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Agronomy
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Application of Wild-Species Germplasm Genetic Variation in Crop Improvement
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Application of Wild-Species Germplasm Genetic Variation in Crop Improvement

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2021) | Viewed by 18279

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Soraya Leal-Bertioli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Applied Genetic Technologies and Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Interests: Plant Physiology; Plant Biotechnology; Genomics; DNA; PCR; Plant Genetics; Sequencing; Genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Crops grown today are the products of domestication and breeding from ancestral wild species. Both domestication and breeding involve a strong selection, thus creating genetic bottlenecks and reducing allele diversity. This restricted genetic diversity is a risk to global food security, especially in an era of climate change, emergence of new pests, shifts of growing areas, change in farming practices, and new market demands. The genetic diversity present in the ancestral species of crop plants and their relatives (crop wild relatives; CWRs) provides a source of alleles to increase crop resiliency and quality. However, because wild plants are agronomically unadapted, beneficial wild alleles are linked to alleles which reduce crop performance. Multiple cycles of crossing and selection are needed to break this linkage drag; the time required to produce new cultivars is a major impediment to use. Especially with the changing challenges for farming, breeders will need to draw from these reserves over generations. Germplasm banks are strategic; however, much of the genetic diversity of CWRs remains uncollected, and the destruction of their native habitats often makes collection a race with extinction. This volume will explore the contributions of CWRs to world food security, and issues surrounding their collection, exchange, and use.

Dr. Soraya Leal-Bertioli
Guest Editor

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. Agronomy 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

  • crop wild relatives
  • CWR
  • germplasm
  • wild species
  • pre-breeding
  • genebanks

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 2161 KiB  
Article
Status of the Ex Situ and In Situ Conservation of Brazilian Crop Wild Relatives of Rice, Potato, Sweet Potato, and Finger Millet: Filling the Gaps of Germplasm Collections
by Marcelo B. Medeiros, José F. M. Valls, Aluana G. Abreu, Gustavo Heiden, Suelma Ribeiro-Silva, Solange C. B. R. José, Izulmé R. I. Santos, Alexandre M. A. Passos and Marília L. Burle
Agronomy 2021, 11(4), 638; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11040638 - 26 Mar 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2504
Abstract
This study presents the status of ex situ and in situ conservation for the crop wild relatives of rice, potato, sweet potato, and finger millet in Brazil, and the subsequent germplasm collection expeditions. This research is part of a global initiative entitled “Adapting [...] Read more.
This study presents the status of ex situ and in situ conservation for the crop wild relatives of rice, potato, sweet potato, and finger millet in Brazil, and the subsequent germplasm collection expeditions. This research is part of a global initiative entitled “Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: Collecting, Protecting, and Preparing Crop Wild Relatives” supported by the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Species of the primary, secondary, and tertiary gene pools with occurrences reported in Brazil were included: Oryza alta Swallen, O. grandiglumis (Döll) Prod., O. latifolia Desv., O. glumaepatula Steud., Eleusine tristachya (Lam.) Lam., E. indica (L.) Gaertn., Solanum commersonii Dunal, S. chacoense Bitter, Ipomoea grandifolia (Dammer) O’Donell, I. ramosissima (Poir.) Choisy, I. tiliacea (Willd.) Choisy, I. triloba L., and I. cynanchifolia Meisn. The status of the ex situ and in situ conservation of each taxon was assessed using the gap analysis methodology, and the results were used to plan 16 germplasm collection expeditions. Seeds of the collected material were evaluated for viability, and the protocols for seed germination and cryopreservation were tested. The final conservation score, resulting from the gap analysis and including the average of the ex situ and in situ scores, resulted in a classification of medium priority of conservation for all the species, with the exception of I. grandifolia (high priority). The total accessions collected (174) almost doubled the total accessions of these crop wild relatives incorporated in Embrapa’s ex situ conservation system prior to 2015. In addition, accessions for practically absent species were collected for the ex situ conservation system, such as Ipomoea species, Eleusine indica, and Solanum chacoense. The methods used for dormancy breaking and low temperature conservation for the Oryza, Eleusine, and Ipomoea species were promising for the incorporation of accessions in the respective gene banks. The results show the importance of efforts to collect and conserve ex situ crop wild relatives in Brazil based on previous gap analysis. The complementarity with the in situ strategy also appears to be very promising in the country. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Wild-Species Germplasm Genetic Variation in Crop Improvement)
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19 pages, 4764 KiB  
Article
Overexpression of DUF538 from Wild Arachis Enhances Plant Resistance to Meloidogyne spp.
by Ana Claudia Guerra Araujo, Patricia Messenberg Guimaraes, Ana Paula Zotta Mota, Larissa Arrais Guimaraes, Bruna Medeiros Pereira, Christina Cleo Vinson, Ana Luíza Lacerda, Andressa Cunha Quintana Martins and Ana Cristina Miranda Brasileiro
Agronomy 2021, 11(3), 559; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11030559 - 16 Mar 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2262
Abstract
DUF538 proteins belong to a large group of uncharacterized protein families sharing the highly conserved Domain of Unknown Function (DUF). Attention has been given to DUF538 domain-containing proteins due to changes in their gene expression behavior and protein abundance during plant development and [...] Read more.
DUF538 proteins belong to a large group of uncharacterized protein families sharing the highly conserved Domain of Unknown Function (DUF). Attention has been given to DUF538 domain-containing proteins due to changes in their gene expression behavior and protein abundance during plant development and responses to stress. Putative roles attributed to DUF538 in plants under abiotic and biotic constraints include involvement in cell redox balance, chlorophyll breakdown and pectin degradation. Our previous transcriptome studies suggested that DUF538 is also involved in the resistance responses of wild Arachis species against the highly hazardous root-knot nematodes (RKNs). To clarify the role of the AsDUF538 gene from the wild peanut relative Arachis stenosperma in this interaction, we analyzed the effect of its overexpression on RKN infection in peanut and soybean hairy roots and Arabidopsis transgenic plants. AsDUF538 overexpression significantly reduced the infection in all three heterologous plant systems against their respective RKN counterparts. The distribution of AsDUF538 transcripts in RKN-infected Arachis roots and the effects of AsDUF538 overexpression on hormonal pathways and redox system in transgenic Arabidopsis were also evaluated. This is the first time that a DUF538 gene is functionally validated in transgenic plants and the earliest report on its role in plant defense against RKNs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Wild-Species Germplasm Genetic Variation in Crop Improvement)
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22 pages, 3084 KiB  
Article
Dissecting the Genotypic and Environmental Factors Underpinning the Quantitative Trait Variation in a Set of Wild Tomato (Solanum habrochaites LA1777) Introgression Lines
by Pasquale Tripodi, Antonella Vitiello, Bruno D’Onofrio, Mario Parisi and Maria Cammareri
Agronomy 2021, 11(1), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010038 - 27 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3030
Abstract
Exotic libraries have proven a powerful tool for the exploitation of wild relatives and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) detection in crop species. In early 2000, an introgression line (IL) population of the wild tomato Solanum habrochaites (SH) acc. LA1777 was developed and made [...] Read more.
Exotic libraries have proven a powerful tool for the exploitation of wild relatives and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) detection in crop species. In early 2000, an introgression line (IL) population of the wild tomato Solanum habrochaites (SH) acc. LA1777 was developed and made publicly available. Despite the potentiality of the donor parent, so far, these lines have been poorly explored for their agronomic performance and for the identification of genomic regions underlying the variation of quantitative traits (QTLs). Here, we report the evaluation of 19 morpho-agronomic and chemical traits on a set of 39 ILs grown in three consecutive field seasons with the aim to: (a) Determine the overall phenotypic performances of the studied collection, (b) estimate the influence of the genotype (G) and the year of cultivation (Y) and their interaction on the traits analyzed, (c) investigate the plasticity of the traits, and (d) identify whole-genome QTLs in the wild SH background. The ILs showed lower productivity compared to the control genotype, while no major effects were found for the morphological fruit-related traits. Instead, a general increase in the soluble solids content was observed. The combined analysis of G × Y highlighted a major effect of the genotype on trait variation, although yield-related traits were more influenced by environmental factors. In total, 75 associations for 17 traits were detected. Major QTLs increasing soluble solids, pericarp thickness, and trichome density were respectively found on chromosomes 1, 5, and 11 with a percentage variation (PV) of 24.01%, 32.49%, and 200%. Furthermore, different QTLs increasing the color intensity and fruit shape were detected. These results suggest that SH could be a potential source of favorable alleles for qualitative traits despite its inferior phenotype compared to the cultivated parent. The evaluated set of SH LA1777 ILs is a potential for novel allele discovery in wild tomatoes and for breeding purposes towards the exploitation of the available introgressions and for the pyramiding of traits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Wild-Species Germplasm Genetic Variation in Crop Improvement)
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17 pages, 2583 KiB  
Article
Development and Characterization of Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat for Improving the Resistance of Common Wheat to Leaf Rust and Heat Stress
by Hai An Truong, Hyeri Lee, Masahiro Kishii, Suk Whan Hong and Hojoung Lee
Agronomy 2021, 11(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010018 - 24 Dec 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2336
Abstract
Synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW) is a valuable resource for breeding because it possesses more desirable traits, such as better yield and abiotic and biotic stress tolerance than common wheat. In this study, our group developed a SHW line, named ‘SynDT’, which has markedly [...] Read more.
Synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW) is a valuable resource for breeding because it possesses more desirable traits, such as better yield and abiotic and biotic stress tolerance than common wheat. In this study, our group developed a SHW line, named ‘SynDT’, which has markedly better characteristics than Korean bread wheat ‘Keumkang’. The SynDT line is thermotolerant as it rapidly expresses heat shock proteins under heat stress. In addition, this line exhibits resistance to leaf rust by inducing the expression of antifungal enzymes, mainly chitinase, along with the rapid and high expression of pathogen-related genes. Moreover, it possesses the favorable traits of its parent wheat lines Triticum durum #24 and Aegilops tauschii #52. Therefore, the SynDT wheat line can be used as a breeding material for improving local common wheat cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Wild-Species Germplasm Genetic Variation in Crop Improvement)
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19 pages, 4723 KiB  
Article
Broadening the Variability for Peanut Breeding with a Wild Species-Derived Induced Allotetraploid
by Taís Suassuna, Nelson Suassuna, Kennedy Martins, Ramon Matos, Jair Heuert, David Bertioli, Soraya Leal-Bertioli and Márcio Moretzsohn
Agronomy 2020, 10(12), 1917; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121917 - 06 Dec 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2995
Abstract
The use of wild species in peanut breeding provides remarkable opportunities for introducing new traits to the peanut crop and it has increased in recent years. Here, we report the morphological and agronomic, including disease resistance, variation observed in 87 Recombinant Inbred Lines [...] Read more.
The use of wild species in peanut breeding provides remarkable opportunities for introducing new traits to the peanut crop and it has increased in recent years. Here, we report the morphological and agronomic, including disease resistance, variation observed in 87 Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) that were derived from the wild ancestors of peanut and the cultivar Runner IAC-886. These lines exhibited a wide range of variation for these traits, with transgressive segregation and novel phenotypes being observed in many lines. Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) for agronomic and resistance traits were detected. Six RILs with contrasting phenotypes for agronomic traits and moderate resistance to leaf spots were genotyped. All of the lines had, on average, 50% wild alleles, with at least one large wild segment and multiple interspersed alleles in all of the chromosomes. Genetic exchange between subgenomes was observed. On four lines, the top of Chr 05/15, which is tetrasomic AAAA in A. hypogaea, has been restored to its AABB state by the introgression of A. ipaënsis alleles. We identified lines with good agronomic traits while harboring genome composition and structure completely different from each other and from the cultivated peanut. The variation that is observed for the fruit type is also important for a better comprehension of the domestication process in peanut. This increase in genetic diversity has great potential benefits for the peanut breeding programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Wild-Species Germplasm Genetic Variation in Crop Improvement)
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11 pages, 4385 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Glycine max and Glycine soja for Resistance to Calonectria ilicicola
by Chang-Jie Jiang, Shoji Sugano, Sunao Ochi, Akito Kaga and Masao Ishimoto
Agronomy 2020, 10(6), 887; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10060887 - 22 Jun 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4473
Abstract
Breeding for resistance to soybean red crown rot (Calonectria ilicicola) has long been hampered by the lack of genetic sources of adequate levels of resistance to use as parents. Mini core collections of soybean (Glycine max) originating from Japan [...] Read more.
Breeding for resistance to soybean red crown rot (Calonectria ilicicola) has long been hampered by the lack of genetic sources of adequate levels of resistance to use as parents. Mini core collections of soybean (Glycine max) originating from Japan (79 accessions), from around the world (80 accessions), and a collection of wild soybeans (Glycine soja) consisting 54 accessions were evaluated for resistance to C. ilicicola (isolate UH2-1). In the first two sets, average disease severity scores of 4.2 ± 0.28 and 4.6 ± 0.31 on a rating scale from zero for no symptom to 5.0 for seedling death were recorded from the set from Japan and the world. No high levels of resistance were observed in these two sets. On the other hand, disease severity score of 3.8 ± 0.35 for the wild soybean accessions was somewhat lower and exhibited higher levels of resistance compared to the soybean cultivars. Three accessions in the wild soybean collection (Gs-7, Gs-9, and Gs-27) had disease severity score ≤2.5 and showed >70% reduction in fungal growth in the roots compared to soybean control cv. “Enrei”. Further analysis using 10 C. ilicicola isolates revealed that accession Gs-9 overall had a wide range of resistance to all isolates tested, with 37% to 93% reduction in fungal growth relative to the cv. Enrei. These highly resistant wild soybean lines may serve as valuable genetic resources for developing C. ilicicola-resistant soybean cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Wild-Species Germplasm Genetic Variation in Crop Improvement)
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