Accurate hybrid prediction and knowledge about the relative contribution of general (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) are of utmost importance for efficient hybrid breeding. We therefore evaluated 91 triticale single‐cross hybrids in field trials at seven environments for plant height, heading time, fresh biomass, dry matter content and dry biomass. Fresh and dry biomass showed the highest

Determining the gene actions governing the inheritance of traits of interest has paramount importance in designing a breeding approach to improve the progeny populations. This study was undertaken to determine the combining ability of nine selected parental lines in the F2/F3 segregating populations for low P tolerance. The experiment was laid out in an alpha lattice design in two locations, that is

Genomic selection in tea plant (Camellia sinensis) breeding has the potential to accelerate efficiency of choosing parents with desirable traits at the seedling stage. The study evaluated different genome‐enabled prediction models for black tea quality and drought tolerance traits in discovery and validation populations. The discovery population comprised of two segregating tea populations (TRFK St

Iron deficiency chlorosis is an important abiotic stress affecting groundnut production worldwide in calcareous and alkaline soils with a pH of 7.5–8.5. To identify genomic regions controlling iron deficiency chlorosis resistance in groundnut, the recombinant inbred line population from the cross TAG 24 × ICGV 86031 was evaluated for associated traits like visual chlorosis rating and SPAD chlorophyll

Plant height (PH) plays a very important role for plant breeding and also serves as a model trait to dynamic development study. The dynamic quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis for PH of Agropyron Gaertn. was carried out in a cross‐pollination (CP) hybrid population of A. Gaertn. based on the phenotypic data of PH at different developmental stages in four year‐sites and the constructed single‐nucleotide

Grain yield and its component traits are essential targets in maize breeding. These traits are genetically complex and controlled by a large number of quantitative trait loci (QTL). The aim of this study was to compile reported QTL and major genes for grain yield and its component traits in a QTL atlas, as a valuable resource for the maize community. To this end, 1,177 QTL related to maize yield were

Rye is a multi‐purpose cereal crop grown in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in Western Canada. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the diseases that have a severe negative impact on rye, but knowledge about FHB resistance at the genomic level is totally missing in rye. The objective of this study was to elucidate the genetic architecture of FHB resistance in winter rye using genome‐wide association

Elderberry fruits are a good source of minerals and antioxidants; however, the presence of anti‐nutrients like oxalates may limit their utilization. The presented study which involves chemical evaluation of numerous interspecific hybrids is based on a hypothesis that interspecific genetic recombination may significantly improve the production and the nutritional quality of elderberry fruits. The aim

The photoperiod/temperature‐sensitive genic male sterile (P/TGMS) character is important for use of heterosis in hybrid wheat. In the present study, the fertility of 172 doubled haploid (DH) lines derived from the cross between a P/TGMS wheat line BS366 and a restorer wheat line Baiyu149 was investigated under both fertile and sterile environments during three cropping seasons. The phenotype was recorded

Drought is a major abiotic stress affecting banana production worldwide, leading to yield losses of up to 65%. Consequently, numerous efforts to understand and mitigate drought effects that include developing tolerant crop varieties are ongoing in several banana breeding programmes. The breeding efforts, however, have been greatly slowed down by inherent banana problems (polyploidy and male or female

Genomic selection has been adopted in many plant breeding programmes. In this paper, we cover some aspects of information necessary before starting genomic selection. Spring oat and barley breeding data sets from commercial breeding programmes were studied using single, multitrait and trait‐assisted models for predicting grain yield. Heritabilities were higher when estimated using multitrait models

Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray) is a relatively higher drought‐tolerant crop than common bean (P. vulgaris), serving as genetic resource for food and genetic enhancement of related legumes. Tepary bean production is hampered by cultivation of low yielding and abiotic stress‐susceptible cultivars. Targeted selection of agronomic, physiological and biochemical traits that maximizes yield

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important crops worldwide and is a model organism among cereal crops. Abiotic and biotic stresses are often present simultaneously and severely influence maize production, causing great yield losses worldwide. Therefore, the selection and cultivation of stress‐tolerant maize lines that adapt to various stresses is instrumental in addressing the problem of yield

To study the salt tolerance genetics of sorghum, 181 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were used to locate quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying salt stress adaptability. Six traits, namely, plant height (PH), stem diameter (SD), total biomass (TB), stem fresh weight (SFW), juice weight (JW) and Brix, were investigated under normal and salt stress conditions in two years. A total of 53 QTLs for the

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to the grain iron and zinc contents of brown rice were mapped by using a doubled haploid population derived from an intra‐japonica cross between 'Hwaseonchal' and 'Goami 2'. QTL–QTL, background–QTL, and background–background interactions and candidate genes that affect grain iron and zinc contents were preliminarily identified. Twenty‐one iron‐ and zinc‐related

Some sorghum cultivars are sensitive to organophosphate insecticides, which cause red to purple injury spots and, in severe cases, leaf death. Sensitivity to organophosphates is conditioned by a single locus on chromosome 5. We constructed a high‐density genetic map around the locus, termed osr, using DNA markers, and delimited osr to a 377‐kb region on the short arm of chromosome 5. Sequence analysis

High‐density marker‐based QTL mapping can serve as an effective strategy to identify novel genomic information to facilitate crop improvement. In this study, we genotyped an F2 population (KB12‐1 × PP12‐1) using a RAD‐seq approach and constructed a high‐density linkage map for radish. After a series of filtering procedures were performed, 17,124 SNPs and 3,336 indels with aa × bb genotyping were retained

Grain legumes being affordable sources of proteins, vitamins and essential micronutrients are key to human nutrition worldwide. However, frequent drought episodes present serious threat to grain legume production worldwide. Advances in legume omics in concert with evolving phenotyping and breeding techniques hold great promise to improve drought response of these crops. These resources could underpin

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non‐coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which are involved in regulation of gene expression in almost all plant and animal systems. In crop plants, a large number of miRNAs are now known, which regulate expression of genes controlling a variety of traits including yield and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Like protein‐coding genes, miRNA genes (MIRs) and their products (including

In recent years, plant molecular research on genetic mapping, gene tagging and cloning, and marker‐assisted selection (MAS) have gained importance in crop improvement programmes. In Capsicum, several inter‐ and intra‐specific genetic maps with wide distribution of markers covering the whole genome have been developed. Recently, whole genome of the hot pepper C. annuum, its wild progenitor C. annuum

Pvr4 locus, commonly associated with a co‐dominant CAPS marker, confers monogenic dominant resistance to potyvirus complex in Capsicum spp. Aiming to investigate whether the resistance found in resistant genotypes not bearing Pvr4 marker is due to allelism in the Pvr4 locus, or due to a new locus of the pvr series, segregation analyses of an F2 population obtained from a cross between two pepper lines

Rice is the most important cereal crop but is sensitive to salinity stress. Increased salinization is progressively reducing rice productivity, escalating calls for research to ensure sustainable food production. The genetic diversity available in cultivars provides a rich resource for discovering genes associated with salt tolerance which has not yet been sufficiently utilized. In this study, 54 QTLs

As one of the main rice establishment methods, direct seeding has the advantages of saving labour and reducing costs for farmers. However, the expansion of direct seeding has been constrained by poorly levelled fields, heavy rainfall and poor drainage after sowing. The development of cultivars with anaerobic germination tolerance could improve or overcome these shortcomings of most rice under flooding

Yellow mosaic disease, caused by wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV), is one of the most serious diseases of winter wheat in Japan and China. A single major QTL for WYMV resistance in the Japanese wheat variety 'Yumechikara', designated Q.Ymym, has been mapped on a 43.6 cM linkage block between the two markers Xcfd233 and Xgwm349 on chromosome 2D. We were able to obtain two recombinants within the block

Leaf is the main organ of photosynthetic reaction of plants. Studying the genetic mechanism that affects the leaf shape is very important for the improvement of maize production. In this study, a RIL population, derived from a cross between Ye478 and Qi319, was planted in four different environments, and six leaf morphological traits were measured, including the leaf angle of first leaf above ear,

Sorghum has unique advantage in terms of its climate resilience and its grain composition with beneficial bioactive compounds. It is a very good source of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and antioxidants. Breeding efforts for end‐use identity‐specific genotypes are required for increased profitability to the farmers. In this study, total polyphenol content (TPC) and free radical scavenging

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) is a prospective bioethanol feedstock source. Four high‐biomass and sweet sorghum male lines and three grain sorghum female lines were intercrossed using Design II mating. Parents and hybrids were evaluated to (a) identify genetic sources to improve biofuel traits, and (b) determine the inheritance of biofuel and morpho‐agronomic traits. Total soluble sugars

Fusarium graminearum could cause serious yield loss of soybean. Host resistance could offer an economical and effective way to control F. graminearum. The aims of this study were to identify and confirm quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying resistance to F. graminearum, and to analyse the genetic effects of pyramid resistance QTL on resistance level. A total of 140 F2:14 recombinant inbred lines

With an objective of developing the induced mutants for superior productivity and resistance to foliar diseases in peanut, two introgression lines (IL‐3 and IL‐4) derived from ABK genomes of peanut were subjected to gamma and sodium azide mutagenesis. Evaluation of M1, M2 and M3 generations could identify foliar disease resistant and productive mutants. Large‐scale evaluation of M4 mutants during the

Cowpea is an important grain legume crop in Africa. Cowpea flowers are capable of self‐fertilization, which might be the most frequent type of reproduction. Nevertheless, the rate of cross‐pollination could vary between 1% and 10%, depending on the populations of bumblebees or domestic bees that are present, the climate and the cultivar. The aim of this study was to identify and assess the efficiency

In Arabidopsis thaliana, AtMYB76 is an MYB transcription factor that has been shown to play multiple roles in the biosynthesis of aliphatic glucosinolates and fatty acids. However, in Brassica napus, the role of BnaA10.SOI.a, an AtMYB76 orthologue, in the accumulation of seed lipids remains unclear. In the present study, we obtained the BnaA10.SOI.a coding domain sequence from the Brassica napus cultivar

In cucumber, the genetic basis of traits under domestication and/or diversifying selection is not well understood. Here, we reported QTL mapping for flowering time and fruit size‐related traits with segregating populations derived from a cultivated × wild cross. Phenotypic data of flowering time (FT), fruit size (FS), fruit number (FN) and fruit weight per plant (FW) were collected in multiple environments

The improvement of sugar‐related factors is associated with root traits in sugar beet. The objectives of the present study were to assess variations of sugar‐ and root yield (RY)‐related traits and to estimate general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities of several lines, testers and hybrids under various environmental conditions. A line × tester mating design was used to develop 28 hybrids

A mutation causing self‐fertility (SF) in perennial ryegrass was studied at the tetraploid level. The aim of this work was to determine a) whether SF remains functional in a tetraploid population and b) whether the SF mutation expresses dominance in heterozygous pollen grains. A tetraploidized plant carrying SF alleles was self‐pollinated to create a segregating F2 population. In the F2 individuals

Besides its popular refreshing value, tea is globally consumed as a potential health beverage. Health benefit traits primarily rely on some regulatory networks of different metabolic pathways. In tea, the trait‐specific simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers are still insufficient, which could be used for marker‐assisted breeding technique. MicroRNAs are endogenous, non‐coding, short RNAs directly involved

Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) infections can cause significant reduction in soybean yield and seed quality. Identifying SMV resistance genes in soybean and accordingly breeding resistant soybean varieties is an important approach to control soybean loss caused by SMV. Here, whole genome resequencing was performed on a pair of near‐isogenic line (NIL), one resistant (R) line and one susceptible (S) line

The number of drought and low‐N tolerant hybrids with elevated levels of provitamin A (PVA) in sub‐Saharan Africa could increase when PVA genes are optimized and validated for developed drought and low‐N tolerant inbred lines. This study aimed to (a) determine the levels of drought and low‐N tolerance, and PVA concentrations in early maturing PVA‐quality protein maize (QPM) inbred lines, and (b) identify

Teosinte, an ancestor to modern maize, displays an excellent performance regarding resistance to stress, but its yield potential has rarely been reported. To evaluate the potential contribution of teosinte to maize improvement, two maize–teosinte backcrossed recombination inbred line (RIL) populations and their corresponding test‐cross hybrids were planted for trait assessment. In RN and ZP RIL populations

Fusarium head blight is among the most extensively studied fungal diseases of wheat and other small grain cereals due to its impact on yield and quality, but particularly due to its potential to produce mycotoxins, which are harmful to humans and animals. Since our last comprehensive review on QTL mapping and marker‐assisted selection for FHB resistance in wheat in 2009, numerous studies have been

Broadening the genetic base of elite breeding programmes is crucial for further breeding success. The absence of major adaption genes, however, often masks the grain yield breeding value of genetic resources. We assessed the ability of a hybrid strategy to provide unbiased performance estimates of 21 barley genetic resources. By crossing them to elite tester lines, 25 three‐way hybrids were produced

Spot blotch caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana is an important disease in barley worldwide, causing considerable yield losses and reduced grain quality. In order to identify QTL conferring resistance to spot blotch, a highly diverse worldwide barley set comprising 449 accessions was phenotyped for seedling resistance with three isolates (No 31, SH 15 and SB 61) and for adult plant resistance at two locations

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is an important tuber crop with tremendous potential as a functional food in the tropics and subtropics. However, the crop has not shown progressive productivity gain over decades due to various production constraints. This paper reviews the progress achieved in empirical breeding endeavours and the development, status and application of emerging breeding tools and technologies

The genetic behaviour of a yellow‐green leaf sweetpotato mutant, a269, was analysed to prepare for genetic mapping and cloning of this mutant and to elucidate the regulation of its molecular mechanisms. The phenotypic stability of the mutant was observed under natural conditions, and photosynthetic pigments in mature leaves were measured. GN1323 and a269 were crossed and backcrossed. Genetic behaviour

The breeding of new stenospermocarpic seedless grape cultivars is of particular importance to the growing table grape market and grape processing industry. However, the developmental and genetic architectures of soft‐seed and seedlessness traits are unclear. In this study, we performed anatomical, histochemical and gene expression analyses to characterize the morphological and genetic basis of the

Cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora canescens) is a major fungal disease which impedes mungbean production worldwide. Presence of wider host range with existence of pathogenic variability creates intricacy towards host‐pathogen dynamics. Moreover, environmental factors having crucial role in augmenting severity of this disease further complicate disease management. An attempt has been made for unfolding

Late blight (LB), caused by Phytophthora infestans, is one of the most devastating diseases of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) worldwide. Aggressive pathogen isolates resistant to fungicides have driven research in favour of finding new sources of host resistance for tomato breeding. Recently, we reported S. pimpinellifolium accession PI 270443 exhibiting LB resistance stronger than all commercial LB‐resistant

Flooding stress causes a significant yield reduction in soybean. The early growth of soybean in Korea coincides with the rainy season, potentially exposing to flooding stress. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to map the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for flooding tolerance in soybean and to identify and investigate candidate genes near the QTL hot spots. Flood stress was imposed at V1–V2 stage

Plant architecture is an accessible approach to achieving high‐yield potential. The DENSE AND ERECT PANICLE 1 (DEP1) gene regulating panicle morphology, grain number per panicle, and nitrogen uptake and metabolism has been widely used for the breeding of high‐yield rice in northern Chinese japonica varieties. However, there has been no consensus on the genetic effects of dep1 on grain yield and quality

Maize grain filling (GF) and grain weight (GW) are closely associated with grain yield. In our study, the ZmARM4 locus affecting GF and GW was identified using a reverse genetics screen of UniformMutator (Mu). First, MutatorDR‐flanking sequence (MuDRFs) was isolated from the mutant by the MuDR‐amplified fragment length polymorphism method, and it was verified by cosegregation (between MuDRFs and phenotype)

Seed longevity could significantly determine seed regeneration cycle and greatly affect wheat production. With the 90 K chip assays, a genome‐wide association study was performed to identify seed longevity‐related markers and loci in common wheat. Seed germination ratios (GR) under artificially ageing of 166 wheat accessions across three environments were evaluated to assess seed longevity. Totally

Spike density (SD), an important spike morphological trait associated with wheat yield, is the spikelet number per spike (SNS) divided by spike length (SL). In this study, phenotypic data from eight environments were collected and a recombinant inbred line population (RIL) constructed by the wheat line 20828 and the cultivar 'Chuannong16' and a Wheat55K SNP array‐based constructed genetic linkage map

One hundred and ninety‐seven wheat accessions from Yellow and Huai Winter Wheat Region (YHW) were evaluated for differences of 14 agronomic traits under low‐ and high‐density plantings. Compared with the high‐density plantings, plant height, neck length, uppermost internode length, flag leaf angle and number of sterile spikelets under the low‐density plantings reduced, while heading date, flowering

An appreciation of the genetic diversity retained in the gene pool of anemone‐type chrysanthemums is needed to drive further genetic improvement of this commercially important ornamental species. Here, a panel of 67 accessions was characterized with respect to both floral morphology, assessed using a set of 12 inflorescence‐associated traits, and to genotype, using sequence‐related amplified polymorphism

Small‐grain winter cereal crops can be infected with Fusarium head blight (FHB) leading to mycotoxin contamination and reduction in grain weight and quality. Although a number of studies have investigated the genetic variation of genotypes within each small‐grain cereal, a systematic comparison of the winter crops rye, triticale, durum and bread wheat for their FHB resistance, Fusarium‐damaged kernels

In this study, we have generated more than 12,000 activation‐tagged mutants in a high‐yielding indica rice variety, 'BPT 5204', employing maize Ac/Ds system. Different transgenic plants obtained were analysed based on expression patterns of green fluorescence protein (GFP), red fluorescence protein (RFP), herbicide (Basta) tolerance and molecular analyses. T1 seeds of pSQ5 and pSQ5‐bar transgenics

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum dematium) is an important disease in spinach (Spinacia oleracea). Sources of resistance must be identified, and molecular tools must be developed to expedite cultivar development. In this study, a diverse collection of 276 spinach accessions was scored for anthracnose disease severity. We then evaluated marker identification approaches by testing how well haplotype‐based

Optimizing root systems is one crucial point in drought tolerance breeding of plants. Introducing root‐related traits to breeding programmes is time‐consuming and laborious. Most of the commonly used methods are not suitable to be applied in a larger amount of plants. Here we present a study applying a DNA‐based root phenotyping method (root DNA density; RDD) for phenotyping the root system of maize

Salinity tolerance of 47 wild barley genotypes and six barley cultivars was evaluated under control and salinity stress (300 mM NaCl) conditions. Shoot and root dry weight (DW), plant height, membrane stability index (MSI), relative water content, survival rate, leaf malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline contents, root and leaf Na, K, Ca and K/Na ratio, and chlorophyll a fluorescence were measured. Salinity

Rapeseed/canola seedlings can be easily damaged by spring frost, which can rupture the cells and kill the plant. Genetic variations for frost tolerance have known to exist within rapeseed/canola gene pool. A genome‐wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using 231 diverged rapeseed/canola germplasm to find the significant markers of the freezing tolerance traits. The genotypes were obtained from

Average maize yield per hectare has increased significantly because of the improvement in high‐density tolerance, but little attention has been paid to the genetic mechanism of grain yield response to high planting density. Here, we used a population of 301 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross YE478 × 08–641 to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for 16 yield‐related traits under