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Multi‐parent advanced generation inter‐cross (MAGIC) populations have been developed and utilized in crop improvement programs in several economically important crops. In the current study, soybean (Glycine max L.) MAGIC population was evaluated at four locations to identify stable and high‐yielding MAGIC RILs (recombinant inbred lines) and to understand the genotype and environmental interaction for grain yield and attributing traits. For different traits under study, pooled analysis of variance indicated the significant genotype × environmental interactions at p < 0.01. RILs such as G236, G455, G159, G493, and G488 found ideal for grain yield across the four environments. Through multi‐trait genotype‐ideotype distance index ideotype‐MAGIC RILs have been identified for each location. Significant positive correlation of grain yield with pods per plant, 100‐seed weight, plant height, number of nodes per plant, and branches per plant has been identified. Under field conditions, screening of F2:3 generation of MAGIC population revealed that only 59 progenies exhibited adult plant resistance for charcoal rot disease (caused by Macrophomina phaseolina). Although under controlled conditions parental genotypes EC 572136 and EC 572109 found to be partially resistant with least mean necrosis length, MAGIC RILs (F2:8) showed variable reaction. Thus, the study established diverse genetic resources useful for both mapping and varietal development program. Core Ideas: The study on G × E interactions identified number of ideal genotypes performing better across the four locations.These genotypes were valuable resources for direct release as varieties or large‐scale testing under All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) trials.Charcoal rot screening revealed significant variation for the mapping studies in the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss. (Indian mustard) is an economically important edible oil crop. Over the years, plant breeders have developed many elite varieties of B. juncea with better yield traits, but research work on the introgression of stress resilience traits has largely been lagging due to scarcity of resistant donors. Crop wild relatives (CWRs) are the weedy relatives of domesticated plant species which are left unutilized in their natural habitat due to the presence of certain undesirable alleles which hamper their yield potential, and thus, their further domestication. CWRs of B. juncea namely include Sinapis alba L. (White mustard), B. tournefortii Gouan. (African mustard), B. fruticulosa Cirillo (Twiggy turnip), Camelina sativa L. (Gold-of-pleasure), Diplotaxis tenuisiliqua Delile (Wall rocket), D. erucoides L. (White wall rocket), D. muralis L. (Annual wall rocket), Crambe abyssinica R.E.Fr. (Abyssinian mustard), Erucastrum gallicum Willd. (Common dogmustard), E. cardaminoides Webb ex Christ (Dogmustard), Capsella bursa-pastoris L. (Shepherds purse), Lepidium sativum L. (Garden Cress) etc. These CWRs have withstood several regimes of biotic and abiotic stresses over the past thousands of years which led them to accumulate many useful alleles contributing in resistance against various environmental stresses. Thus, CWRs could serve as resourceful gene pools for introgression of stress resilience traits into Indian mustard. This review summarizes research work on the introgression of resistance against Sclerotinia stem rot (caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), Alternaria blight (caused by Alternaria brassicae), white rust (caused by Albugo candida), aphid attack, drought and high temperature from CWRs into B. juncea. However, various pre- and post-fertilization barriers due to different ploidy levels are major stumbling blocks in the success of such programmes, therefore, we also insightfully discuss how the advances made in -omics technology could be helpful in assisting various breeding programmes aiming at improvisation of stress resilience traits in B. juncea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]