Marker assisted accelerated introgression of null allele of kunitz trypsin inhibitor in soybean

Development of kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI)-free soybean is crucial for soy-food industry as the heat inactivation employed to inactivate the anti-nutritional factor in regular soybean incurs extra cost and affects protein solubility. In the presented work, a null allele of KTI from PI542044 was introgressed into cultivar ‘JS97-52’ (recurrent parent) through marker assisted backcrossing. Foreground selection in BC₁F₂, BC₂F₂ and BC₃F₂ was carried out using the null allele-specific marker in tandem with SSR marker Satt228, tightly linked with a trypsin inhibitor Ti locus. Background selection in null allele-carrying plants through 106 polymorphic SSR markers across the genome led to the identification of 9 KTI-free lines exhibiting 98.6% average recurrent parent genome content (RPGC) after three backcrosses, which otherwise had required 5–6 backcrosses through conventional method. Introgressed lines (ILs) were free from KTI and yielded at par with recurrent parent. Reduction of 68.8–83.5% in trypsin inhibitor content (TIC) in ILs compared to the recurrent parent (‘JS97-52’) was attributed to the elimination of KTI.     

Recent advances in molecular marker techniques: Insight into QTL mapping,GWAS and genomic selection in plants

Recent advances in sequencing technology have brought several novel platforms for marker development and subsequent genotyping. The high-throughput and cost effective marker techniques have changed the entire scenario of marker applications. The huge genotypic data obtained with next generation sequencing (NGS) also demands analytical tools, statistical advances, and comprehensive understanding to cope with breeding applications. In the present review, we discussed different available marker techniques, their strengths, and limitations. Emphasis was given on software tools, analytical pipelines, workbenches, and online resources available for marker development. Comparison of SNP genotyping involving complexity reduction techniques like GBS, RRL, RAD, and array-based platforms were presented in a view to describe suitability for specific purposes. We found that genotyping by whole genome re-sequencing has great potential, and could be a routine application in the near future with continuously decreasing cost of sequencing. Microsatellites, still a valuable option for breeders, have also advanced with NGS. Here a catalogue of tools for microsatellite evaluation in short sequence reads was provided. The most common applications of molecular marker like QTL mapping, genome-wide association mapping (GWAS), and genomic selection were highlighted. The present review will be helpful for the effective utilization of available resources and for the planning of crop improvement programs employing molecular marker techniques.     

A new gene for resistance in rice to Asian rice gall midge (Orseolia oryzae Wood Mason) biotype 1 population at Raipur, India

The Asian rice gall midge, Orseolia oryzae Wood Mason (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is a major pest of rice in several South and South East Asian countries. The maggots feed internally on the growing tips of the tillers and transform them into tubular galls, onion leaf-like structures called ‘silver shoots’ resulting into severe yield loss to the rice crop. We studied the mode of inheritance and allelic relationships of the resistance genes involved in resistant donor Line 9, a sib of a susceptible cultivar ‘Madhuri’. The segregation behaviour of F₁, F₂ and F₃ populations of the cross between Line 9 and susceptible cultivar MW10 confirmed the presence of a single dominant gene for resistance. Tests of allelism with all the known genes giving resistance to this population indicated that Line 9 possessed a new gene which was designated Gm 9 This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Inheritance of growth vigour and its association with other characters in chickpea

Growth vigour plays an important role in the establishment of a normal crop. The F₂ population of a cross between high‐ and low‐growth vigour varieties of chickpea segregated into 15 high : 1 low growth vigour. The results for recombinant inbred lines and BC1P₂ showed a good fit to the expected 3 : 1 ratio. The results indicated that growth vigour is controlled by two genes with duplicate dominant epistasis. No gene has so far been identified for growth vigour in chickpea. Correlation between growth vigour and other characters showed that high growth vigour had significant negative correlation with days to first flower, days to 50% flowering, days to first pod and days to maturity.     

Effect of Water Stress on Physiological Attributes and their Relationship with Growth and Yield of Wheat Cultivars at Different Stages

The effects of water stress on physiological attributes of drought‐sensitive (Kalyansona) and drought‐tolerant (C‐306) wheat cultivars were studied in a pot experiment. Water stress was imposed by withholding irrigation at boot and anthesis stages. Leaf water potential, leaf osmotic potential and leaf turgor potential (measured with pressure chamber and osmometer), as well as leaf diffusive resistance, leaf transpiration rate and leaf‐to‐air transpiration gradient (measured with a steady‐state porometer) were measured diurnally. Growth and yield parameters were recorded after harvesting of the crop. Triplicate data were analysed using a completely randomized design and correlations amongst these parameters were computed. Water stress was found to reduce diurnal leaf water potential and leaf osmotic potential in both the genotypes but leaf osmotic potential was significantly higher in the drought‐tolerant cultivar C‐306 than in the drought‐sensitive cultivar Kalyansona. Positive turgor was recorded in both the genotypes under water stress and non‐stress conditions. Water‐stressed plants showed significantly lower turgor potential than control plants. In diurnal observations, water‐stressed plants exhibited significantly higher leaf diffusive resistance in both genotypes at both stages. The diffusive resistance of C‐306 was predominantly higher than that of Kalyansona. Water stress decreased leaf transpiration rate at both stages but the reduction was higher at the anthesis stage. The leaf‐to‐air temperature gradient was much higher in C‐306 than in Kalyansona at the boot stage but at the anthesis stage genotypic variation was non‐significant. The capacity to maintain cooler foliage was lower at the anthesis stage than at the boot stage in both the cultivars. Shoot dry weight, number of grains, test weight, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index decreased to a greater extent when water stress was imposed at the anthesis stage, while imposition of water stress at the boot stage caused a greater reduction in plant height and number of tillers. Similarly, water stress caused a smaller reduction in growth, yield and yield attributes in C‐306 than in Kalyansona. In general, the correlation coefficient of grain and biological yield with water potential and its components was positive and highly significant. Similarly, turgor potential was also correlated positively and significantly with grain yield at both the stages, but with biological yield it was significant only at the anthesis stage. A negative and significant correlation was obtained for diffusive resistance and leaf‐to‐air temperature gradient with grain yield at the boot and anthesis stages. The rate of transpiration was also positively and significantly correlated to grain and biological yields at both the stages. Amongst the yield attributes, number of leaves and number of tillers were positively correlated at the anthesis stage, whereas leaf area and shoot dry weight were significantly correlated with grain and biological yields at both the stages.     

Thermal Infrared Radiation for Assessing Crop Water Stress in Wheat

Field studies on differentially irrigated wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) crops were conducted at Pantnagar for two years to evaluate the use of thermal infrared radiation to detect crop water stress. Data show that the stress-degree-day index (mid day canopy-air temperature difference) is influenced by environmental variability other than soil moisture. Improvement in the stress-degree-day (SDD) index was achieved by including the measurements of vapor pressure deficit and approach was termed as plant water stress index (PWSI). Observations indicated that daily variation in SDD values due to meteorological changes was removed through PWSI. Better correlation was found between soil-induced leaf water potential and plant water stress index than between total leaf water potential and plant water stress index. It is concluded that remote sensing of thermal infrared radiation offers a promising technique which can be incorporated into irrigation management programme.     

Earthworm biomass response to soil management in semi-arid tropical Alfisol agroecosystems

Earthworms recorded during 1989–1993 across 15 soil management treatments, comprising three different tillagexthree organic amendments (bare, farmyard manure, and rice straw) and six perennial ley treatments, belonged to two endogeic species, Octochaetona phillotti (Michaelsen) and Lampito mauritii Kinberg, while in a nearby undisturbed natural revegetation area three species were found, including the above two and Octonochaeta rosea (Stephenson). The earthworm biomass showed significant temporal and spatial variations and was higher during the post monsoon period than in the early rainy season. No worm biomass was recorded during the dry season. In the tillage and organic amendment treatments, the biomass was drastically reduced from September 1989 to September 1991 after the application of carbofuran and some herbicides, and was significantly reduced during these two years compared to that of 1992. The maximum monthly earthworm biomass ranged between 2.5 and 17.9 g m^-2 across the treatments and increased several-fold in the nearby natural revegetation area (75.9 g m^-2). It significantly increased in perennial ley treatments compared to annual treatments with organic amendments. Thus the earthworm biomass varied significantly (P<0.01) across the 15 treatments, indicating discernible effects of soil management.Visiting Scientist (under the Rockefeller Foundation Environmental Research Fellowship in International Agriculture)     

Inhibition of peroxynitrite-mediated reactions by vanillin

Several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzeimer's and Parkinson's as well as septic shock and inflammation involve formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that include peroxynitrite (PON). PON can also react with endogenous antioxidants. Therefore, dietary supplementation with antioxidants may help in these diseases. An exogenous antioxidant, vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde), used widely as a food flavoring agent, was evaluated for its ability to scavenge PON and inhibit PON-mediated reactions. Nitration of tyrosine by PON was assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This reaction was inhibited by vanillin. The oxidation of dihydrorhodamine 123 to fluorescent rhodamine 123 was also inhibited by vanillin. The kinetics of reaction between PON and vanillin was studied by stopped-flow technique. The products of this reaction were analyzed by HPLC, and hydroxyvanillin was identified as one of the five products with absorption at 350 nm. These data demonstrate that vanillin effectively scavenges PON in cell-free systems.     

Process for isolation of cardanol from technical cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) nut shell liquid

Commercially available technical cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) nut shell liquid (CNSL) contains mainly cardanol (decarboxylated anacardic acid) and cardol. Cardanol, the monophenolic component of technical CNSL, is widely used as a synthon for the preparation of a number of polymers and agricultural products. This paper describes the separation of cardanol from toxic cardol. Technical CNSL was dissolved in a mixture of methanol and ammonium hydroxide (8:5) and extracted with hexane to obtain cardanol. The resultant methanolic ammonia layer was extracted with a mixture of ethyl acetate and hexane to yield cardol. This is the first industrially feasible process based on solvent extractions for the isolation of cardanol from technical CNSL.