Search

Soil salinization is a globally prevalent abiotic environmental stress. The imbalance of ions caused by high concentrations of sodium chloride results in a 40% reduction in soybean yield. Soybean, as an important crop for soil quality improvement, necessitates the identification of salt-tolerant varieties and germplasms to effectively utilize and enhance saline-alkali land. In this study, we assessed the salt tolerance of 435 soybean varieties and germplasms during the seedling stage. Among them, Qihuang34, You2104, Hongzhudou, Pamanheidou, and Osage exhibited grade 1 salt tolerance rates surpassing other tested materials. Furthermore, Hongzhudou and Qihuang34 demonstrated higher salt tolerance during germination and emergence stages based on their elevated rates of emergence, salt tolerance index, chlorophyll content, and shoot fresh weights. Overall findings provide valuable resources for molecular breeding efforts aimed at developing salt-tolerant soybean varieties suitable for cultivation in saline-alkali soils.

Introduction: Pepper (Capsicum spp.) is a vegetable that is cultivated globally and has undergone extensive domestication, leading to a significant diversification in its agronomic traits. With the advancement of genomics in pepper and the reduction in sequencing costs, the high-throughput detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and small insertions-deletions (indels) has become increasingly critical for analyzing pepper germplasms and improving breeding programs. As a result, there is a pressing need for a cost-effective, highthroughput, and versatile technique suitable for both foreground and background selection in pepper breeding. Methods: In the present study, Python-based web scraping scripts were utilized to systematically extract data from published literatures and relevant sequence databases focusing on pepper genomes. Subsequent to data extraction, SNPs and indels were meticulously identified and filtered. This process culminated in the delineation of core polymorphic sites, which were instrumental in the development of specific probes. Following this, comprehensive phenotypic and genotypic analyses were conducted on a diverse collection of 420 pepper germplasms. Concurrently, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to elucidate the genetic determinants of helical fruit shape in peppers. Results: In this study, a 45K pepper Genotyping-By-Target-Sequencing (GBTS) liquid-phase gene chip was developed on the GenoBaits platform. This chip is composed of 45,389 probes, of which 42,535 are derived from core polymorphic sites (CPS) in the background genetic landscape, while 2,854 are associated with foreground agronomic traits, spanning across 43 traits. The CPS probes are spaced at an average interval of 68 Kb. We have assessed the performance of this chip on 420 pepper germplasms, with successful capture of target DNA fragments by 45,387 probes. Furthermore, the probe capture ratio surpassed 70% in 410 of the 420 germplasms tested. Using this chip, we have efficiently genotyped 273 germplasms for spiciness levels and elucidated the genetic relationships among 410 pepper germplasms. Our results allowed for precise clustering of sister lines and C. chinense germplasms. In addition, through a GWAS for helical fruit shape, we identified three quantitative trait loci (QTLs): heli2.1, heli11.1, and heli11.2. Within the heli11.1 QTL, a gene encoding the tubulin alpha chain was identified, suggesting its potential role in the helical growth pattern of pepper fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, crossbreeding between Asian rice (O. sativa) and African rice (O. glaberrima) has become an important solution for hunger refugees and food problems in Africa by improving grain yield. O. glaberrima exhibits important traits such as stress tolerance, and genetic diversity evaluation and structural analysis of agronomic traits have been conducted. In this study, 11 yield-related agricultural traits were analyzed in 45 lines of O. sativa and 28 lines of O. glaberrima under Korean climatic conditions. Through cluster analysis using the investigated yield-related traits, O. sativa and O. glaberrima were grouped into clusters by characterizing the remaining traits, except for the number of spikelets, grain width, and grain thickness. The number of spikelets was highly influenced by the environment and had the greatest variation, whereas grain width showed the least variation. In addition, rice yield components are quantitative traits, and in breeding to improve yield, it is important to analyze the interaction of agricultural traits and the influence of the environment to maintain an optimal balance and improve plant potential. Although O. sativa was found to exhibit different agricultural traits depending on its ecotype, it still belonged to the same group when clustered. The results of this study provide basic information on the yield-related agronomic characteristics of O. sativa and O. glaberrima under Korean climatic conditions, suggesting that O. glaberrima can be used as breeding material to diversify Korean rice genetic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Flowering time is of great agricultural importance and the timing and extent of flowering usually determines yield and availability of flowers, fruits and seeds. Identification of genes determining flowering has important practical applications for tomato breeding. Here we demonstrate the roles of the FANTASTIC FOUR (FAF) gene family in regulating tomato flowering time. In this plant‐specific gene family, SlFAF1/2a shows a constitutive expression pattern during the transition of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) from vegetative to reproductive growth and significantly influences flowering time. Overexpressing SlFAF1/2a causes earlier flowering compared with the transformations of other genes in the FAF family. SlFAF1/2c also positively regulates tomato flowering, although to a lesser extent. The other members of the SlFAF gene family, SlFAF1/2b, SlFAF3/4a and SlFAF3/4b, are negative regulators of tomato flowering and faf1/2b, faf3/4a and faf3/4b single mutants all display early flowering. We generated a series of early flowering mutants using the CRISPR/Cas9 editing system, and the faf1/2b faf3/4a faf3/4b triple mutant flowering earliest compared with other mutants. More importantly, these mutants show no adverse effect on yield. Our results have uncovered the role of the FAF gene family in regulating tomato flowering time and generated early flowering germplasms for molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton is an important cash crop and natural raw material for the textile industry. Cultivar is a major restrictive factor for cotton production, which depends on the identification, evaluation, and effective utilization of elite germplasms. In view of this, 141 modern cotton cultivars derived from the three major cotton-growing regions (the Yellow River valley, the Yangtze River valley, and the Northwest Inland cotton-growing areas) in China were used in the present study, and four yield and five fiber quality traits of these varieties were evaluated under different environments. The genetic diversity of these varieties based on KASP and SSR markers was also analyzed. The results showed that the varieties from the Yangtze River valley presented the highest lint percentage and lint index, the varieties from the Yellow River valley displayed the highest boll weight and seed index, while the varieties from the Northwest Inland cotton-growing areas possessed the best fiber quality traits. The analysis of variance showed that the yield and fiber quality traits were significant different among cotton varieties. The coefficient of variation (CV) of lint index was the largest (10.09%) in the yield traits while the CV of fiber strength was the largest (8.81%) in the fiber quality traits, indicating a great improvement potential in these two traits. The clustering result based on phenotypic traits showed that 141 varieties were divided into two groups with different yield and fiber quality traits. Meanwhile, a total of 74 polymorphic binds were amplified by 30 pairs of SSR primers, and 32 KASP markers were clearly classified among the tested varieties. Based on SSR and KASP markers, the average value of genetic similarity coefficient was 0.62, indicating a high genetic diversity in these cotton varieties. The clustering results based on molecular markers showed that 141 varieties were also divided into two groups, which indicating some consistent with the cluster result based on phenotypic traits. Moreover, three elite germplasms with high boll weight (> 7 g), 24 elite germplasms with high lint percentage (> 42%), six elite germplasms with high fiber length and strength (> 30), and two germplasms with multiple elite yield and fiber quality traits were screened out, which provides elite parents for developing new cotton varieties and theoretical basis for the further utilization of these germplasms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psidium guajava L. is a small evergreen tree known for its magnificent medicinal and nutritional value. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional profile and in vitro pharmacological potentialities of the different leaf extracts of four cultivars of Psidium guajava namely Surka chitti, Allahabad safeda, Karela, and Lucknow-49. The standard procedures of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) were followed to carry out the nutritional analysis and all of the cultivars recorded the presence of elements at a nominal range. The highest presence of phenols (125.77 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (92.38 mg QE/g) in the methanolic leaf extract of the Karela cultivar was recorded. A wide range of minerals such as sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and boron were recorded with a higher percentage in the Karela cultivar of Psidium guajava. In the enzyme inhibitory assays, Allahabad safeda showed potential inhibition with an IC50 of 113.31 ± 1.07, 98.2 ± 0.66 and 95.73 ± 0.39 μg/mL in α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and tyrosinase inhibition assays, respectively. The strong antioxidant effect was established by Lucknow-49 (IC50 of 74.43 ± 1.86 μg/mL) and Allahabad safeda (IC50 of 78.93 ± 0.46 μg/mL) for ABTS and DPPH assays, respectively. The ethyl acetate and methanolic leaf extracts of the Allahabad safeda cultivar showed better inhibition against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with an MIC of 14.84 and 28.69 µg/mL, respectively. A decent mean zone of inhibition was recorded in methanolic leaf extract that ranged from 21–25 mm in diameter against the tested bacterial strains (Proteus vulgaris, Bacillus subtilis, and P. aeruginosa). This is the first scientific report on the comparative and comprehensive analysis of indigenous guava cultivars to evidently shortlist the elite cultivars with enriched dietary nutrition and biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 126 Chinese sugar beet breeding lines were evaluated for their fertility gene composition using molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS). The identification of male-sterile cytoplasm (S) and normal cytoplasm (N) using the TR1 locus and the composition of the Rf1 and Rf2 fertility genes were analyzed using the molecular markers s17 and o7. N and S cytoplasm were distinguished by the variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) amplification and showed that 25.4% of the lines displayed N cytoplasm, 33.33% S cytoplasm, and the remaining 41.27% mixed cytoplasm. Results using the s17 showed the presence of 1800 bp bands in 77 lines while enzymatic digestion showed that 72 lines displayed pattern 5/5, one line displayed pattern 4/4, and seven lines displayed pattern 4/5, with the remaining bands all being mixed. Analysis using the o7 identified four lines with 2600 bp bands, 25 lines with 1400 bp bands, and 85 lines with mixed bands. No maintainer lines were discovered in the materials, and the majority of the materials displayed mixed genotypes to varying degrees, shown by a comprehensive analysis of cytoplasmic and nuclear fertility-related genetic markers. These findings indicated the presence of numerous non-O-type lines among the sugar beet lines in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences is the property of Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Polygonatum cyrtonema (P. cyrtonema) is a valuable rhizome-propagating traditional Chinese medical herb. Polysaccharides (PCPs) are the major bioactive constituents in P. cyrtonema. However, the molecular basis of PCP biosynthesis in P. cyrtonema remains unknown. In this study, we measured the PCP contents of 11 wild P. cyrtonema germplasms. The results showed that PCP content was the highest in Lishui Qingyuan (LSQY, 11.84%) and the lowest in Hangzhou Lin'an (HZLA, 7.18%). We next analyzed the transcriptome profiles of LSQY and HZLA. Through a qRT-PCR analysis of five differential expression genes from the PCP biosynthesis pathway, phosphomannomutase, UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (galE), and GDP-mannose 4,6-dehydratase were determined as the key enzymes. A protein of a key gene, galE1, was localized in the chloroplast. The PCP content in the transiently overexpressed galE1 tobacco leaves was higher than in the wild type. Moreover, luciferase and Y1H assays indicated that PcWRKY31 and PcWRKY34 could activate galE1 by binding to its promoter. Our research uncovers the novel regulatory mechanism of PCP biosynthesis in P. cyrtonema and is critical to molecular-assisted breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cucurbita moschata, commonly known as winter squash, tropical squash, and calabaza, is native to Central America. This tropical squash thrives in tropical and subtropical climates, including parts of the southeastern U.S. and is very popular among people of Hispanic and West Indian heritage. Development of calabaza cultivars that meet consumer acceptability is a major goal in breeding programs. The current study aims to determine and compare the quality parameters of novel calabaza germplasm lines with that of commercially available cultivars of calabaza (La Estrella and Soler) and butternut squash (Whatman Butternut). All cultivars ranged greatly in quality parameters, with the most promising germplasms highlighted within the study including UFTP 8 and UFTP 24. The basis of this ranking was dependent on these germplasm lines' desirable attributes, including their color saturation (chroma (>80) (using the CIELAB scale)), °Brix (11.6 and 10.7 respectively), yeast fermentable extract (>67%), and firmness/hardness, (>3600). These findings show the potential to enhance consumer preferences for calabaza through breeding and provides a basis for commercial release of the superior germplasm identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide a theoretical and practical foundation for the genetic analysis of Apocynum species, SSRs were identified based on the transcriptomic data of A.hendersonii leaves. A total of 50,957 unigenes containing 5 660 SSR motifs with an average of 1 SSR locus per 9.09 Kb were identified. The dinucleotide repeat motifs were the most prevalent, having 48.23% of the total repeat, with the dominant repeats being AG/CT (1,703) followed by A/T (1,222). Furthermore, the results of genetic relationship analsyis based on the allele polymorphism of the selected SSR primer showed that A. hendersonii and A.venetum grouped into various clades, and those from different regions clusted into different subgroups.These identified SSR markers may provide a foundation for genetic identification, diversity analysis and marker-assisted genetic breeding in Apocynum species.

Susceptibility of three grains types namely brown rice, white rice and wheat was evaluated against Rhyzopertha dominica F. (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), Trogoderma granarium E. (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) and Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in terms of percent weight loss and survival of these pests under laboratory conditions. Six 4 g samples of three types of grains were weighed and placed in open plastic jars. For T. castaneum wheat flour was used instead of wheat grains. Fifteen adults of R. dominica and T. castaneum and 15 larvae for T. granarium were released separately into every six replicates for three different experiments in randomized complete block design. After 30 d, maximum percentage of weight loss by R. dominica was in wheat grains followed by in white rice and the minimum percent weight loss was in brown rice. T. granarium caused maximum percent weight loss in white rice followed by in wheat and minimum percent weight loss was in brown rice. T. castaneum caused maximum percent weight loss in wheat flour followed by its weight loss in white rice and minimum percent weight loss was in brown rice. Maximum survival percentage of all three species was recorded in grain hosts where these caused maximum percent weight loss. This study also investigated a common physico-morphic trait in these grains potentially causing resistance or susceptibility against these pests. Study of hardness revealed hardness was maximum in brown rice followed by in wheat and minimum was in white rice. Hardness was also elaborated through particle size distribution after grinding of grains. Correlation results between hardness and percent weight loss and survival of these pests revealed hardness in grains was negatively correlated with percent weight loss and population survival for these pests. This study concludes hardness an important factor which caused resistance in brown rice compared with other two grain types against these pests and therefore this study pinpoints the importance of this trait for use in developing grain types for integrated pest management of storage insect pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psidium guajava L. is a small evergreen tree known for its magnificent medicinal and nutritional value. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional profile and in vitro pharmacological potentialities of the different leaf extracts of four cultivars of Psidium guajava namely Surka chitti, Allahabad safeda, Karela, and Lucknow-49. The standard procedures of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) were followed to carry out the nutritional analysis and all of the cultivars recorded the presence of elements at a nominal range. The highest presence of phenols (125.77 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (92.38 mg QE/g) in the methanolic leaf extract of the Karela cultivar was recorded. A wide range of minerals such as sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and boron were recorded with a higher percentage in the Karela cultivar of Psidium guajava. In the enzyme inhibitory assays, Allahabad safeda showed potential inhibition with an IC50 of 113.31 ± 1.07, 98.2 ± 0.66 and 95.73 ± 0.39 μg/mL in α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and tyrosinase inhibition assays, respectively. The strong antioxidant effect was established by Lucknow-49 (IC50 of 74.43 ± 1.86 μg/mL) and Allahabad safeda (IC50 of 78.93 ± 0.46 μg/mL) for ABTS and DPPH assays, respectively. The ethyl acetate and methanolic leaf extracts of the Allahabad safeda cultivar showed better inhibition against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with an MIC of 14.84 and 28.69 µg/mL, respectively. A decent mean zone of inhibition was recorded in methanolic leaf extract that ranged from 21–25 mm in diameter against the tested bacterial strains (Proteus vulgaris, Bacillus subtilis, and P. aeruginosa). This is the first scientific report on the comparative and comprehensive analysis of indigenous guava cultivars to evidently shortlist the elite cultivars with enriched dietary nutrition and biological activities.

As a globally popular leafy vegetable and a representative plant of the Asteraceae family, lettuce has great economic and academic significance. In the last decade, high-throughput sequencing, phenotyping, and other multi-omics data in lettuce have accumulated on a large scale, thus increasing the demand for an integrative lettuce database. Here, we report the establishment of a comprehensive lettuce database, LettuceGDB (https://www.lettucegdb.com/). As an omics data hub, the current LettuceGDB includes two reference genomes with detailed annotations; re-sequencing data from over 1000 lettuce varieties; a collection of more than 1300 worldwide germplasms and millions of accompanying phenotypic records obtained with manual and cutting-edge phenomics technologies; re-analyses of 256 RNA sequencing datasets; a complete miRNAome; extensive metabolite information for representative varieties and wild relatives; epigenetic data on the genome-wide chromatin accessibility landscape; and various lettuce research papers published in the last decade. Five hierarchically accessible functions (Genome, Genotype, Germplasm, Phenotype, and O-Omics) have been developed with a user-friendly interface to enable convenient data access. Eight built-in tools (Assembly Converter, Search Gene, BLAST, JBrowse, Primer Design, Gene Annotation, Tissue Expression, Literature, and Data) are available for data downloading and browsing, functional gene exploration, and experimental practice. A community forum is also available for information sharing, and a summary of current research progress on different aspects of lettuce is included. We believe that LettuceGDB can be a comprehensive functional database amenable to data mining and database-driven exploration, useful for both scientific research and lettuce breeding.

Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most important food crops in the world with the greatest global production, and contributes to satiating the demands for human food, animal feed, and biofuels. With population growth and deteriorating environment, efficient and innovative breeding strategies to develop maize varieties with high yield and stress resistance are urgently needed to augment global food security and sustainable agriculture. CRISPR-Cas-mediated genome-editing technology (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas (CRISPR-associated)) has emerged as an effective and powerful tool for plant science and crop improvement, and is likely to accelerate crop breeding in ways dissimilar to crossbreeding and transgenic technologies. In this review, we summarize the current applications and prospects of CRISPR-Cas technology in maize gene-function studies and the generation of new germplasm for increased yield, specialty corns, plant architecture, stress response, haploid induction, and male sterility. Optimization of gene editing and genetic transformation systems for maize is also briefly reviewed. Lastly, the challenges and new opportunities that arise with the use of the CRISPR-Cas technology for maize genetic improvement are discussed.

The disease caused by soybean cyst nematode (soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines, SCN) is a worldwide soybean disease. The internationally used race identification models including Riggs model and Hg type for differentiate soybean cyst nematode population could not effectively distinguish the highly virulent race such as race 4, X12 population, and synthesized nematode population LY1. This study provides a simple identification method for distinguishing the three highly virulent population of the soybean cyst nematode, which would be greatly contribute to SCN research. This method included the following steps: First, we used the susceptible varieties and raised enough cysts in the soil infected highly virulent population of SCN for inoculation. Then, soybean varieties Xingxianhuipizhi (ZDD2315) and PI567516C were selected as differential hosts, and Lee was used as susceptible control for inoculation. Both ZDD2315 and PI567516C was sensitive in the inoculating reaction, indicating that the soil was infected by X12 population. If ZDD2315 was resistance while PI567516C were susceptible to the disease, indicating the soil was infected by race 4. If PI567516C was resistance to disease, it revealed that the soil was infected by LY1 population. These results indicated that the three highly virulent population including race 4, X12 population, and synthesized LY1 population could be effectively distinguished depending on the reaction of SCN on germplasms of ZDD2315 and PI567516C from China. In conclusion, these results of this study are of great significance for screening resistance germplasms, investigating the race distribution of SCN, and studying the pathogenic genes of SCN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 28 traits enabled an assessment of the genetic variability of twenty-four guava genotypes. Many of these traits have significantly important and use for improvement programme in terms of fruit quality and yield. The TSS of fruit ranged from 8.57 oB (China genotype) to12.19 oB (Arka Kiran) and seed number/fruit from 109.58 (Taiwan) to 303.67 (China genotype). Correlation studies revealed a strong positive correlation among quantitative traits related to fruit yield and quality, whereas some negative correlation between qualitative traits. Principal component analysis showed that the first three components with Eigen values were able to explain more than 76.99% of the total variation. PC1, PC2 and PC3 accounted for 41.15%, 24.74% and 11.10%, respectively. Cluster analysis distinguished all the genotypes into three clusters/groups. The PCA and clustering analysis indicated a higher level of diversity in guava genotypes. The local cultivars, viz., Baruipur Local, Khaja and Mohammad Khaja genotypes and improved cultivars like Arka Kiran and Philippines were identified with desirable fruit quality traits useful for commercialization and crop improvement programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Biochemical markers such as protein are very important to determine genetic diversity among plant species in a given population which in turn is very important for breeders and farmers as they can then easily select the most appropriate variety to grow in a given locality. In this connection, the present study is aimed to evaluate genetic diversity in Acacia modesta germplasm through Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) technique. About 40 genotypes were subjected to SDS-PAGE analysis where a total of 12 polypeptide bands were observed in electrophoretogram. Out of which 16.67% were monomorphic while the remaining 83.33% were polymorphic. Variation found in B-2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, were 20, 22.50, 32.50, 10, 2.50, 22.50, 15, 5, 2.50 and 75% respectively. Locus contribution toward genetic disagreement was 83.33%. Cluster analysis sorted all the genotypes into 9 clusters. The genotypes in one cluster were identical regarding protein profiling and showed less intra-specific genetic variation whereas differences were find from other genotypes.

Polygonatum cyrtonema (P. cyrtonema) is a valuable rhizome-propagating traditional Chinese medical herb. Polysaccharides (PCPs) are the major bioactive constituents in P. cyrtonema. However, the molecular basis of PCP biosynthesis in P. cyrtonema remains unknown. In this study, we measured the PCP contents of 11 wild P. cyrtonema germplasms. The results showed that PCP content was the highest in Lishui Qingyuan (LSQY, 11.84%) and the lowest in Hangzhou Lin’an (HZLA, 7.18%). We next analyzed the transcriptome profiles of LSQY and HZLA. Through a qRT-PCR analysis of five differential expression genes from the PCP biosynthesis pathway, phosphomannomutase, UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (galE), and GDP-mannose 4,6-dehydratase were determined as the key enzymes. A protein of a key gene, galE1, was localized in the chloroplast. The PCP content in the transiently overexpressed galE1 tobacco leaves was higher than in the wild type. Moreover, luciferase and Y1H assays indicated that PcWRKY31 and PcWRKY34 could activate galE1 by binding to its promoter. Our research uncovers the novel regulatory mechanism of PCP biosynthesis in P. cyrtonema and is critical to molecular-assisted breeding.

Cucurbita moschata, commonly known as winter squash, tropical squash, and calabaza, is native to Central America. This tropical squash thrives in tropical and subtropical climates, including parts of the southeastern U.S. and is very popular among people of Hispanic and West Indian heritage. Development of calabaza cultivars that meet consumer acceptability is a major goal in breeding programs. The current study aims to determine and compare the quality parameters of novel calabaza germplasm lines with that of commercially available cultivars of calabaza (La Estrella and Soler) and butternut squash (Whatman Butternut). All cultivars ranged greatly in quality parameters, with the most promising germplasms highlighted within the study including UFTP 8 and UFTP 24. The basis of this ranking was dependent on these germplasm lines’ desirable attributes, including their color saturation (chroma (>80) (using the CIELAB scale)), °Brix (11.6 and 10.7 respectively), yeast fermentable extract (>67%), and firmness/hardness, (>3600). These findings show the potential to enhance consumer preferences for calabaza through breeding and provides a basis for commercial release of the superior germplasm identified.

Bacterial blight (BB) has caused significant reductions in yield and quality of rice. The use of genetically resistant cultivars has proven to be one of the most effective methods used to address this problem. This study screened a total of 333 Thai lowland indigenous rice germplasms against four Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) isolates under greenhouse conditions in the rainy and dry seasons of 2017. The ten varieties demonstrating the greatest BB resistance in the lower five centimeters of the lesion lengths in both experiment years were further investigated and validated for their agronomic performances in field conditions at the Udon Thani Rice Research Center in 2018. Our findings revealed that of the ten BB resistant lowland rice varieties, five varieties; LLR023, LLR134, LLR137, LLR205 and LLR207, exhibited high performances of agronomic traits in field conditions; as found in the plant height, tiller number, panicle number, panicle length, seeds per panicle, grain yield and harvest index when compared with the KDML105 check varieties. These five selected rice varieties may further serve as new genetic resources for future BB resistance and agronomic trait improvement programs.

Introduction: Pepper ( Capsicum spp.) is a vegetable that is cultivated globally and has undergone extensive domestication, leading to a significant diversification in its agronomic traits. With the advancement of genomics in pepper and the reduction in sequencing costs, the high-throughput detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and small insertions-deletions (indels) has become increasingly critical for analyzing pepper germplasms and improving breeding programs. As a result, there is a pressing need for a cost-effective, high-throughput, and versatile technique suitable for both foreground and background selection in pepper breeding., Methods: In the present study, Python-based web scraping scripts were utilized to systematically extract data from published literatures and relevant sequence databases focusing on pepper genomes. Subsequent to data extraction, SNPs and indels were meticulously identified and filtered. This process culminated in the delineation of core polymorphic sites, which were instrumental in the development of specific probes. Following this, comprehensive phenotypic and genotypic analyses were conducted on a diverse collection of 420 pepper germplasms. Concurrently, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to elucidate the genetic determinants of helical fruit shape in peppers., Results: In this study, a 45K pepper Genotyping-By-Target-Sequencing (GBTS) liquid-phase gene chip was developed on the GenoBaits platform. This chip is composed of 45,389 probes, of which 42,535 are derived from core polymorphic sites (CPS) in the background genetic landscape, while 2,854 are associated with foreground agronomic traits, spanning across 43 traits. The CPS probes are spaced at an average interval of 68 Kb. We have assessed the performance of this chip on 420 pepper germplasms, with successful capture of target DNA fragments by 45,387 probes. Furthermore, the probe capture ratio surpassed 70% in 410 of the 420 germplasms tested. Using this chip, we have efficiently genotyped 273 germplasms for spiciness levels and elucidated the genetic relationships among 410 pepper germplasms. Our results allowed for precise clustering of sister lines and C. chinense germplasms. In addition, through a GWAS for helical fruit shape, we identified three quantitative trait loci (QTLs): heli2.1, heli11.1, and heli11.2. Within the heli11.1 QTL, a gene encoding the tubulin alpha chain was identified, suggesting its potential role in the helical growth pattern of pepper fruits., Discussion: In summary, the 45K pepper GBTS liquid-phase gene chip offers robust detection of polymorphic sites and is a promising tool for advancing research into pepper germplasm and the breeding of new pepper varieties., Competing Interests: Authors JL and DK were employed by Beijing Bona Oriental Agricultural Technology Development Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Jia, Li, Kang, Li, Ma, Cheng, Shen and Sun.)

Background: Winter freezing temperature impacts alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) persistence and seasonal yield and can lead to the death of the plant. Understanding the genetic mechanisms of alfalfa freezing tolerance (FT) using high-throughput phenotyping and genotyping is crucial to select suitable germplasm and develop winter-hardy cultivars. Several clones of an alfalfa F1 mapping population (3010 x CW 1010) were tested for FT using a cold chamber. The population was genotyped with SNP markers identified using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and the quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with FT were mapped on the parent-specific linkage maps. The ultimate goal is to develop non-dormant and winter-hardy alfalfa cultivars that can produce extended growth in the areas where winters are often mild. Results: Alfalfa FT screening method optimized in this experiment comprises three major steps: clone preparation, acclimation, and freezing test. Twenty clones of each genotype were tested, where 10 samples were treated with freezing temperature, and 10 were used as controls. A moderate positive correlation (r ~ 0.36, P < 0.01) was observed between indoor FT and field-based winter hardiness (WH), suggesting that the indoor FT test is a useful indirect selection method for winter hardiness of alfalfa germplasm. We detected a total of 20 QTL associated with four traits; nine for visual rating-based FT, five for percentage survival (PS), four for treated to control regrowth ratio (RR), and two for treated to control biomass ratio (BR). Some QTL positions overlapped with WH QTL reported previously, suggesting a genetic relationship between FT and WH. Some favorable QTL from the winter-hardy parent (3010) were from the potential genic region for a cold tolerance gene CBF. The BLAST alignment of a CBF sequence of M. truncatula, a close relative of alfalfa, against the alfalfa reference showed that the gene's ortholog resides around 75 Mb on chromosome 6. Conclusions: The indoor freezing tolerance selection method reported is useful for alfalfa breeders to accelerate breeding cycles through indirect selection. The QTL and associated markers add to the genomic resources for the research community and can be used in marker-assisted selection (MAS) for alfalfa cold tolerance improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occurrence of pale potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida (Stone) Behrens, was first recorded in Japan in 2015. Among several control measures, cultivation of resistant potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) varieties is the most effective in cost and environmental impact. As no G. pallida-resistant varieties have yet been developed in Japan, great emphasis is being placed on screening of germplasm possessing the resistance and development of the resistant varieties. In this study, we first improved previously reported DNA markers linked to the G. pallida resistance loci (GpaIVsadg and Gpa5) and then used these to screen more than 1,000 germplasms to select several candidate germplasms with resistance. We performed inoculation testing on the selected candidates and identified several resistant germplasms to the Japanese G. pallida population. Furthermore, we developed a simultaneous detection method combining three DNA markers linked to G. pallida and Globodera rostochiensis (Wollenweber) Behrens resistance loci. We validated the ability of C237-I marker to select resistant allele of GpaIVsadg and predict the presence of resistance in a Japanese breeding population. Resistant germplasms identified in this study could potentially be used to develop G. pallida-resistant varieties. The marker evaluation methods developed in this study will contribute to the efficient development of resistant varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of twenty two germplasm lines of Vigna spp. were subjected to agroinoculation to confirm their level resistance/susceptibility against Mungbean Yellow Mosaic Virus (MYMV) using Agrobacterium construct of MYMV strain VA 239. The results showed that twelve mungbean and one urdbean germplasms were found to be highly susceptible (HS) and the rest from both mungbean and urdbean showed susceptible (S) to strain VA 239. One rice bean germplasm (TNAU Yellow) showed complete resistance. The accumulation of the viral genome in the host was confirmed by PCR amplification by using gene-specific primer. The screening results concluded that the resistant germplasm can be utilized as a donor in disease resistance breeding programme for generating MYMV resistant progenies in future.

The multilocular trait is generally considered as a desirable agricultural trait for the high‐yield breeding of Brassica crops and has attracted considerable attention. The siliques of multilocular plants contain more chambers and seeds than those of bilocular rapeseed varieties and, thus, have a higher yield. Furthermore, multilocular plants are precious germplasm resources for the breeding of Brassica crops. In this article, we provide a summary of researches regarding the multilocular trait in rapeseed, including its natural germplasms, silique morphology, genetic models, and regulatory mechanisms. The study will highlight the potential of multilocular rapeseed for high‐yield breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several purple-leaf tea has been utilized around the world. Flavonoids accumulation is one of the reasons why purple-leaf tea has unique pharmacological value and flavor. Although abundant researches have focused on identification the key genes associated with flavonoids biosynthesis in purple-leaf tea cultivars, However, the accumulation pattern of flavonoids in purple-leaf tea is still worth investigation. Here, a group of local purple-leaf tea varieties (‘Baitangziyacha’, BTZY), which are derived from the natural mutant of green-leaf tea varieties (‘Baitangshancha’, BTSC), were found in China. To evaluate the available value of purple-leaf tea varieties, 11 ‘BTZY’ and 9 ‘BTSC’ varieties were used to analyze the accumulation of flavonoids by widely targeted metabolomic analyses. The results showed that 259 secondary metabolites were characterized, of which 250 metabolites were flavonoids. Principal component analysis (PCA) analysis indicated ‘BTZY’ and ‘BTSC’ varieties were not completely classified may be due to differences in the accumulation of a few metabolites. Furthermore, these results found that 6 types of anthocyanins 5 types of flavonols were significantly up-regulated in purple-leaf varieties. These metabolites potentially contributed to the unique color and flavor of purple-leaf tea. Our findings will be useful for the further breeding and processing of local purple-leaf tea varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Tea Science is the property of Journal of Tea Science Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In order to screen the jute germplasm with high adsorption ability for heavy metal, 36 cultivated jute germplasms were used as research objects. The dry jute leaves were pulverized, and their removal performance for heavy metal ions Cu（Ⅱ）, Pb（Ⅱ）, Cd（Ⅱ）, and Cr（Ⅵ）in water was measured. The results showed that there was a significant difference in removal efficiency of the same heavy metal by dry leaves from different jute germplasm, and the removal efficiency of the same jute germplasm dry leaves on different types of heavy metals, was also significantly different. The selective adsorption of heavy metal cations by jute leaves was Cu（Ⅱ）

Bacterial blight (BB) has caused significant reductions in yield and quality of rice. The use of genetically resistant cultivars has proven to be one of the most effective methods used to address this problem. This study screened a total of 333 Thai lowland indigenous rice germplasms against four Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) isolates under greenhouse conditions in the rainy and dry seasons of 2017. The ten varieties demonstrating the greatest BB resistance in the lower five centimeters of the lesion lengths in both experiment years were further investigated and validated for their agronomic performances in field conditions at the Udon Thani Rice Research Center in 2018. Our findings revealed that of the ten BB resistant lowland rice varieties, five varieties; LLR023, LLR134, LLR137, LLR205 and LLR207, exhibited high performances of agronomic traits in field conditions; as found in the plant height, tiller number, panicle number, panicle length, seeds per panicle, grain yield and harvest index when compared with the KDML105 check varieties. These five selected rice varieties may further serve as new genetic resources for future BB resistance and agronomic trait improvement programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prairie grass (Bromus catharticus Vahl) is an important grass species that could be used in the production systems of certified seed and high-quality forage for grazing ruminants. In the present research, a sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) marker was employed to detect the genetic variability and structure of 80 prairie grass accessions from all over the world. Altogether, 460 reliable bands were amplified from 47 SRAP primer pairs with 345 (75%) polymorphic bands. The average values of discrimination power (DP) and polymorphic information content (PIC) were 0.753 and 0.317, respectively. Both the UPGMA clustering and PCoA analyses grouped the 80 accessions into five clusters, whereas the STRUCTURE analysis showed that 80 prairie grass accessions possessed three genetic memberships (K = 3). The results of the Mantel test showed that the distance matrix has a moderately positive correlation between the morphological and molecular data sets (r = 0.524). A poor genetic differentiation (Fst = 0.045) was discovered among the six geo-groups of accessions. Besides, the highest intragroup genetic diversity was found in the North America group (He = 0.335). This study provides a genetic structure and diversity case for prairie grass, and supplies new clues for the study and utilization of prairie grass.

Sugarcane mosaic disease is one of the most serious and prevalent viral diseases of sugarcane in China. Resistant varieties are the most economical and effective measures for controlling this disease. Resistance against Sugarcane streak mosaic virus (SCSMV) and Sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV) in 41 excellent sugarcane innovation germplasms and their parents (Saccharum officinarum L. "Ludashi" × Erianthus rockii Keng "Yundian 95-19") was checked by using a stalk inoculation and RT-PCR detection during 2015 and 2016. Results indicated that among the 41 excellent sugarcane innovation germplasms and parents, 23 were highly (Grade 1) to moderately resistant (Grade 3) to SCSMV, meanwhile, 31 were highly (Grade 1) to moderately resistant (Grade 3) to SrMV. Ten germplasms were highly resistant (Grade 1) to resistant (Grade 2) to both SCSMV and SrMV. Among these, six germplasms (Yun 09-604, Yun 09-607, Yun 09-619, Yun 09-633, Yun 09-656, Yundian 95-19) were highly resistant (Grade 1) to both SCSMV and SrMV, accounting for 13.95% of the total germplasm materials. These results may provide resistance resource available for the breeding program of sugarcane cultivars against the major vrius associated with mosaic disease in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Southern Agriculture is the property of Journal of Southern Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)