative stability. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of the DP‐305423‐1 transgene on agronomic and seed traits using four backcross derived soybean populations to provide further understanding of the transgene's

Lawns in the cool‐humid region typically consist of mixtures or blends of cool‐season turfgrass species and cultivars. To maintain a desirable aesthetic appearance and maximize seasonal greenness, many lawns receive supplemental irrigation. Turfgrass breeders have developed superior cultivars with reduced water needs, but the exact proportion of these grasses to include in lawn seed blends to reduce

Fine fescues, taxa within the Festuca genus, are considered some of the most shade‐tolerant cool‐season turfgrasses, but past research from field studies has been inconsistent. The objective of this research was to evaluate variation in Chewings fescue (Festuca rubra L. ssp. commutata Gaudin, CH), hard fescue (F. brevipila Tracey, HD), and strong creeping red fescue (F. rubra ssp. rubra Gaudin, ST)

Fusarium ear rot (FER), caused by Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg, is one of the major ear diseases that affect both yield and grain quality in maize (Zea mays L.), especially in tropical environments. Fusarium genetic resistance is a complex trait, controlled by several small‐effect genes and strongly influenced by the environment. We applied a comprehensive genome‐wide association study

K. Ann Bybee‐Finley, Steven B. Mirsky, and Matthew R. Ryan. Crop Sci. 56:2775–2790 (2016). https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2016.01.0046. A mistake was made in calculating the number of seeds per m−2 on a live seed basis for the species in the experiment and resulted in the number of seeds per m−2 being underreported in Table 2. Additionally, the seed weights of the intercropped pearl millet were misreported

Greenbug [Schizaphis graminum (Rondani)] is a destructive pest of wheat worldwide. Incorporation of wheat greenbug resistance genes in wheat breeding pipelines is critical to improve wheat production. The greenbug resistance gene Gb5, originally identified in Triticum speltoides chromosome 7S and transferred to wheat chromosome 7A, confers resistance to several economically important greenbug biotypes

The use of synthetic pigment‐containing products on golf playing surfaces has increased dramatically by golf course superintendents to provide green color and improve stress tolerance. Most turf colorants are synthesized from various phthalocyanine pigments, which share visible spectral properties with green plant tissue. Vegetation indices, such as normalized difference (NDVI), are commonly used by

Crop wild relatives (CWR) of carrot including 64 germplasm accessions of Daucus carota L. subsp. carota, Daucus carota L. subsp. capillifolius, and Daucus carota L. subsp. gummifer, as well as two accessions of another 18 chromosome species, Daucus syrticus Murb., were grown in field trials to flowering under conditions of heat, drought, and salinity stress in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Plant growth