Prospects of breeding opium poppies (Papaver somniferum L.) as a high-linoleic-acid crop

Fatty-acid composition was studied in a half diallel in opium poppies using six parents, F₁ and F₂. Poppy is an oleic-linoleic-acid type of crop with a low level of linolenic acid of up to 3% or only trace. Transgressive segregation was observed in F₂ having up to 81% linoleic acid making it suitable for development as a high-linoleic-acid crop. This is the first report of its kind in opium poppy.     

Out-crossing in opium poppy Papaver somniferum L.

Summary A quantitative assessment of out-crossing in opium poppy was attempted using two strains (UO 221 C and NBPGR 1) possessing non-waxy stigmas and five strains (UO 177-2, UO 285, D 5-B, D 14 and UO 185) possessing waxy stigmas. The degree of out-crossing, measured over four years, was 15.3 per cent in non-waxy types and 45.8 per cent in waxy types. The overall mean worked out to 33 per cent.     

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.     

Genetic divergence in parental genotypes and its relation with heterosis, F1 performance and general combining ability (GCA) in opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.)

Summary Genetic divergence in 110 population (20 parents and 90 F₁ hybrids) of opium poppy was studied by multivariate analysis. All the entries were grouped in 14 clusters. Out of 20 parents, ten were accumulated in one cluster and rest 10 distributed over seven clusters. Estimates of cluster distance showed that maximum intra-cluster distance was in -cluster IX (25.62) followed by cluster I (22.41), V (22.23) and IV (21.06). The inter cluster distances varied from 16.62 (between cluster XII and XIV) to 195.10 (between cluster IV and IX). The cluster analysis indicated substantial diversity among the parental genotypes, which had the potential to release considerable variation in their crosses. The first four principal components (PCs) with eigen values >1 accounted for 68% of variation among the population. The first and second components could account for 29 and 20% of the total morphological and alkaloidal variations, respectively. The PC1 was closely related to yield and yield related traits. The characters contributing greatest positive weight on PC1 were opium yield, plant height, stem diameter, capsule weight/plant and seed yield/plant. The possibilities of relationship between genetic divergence, F₁ performance, heterosis and GCA of parents have been explored.     

Development of EST‐SSR markers for diversity and breeding studies in opium poppy

All publicly available opium poppy expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences, totalling 20 885, were assembled into unigenes and examined for simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Nearly 19% of the 14 957 unigenes contained SSRs with 4% harbouring more than one SSR. Average density of the SSRs was 1 SSR per 3.6 kb of non‐redundant EST sequence. Trinucleotide SSRs were most frequently identified (39%), and many of the most prevalent motifs were AT‐rich. Flanking primers were designed for 86% of the SSRs and 67 primer pairs were tested on 37 opium poppy accessions and seven related species. All markers were transferable to the related species. Polymorphism information content (PIC) values for the markers were intermediate for comparisons within opium poppy (average of 0.27) and slightly higher for comparisons across species (average of 0.29). The markers were found to be useful for diversity analysis as they successfully distinguished among Turkish opium poppy accessions and land races.     

Alkaloid accumulation in capsules of the selfed and cross-pollinated poppy

In harmony with international regulations the creation of poppy cultivars with high alkaloid content as well as free of alkaloids is in progress. In the course of selection procedures, five poppy cultivars of high chemical diversity, ‘Kheops’, ‘AT, ‘Tebona’, ‘Kék Gemona’ and ‘Przemko’, were selfed and crossed in two successive years (2000‐01). After full ripening, both the biomass production and the alkaloid content of capsules of selfed and crossed plants were determined. When the castrated alkaloid‐free cultivar ‘Przemko’ (accumulating only 0.01 mg/100 g morphine in capsules) was pollinated with cultivars rich in alkaloids, the morphine content of its capsules increased to 0.9‐7.5 mg/100 g‐values. Based on the well‐known biosynthetic background of poppy alkaloids, this can be explained by promotion of (S)‐norcoclaurine synthesis, which seems to be suppressed in alkaloid‐free plants; but tissues of the developing hybrid seeds, which contain a combined gene pool of both alkaloid‐free cultivar and that of the pollen donor plants, release this suppression. The chemical metaxenia also manifested itself in other combinations. In particular, the appearance of narcotine (0.1‐1.1 mg/100 g) in the narcotine‐free cultivars ‘Kheops’, ‘A1’ and ‘Przemko’ can be explained biochemically. If the narcotine‐type plants ‘Kék Gemona’ (accumulating 11.3 mg/g narcotine) were used for pollination, the developing seed tissue, which contains the gene pool of narcotine biosynthesis, might contribute to the suppression of the activity of 1,2‐dehydroreticuline reductase, which leads to the accumulation of narcotine at the cost of morphinanes.     

A shattering-resistant mutant of Papaver bracteatum Lindl.: characterisation and inheritance

Summary Papaver bracteatum is a potential crop for the codeine industry. Seed shattering prevailing in the species is a major problem which reduces the seed yields. A spontaneous mutant with capsules having no pores of dehiscence was isolated in an experimental field. The seed yields of this shattering-resistant mutant are lower than in plants with normal capsules but the thebaine content of the capsules from the mutant is higher. The mutation is monogenic dominant; it can be used for breeding cultivars for dual purpose-thebaine and seeds.     

Thebaine content and yield in induced tetraploid and triploid plants of Papaver bracteatum Lindl.

Summary The effect of colchicine induced autotetraploidy on the thebaine content and yield of the capsules of Papaver bracteatum was studied. A significant increase in the thebaine content of the capsules was found in tetraploid plants during two consecutive growing seasons, but the thebaine yield per plant was slightly reduced in the autotetraploids. Autotriploid plants showed a very high concentration of thebaine (8.8%) only in the first growing season.Preferential bivalent pairing and a relatively high pollen fertility were observed in the tetraploids, thus making possible the stabilization of tetraploidy by selfing.Tetraploidy seems a most promising approach for developing clones (by vegetative propagation) or lines rich in thebaine.     

Genetic combining ability estimates in the F<Subscript>1</Subscript> and F<Subscript>2</Subscript> generations for yield,its component traits and alkaloid content in opium poppy (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Papaver somniferum</Emphasis> L.)

The F ₁ and F ₂ generations of a twenty parent fractional diallel cross of opium poppy (P. somniferum L.) were analyzed for combining ability for ten quantitative and five quality (alkaloids) traits. The results indicated significant differences among the parents for combining ability for all the traits. The GCA and SCA components of variances were significant for all the characters. However, the SCA component of variance (δ ²s) was predominant indicating the preponderance of non-additive gene effect for all the traits except for leaves/plant and papaverine in F₁ hybrids. The average degree of dominance (δ ²s/δ ²g) was more than unity indicating over dominance and also confirming non-additive mode of gene action. Among the parents IS-16, IS-13 and NBRI-1 for early flowering, BR226 and BR241 for branches/plant, capsule weight/plant, seed yield/plant and husk yield/plant, BR227 for leaves/plant, UO1285 for capsule size and opium yield/plant, NBRI-5 for husk yield/plant, morphine, codeine, and thebaine and ‘Papline’ for plant height and papaverine content were found good general combiners. Parent ND1001 was good combiner for codeine and narcotine content. Inclusion of good general combiners in a multiple crossing program or an intermating population involving all the possible crosses among them subjected to bi-parental mating may be expected to offer maximum promise in breeding for higher opium, seed yield and alkaloid contents.     

Effect of Timing and Nitrogen Fertilizer Application on Winter Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.). I. Growth Dynamics and Seed Yield

The field experiments conducted on the grey‐brown podzolic soil in the four growing seasons (1998–2001) at Krzeslice Farm, central‐western Poland comprised seven fertilization variants: 80_NF + 80_CAN; 80_CAN + 80_CAN; 80_AN + 80_AN; 80_NF + 50_CAN + 30_CN; 80_CAN + 50_CAN +30_CN; 80_AN + 50_AN + 30_CN (where NF – nitrofos NPK; CAN – calcium‐ammonium nitrate; AN – ammonium nitrate; CN – calcium nitrate) and control (without N) applied in split rates at the beginning of spring regrowth (80 kg N ha^?1), stem elongation (80 or 50) and flower buds visible stages (30). The yielding effect of tested fertilization variants was significant in comparison with the control (2.24 t ha^?1). The highest mean seed yield (3.64 t ha^?1) was collected from 80_AN + 80_AN and 80_CAN + 80_CAN variants. Mean values of 4 years indicate that the second N rate division (80 + 50 + 30) decreased yield, although not significantly in comparison with these two N treatments. Plants grown on these treatments have developed different patterns of growth to yield the seeds. These patterns were characterized by very high crop growth rate during flowering (above 21 g m^?2 day^?1) and negative at maturation (down to ?2.5 g m^?2 day^?1). Plants fertilized with ammonium nitrate (80_AN + 80_AN) reached maximum growth rate earlier (65 days), which lasted longer (20 days) than plants fertilized with calcium‐ammonium nitrate (71 days lasting 17.5 days). Plants grown on the control treatment reached the highest crop growth rate within 79 days (14.8 g m^?2 day^?1), which lasted 15 days.     

Domestication of niger (Guizotia abyssinica)

Summary Phytogeographic, morphological and cytogenetical evidences suggest that niger has originated through selection and further cultivation of a large grained mutant of Guizotia scabra ssp schimperi. This progenitor species is found only in the northern part of the Ethiopian highlands; therefore, it is proposed that niger was domesticated in the Ethiopian highlands. Evidence indicates that niger was probably domesticated earlier than 3000 B.C. and entered India through trade routes before the Christian era.     

纳米技术在种子生产、加工与处理中的应用

种子是农业生产的第一要素,优质的种子是农业可持续发展的基础。综述了纳米技术在作物育种和种子加工与处理等方面的应用。纳米技术尚处于发展初期,未来的发展潜力巨大,但也存在一定的不确定性风险,选择安全可靠的纳米技术,对于种业的发展意义重大。     

近20a国家自然科学基金棉花遗传育种与栽培生理领域申请及资助项目分析

为指导国家自然科学基金项目评审和棉花科研项目申请,本文以1995―2014年间国家自然科学基金棉花遗传育种与栽培生理领域面上基金、青年基金与地区基金项目申请与资助项目数据为依据,对棉花遗传育种和栽培生理学的研究现状与趋势进行了分析,在此基础上指出了棉花研究方面存在的不足,并对未来发展的方向提出了建议。     

Development of self-incompatible Brassica napus: (II) Brassica oleracea S-allele expression in B. napus

Brassica napus var. oleifera varieties have traditionally been developed as open‐pollinated varieties. The successful introduction of several high‐yielding hybrids based on cytoplasmic male sterility or transgenic pollination control systems has generated interest in the development of new hybrid systems. Self‐incompatibility could be an additional useful pollination control system for B. napus if a sufficient number of S‐alleles could be developed in this species. The S‐alleles, S2, S5, S13, S24 and S39, were identified in five hybrids of B. oleracea var. italica and subsequently transferred to B. napus. Doubled haploid lines were produced for the self‐incompatible (SI) lines in B. napus and intercrossed to produce SI heterozygotes in order to study allele interaction. There was a greater incidence of interallelic dominance in the stigmas and pollen of B. napus than was reported for the S‐alleles in B. oleracea. Allele S24 exhibited the greatest degree of dominance over the other alleles tested, while allele S2 was generally recessive or codominant with other alleles. Self‐incompatible expression was very similar in the SI homozygotes and heterozygotes, thus no weakening of the SI trait in the heterozygote was observed. The implications of S‐allele interaction for the use of SI in B. napus are discussed.     

Development of self-incompatible Brassica napus: (III) B. napus genotype effects on S-allele expression

Use of self‐incompatibility (SI) as a pollination control method for Brassica napus hybrid production requires the development of a sufficient number of S‐alleles that are expressed consistently in a range of B. napus lines. Self‐incompatibility (SI) alleles have been transferred from Brassica oleracea and Brassica rapa into B. napus var. oleifera. An understanding of expression of these alleles in B. napus is essential for their commercial use. Four SI B. napus doubled haploids containing the B. oleracea S‐alleles S2, S5, S13 and S24 were crossed to three B. napus cultivars to measure the B. napus genetic background effect on S‐allele expression. A line x tester analysis indicated that the largest source of variation in the expression rate of SI was the S‐allele itself. The B. napus genotypes tested contained modifier gene(s), some that enhanced SI expression and others that inhibited SI expression. The B. napus Canadian cultivar ‘Westar’ generally had a negative effect on SI expression while the European cultivar ‘Topas’ had a positive effect on the B. oleracea S‐allele expression. The B. oleracea S‐allele S24 was very similar in expression to the B. rapa allele W1. The application of these results for the use of B. oleracea S‐alleles for hybrid production in B. napus is discussed.     

A decade of Tropical Legumes projects: Development and adoption of improved varieties,creation of market‐demand to benefit smallholder farmers and empowerment of national programmes in sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia

This article highlights 12 years (2007–2019) of research, achievements, lessons learned, challenges and gaps in discovery‐to‐delivery research in legumes emanating from three projects, collectively called Tropical Legumes (TL) with a total investment of about US$ 67 million funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These projects were implemented by three CGIAR centres (ICRISAT, CIAT and IITA) together with 15 national agricultural research system partners in sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia. The TL projects together with some of their precursors and complementary projects from other agencies, facilitated the development of 266 improved legume varieties and the production of about 497,901 tons of certified seeds of the target legume crops in the focus countries. The certified seeds have been planted on about 5.0 million ha by more than 25 million smallholder farmers in the 15 countries and beyond, producing about 6.1 million tons of grain worth US$ 3.2 billion. Furthermore, the projects also trained 52 next generation scientists that included 10 women, by supporting 34 Masters degrees and 18 PhD degrees.     

Mutation breeding of Highgate (Musa acuminata, AAA) for tolerance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense using gamma irradiation

Explants of in vitro-grown cultures of banana (Musa spp., AAA Group cv. Highgate) were exposed to various doses of gamma radiation to evaluate the effectiveness of inducing mutations and also with the aim of producing variants tolerant to the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense. This fungus causes fusarial wilt or Panama Disease in banana and plantain. Based on phenotypic variations in regenerated plants, factors of effectiveness were calculated for each type of explant. Factors of effectiveness for Types I and III explants (recently dissected apices and corms respectively) showed a similar trend and were higher than that from Type II explants (apices cultured in liquid medium for 28 days). The highest factors of effectiveness were obtained at doses of 0.8 and 2.0 krad for explant Types I and III respectively. Regenerated plants were screened for tolerance to the fungus under greenhouse conditions. Twelve weeks after inoculation, 9 (0.9%), 3 (0.3%) and 8 (0.5%) plants regenerated from explant Types I, II and III respectively had less than 10% vascular invasion of their corms with no external symptoms of the disease. These plants were considered tolerant to the fungus and were multiplied, ex vitro, for field screening. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Developmental abnormalities in the ovule and embryo sac of ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus) and their effect on seed set

Summary Ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus) is a vegetatively propagated crop plant that flowers abundantly but sets only few seeds. We examined if the low seed/ovule ratio can be explained by morphological abnormalities in ovules, embryo sacs or embryos. In 35 clones growing in the actual area of cultivation in Ecuador and in 5 clones grown in Finland flowers were analysed by clearing technique. About half of all analysed clones contained ovules and embryo sacs whose development was arrested, in two clones there were embryo sacs whose cell patterns were abnormal and in four clones there were double embryo sacs. There were both normal and abnormal ovules and embryo sacs in the same plant. Genetic load is suggested to be one of the causes for the low sexual fertility found in ulluco. It may be incapable of maintaining homeostasis of development of the ovule and embryo sac in a varying environment. The occurrence of developmental abnormalities should be studied in each clone intended for inclusion in traditional breeding programmes.     

有机作物生产中对种子的认证要求、发展现状及风险分析

种子是重要的农业生产资料,有机农业生产中对种子来源、转基因状况以及在种子处理方面都有明确要求。为了确定种子在有机生产认证中的要求、发展现状以及评价种子是否满足有机产品认证标准要求时所存在的风险,本研究通过资料收集及整理的方法确定了有机作物生产中对种子的认证要求、发展现状及风险分析,分析得出目前种子来源不是引起有机作物认证风险的主要因素,引入转基因种子和种子处理是该环节的主要认证风险来源。评价转基因风险的主要依据是其商业化种植的程度及其研究状况,这一标准决定在有机生产过程中使用转基因种子的风险高低;在使用常规种子过程中,种子是否受到化学药剂的处理也是在该环节中的一个重要风险。通过对有机种子风险进行分析可以为生产者及检查认证人员提供在种子环节应该注意的问题,以提高有机生产的符合性。