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Cowpea is a highly drought-adapted leguminous crop with great promise for improving agricultural sustainability and food security. Here, we report analyses derived from array-based genotyping of 2,021 accessions constituting a core subset of the worlds largest cowpea collection, held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria. We used this dataset to examine genetic variation and population structure in worldwide cowpea. We confirm that the primary pattern of population structure is two geographically defined subpopulations originating in West and East Africa, respectively, and that population structure is associated with shifts in phenotypic distribution. Furthermore, we establish the cowpea core collection as a resource for genome-wide association studies by mapping the genetic basis of several phenotypes, with a focus on seed coat pigmentation patterning and color. We anticipate that the genotyped IITA Cowpea Core Collection will serve as a powerful tool for mapping complex traits, facilitating the acceleration of breeding programs to enhance the resilience of this crop in the face of rapid global climate change.

Cowpea, Vigna unguiculata L. Walp., is a diploid warm-season legume of critical importance as both food and fodder in sub-Saharan Africa. This species is also grown in Northern Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, and East to Southeast Asia. To capture the genomic diversity of domesticates of this important legume, de novo genome assemblies were produced for representatives of six subpopulations of cultivated cowpea identified previously from genotyping of several hundred diverse accessions. In the most complete assembly (IT97K-499-35), 26,026 core and 4963 noncore genes were identified, with 35,436 pan genes when considering all seven accessions. GO terms associated with response to stress and defense response were highly enriched among the noncore genes, while core genes were enriched in terms related to transcription factor activity, and transport and metabolic processes. Over 5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) relative to each assembly and over 40 structural variants >1 Mb in size were identified by comparing genomes. Vu10 was the chromosome with the highest frequency of SNPs, and Vu04 had the most structural variants. Noncore genes harbor a larger proportion of potentially disruptive variants than core genes, including missense, stop gain, and frameshift mutations; this suggests that noncore genes substantially contribute to diversity within domesticated cowpea.

The article "Thanks to our reviewers in 2024" from Socio-Economic Review expresses gratitude to the reviewers who evaluated recent submissions to the journal. The reviewers' feedback, expertise, and meticulous review process are crucial in maintaining the quality and integrity of the journal. The article lists the names of the reviewers who contributed to the journal in 2024, acknowledging their service and dedication. [Extracted from the article]

Adzuki bean, an underutilized grain legume, has a significant potential for enhancing food and nutritional security. The main obstacles to developing new cultivars and promoting the adzuki bean as a mainstream pulse crop are a lack of awareness about its potential and insufficient information on crop its genetic diversity. Here, we aimed to explore the untapped potential of adzuki bean germplasm by evaluating its agro-morphological traits and diversity at the molecular level and also to identify trait-specific germplasm by utilizing 100 adzuki bean accessions conserved in the Indian National Genebank. Significant variations was recorded for the morphological traits and identified promising accessions exhibiting desirable traits, such as early flowering (IC341945, EC340257 and EC340283), number of primary branches (IC341945 and IC469175), number of clusters per plant (EC000264, IC167611 and IC341939), number of pods per plant (IC469175, EC34264, EC000264), early maturity (EC340283; EC120460; IC341941) and number of seeds per pod (EC340240, IC455396 and IC341955). Molecular characterization of diverse accessions using 22 polymorphic SSR markers identified a total of 50 alleles, with a mean of 2.27 alleles per loci. The polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.03 to 0.46, indicating informativeness of markers in distinguishing diverse accessions. Further, the gene diversity among the accessions ranged from 0.03 to 0.57 with a mean of 0.19. Population structure analysis grouped the accessions into three genetic groups, supported by Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) and a phylogenetic tree. Additionally, Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) confirmed a substantial genetic diversity among the adzuki bean accessions. Thus, the combined assessment of agro-morphological traits and molecular markers effectively distinguished adzuki bean accessions and provided valuable insights in understanding untapped variation at both morphological and molecular levels. The promising accessions identified in the study hold potential for integration into legume improvement programs through introgression breeding, contributing to the development of adzuki bean varieties with target trait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the nutritional composition of two underutilized leguminous crops, namely Treculia africana and Vigna subterranea seeds, collected from Kogi state, Nigeria. The study analysed their proximate composition, mineral content, and amino acid profile using standard analytical methods. Additionally, the chemical composition of the sample was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The results showed that there were significant differences (P≤0.05) in the legume samples. However, V. subterranea seeds had the least moisture content (12.90±0.81 %) as well as the highest crude fat content, crude fiber content, crude protein and ash content at 15.70±0.41 %, 5.06±0.16 %, 27.86±0.25 % and 3.23±0.50 %, respectively. The elemental analysis in mg/100g indicated that the samples contained appreciable levels of essential minerals. T. africana had the highest magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and iron concentrations of 190.03±1.70 mg/100g, 315.95±1.60 mg/100g, 32.61±1.82 mg/100g, 1941.53±2.61 mg/100g and 39.50±1.73 mg/100g, respectively, while calcium (58.46±1.63) was most abundant in V. subterranea The samples were also rich in amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. However, V. subterranea was the richest in amino acid content, as it had 33.07±2.22 g/100g and 46.01±4.24 g/100g, for essential and non-essential amino acids, respectively. The GC-MS characterization of the chemical composition of the samples showed that myristic acid (48.1) was the most abundant in T. africana, while ethyl palmitate (31.17) was the most abundant in V. subterranea. Overall, the results suggest that these legume samples are rich sources of both nutritional and pharmaceutical properties beneficial for human consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of high yielding cowpea varieties coupled with good taste and rich in essential minerals can promote consumption and thus nutrition and profitability. The sweet taste of cowpea grain is determined by its sugar content, which comprises mainly sucrose and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) including raffinose and stachyose. However, GOS are indigestible and their fermentation in the colon can produce excess intestinal gas, causing undesirable bloating and flatulence. In this study, we aimed to examine variation in grain sugar and mineral concentrations, then map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and estimate genomic-prediction (GP) accuracies for possible application in breeding. Grain samples were collected from a multi-parent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) population grown in California during 2016-2017. Grain sugars were assayed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Grain minerals were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry and combustion. Considerable variation was observed for sucrose (0.6-6.9%) and stachyose (2.3-8.4%). Major QTLs for sucrose (QSuc.vu-1.1), stachyose (QSta.vu-7.1), copper (QCu.vu-1.1) and manganese (QMn.vu-5.1) were identified. Allelic effects of major sugar QTLs were validated using the MAGIC grain samples grown in West Africa in 2017. GP accuracies for minerals were moderate (0.4-0.58). These findings help guide future breeding efforts to develop mineral-rich cowpea varieties with desirable sugar content.

Rice bean is an underutilized legume crop cultivated in Asia, and it is a good source of protein, minerals, and essential fatty acids for human consumption. Moreover, the leaves left over after harvesting rice bean seeds contain various biological constituents beneficial to humans and animals. In our study, we performed a de-novo transcriptome assembly of rice bean, characterized the WRKY transcription factors, and studied their response to aluminum stress. A total of 46.6 million clean reads, with a GC value of 43%, were generated via transcriptome sequencing. De novo assembly of the clean reads resulted in 90,933 transcripts and 74,926 unigenes, with minimum and maximum lengths of 301 bp and 24,052 bp, and N50 values of 1801 bp and 1710 bp, respectively. A total of 27,095 and 28,378 unigenes were annotated and subjected to GO and KEGG analyses. Among the unigenes, 15,593, 20,770, and 15,385 unigenes were identified in the domains of biological process, molecular function, and cellular component, respectively. A total of 16,132 unigenes were assigned to 188 pathways, including metabolic pathways (5500) and secondary metabolite biosynthesis (2858). Transcription factor analysis revealed 4860 unigenes from 98 different transcription factor families. For WRKY, a total of 95 unigenes were identified. Further analysis revealed the diverse response of WRKY transcription factors to aluminum stress. Collectively, the results of this study boost genomic resources and provide a baseline for further research on the role of WRKY transcription factors in aluminum tolerance in rice bean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although drought resistance of a plant may be achieved through morphological, structural, physiological, cellular, and molecular adaptations, most studies remain limited to quantifying the effect of drought on biomass. Methods: Using a highthroughput phenotypic imaging system, we evaluated the drought resistance of 151 bean accessions (Phaseolinae; Fabaceae) in an explorative approach, by quantifying five different traits simultaneously: biomass, water use efficiency (WUE), relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content (NDVI), and root/shoot ratio. Since crop wild relatives are important resources for breeding programs, we analyzed both wild and cultivated accessions, most of which have never been evaluated for drought resistance before. Results: We demonstrate that the five traits are affected very differently by drought in the studied accessions, with significant correlations existing only between the biomass and WUE indicators (r=0.39), and between the RWC and NDVI indicators (r=0.40). When grouping accessions by subgenus or by species, large intraspecific and withinsubgenus variation was found. For this reason, we performed a cluster analysis, which grouped the accessions into five distinct clusters with similar response profiles. We also correlated the drought resistance for each accession to local climate variables at their original collection sites. The biomass, WUE, and RWC indicators were significantly correlated to annual precipitation (r=0.40, r=0.20, r=0.22, respectively), confirming that accessions from arid environments are generally more drought resistant. Discussion: Our results demonstrate that the drought resistance of Phaseolinae beans is a multifaceted characteristic and cannot be simply quantified through biomass. Furthermore, the broader knowledge of the drought resistance of the accessions studied here may prove an invaluable resource for future crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) is a significant dietary legume crop that is prevalent in East Asia. It also holds traditional medicinal importance in China. In this study, we report a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of adzuki bean obtained by employing Illumina short-read sequencing, PacBio long-read sequencing, and Hi-C technology. The assembly spans 447.8 Mb, encompassing 96.32% of the estimated genome, with contig and scaffold N50 values of 16.5 and 41.0 Mb, respectively. More than 98.2% of the 1,614 BUSCO genes were fully identified, and 25,939 genes were annotated, with 98.23% of them being functionally identifiable. Vigna angularis was estimated to diverge successively from Vigna unguiculata and Vigna radiata about 15.3 and 8.7 million years ago (Ma), respectively. This chromosome-level reference genome of Vigna angularis provides a robust foundation for exploring the functional genomics and genome evolution of adzuki bean, thereby facilitating advancements in molecular breeding of adzuki bean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith), a notorious pest native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, has recently invaded China, causing substantial damage to crops, particularly maize. The push–pull strategy has been reported to be an effective prevention measure for FAW in Africa, with maize–soybean intercropping significantly reducing FAW infestation. To assess the potential of legume hosts as ‘push’ or ‘pull’ plants to control FAW in maize, we employed life table analysis and indoor cage tests to investigate the offspring performance, feeding and oviposition preference of FAW on five selected legume species, namely mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), soybean (Glycine max L.), kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), red bean (Vigna angularis Willd.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp), with maize (Zea mays L.) as a control. Mung bean and cowpea were subsequently selected as repellent and attractant plant, respectively, to study FAW infestation levels in maize in the field. The results showed that maize was the most suitable host plant for FAW, as indicated by its shortest developmental duration and highest pupal weight. However, among all the tested legume species, cowpea was the best host for FAW, with shorter larval, pre‐adult and adult durations than on the leaves of the other legumes. Moreover, the feeding and oviposition preference tests revealed that FAW had a strong preference for maize and cowpea, but strongly rejected mung bean. Compared with that in the maize monoculture group, the total number of eggs laid in the maize–mung group decreased by 67.25%, whereas that in the maize–cowpea group significantly increased by 2.04‐fold in greenhouse tests. In the randomised block field experiment, the infestation of maize by FAW in the mung bean–cowpea system was significantly lower than that in the maize monoculture or in the system with maize surrounded only by cowpea. This study indicated that mung bean and cowpea are promising candidates as repellent plants (push) and attractant plants (pull), respectively, for intercropping with maize to reduce the damage caused by FAW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Vigna (Leguminosae) comprises about 150 species grouped into five subgenera. The present study aimed to improve the understanding of karyotype diversity and evolution in Vigna, using new and previously published data through different cytogenetic and DNA content approaches. In the Vigna subgenera, we observed a random distribution of rDNA patterns. The 35S rDNA varied in position, from terminal to proximal, and in number, ranging from one (V. aconitifolia, V. subg. Ceratotropis) to seven pairs (V. unguiculata subsp. unguiculata, V. subg. Vigna). On the other hand, the number of 5S rDNA was conserved (one or two pairs), except for V. radiata (V. subg. Ceratotropis), which had three pairs. Genome size was relatively conserved within the genus, ranging from 1C = 0.43 to 0.70 pg in V. oblongifolia and V. unguiculata subsp. unguiculata, respectively, both belonging to V. subg. Vigna. However, we observed a positive correlation between DNA content and the number of 35S rDNA sites. In addition, data from chromosome-specific BAC-FISH suggest that the ancestral 35S rDNA locus is conserved on chromosome 6 within Vigna. Considering the rapid diversification in the number and position of rDNA sites, such conservation is surprising and suggests that additional sites may have spread out from this ancestral locus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Vigna includes economically vital crops and wild species. Molecular systematic studies of Vigna species resulted in generic segregates of many New World (NW) species. However, limited Old World (OW) sampling left questions regarding inter‐ and intraspecific relationships in Vigna s.s. Methods: African species, including the putative sister genus Physostigma, were comprehensively sampled within the context of NW relatives. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of the chloroplast matK‐trnK and nuclear ribosomal ITS/5.8 S (ITS) DNA regions were undertaken to resolve OW Vigna taxonomic questions. Divergence dates were estimated using BEAST to date key nodes in the phylogeny. Results: Analyses of matK and ITS data supported five clades of Vigna s.s.: subg. Lasiospron, a reduced subg. Vigna, subg. Haydonia, subg. Ceratotropis, an enlarged subg. Plectrotropis, and a clade including V. kirkii and V. stenophylla. Genome size estimates of 601 Mb for V. kirkii are near the overall mean of the genus, whereas V. stenophylla had a larger genome (810 Mb), similar to some Vigna subg. Ceratotropis or Plectrotropis species. Conclusions: Former subg. Vigna is reduced to yellow‐ and blue‐flowered species and subg. Plectrotropis is enlarged to mostly all white‐, pink‐, and purple‐flowered species. The age of the split between NW and OW Vigna lineages is ~6–7 Myr. Genome size estimates cannot rule out a polyploid or hybrid origin for V. stenophylla, potentially involving extinct lineage ancestors of Vigna subg. Ceratotropis or Plectrotropis, as indicated by network and phylogenetic analyses. Taxonomic revisions are suggested based on these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to study the formation of asparagus bean yield, taking into account the influence of technological factors, including testing specific varieties based on changes in stand density. Among the primary methods used to investigate this issue were field experiments to examine the cultivation techniques and statistical analysis to assess the reliability of the results. This article presents the results of studies on sowing patterns: 70×10 cm, 70×25 cm (control), 70×40 cm, and 70×50 cm, on bush asparagus bean varieties Kafedralna (Ukraine) and U-Cha-Kontou (China) (control). Stand density significantly influenced the morphometric characteristics and productivity of the studied varieties. Increasing plant density to 143,000 plants/ha led to a significant increase (by 2-3 t/ha) in the yield of flat pods in both cultivars compared to the control (70×25 cm). The highest yield of flat pods (7.7-10.4 t/ha) was obtained for varieties at a density of 143,000 plants/ha. This is related to the optimal provision of plants with moisture, light, and nutrients at a given stand density. The Kafedralna variety generally exhibited a higher yield of flat pods than the U-Cha-Kontou variety. At lower seeding densities (29,000 plants/ ha), the beans had a greater mass (120.5-152.0 g), but their number per plant was lower. Reducing stand density to 29,000 plants/ha led to an increase in the beans’ dry matter, sugars, and vitamin C content. The Kafedralna variety had a higher content of these components under all sowing patterns. A strong correlation was found between biochemical indicators and stand density. The optimal sowing pattern for cowpeas to obtain flat pods in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine can be considered 70×10 cm and 70×25 cm. The Kafedralna variety is recommended for open-field cultivation to obtain flat pods. The materials presented in the article have practical value for developing effective technologies for growing bush varieties of asparagus beans in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine for vegetable production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: The legume crop cowpea is grown worldwide, but 90% of the world's total share is produced in Africa. It is a promising species due to its resilience properties, balance of macro and micronutrients and presence of health‐promoting bioactive compounds. In African countries, cowpea has a crucial role in guaranteeing food security as a subsistence crop for families and commercial income for small farmers. The discovery of compounds with high nutraceutical value and bioactive properties supports socio‐economic policies to improve health and nutrition, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries. In turn, this encourages biodiversity protection and crop enhancement programmes. Summary: Bowman–Birk protease inhibitors (BBIs) are a restricted group of small proteins in plants mainly involved in defence mechanisms against pests. BBIs are demonstrated to be active components capable of reducing the viabilities of different cancer cell lines. BBI bioactivity is directly linked to the inhibition capacity, but the variability and the efficiency against the physiological targets of different BBI isoforms remain still unexplored.We analysed the natural genetic diversity of two main genes encoding BBI trypsin‐trypsin (BBI‐TT) and trypsin‐chymotrypsin (BBI‐TC) in wild and domesticated cowpea samples mainly spread in Sub‐Saharan Africa. We analysed DNA sequences and respective amino acidic isoforms/isoproteins to explore signs of natural selection and haplotype relationships. Moreover, we calculated the binding energy between BBIs and their biological targets to identify which are the most efficient inhibitors and their geographical locations.We found a high level of haplotype diversity for both genes, almost exclusively in wild accessions and detected positive and negative selection signals in the amino acid sequences. Furthermore, in the wild diversity pool, some BBI‐TT and BBI‐TC mature proteins were potentially better interactors with the physiological targets.The long interaction between plant‐pathogen has selected new and useful isoforms in wild lineages that have allowed the chances of survival of the species to improve. On the other hand, the domestication process has produced an intense bottleneck leaving only poorly efficient BBI variants. In addition to providing information on the natural diversity and evolution of BBIs, our work discusses the potential applications in agriculture and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current investigation demonstrated that all the seeds taken into consideration generally had different varietal characteristics with the exception of several growth characteristics, notably the stem girth where the improved varieties outperformed the local Bambara nuts. The local Bambara nut varieties (Jan Iri) had the highest parameters measured compared to others. The huge variation in yield component recorded for this variety made the promise it displayed astounding. Due to the importance of the genotype-by-environment interaction on the expression of all the examined characters, the phenotypic coefficients of variation for each character were all more significant than the genotypic coefficients of variation. Three examined features, including number of pods per plant, number of pods per plot, and number of seeds per plot, all had high heritability estimates (84.96, 99.24, and 99.35, respectively). The quantity of seeds produced by each plant and the dried weight of each plot were moderately recorded at 32.48 and 38.63, respectively. Number of pods per plot (140.01) and number of seeds per plot (176.83) both showed strong genetic advance and with high heritability also. However, fresh weight per plot (109.12) revealed low heredity along with high genetic advance. Looking at the number of seeds per plant, the number of pods per plant, and the number of seeds per plant, a substantial positive association was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Azuki bean (Vigna angularis), belonging to the Fabaceae family, is one of the most traditional crops in East Asia. It is widely consumed in Japan in dishes such as porridge, soups, cakes, pastries, and mixed with rice. Rich in fiber, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and folic acid, azuki beans contain approximately 55% starch. In Brazil, this legume is still relatively unknown, with little information available on its agricultural production. This study aims to analyze and quantify the availability of scientific articles on azuki beans, both at the national and international levels, based on publications from 2012 to 2022. The analysis period it covered the months of August to October 2022. The descriptor “Adzuki Beans” yielded the highest number of publications, with 2021 being the year with the largest volume, totaling 73 articles. In contrast, the descriptor “Feijão Azuki” showed a significantly lower number of articles, with only three publications in 2015. The Web of Science database had the highest number of published articles, totaling 488 publications during the analyzed period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress in agricultural production, as it hampers the growth and development of crop plants. Developing crop cultivars with salinity/salt tolerance is a major goal in many plant breeding programs. This study aimed to identify quantitative trait locus (QTL) that controls salt tolerance in the wild zombi pea (Vigna vexillata) accession "AusTRCF 322105." For QTL analysis, a BC1F2 population resulting from the cross between salt-susceptible TVNu240 and TVNu240 × AusTRCF 322105 was used. A genetic linkage map was constructed for the BC1F2 population, consisting of 15 linkage groups and using 296 SNP markers. The map spanned 2889.9 cM in total length. Plant leaf wilt and plant survival were evaluated by subjecting the BC1F2 population to a hydroponic condition with 250 mM NaCl to assess salt tolerance at the seedling stage. QTL analysis revealed that two QTLs, qSaltol_3.1 and qSaltol_7.1, control both leaf wilt and plant survival. These two QTLs explained 23–27% and 11–15% of the trait variation. Exploration of the physical genome region revealed that qSaltol_3.1 is located near genes encoding methionine sulfoxide reductase and protein L-isoaspartate O-methyltransferase that are involved in oxidative stress resistance. In contrast, qSaltol_7.1 is located near genes encoding 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase, L-type lectin domain containing receptor kinase VII.1, lipoxygenase 3, CBS domain-containing protein 5, NAC25 protein, and asparagine synthetase (ASNS) that have been found to be associated with salt tolerance. Nonetheless, qSaltol_3.1 and qSaltol_7.1 are novel QTLs identified for salt tolerance in the zombi pea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neither legume nor cereal alone can meet all the nutrient needs of the body to prevent hidden hunger including bone health and development except when both complement and supplement each other. This study aimed at investigating the nutritional and acceptability changes of "moi-moi" from cowpea partially substituted with yellow maize in the ratios of 95: 5, 90: 10 and 80: 20%. The "moi-moi" produced with 100% cowpea served as control. Proximate, mineral, vitamin and physicochemical composition were investigated on both substituted and control with standard methods while sensory characteristics were evaluated subjectively with 20 untrained panellists. With increasing substitution levels of yellow maize, there were significant (p<0.05) decrease (lower than the control) in moisture (47.27-32.37%), crude protein (20.09-18.94%), and fat (10.02-8.66%). While ash content (1.45-1.73%), crude fibre (1.38-1.46%) and carbohydrate (18.86-36.85%) increased more than the control. Vitamin A (1.39-1.82 µg/100g) increased significantly (p<0.05) more than the control while vitamin C (0.06-0.04 mg/100g had no significant decrease. Mineral contents increased significantly (p<0.05) from 17.30-19.06 mg/100g, 12.44-13.43 mg/100g and 7.48-9.42 mg/100g for calcium, magnesium and phosphorous respectively more than their respective controls. The pH (6.12-6.00) and colour intensity (0.12-0.15) decreased significantly (p<0.05) lower than their respective controls. Acceptability decreased with yellow maize substitution level increase. The "moi-moi" produced with 100% cowpea had the best organoleptic properties (7.80) followed by 5% yellow maize substitution (6.85). Nutrient composition, calcium to phosphorous ratio, negative correlation of vitamin C with minerals and acceptability changed with increasing yellow maize substitution for all the substituted samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the genetic parameters for yield and its component traits in urd bean of Vigna mungo L. Hepper, one of the important pulse crops in India. Topics include genetic variability for all characters, estimates of heritability for all the traits, and path coefficient analysis at phenotypic level.

The article presents a study which focused on the population dynamics of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and jassid (Amrascabiguttula biguttula) affecting black gram (Vigna mungo L.) crops. It was found that whitefly population first appeared during the first week of August 2024, registering a mean population of 0.26 whiteflies per five plants. The infestation showed a positive correlation with morning relative humidity as well as with rainfall.

Genetic diversity enhancement to select Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea [L.] Verdc. 2x = 2n = 22) breeding lines with economic traits is imperative to improve the crop's utilization in Sub-Saharan Africa. Gamma radiation is a vital mutagenic agent to create novel allelic combinations required for developing climate-smart Bambara groundnut varieties to contribute to food production and nutrition security in drier regions, including Namibia. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to identify optimal gamma radiation doses to enhance genetic diversity in Bambara groundnut genotypes. The present study was conducted in root boxes under a custom-made shade-net house at Mannheim Crop Research Station, Tsumeb, Namibia. Three Bambara groundnut genotypes (Uniswa Red, Dip C and KFBN 9709) were gamma irradiated at six doses (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 Gy) were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected on days to emergence (DTE), emergence percentage (%EM), seedling survival percentage (%SS), seedling length (SLT), and shoot weight (STW). A non-significant interaction of genotype x gamma radiation dose was detected, showing stable responses indicating that genotypes require varying gamma radiation doses for mutagenesis. A significant (p < 0.01) genotype effect was found on days to emergence, emergence percentage, seedling length and shoot weight, indicating that gamma radiation doses requirements for individual genotypes varied. Significant (p < 0.05) effects of gamma radiation doses revealed that the traits could be used to select optimum doses to be upscale in induced mutation breeding programs of Bambara groundnut. Seedling length was the only trait with higher growth reduction that resulted in a negative trends. A linear regression model predicted LD50s for Uniswa Red, Dip C and KBFN 9709 at 428.1, 523.7 and 712.5 GY, respectively. These doses were higher than test gamma radiation doses, indicating the need for higher doses resulting in LD50s. Therefore, the doses identified in these studies are useful for use in induced mutation breeding for the tested Bambara groundnut genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Callosobruchus chinensis (Bruchidae: Coleoptera) known as pulse beetle is a serious pest of pulses causing economic losses. The present work reports the effect of pulses on life cycle parameters (oviposition, emergence, longevity, total development period) of Callosobruchus chinensis (L.), and also on the nutritional loss incurred by it. Grains of seven pulses viz. Vigna radiata (green gram), Vigna aconitifolia (moth bean), Cicer arietinum (desi chickpea), Vigna unguiculata (cowpea), Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea), Vigna mungo (black gram) and Pisum sativum (yellow pea) were used as host with three replications. The results exhibit alterations in the developmental period as it was recorded least in green gram (23± 0.58 days) and maximum in peas (42± 1 days). The number of eggs were maximum on pea (310± 2) and least in moth (180± 2). Maximum longevity was recorded on green grams (16 days) and least on pea (9± 1 days). A significant correlation between weight loss and adult emergence was observed. Loss of nutritional content like protein and carbohydrate was significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionAlthough drought resistance of a plant may be achieved through morphological, structural, physiological, cellular, and molecular adaptations, most studies remain limited to quantifying the effect of drought on biomass.MethodsUsing a highthroughput phenotypic imaging system, we evaluated the drought resistance of 151 bean accessions (Phaseolinae; Fabaceae) in an explorative approach, by quantifying five different traits simultaneously: biomass, water use efficiency (WUE), relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content (NDVI), and root/shoot ratio. Since crop wild relatives are important resources for breeding programs, we analyzed both wild and cultivated accessions, most of which have never been evaluated for drought resistance before. ResultsWe demonstrate that the five traits are affected very differently by drought in the studied accessions, with significant correlations existing only between the biomass and WUE indicators (r=0.39), and between the RWC and NDVI indicators (r=0.40). When grouping accessions by subgenus or by species, large intraspecific and withinsubgenus variation was found. For this reason, we performed a cluster analysis, which grouped the accessions into five distinct clusters with similar response profiles. We also correlated the drought resistance for each accession to local climate variables at their original collection sites. The biomass, WUE, and RWC indicators were significantly correlated to annual precipitation (r=0.40, r=0.20, r=0.22, respectively), confirming that accessions from arid environments are generally more drought resistant.DiscussionOur results demonstrate that the drought resistance of Phaseolinae beans is a multifaceted characteristic and cannot be simply quantified through biomass. Furthermore, the broader knowledge of the drought resistance of the accessions studied here may prove an invaluable resource for future crop production.

The last steps of cellular respiration-an essential metabolic process in plants-are carried out by mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. This process involves a chain of multi-subunit membrane protein complexes (complexes I-V) that form higher-order assemblies called supercomplexes. Although supercomplexes are the most physiologically relevant form of the oxidative phosphorylation complexes, their functions and structures remain mostly unknown. Here we present the cryogenic electron microscopy structure of the supercomplex I + III2 from Vigna radiata (mung bean). The structure contains the full subunit complement of complex I, including a newly assigned, plant-specific subunit. It also shows differences in the mitochondrial processing peptidase domain of complex III2 relative to a previously determined supercomplex with complex IV. The supercomplex interface, while reminiscent of that in other organisms, is plant specific, with a major interface involving complex III2's mitochondrial processing peptidase domain and no participation of complex I's bridge domain. The complex I structure suggests that the bridge domain sets the angle between the enzyme's two arms, limiting large-scale conformational changes. Moreover, complex I's catalytic loops and its response in active-to-deactive assays suggest that, in V. radiata, the resting complex adopts a non-canonical state and can sample deactive- or open-like conformations even in the presence of substrate. This study widens our understanding of the possible conformations and behaviour of complex I and supercomplex I + III2. Further studies of complex I and its supercomplexes in diverse organisms are needed to determine the universal and clade-specific mechanisms of respiration.

BackgroundCowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a crucial crop for regions of the world that are prone to both heat and drought; however, the phytotoxic cowpea aphid (Aphis craccivora) impairs plant physiology at low population levels. Both antibiotic and antixenotic forms of resistance to the aphid have been mapped to two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and near isogenic lines (NILs). The molecular mechanism for this resistance response remains unknown.ResultsTo understand the genes underlying susceptibility and resistance, two cowpea lines with shared heritage were infested along a time course and characterized for transcriptome variation. Aphids remodeled cowpea development and signaling relative to host plant resistance and the duration of feeding, with resource acquisition and mobilization determining, in part, susceptibility to aphid attack. Major differences between the susceptible and resistant cowpea were identified including two regions of interest housing the most genetic differences between the lines. Candidate genes enabling aphid resistance include both conventional resistance genes (e.g., leucine rich repeat protein kinases) as well as multiple novel genes with no known orthologues.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that feeding by the cowpea aphid globally remodels the transcriptome of cowpea, but how this occurs depends on both the duration of feeding and host-plant resistance. Constitutive expression profiles of the resistant genotype link aphid resistance to a finely-tuned resource management strategy that ultimately reduces damage (e.g., chlorosis) and delays cell turnover, while impeding aphid performance. Thus, aphid resistance in cowpea is a complex, multigene response that involves crosstalk between primary and secondary metabolism.

Background: Rice bean (Vigna umbellata), an underrated legume, adapts to diverse climatic conditions with the potential to support food and nutritional security worldwide. It is used as a vegetable, minor food crop and a fodder crop, being a rich source of proteins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. However, little effort has been made to decipher the genetic and molecular basis of various useful traits in this crop. Therefore, we considered three economically important traits i.e., flowering, maturity and seed weight of rice bean and identified the associated candidate genes employing an associative transcriptomics approach on 100 diverse genotypes out of 1800 evaluated rice bean accessions from the Indian National Genebank. Results: The transcriptomics-based genotyping of one-hundred diverse rice bean cultivars followed by pre-processing of genotypic data resulted in 49,271 filtered markers. The STRUCTURE, PCA and Neighbor-Joining clustering of 100 genotypes revealed three putative sub-populations. The marker-trait association analysis involving various genome-wide association study (GWAS) models revealed significant association of 82 markers on 48 transcripts for flowering, 26 markers on 22 transcripts for maturity and 22 markers on 21 transcripts for seed weight. The transcript annotation provided information on the putative candidate genes for the considered traits. The candidate genes identified for flowering include HSC80, P-II PsbX, phospholipid-transporting-ATPase-9, pectin-acetylesterase-8 and E3-ubiquitin-protein-ligase-RHG1A. Further, the WRKY1 and DEAD-box-RH27 were found to be associated with seed weight. Furthermore, the associations of PIF3 and pentatricopeptide-repeat-containing-gene with maturity and seed weight, and aldo–keto-reductase with flowering and maturity were revealed. Conclusion: This study offers insights into the genetic basis of key agronomic traits in rice bean, including flowering, maturity, and seed weight. The identified markers and associated candidate genes provide valuable resources for future exploration and targeted breeding, aiming to enhance the agronomic performance of rice bean cultivars. Notably, this research represents the first transcriptome-wide association study in pulse crop, uncovering the candidate genes for agronomically useful traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beach bean (Vigna marina) exhibits robust growth in habitats characterised by sandy substrates, limited nutrient availability, and elevated saline levels. The utilisation of V. marina, a potentially beneficial leguminous cover crop, allows for its cultivation in regions characterised by soil salinity, hence facilitating the alleviation of environmental stress and the promotion of nitrogen fixation within the soil. A study assessed the feasibility of V. marina as a leguminous cover crop, in which this legume was cultivated in both coastal and inland soils. Pueraria javanica and Mucuna bracteata, widely recognised as established leguminous cover crops, were used as the control in this experiment. The observations involved were total plant biomass, nitrogenase activity, and leaf chlorophyll content of the host plants. The experiment consisted of five replicates arranged in a randomised complete block design, respectively. The effects of commercialised rhizobial compost on the development of the leguminous plants planted in both plots were also investigated. The results indicated that V. marina flourished in coastal and inland soils with the highest leaf chlorophyll concentration throughout the eight weeks of growth. It showed that V. marina has the potential to outperform the other two established leguminous cover crops when planted in highly salinised soils. The results also showed evidence that V. marina was an excellent potential leguminous cover crop, especially for any agricultural plots of high salinity soils, compared to the other two well-established leguminous cover crops, P. javanica and M. bracteata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The use of reclaimed water in agriculture can be beneficial to KSA with careful planning and management. • To reduce chemical dangers including heavy metals, agricultural irrigation should be subject to stricter quality regulations. • The application of 30 % reclaimed water (T2) enhanced the germination percentage, relative seed germination, and seedling vigor index of V. radiata. • Wastewater irrigation lets us "recycle" the nutrients in it and resolves the problems with high water consumption in water-stressed places. • In KSA wastewater reuse helps in achieving the sustainable development goals of VISION 2030. An efficient method of managing agricultural resources is to reuse wastewater for crop irrigation and fertilization. Irrigation using reclaimed water after treatment can have both beneficial and bad environmental effects. The national water strategy of Saudi Arabia considers reclaimed wastewater as an essential component of Saudi Arabia's water resource. It targets to decrease the load of desalination from the Red Sea and use it as a major source of agriculture and industrial use. In Vigna radiata , an experiment is carried out to determine the level of dilution for agricultural application in a seed germination experiment in response to contaminants. The physicochemical properties such as pH, ammonia, turbidity, and chloride values of reclaimed water were higher as compared to the standard guidelines of KSA for using irrigation water. Further, all the studied parameter concentrations decreased with the dilution of tap water. In the seed germination experiment,% germination, relative seed germination, seedling vigor index, etc. were calculated as compared to the control. The results infer that the application of 30 % reclaimed water (T2) enhanced the germination percentage, relative seed germination, and seedling vigor index of V. radiata. The growth of root, shoot, relative shoot growth, fresh weight, and dry weight of seedlings showed that T5 and T6 treatments are not suitable for Vigna cultivation as compared to the control. However, the results suggested that dilution of reclaimed water decreases the concentrations of potential contaminants of emerging concern, heavy metals, pesticides, etc., and makes the water suitable for irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus) and adzuki beans (Vigna angularis) are some of the most nutritious underutilized pulses that are significant in being used as basic ingredients for the preparation of various food products. The present study aimed to determine the impact of soaking and germination on nutritional and bioactive components, in vitro protein digestibility, reducing power, metal chelating capacity, antioxidant activity, and anti-nutritional components of lima and adzuki beans. The findings showed that during the germination treatment, the in vitro protein digestibility of lima and adzuki beans increased by 14.75 and 10.98%, respectively. There was an increase in the antioxidant activity of lima beans by 33.48% and adzuki beans by 71.14% after 72 h of germination, respectively. The reducing power assay of lima and adzuki beans indicated an increase of 49.52 and 36.42%, respectively, during germination. Similarly, the flavonoid and metal chelating activity increased in lima and adzuki beans after 72 h of germination. In contrast, the anti-nutrients, such as phytic acid, tannin content, and trypsin inhibitor activity, decreased significantly p < 0.05 after 72 h of germination. These results are encouraging and allow for utilizing the flour obtained from the germinated beans in functional bakery products, which can contribute to eradicating protein deficiency among some population groups. At the same time, promoting soaking and germination of the beans as a way to enhance the nutritional quality and reduce anti-nutrients can contribute to the interest in these underutilized pulses. They could be seen as an additional tool to improve food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Seed related traits are important since they directly draw consumer preference. But there are only limited numbers of studies with reference to seed related traits. Hence, the present study was undertaken to study the genetic diversity and genetic relationship among seed traits in ricebean. Methods: During Rabi, 2022-23, a set of 109 ricebean germplasm with seven checks were evaluated in Augmented design II at Department of Pulses, Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. Result: Morphological characterization of 109 genotypes revealed that green yellow was the predominant seed coat colour. Seed coat pattern was absent in most of the genotypes and in rest of the genotypes, speckled type was predominant. The traits viz., bulk density, seed volume and hundred seed weight exhibited high heritability with high genetic advance as per cent of mean. Seed volume, seed thickness, bulk density, seed length and seed breadth evidenced highly significant and positive association with hundred seed weight. PCA analysis revealed that the traits viz., length breadth ratio, bulk density, hundred seed weight, seed volume, seed length and seed thickness contributed to the maximum genetic variability. In addition, it also earmarked the best performing genotypes for each seed related trait. Hence, the above findings could be effectively utilized for the development of ricebean cultivars with ideal seed characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Amidst of emerging world with the new technologies we are in the dangerous condition regarding the disposal of agro industrial wastes which creates a serious problem. Organic manures can prevent and can enhance the productivity in the plants as well as can reduce the environmental issues. Methods: The study was conducted in the month of September to November 2019 at St. Joseph's College Campus, Visakhapatnam, A.P. with the bio composting process of paddy and coffee husk along with Pleurotus eous, Pleurotus florida, Trichoderma asperelloides and Eisenia fetida, with 6 treatments. The plants were analyzed for root length, shoot length, number of leaves, number of nodules, fresh weight and dry weight of the plant on 20, 40 and 60 DAS and the yield parameters were analyzed on 90th day of the plant. Result: The results showed a great increase in the treatment 6 (Pre decomposed coffee husk, consortium of Pleurotus eous, P. florida, Trichoderma asperelloides and Eisenia fetida) in root length (8.5, 12.9 and 16.1 cm) shoot length (15.2, 30.3 and 43.2 cm) number of leaves (11, 18 and 49) number of nodules (12, 20 and 9) fresh weight (4.83, 8.98 and 15.47 g) and dry weight (1.11, 3.56 and 4.37 g) when compared with the other treatments and control. The yield parameters also showed significant results in number of pods (27), length of the pod (5.7 cm), number of seeds/pod (6), weight of the seeds/pod (2.89 g), fresh weight of the pod (1.653 g) and dry weight of the pod (0.986 g). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projected increases in human population suggest that 70% more food will be needed in the near future, this makes it imperative to search for alternative food and feed sources for human and animal nutrition to feed the exponentially growing human population. According to the FAO 2019 report, the immense challenge of achieving the Zero Hunger target by 2030 is persistent. Exploring the unexplored, refining unrefined traits, cultivating the uncultivated, and popularizing the unpopular remain the most adequate steps proposed by researchers to achieve the domestication of the undomesticated for food and nutrition security. In that line of thought, this study explored the proximate composition of 87 accessions of four wild unexplored Vigna species (V. racemosa , V. ambacensis , V. reticulata , V. vexillata) in order to reveal information leading to their future domestication and utilization. Standard procedures and methods approved by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists were used in carrying out the proximate composition (%protein, %lipid, %fibre, %ash and % moisture and % carbohydrate) of the wild Vigna legumes. The study revealed that the wild Vigna species possess a large variation range of nutrient characteristics which could be exploited in the improvement of domesticated species or guide their domestication. It was also found that some individual wild accessions have higher nutrient, content as compared with domesticated ones which could be advantageous for bio-fortification or domestication. Indications relating to the candidate accessions favourable for domestication, based on the nutrient characteristics were revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2020 at 'M' block, Field unit of AICRN on Potential Crops, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore to optimise the spacing and fertilizer levels to rice bean crop. The data revealed that significantly higher seed yield and stover yield were recorded with the spacing of 30 cm × 10 cm (1545 and 2693 kg ha-1, respectively). Among the fertilizer levels, application of 25:50:25 NPK kg ha-1 recorded higher seed yield (1626 kg ha-1) which was on par with the application of 20:40:20 NPK kg ha-1 (1495 kg ha-1) over 30:60:30 NPK kg ha-1 (1359 kg ha-1), while stover yield was significantly higher with application 30:60:30 NPK kg ha-1 (2901 kg ha-1) as compared to 25:50:25 NPK kg ha-1. Nutrient content did not differ significantly due to different spacing. Whereas, significantly higher NPK content (2.73, 0.57 and 1.85%, respectively) was recorded with application of 30:60:30 NPK kg ha-1 which was on par with application of 25:50:25 NPK kg ha-1 (2.70, 0.54 and 1.82%, respectively). Significantly higher NPK uptake (48.74, 10.06 and 30.77 kg ha-1, respectively) was observed with the optimum spacing of 22.5 cm × 10 cm. However, significantly higher NPK uptake (48.40, 9.91 and 33.57 kg ha-1, respectively) was observed with application of 25:50:25 NPK kg ha-1 followed by application of 20:40:20 NPK kg ha-1 (42.82, 8.83 and 28.36 kg ha-1, respectively). Significantly higher available nutrient status of NPK (278.67, 40.18 and 257.62 kg ha-1, respectively) was observed in 30:60:30 NPK kg ha-1 fertilizer level, whereas the lower NPK availability (247.19, 31.18 and 223.40 kg ha-1, respectively) was observed in control treatment. Similarly, net returns (Rs.100284 ha-1) and B:C ratio (3.57) were higher in the spacing of 30 cm x 10 cm with the application of 25:50:25 NPK kg ha-1 (S2F3). Hence, spacing of 30 x 10 cm and fertilizer level of 20:40:20 NPK kg ha-1 is optimum for higher seed yield and economic benefit to the farmers of Karnataka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Gadmal" is one of the important pulse crops of the local people living in the southern parts of Betul, Madhya Pradesh, India. An expedition was undertaken in December, 2022 to gather germplasm of gadmal from Betul, a district lying almost wholly on the Satpura plateau. From the results of a structured questionnaire administered to gadmal cultivating farmers in targeted villages, it seemed that gadmal is the pulse crop cultivated in this region by tribal farmers. Gadmal is being used as split pulse, chapati and vada preparations by the farmers. The food items and recipes prepared from the gadmal are traditionally offered to tribal Gods. However, the area under this crop is shrinking due to severe infestation of yellow mosaic disease. Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR) has collected and conserved a specimen in the National Herbarium of Cultivated Plants (Herbarium specimen, HS25749). On-spot evaluation of morphological traits was done across the locations. The study was undertaken for preliminary morphological, biochemical and molecular assessment. Based on preliminary evaluation, gadmal seems to be closer to blackgram than other cultivated Vigna species. However, detailed taxonomic studies are required to validate the identity using morpho-molecular tools. An exploratory note was presented with indigenous traditional knowledge along with cultural practices and economic uses. The work aimed to facilitate germplasm collection, detailed evaluation and systematic study of this valuable material with the prospects of crop diversification and value addition. The preliminary morphological, biochemical and molecular profiling of collected accessions being undertaken by us will provide avenues for better utilization and recognition of this crop. Efforts are being made to document the traditional knowledge and facilitate the tribal community for germplasm registration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. es una leguminosa cultivada en zonas tropicales y subtropicales del mundo y fuente de proteínas de bajo costo. Durante su almacenamiento, los granos son infestados por Callosobruchus maculatus (Fab. 1775). El objetivo fue determinar en laboratorio y durante tres generaciones la duración del ciclo de desarrollo, capacidad reproductiva, longevidad y realizar una descripción morfológica de sus estados de desarrollo. El estado de huevo durante las tres generaciones, duró en promedio 3,5 días, en larva 13,0 días la primera y segunda generación y 14,0 días la tercera, la pupa 5,0 días en la primera y segunda y 5,5 días en la tercera. El ciclo de desarrollo durante la primera y segunda generación duró 23,0 días y 24, 5 días en la tercera. El número de huevos promedio total por hembra en la primera generación fue 51,6 ± 3,9; 90,2 ± 3,6 en la segunda y 93,2 ± 10,5 en la tercera. En lo que corresponde a la longevidad de los adultos, esta fue mayor en las hembras que en los machos. Lo realizado nos permite contar con una metodología básica para posteriores estudios de biología en granos almacenados de otras especies de leguminosas que son infestados por este gorgojo en nuestra región.

Modern agriculture intensely selects aboveground plant structures, while often neglecting belowground features, and evolutionary tradeoffs between these traits are predicted to disrupt host control over microbiota. Moreover, drift, inbreeding, and relaxed selection for symbiosis in crops might degrade plant mechanisms that support beneficial microbes. We studied the impact of domestication on the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between cowpea and root-nodulating Bradyrhizobium. We combined genome-wide analyses with a greenhouse inoculation study to investigate genomic diversity, heritability, and symbiosis trait variation among wild and early-domesticated cowpea genotypes. Cowpeas experienced modest decreases in genome-wide diversity during early domestication. Nonetheless, domesticated cowpeas responded efficiently to variation in symbiotic effectiveness, by forming more root nodules with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and sanctioning nonfixing strains. Domesticated populations invested a larger proportion of host tissues into root nodules than wild cowpeas. Unlike soybean and wheat, cowpea showed no compelling evidence for degradation of symbiosis during domestication. Domesticated cowpeas experienced a less severe bottleneck than these crops and the low nutrient conditions in Africa where cowpea landraces were developed likely favored plant genotypes that gain substantial benefits from symbiosis. Breeders have largely neglected symbiosis traits, but artificial selection for improved plant responses to microbiota could increase plant performance and sustainability.

BackgroundPregnant women using antiretrovirals (ARVs) may have persistent vaginal viral shedding, which could be associated with sexual and perinatal HIV transmission. However, there are scant data on vaginal viral load (VVL) in pregnant women with undetectable plasma viral load (PVL).MethodsThis study was a post hoc analysis of an open-label randomized trial to evaluate the virologic response of 2 ART regimens. The participants were ART-naive women living with HIV initiating ART regimens between 20 and 36 weeks of pregnancy recruited at 19 clinical sites in 6 countries. Participants were randomized to receive 400 mg of raltegravir 2 times a day or 600 mg of efavirenz 4 times a day in addition to 150 mg of lamivudine and 300 mg of zidovudine 2 times a day. VVL and PVL tests were performed at every study visit. The primary outcome measures were HIV-1 PVL and VVL at maternal study week 4 and rates of perinatal HIV transmission.ResultsA total of 408 were enrolled, of whom 323 had VVL samples 4 weeks after enrollment and were included in this analysis. Among women with undetectable/nonquantifiable PVL during ART, the overall rate of quantifiable VVL at week 4 was 2.54% (7/275). Of the 275 with nonquantifiable PVL, 99.1% (115/116) and 96.2% (153/159) had nonquantifiable VVL in the efavirenz and raltegravir arms, respectively. None of the 7 women with quantifiable VVL at the week 4 study visit transmitted HIV to their infants.ConclusionsDetectable VVL in pregnant women with undetectable/nonquantifiable PVL while receiving ART was rare and not associated with perinatal HIV transmission.

Vigna vexillata is a wild cowpea relative inhabiting tropical and subtropical regions. Because phosphorous (P) deficient soils are widely found in these regions, such wild relatives may have an ability to efficiently capture and utilize P in soils and thus can be potential materials of green manure to improve soil-plant nutrient cycles and subsequent crop production. Genotypic variations in shoot P content were evaluated in P-deficient (−P) and P-fertilized (+P) conditions of the pot experiment to clarify the ability of P accumulation in V. vexillata. Among the 14 accessions, five with a high shoot P content under P deficiency were identified. The high shoot P contents were attributed to large shoot biomass rather than high shoot P concentrations. The larger biomass of these accessions was consistent under the -P and +P conditions, indicating that potential growth characteristics without P restriction were a major driving factor of P accumulation even under P deficiency. In contrast, accessions with low shoot P content had small shoot biomass with high P concentrations. These accessions exhibited superior drought tolerance than those with large shoot biomass, presumably because of the small water consumption due to the small shoot biomass. The trade-offs between the shoot P accumulation and drought tolerance should be considered for genotype selection under the conditions where P deficiency and drought risks are often complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the antihypertensive effects of the combined extract of sorghum, adzuki bean, and finger millet (SAFE) on spontaneously hypertensive rats. The rats were divided into four groups (n = 8): WKY, SHR, SAFE (500 mg/kg SAFE), and CAP (50 mg/kg captopril). SAFE significantly decreased the lean-to-fat mass ratio with no notable changes in body weight, food intake, or food efficiency ratio, and it effectively lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressures, comparable to CAP. Moreover, it significantly reduced the cardiac mass index and alleviated cardiac fibrosis. SAFE did not induce hepatotoxicity, as indicated by the maintenance of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels in the normal range, confirming its safety. Taken together, these findings suggested that SAFE can be used as a dietary supplement for blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tempeh is a fermented food product which is generally made from soybeans. Utilizing local beans can be done to reduce the amount of soybean imports. Cowpeas are a local type of bean belonging to the Leguminoceace family which has only been used as a complementary ingredient in Indonesian dishes. Cowpeas can be used as raw material for making tempeh as an alternative to soybeans because they have high nutritional content and are a source of vegetable protein so they have the potential to be a substitute for soybeans in tempeh production. This research aims to obtain tempeh results from a combination of white and red cowpea types with variations in fermentation time to determine the best quality in terms of water content and the level of consumer preference for cowpea tempeh. This research used two types of cowpeas, namely white cowpeas and red cowpeas with varying fermentation times of 24 hours, 36 hours and 48 hours. The tempeh inoculum used is RAPRIMA brand powder inoculum from LIPI. This research used a Randomized Block Factorial Design (RAKF) with 2 factors and was repeated 3 times to obtain 18 samples. Data analysis was carried out using the ANOVA (Analysis of variance) method and the best treatment (De Garmo or effectiveness index). The results of the research showed that the best treatment was found in the white cowpea type with a fermentation time of 36 hours with characteristics of a water content of 62% and the results of the aroma preference test were 3.31 (neutral), color 3.48 (neutral), texture 3.39 (neutral) and taste 3.28 (neutral). Based on the financial feasibility analysis, it was concluded that cowpea tempeh production was feasible. The total costs used per year are Rp. 85,697,954 with a mark up taken of 10% so that the selling price for one pack is Rp. 27,000. The unit BEP for making cowpea tempeh is 26,814 units and the BEP price is IDR. 723,981,466/per year. The R/C (revenue cost ratio) value is 1.13 and has exceeded 1 (1.13>1) so it can be concluded that it is worth pursuing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Simple Summary: Whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based mungbean SSR markers have a high rate of cross-species transferability and are very useful in mungbean improvement programs. The genus Vigna is pan-tropical, having more than 200 species with many desirable economically important traits. This study aimed to validate the in silico polymorphism of whole-genome-sequence-developed mungbean-specific SSR markers and their transferability among different Vigna species. The present study utilized a set of 200 SSR markers developed from the whole-genome sequence of mungbean and validated them using a diversity panel of 25 accessions that belong to 13 Vigna species. Out of 200 SSR markers, 130 markers (65%) were polymorphic across the various Vigna species, and the number of alleles amplified varied from 7 to 24. The SSR markers showed more than 90 percent transferability across the different Vigna species accessions. Utilizing allelic data, the 25 Vigna accessions were clustered into three groups using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). The two integral coalitions explained 50.79 and 15.42% of the total variance. The principal coordinate analysis (PCA) biplot graph and UPGMA-based neighbor-joining clustering diagram showed a similar pattern of Vigna accession distribution. A population structure assessment grouped the cultivated and wild species accessions into two sub-populations based upon a maximum delta K value of 144.79, which drew a sharp peak at K = 2. The estimated marker parameters, such as the polymorphic information content (0.09–0.84), marker index (0.091–3.342), and effective multiplex ratio (1.0–4.0), suggested their adequacy for several genetic studies, such as parental selection, hybrid testing, genetic mapping, and marker-aided breeding programs, for the genetic enhancement of species belonging to the Vigna genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adzuki beans are widely cultivated in East Asia and are one of the earliest domesticated crops. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the genetic diversity and domestication history of adzuki beans, we conducted Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS) analysis on 366 landraces originating from Korea, China, and Japan, resulting in 6586 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Population structure analysis divided these 366 landraces into three subpopulations. These three subpopulations exhibited distinctive distributions, suggesting that they underwent extended domestication processes in their respective regions of origin. Phenotypic variance analysis of the three subpopulations indicated that the Korean-domesticated subpopulation exhibited significantly higher 100-seed weights, the Japanese-domesticated subpopulation showed significantly higher numbers of grains per pod, and the Chinese-domesticated subpopulation displayed significantly higher numbers of pods per plant. We speculate that these differences in yield-related traits may be attributed to varying emphases placed by early breeders in these regions on the selection of traits related to yield. A large number of genes related to biotic/abiotic stress resistance and defense were found in most quantitative trait locus (QTL) for yield-related traits using genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Genomic sliding window analysis of Tajima's D and a genetic differentiation coefficient (Fst) revealed distinct domestication selection signatures and genotype variations on these QTLs within each subpopulation. These findings indicate that each subpopulation would have been subjected to varied biotic/abiotic stress events in different origins, of which these stress events have caused balancing selection differences in the QTL of each subpopulation. In these balancing selections, plants tend to select genotypes with strong resistance under biotic/abiotic stress, but reduce the frequency of high-yield genotypes to varying degrees. These biotic/abiotic stressors impact crop yield and may even lead to selection purging, resulting in the loss of several high-yielding genotypes among landraces. However, this also fuels the flow of crop germplasms. Overall, balancing selection appears to have a more significant impact on the three yield-related traits compared to breeder-driven domestication selection. These findings are crucial for understanding the impact of domestication selection history on landraces and yield-related traits, aiding in the improvement of adzuki bean varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vigna bean and common bean have received much attention from the functional food and nutraceutical aspects. Upon hydrolysis of beans protein, bioactive peptides from various conditions are produced, with health-promoting properties and a broad spectrum of biological activities, offering nutraceutical or therapeutic potential. There have been few comprehensive investigations into improving the bioactivity and functionality of peptides from vigna and common beans. Therefore, this article describes the key parameters impacting bean derived peptide bioactivity, as well as approaches to improve it. This paper includes a review of papers indicating the stability of peptides obtained from beans under simulated gastrointestinal digestion conditions, as well as some insights into the mechanisms of action of those peptides and their relationship with structure. This review outlines important criteria for rationally designing and selecting bean bioactive peptides with intact structure and therapeutic potential in vivo. This study could be beneficial when conducting future investigations on vigna and common bean protein hydrolysates in vitro or in vivo and the knowledge gained could help with the incorporation of these new bean peptides into functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low temperatures during flowering severely affect crop growth and yield. Methods: This experiment was conducted under potted conditions with LXD 4 and TJH as test materials and pre-sprayed with exogenous ABA at a concentration of 20 mg·L-1 at flowering stage, respectively and then with an average of 15℃ condition for 5 days. Result: The results showed that foliar spraying exogenous ABA effectively inhibited the increase of MDA content and relatively significantly improved the photosynthetic parameters such as Gs and Tr and alleviated the loss of yield factors caused by chilling stress. Compared with spraying water, spraying exogenous ABA can significantly increase the yield per pot of LXD 4 by 6.72~17.77% and TJH by 6.41~37.04% under low temperature conditions. In summary, foliar spraying exogenous ABA ameliorated the effects of chilling stress on the physiological characteristics of adzuki bean leaves and improved yield as a result of improved antioxidant defense mechanisms which impeded lipid peroxidation. Thus, we conclude that foliar spraying exogenous ABA could decelerate the damages caused by chilling stress to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weeds nearby crop fields are considered as unwanted noxious plants and exhibit many harmful effects on growth, germination and physiology of cultivated crops. Cosmos sulphureus Cav. is widely distributed dominant weed and is found in abundance after onset of monsoon. The present study was conducted to assess its allelopathic effects by using aqueous leaf extracts on various germination parameters of Sorghum bicolor L. (Moench) (jowar), Vigna aconoitifolia L. (moth bean) and Triticum aestivum L. (wheat) from Pune district. At lower concentrations (50%) stimulatory effects were observed while inhibitory effects were observed at higher concentration on germination of Triticum aestivum (20%), Sorghum bicolor (46%) Vigna aconitifolia (70%). Germination percentage, root length-shoot length and vigor index were significantly reduced with increasing concentrations. Root length, shoot length were at par with control at lower concentrations (50%) but as concentrations increased gradual reduction in parameters was observed in jowar and wheat, whereas moth bean exhibited moderate reduction in germination of seeds. Phytochemical analysis of aqueous crude extract showed presence of alkaloids, phenols, tannins, flavonoids, proteins, amino acids in varying amounts while saponins were absent. The variations in phytochemicals can be attributed to response of the plants to different environmental stresses as abiotic and biotic factor and mainly the geographical location. Thus, as per the results obtained Cosmos sulphureus exhibits allelopathic effects on germination and growth of Sorghum bicolor, Triticum aestivum and Vigna aconitifolia from Pune district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]