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Simple Summary: Maize is one of the major crops of the world for feed, food, and industrial uses. It originated in Central America and was first introduced into Europe at the end of the 15th century. Due to its adaptability, farmers and breeders across Europe have developed a wide diversity of local maize varieties with different characteristics over the past centuries. Many of these are conserved in genebanks' seed collections, but little is known about their specific characteristics. Here, we present results obtained by the European Evaluation Network for Maize, a private–public partnership with partners from nine countries aimed at promoting the valorization of maize genetic resources in breeding programs. The work describes the selection and the genetic and phenotypic evaluation of a collection of 626 maize landraces preserved in European genebanks, providing evidence for historic introductions and geographic adaptation. In a world where climate change, rising food prices, and other issues are affecting food security and the environment, the conservation and use of crop diversity is becoming increasingly important. The results of our study will facilitate the use of maize genetic resources in breeding for resilience to climate change, for sustainable agriculture, food security, and food quality. The ECPGR European Evaluation Network (EVA) for Maize involves genebanks, research institutions, and private breeding companies from nine countries focusing on the valorization of maize genetic resources across Europe. This study describes a diverse collection of 626 local landraces and traditional varieties of maize (Zea mays L.) from nine European genebanks, including criteria for selection of the collection and its genetic and phenotypic diversity. High-throughput pool genotyping grouped the landraces into nine genetic groups with a threshold of 0.6 admixture, while 277 accessions were designated admixed and likely to have resulted from previous breeding activities. The grouping correlated well with the geographic origins of the collection, also reflecting the various pathways of introduction of maize to Europe. Phenotypic evaluations of 588 accessions for flowering time and plant architecture in multilocation trials over three years confirmed the great diversity within the collection, although phenotypic clusters only partially correlated with the genetic grouping. The EVA approach promotes conservation of genetic resources and opens an opportunity to increase genetic variability for developing improved varieties and populations for farmers, with better adaptation to specific environments and greater tolerance to various stresses. As such, the EVA maize collection provides valuable sources of diversity for facing climate change due to the varieties' local adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensity of selection, inadvertent pathways of domestication, and the influence of climate change collectively amplify the frequency of detrimental alleles. This phenomenon, in turn, triggers genetic drift, leading to an in-advertent decline in the diversity of plant genetic resources. Genetic variability is of utmost importance for a species' adaptability and overall fitness. Our investigation centres on Triticum germplasm within the agroclimatic conditions of the Suceava Gene Bank, encompassing 2021- 2022 field trials. Comprehensive morphophysiological characterisation was conducted across 200 cultivated varieties, spanning three Triticum species (T. aestivum, T. turgidum and T. monococcum). Initially, the data underwent meticulous processing involving the computation of amplitude of variation, variance (s2), standard deviation (vs), and coefficients of variation (s%) for three pivotal agronomical traits: plant height, spikelets per spike, and total seeds per spike. Furthermore, an extensive cluster analysis was performed, encompassing multiple vital plant descriptors. The findings unveiled a remarkable dispersion of data, with standard deviation, amplitude of variation, and coefficient of variation collectively indicating substantial variability among the cultivated varieties. Within the same population, an intriguing observation emerged; of the 200 genotypes analysed, 83 exhibited immunity to Septoria tritici. Delving deeper into the statistical analysis, we identified two primary clusters within the population. Overall, a significant proportion of this germplasm showcased elevated phenotype scores, rendering them well suited for further exploration as foundational material in pre-breeding initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The testing of some spring naked oat lines (Avena sativa ssp. nudissativa) from the collection of the Suceava Plants Genetic Resources Bank in the pedoclimatic conditions of the Ezăreni farm in Iai county aimed to evaluate some morphological characters used both as descriptors by the Gene Banks, as well as component elements of the production capacity, in order to carry out a breeding program for this species. Thus, for the five lines tested, the values of morphological characters such as plant height, number of siblings per plant, number of spikelets per panicle, number of seeds per spikelet, number of seeds per plant and weight of seeds per plant were determined. The data were used to evaluate the intra-population variability (means, amplitude of variation and coefficients of variation) and interpopulation (means and amplitude of variation), the results highlighting a pronounced variability for all the analyzed characters, both at the intra-population and inter-population level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize is one of the most important crops in Romania. In the mountainous and sub-mountainous areas there has been a great variety of local landraces, which have been replaced over time by maize hybrids. The local maize landraces preserved in the Suceava Genebank are the result of collecting from all country areas, both through the care of RICTP Fundulea and the Agricultural Research Stations: Suceava, Turda, Simnic, Lovrin, Albota, Podu Iloaiei and Geoagiu (1957-1975), as well as of the collecting laboratory within Suceava Genebank (1990-2021). The paper presents the results of the characterization of 1358 local maize landraces obtained within 30 years. Morpho-physiological observations, biochemical and genetic analyzes were performed, both at Suceava Genebank and at the other research institutions. The characterization of local landraces has led to the identification of gene sources useful for maize breeding of the important characteristics (yield capacity, precocity and quality, resistance to low temperatures and to Fusarium infection). A significant number of populations have shown good agronomic stability, and can be considered potential sources of genes for improving the tolerance of maize to biotic and abiotic stress factors and the quality of new created hybrids, which in addition to high yield capacity to have a high protein content, to be resistant to low temperatures and to Fusarium infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of improved technology, new high-yielding varieties, mechanization, enhanced use of chemical and fertilizers led to increased wheat yields, but this development adversely affected agroecology and labor demands in agriculture. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the most important crop plants, with a significant dietary importance, all due to the high carbohydrate and protein content of the grain and the ratio between them, which satisfies the requirements of human nutrition. Also, it is one of the ancient crops of agronomic importance, having been taken into cultivation by man about 10-12 thousand years B.C. In Romania, wheat cultivation dates back more than 2500 years. On the shores of the Black Sea, on the sites of ancient cities, coins have been found with the image of the goddess Demeter inscribed on one side and wheat ears on the other. The objectives of the research paper are the DNA-based genetic analysis of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and einkorn (Triticum monococcum) cultivars belonging to different subspecies or varieties. This study used 50 wheat genotypes, containing local populations, varieties and breeding material provided by the Vegetal Genetic Resources Bank "Mihai Cristea" Suceava. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the among the first three agroeconomic important crop plants, with a high carbohydrate and protein content in grains. In this study, 80 cultivars, from the VGRB germplasm collection, were phenotypes in field experiments. Morphological traits were observed on the harvest spike prior to threshing. Awn roughness will be assessed visually and by sliding one's finger along the central part of the awn in the direction from top to bottom. Flowering dates will be retrieved from digitized records of VGRB propagation cycles. Accessions were evaluated in 2020/2021 field trials under a randomized block experimental design. Among the measured phenotypic records there are traits as germination rate, flowering time, disease resistance and yield. Results indicate that VRGB germplasm contains a wide variety of genotypes that have a high agronomical value. This germplasm could be used in future breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to test the varietal mixtures of barley in intercropping system and to select genotypes adapted for the redesign of breeding programs in the management of modern agroecosystems. Descriptors such as yield / genotypes, seeds weight and foliar diseases were evaluated in 36 barley genotypes (10 advanced cultivars, 16 local populations, 10 inbred lines) by testing in mono-cropping and intercropping experiments in two years (2019, 2021), in the climatic conditions of northeastern Romania. Intercropping experiments (barley-oats, barley-white lupine) versus mono-cropping (barley, oats, white lupine) were performed in blocks with 36 genotypes sown in alternating rows (intercropping) and successive (mono-cropping) 2 m long and 12.5 cm between rows, for each variant. The results obtained of the barley evaluation in the two cropping systems by using the descriptors of productivity, disease and equivalent land ratio (LER) showed: high barley yield in mono-cropping and intercropping systems with white lupine, low incidence of powdery and life stripe in white lupine intercropping and spot blotch in oat intercropping, respectively positive interspecific interference regarding the resources in white lupine intercropping especially of local barley populations (LER-1.15). The selection of the varietal mixture (7-advanced cultivars, 13 local populations, 3 inbred lines) in the Ward dendogram can be used in intercropped crops and as genetic sources to obtain forms well adapted to the intercropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research carried out at the Gene Bank in Suceava, Northern Romania, aimed to highlight the phenotypic variability of the germplasm of Avena spp. For this purpose, the morpho-productive traits and resistance to diseases, pests and weeds were analysed. Productivity, diseases and pests, days to heading and days to maturity descriptors of 46 Avena spp. genotypes (naked and hulled oat) with different biological statuses (36 local populations, 10 cultivars), were evaluated by testing in intercropping experiments with small grain cereals and grain legumes. The unidirectional ANOVA analysis generated values that allowed the elaboration of a hierarchy of heterogeneity in the hulled local populations, for some of the analysed characters (one thousand seeds weight/genotype, degree of attack by Puccinia coronata and Oulema melanopa and days to maturity) and these were less in naked forms. There was a high competition of Avena species, regarding weeds in small grain cereal variants and potentially beneficial for nitrogen symbiotic fixation by increasing naked and hulled local oat population productivity in intercropping with fava bean. The Euclidean distance classification of the oat genotypes investigated in the dendrogram distinguished the generated groups, indicating the maximum distance in cluster IV. With high heterogeneity of productivity traits, better resistance to disease and pests, and shorter maturity, members of this cluster could be used to develop genetic mixture programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of morphological differences is a traditional method of evolutionary and pedigree relationship determination. It was particularly useful in maize, where phenotypic differences occur (e.g. colour, kernel type and kernel size) (Murariu et al., 2002). However, only molecular markers provide information that is independent of environmental influences or of plant development phase. Therefore, techniques of DNA analysis have become more and more important. Methods based on polymerase chain reaction - PCR - are used widely in research. One of the used methods is the RAPD method (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) (Beebe et al., 2000). Our aim was to determine the genetic variability existing among maize landraces coming from western part of Romania and to adapt a method for their distinguishing. The use of molecular characterization has allowed the study of diversity within these accessions and the investigation of genetic relationships among them, revealing a wide genetic diversity in this set of 60 accessions, having a highest genetic diversity; they belong to different groups and could be used as base populations for future breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of oat genetic resources on the mycotoxin production was performed on genotypes grown by experimental field testing with artificial inoculation of Fusarium ssp., within the European project "Avena genetic resources for quality in human consumption" (AVEQ, 2007-2011). The testing of the genetic material was performed in three European countries (Romania, Czech Republic, Germany) by artificial infection with inoculum of Fusarium species: F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. sporotichioides, F. langesethiae and F. avenaceum. In 2008, in the experimental field of the Suceava Gene Bank, 112 genotypes of oats (modern and obsolete cultivars) originating from different areas of Europe were inoculated, causing Fusarium spp. infection and the presence of DON and T2 mycotoxins. The infection of oat grains with Fusarium spp. was evaluated in the laboratory using three classes of infection: 1- sound, 2- suspiciously infected, grey tips, 3 - Fusarium damaged, discoloured, smaller kernels. Analysis of the mycotoxin content of the tested grains oat accessions was performed by the ELISA immunochemical method in the Agrotest Fyto Laboratory, Ltd., Kromeriz (Czech Republic). The quantification of the obtained results was made by determining the correlation coefficients between the mycotoxin content and the percentage of grains infected with the Fusarium ssp. and different agronomic characters, revealing significant correlations between Fusarium ssp. infection, concentration of DON and T2 mycotoxins, the seed weight, heading and ripening data of tested oat genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of morphological differences is a traditional method of evolutionary and pedigree relationship determination. It was particularly useful in maize, where phenotypic differences occur (e.g. color, kernel type and kernel size). However, only molecular markers provide information that is independent of environmental influences or a plant development phase. Therefore, techniques of DNA analysis have become more and more important. Methods based on polymerase chain reaction -PCR- are used widely in research. Ones of the most used methods are the RAPD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) method [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present there can be noticed a main interest of plant genetic resources users for accessing information related to characterization and evaluation descriptors. Maize genetic resources represented by local populations originating from different areas, represent important useful genes sources for improving species. Their e is possible due to studies and comprehensive measures which can lead to the maintenance of biodiversity and increase its efficiency. The paper presents the results of characterization and evaluation of a total of 61 local landraces with cold test index >80%, selected from a total of 300 studied local landraces. These local landraces can be useful genes sources for maize breeding at low temperature, being a main trait for maize cultivation in wetter and colder areas in Romania. The study shows a high diversity for most of the morphological characterization descriptors of the plant, ear and kernel, physiological evaluation at low temperature resistance of the plantlets, precocity and biochemical evaluation for kernels quality. In order to obtain information, at intervariety level, for maize local landraces studied, molecular characterization was performed by RAPD method (random amplified polymorphic DNA). Many maize local populations with values of characterization and evaluation descriptors of real interest were emphasized. Utilization of these local landraces as starting material can lead to the identification of useful genes sources for improvement of important agronomic characters of maize (yield capacity, precocity, resistance to low temperatures, quality and genetic integrity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]