Combining Ability and Gene Action for Yield Characteristics in Novel Aromatic Cytoplasmic Male Sterile Hybrid Rice under Water-Stress Conditions
, Mahmoud A. El-Hity 4, Hend E. El-Dabaawy 1, Latifa Al Husnain 2, Talal K. Al-Ateeq 3 and Mohamed A. EL-Esawi 5Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This study evaluated the combining ability of 5 aromatic and 4 restorer lines using Line x Tester analyses for10 yield component characters under irrigated and water deficit growth conditions. The data set describes the outcomes of several crosses and is useful for the rice breeding community. There is no discussion about the drought tolerance, as far as I am concerned the authors show that there is heterosis and that some offspring shows a greater vigor and yield. Since the drought is not described, it is impossible to judge if there was drought avoidance, drought tolerance and if the offspring performed better under realistic filed conditions. What was the exact stress applied?? So far nothing was described. The correlation analysis is logical but does not add any new insights. The material and methods are really concise and do not allow to repeat the experiment!
Detailed remarks:
p3:
-What were the exact variables used to cluster the lines?
p4
-Indicate ANOVA and post hoc combination in the tables
-The authors report that all variables were significant. How to judge objectively what traits were "highly affected"?
-How to define a "good performance" what was the reference to compare to?
-Figure 2:what does * means?
Author Response
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Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments：
The writen English must be significiantly improved.
The ideea of some sentences is not clearly presented.
Some sentences are too long and they must by split in other two or three.
Author Response
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Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
The manuscript entitled: “Combining Ability and Gene Action for Yield Characters in Novel Aromatic Cytoplasmic Male Sterile Hybrid Rice under Water Stress Conditions” concerned topical scientific filed of adoption of rice cultivars to semi-arid areas. The studies on heterosis for hybrid rice generation is very promising for sustainable agriculture. Therefore, the authors' attempts to describe new varieties for agriculture are valuable and interesting. However, few questions arise:
Materials and methods
More information about water stress regimes should be written
If any measurement of water status in soil or plants hydration status during stress was noted ?
In therm of ANOVA analysis if you have two factor: (1) water status (2) type of parental lines aromatic and non aromatic. Two way ANOVA will give much more information about the interaction of water regimes with different parental lines
Results
Results are written very clear and sufficient discussion was conducted, however, result presentation could be more clear and informative as for table 1. Differences in yield traits will be more transparent if presented as bar graph or even better, box plots presenting fold change between normal and stress conditions, moreover, figure for most promising genotype can be chosen in main text and results for other genotypes can be presented in supplementary table
The same is for other tables
Figure 2, 3, 4. please described the legend
Figure 3 and 4, my suggestion is to combine both plot in one presenting differences between different water regimes
In 3.1. result sentence: Parental lines…combination showed good performance… should be : better performance
For 3.2 ANOVA results sentence that sth is highly significant is imprecise and misleading, should be just significant
Author Response
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Author Response File: Author Response.docx
