The inheritance of morphological and agronomic characters in spring wheat

Summary Inheritance of yield and its component (number of ears per plant, number of spikelets per ear, number of kernels per ear, 1000-kernel weight), together with the inheritance of morphological characters (flag leaf length, flag leaf breadth, peduncle length, extrusion length and leaf sheath length) and anthesis date was studied in a 5-parent diallel cross of spring wheat varieties. The diallel analysis of gene actions indicated that a large part of the total genetic variation observed for all the characters studied was in the form of additive genetic effects. The degree of dominance was also determined for each character. Number of ears per plant showed most overdominance, followed by leaf sheath length. Full or nearly full dominance was found for anthesis date, flag leaf length and yield per plant. Other characters showed partial dominance. Correlation coefficients showed that yield per plant, as well as being correlated with the yield components, was also assiciated with flag leaf breadth and leaf sheath length. There was no evidence of genetic barriers to the combining of ideal characters among the varieties of different origin.     

Effects of temperature pre-treatments on the forcing of strawberry plants (cv. Glasa)

The results of an experiment, designed to study the effects of certain temperature treatments during the autumn season on the subsequent development of strawberries (cv. Glasa) during forcing, have been presented in this paper. This study was under-taken in the interest of both breeding new varieties suitable for forcing and improving the present forcing methods.Practical experience has shown that the chance of success is small when forcing is started before the 15th of January.In a recent publication it has been suggested to provide plants with strong artificial light for assimilation, which would make it possible to start forcing at an earlier date.In the present experiment, however, in which forcing was started as early as the 5th of January, good results were obtained under ordinary light conditions by previously exposing the plants to 12°C for three weeks in November. The pre-treated plants showed earlier flowring and fruiting, better fruit set and a higher yield than the control plants.These observations indicate that in order to obtain satisfactory results the inflorescences must have attained a certain stage of development at the beginning of forcing, and that this stage was reached at an earlier date by the accelerating effect of the temperature treatment.     

Mutation Techniques for Gene Discovery and Crop Improvement

One of the most important breakthroughs in the history of genetics ）was the discovery that mutations can be artificially induced in organisms （van Harten, 1998）. Artificially induced mutations, by physical and chemical mutagens, have greatly advanced the understanding of genetics of higher organisms. Starting in the late 1960＇s, the International Atomic Energy Agency （IAEA） and the Food and Agriculture Organization （FAO） of the United Nations sponsored extensive research on mutation induction and their application to breeding of food and indnstrial crops that resulted in the introduction of new varieties of rice, wheat, barley, apples, citrus, sugar cane, banana, and others （more than 2 500 officially released new varieties are to be found in the FAO/IAEA Mutant Varieties Database） （hitp：//www-mvd.iaea.org/MVD/default.htm）. However, the usefulness of mutation techniques has been underappreciated in research communities, particularly during the last decade, when more and more researchers and breeders were rushing into molecular marker techniques and transgenic plants. In this paper, after a brief review of the past accomplishments of mutation induction and its application, we discuss the uniqueness of induced mutations in gene discovery and how to integrate induced mutants into functional genomics programs;     

Development of Elongated Uppermost Intemode CMS Lines for Hybrid Rice Breeding in India

Development of cytoplasmic male sterile （CMS） lines with elongated uppermost internode （EUI） trait provides a genetic option to eliminate the use of GA3 in hybrid rice. During the past two decades, extensive work has been carried out on the subject that resulted in identification of several mutants with EUI trait for use in developing cytoplasmic/thermo-sensitive genic male-sterile lines with complete panicle exsertion （Okuno and Kawai, 1978; Rutger and Carnahan, 1981; Shen et al., 1987; Yang et al., 2000; 2002; Gangashetti et al., 2004）. Two recessive genes （eui-1 and eui-2） mapped on chromosome 5 and 10 respectively have so far been reported to control the internode elongation in rice （Librojo and Khush, 1986; Yang et al., 2001; Ma et al., 2004）. Considerable progress has been made in China in exploiting ＇eur gene for development of hybrid rice parental lines （Yang et al., 2000; 2002; Zhang et al., 2002）.     

Relationships between height and yield in near-isogenic spring wheats that contrast for major reduced height genes

The effect of two major dwarfing (Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b) genes varies with environment. Near-isogenic pairs (i.e., tall and semidwarf) of six spring wheat lines, included in the International Adaptation Trial (IAT), were grown in 81 trials around the world from 2001 to 2004. Trial yields ranged from 1 to 8 t ha⁻¹ with a mean of ca. 4 t ha⁻¹. Overall, the yield advantage of the lines possessing the dwarfing gene was ca. 10% and was particularly evident in trials where the mean height of semidwarf isolines exceeded ca. 80 cm. However, the yield advantage was greater in the slightly taller and older lines (Pavon and Galvez) than in the newer lines Nesser and Kauz and the two durum lines. Sixteen pairs of semidwarf/tall near-isolines were grown in six managed drought environment trials at CIMMYT in northwestern Mexico. In these trials, height and yield differences were small and/or negligible in the most droughted environment (2.5 t ha⁻¹) and the slope of yield versus height for each isoline pair became consistently negative with increase in irrigation. In the IAT, the slope of the yield versus height was much more variable at low heights or yields, presumably due to the fact that there were many more factors driving the response. Even at the point where the slope became consistently negative (ca. between 2 and 4 t ha⁻¹), there were some trials where tall isolines equaled or exceeded the yield of semidwarf isolines, particularly in the most recent developed cultivar, Kauz. For submission to Euphytica as part of special issue “Challenges to International Wheat Breeding”. From the International Symposium on Wheat Yield Potential: Challenges to International Wheat Breeding, Days Inn, Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico, March 19–24th, 2006.     

Relationship between Carbon Isotope Discrimination, Ash Content and Grain Yield in Wheat in the Peninsular Zone of India

Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) and ash content (m_a) have been proposed as indirect selection criteria for grain yield in wheat. The associations between Δ, m_a and grain yield were found, however, to depend highly on the environmental conditions, the organ sampled and the time of sampling. In this study, carried out in the warm conditions of the Peninsular Zone of India, the relationship between Δ, m_a and yield was studied in 30 bread and durum wheat cultivars under residual soil moisture stress (RSMS), post‐anthesis water stress (PAWS) and well‐watered (WW) conditions. Both Δ and m_a were analysed in young seedlings (four‐leaf stage), leaves at anthesis and grain at maturity. Ash content was also evaluated in leaves at booting stage and maturity. Grain Δ was lower under PAWS and RSMS than under WW, while seedling and leaf Δ did not significantly differ among water regimes. Grain yield was positively correlated to grain Δ under PAWS and negatively correlated to grain m_a under RSMS. A significant positive correlation was noted under RSMS and WW treatments between m_aL_m and grain yield. Ash content in leaf at maturity consequently appears to be a useful indirect selection criterion in environments where Δ does not show any correlation with yield. The results highlight the potential of Δ and m_a as indirect selection criteria for wheat yield in the conditions of the Peninsular Zone of India.     

The Deterioration of Eating and Cooking Quality Caused by High Temperature During Grain Filling in Early-Season indica Rice Cultivars

The effect of temperature during grain filling on eating and cooking quality of early-season indica rice was investigated by using four cultivars with different amylose content. Starting from flowering stage until maturity, the plants of all cultivars were subjected to two temperature treatments, referred as optimum (mean daily air temperature, 22 °C) and high (32 °C) temperature regimes. The results showed that the effect of high temperature on apparent amylose content and gel consistency in milled rice was cultivar-dependent. Under high temperature, amylose content increased for cv. Jiayu353 and remained little changed for cv. Guangluai4, which had intrinsically higher amylose content, and decreased for cv. Zhefu49 and cv. Jiazao935, which had lower amylose content. By contrast, high temperature reduced or kept stable gel consistency values for cultivars with higher amylose content and increased gel consistency values for those with lower amylose content. Moreover, high temperature significantly increased the gelatinization temperature of all cultivars. Pasting profiles and X-ray diffraction pattern of rice were also affected by temperature. The results suggest that high temperature during grain filling change the component and crystalline structure of starch and result in deterioration of eating and cooking quality for early-season indica rice.     

CO2 and ozone effects on canopy development of potato crops across Europe

This paper describes the effects of elevated CO₂ (550 and 680 μl l⁻¹) and O₃ (60 nl l⁻¹ O₃ as an 8 h mean), alone or in combination, on canopy development and senescence in potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv Bintje) across a range of European agro-climatic conditions. The assessments were made within the European CHIP project (CHanging climate and potential Impacts on Potato yield and quality) that was conducted for two growing seasons (1998 and 1999) in free air CO₂ enrichment systems (FACE) and open-top chamber facilities (OTCs) at seven European sites. A comparison of chambered and unchambered experimental plots was included to examine the effects of chamber enclosure. Phenological growth stages, plant height, leaf area index (LAI) and the number of green and yellow leaves were recorded non-destructively throughout the growing season and by a destructive intermediate harvest at maximum leaf area (MLA). In the dynamic growth analysis CO₂ and O₃ effects were studied over three developmental stages: canopy expansion, full canopy and canopy senescence. Chamber enclosures promoted potato crop development (taller plants, more leaves) during the initial growth stages and led to a faster decline of LAI and a higher number of yellow leaves. The growth in ambient plots varied between sites and seasons, as did the scale of the treatment responses. Despite the large background variation, some overall treatment effects could be detected across all sites. Both levels of increased CO₂ reduced final plant height in comparison to ambient concentrations, which indicates a premature ending of the active plant growth. At the stage of full canopy and crop senescence the average number of green leaves was significantly (P<0.05) decreased by 680 μl l⁻¹ CO₂ (OTC experiments) and LAI showed the same tendency (P=0.07). As there was however no indication of a decreased leaf formation during initial growth and at full canopy, this must have been due to an earlier leaf fall. In the FACE experiments LAI had already began to decline at the stage of full canopy at 550 μl l⁻¹ CO₂ but not in ambient CO₂ (DAE×CO₂, P<0.05). These observations strongly indicated that elevated CO₂ induced a premature senescence during full canopy. O₃ did not have an overall detrimental effect on crop development during initial growth nor at full canopy, but did induce a faster reduction of LAI during crop senescence (DAE×O₃, P<0.05). Final plant height was not affected by O₃. There were few CO₂×O₃ interactions detected. There was a suggestion (P=0.06) that O₃ counteracted the CO₂-induced decrease of green leaves at full canopy, but on the other hand during crop senescence the decline of LAI due to elevated O₃ was faster at ambient compared to elevated CO₂ (P<0.05). These responses of canopy development to elevated CO₂ and O₃ help to explain the treatment responses of potato yield within the CHIP project at sites across Europe.     

Effects of elevated carbon dioxide and ozone on potato tuber quality in the European multiple-site experiment ‘CHIP-project’

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L cv. Bintje) was exposed to ambient and elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂), to ambient and elevated ozone (O₃) and to elevated levels of both gases during two growing seasons, 1998 and 1999. Experiments in open-top chambers (OTC) were carried out in Finland, Sweden, Ireland, United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium and a FACE (Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment) experiment was carried out in Italy. In OTCs the plants were grown under ambient CO₂ concentrations or with 550 and 680 μl l⁻¹ CO₂ alone or in combination with ambient or elevated O₃ concentrations (target seasonal mean of 60 nl l⁻¹ 8 h per day). In the FACE systems the plants were exposed to ambient or 550 μl l⁻¹ CO₂. In the OTC experiments the reducing sugar content of potato tubers decreased significantly with increased concentration of O₃. The starch content of potato tubers decreased, with negative impact on tuber quality, but the ascorbic acid concentration increased as a function of the AOT40 (The sum of the differences between hourly ozone concentration and 40 nl l⁻¹ for each hour when the concentration exceeds 40 nl l⁻¹ during a relevant growing season). However, simultaneous exposure to elevated CO₂ counteracted the ozone effect. With increase in the CO₂ exposure, glycoalkaloid and nitrate concentrations decreased yielding improved quality, while the citric acid concentration decreased causing a higher risk for discoloration after cooking. The amount of dry matter and starch increased significantly in the FACE experiment.     

Rhizobium specificity of Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb × T. repens L. hybrid clovers

Growth of full-sib families of an F₁ interspecific hybrid between Trifolium ambiguum M.Bieb and T. repens L, and two generations of backcross hybrids (BC₁F₂ and BC₂F₁) with T. repens as the recurrent parent, were compared to their parental species. Plants were grown in a N-free medium and inoculated with Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii rhizobia effective on T. ambiguum or T. repens. Hybridisation produced progeny that nodulated with rhizobia from either T. ambiguum or T. repens, but plant growth varied. Mean weights of T. repens and hybrids, particularly F₁ and BC₁F₂, were higher when inoculated with a mixture of strains isolated from field grown T. repens than with the New Zealand inoculant strain for T. repens. When inoculated with the mix of rhizobia from T. repens, mean weights were 242, 189, 132, 125, and 100 mg/plant for T. repens, BC₂F₁, BC₁F₂, F₁ and T. ambiguum, respectively. However, although the mean weight of BC₂F₁ lines was significantly less than T. repens, there was considerable variation in individual full-sib families indicating the potential to select within BC₂F₁ hybrids for high plant growth/symbiotic nitrogen fixation. The weight of T. ambiguumplants inoculated with the New Zealand inoculant strain for hexaploid T. ambiguum was similar to T. repens inoculated with the mix of rhizobia from T. repens (253 and 242 mg/plant, respectively). Mean fresh weights of F₁ hybrid plants were similar when inoculated with rhizobia for T. ambiguum or T. repens (125 and 130 mg/plant, respectively). However, weight of T. repens, BC₁F₂ and BC₂F₁ hybrids inoculated with rhizobia for T. ambiguum were all less than 90 mg/plant. There was a significant relationship between plant fresh weight and ethylene production. The results indicate that measuring weights of inoculated plants growing in N-free media is a rapid initial method of screening a range of plant germplasm for plant growth/symbiotic nitrogen fixation rates. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.