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Plants are considered as sessile organisms that cannot avoid adverse environmental conditions and developed complex signaling networks composed of different pathways. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are key regulators of various plant processes, including the responses to abiotic stresses. WRKY TFs are one of the largest family of transcriptional regulators found in plants. WRKY TFs act as molecular switches that modulate the expression of stress-responsive genes. Stress-induced WRKY TFs expression modulated by a complex transcriptional regulatory network that maintain the proper balance between growth, development, and stress responses. WRKY TFs typically interact with the W-box [TGACC(A/T)] of the target gene promoter to activate the expression of downstream genes. These TFs are associated in the regulation of different physiological processes. Overexpression of various WRKY genes faces the paradox of having various significant effects. These overexpression-associated undesirable phenotypes must be identified and removed for proper plant development. The present review summarized the recent development of various WRKY TFs during adverse environmental conditions as well as their role in plant growth, development and productivity for sustainable agriculture in near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small millets, also known as nutri‐cereals, belong to the grass family Poaceae that have tiny seeds and are drought and heat tolerant, besides being powerhouse of nutrition, hence making them ideal crops that shall combat not just food and nutritional security but also adapt well to the changing climatic conditions. They grow well on marginal soil and require least resources for their cultivation. Nutritional superiority to popularly cultivated major cereals makes them a magnificent alternative food especially in the age of lifestyle related disorders. In this review, we provide insights of the initial commencement of research on small millets and deliberate the breeding progress based on conventional and genomics‐based approaches. The small millets under discussion are finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, little millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet and browntop millet. The major focus here is to recapitulate the breeding activities in the above‐mentioned millets rather than providing a way forward for breeding small millets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abiotic stresses associated with climate change, such as heat, cold, salinity, and drought, represent a serious threat to crop health. To mitigate the risks posed by these environmental challenges, both transgenic technology and conventional breeding methods have been extensively utilized. However, these methods have faced numerous limitations. The development of synthetic nucleases as precise genetic tools allows for the targeted alteration of stress-responsive genes in crop improvement. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas) genome-editing technique has transformed gene editing with its broad applicability, accessibility, adaptability, flexibility, and simplicity. Its application shows promise for the development of crop types that are more able to survive abiotic stress conditions. The present study presents recent scenario and application of CRISPR/Cas genome-editing technology in enhancing crop tolerance to a variety of abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the biomass of various plant species is being utilized to produce high-value agricultural inputs, and the technique of green mechanochemical synthesis is employed in this process due to its relatively simple nature. This technique utilizes biomass to produce new biologically active compounds with properties such as biofertilizers, biostimulants, and bioinsecticides. In the present study, Salvinia auriculata biomass was used to obtain a valuable plant substrate and subsequently processed to be applied in vegetable crops for productivity improvement in field conditions. The Salvinia biomass was subjected to semi-solid fermentation, resulting in an organic substrate. This substrate was tested for the germination of melon (Cucumis melo L.) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) seeds, demonstrating excellent results when compared to commercial substrates. Comparing melon seedlings grew on different commercial substrates with Salvinia substrate, the germination index (GI), germination speed index (GSI), number of leaves (NL), aerial part length (APL), root of length (RL), aerial part fresh mass (APFM), root fresh mass (RFM), aerial part dry mass (APDM) and root dry mass (RDM) presented, respectively, an increase of 35%, 42.79%, 52%, 56.72%, 143.4%, 97%, 111.4%, 112%, 49.5% and 103%, demonstrating that Salvinia substrate is superior to the commercial substrates evaluated. Similar results were obtained for watermelon plants grew on Salvinia substrate. Subsequently, a bionanofertilizer (BNF) from fermented biomass was produced through green mechanochemical synthesis, a technique that proved to be highly efficient for nanofertilizer production. The tests demonstrated that the BNF at different doses had effects in vegetable crops after foliar application in the field. In melon plants, the productivity per plant increased by 50% after the foliar application of BNF and the productivity per hectare went from 14 Kg/ha to approximately 20 Kg/ha after 12% BNF application. Therefore, Salvinia auriculata biomass is an excellent source of organic compounds for formulating agricultural inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: This comprehensive review underscores the application of genome editing in plant reproductive biology, including recent advances and challenges associated with it. Genome editing (GE) is a powerful technology that has the potential to accelerate crop improvement by enabling efficient, precise, and rapid engineering of plant genomes. Over the last decade, this technology has rapidly evolved from the use of meganucleases (homing endonucleases), zinc-finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases to the use of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas), which has emerged as a popular GE tool in recent times and has been extensively used in several organisms, including plants. GE has been successfully employed in several crops to improve plant reproductive traits. Improving crop reproductive traits is essential for crop yields and securing the world's food supplies. In this review, we discuss the application of GE in various aspects of plant reproductive biology, including its potential application in haploid induction, apomixis, parthenocarpy, development of male sterile lines, and the regulation of self-incompatibility. We also discuss current challenges and future prospects of this technology for crop improvement, focusing on plant reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low crop Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) is an economic and environmental burden. Rice is an attractive target for NUE improvement in India, due to its highest N-fertilizer consumption and the availability of a vast germplasm. We screened 12 Indica rice genotypes (Oryza sativa ssp. Indica) on modified Arnon-Hoagland (AH) media containing graded urea doses from 0 to 7.5 mM (U0, U10, U50, or U100). We identified six genotypes with contrasting crop duration and germination rate for their life-long evaluation of 46 morpho-physiological parameters, including NUE, using at least 30 potted plants per genotype/treatment grown on nutrient-free soil supplemented with AH media containing urea as the sole N-source (U10, U50, or U100). We found significant genotype and N-dose-dependent effects of urea that correlated positively for 28 of the phenotypic parameters including five for NUE, whereas three parameters showed a negative correlation for urea dose. We also found a significant positive correlation with genotype and urea dose–response for eight physiological parameters, including one for NUE, while seven parameters showed a negative correlation, including two for NUE. A ranking of all 6 genotypes by N-responsive yield and NUE revealed that the late-germinating, long-duration genotypes had better yield and NUE than the early germinating, short-duration genotypes. The only exception was Dhala Heera from the latter group, which had the preferred combination of early (short) duration and high NUE across all urea doses. This makes it a promising donor genotype for further field evaluation and crop improvement toward higher NUE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of current study was to differentiate among 46 pea genotypes collected from different areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and NARC Islamabad, Pakistan. We initially experienced 20 simple sequence repeat markers among those ten primers were selected based on high level of polymorphism. The average number of the bands score per primer were 29.75% whereas, average number of monomorphic and polymorphic bands were 16.25 and 12.85%, respectively. The genetic diversity among these genotypes ranged from 0.18 to 0.98. Maximum genetic diversity were noted in genotypes i.e., M-39, L29, L32, L1, L5, L8, L11, L24, L19, L17, L25, L23, L37 and M-83, while using cluster analysis based on dice coefficients as the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). Furthermore, principal component (PC) analysis also showed similar results of UPGMA. The eight principal components (PC) accounted for 74.2% of the variation (21.74, 15.72, 8.76, 7.73, 6.19, 5.19, 4.50 and 4.37 for PC1, PC2, PC3, PC4, PC5, PC6, PC7 and PC8, respectively). The results of the present study will be useful in understanding the pea's genetic makeup and in the selection of suitable landraces for a future pea crop improvement program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous landraces are heterogeneous and exhibit greater gene diversity, and are therefore an excellent source of variation and material for crop improvement. However, they are very prone to genetic erosion, therefore exploration of genetic variability in landraces is essential step for crop breeding. Discovery of the genetics of a character in rice, that cope adverse condition, is important for maintaining world-food supply. In this study, fifty rice genotypes were assessed for the phenotypic and genetic diversity and their relatedness using morpho-physiological traits of the genotypes. Further clustering and population structure analysis were performed using phenotypic and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers data through unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) and STRUCTURE analysis. Significant variation among yield components were identified. Phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variability were higher for filled grains, whereas heritability was highest for plant height. Panicle number and 100-grain weight displayed significant relationship with yield. Phylogenetic clustering of the agromorphological traits divided the genotypes into eight clusters, whereas SSR markers yielded ten clusters. SSR markers produced a total of 138 alleles varying from two to nine with 77.53% polymorphic allele having 3.69 alleles per locus (average). The polymorphic information content indices and observed number of alleles varied among markers with an average of 0.649, exhibiting RM336, RM316, and RM287 have the greatest potentiality in exploring genetic diversity among genotypes. Among the genotypes, Dolkochu, Jolduba, BRRI Dhan-32, and Mokbul displayed significant variability, suggesting their suitability as potential parents in hybridization programs. Population structure study demonstrated that the genotypes were structurally diverse that grouped the accessions into two subpopulations (K = 2). Therefore, this research aimed to identify potential genotypes and suitable traits of rice germplasms for breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although finger millet is considered the future food, there are currently very few reports on how it reacts to salinity stress. This study aimed to compare the responses of twenty-seven native finger millet landraces under salt stress (0 mM to 250 mM NaCl in Hoagland solution). The degree of germination, seedling growth, biomass output, carotenoid content, membrane damage, and mineral accumulation were used to assess stress tolerance. With an increase in NaCl concentration, all landraces saw a drop in biomass production, shoot length, root length, and germination percentage. The decline was greater in ST-JA-SM and less in ST-JA-WA among landraces. All of the landraces showed a decrease in carotenoid content (108.76 ± 7.56 to 1.96 ± 0.83 µg mg−1 FW) with increasing salt concentration, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) content (0.17 ± 0.05 to 8.36 ± 0.53 µM g−1 FW) was found to be increasing due to the stress imposed by salinity. The salt stress-sensitive landraces ST-JA-SM had greater MDA than the salt stress-tolerant ST-JA-WA. NaCl stress increased sodium and potassium levels in the seedlings of all the landraces. The magnitude of Na+ and K+ ions accumulation was higher in ST-JA-WA and less in ST-JA-SM. The salt tolerance indices for K+ ranged from 0.94 to 1.19, and that of Na+ ranged from 0.71 to 1.51. Combined these findings suggest that ST-JA-SM is stress-sensitive and ST-JA-WA is a stress-tolerant landrace that can be exploited in crop improvement programs. Additionally, it can be used as a participant in research on stress tolerance alleviation with noble elements like silicon or selenium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice, serving as a crucial staple food for more than half of the global population, confronts significant challenges from insect pests, particularly the rice leaf folder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis), which leads to substantial yield losses. This study meticulously evaluates 94 rice landraces for leaffolder resistance under diverse environmental conditions usisng genotype × environment (G × E) interaction analysis. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model and genotype and genotype × environment interaction (GGE) biplot are employed to assess stability and resistance traits. The findings reveal that 44 genotypes demonstrate stable resistance across three test environments (Kharif, 2021, Rabi, 2021–2022 and Kharif, 2022). Resistance is primarily governed by genotypic factors (89.93%), with minimal influence from the environment (5.22%). The GGE biplot highlights distinct mega-environments, identifying Kharif, 2021, followed by Kharif, 2022, as the ideal test environments. This study identifies specific stable resistant genotypes that could prove valuable for sustainable pest management and contribute to further crop improvement programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is a genetically regulated, eukaryotic catabolic pathway that responds to internal and external cellular signals. In plants, it plays crucial roles in development, and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Due to its role in limiting the hypersensitive response, research on the molecular mechanisms of autophagic signalling pathways in plant–microbe interactions has primarily focused on plant–pathogen responses. Although there is substantially less information on the role of autophagy signalling in symbiotic plant–microbe interactions, there is accumulating evidence that it is also a key regulator of mutualistic plant–microbe interactions. Here, we review recent progress on the roles of autophagy in symbiotic plant interactions and discuss potential future research directions. Once understood, the central role that autophagy plays within pathogenic and symbiotic plant–microbe interactions has significant potential application for crop improvement. Manipulating autophagy in legume crops could help support crop growth with reduced levels of fertiliser application while maintaining yields with increased protein content in the harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the critical role of mRNA stability in post-transcriptional gene regulation, research on this topic in wheat, a vital agricultural crop, remains unclear. Our study investigated the mRNA decay landscape of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum, BBAA), revealing subgenomic asymmetry in mRNA stability and its impact on steady-state mRNA abundance. Our findings indicate that the 3' UTR structure and homoeolog preference for RNA structural motifs can influence mRNA stability, leading to subgenomic RNA decay imbalance. Furthermore, single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) selected for RNA structural motifs during domestication can cause variations in subgenomic mRNA stability and subsequent changes in steady-state expression levels. Our research on the transcriptome stability of polyploid wheat highlights the regulatory role of non-coding region structures in mRNA stability, and how domestication shaped RNA structure, altering subgenomic mRNA stability. These results illustrate the importance of RNA structure-mediated post-transcriptional gene regulation in wheat and pave the way for its potential use in crop improvement. This study shows that mRNA decay in durum wheat is affected by 3' UTR structures and domestication-selected single-nucleotide variations, highlighting the importance of non-coding regions in gene expression and the potential for crop enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Boron (B) is an important limiting factor for plant growth and yield in saline soils, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that appropriate B supply obviously complemented rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) growth under salinity accompanied by higher biomass production and less reactive oxygen species accumulation. Determination of Na+ content in shoots and roots indicated that B significantly repressed root‐to‐shoot Na+ translocation, and non‐invasive micro‐tests of root xylem sap demonstrated that B increased xylem Na+ unloading in the roots of rapeseed plants under salinity. Comparative transcriptomic profiling revealed that B strongly upregulated BnaHKT1s expression, especially BnaA2.HKT1, in rapeseed roots exposed to salinity. In situ hybridizations analysis showed that BnaA2.HKT1 was significantly induced in root stelar tissues by high B (HB) under salinity. Green fluorescent protein and yeast heterologous expression showed that BnaA2.HKT1 functioned as a plasma membrane‐localized Na+ transporter. Knockout of BnaA2.HKT1 by CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in hypersensitive of rapeseed plants to salinity even under HB condition, with higher shoot Na+ accumulation and lower biomass production. By contrast, overexpression of BnaA2.HKT1 ameliorated salinity‐induced growth inhibition under B deficiency and salinity. Overall, our results proposed that B functioned as a positive regulator for the rapeseed growth and seed production under salt stress through facilitating BnaA2.HKT1‐mediated root xylem Na+ unloading. This study may also provide an alternative strategy for the improvement of crop growth and development in saline soils. Significance Statement: We showed that adequate boron supply is indispensable for rapeseed salt tolerance through facilitating root xylem Na+ unloading, and this study provides a theoretical explanation for B and salinity interaction effects and also serves a fertilization reference to solve potential B deficiency in some saline soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) constitute a class of class II transposable elements (TEs) that are abundant in plant genomes, playing a crucial role in their evolution and diversity. Barley (Hordeum vulgare), the fourth-most important cereal crop globally, is widely used for brewing, animal feed, and human consumption. However, despite their significance, the mechanisms underlying the insertion or amplification of MITEs and their contributions to barley genome evolution and diversity remain poorly understood. Through our comprehensive analysis, we identified 32,258 full-length MITEs belonging to 2,992 distinct families, accounting for approximately 0.17% of the barley genome. These MITE families can be grouped into four well-known superfamilies (Tc1/Mariner-like , PIF/Harbinger-like , hAT-like , and Mutator-like) and one unidentified superfamily. Notably, we observed two major expansion events in the barley MITE population, occurring approximately 12-13 million years ago (Mya) and 2-3 Mya. Our investigation revealed a strong preference of MITEs for gene-related regions, particularly in promoters, suggesting their potential involvement in regulating host gene expression. Additionally, we discovered that 7.73% miRNAs are derived from MITEs, thereby influencing the origin of certain miRNAs and potentially exerting a significant impact on post-transcriptional gene expression control. Evolutionary analysis demonstrated that MITEs exhibit lower conservation compared to genes, consistent with their dynamic mobility. We also identified a series of MITE insertions or deletions associated with domestication, highlighting these regions as promising targets for crop improvement strategies. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the fundamental characteristics and evolutionary patterns of MITEs in the barley genome. Moreover, they contribute to our knowledge of gene regulatory networks and provide valuable insights for crop improvement endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Septoria nodorum blotch (SNB) is a fungal disease of wheat caused by the necrotrophic fungus Parastagonospora nodorum (Berk.), considered as one of the most devastating fungal diseases affecting winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The complex inheritance of resistance to SNB poses significant challenges to breeding programmes. Improving selection precision and identifying novel resistance QTLs are crucial for enhancing SNB resistance. This study investigated strategies for crop genetic improvement, including genome‐wide association mapping (GWAS) and genomic prediction (GP), within a practical breeding programme. A population of 1500 winter wheat breeding lines was phenotyped for SNB resistance over 5 years across 19 geographical locations under natural infection conditions. Despite highly unbalanced breeder's data, medium to high heritabilities for SNB resistance were achieved. GWAS identified 11 significant marker‐trait associations for SNB resistance across Chromosomes 2A, 2B, 4B, 4D, 5D and 7B. GP fivefold cross‐validation analysis revealed a predictive ability of 0.52 for SNB resistance. The resistant wheat genotypes and SNP markers identified in this study will be valuable assets for future breeding efforts to enhance SNB resistance in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inter-specific hybridization is a key strategy in modern crop improvement, aiming to integrate desirable traits from wild species into cultivated backgrounds. This study delves into the evaluation and identification of advanced inter-specific derivatives (IDs) derived from crosses of cultivated chickpea with Cicer reticulatum and C. echinospermum. The primary aim was to incorporate desirable yield enhancement traits, disease resistance, and nutritional quality traits into cultivated chickpea. The IDs were assessed during rabi 2021-22 and 2022-23 in the northern plains zone of India. Significant amount of genetic variability was observed for key agro-morphological traits having high heritability and genetic advance. Superior derivatives were identified for early flowering, high seed yield, and resistance to Ascochyta blight, Botrytis grey mould, and Fusarium wilt. Significant variability for crude protein and total soluble sugar content was also observed among the derivatives. The findings highlight the potential of utilizing wild Cicer species to broaden the genetic base of cultivated chickpea for the development of robust, high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties with improved nutritional traits suitable for diverse environmental conditions. The superior derivatives identified in this study hold promise for future breeding programmes for improving productivity, disease resistance and nutritional quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Tomato is one of the most economically important vegetable crops in the world and has been seriously affected by the devastating agricultural pest root‐knot nematodes (RKNs). Current understanding of tomato resistance to RKNs is quite limited. VQ motif‐containing family proteins are plant‐specific regulators; however, whether and how tomato VQs regulate resistance to RKNs is unknown. Here, we found that SlVQ15 recruited SlWRKY30IIc to coordinately control tomato defence against the RKN Meloidogyne incognita without affecting plant growth and productivity. The jasmonate (JA)‐ZIM domain (JAZ) repressors of the phytohormone JAs signalling associated and interfered with the interaction of SlVQ15 and SlWRKY30IIc. In turn, SlWRKY30IIc bound to SlJAZs promoters and cooperated with SlVQ15 to repress their expression, whereas this inhibitory effect was antagonized by SlJAZ5, forming a feedback regulatory mechanism. Moreover, SlWRKY30IIc expression was directly regulated by SlMYC2, a SlJAZ‐interacting negative regulator of resistance to RKNs. In conclusion, our findings revealed that a regulatory circuit of SlVQ15‐SlWRKY30IIc and the JA pathway fine‐tunes tomato defence against the RKN M. incognita, and provided candidate genes and clues with great potential for crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thaumatin‐like proteins (TLPs) are part of the pathogenesis‐related (PR) proteins that are important in host plant defense. TLPs have multiple defense functions against pathogens (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) and are involved in other biological processes of several living organisms. However, the biological role of TLPs must be elucidated for other species, such as Phaseolus lunatus, popularly known as lima bean. In this study, we propose to investigate the biological activity of TLPs in P. lunatus, which can help develop a detailed functional characterization of the TLP gene in other crop cultures. As a result, a total of 31 PlTPLs genes and 16 highly conserved cysteine residues for each family member were identified in the lima bean genome. Regarding phylogenetic analysis, 128 TLPs from different plant species, including P. lunatus, were used, and the phenetic tree revealed that the TLPs could be divided into six groups. The leading group was Group 4, containing 34 TLPs; the smallest was Group 7, containing only a single TLP. The analysis of antimicrobial and antiviral activity revealed that 27 PlTLPs have antimicrobial activity and 7 PlTLPs have potential antiviral activity. For chromosomal distribution of the PlTLPs, 8 of 11 chromosomes presented at least one PlTLs on one of the chromosomes. Finally, molecular modeling was carried out between two TLPs (PlTLP5 and PlTLP14), which presented antimicrobial and antiviral activity and did not have allergenic activity. The results showed that the two candidates presented ≥90% of their residues in the favorable regions and ∼10% in the permitted regions, demonstrating that the two PlTLPs are considered promising targets for biotechnological applications, especially those related to the genetic improvement of agricultural crops and the development of antimicrobial agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial adjustments are used to improve the estimate of plot seed yield across crops and geographies. Moving means (MM) and P‐Spline are examples of spatial adjustment methods used in plant breeding trials to deal with field heterogeneity. Within the trial, spatial variability primarily comes from soil feature gradients, such as nutrients, but a study of the importance of various soil factors including nutrients is lacking. We analyzed plant breeding progeny row (PR) and preliminary yield trial (PYT) data of a public soybean breeding program across 3 years consisting of 43,545 plots. We compared several spatial adjustment methods: unadjusted (as a control), MM adjustment, P‐spline adjustment, and a machine learning‐based method called XGBoost. XGBoost modeled soil features at: (a) the local field scale for each generation and per year, and (b) all inclusive field scale spanning all generations and years. We report the usefulness of spatial adjustments at both PR and PYT stages of field testing and additionally provide ways to utilize interpretability insights of soil features in spatial adjustments. Our work shows that using soil features for spatial adjustments increased the relative efficiency by 81%, reduced the similarity of selection by 30%, and reduced the Moran's I from 0.13 to 0.01 on average across all experiments. These results empower breeders to further refine selection criteria to make more accurate selections and select for macro‐ and micro‐nutrients stress tolerance. Core Ideas: Spatial adjustments utilizing soil maps perform better than traditional methods for spatial adjustments of trials.Soil‐based spatial adjustments can be used to better understand the spatial variability in breeding trials.Site‐specific machine learning models for spatial adjustments perform better than large generalized models. Plain Language Summary: Plant breeding trials are a key component of crop improvement for yield, quality, and stress resistance. Breeding trials typically are grown on small plots of land and are highly affected by the area in the field where they are planted due to field trends. We investigated if using the soil features in a field could explain some of the variability in the early stages of a breeding program and used machine learning techniques to estimate the soil effects on observed yields. We found that by using the soil features for spatial adjustments, we could increase the accuracy of selections and improve the outcomes of decisions made by a breeder. This could have great impacts on increasing the accuracy of selection of early generation breeding trials, resulting in better lines being selected for yield, quality, and stress resistance traits, helping to make agricultural production more resilient and improve genetic gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygenic photosynthesis is characterised by the cooperation of two photo-driven complexes, Photosystem II (PSII) and Photosystem I (PSI), sequentially linked through a series of redox-coupled intermediates. Divergent evolution has resulted in photosystems exhibiting complementary redox potentials, spanning the range necessary to oxidise water and reduce CO2 within a single system. Catalysing nature's most oxidising reaction to extract electrons from water is a highly specialised task that limits PSII's metabolic function. In contrast, potential electron donors in PSI span a range of redox potentials, enabling it to accept electrons from various metabolic processes. This metabolic flexibility of PSI underpins the capacity of photosynthetic organisms to balance energy supply with metabolic demands, which is key for adaptation to environmental changes. Here, we review the phenomenon of 'PSII-less photosynthesis' where PSI functions independently of PSII by operating cyclic electron flow using electrons derived from non-photochemical reactions. PSII-less photosynthesis enables supercharged ATP production and is employed, for example, by cyanobacteria's heterocysts to host nitrogen fixation and by bundle sheath cells of C4 plants to boost CO2 assimilation. We discuss the energetic benefits of this arrangement and the prospects of utilising it to improve the productivity and stress resilience of photosynthetic organisms. Oxygenic photosynthesis typically relies on two photo-driven complexes, Photosystem II (PSII) and Photosystem I (PSI). However, PSI can operate independently to boost energy production and amplify nitrogen fixation and CO2 capture in specialised cells. In this review, we propose that 'PSII-less photosynthesis' allows photosynthetic organisms to better balance energy needs and adapt to changing environments. We explore the potential of harnessing this process to improve crop productivity and stress resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a globally important oil and food crop frequently grown in arid, semi-arid, or dryland environments. Improving drought tolerance is a key goal for peanut crop improvement efforts. Here, we present the genome assembly and gene model annotation for "Line8," a peanut genotype bred from drought-tolerant cultivars. Our assembly and annotation are the most contiguous and complete peanut genome resources currently available. The high contiguity of the Line8 assembly allowed us to explore structural variation both between peanut genotypes and subgenomes. We detect several large inversions between Line8 and other peanut genome assemblies, and there is a trend for the inversions between more genetically diverged genotypes to have higher gene content. We also relate patterns of subgenome exchange to structural variation between Line8 homeologous chromosomes. Unexpectedly, we discover that Line8 harbors an introgression from A.cardenasii , a diploid peanut relative and important donor of disease resistance alleles to peanut breeding populations. The fully resolved sequences of both haplotypes in this introgression provide the first in situ characterization of A.cardenasii candidate alleles that can be leveraged for future targeted improvement efforts. The completeness of our genome will support peanut biotechnology and broader research into the evolution of hybridization and polyploidy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful genome editing tool for trait improvement in various crops; however, enhancing mutation efficiency using CRISPR/Cas9 in watermelon and melon remains challenging. We designed four CRISPR systems with different sgRNA expression cassettes to target the phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene in melon. The constructed vectors were delivered to host plants using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Phenotypic and genotypic analyses of the edited melon seedlings revealed that the CRISPR systems with tRNA and Csy4 spacers driven by the Pol II-type promoter significantly improved mutation efficiency, reaching 25.20% and 42.82%, respectively. Notably, 78.95% of the mutations generated by the Csy4 system involved large-fragment deletions (LDs) between the two target sites. In watermelon, the Csy4 system achieved a PDS editing efficiency of 41.48%, with 71.43% of the edited seedlings showing LD between the two target sites. Sequencing analysis indicated that the edited melon seedlings exhibited heterozygous, three-allele mutation and chimeric events; the edited watermelon seedlings included 2/14 homozygous mutations. Compared to the commonly used Pol III promoter, using the Pol II promoter to drive sgRNA expression cassettes containing Csy4 showed the best improvement in CRISPR/Cas9 editing efficiency in melon; this system was also effective in watermelon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Using 20 validated, MYMV-linked cross-species transferable, polymorphic markers, a comprehensive genetic linkage map was constructed. • Spanning a total of 958.13 cM across the genome, these markers were precisely allocated to nine distinct linkage groups. • SMA analysis revealed two associations on LG4 that exhibited strong and significant associations with MYMV resistance and yield. • Identifying and characterizing marker CEDG127 presents a valuable opportunity for the targeted selection of superior recombinants. • By harnessing these genomic regions, crop improvement for robust MYMV resistance and enhanced yield can be achived. Black gram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper, the summer rice fallow pulse of India, also known as urad dal, is a highly nutritious pulse widely used in vegetarian protein diets. Single marker analysis assesses the association between a marker genotype and phenotype segregation, identifying potential quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in a population. SMA for resistance to mungbean yellow mosaic virus and yield-contributing traits were carried out in a set of 90 recombinant inbred lines derived from crossing the high-yielding black-gram variety KKM 1 and the MYMV-resistant variety VBN 6. Analysis revealed eight significant associations with black gram and the resulting map encompasses a total span of 958.13 cM and features 20 SSR regions. By performing single-marker analysis, we successfully identified four SSR markers responsible for MYMV resistance and four SSR markers associated with traits contributing to yield. Notably, four of these MYMV resistance-linked markers were distributed across four linkage groups, LG3, LG4, LG8 and LG9, and the phenotypic variance explained by these associations was 8.12, 8.57, 10.09, and 7.65 %, respectively. Furthermore, four SSRs linked to yield-related traits were identified: the number of primary branches per plant in LG11, the number of clusters per plant in LG10, the number of days to 50 % flowering in LG11 and the number of pods per plant in LG4, with PVEs ranging from 12.26 % to 12.32 %. SMA analysis revealed two remarkable peaks located on LG4 that were significantly associated with the crucial MYMV and the number of pods per plant (74.26 cM). Conversely, LG4 exhibited a strong and robust connection with MYMV resistance, a pivotal trait for preserving crop health and yield. Our research identified five major and three minor associations with MYMV resistance and yield traits, enabling precise marker-assisted breeding for developing MYMV-resistant black gram genotypes with improved yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the cellular level, plant immunity is orchestrated by a complex network of proteins, among which the 14-3-3 proteins have emerged as pivotal players. Both microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP)-triggered immunity (MTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI) are critical for plant survival against microbial threats, and the 14-3-3 proteins have been identified as central regulators of these processes. Due to their multifunctionality in many plant pathways and conserved nature, 14-3-3 proteins often serve as targets for viral, bacterial, and fungal elicitors/effectors. This highlights their significance as crucial targets to enhance crop resilience and disease resistance. 14-3-3 proteins, ubiquitously present in eukaryotic cells, are regulatory proteins involved in a plethora of cellular processes. In plants, they have been studied in the context of metabolism, development, and stress responses. Recent studies have highlighted the pivotal role of 14-3-3 proteins in regulating plant immunity. The ability of 14-3-3 proteins to modulate immune responses is primarily attributed to their function as interaction hubs, mediating protein–protein interactions and thereby regulating the activity and overall function of their binding partners. Here, we shed light on how 14-3-3 proteins contribute to plant defense mechanisms, the implications of their interactions with components of plant immunity cascades, and the potential for leveraging this knowledge for crop improvement strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Manipulating plant height is an essential component of crop improvement. Plant height was generally reduced through breeding in wheat, rice, and sorghum to resist lodging and increase grain yield but kept high for bioenergy crops. Here, we positionally cloned a plant height quantitative trait locus (QTL) qHT7.1 as a MYB transcription factor controlling internode elongation, cell proliferation, and cell morphology in sorghum. A 740 bp transposable element insertion in the intronic region caused a partial mis‐splicing event, generating a novel transcript that included an additional exon and a premature stop codon, leading to short plant height. The dominant allele had an overall higher expression than the recessive allele across development and internode position, while both alleles' expressions peaked at 46 days after planting and progressively decreased from the top to lower internodes. The orthologue of qHT7.1 was identified to underlie the brachytic1 (br1) locus in maize. A large insertion in exon 3 and a 160 bp insertion at the promoter region were identified in the br1 mutant, while an 18 bp promoter insertion was found to be associated with reduced plant height in a natural recessive allele. CRISPR/Cas9–induced gene knockout of br1 in two maize inbred lines showed significant plant height reduction. These findings revealed functional connections across natural, mutant, and edited alleles of this MYB transcription factor in sorghum and maize. This enriched our understanding of plant height regulation and enhanced our toolbox for fine‐tuning plant height for crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major staple food crop for the global human population, climate-resilient wheat is the key to global food security. In this context, there is an urgent need to combine advances in genomic technologies and cutting-edge tools in the crop breeding pipelines. The genetic improvement of wheat starts with a clear understanding of genes and genomic components. The past 4–5 years have seen unprecedented growth in wheat genomes, pangenomes, and functional genomics studies. More than 50 reference-level genome assemblies are available for wheat and its wild and related species. Wheat's wild and related species provide a rich source of new genes and alleles to improve wheat. Reference genome assemblies of wheat's wild and related progenitor species have provided a new, helpful resource for targeted gene discovery for wheat improvement. This review explores the journey of wheat genomics starting in 2003. There is an urgent need to improve wheat for upcoming challenges, including biotic and abiotic stresses. Sustainable wheat improvement requires the introduction of new genes and alleles in high-yielding wheat cultivars. Using new approaches, tools, and technologies to identify and introduce new genes in wheat cultivars is critical. High-quality genomes, transcriptomes, and pangenomes provide essential resources and tools to examine wheat closely to identify and manipulate new and targeted genes and alleles. Wheat genomics has improved excellently in the past 5 years, generating multiple genomes, pangenomes, and transcriptomes. Leveraging these resources allows us to accelerate our crop improvement pipelines. This review summarizes the progress made in wheat genomics and trait discovery in the past 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plant survival to a potential plethora of diverse environmental insults is underpinned by coordinated communication amongst organs to help shape effective responses to these environmental challenges at the whole plant level. This interorgan communication is supported by a complex signal network that regulates growth, development and environmental responses. Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as a key signalling molecule in plants. However, its potential role in interorgan communication has only recently started to come into view. Direct and indirect evidence has emerged supporting that NO and related species (S‐nitrosoglutathione, nitro‐linolenic acid) are mobile interorgan signals transmitting responses to stresses such as hypoxia and heat. Beyond their role as mobile signals, NO and related species are involved in mediating xylem development, thus contributing to efficient root–shoot communication. Moreover, NO and related species are regulators in intraorgan systemic defence responses aiming an effective, coordinated defence against pathogens. Beyond its in planta signalling role, NO and related species may act as ex planta signals coordinating external leaf‐to‐leaf, root‐to‐leaf but also plant‐to‐plant communication. Here, we discuss these exciting developments and emphasise how their manipulation may provide novel strategies for crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soybean (Glycine max) is a globally important crop due to its high protein and oil content, which serves as a key resource for human and animal nutrition, as well as bioenergy production. This review assesses recent advancements in soybean genetic improvement by conducting an extensive literature analysis focusing on enhancing resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, improving nutritional profiles, and optimizing yield. We also describe the progress in breeding techniques, including traditional approaches, marker-assisted selection, and biotechnological innovations such as genetic engineering and genome editing. The development of transgenic soybean cultivars through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and biolistic methods aims to introduce traits such as herbicide resistance, pest tolerance, and improved oil composition. However, challenges remain, particularly with respect to genotype recalcitrance to transformation, plant regeneration, and regulatory hurdles. In addition, we examined how wild soybean germplasm and polyploidy contribute to expanding genetic diversity as well as the influence of epigenetic processes and microbiome on stress tolerance. These genetic innovations are crucial for addressing the increasing global demand for soybeans, while mitigating the effects of climate change and environmental stressors. The integration of molecular breeding strategies with sustainable agricultural practices offers a pathway for developing more resilient and productive soybean varieties, thereby contributing to global food security and agricultural sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant‐based protein industry is rapidly growing and is projected to grow to over $27 billion by 2030. In addition to monetary benefits, plant‐based protein crops, particularly pulse crops (i.e., legume species with dry edible seed), can supplement the existing crop biodiversity and break the disease and insect pest cycle in drastically changing climatic conditions. Most commercially available plant‐based protein ingredients come from only 2% of the 150 plant species on which our food supply depends. Therefore, it is imperative to diversify the cropping system with pulse crops that provide a more nutritious, climate‐resilient, sustainable food value chain. At present, a large portion of US pulse crop production is exported, yet the shifting demographics, dietary preferences, and a rise in domestic consumption present enormous potential for existing and emerging pulse crops, as well as their breeding. Despite a rise in demand from consumers and industries, farmers are yet to fully reap the benefits of these crops due to a shortage of improved varieties. These new varieties could lead to a diverse, sustainable protein supply that satisfies the growing domestic and global demand for plant‐based foods. This review intends to comprehensively explore the geographical and cultural acceptance of plant‐based proteins, manufacturing techniques, protein products, anti‐nutritional factors, techniques and tools for protein estimation, high‐throughput estimation of seed protein, protein composition requirements in food, breeding strategies, crop improvement, and resources to improve plant‐based protein pulse crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Legumes, characterized by their ability to form symbiotic relationships with nitrogen‐fixing bacteria, play crucial roles in agriculture, ecology and human nutrition. Phosphatidylethanolamine‐binding proteins (PEBPs) are the key genetic players that contribute to the diverse biological functions of legumes. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of important roles of PEBP genes in legumes, including flowering, inflorescence architecture, seed development and nodulation. We also delve into PEBP regulatory mechanisms and effects on plant growth, development, and adaptation to the environment. Furthermore, we highlight their potential biotechnological applications for crop improvement and promoting sustainable agriculture. This review emphasizes the multifaceted roles of PEBP genes, shedding light on their significance in legume biology and their potential for sustainable productive farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses strategies for applying RNA m6A modification in crop improvement, emphasizing the importance of precise gene expression manipulation for enhancing crop traits. It highlights the role of m6A modification in regulating gene expression in plants and presents examples of how manipulating m6A levels can enhance agronomic traits in crops like rice, potato, and strawberries. The article also outlines three proposed strategies for enhancing crop traits through m6A modification and provides steps for m6A editing to improve crop agronomic traits. [Extracted from the article]

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent internal modification of mRNA and plays an important role in regulating plant growth. However, there is still a lack of effective tools to precisely modify m6A sites of individual transcripts in plants. Here, programmable m6A editing tools are developed by combining CRISPR/dCas13(Rx) with the methyltransferase GhMTA (Targeted RNA Methylation Editor, TME) or the demethyltransferase GhALKBH10 (Targeted RNA Demethylation Editor, TDE). These editors enable efficient deposition or removal of m6A modifications at targeted sites of endo‐transcripts GhECA1 and GhDi19 within a broad editing window ranging from 0 to 46 nt. TDE editor significantly decreases m6A levels by 24%–76%, while the TME editor increases m6A enrichment, ranging from 1.37‐ to 2.51‐fold. Furthermore, installation and removal of m6A modifications play opposing roles in regulating GhECA1 and GhDi19 mRNA transcripts, which may be attributed to the fact that their m6A sites are located in different regions of the genes. Most importantly, targeting the GhDi19 transcript with TME editor plants results in a significant increase in root length and enhanced drought resistance. Collectively, these m6A editors can be applied to study the function of specific m6A modifications and have the potential for future applications in crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytopathogens represent an ongoing threat to crop production and a significant impediment to global food security. During the infection process, these pathogens spatiotemporally deploy a large array of effectors to sabotage host defense machinery and/or manipulate cellular pathways, thereby facilitating colonization and infection. However, besides their pivotal roles in pathogenesis, certain effectors, known as avirulence (AVR) effectors, can be directly or indirectly perceived by plant resistance (R) proteins, leading to race-specific resistance. An in-depth understanding of the intricate AVR-R interactions is instrumental for genetic improvement of crops and safeguarding them from diseases. Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae), the causative agent of rice blast disease, is an exceptionally virulent and devastating fungal pathogen that induces blast disease on over 50 monocot plant species, including economically important crops. Rice-M. oryzae pathosystem serves as a prime model for functional dissection of AVR effectors and their interactions with R proteins and other target proteins in rice due to its scientific advantages and economic importance. Significant progress has been made in elucidating the potential roles of AVR effectors in the interaction between rice and M. oryzae over the past two decades. This review comprehensively discusses recent advancements in the field of M. oryzae AVR effectors, with a specific focus on their multifaceted roles through interactions with corresponding R/target proteins in rice during infection. Furthermore, we deliberated on the emerging strategies for engineering R proteins by leveraging the structural insights gained from M. oryzae AVR effectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurring use of chemical fertilizers (CFs) in agriculture has resulted the remarkable improvement in crop productivity but their ruinous effects on environment have made a serious issue. Biological entities (e.g., several microorganisms) showing fertilizer‐like activities have gained attention in this regard. Several soil resident microorganisms interact strongly with neighboring plants and promote the growth and development of those plants through various means. In exchange of this, microbes utilize different compounds released from plant roots for their own nutrition. This mutualistic mode of interrelation predominantly relies on the transmission of signals from microbes to plants and vice versa. However, climatic factors (e.g., CO2 level, temperature, and water availability) are also important for this association. These bacterial strains are literally known as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) which facilitate plant growth through nitrogen fixation, mineral solubilization, phytostimulation, stress resistance, etc. Responding to the external environmental stimuli, they often modulate the expression of genes responsible for the transport of nutrients. Reduction of the use of CFs through the application of PGPR strains in the cultivation of some economically important plants has been reported by several authors. Significant yield improvement compared to the control groups was found in all experimental studies. Commercial development of the PGPR inoculants with remarkable biostimulating activities and their successive application should be expanded through collaborative association with different sectors after the removal of existing lacunae. Reading more than 100 articles on various aspects of rhizobacteria, the plan of writing this article has been executed. In this review, we have discussed about the colonization and potency of PGPR strains and how their well‐planned application in agriculture could evidently reinforce the global economy. The main structure of this text is designed as an outline from the development of interrelation between plants and PGPR to the commercialization of PGPR based on their potential role in the field of agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: DNA rearrangements, including inversions, translocations, and large insertions/deletions (indels), are crucial for crop evolution, domestication, and improvement. The rearrangements are frequently induced by ion beams via the mis‐repair of DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs). Unfortunately, how ion beam‐induced DSBs are repaired has not been comprehensively analyzed and the mechanisms underlying DNA rearrangements remain unclear. In this study, clonal sectors originating from single mutated cells in carbon ion‐irradiated plants were used for whole‐genome sequencing analyses after Arabidopsis seeds and seedlings were irradiated. Comparative analyses of the induced mutations (e.g., size and frequency of indels and microhomology at the junctions of the rearrangements) in the irradiated materials suggested that the broken/rejoined DSB ends were more extensively processed in seedlings than in seeds. A mutation to canonical non‐homologous end‐joining (c‐NHEJ), which is a DSB repair pathway with minimal processing of DSB ends, increased the sensitivity to ion beams more in the seeds than in the seedlings, which was consistent with the junction analysis results, indicative of the minor contribution of c‐NHEJ to the carbon ion‐induced DSB repair in seedlings. Considering the characteristics of the large templated insertions in irradiated seedlings, ion‐beam‐induced DSBs in seedlings are likely repaired primarily by a polymerase theta‐mediated pathway. Polymerase theta‐deficient seedlings were more sensitive to ion beams than the c‐NHEJ‐deficient seedlings, consistent with this hypothesis. This study revealed the key characteristics of ion beam‐induced DSBs and the associated repair mechanisms related to the physiological status of the irradiated materials, with implications for elucidating the occurrence and induction of rearrangements. Significance Statement: DNA rearrangements, which are critical for crop improvement, can be randomly induced in genomes by ion beams. Our genomic analysis of irradiated plants revealed significant differences in the characteristics of the DNA rearrangements in seeds and seedlings, providing important insights into double‐strand break repair mechanisms and the associated rearrangement formation related to the physiological status of the irradiated materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geophytic plants synchronize growth and quiescence with the external environment to survive and thrive under changing seasons. Together with seasonal growth adaptation, dormancy and sprouting are critical factors determining crop yield and market supply, as various geophytes also serve as major food, floriculture, and ornamental crops. Dormancy in such crops determines crop availability in the market, as most of them are consumed during the dormant stage. On the other hand, uniform/maximal sprouting is crucial for maximum yield. Thus, dormancy and sprouting regulation have great economic importance. Dormancy–sprouting cycles in geophytes are regulated by genetic, exogenous (environmental), and endogenous (genetic, metabolic, hormonal, etc.) factors. Comparatively, the temperature is more dominant in regulating dormancy and sprouting in geophytes, unlike above-ground tissues, where both photoperiod and temperature control are involved. Despite huge economic importance, studies concerning the regulation of dormancy and sprouting are scarce in the majority of geophytes. To date, only a few molecular factors involved in the process have been suggested. Recently, omics studies on molecular and metabolic factors involved in dormancy and growth regulation of underground vegetative tissues have provided more insight into the mechanism. Here, we discuss current knowledge of the environmental and molecular regulation and control of dormancy and sprouting in geophytes, and discuss challenges/questions that need to be addressed in the future for crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress poses a critical threat to global crop yields and sustainable agriculture. The GASA genes are recognized for their pivotal role in stress tolerance and plant growth, but little is known about how they function in sunflowers. The investigation aimed to identify and elucidate the role of HaGASA genes in conferring sunflowers with drought tolerance. Twenty-seven different HaGASA gene family members were found in this study that were inconsistently located across eleven sunflower chromosomes. Phylogeny analysis revealed that the sunflower HaGASA genes were divided into five subgroups by comparing GASA genes with those from Arabidopsis, peanut, and soybean, with members within each subgroup displaying similar conserved motifs and gene structures. In-silico evaluation of cis-regulatory elements indicated the existence of specific elements associated with stress-responsiveness being the most abundant, followed by hormone, light, and growth-responsive elements. Transcriptomic data from the NCBI database was utilized to assess the HaGASA genes expression profile in different sunflower varieties under drought conditions. The HaGASA genes expression across ten sunflower genotypes under drought stress, revealed 14 differentially expressed HaGASA genes, implying their active role in the plant's stress response. The expression in different organs revealed that HaGASA2, HaGASA11, HaGASA17, HaGASA19, HaGASA21 and HaGASA26 displayed maximum expression in the stem. Our findings implicate HaGASA genes in mediating sunflower growth maintenance and adaptation to abiotic stress, particularly drought. The findings, taken together, provided a basic understanding of the structure and potential functions of HaGASA genes, setting the framework for further functional investigations into their roles in drought stress mitigation and crop improvement strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the genetic transformation efficiency of major crops remains a significant challenge, primarily due to their suboptimal regeneration efficiency. Developmental regulators, known as key regulatory genes, involved in plant meristem and somatic embryo formation, play a crucial role in improving plant meristem induction and regeneration. This review provides a detailed summary of the molecular mechanisms and regulatory networks of many developmental regulators, in the context of enhancing the genetic transformation efficiency in major crops. We also propose strategies for exploring and utilizing additional developmental regulators. Further investigation into the mechanisms of these regulators will deepen our understanding of the regenerative capacity and genetic transformation processes of plants, offering valuable support for future crop improvement efforts. The discovery of novel developmental regulators is expected to further advance crop transformation and the effective manipulation of various developmental regulators could provide a promising approach in order to enhance genetic transformation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of plant breeding has witnessed significant transformations over millennia evolving from rudimentary selection strategies (Breeding 1.0) in ancient times to sophisticated techniques in the modern era (Breeding 4.0) which can identify the desirable alleles and engineer the plant to contain them all in a short amount of time, in essence, creating ‘designer plants’. This evolution aims to enhance crop variety and improve food security. However, challenges, such as climate change, population growth and limited arable land, necessitate more precise and efficient breeding methods. Here, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a promising solution. By mimicking human intelligence, AI can process vast datasets efficiently, addressing the complexities of modern plant breeding. In this context, AI facilitates high-throughput phenotyping, gene functional analysis and the processing of extensive environmental data. It revolutionises decision-making by transforming fragmented market information into systematic breeding strategies. This review explores the historical journey of plant breeding, emphasising the shift from traditional methods to AI-driven approaches. It highlights AI's critical role in developing climate-resilient and pest-resistant crops, ensuring that key staples like maize, wheat, rice, tomato, potato and cotton can meet global food security challenges effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bitter gourd is a highly nutritious vegetable and important medicinal plant of economic importance. The present study is focused on cytogenetical characterization of 12 accessions of bitter gourd from different parts of India, aiming to differentiate their karyotypes and outline diagnostic features of the chromosomes within each accession's haploid complement. All the accessions possess 2 n = 22 numbers of chromosomes. The chromosomes mainly were metacentric (16‒22 chromosomes), and the presence or absence of sub-metacentric (0‒6 chromosomes) chromosomes. The length of the chromosomes varied from 0.83 to 1.93 μm among the accessions studied. Significant differences were obtained for the seven intra-chromosomal indices and four inter-chromosomal indices among the accessions. Principal component analysis and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean study revealed relatively distant positioning of individuals that advocated intraspecific phylogenetic relationships and higher karyoevolutionary affinity in bitter gourd accessions. In the meiotic study, regular meiotic behaviour indicates genetic stability and a stable sexual cycle in different accessions. The percentage of pollen viability of all the studied accessions was very high (89.41–94.11%), and these accessions can be considered to be good pollinators. The results obtained will guide characterizing the elite genotypes, genotypes management and designing effective breeding programmes and crop improvement programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don) is a vital summer season perennial semi-shrub and multipurpose drought-resilient flower crop of the tropical region of the Indian subcontinent. This industrially dominant crop is primarily used as border, bedding and pot culture in landscaping. There is a lack of information on the genetics of important traits and its correlation with quantitative characters like flower yield and understanding the co-segregation of these traits might be useful in crop improvement. Therefore, the present study was performed using 30 F 2 segregating lines of Catharanthus developed from diallel crossing of six genetically dissimilar parents varied in many traits. Phenotyping of population was executed for 12 morphological traits. Results indicated that a significant positive association between days to flowering and plant height (0.753**), and leaf area and number of branches (0.463**) was recorded. Flowers per plant exhibit significantly positive correlation with all attributes except flower diameter (−005). The path coefficient analysis reported solely two traits, such as number of seeds per follicle (0.357) and corolla tube length (0.308) exerted positively significant direct effects on flower yield per plant. The scrutiny of principal components showed that the first three components demonstrated a cumulative variability of 70.1%. The dissipating of F 2 plants in bi-plot is impenitent to our prior reports that six inbred lines were genetically diverse and quite different for the characters under study. The current research might be useful in breeding programmes for selection and hybridization of periwinkle in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassinosteroids (BRs) perform crucial functions controlling plant growth and developmental processes, encompassing many agronomic traits in crops. Studies of BR-related genes involved in agronomic traits have suggested that BRs could serve as a potential target for crop breeding. Given the pleiotropic effect of BRs, a systematic understanding of their functions and molecular mechanisms is conducive for application in crop improvement. Here, we summarize the functions and underlying mechanisms by which BRs regulate the several major crop agronomic traits, including plant architecture, grain size, as well as the specific trait of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legume crops. For plant architecture, we discuss the roles of BRs in plant height, branching number and leaf erectness, and propose how progress in these fields may contribute to designing crops with optimal agronomic traits and improved grain yield by accurately modifying BR levels and signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation was convened during kharif, 2022 (July-October), rabi-summer, 2023 (January-May) and kharif, 2023 (July-October) at J.N.K.V.V., Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India to characterize 165 diverse soybean germplasm lines in pursuance of DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity, and Stability) guidelines focusing on integrating optimal morphological traits to pre-fine soybean crop improvement. The study revealed significant variation among soybean genotypes. The hypocotyl color, controlled by a monogenic trait, was found in 77 genotypes, closely associated with violet flower color, whereas non-pigmented hypocotyls present in 88 genotypes were linked to white flowers. Growth habits were categorized as determinate (59), semideterminate (103), and indeterminate (3), demonstrating that semi-determinate genotypes offer balanced resource allocation and reduced lodging. Most genotypes displayed medium flowering time (159) and medium plant height (134). Leaf shape was predominantly pointed ovate (121), with lanceolate leaves associated with higher number of seeds-1 pod. The presence of dark green leaves in 108 genotypes indicated higher chlorophyll content and enhanced photosynthetic efficiency to strengthen plant type. Semi-erect growth habit was prevalent in 152 genotypes, providing better soil coverage and moisture retention, while 13 genotypes showed erect growth. Pod pubescence was observed in 106 genotypes, offering protection against pests. These traits are found stable across the environment and may be used as an identification key for different varieties and donor germplasm lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice spikelet size, spikelet length and spikelet width, are very important traits directly related to a rice crop's yield. The accurate measurement of these parameters is quite significant in research such as breeding, yield evaluation and variety improvement for rice crops. Traditional measurement methods still mainly rely on manual labor, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive and error-prone. In this study, a novel method, dubbed the "SSM-Method", based on convolutional neural network and traditional image processing technology has been developed for the efficient and precise measurement of rice spikelet size parameters on rice panicle structures. Firstly, primary branch images of rice panicles were collected at the same height to build an image database. The spikelet detection model using convolutional neural network was then established for spikelet recognition and localization. Subsequently, the calibration value was obtained through traditional image processing technology. Finally, the "SSM-Method" integrated with a spikelet detection model and calibration value was developed for the automatic measurement of spikelet sizes. The performance of the developed SSM-Method was evaluated through testing 60 primary branch images. The test results showed that the root mean square error (RMSE) of spikelet length for two rice varieties (Huahang15 and Qingyang) were 0.26 mm and 0.30 mm, respectively, while the corresponding RMSE of spikelet width was 0.27 mm and 0.31 mm, respectively. The proposed algorithm can provide an effective, convenient and low-cost tool for yield evaluation and breeding research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising food demands require new techniques to achieve higher genetic gains for crop production, especially in regions where climate can negatively affect agriculture. Wheat is a staple crop that often encounters this challenge, and ideotype breeding with optimized canopy traits for grain yield, such as determinate tillering, synchronized flowering, and stay-green (SG), can potentially improve yield under terminal drought conditions. Among these traits, SG has emerged as a key factor for improving grain quality and yield by prolonging photosynthetic activity during reproductive stages. This study aims to highlight the importance of growth dynamics in a wheat mapping population by using multispectral images obtained from uncrewed aerial vehicles as a high-throughput phenotyping technique to assess the effectiveness of using such images for determining correlations between vegetation indices and grain yield, particularly regarding the SG trait. Results show that the determinate group exhibited a positive correlation between NDVI and grain yield, indicating the effectiveness of these traits in yield improvement. In contrast, the indeterminate group, characterized by excessive vegetative growth, showed no significant NDVI–grain yield relationship, suggesting that NDVI values in this group were influenced by sterile tillers rather than contributing to yield. These findings provide valuable insights for crop breeders by offering a non-destructive approach to enhancing genetic gains through the improved selection of resilient wheat genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean is an economically important oilseed crop with diverse uses as food, feed, biofuel and so forth. Although the demand for soybean is growing rapidly worldwide, the narrow genetic base of released cultivars due to meagre utilisation of available wild and untapped genetic resources is a major factor contributing to stagnant production and productivity levels of soybean. Considering the continuously increasing global population, changing dietary habits, ongoing climatic fluctuations, rapidly evolving biotic stresses and shrinking land and water resources, utilisation of novel and diverse sources of variation is required for the genetic enhancement of soybean. To widen the genetic base of commercial soybean cultivars and to improve the genetic gain of the crop focused and systematic pre‐breeding efforts can play a game‐changing role by supplying novel genes in crop improvement programs. This article discusses the rationale of tapping wild and untapped genetic resources of soybean, gene pools, soybean genetic resources conserved ex‐situ and its utilisation status, genetic base of commercial soybean cultivars, identified novel genes and genomic regions in wild genetic resources, pre‐breeding efforts in India and strategies for incorporating desirable traits in the elite cultivated gene pool for fulfilling the requirements of farmers and other end‐users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), typically comprising 5–30 amino acids, can deliver impermeable cargo molecules across membranes into the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. CPPs can transport a broad spectrum of molecules, including peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules. Delivery can be accomplished by covalently attaching a CPP to the target cargo or by the formation of a noncovalent complex between the CPP and cargo. CPPs penetrate cells via two distinct mechanisms: energy-dependent endocytic pathways or energy-independent direct translocation across the plasma membrane. CPPs could potentially reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, boost crop yields and resilience to extreme weather conditions, improve nutrient uptake from the soil, and enhance nutrient contents in plants. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short (typically 5–30 amino acids), cationic, amphipathic, or hydrophobic peptides that facilitate the cellular uptake of diverse cargo molecules by eukaryotic cells via direct translocation or endocytosis across the plasma membrane. CPPs can deliver a variety of bioactive cargos, including proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, and small molecules into the cell. Once inside, the delivered cargo may function in the cytosol, nucleus, or other subcellular compartments. Numerous CPPs have been used for studies and drug delivery in mammalian systems. Although CPPs have many potential uses in plant research and agriculture, the application of CPPs in plants remains limited. Here we review the structures and mechanisms of CPPs and highlight their potential applications for sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broad-spectrum disease resistance is more often conferred by atypical R genes than typical R genes. Atypical R genes are important for a holistic understanding of plant immunity. New resources and technologies facilitate the cloning, characterization, and engineering of atypical R genes. Atypical R proteins are promising candidates for trans-crop applications. Genetic resistance to plant diseases is essential for global food security. Significant progress has been achieved for plant disease-resistance (R) genes comprising nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat-containing receptors (NLRs), and membrane-localized receptor-like kinases or proteins (RLKs/RLPs), which we refer to as typical R genes. However, there is a knowledge gap in how non-receptor-type or atypical R genes contribute to plant immunity. Here, we summarize resources and technologies facilitating the study of atypical R genes, examine diverse atypical R proteins for broad-spectrum resistance, and outline potential approaches for trans-crop applications of atypical R genes. Studies of atypical R genes are important for a holistic understanding of plant immunity and the development of novel strategies in disease control and crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of photosynthetically active radiation impacts the growth and productivity of soybean in agroforestry and intercropping systems. Thus, this report explored the responses of 16 soybean cultivars submitted to shade levels in field conditions. Multi‐faceted and relative importance analyses revealed that the steam diameter and plant height are fundamental morphological markers for selecting shade‐resilient cultivars, both were high and positively correlated to yield components. Moreover, the responses to shade varied among soybean cultivars, with certain genotypes demonstrating distinct tolerance levels, which allowed also the estimative of genetic variance that revealed strong participation of genetic components in responses to shade. Multivariate and clustering analysis using steam diameter and plant height in combination with two yield components resulted in the identification of four soybean cultivars more tolerant to shade environments and two sensible. Therefore, this report provides insights into soybean cultivation under varying light conditions, provides a robust foundation for the integration of morphological and yield markers in breeding programmes focused on shade tolerance and guides future endeavours in crop improvement for optimal and sustainable yield and resilience in the climate change context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]