Development of non-narcotic (opiumless and alkaloid-free) opium poppy, Papaver somniferum

A mutation breeding programme using gamma rays and ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) was carried out for genetic conversion of narcotic ‘opium poppy’ into non-narcotic ‘seed poppy’. Two families contained 31 latexless (opiumless) and 23 partial latex-bearing plants which were identified in the M² and confirmed in the M³ generations by the ‘ray-pluck’ method. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-densitometry of powdered capsule hulls (straw) from 22 representative plants also revealed that none of the five opium alkaloids (morphine, codeine, thebaine, papaverine and narcotine) was present in the straw. Six plants also possessed high seed yield (4.0–5.66 g/capsule vs. 3.39 g for control) and seven had a high seed oil content (50.7-53.5%). The best mutant genotype, LL-34 of the family C¹-Comb-113-2, with 5.66 g/capsule seeds containing 52.6% oil was designated as cv. ‘Sujata’. This, perhaps the world's first opiumless and alkaloid-free seed poppy cultivar, offers a cheap and permanent (fundamental) solution to the global problem of opium-linked social abuse. Simultaneously, it serves as a safe and potential food crop with protein-rich seeds and healthy unsaturated seed oil.     

Genetic Variability and Interrelationship Among Opium and its Alkaloids in Opium Poppy (Papaver Somniferum L.)

Summary The plant species Papaver somniferum L. (opium poppy) is grown commercially in several countries under secure area to produce opium and its major alkaloids i.e. morphine, codeine, thebaine, narcotine and papaverine for pharmaceutical industries. In recent years the global demand for these alkaloids and its derivatives are growing. Seeing the global demand there is urgent need to develop high opium yielding varieties integrated with high specific alkaloids. However, a breeding programme focused on developing improved varieties requires knowledge about the genetic variability for the concern traits. Therefore the present investigation was undertaken to examine phenotypic and genotypic variability, broad sense heritability, genetic advance under selection and interrelationship of traits. A total of 122 accessions were found to be highly variables for all the traits studied. Broad sense heritability ranged from 74.18% (for opium yield/plant) to 99.00% (for papaverine content). Expected genetic advance was varied between 33.91% (for morphine content) and 257.46% (for papaverine content). Genetic correlation analysis revealed that opium yield is negatively correlated with morphine and papaverine content. Among alkaloids codeine, thebaine, narcotine and papaverine showed positive correlation among themselves. The correlations among alklaloids were justified based on the biosynthetic pathway of opium alkaloids.     

DROUGHT STRESS: Soil Water Availability Alters the Inter‐ and Intra‐Cultivar Competition of Three Spring Wheat Cultivars Bred in Different Eras

Competition for water generates a classic aspect of the tragedy of the commons, the ‘race for fish’, where crops must allocate more resource to acquisition of the limiting resource than is optimal for crop yield allocation. A pot experiment using a simple additive (target–neighbour) design was conducted to examine the above‐ground and below‐ground growth of three spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars when grown alone and in mixtures at three levels of water availability. The effects of competition and water availability were compared by observing patterns of growth, biomass allocation and below‐ground outcomes. Competitive interactions were investigated among cultivars ‘HST’, ‘GY602’ and ‘LC8275’, target plant of each cultivar grown without neighbouring plants are referred to herein as control plant and one target plant of each cultivar sown surrounded either by same or another cultivar as intra‐ or inter‐cultivar competition. Competitive ability was assessed as the response ratio (lnRR) between the target plant surrounded by six other plants and the target plant in isolation. Our results showed that the cultivar ‘HST’, released over a century ago, produced a higher biomass and grain yield than the more recently released cultivars ‘LC8275’ and ‘GY602’ when grown as isolated plants with sufficient water supply. However, competition for resources from neighbours led to target plant biomass and grain yield being significantly reduced relative to controls in all three cultivars, particularly in ‘HST’. When subjected to intra‐cultivar competition, the two recently released cultivars ‘LC8275’ and ‘GY602’ had higher grain yields and water use efficiency for grain than ‘HST’ in all three water regimes. The landrace ‘HST’ had better and significantly linear relationships between biomass and biomass allocation, root length and specific root length, whereas the recent and modern cultivars had much more water‐related species‐specific changes in root morphology and allocation patterns. These results suggest that crop traits that influence competitive ability, such as biomass allocation to roots and root plasticity in response to drought have changed in modern wheat cultivars because of breeding and selection.     

Effects of Foliar Application of Elicitors on Red Clover Isoflavone Content

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) contains high concentrations of isoflavones, compounds that have received much interest lately due to their presumed benefits for human health. In this experiment we tested the possibility to induce isoflavone production in the foliage of two greenhouse‐grown red clover cultivars (‘Azur’ and ‘Start’) through the application of elicitor compounds. Foliar applications of different concentrations of acetic acid (50, 100, 250 and 500 mm ), yeast extract (1, 2, 3 and 4 g l^?1), and chitosan (125, 250, 500, and 1000 mg l^?1) were carried out on plants at the late vegetative stage, which were harvested 2 or 8 days after spraying. Concentrations of genistein, daidzein, formononetin and biochanin A were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The two cultivars differed in isoflavone concentrations, ‘Azur’ having on average 36 % higher biochanin A, formononetin and total isoflavone concentrations than ‘Start’ (P < 0.05). A cultivar × sampling date interaction (P < 0.1) reflected a 20 % increase over time in total isoflavone concentration with ‘Azur’, which was not observed with ‘Start’. Effects of elicitors were limited, contrasts indicating overall, 12, 14 and 15 % greater total isoflavone concentration in yeast extract (P < 0.1), chitosan (P < 0.05) and acetic acid (P < 0.05)‐treated plants, respectively, than in untreated control plants. There were few differences between the various elicitors and none between concentrations of each elicitor.     

Difference in Allelopathic Potential as Influenced by Root Periderm Colour of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas)

Laboratory bioassay and high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis were conducted to determine the allelopathic potentials of aqueous or methanol extracts from three different coloured sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas L. (Lam)] cultivars by plant part. The aqueous extracts applied on filter paper significantly inhibited root growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Aqueous leaf leachates at 40 g dry tissue l^?1 (g l^?1) from white sweet potato cultivar ‘Sinyulmi’ showed the highest inhibition against alfalfa, followed by yellow ‘Sinhwangmi’ and purple ‘Jami’. Alfalfa root growth was significantly inhibited by methanol extracts of the same plants as the concentration increased. Aqueous and methanol extracts from leaves showed the most inhibitory effect on alfalfa root growth followed by stems and roots. By means of HPLC analysis, leaf samples of sweet potato had the highest amount of phenolic compounds followed by stems and roots. Total content of these compounds was highest for leaf extracts (37.7 mg 100 g^?1), detected in EtOAc fraction, especially trans‐cinnamic acid (20.9 mg 100 g^?1). These results suggest that sweet potato plants are allelopathic and that their activities differ depending on plant part as well as root periderm colour.     

Seed storage protein composition of Hellenic bread wheat cultivars

The allelic diversity in seed storage proteins of 25 bread wheat cultivars grown in Hellas was investigated. In total, 15–20 seeds per cultivar were used for the determination of the alleles present at the loci coding for high‐molecular‐weight glutenin subunits and gliadins. For this purpose, acid polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for gliadins and SDS‐electrophoresis for glutenins were employed. Analysis of the electrophoretic patterns revealed that intravarietal selections obtained from the cultivar ‘Nestos’, together with the cultivar ‘Eurydice’ which was selected from the cultivar ‘Nestos’, were identical to their original cultivar and to the cultivar ‘Dodoni’. The cultivars ‘Penios’, ‘Siette Cerros E’, ‘Gorgona’ and ‘Louros’, although recorded to differ in descent, were found to be identical at all the loci examined. Finally, it was revealed that four of the Hellenic cultivars carry the wheat‐rye 1BL/1RS translocation. These data could be beneficial for a better understanding of the existing differences in quality and stress‐resistance between the cultivars examined.     

Intergeneric Transfer (Rye to Wheat) of a Gene(s) for Russian Wheat Aphid Resistance

An octoploid triticale was derived from the F, of a Russian wheat aphid-resistant rye, ‘Turkey 77’, and ‘Chinese Spring’ wheat. The alloploid was crossed to common wheat, and to ‘Imperial’ rye/‘Chinese Spring’ disomic addition lines. F₂, progeny from these crosses were tested for Russian wheat aphid resistance and C-banded. A resistance gene(s) was found to be associated with chromosome arm IRS of the ‘Turkey 77’ rye genome. A monotelosomic IRS (‘Turkey 77’) addition plant was then crossed with the wheat cultivar ‘Gamtoos’, which has the 1BL.1RS ‘Veery’ translocation. Unlike the IRS segment in ‘Gamtoos’, the ‘Turkey 77’-derived 1 RS telosome did not express the rust resistance genes Sr31 and Ar26, which could then be used as markers. From the F, a monotelosomic 1 RS addition plant that was also heterozygous for the 1BL. 1 RS translocation was selected and testerossed with an aphid-susceptible common wheat, ‘Inia 66’ Meiotic pairing between the rye arms resulted in the recovery of five euploid Russian-wheat-aphid-resistant plants. One recombinant also retained Sr31 and Lr26 and was selfed to produce translocation homozygotes.     

The use of microsatellite markers to determine the relative proportions of grain produced by cultivars and the frequency of hybridization in bread wheat mixtures

Two polymorphic microsatellite markers were selected to identify 24 bread wheat cultivars commonly grown in France and to estimate the proportions of cultivar and hybrid grains in the harvests of four 4‐cultivar mixtures (CM 1‐4) planted in equal proportions in farmers’ fields. This technology was used not only to determine whether a mixture comprises the declared cultivars, but also whether there is any contamination with other cultivars, to identify the contaminants and to estimate their proportions. At harvest, the cultivar proportions ranged from 15 to 37%. Only in the mixture CM2 (‘Malacca’, ‘Somme’, ‘Renan’ and ‘Soissons’), did the cultivars contribute equally to the harvest. The other cultivar mixtures CM1 (‘Malacca’, ‘Somme’, ‘Renan’ and ‘Camp Remy’), CM3 (‘Malacca’, ‘Texel’, ‘Apache’ and ‘Aligre’) and CM4 (‘Malacca’, ‘Somme’, ‘Apache’ and ‘Virtuose’) showed significantly unequal cultivar proportions with ‘Somme’ dominating ‘Renan’ and ‘Camp Remy’ in CM1, and ‘Apache’ dominating ‘Malacca’ and ‘Aligre’ in CM3 and ‘Malacca’ in CM4. Similar cultivar proportions were measured with gliadin and glutenin markers in the mixtures CM3 and CM4, confirming the results with microsatellites. No contamination was found. Hybrids accounted for between 1.3 and 6.3% of the grains produced in the four cultivar mixtures.     

Identification of a major blast resistance gene in the rice cultivar 'Tetep'

Analysis of near‐isogenic lines (NILs) indicated the presence of a novel resistance gene in the indica rice cultivar ‘Tetep’ which was highly resistant to the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea.‘Tetep’ was crossed to the widely used susceptible cultivar ‘CO39’ to generate the mapping population. A Mendelian segregation ratio of 3 : 1 for resistant to susceptible F₂ plants further confirmed the presence of a major dominant locus, in ‘Tetep’, conferring resistance to the blast fungal isolate B157, corresponding to the international race IC9. Simple sequence length polymorphism (SSLP) was used for molecular genetic analysis. The analysis revealed that the SSLP marker RM 246 was linked to a novel blast resistance gene designated Pi‐tp(t) in ‘Tetep’.     

Genetic analysis of tissue culture traits in barley cv. 'Lenins'

The barley cultivar ‘Lenins’ was found to be a genotype showing high shoot regeneration ability in cultures derived from immature embryos. Five cultivars different from ‘Lenins’ in shoot regeneration ability were reciprocally crossed with ‘Lenins’ and the inheritance of tissue culture traits was investigated. F₂ plants showed continuous distributions in callus growth and percentage of shoot regeneration, suggesting that these traits were controlled by polygenes. The F₂ population, derived from a cross between ‘Lenins’ and ‘6721′, showed a monogenic segregation for the number of regenerated shoots, and the segregation ratio fitted 1:2:1. Tissue culture traits of ‘Lenins’ were controlled by several genes, whereas the number of regenerated shoots related to the efficiency of shoot regeneration is controlled by one major gene.     

多酚、黄酮及甾醇与番茄抗晚疫病关系

以对番茄晚疫病抗性较强的番茄品种‘25-1’和易感染番茄晚疫病的品种‘京乐502’为试材,通过人工接种病原的方法,研究多酚、黄酮及甾醇与番茄品种晚疫病抗性之间的关系。结果表明：（1）健康叶多酚类和甾醇类含量在2 个品种间无显著差异;黄酮类含量抗病品种‘25-1’显著高于感病品种‘京乐502’。（2）接种后,多酚类和黄酮类含量在2 个品种中均呈先增后减的趋势。峰值出现时间‘京乐502’晚于‘25-1’。总甾醇含量与番茄晚疫病抗性密切相关。接种晚疫病病原后,2 个品种中总甾醇含量均都呈下降趋势。随着病情的发展,感病品种‘京乐502’的总甾醇含量迅速下降,抗病品种‘25-1’下降较为缓慢。     

Powdery mildew resistance in Czech and Slovak barley cultivars

Fifteen powdery mildew resistance genes and the gene MlaN81 derived from ‘Nepal 81’were found in 76 Czech and Slovak spring and winter barley cultivars when tested for reaction to a set of powdery mildew isolates. Nine cultivars (‘Donum’, ‘Expres’, ‘Jubilant’, ‘Orbit’, ‘Primus’, ‘Progres’, ‘Stabil’, ‘Vladan’ and ‘Zlatan’) are composed of lines with different resistance genes. The Mlat gene is present in nine cultivars and was transferred from the Anatolian landrace ‘A‐516′. The resistances derived from ‘KM‐1192’and ‘CI 7672’were identical and designated Ml(Kr). Five winter barley cultivars possess the Ml(Bw) resistance. The winter barley line ‘KM‐2099’carries the mlo gene. The parental cultivar ‘Palestine 10’was also tested in which the genes Mlk1, MlLa were identified. The German cultivar ‘Salome’, a parent of seven cultivars tested, probably carries the gene MlLa in addition to mlo and Mla7. The gene mlo6 may be present in the cultivar ‘Heris’. Most of the results were confirmed by the pedigrees of the cultivars.     

Identification of discriminant factors after treatment of resistant and susceptible banana leaves with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense culture filtrates

Among the most important crops in developing countries are banana and plantain. However, the production is threatened by increasingly virulent forms of Fusarium wilt, and therefore, intensive breeding programmes are being carried out worldwide. As conventional field studies of banana resistance to this disease are time‐consuming and destructive, an easy‐to‐do procedure was previously developed to differentiate field‐grown resistant and susceptible banana cultivars at leaf level. Such a procedure involved the in vitro treatment of fungal culture filtrates on to field‐grown adult leaves and the measurement of lesion areas 48 h later. The present report includes measurements of other indicators such as biochemical compounds. The cultivar ‘Gross Michel’ (susceptible) and cv. ‘FHIA‐01’ (resistant) leaves were treated with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 1 culture filtrates. Evaluations were performed 48 h after leaf treatment. Compared with culture medium‐treated leaves (control treatment), fungal metabolites produced leaf lesions, decreased freephenolic contents and increased protein levels in both cultivars. In ‘FHIA‐01’, the culture filtrate increased contents of cell wall‐linked phenolics and the pool of aldehydes (except malondialdehyde). Fungal metabolites did not cause variations in peroxidase activity, chlorophyll pigment contents or malondialdehyde level in any cultivar. The use of Fisher's linear discriminant analysis to differentiate resistant and susceptible banana cultivars in breeding programmes is also a novel aspect of this report. Such an estimation was performed from a data matrix that included the effects of the fungal metabolites (leaf lesion area and levels of free and cell wall‐linked phenolics, aldehydes, except malondialdehyde, and proteins) on banana leaves of seven cultivars (four susceptible and three resistant).     

Genotyping apricot cultivars for self-(in)compatibility by means of RNases associated with S alleles

In previous work the existence of proteins with RNase activity associated with S alleles in apricot was demonstrated. These proteins were inherited as described previously for the inheritance of self‐compatibility in this species. In this study, new cultivars have been genotyped for self‐compatibility using this method and it has been demonstrated that in all self‐compatible cultivars examined, the self‐compatibility allele is the same and is associated with an RNase with high activity. Homozygous self‐compatible individuals have been detected among established cultivars as well as among seedlings following breeding activity. This germplasm is of great value within the breeding programme because only self‐compatible seedlings will be produced. The number of S alleles in apricot appears to be low and only eight different alleles have been found in the large number of different cultivars screened. Furthermore, there are alleles present in the Spanish population that are also found in the genetic pool of North American cultivars. The screening of a progeny from the cross between the American cultivar ‘Goldrich’ and the Spanish cultivar ‘Pepito’ demonstrated the existence of the common allele S₂ (detected previously by examining RNases), which was confirmed by the segregation of self‐compatibility in the progeny.     

Short Communication A low morphine-containing accession of Papaver somniferum suitable for seed production*

A total of 140 Indian accessions of Papaver somniferum were raised under the subtropical conditions of Lucknow, India. They were screened for major alkaloids present in the capsules and peduncles, using a TLC-densitometry procedure. An accession containing the narcotic alkaloid morphine at as low a concentration as 0.05% in its capsules has been identified. The accession has good agronomic traits.     

Evaluation of common wheat cultivars for tan spot resistance and chromosomal location of a resistance gene in the cultivar 'Salamouni'

A total of 50 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars were evaluated for resistance to tan spot, using Pyrenophora tritici‐repentis race 1 and race 5 isolates. The cultivars ‘Salamouni’, ‘Red Chief’, ‘Dashen’, ‘Empire’ and ‘Armada’ were resistant to isolate ASC1a (race 1), whereas 76% of the cultivars were susceptible. Chi‐squared analysis of the F₂ segregation data of hybrids between 20 monosomic lines of the wheat cultivar ‘Chinese Spring’ and the resistant cultivar ‘Salamouni’ revealed that tan spot resistance in ‘Salamouni’ was controlled by a single recessive gene located on chromosome 3A. This gene is designated tsn4. The resistant cultivars identified in this study are recommended for use in breeding programmes to improve tan spot resistance in common wheat.     

A single dominant gene in McCall soybean prevents effective nodulation with Rhizobium fredii USDA257

Summary Rhizobium fredii USDA257 will effectively nodulate Asiatic and unimproved soybean cultivars, such as Peking, but most of the highly selected North American cultivars, such as McCall, produce at most rudimentary, ineffective nodules. In R. fredii USDA 257, a locus containing 6 open reading frames is responsible for this cultivar specific incompatibility. To examine the genetic control of incompatability on the part of the host, the soybean cultivars Peking and McCall were crossed to produce five F₁ progeny. These plants and their selfed progeny were tested for nodulation with USDA257. Resistance to nodulation was found to be conditioned by a single dominant gene. These results indicate that, in soybean, strain specific resistance to nodulation can result from gene(s)-for-gene interactions.     

Seed Shattering of Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen)

Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) is a semi‐domesticated relative of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) with high nutritious quality. It is tolerant to frost, drought, saline soils and pests. One seed yield limitation is seed loss during the maturity stages. Two greenhouse experiments in Denmark and field experiments in Bolivia were carried out to determine seed shattering in landraces and cultivars with different growth habits. 15–21 % of the seed shattering in the fields took place whilst the plants still were flowering and 25–35 % during physiological maturity. Seed shattering varied between locations on the Bolivian Altiplano. Cañahua types with the semi‐prostrate growth (‘lasta’) had the highest seed shattering rate in the greenhouse experiments. The Umacutama landrace had lower seed shattering (1 %) than the cultivar Kullaca (7.2 %) both of the ‘lasta’ type. Under field conditions, the cultivar Illimani with the erect growth (‘saihua’) had the highest seed shattering rate (6.4–33.7 %) at both locations and at four different sowing dates. The Umacutama had the lowest rate (0.5–1.5 %). There were no significant differences between plants of the ‘lasta’ and the ‘saihua’ types. The landrace had significantly less seed loss than the cultivars. However, in the greenhouse, the landrace yield was approximately 25 % lower than the yields of the cultivars. In general, cañahua cultivars had higher yield compared to landraces, but also a higher seed shattering rate. Landraces may be used in breeding programmes to develop high‐yielding cultivars with reduced seed shattering.     

Evaluation of Five Most Commonly Grown Cotton Cultivars (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Under Mediterranean Conditions: Productivity and Fibre Quality

Studies were conducted in four regions of central Greece (Larisa, Karditsa, Livadia, Thiva), to evaluate the productivity and fibre properties (fibre strength and fibre length) of the five most commonly grown cotton cultivars in these regions. The experiments lasted for 6 years (1995–2000). All the characteristics tested were strongly influenced by the factors ‘year’, ‘cultivar’ and ‘region’. Significant cultivar × region, year × cultivar, region × year and cultivar × region × year interactions occurred for all the characteristics studied. The cultivar Alegria had the highest seed‐cotton and lint yield, while Aria had the lowest ones. Both cultivars gave the highest mean lint percentage but the lowest mean boll weight (MBW). Alegria had the lowest fibre strength, while Aria had the highest. The Acala‐type cultivars, Acala SJ2 and Zeta 2, had intermediate seed‐cotton and lint yield, while Vered 171 had high seed‐cotton and satisfactory lint yield. The three cultivars mentioned above had the highest MBW and very good fibre strength. Positive correlation was observed between fibre strength and length. In spite of the fact that mean fibre length was statistically the same in all cultivars, it was influenced by the factor ‘year’, as a result of different weather conditions. The year 1996 was the most unfavourable one for seed‐cotton yield and MBW, because it was characterized by lower than average air temperatures and rather dry conditions for all study sites. The factor ‘region’, a combination of different climatic conditions and cultural practices, influenced significantly all the parameters studied.