Exotic barley germplasm: variation and effects on agronomic traits in complex crosses

Summary Utilization of exotic germplasm offers an approach to broaden genetic variability in breeding populations. This study was conducted in order to 1) compare germplasm of exotic origin with adapted Swedish barleys with respect to genetic differences and 2) to evaluate how exotic material affected agronomic performance in complex crosses. Allozyme studies showed the following Nei's gene diversities among parents: 0.13 (adapted parents), 0.16 (landraces) and 0.25 (H. spontaneum). Cluster analysis indicated that parental groups were genetically divergent. Earliness, straw length, number of ears per plant and thousand kernel weight (TKW) were studied. Variation in agronomic traits showed the following pattern: landraces > H. spontaneum > adapted lines. The best sources for earliness were adapted parents and landraces. Mean straw length was greatest in H. spontaneum lines. Number of ears per plant was quite similar in all groups. The highest TKW was among landraces and adapted parents. Hybrids from the complex crossing programme exceeded parents in earliness and TKW. An index composed from the four traits showed the most favorable frequency distributions for adapted parents and hybrids. Both genetic and agronomic studies indicate that new valuable variation from exotic germplasm may be introduced into barley breeding material.     

Agronomic performance of crosses between Nordic and exotic barleys

Exotic germplasm may be useful for the improvement of agronomic performance of barley breeding material. This study was conducted in order 1) to evaluate if it is possible to improve performance of Nordic barley breeding material by utilizing exotic germplasm sources (unadapted landraces and H. spontaneum), 2) to evaluate incorporation of exotic germplasm into a genetic base widely adapted to the agro-ecological conditions of the extreme Scandinavian north as well as to the base adapted to the conditions of the south of this geographical region, and 3) to evaluate whether an index composed of several traits corresponded to 'breeder's phenotypic evaluation' of the progenies. Earliness, straw length, number of ears/plant, yield/plant, seed shattering, persistence of awns and an index computed from these traits were studied in Swedish and Finnish 4-way crosses along with their adapted parents. Most of the crosses headed earlier than their adapted parents and none of the crosses outyielded the adapted parents. The most favorable frequency distributions for the index were found in the crosses with only cultivated barleys as parents. Transgressive segregates were also found in progenies with H. spontaneum parents. Incorporation of exotic barleys was most successful into the local genetic base. Comparisons between indices and breeder's phenotypic evaluation suggested reconsideration of evaluation methods early in parent development.     

Adaptation of tropical maize germplasm to temperate environments

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of few crops that can offer significant genetic gains with the utilization of genetic diversity. Genetically broad-based germplasm has the potential to contribute useful and unique alleles to U.S. Corn Belt breeding programs not present in current U.S. genome sequences (e.g. B73, NAM, etc.). Our objectives were to determine if unique tropical genetic materials have been effectively adapted to temperate environments and how their agronomic performance was relative to adapted populations. An important long-term objective of the Iowa and North Dakota maize breeding programs has been, in addition to the typical elite by elite line pedigree selection cultivar development process, to adapt exotic and unique germplasm, maximize their genetic improvement, and develop unique products for breeding and commercial uses. Stratified mass selection methodology for earliness has been utilized for the adaptation of tropical and temperate populations to Iowa and North Dakota environments. This method has allowed screening of up to 25,000 genotypes per population cycle at a rate of one cycle per year. In addition, the estimated cost per year our programs had for the adaptation of each population was less than $2,000 which could successfully be applied in any breeding program across the globe. This cost has been less than 1 % of the total cost for finding minor genes on the same trait. Our results showed the successful adaptation of exotic populations was independent from genetic background. We can speculate there are a few major genes responsible for most of flowering date expression. We encourage the use of technology to target traits according to their genetic complexity. Stratified mass selection at the phenotypic level has been successful. Each of the populations with either 25 of 100 % tropical germplasm are available for anyone who may desire to expand the germplasm base of their breeding programs with tropical germplasm adapted to temperate mid- and short-season U.S. Corn Belt environments.     

Genetic gains in Nordic spring barley breeding over sixty years

Accurate assessments of genetic gains ensuing from plant breeding for the most important agronomic characteristics in Nordic spring barley (Hordeum vulgareL.) are not available. Hence this research was aimed to determine the rate of genetic improvement in the Nordic barley breeding pool. This study included 90, 2-row spring barley cultivars released (1942–1988) and29, 6-row spring barley cultivars released(1930–1991) adopted by Nordic farmers that were tested in four Nordic locations for three consecutive years. Relative genetic gain owing to plant breeding was 13% in2-row barley and 34% in 6-row barley for grain yield. The absolute gain for this characteristic was 13 ± 3 kg ha^-1 year ^-1 in 2-row barley, and22 ± 3 kg ha^-1 year^-1 in6-row barley. Improved yield was achieved in Nordic barley by reducing plant height(0.20 ± 0.04 cm year^-1 for 2-rowbarley and 0.16 ± 0.06 cm year^-1for 6-row cultivars), thereby reducing significantly lodging (0.5 ± 0.1%year^-1 and 0.4 ± 0.1year^-1), and increasing significantly the harvest index (0.0008 ± 0.0002year^-1 and 0.0018 ± 0.0002year^-1). Additionally, in 2-row spring barley cultivars resistance to powdery mildew (0.19 ± 0.08% year^-1)and thousand-kernel weight (0.07 ±0.03 g year^-1) were also significantly enhanced, whereas hectoliter weight was improved (0.06 ± 0.02 kg year^-1)in 6-row barley cultivars in the period investigated. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The nabicol: A horticultural crop in northwestern Spain

Nabicol (B. napus L. var. pabularia) is a traditional crop in the Northwest of Iberian Peninsula (South of Galicia and North of Portugal) where it is grown during the winter season on small farms and gardens using traditional varieties. A collection of 36 populations of nabicol from Galicia (northwestern Spain) was evaluated during 2002 and 2003 in two locations and two growing seasons (spring/summer and autumn/spring) for 28 agronomic and morphological traits. The objectives of this study were to: (i) evaluate a collection of nabicol landraces from northwestern Spain, (ii) determine the suitability of this germplasm as a summer crop and (iii) study the genetic diversity among local populations. Significant differences were observed among populations for most traits. Genotype × environment interaction was significant for most of them. Spring/summer growing season could be recommended for growing nabicol but resistance to Lepidoptera pests attacking Brassica crops should be improved. Most populations had an agronomic value similar to the commercial variety. The most promising variety for horticultural use was MBG-BRS0063, which showed the highest yield. Morphological and agronomic data were subjected to cluster analysis and four groups were defined with a group clustering most populations. The low genetic diversity could be explained because populations were collected in close geographical areas and the selection made by farmers was always for a horticultural use. These results give information about the diversity and breeding value of the nabicol Spanish germplasm, which could be useful in breeding programs.     

Exotic barley germplasms in breeding for resistance to soil-borne viruses

Summary Soil-borne mosaic inducing viruses, i.e., barley mild mosaic virus (BaMMV), barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV), and BaYMV-2, cause one of the most important diseases of winter barley in Western Europe. Since resistance of all commercial European barley cultivars is due to a single recessive gene (ym4) which is not effective against BaYMV-2, exotic barley germplasms (Hordeum vulgare L., H. spontaneum Koch) were screened for resistance to the different viruses and analyzed for genetic diversity concerning BaMMV resistance. In these studies it turned out that resistance to BaMMV is entirely inherited recessively and that a high degree of genetic diversity concerning resistance is present within the barley gene pool at least to BaMMV. Therefore, exotic barley germplasms are a very useful source for the incorporation of different resistance genes into barley breeding lines, thereby enabling the breeder to create cultivars adapted to cultivation in the growing area of fields infested by soil-borne viruses. Furthermore, in order to obtain more information on these germplasms they were evaluated for agronomic traits and isozyme, RFLP and RAPD analyses were carried out on these varieties to detect markers linked to the respective resistance genes and to obtain information on the genetic similarity between yellow mosaic resistant barley accessions derived from different parts of the world. Actual results of these studies are briefly reviewed.     

New techniques for breeding maize (Zea mays) varieties with fall armyworm resistance and market-preferred traits for sub-Saharan Africa

Deploying maize varieties with fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda [J.E. Smith]; FAW) resistance, desirable product profiles (PPs) and climate resilience is fundamental for food and economic security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study reviewed and identified challenges and opportunities for effective and accelerated breeding of demand-led maize hybrids with FAW resistance and adaptation to the diverse agro-ecologies of SSA. Lessons were drawn on improving breeding efficiency through adequate genetic variation delivered via prebreeding programmes, speed breeding and a reduced breeding stage plan. Appropriate PPs aligned with demand-led breeding approaches were highlighted as foundations for variety design and commercialization. Challenges to accelerated FAW resistance breeding in maize included inadequate funds and modern tools; poor adaptation of some exotic donor parental lines; lack of information on FAW resistance among local varieties; lack of integration of molecular markers associated with FAW resistance and agronomic traits into selection plans; and limited infrastructure for FAW rearing and germplasm screening. Integration of modern breeding tools and scientific innovations were recommended for accelerated development and release of FAW resistant and market-preferred maize varieties.     

Molecular assessment of genetic diversity in winter barley and its use in breeding

Summary During the last decades extensive progress has been achieved in winter barley breeding with respect to both, yield and resistance to fungal and viral diseases. This progress is mainly due to the efficient use of the genetic diversity present within high yielding adapted cultivars and – with respect to resistance – to the extensive evaluation of genetic resources followed by genetic analyses and introgression of respective genes by sexual recombination. Detailed knowledge on genetic diversity present on the molecular level regarding specific traits as well as on the whole genome level may enhance barley breeding today by facilitating efficient selection of parental lines and marker assisted selection procedures. In the present paper the state of the art with respect to virus diseases, i.e. Barley mild mosaic virus, Barley yellow mosaic virus, and Barley yellow dwarf virus is briefly reviewed and first results on a project aiming on a genome wide estimation of genetic diversity which in combination with data on yield and additional agronomic traits may facilitate the detection of marker trait associations and a more efficient selection of parental genotypes are presented. By field tests of 49 two-rowed and 64 six-rowed winter barley cultivars the genetic gain in yield for the period 1970–2003 was estimated at 54.6 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (r² = 0.567) for the six-rowed cultivars and at 37.5 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (r² = 0.621) for the two-rowed cultivars. Analysis of 30 SSRs revealed a non-homogenous allele distribution between two and six-rowed cultivars and changes of allele frequencies in relation to the time of release. By PCoA a separation between two and six-rowed cultivars was observed but no clear cut differentiation in relation to the time of release. In the two-rowed cultivars an increase in genetic diversity (DI) from older to newly released cultivars was detected.     

Testcross performance and diversity analysis of white maize lines derived from backcrosses containing exotic germplasm

Introgression from exotic maize (Zea mays L.) into adapted breeding pools can broaden and diversify the genetic base of adapted germplasm. The first objective of this study was to determine the agronomic performance of white maize lines derived from adapted × exotic backcrosses in tropical environments. Six exotic white maize inbred lines were crossed to an adapted white line (1368) and the F₁s were backcrossed to 1368. Forty-one BC₁F₄ lines derived from these backcrosses and the recurrent parent were crossed with a common inbred tester (9071) and the progeny were evaluated at eight environments in Nigeria. The testcrosses × environment interaction mean square was not significant for all agronomic traits. The BC-derived lines containing exotic germplasm contributed significantly to the variation in testcross mean grain yields and other agronomic traits. Among the 41 testcrosses, only 5 yielded significantly less than 1368 × 9071, with the 7 best testcrosses producing between 304 and 867 kg ha⁻¹ more grain than 1368 × 9071. The second objective of this study was to assess the genetic divergence of the BC-derived white lines from their adapted recurrent parent. Thirty-nine BC-derived white lines along with 1368 and 9071 were genotyped with ten AFLP primer pairs that generated 506 polymorphic fragments. The average allelic diversity of the lines was 31 ± 0.07. The genetic distance (GD) estimates of each BC-derived line from 1368 varied from 0.76 to 0.84, with a mean of 0.80 ± 0.003. The average GD for all pairs of the BC-derived lines was 0.63 ± 0.005, varying from 0.31 to 0.89. The observed significant amount of variation among the BC-derived white lines suggests that they can contribute new alleles for expanding the genetic base of tropical maize and for developing high-yielding hybrids.     

12个外来玉米群体与我国主要种质配合力效应和杂种优势分析

国际玉米小麦改良中心(CIMMYT)和美国玉米带种质含有丰富的遗传变异, 是拓展我国玉米种质基础的重要来源。本文采用NCII遗传交配设计, 以中综5号、中综6号和中综7号综合种为测验种, 与12个外来群体配制36个组合。以郑单958为对照, 2009—2010年分别在北京顺义、山东济南和河南新乡进行产量及相关性状测定。利用Miranda Filho-Geraldi模型, 评价外来群体主要性状配合力效应及杂种优势表现。结果表明, Pob43、La Posta、Pob21、Pob32、Pob49、Pob501等群体的产量及相关性状GCA表现优良。群体Pob49、Pob501与我国PA种质, Pob32、BS29与我国PB种质, Pob43、La posta与我国D群四平头种质的遗传关系较近。因此, 在改良外来群体适应性的基础上, 可以我国A、B和D类群种质为核心, 将群体Pob21、Pob49、Pob501与A群种质, Pob32与B群种质, Pob43、La Posta与D群的四平头种质构建复合种质并进行改良, 逐步拓宽我国主要种质类群的遗传基础。     

Cooperative breeding for the northern marginal areas

Summary A joint breeding project for the northern areas of Scandinavia and Iceland was initiated in 1981 under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Initially, efforts concentrated on cooperative trials in which both early and more advanced breeding material was tested at a number of experimental stations in the northern regions. This was followed by a joint breeding programme for timothy with the primary aim of developing varieties that possess broad adaptation to a range of Nordic climates and managements and can be grown throughout the northernmost part of Scandinavia. Each of the five national breeding stations originally provided 12 timothy genotypes for the project giving a total of 60 genotypes. The parental genotypes were compared as spaced plants at all five stations and their polycross progeny were grown under sward conditions at the same sites. On the basis of results obtained from these field trials parent clones have been selected and intercrossed to form synthetic populations.     

Agronomic and qualitative traits of T. turgidum ssp. dicoccum genotypes cultivated in Italy

Summary The increasing popularity of organic agriculture and health food products has led to a renewed interest in hulled wheat species such as emmer (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccumSchubler). Knowledge on agronomic and quality traits is required for effective and efficient use of germplasm collections in breeding programs. The objective of this study was to estimate agronomic and grain quality traits of emmer wheat cultivated in Italy. A total of 20 emmer accessions consisting of landraces, breeding lines or cultivars selected from landraces and modern cultivars were examined under low input conditions. The study was conducted for three successive years (2002–2004) at one location of Southern Italy (Foggia). The entries were characterized for agronomic and qualitative traits [grain yield (t ha⁻¹), thousand grain weight (g), test weight (kg hl⁻¹), grain protein content (%), HMWG composition, dry gluten content (%), gluten index and yellow index, alveograph indices and Total Organic Matter (TOM) on cooked pasta]. The results showed a large genetic variability for most of the traits measured and, even if most of the accessions showed inferior bread- and pasta-making performance, modern cultivars exhibited improved quality traits with some potential to perform healthy and tasty food.     

Penetrance of creeping-rootedness in clonal progenies of lucerne and observations on underground morphology of plants differing for this character

Elaeis oleifera or ‘caiaué’, a close relative of oil palm (E. guineensis), has some agronomic traits of great interest for the oil palm genetic breeding such as slow growth, oil quality (mostly unsaturated) and disease resistance. An analysis of a Brazilian oil palm germplasm collection was carried out using RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markers with the objective of understanding the genetic variation of ‘caiaué’ accessions collected in the Amazon Forest in the last two decades. A sample of 175 accessions obtained along the Amazon River Basin was analyzed and compared to 17 accessions of oil palm from Africa. Ninety-six RAPD markers were used in the analysis, of which fourteen were shown to be specific to oil palm, while twelve were specific to ‘caiaué’. Results showed that the Brazilian ‘caiaué’ accessions studied have moderate levels of genetic diversity as compared to oil palm accessions. The data allowed the establishment of similarity groups for ‘caiaué’ accessions, which is useful for selecting parental plants for population breeding. Cluster analysis showed that, in general, genetic similarities are not correlated to geographical distances, but consistent with geographical dispersal along the Amazon River network. AMOVA showed that most of the genetic variation is found within populations, as expected for anallogamous and long-lived perennial species. The study provides important information to define strategies for future collection expeditions, for germplasm conservation and for the use of E. oleifera in breeding programs. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Natural variation within the genus Beta and its possible use for breeding sugar beet: A review

Summary Sugar beet is a relatively young crop, which supposedly has a narrow genetic base. Natural variation occurring in primitive beet varieties and in wild Beta species has been used for breeding sugar beet. This paper reviews information on desirable characteristics in Beta germplasm and the attempts made for the introgression of such characters into commercial breeding material. After an introduction on the availability of germplasm and the possibilities of hybridisation, attention is focussed on the mating system (especially male sterility), on morphological and physiological characteristics, including yield and sugar content, and on resistances to diseases and pests.     

Potential for improving adaptation ofLolium perenne L. to continental climates in Norway

Summary Breeding of perennial ryegrass has been conducted in Norway for more than 30 years. The little progress achieved so far can, most probably, be explained by a restricted genetic variation within our indigeneous plant material. In order to increase the variation in the Norwegian ryegrass germplasm, we have tested populations of diverse origin and adaptations under contrasting climatic conditions in Norway. Data is presented for winter survival and dry matter yield obtained in two experiments, one in a dense stand with 20 populations of Norwegian and Russian origin, and one as a spaced plant experiment with 26 populations of Norwegian, Russian and Swiss origin. In both cases commercial foreign cultivars and breeding populations were included.The results show that the commercial varieties were superior when grown in dense stand. The Norwegian material showed, however, a significant better adaptation at the continental location, measured as plant cover after three years. There was considerable variation between populations in all characters. In the spaced plant experiment, the Norwegian diploid breeding populations were the highest yielding. The commercial cultivars also performed well. Winter survival was generally good in this experiment, and only small differences between populations could be detected. Winterhardy and productive populations of different origin and contrasting adaptations have been selected, and breeding populations constructed. Surprisingly enough, Swiss Alp populations, presumably adapted to long lasting snow-cover, do not show any better adaptation to the continental climates in Norway than indigeneous ryegrass populations.     

Value of permanent grassland habitats as reservoirs of Festuca pratensis Huds. and Lolium multiflorum Lam. populations for breeding and conservation

European natural and semi-natural grassland form reservoirs of genetic resources containing highly adapted and variable ecotype populations of forage plants. Variation within these reservoirs is stimulated by variation in natural and anthropogenic site-related factors. Changes in agricultural practices lead to the loss of many characteristic habitats. In order to preserve resources for breeding, targeted conservation strategies for germplasm in gene banks (ex-situ) or on site (in-situ) are needed. In order to define site-related criteria for the potential of habitats to preserve valuable resources for breeding and conservation, 38 different habitats across Switzerland were selected to collect Festuca pratensis Huds. and Lolium multiflorum Lam. ecotype populations. Phenotypic variation and population differentiation of 60 single plants were evaluated in a field experiment using 16 morpho-physiological traits. For F. pratensis, ecotype populations and cultivars were clearly separated and there was a significant correlation between diversity of morphological traits and geographic location of sampling sites. For L. multiflorum no clear separation of ecotype populations and cultivars was observed suggesting gene flow from adjacent temporary leys into permanent grassland. Several ecotype populations were superior to cultivars in important traits such as early heading or resistance to winter damage, indicating the importance of natural habitats as a reservoir of genetic resources for breeding. In conclusion, maintenance of permanent grassland in contrasting environments appears to be a promising strategy for preserving valuable genetic variation of forage grasses. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Assessing the breeding potential of day-neutral converted racestock germplasm in the Pee Dee cotton germplasm enhancement program

The primitive, upland cotton landrace collection represents one of the untapped genetic resources in cotton breeding programs. Efforts to utilize these resources have been slow, but the development of day-neutral converted germplasm lines offers tremendous potential for broadening the genetic base in upland cotton. Using topcross hybrids involving elite germplasm from the unique Pee Dee germplasm enhancement program, we evaluated the breeding potential of a select number of day-neutral converted racestocks. The mean performance of parental lines and F₂ topcross hybrids along with genetic effect estimates indicate that day-neutral converted germplasm lines decreased agronomic performance while increasing fiber quality performance. Results suggest that crosses between day-neutral converted racestocks and elite Pee Dee germplasm lines result in new allelic combinations associated with improved fiber quality performance that interact in a non-additive way. However, it appears that converted racestocks transmit negatively correlated alleles for agronomic performance and fiber quality. These negatively correlated allelic combinations present a major challenge for cotton breeding programs. Future efforts that incorporate DNA based selection methods to identify and fix introgressed segments from converted racestocks and their offspring should enhance the use of the genetic variation present in the primitive racestock germplasm accessions.     

Breeding systems in Coix lacryma-jobi populations

Summary Six populations of Coix lacryma-jobi with distinct characters were studied to evaluate the presence of autonomous apomixis and pseudogamy, and to determine its implications and effects in the calculations of the rate of breeding. For this reason, two types of genetic markers were used-morphological markers and isozymatic markers.The results show that autonomous apomixis does not seem to occur in these populations. Further experiments are necessary to prove the presence of pseudogamy in one of the populations. The rate of natural outcrossing in the grain types Rosario, Rosadlay and I-47 fluctuated around 35.9% using estimates based on isozymatic markers. The rate of natural outcrossing was 37.4% in the Adlay population using morphological markers. A population composed of tall individuals, named Tailândia, which has a greater vegetative mass and fewer grains, presented a high level of natural outcrossing at 72.8%. This information is important for many reasons, such as: 1) guiding sampling strategies of genetic material, 2) in the organization and upkeep of germplasm banks, and 3) for plant breeding programs.     

The Use of RFLPs (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms) Detects Germplasm Introgressions from Wild Species into Potato (Solanum tuberosum ssp. tuberosum) Breeding Lines

The germplasm of the potato (S. tuberosum ssp. tuberosum) has been modified since the beginning of this century by breeders who introgressed important agronomic traits, for example disease resistance genes, from several wild and cultivated Solanum species of the Americas. In this paper we show that the Rflp analysis of potato-breeding material can be used to detect chromosomal regions descended from more-distantly related Solanum species. The Rflp patterns of individuals of ten Solanum species, ten breeding lines of S. tuberosum ssp. tuberosum and the cultivated variety ‘Bintje’ were analyzed. Rflp data for each of eight single loci of known genomic position were used for the computation of locus-specific phenograms by distance matrix methods. Several of the potato-breeding lines deviated clearly from the clustered species S. tuberosum, S. stenotomum and S. canasense for one or more of the loci considered. These deviations indicated the presence of “exotic” germplasm at a particular locus. The possibility of detecting such germplasm has implications for mapping the agronomic traits for which the wild species were introgressed and which may still be linked to “foreign” chromosome fragments.