Development of mulberry varieties for sustainable growth and leaf yield in temperate and subtropical regions of India

Sericulture is an agro-based industry, which heavily depends on mulberry (Morus spp.) for its sustainability, as mulberry leaf is the only available feed for the silkworm Bombyx mori L. Sericulture, in West Bengal and other subtropical regions in India, suffers from lack of adequate quantity of quality mulberry leaf during the colder months, the best season for rearing the high yielding bivoltine silkworm hybrids. In order to develop mulberry varieties, which can sustain normal growth during these colder months to yield better, efforts have been made in different research institutes in India. The present report is part of such an effort in which accessions in germplasm bank were screened for better growth, leaf retention and leaf yield contributing associated traits. Twenty three selected parents were crossed, 3,500 seeds were sown, 2,700 seedlings were transplanted to progeny row trail, selected 210 hybrids were evaluated under primary yield trial and finally nine hybrids along with a control variety were studied in detail for all leaf yield contributing traits under final yield trial. Stability analysis was adopted to identify hybrids, which can yield stably across seasons. The hybrids CT-44 and CT-11 out yielding the control by 17.17 and 7.11% were selected as these hybrids yield 7.93 and 8.15 mt/ha leaf respectively during the colder months (February) for their direct use as cultivars in West Bengal and other subtropical areas of India to sustain bivoltine sericulture to produce quality and gradable silk fibers.     

Morphological changes and self-incompatibility breakdown associated with autopolyploidization in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hylocereus</Emphasis> species (Cactaceae)

Chromosome duplication—autopolyploidization—may affect plant morphology and breeding systems, ultimately enabling the production of improved genotypes. In this study, the autotetraploid lines obtained from the self-incompatible diploid Hylocereus monacanthus and the autooctapolyploid lines obtained from the self-compatible tetraploid H. megalanthus were studied and compared with the donor accessions. The resulting H. monacanthus autotetraploids exhibit lower fruit weight, seed number, and pollen viability than the donor plant, but it has larger pollen grains. Although the resulting H. megalanthus autooctaploids had larger pollen grains and lower pollen viability compared with the donor plant, only aborted fruits were obtained from these lines. The most valuable change observed was the breakdown of the self-incompatibility system in the H. monacanthus autotetraploid lines. This research provides important information on the horticultural value of vine cacti autopolyploid lines.     

Mapping quantitative trait loci for cottonseed oil,protein and gossypol content in a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gossypium hirsutum</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gossypium barbadense</Emphasis> backcross inbred line population

Cotton is one of the most important oil-producing crops and the cottonseed meal provides important protein nutrients as animal feed. However, information on the genetic basis of cottonseed oil and protein contents is lacking. A backcross inbred line (BIL) population from a cross between Gossypium hirsutum as the recurrent parent and G. barbadense was used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for cottonseed oil, protein, and gossypol contents. The BIL population of 146 lines together with the two parental lines was tested in the same location for three years in China. Based on a genetic map of 392 SSR markers and a total genetic distance of 2,895.2 cM, 17 QTLs on 12 chromosomes for oil content, 22 QTLs on 12 chromosomes for protein content and three QTLs on two chromosomes for gossypol content were detected. Seed oil content was significantly and negatively correlated with seed protein content, which can be explained by eight QTLs for both oil and protein contents co-localized in the same regions but with opposite additive effects. This research represents the first report using a permanent advanced backcross inbred population of an interspecific hybrid population to identify QTLs for seed quality traits in cotton in three environments.     

Combining ability for grain chemistry quality traits in a white oat diallelic cross

There has been a strong demand for oat genotypes that contain caryopsis with high chemical quality which can suit the different market niches. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to assess the general (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) of white oat cultivars through diallelic crosses providing information about the genetic effects on expression of grain chemical quality components. Also, it was aimed to estimate the heterosis on F₁ and F₂ generations and the vigor loss due to inbreeding. During 2008, 21 hybrid populations F₁ and F₂ were obtained from artificial crossing among seven Brazilian white oat cultivars, following the complete diallel design, without considering the reciprocals. These populations and their parents were evaluated in the 2009 season in the experimental field in Capão do Leão, RS, Brazil. The higher values of mean squares associated to GCA indicates a strong contribution of additive genetic effects to the expression of grain chemical components. The parents tested showed a tendency to develop progeny with negative heterosis regarding protein, lipid, β-glucan and soluble dietary fiber in the grain, and positive for the content of nitrogen-free extract, total and insoluble dietary fiber. IAC 7 features a potential parent for obtaining grains with high protein and dietary fiber content, and low caloric content, fit to human diet. Meanwhile, UPF 15 and FAPA Louise can represent donors of alleles to increase lipid contents, while FAPA Louise and URS Guapa can be used to raise the grain nitrogen-free extract contents of lines intended for animal feeding.     

Mapping of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">ms8</Emphasis> male sterility gene in sweet pepper (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Capsicum annuum</Emphasis> L.) on the chromosome P4 using PCR-based markers useful for breeding programmes

The nuclear male sterility gene ms8 is expected to facilitate the production of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) hybrids as it provides means for hybridization without the labor-intensive hand emasculation of female inbred lines. The development of molecular markers linked to ms8 locus will help the breeding practice for the selection of hybrid parental lines. In this study, F₂ population resulting from a cross between the sweet pepper male sterile line 320 and the male fertile variety Elf was used to identify DNA markers linked to the ms8 locus. With the use of RAPD–BSA technique, seven markers linked to the ms8 locus were found. Four of them were converted into SCAR markers. In addition, two COSII/CAPS markers linked to the ms8 locus were identified. Comparative mapping with reference pepper maps indicated that the ms8 locus is located on the lower arm of the pepper chromosome P4. Identified markers are useful for molecular breeding, however, at present markers tightly linked to ms8 locus are still lacking. Identification of molecular markers linked to the ms8 locus and determination of its chromosomal localization are useful for fine mapping and also provide the perspective for ms8 gene cloning.     

The twenty-first century,the century of plant breeding

To achieve global food security by 2050 primary production must almost be doubled, at least to 80 % by increasing production per unit land. The challenge to plant breeding is tremendous. It is necessary to convince the public of this challenge, who are already dealing with concerns about climate change, a scarcity of good arable land, the demands placed on land with regard to biomass production, scarcity of water and phosphorous as well as increasing consumption of meat. In terms of breeding, concerns are the very small number of major crops and low rates of breeding progress in self-pollinating cereals. Society and politicians can be easily distracted from the dire need to invest in basic breeding research and breeding applications when so many environmental concerns are being emphasized. A holistic approach to these problems is essential. The focus here is on both the obstacles to be overcome and the opportunities to ensure global food security by producing excellent germplasm by 2050. This can be achieved by new technologies and genomics as well as the continuing development of more traditional breeding methodologies.     

Heterotic orientation of tropical maize inbred lines towards populations ZM523 and Suwan-1 under downy mildew infestation

Development of top cross varieties with downy mildew (DM) resistance is one approach to enhance maize productivity in tropical lowland environments. The objective of this study was to determine heterotic orientation of 18 advanced maize inbred lines towards popular open pollinated synthetic populations ZM523 and Suwan-1 under the prevalence of DM. The 36 top crosses, four hybrid check varieties and two testers, ZM523 (Z) and Suwan-1 (S) were evaluated in a 6 × 7 α-lattice design with two replications across three environments. General combining ability effects were significant (P ≤ 0.05) for DM resistance and grain yield, suggesting that genes with additive effects were important in controlling the traits. Specific combining ability (SCA) effects were not significant for DM suggesting small influence of DM resistance by the genes with non-additive effects; but SCA effects were significant for grain yield, indicating that non-additive gene effects played a significant role in governing the grain yield. Based on the SCA data, ten lines were grouped with Suwan-1 and eight lines with ZM523. Using the heterosis data, the lines were fitted into three groups that were designated as S, Z and SZ orientation. The lines ML2, ML30 and ML42, which displayed positive heterosis with both testers for grain yield, were allocated to the SZ-group. The lines ML8, ML10, ML25, ML45, and ML48 exhibited positive heterosis with Suwan-1 and were therefore, classified in the Z-group, and line ML19 that showed positive heterosis with ZM523 was fitted in the S-group. The remaining eight lines did not show any significant and positive heterosis with both testers hence they could not be classified based on heterosis data, suggesting that hybrid breeding efficiency could be improved by expanding the number of testers. Line ML42 displayed the highest level of heterosis with both Suwan-1 (32 %) and ZM523 (29 %) and outperformed all the standard check varieties qualifying it as a potential candidate for further testing. Generally, there was consistency of heterotic grouping of the lines using SCA and heterosis data.     

Functional markers delimiting a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago</Emphasis> orthologue of pea symbiotic gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">NOD3</Emphasis>

Symbiotic gene mutated in the pea (Pisum sativum L.) line RisfixC is a determinant of the number of symbiotic root nodules. In parallel to a sharp increase in nodule number, its mutational inactivation brings about the insensitivity of nodulation to the ambient nitrate level (Nts trait). Using the established localization to the SYM2-NOD3 region of the pea linkage group I, functional PCR markers were developed for the orthologous region on the chromosome 5 of the model species Medicago truncatula. Owing to the conservation of the binding regions of the designed primers, pea orthologues were successfully amplified with 60% of the primer pairs tested. When applied to a mapping pea population from the cross of the line RisfixC x Afghanistan L1268 (sym2), the new markers allowed to localize the supernodulation mutation within 2.5 cM confidence interval in the pea genome. The placement of the functional markers on the M. truncatula chromosome 5 confined the orthologous gene location to eight overlapping BACs spanning approximately 710 kbp (positions 37,755,678–38,467,472). The narrowed list of the annotated Medicago genes in combination with the published data on their symbiotic and nitrate regulation can be used for the candidate gene identification, together with the requirements imposed by the known function in nodule number initiation and nitrate sensing. In addition, the new markers are applicable for tracking the RisfixC allele in breeding programmes aimed at the improvement of symbiotic performance.     

Genetic and cytological analysis of a new spontaneous male sterility in radish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Raphanus sativus</Emphasis> L.)

A male sterile plant appeared in the radish breeding program at the Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hubei, China. In its progeny, a two-type (half of plants male sterile, the other half male fertile) line 01GAB was established. An F₂ population of 260 plants from a cross of male-sterile 01GAB and a male fertile line 9802H segregated for male fertility in a 3:1 ratio indicating that fertility was restored by a single dominant gene, here designated RsMs. A PCR-based DNA marker specific to the male fertility Rfob gene in 9802H was absent in 01GAB. Linkage analysis placed the RsMs locus 10.7 cM away from the Rfo locus. In an F₂ population of hybrids between 01GAB and male fertile 9802B, a co-dominant DNA marker for the RSultr3.2A (a radish sulfate transporter gene) locus was linked to the RsMs locus at 1.5 cM suggesting that fertility restoration in 01GAB was located in the region with known male sterility restorers in radish. However, no maintainer for the 01GAB source of male sterility has been identified so far. Cytological observations have shown that the abnormalities in male sterile anthers first appeared in tapetum at the tetrad stage, followed by a hypertrophy of the tapetal cells at the vacuolate microspore period. These results suggest that male sterility in 01GAB is likely to be genetic in nature, or it may represent a new type of the cytoplasmic male sterility.     

Genotype × environment interactions in populations possessing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ga1</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">s</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ga1</Emphasis> alleles for cross incompatibility in maize

Use of cross incompatibility in corn (Zea mays L.) by the Ga1-s allele may reduce cross-fertilization in specialty and conventional organic corn with pollen from genetically-modified (GM) corn. For effective use, information about environment, and genotype × environment effects on cross-fertilization by ga1 as well as heritability of cross incompatibility in maize is necessary. Our objective was to obtain this information. Four population pairs differing in their genotype at ga1 were evaluated for cross incompatibility with ga1 pollen in different environments. Populations were derived by crossing the recurrent parents B116, PHG35, ARZM16035:S19, and (CHZM05015:Mo17)Mo17 to Ga1-s donor parent Mo508W/Mo506W. Two replicates of each treatment were grown in the center of 952 m² fields planted with purple corn as an adventitious source of ga1/ga1 pollen. Open pollination was allowed and the amount of cross-fertilization estimated by averaging the percentage of purple seeds. Environment and genotype × environment effects were not significant. Contrasts to evaluate differences in cross-fertilization between Ga1-s and ga1 populations revealed that mean percentages of cross-fertilization in Ga1-s populations of B116, ARZM16035:S19, and (CHZM05015:Mo17)Mo17 were significantly lower than in ga1 populations. The estimated broad-sense heritability on an entry-mean basis for cross incompatibility was 0.81. Results suggest differences in genotype at ga1 played a major role in cross-fertilization of populations differing in their genotype at the ga1 locus. Incompatibility may be selected effectively over different environments and the Ga1-s system may be of value to reduce cross-fertilization with GM corn pollen.