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Regarding carotenoids content, the genetic basis, heritability and combining ability in six red pepper inbred lines were investigated using full diallel crosses. Both additive and non-additive gene actions govern inheritance of carotenoids content. The mean square of array through variance and covariance analysis (Wr-Vr) was insignificant, which suggest that inbred lines involved in diallel cross may have no epistatic effects. The Vr/Wr graph revealed the influence of partial dominant gene action towards low carotenoids content and the absence of non-allelic interaction. The H2 component was smaller than the H1 and the [H2/4H1] component was 0.187 less than 0.25, indicating unequal proportion of positive and negative alleles in the parents. The estimates of broad and narrow sense heritability for carotenoids content were 0.956 and 0.832, respectively. The variance of general combining ability (GCA) was relatively higher than that of specific combining ability (SCA), which implied that the additive gene effects were predominant as compared to both dominant and epistatic effects for the accumulation of carotenoids in this genetic population. The values of GCA of ``62024L1`` and ``62067L2`` were higher than those of the other parents. These 2 inbred lines, therefore, can be considered as useful breeding materials to enhance fruit carotenoids content in other red pepper varieties.

Field experiments were conducted to determine the effect of sulfur (S) and Nitrogen (N) on nitrate reductase (NR) and ATP-sulfurylase activities in groundnut cultivars (Arachis hypogea L. cv. Ambar and Kaushal). Two combinations of S (in kg ha-1): OS (-S) and 20S (+S) were used with 20 kg ha-1 N. The application of S enhanced the NR and ATP-sulfurylase activities in both the cultivars at all the growth stages. The application of S also increased soluble protein and chlorophyll content in the all growth stages of both the cultivars. NR and ATP-sulfurylase activities in the leaves were measured at various growth stages as the two enzymes catalyze the rate limiting steps of the assimilatory pathways of nitrate and sulfate, respectively.

Plant mitochondrial genomes have complex configurations resulting from the multipartite structures and highly rearranged substoichiometric molecules created by repetitive sequences. To expedite the reliable classification of the diverse radish (Raphanus sativus L.) cytoplasmic types, we have developed consistent molecular markers within their complex mitochondrial genomes. orf138, a gene responsible for Ogura male-sterility, was detected in normal cultivars in the form of low-copy-number substoichiometric molecules. In addition to the dominant orf138-atp8 Ogura mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) organization, three novel substoichiometric organizations linked to the atp8 gene were identified in this study. PCR amplification profiles of seven atp8- and atp6-linked sequences were divided into three groups. Interestingly, the normal cytoplasm type, which had previously been considered a single group, showed two patterns by PCR amplification. The most prominent difference between the two normal mtDNAs was size variation within four short-repeat sequences linked to the atp6 gene. This variation appeared to be the result of a double crossover, mediated by these homologous, short-repeat sequences. Specific PCR amplification profiles reflecting the stoichiometry of different mtDNA fragments were conserved within cultivars and across generations. Therefore, the specific sequences detected in these profiles were used as molecular markers for the classification of diverse radish germplasm. Using this classification system, a total of 90 radish cultivars, or accessions, were successfully assigned to three different mitotypes.