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A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Genotype Evaluation and Breeding".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2022) | Viewed by 13395

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Deyong Ren

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006, China
Interests: molecular genetics; crop breeding; gene cloning; genome editing; abiotic stress tolerance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Yuchun Rao

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Guest Editor

College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, Zhejiang, China
Interests: rice; gene cloning; biotic stress; abiotic stress; rice breeding

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bread is the staff of life. Ensuring food security and agricultural production is a major issue that is related to economic development and social stability. With the growth and increase of global population, climate warming, environmental pollution, and farmland degradation, global food production will have to increase by 70% by 2050 to ensure food supply. Germplasm resources are the "chips" to ensure the production of food security. The key problem concerns excavating and innovating gene and germplasm resources, and breaking through the limitation of conventional breeding by using biological frontier technology to breed accurately and efficiently. In view of the urgent problems of yield and quality, large-scale cracking of genetic code, exploring functional genes with important breeding value, and in-depth analyses of their molecular regulatory networks are of great significance to breed new varieties for rapid aggregation of excellent alleles.

It is, therefore, sound and timely to include a Special Issue in Agriculture addressing crop breeding theory and practice either using crossbreeding or gene editing. We invite those working in the crops improvement sector to submit manuscripts summarizing research results for this Special Issue.

Dr. Deyong Ren
Prof. Dr. Yuchun Rao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

molecular genetics and breeding
cell biology
genetic resource innovation
gene cloning
genome editing
abiotic stress tolerance

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 9285 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physiological Changes and Yield Components of Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Lines as a Function of Water Deficit and Recovery in the Flowering Phase

by Marcelo de Almeida Silva, Hariane Luiz Santos, Lusiane de Sousa Ferreira, Dayane Mércia Ribeiro Silva, Jania Claudia Camilo dos Santos and Fernanda Pacheco de Almeida Prado Bortolheiro

Agriculture 2023, 13(3), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13030558 - 25 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1684

Abstract

Since climate changes have caused water restrictions, safflower stands out as an alternative crop due to its adaptability to restrictive soil and climate conditions. Thus, this research aimed to evaluate the physiological and yield performance of four safflower lines (IMA 02, IMA 04, IMA 14, and IMA 21) under two water regimes [without water deficiency—around 22% soil moisture content—100% of field capacity (FC); and with water deficiency—50% of FC]. The water regimes were imposed for 30 days during the flowering phase, followed by rehydration for 20 days. Water deficiency decreased relative water content, water potential, photosynthetic pigment contents, photosynthetic performance, maximum variable and potential quantum yield of PSII, electron transport rate, and photochemical quenching. In contrast, it increased electrolyte leakage, water use efficiency, and non-photochemical quenching. The decreases in photochemical efficiency and photosynthetic performance as a function of water deficiency caused reductions in the number of capitula, 100-grain mass, and harvest index, with more significant reductions in IMA 02, which was considered susceptible to soil water changes. IMA 04, IMA 14, and IMA 21 were considered tolerant because their physiological variables and yield components were less affected by water restriction, and they also showed recovery after rehydration compared to IMA 02. Thus, these lines can be recommended for commercial use, and safflower breeding programs aiming to select superior genotypes under drought conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Genetics and Molecular Breeding of Crops)

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14 pages, 3033 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Incorporation of Two Bacterial Blight Resistance Genes into the Popular Rice Variety, Ranidhan through Marker-Assisted Breeding

by Kartik Chandra Pradhan, Soumya Ranjan Barik, Shibani Mohapatra, Deepak Kumar Nayak, Elssa Pandit, Binod Kumar Jena, Sushree Sangeeta, Abhijit Pradhan, Abhishek Samal, Jitendiya Meher, Lambodar Behera, Debabrata Panigrahi, Arup Kumar Mukherjee and Sharat Kumar Pradhan

Agriculture 2022, 12(9), 1287; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12091287 - 23 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2151

Abstract

The bacterial blight (BB) disease of rice is a major disease that reduces yield heavily in susceptible varieties. Ranidhan is a late maturing popular rice variety but shows high susceptibility to the disease. Two BB resistance genes were transferred into the variety through a marker-assisted backcross breeding approach. Tightly linked molecular markers were deployed to track the BB resistance genes in the plants carrying the target genes in each backcross generation. Foreground screening detected 17, 16 and 15 progenies to carry the 3 BB resistance genes in BC₁F₁, BC₂F₁ and BC₃F₁ generations, respectively. The selected BC₃F₁ plant was selfed and three different combinations of BB resistance genes were tracked in homozygous state in seven BC₃F₂ plants. The pyramided lines carrying three resistance genes in homozygous conditions were evaluated for BB disease resistance by inoculating with eight virulent Xoo strains. Five pyramided lines carrying two resistance gene combinations (Xa21+xa13 and Xa21+xa5) exhibited enhanced resistance against the BB pathogens. The disease resistance was in the order of Xa21+xa5 < Xa21+xa13 < xa13+xa5 gene combinations in conferring the resistance. The developed pyramided lines were similar to the recipient parent for the majority of the important agro-morphologic and grain quality traits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Genetics and Molecular Breeding of Crops)

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19 pages, 1112 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Validation of Molecular Markers Significant for Flowering Time, Plant Lodging, Stem Geometry Properties, and Raffinose Family Oligosaccharides in Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

by Magdalena Gawłowska, Lesław Lahuta, Lech Boros, Aneta Sawikowska, Pankaj Kumar, Michał Knopkiewicz, Zygmunt Kaczmarek and Wojciech Święcicki

Agriculture 2022, 12(8), 1125; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12081125 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2180

Abstract

The field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is studied as an important grain legume used in both human and animal feed. DNA markers can contribute to the rapid breeding of novel pea cultivars. This study aimed to identify such molecular markers as the number of days to the beginning of flowering, plant lodging, and stem geometry. Phenotypic measurements were recorded during the field trials. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of soluble carbohydrates (e.g., monosaccharides, sucrose, and raffinose family oligosaccharides) in the pea seeds were performed. A t-test was used to detect the significance of markers associated with each trait. Fifteen markers that were significant for thirteen traits were identified in this analysis. The same markers were identified for verbascose concentration in 2013 and 2014 and stem-wall thickness in 2014 and 2015. Our marker for the number of days to the beginning of flowering (AB141) was 4 cM from the AB64 marker, which was identified as a marker linked to days to 50% bloom. We found a negative correlation between lodging score at the end of flowering and stem diameter in the middle (2015, −0.40) of this study set of pea lines. Although similar correlations were detected in the Carneval × MP1401 population, the correlation between lodging at maturity and diameter in the middle and upper stem sections was positive. In markers validation, particularly for polygenic traits, a statistical analysis of the observed characters is an important step for a division of the trait values into a bimodal distribution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Genetics and Molecular Breeding of Crops)

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17 pages, 24375 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification and Clarification of VrCYCA1: A Key Genic Male Sterility-Related Gene in Mungbean by Multi-Omics Analysis

by Jinyang Liu, Yun Lin, Jinbin Chen, Chenchen Xue, Ranran Wu, Qiang Yan, Xin Chen and Xingxing Yuan

Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050686 - 11 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2058

Abstract

Heterosis has been utilized in crops for a long time, and although crop fertility is the basis for the utilization of heterosis, there is limited information concerning the genic male sterility (GMS) of mungbean. Therefore, based on the genic male sterile mutant, M₁, obtained by EMS mutagenesis of the Weilyu cultivar, this project used multi-omics analysis to detect the male sterile site and further identify its candidate gene, and then the mechanism of the candidate gene was discussed. As a result, one locus region (Chr5: 6,835,001–6,935,000 bp) associated with GMS was identified, and nine genes were found within the 100 Kb region. The candidate gene, VrCYCA1, around the above loci had a TATA box deletion approximately 4.7 Kb upstream of the gene, and this was evidenced by comparative genomics, transcriptome analysis, and RT-qPCR analysis. The expression level of VrCYCA1 was significantly downregulated (log₂FC = −2.06, p-value = 0.025) in the ms lines compared with the control group. Moreover, 6653 genes showed differential expression between the Weilyu lines and mutant lines as well as 165 metabolites with significant differences in their concentration levels. Among those differentially expresses genes, 226 were annotated with functional categories involved in flowering and endosperm development, and six genes had protein–protein interactions with VrCYCA1. Seven categories of metabolites and seven genes participated in the relationship between reproductive growth and vegetative growth, which might have caused the sterility of mungbean in the mutant plants. This study used multi-omics data to mine a mungbean GMS-related gene, VrCYCA1, and constructed a GMS genetic network to explore the molecular mechanism of VrCYCA1. The results lay a solid foundation for further molecular biology research and utilization in mungbean male sterility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Genetics and Molecular Breeding of Crops)

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17 pages, 2910 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genetic Effects of Indica Lineage Introgression on Amylopectin Chain Length Distribution in Japonica Milled Rice

by Juan Cui, Xue Zhao, Yuejiao Yu, Wenxing Zhang, Ximan Kong, Jian Sun and Wenfu Chen

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 472; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040472 - 27 Mar 2022

Viewed by 1624

Abstract

The fine structure of amylopectin affects rice quality; in particular, the amylopectin chain length distribution (ACLD) in milled rice differs between subspecies of Oryza sativa L. However, the correlation between ACLD and quality trait factors, and the genetic basis of ACLD phenotypic variation, are still unknown. Here, the correlations of ACLD with cooking and eating quality and with the rapid viscosity analysis (RVA) index were studied using chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs). Clear variations in ACLD were observed in introgression lines: introgression of indica segments of chromosome 3 and 7 increased the proportion of amylopectin Fa, and another segment of chromosome 3 reduced the proportion of amylopectin Fb2. A segment of chromosome 11 decreased the proportion of amylopectin Fa but increased that of Fb3. Correlation analysis with the RVA index further showed that the breakdown viscosity (BDV) was negatively correlated with the proportion of amylopectin Fb1, Fb2, and Fb3 chains, and positively correlated with Fa. Consistency viscosity (CSV) values were negatively correlated with the proportion of amylopectin Fb1, Fb2, and Fb3 chains. We thus clarified the quality trait factors determined by variation in ACLD, and provide key information for pyramiding inter-subspecific genetic superiority in molecular design breeding for rice quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Genetics and Molecular Breeding of Crops)

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Review

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21 pages, 734 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Recent Development in Technologies for Attaining Doubled Haploid Plants In Vivo

by Meisam Zargar, Tatiana Zavarykina, Sergey Voronov, Irina Pronina and Maryam Bayat

Agriculture 2022, 12(10), 1595; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101595 - 2 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2921

Abstract

Haploid plants with a doubled set of chromosomes (doubled haploid (DH)) significantly speed up the selection process by the fixation of genetic traits in each locus in the homozygous state within one generation. Doubled haploids are mainly attained by the formation of plants from the cultured gametophytic (haploid) tissues and cells in vitro, or by targeted reduction in the parent chromosome during intra- or interspecific hybridization. Since then, DH has become one of the most powerful tools to support various basic research studies, as well as applied research. This review is focused on the recent development of the production of doubled haploids in vivo and their fundamental bases. The various mechanisms and approaches responsible for the formation of haploids in vivo are discussed, particularly the induction of parthenogenesis by BBM-like proteins, the long constructed Salmon system of wheat, the usage of patatin-like phospholipases MTL/PLA1/NLD, the IG1 system, uniparental genome elimination during interspecific hybridization, and the perspective technology of centromeric histone 3 (CENH3) modification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Genetics and Molecular Breeding of Crops)

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