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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Breeding and Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2024) | Viewed by 11453

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nikolaos Nikoloudakis

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural Science, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol 3036, Cyprus
Interests: plant science; agricultural biotechnology; genotyping; plant biodiversity; flow cytometry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Angelos Kyratzis

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Guest Editor

Vegetable Crop Sector, Agricultural Research Institute—Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nicosia 1516, Cyprus
Interests: plant genetic resources; seeds conservation; germplasm utilization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant Genetic Resources (PGRs) have been acknowledged as the natural basis for sustainability, food security, and a pivotal pillar for food sovereignty. As a result, during the last decades, there has been an increasing interest across scholars in collecting, characterizing and utilizing cultivars, traditional varieties, landraces, as well as Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs).

Starting from Vavilov, the pioneer Russian botanist that founded germplasm collections, numerous expeditions have shaped a legacy for PGRs conservation, defining the work of plant breeders and agronomists across countries and eras. Nowadays, the value of germplasm safeguarding is well manifested, and several collections in the form of seeds, pollen, stems, DNA, etc., are preserved globally.

Conventionally, plant genetic resources characterization has been conducted by using morphological descriptors or even biochemical markers such as allozymes and isozymes. Nonetheless, such schemes often tend to be challenging; since such traits are heavily influenced by environmental or developmental factors, while also abiding by selection pressure and specific phenotypes. The advance of genetic/molecular markers has offered a platform for a more robust characterization, thus creating a revolution of novel applications, aiding germplasm classification, evaluation of genetic diversity, gene mapping, Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) identification, pleiotropic genes’ delineation, Marker Assisted Selection (MAS), backcrossing facilitation, and acceleration of breeding programs. The advent of cutting-edge high-throughput technologies has further expanded the description/exploitation of PGRs under the prism of ‘Omics’ approaches (i.e., Pangenomics, Comparative genomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics, etc.).

Currently, we stand in the epoch of applied biotechnology and a dynamic revolution regarding the means of PGRs valorization is occurring. The necessity for breeders to identify hereditable genes from CWRs, followed by numerous selection cycles for introgression, has been superseded. Likewise, crosses from the tertiary genetic pool can be archived via embryo rescue methods, as well as a fusion of protoplasts. Additionally, genetic engineering and particularly directed modification methodologies (TALEN and CRISPR/Cas genome editing) have transformed the genetic landscape, since only the information of a gene’s sequence is currently needed to create novel lineages.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a vehicle for scholars to present concepts and relevant studies (original research, opinions, perspectives, and reviews) across all aspects of the Plant Genetic Resources field (collection, characterization, and utilization) under the prism of Biotechnology.

Dr. Nikolaos Nikoloudakis
Dr. Angelos Kyratzis
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs)
cryopreservation
C-value
Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) arrays
Flow Cytometry
Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS)
genomic modification
germplasm collection
genebanks
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)
Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs)

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4064 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis of Cymbidium Species (Orchidaceae) Based on the Potential DNA Barcodes matK, rbcL, psbA-trnH, and Internal Transcribed Spacer

by Zhenming Chen, Ling Gao, Huizhong Wang and Shangguo Feng

Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 933; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14050933 - 29 Apr 2024

Viewed by 344

Abstract

Numerous Cymbidium species have significant commercial value globally due to their exotic ornamental flowers. Identifying Cymbidium species is challenging due to their similar shapes, which hinders their rational use and the conservation of germplasm resources. In the present study, firstly, four plastid loci (matK, rbcL, psbA-trnH, and atpF-atpH) and a nuclear locus (internal transcribed spacer, ITS) were initially examined to identify Cymbidium species. Secondly, we inferred the interspecific phylogeny of Cymbidium species using ITS sequences. All of these DNA regions, with the exception of atpF-atpH, could be readily amplified from Cymbidium, and the corresponding DNA sequences can be successfully obtained by sequencing. Our research demonstrated that ITS exhibited the highest intra- and interspecific divergences, the greatest barcoding gap, and the highest proportion of species identification. The phylogenetic analysis of Cymbidium species based on the ITS regions primarily corroborated the results obtained using traditional morphological methods. A comparative analysis of candidate DNA barcodes has shown that the ITS can be used not only for barcoding Cymbidium species but also for the phylogenetic analysis of Cymbidium. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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17 pages, 1001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Broad-Spectrum Resistance and Monogenic Inheritance of Bacterial Blight Resistance in an Indigenous Upland Rice Germplasm ULR207

by Tanawat Wongsa, Sompong Chankaew, Tidarat Monkham and Jirawat Sanitchon

Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 898; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14050898 - 25 Apr 2024

Viewed by 372

Abstract

Bacterial blight (BB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae (Xoo) is a serious disease of rice worldwide that can reduce crop yield and affect food insecurity. A rice resistance variety is an alternate way to solve this problem. The broad-spectrum resistance (BSR) of ULR207 is important for durable resistance to several of the Xoo isolates. However, the inheritance of this resistance gene in ULR207 must be known before it can be utilized. Thus, this study aimed to survey the BB resistance gene with reference to the BB resistance gene for identification of non-analogous or analogous genes and confirmation of a broad-spectrum resistance, to investigate the gene effect, the number of genes, and the heritability of the BB resistance gene in the ULR207 variety. Six populations of two crosses (Maled Phai × ULR207 and RD6 × ULR207), i.e., ULR207 (Donor parent), Maled Phai and RD6 (Recurrent parent), F₁, F₂, BC₁P₁, and BC₁P₂ were constructed. These materials were evaluated for BB resistance by clipping methods under greenhouse conditions using a virulence isolate of a pathogen in Thailand. The results showed that ULR207 exhibited the strongest against BB with 0.8 of BSR with low area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). Molecular screening for surveying of the BB resistance gene in ULR207 revealed a non-analogous resistance gene with resistance check varieties. The phenotype of the disease lesion length of F₂ and BC₁P₂ populations exhibited a ratio of 1:3 and 1:1 (resistant: susceptible), respectively, revealing a single recessive gene in both crosses. The scaling test parameters A, B, and C were non-significant (p < 0.01), indicating that variation in data was sufficiently explained by additive (d) and dominance (h) components. The gene action of ULR207 was controlled by additive gene action. Heritability of the two crosses, Maled Phai x ULR207 and RD6 x ULR207, exhibited high values with 0.817 and 0.716, whereas the numbers of the genes were 1.4 and 1.2, respectively. The result indicated that the breeding strategy could be employed in early generations when using ULR207 as a new source of bacterial blight resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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15 pages, 3991 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Revealing Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in Türkiye’s Wheat Germplasm Using iPBS-Retrotransposon Markers

by Fatih Demirel, Bünyamin Yıldırım, Barış Eren, Serap Demirel, Aras Türkoğlu, Kamil Haliloğlu, Kamila Nowosad, Henryk Bujak and Jan Bocianowski

Agronomy 2024, 14(2), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14020300 - 30 Jan 2024

Viewed by 978

Abstract

Investigating the genetic diversity and population structure of wheat germplasm is crucial for understanding the underlying variability essential for breeding programs and germplasm preservation. This research aims to contribute novel insights with respect to the genetic makeup and relationships among these wheat genotypes, shedding light on the diversity present within the Turkish wheat germplasm. In this study, iPBS-retrotransposon markers were employed to analyze 58 wheat genotypes, encompassing 54 landraces and 4 cultivars sourced from Türkiye. These markers serve as genetic indicators that can be used to evaluate genetic variation, build genealogical trees, and comprehend evolutionary connections. The PCR products were visualized on agarose gel, and bands were scored as present/absent. The ten iPBS primers collectively yielded an average of 16.3 alleles, generating a total of 163 polymorphic bands. The number of alleles produced by individual markers ranged from 4 (iPBS-2386) to 29 (iPBS-2219). The genetic parameters were calculated using the popgen and powermarker programs. The genetic relationships and population structures were assessed using the ntsys and structure programs. Polymorphism information content (PIC) per marker varied from 0.13 (iPBS-2390) to 0.29 (iPBS-2386), with an average value of 0.22. Shannon’s information index (I) was calculated as 1.48, while the number of effective alleles (Ne) and Nei’s genetic diversity (H) were determined to be 0.26 and 0.31, respectively. Genotype numbers 3 (Triticum dicoccum) and 10 (Triticum monococcum) exhibited the maximum genetic distance of 0.1292, signifying the highest genetic disparity. Population structure analysis revealed the segregation of genotypes into three distinct subpopulations. Notably, a substantial portion of genotypes clustered within populations correlated with the wheat species. This population structure result was consistent with the categorization of genotypes based on wheat species. The comprehensive assessment revealed noteworthy insights with respect to allele distribution, polymorphism content, and population differentiation, offering valuable implications for wheat breeding strategies and germplasm conservation efforts. In addition, the iPBS markers and wheat genotypes employed in this study hold significant potential for applications in wheat breeding research and germplasm preservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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15 pages, 2227 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimized In Vitro Restriction Digestion Protocol for Preparing Maize and Barley ddRAD-Seq Libraries

by Marta Puchta-Jasińska, Paulina Bolc, Urszula Piechota and Maja Boczkowska

Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 2956; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13122956 - 30 Nov 2023

Viewed by 979

Abstract

In recent years, high-throughput sequencing methods have become increasingly popular in molecular biology laboratories, mainly due to the relatively low cost of small, benchtop platforms, the simplicity of library preparation, and the low price per unit of information. Sequencing huge and complex genomes, such as cereal genomes, remains challenging and may not always be necessary. Therefore, several techniques have been developed to sequence a reduced representation of the genome. The most flexible and widely used of these is ddRAD-Seq, which uses a pair of restriction enzymes to generate a pool of DNA fragments. The aim of this study was to validate in vitro the efficacy of different combinations of restriction enzymes for ddRAD-Seq library construction in barley and maize. Eleven pairs of restriction enzymes were selected and tested to determine the concentrations of fragments with the expected length range and to select suitable pairs for sampling the genomes of these two cereals using ddRAD-Seq. For the selected pairs, i.e., PstI—MspI and HindIII—FspBI for barley and maize, respectively, libraries were prepared for NGS sequencing on Illumina MiSeq. Sequencing confirmed the suitability of the selected enzymes to perform ddRAD-Seq in different genotypes. The results presented can be used for extensive research on these important cereal species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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15 pages, 2990 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Agropyron mongolicum bHLH Gene AmbHLH148 Positively Involved in Transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana Adaptive Response to Drought Stress

by Xuefeng Zhang, Yanhong Ma, Bobo Fan, Fengcheng Sun, Yongqing Zhai, Yan Zhao, Lizhen Nie, Yongyu Fang, Zhuo Yu and Bingjie Qi

Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 2918; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13122918 - 27 Nov 2023

Viewed by 744

Abstract

While bHLH transcription factors have been linked to the regulation of various abiotic stressors, research on drought-related bHLH proteins and their molecular processes in Agropyron mongolicum has remained limited. In this study, a bHLH gene from A. mongolicum, designated as AmbHLH148, was successfully cloned and isolated. AmbHLH148 was exclusively localized within the nucleus. Additionally, qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated a significant upregulation of AmbHLH148 in response to drought stress. When transferred into tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana), the heterologous expression of AmbHLH148 led to enhanced drought tolerance. Under drought stress conditions, AmbHLH148-OE transgenic tobacco plants exhibited increased activities of antioxidant defense enzymes, such as SOD (superoxide dismutase), POD (peroxidase), and CAT (catalase). These enzymes efficiently mitigated the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to wild-type plants. Furthermore, AmbHLH148-OE transgenic tobacco showed elevated levels of PRO (proline) and reduced MDA (malondialdehyde) content, contributing to enhanced stability in the plant’s cell membrane system during drought stress. In summary, this study underscores that the overexpression of AmbHLH148 in transgenic tobacco acts as a positive regulator under drought stress by enhancing the plant’s antioxidant capacity. These findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms involved in bHLH transcription factors’ role in drought resistance, contributing to the discovery and utilization of drought-resistant genes in A. mongolicum for enhancing crop drought resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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19 pages, 3103 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lentil Landrace Seed Origin and Genotype Affects Rhizosphere Microbiome

by Anthoula Gleridou, Georgios Giannopoulos, Alexios N. Polidoros and Photini V. Mylona

Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 2910; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13122910 - 27 Nov 2023

Viewed by 674

Abstract

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is an essential legume crop providing healthy and nutritious food for people in low- to middle-income countries, worldwide. Lentil roots support symbiotic interactions with soil rhizobia species fostering nitrogen fixation; however, assemblage and diversity of the complete microbial rhizosphere community and the effect of seed genotype and origin remain largely unexplored. In this study we examined, via metagenomic analysis, the effects of seed origin on the rhizosphere’s communities in samples of the famous Greek lentil landrace, Eglouvis, derived from different local farmers and farming systems (including a Gene Bank sample), in comparison to a commercial variety. The landrace exhibited higher rhizosphere microbiome diversity compared to the commercial variety for all indexes. A core microbiome comprised of 158 taxa was present in all samples, while a greater number of unique bacterial taxa was recorded in the landrace samples compared to the commercial cultivar. Notably, landrace samples originated from organic farming had more than double the number of unique taxa compared to conventional counterparts. The study revealed a higher diversity of N₂ fixers and archaea, Crenarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota, in landrace samples and particularly in those derived from organic farming, underpinning the distinct recruiting efficiency of beneficial soil microbes by the landrace. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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12 pages, 1816 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Dissection of the 5S Ribosomal RNA-Intergenic Transcribed Spacers in Saccharum spp. and Tripidium spp.

by Yong-Bao Pan, James R. Todd, Lionel Lomax, Paul M. White, Jr., Sheron A. Simpson and Brian E. Scheffler

Agronomy 2023, 13(11), 2728; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13112728 - 29 Oct 2023

Viewed by 862

Abstract

Due to complex polyploid, sugarcane whole genome sequencing and characterization lag far behind other crops. PCR-based DNA markers are a viable low-cost option to evaluate genetic diversity and verify genotypes. In this study, the 5S ribosomal RNA-intergenic spacer (ITS) of 171 accessions of Saccharum spp. and Tripidium spp. was dissected, including 30 accessions of S. officinarum, 71 of S. spontaneum, 17 of S. robustum, 25 of S. barberi, 13 of S. sinense, 2 of S. edule, 5 sugarcane cultivars (Saccharum spp. hybrids), 6 of Tripidium spp. (formally Erianthus spp.), and 2 of unknown species. The ITS spacers were amplified from 10 ng of the leaf DNA of each accession with the universal PCR primers PI and PII. The PCR-amplified spacers (amplicons) were analyzed by both agarose gel and capillary electrophoresis (CE). While agarose gel electrophoresis revealed five banding patterns, a total of 42 polymorphic amplicons, ranging from 60 to 506 bp, were detected by CE. Three amplicons, 234-, 235-, and 236-bp in size, were amplified from all accessions of six Saccharum species, except for three S. robustum accessions (Molokai 5573, NG 57-054, and NG 77-235) that lacked the 236-bp amplicon. The 234-, 235-, 236-bp banding pattern found in S. spontaneum was less consistent than other Saccharum species, sometimes missing a few but not all the bands in this region. An amplicon of 61-bp was amplified only from the sugarcane hybrid varieties. The PI/PII patterns indicated diversity and subpopulations within Saccharum, which could potentially be used in Breeding. Moreover, all Saccharum-specific amplicons were mostly absent in Tripidium spp. accessions, which produced 405-bp and 406-bp amplicons, and any pattern of the exceptions indicated misidentification. The T. bengalense accession Kalimpong had a unique CE-banding pattern that was different from all other accessions. Although the clustering pattern of the 42 amplicons only discriminated at the genus level, these amplicons helped identify nine misclassified accessions. This study further demonstrates that these PI/PII amplicons could be particularly useful markers for breeders at sugarcane field stations to quickly confirm and discriminate among the accessions of germplasm collections. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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16 pages, 4235 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diversity Assessment of Winged Bean [Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.] Accessions from IITA Genebank

by Temitope Esther Olatunde Shonde, Moses Adeolu Adebayo, Ayomide Ajoke Bhadmus, Idris Ishola Adejumobi, Olaniyi A. Oyatomi, Benjamin Faloye and Michael T. Abberton

Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 2150; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13082150 - 16 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1421

Abstract

The capability of winged bean to support food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa is recurrently being affected by several constraints, which include a lack of genetic improvement. The dearth of adequate information on the level of available genetic diversity in winged bean germplasm has been a major setback in planning appropriate improvement programs. Fifteen winged bean accessions were assessed for genetic diversity using 10 quantitative traits and 10 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The accessions were laid out in RCBD with three replicates for two growing seasons. Leaf samples were obtained from 10 plants representing each accession for SSR marker genotyping. The accessions exhibited significant (p < 0.05) differences for measured traits. Broad-sense heritability estimates varied from 10.31% for days to first plant maturity to 72.67% for pod weight. Pod weight had a positive and significant correlations with pod length (0.53, p < 0.05), pod width (0.70, p < 0.01), and number of seeds per pod (0.64, p < 0.01). However, the number of seeds per pod was negatively correlated with days to maturity (−0.71, p < 0.01). Number of seeds per pod was positively predicted by pod weight, seed thickness, and days to maturity. Cluster analysis delineated the accessions into two distinct groups. Average number of alleles of 4.2, gene diversity of 0.25, and polymorphic information content of 0.22 were recorded. Analysis of molecular variance revealed intra-accession variation of 95% as compared to inter-accession variation of 5%. Two primary genetic groups were identified and only three accessions, namely TPt-6, TPt-126, and TPt-48, showed genetic purity. The results of this study provide the basis for exploiting the existing diversity for winged bean improvement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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16 pages, 2590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association Mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci for Agronomic Traits in a Winter Wheat Collection Grown in Kazakhstan

by Akerke Amalova, Minura Yessimbekova, Anarbai Ortaev, Shynbolat Rsaliyev, Simon Griffiths, Aigerym Burakhoja, Yerlan Turuspekov and Saule Abugalieva

Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 2054; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13082054 - 2 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1083

Abstract

Central Asia is an important region for the growth of winter wheat, with a cultivation area of more than 15 million hectares (ha). However, the average yield is approximately 3 tons per ha, which is significantly lower than that in developed countries. Therefore, the development of new competitive high-yielding cultivars, including those based on the application of modern molecular genetics tools, is a key priority in winter wheat breeding projects. One of these tools is the result of the identification of new genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for agronomic traits using diverse germplasm panels and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). In this work, a panel of winter wheat accessions was assembled using 115 accessions from Central Asia and 162 samples from other regions of the world. The GWAS, based on a two-year field evaluation of the collection in Kazakhstan’s southern and southeastern regions and 10,481 polymorphic SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) markers, allowed for the detection of 173 stable QTLs in nine studied agronomic traits. A survey of the published scientific literature suggests that 23 of these 173 stable QTLs have locations similar to those of previously reported QTLs, supporting the robustness of the research. In addition, 221 and 162 accessions surpassed local standards for grain yield at Kazakhstan’s southern and southeastern stations, respectively. Therefore, this study is an additional contribution to the identification of new QTLs for key agronomic traits and valuable genetic lines in winter wheat breeding projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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15 pages, 4993 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cytological Pattern Reveals Genome Downsizing in Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers along the Longitudinal Gradient

by Manqing Li, Miaoli Wang, Jingxue Zhang, Guilan Feng, Maryam Noor, Zhipeng Guo, Yuxia Guo, Yongzhuo Guan and Xuebing Yan

Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 1984; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13081984 - 27 Jul 2023

Viewed by 895

Abstract

Understanding the cytological pattern of genome size and ploidy level of the bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is vital to explore the evolution pattern and breeding of the species. To study the diversification of the cytological pattern of bermudagrass along the longitudinal gradient, the genome size and ploidy level were measured and explored with the relationship to climate factors. The corresponding ploidy level was verified through the mitotic chromosome counts method. Bermudagrass accessions ploidy level included diploids, triploid, tetraploid, pentaploid and hexaploid with a basic chromosome number of x = 9. The major ploidy level was tetraploid (45%) and aneuploidy was commonly discovered in collected regions. Mean genome size of bermudagrasswas was estimated to be 1.31 pg/1Cx along longitudinal gradient. The 1Cx values of diploid were higher than that of triploid and tetraploid, while the tetraploid had minimum basic genome size. In the current study, we observed that genome downsizing exists in tetraploids of Cynodon dactylon. Tetraploids have a wider distribution than other ploidy levels, especially in arid areas, occupying a relatively high proportion. In addition, at the same ploidy level, genome size was remarkably variable in the current study. The coefficient of determination analysis showed that longitude and mean annual rainfall were significantly correlated to genome size rather than ploidy level. This cytological study will be helpful for further genetic mechanisms and molecular characteristics to landscape adaptation of bermudagrass. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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14 pages, 2506 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Physio-Biochemical Responses and Expressional Profiling Antioxidant-Related Genes in Some Neglected Aegilops Species under Salinity Stress

by Bita Jamshidi, Alireza Pour-Aboughadareh, Jan Bocianowski, Lia Shooshtari, Henryk Bujak, Aras Türkoğlu and Kamila Nowosad

Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 1981; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13081981 - 27 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1053

Abstract

Wild common wheat species represent a significant pool of resistance genes to various environmental stresses. In this study, we examined several physiological traits and the activity of three antioxidant enzymes—namely, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)—as well as the expression patterns of their encoding genes in three neglected Aegilops species with alien genomes (including Ae. triuncialis (UUCC-genome), Ae. neglecta (UUMM-genome) and Ae. umbellulata (UU-genome)) under two control (0 mM NaCl) and salinity (250 mM NaCl) conditions. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed highly significant effects of salinity stress, accessions, and their interaction on most physio-biochemical traits, root and shoot dry biomasses, and antioxidant-related gene expression level. As a result of comparison between Aegilops species and a bread wheat cultivar (cv. Narin as a salt-tolerant reference variety), Ae. triuncialis responded well to salinity stress, maintaining both ionic homeostasis capability and biochemical ability. Moreover, transcriptional data revealed the prominence of Ae. triuncialis over other Aegilops species and salt-tolerant bread wheat [cv. Narin] in terms of the level of expression of antioxidant genes (APX, SOD, and CAT). This result was further supported by a biplot rendered based on principal component analysis (PCA), where this wild relative showed a positive association with most measured traits under salinity stress. Moreover, we speculate that this accession can be subjected to physiological and molecular studies, and that it can provide new insights into the use of the alien genomes in future wheat breeding programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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10 pages, 878 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential of Temperate, Tropical, and Sub-Tropical Exotic Maize Germplasm for Increased Gains in Yield Performance in Sub-Tropical Breeding Programs

by Rejoice Shumirai Nyoni, Cosmos Magorokosho and Casper Nyaradzai Kamutando

Agronomy 2023, 13(6), 1605; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13061605 - 14 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1334

Abstract

Exotic germplasm (i.e., germplasm beyond the breeder’s target area) has traditionally been used to broaden the genetic base of local (germplasm within the breeder’s target area) populations, but little has been done to assess gains that could be induced by this breeding practice in the sub-tropical regions of Africa. Here, eight maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines developed from pedigree crosses of exotic and local (i.e., sub-tropically adapted lines; STALs) were inter-mated together with six elite STALs, in a partial diallel mating scheme, in order to depict yield gains that can be made when exotic genes are integrated within the sub-tropical maize germplasm pool. The crossing scheme yielded a total of 91 F₁s which were evaluated together with nine commercial checks in multi-environmental trials (METs) at eight locations representing agro-ecologies in which maize is predominantly grown in Zimbabwe. Across site Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed differences in grain yield (GY) performance of the F₁s. Significant genotype x environment effects was also detected for GY (i.e., GEI; p < 0.05). F₁s of parents with a temperate background [i.e., P7 (S) x P2 (T)] showed the highest GY potential (e.g., G44; GY = 10.52 tha⁻¹). Apart from showing high GY potential, G44 also demonstrated to be stable across diverse agro-ecologies and to mature earlier than the best commercial check hybrid. In conclusion, incorporation of exotic genes, especially those from temperate regions, may improve the yielding ability and stability and can introduce earliness in the maturity of maize populations in sub-tropical regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Genetic Resources and Biotechnology)

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