Combining ability among apomictic and sexual parents of Urochloa humidicola

The diallel cross constitutes an informative genetic design for choosing genitors and crosses in breeding programmes since it provides estimates of general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities. Because the breeding programme for Urochloa humidicola ([Rendle] Morrone & Zuloaga; syn. Brachiaria humidicola [Rendle] Schweick) at Embrapa Beef Cattle is recent, these estimates are still unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to obtain the estimates of GCA and SCA from the partial diallel cross design between sexual and apomictic parents. The crosses involved nine sexual and ten apomictic parents. Seventy‐one full‐sib progenies were obtained and evaluated in an incomplete block design, using all parents and the cv. BRS Tupi as a check. The agronomic and forage quality traits were evaluated using seven harvests. Statistical analysis was performed using the mixed model approach. Significant variations were associated with GCA among sexual parents for biomass yield and forage quality traits. However, this cannot be observed for apomictic parents for GCA. The SCA effect was not significant for the assessed traits. These results showed the predominance of additive effects. Sexual parents SEX3 and SEX4 presented the highest potential for contributing favourable alleles in hybrid combinations. The absence of GCA among apomictic parents and SCA suggests the need to increase genetic variability for the generation of breeding populations of U. humidicola.     

Phenotyping of Urochloa humidicola grass hybrids for agronomic and environmental performance in the Piedmont region of the Orinoquian savannas of Colombia

In the low fertility acid soils of the Orinoquian savannas of Colombia, Urochloa humidicola cv. Tully or Humidicola is one of the most widely planted tropical forage grasses for improving livestock productivity. Low nutritional quality of this grass limits sustainable livestock production in this region. In this study, we conducted a phenotypic evaluation under field and greenhouse conditions of one of the first hybrid populations of U. humidicola generated from the forage breeding program of CIAT. Our objective was to identify a set of new hybrids of U. humidicola that combine improved productivity and nutritional quality plus the biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) trait/ability to reduce nitrogen (N) losses via leaching and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. To this end, we tested 118 hybrids (planted in pots) in the greenhouse for over 6 months and measured potential nitrification rates (NR) using soil microcosm incubation. NR values observed ranged from 0.27 to 5.75 mg N-NO₃⁻ kg soil⁻¹ day⁻¹. Later, 12 hybrids with different levels of NR were selected and field-tested in the Orinoquia region over a 4 years period (2013–2017) for dry matter production, nutrition quality (crude protein, in vitro digestibility and fibres content) and NR in each year. In the rainy season of 2018, two hybrids with superior agronomic performance and contrasting field level NR (Uh08/1149 and 0450) were subjected to analysis of soil-borne N₂O emissions after fertilization during 13 days. The NR values recorded were not directly correlated with the forage quality parameters evaluated, however, the two grasses with the lowest NR values were among those with the highest biomass production, crude protein content, and N uptake. The grass hybrid Uh08/1149 and the germplasm accession CIAT 16888 were found as materials with superior forage value, with production of 14.1 and 14.6 tons dry matter ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (up to 8% higher than the cv. Tully), crude protein of 11.5 and 9.1% per cut (up to 20% higher than the cv. Tully), and N uptake of 31.6 and 25.7 kg N ha⁻¹ cut⁻¹ (up to 30% higher than the cv. Tully). Additionally, these two grasses are likely to exhibit high-BNI ability, with potential to improve N use efficiency in managed pastures.     

Breeding for drought tolerance: Direct selection for yield, response to selection and use of drought-tolerant donors in upland and lowland-adapted populations

Drought is the most important constraint reducing rice yield in rainfed areas. Earlier efforts to improve rice yield under drought mainly focused on improving secondary traits because the broad-sense heritability (H) of grain yield under drought stress was assumed to be low, however gains in yield by selecting for secondary traits have not been clearly demonstrated in rice. In present study, the effectiveness of direct selection for grain yield was assessed under lowland reproductive stage stress at Raipur in eastern India and under upland reproductive stage drought stress at IRRI. The selection under severe stress (in both upland and lowland trials) resulted in greater gains under similar stress levels (yield reduction of 65% or greater under stress) in evaluation experiments than did selection under non-stress conditions, with no yield reduction under non-stress conditions. We observed similar H of grain yield under stress and non-stress conditions, indicating direct selection for yield under drought will be effective under both lowland and upland drought stresses. None of the secondary traits (panicle exsertion, harvest index, leaf rolling, leaf drying) included in our study showed a higher estimate for H than grain yield under stress. Secondary traits as well as indirect selection for grain yield under non-stress situation were predicted to be less effective in improving yield under drought in both lowland and upland ecosystem than direct selection for grain yield under the respective stress situations. The low, but positive values observed for genetic correlation (r_G) between yield under stress and non-stress indicated that it is possible to combine drought tolerance with high-yield potential but low values also indicated that selection for grain yield needs to be carried under stress environments. The study also indicated that under lowland drought stress, the use of highly drought-tolerant donors, as parents in crosses to high yielding but susceptible varieties resulted in a much higher frequency of genotypes combining high-yield potential with tolerance than did crosses among elite lines with high-yield potential but poor tolerance. Breeding strategies that use drought-tolerant donors and that combine screening for yield under managed drought stress with screening for yield potential are likely to result in the development of improved cultivars for drought-prone rainfed rice producing areas.     

我国水稻无融合生殖研究现状及展望

本文介绍了无融合生殖的基本概念及其固定杂种优势的原理，对我国已获得的、具有某些无融合生殖特征的水稻材料，进行了分析，并对进一步开展水稻无融合生殖研究提出了看法。     

Genotypic variation and selection of traits related to forage yield in tall fescue under irrigated and drought stress environments

Development of a standard evaluation protocol has been a pressing problem for the selection of drought‐resistant genotypes of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). This study was conducted to evaluate the association of forage yield with specific phenological and morphological traits to find a proper model for indirect selection under irrigated (normal) and drought‐stress conditions in tall fescue. A random sample of seventy‐five genotypes were clonally propagated and evaluated in normal and drought‐stress environments in the field during 2009 and 2010. Results showed that water stress had a negative effect on forage yield and most of the morphological traits measured and reduced genotypic variation for most of them. Forage yield had the highest genotypic variation, whereas days to pollination had the lowest variation. Low broad‐sense heritability estimates were obtained for dry‐matter yield, but heritability for the traits of number of stems per plant, plant height and crown diameter was moderately high. These traits were identified as the main components of forage yield. The importance of these components and their direct and indirect effects on forage yield was different in normal and drought‐stress conditions. This suggests that indirect selection for developing high‐yielding, drought‐tolerant varieties should be performed under drought‐stress conditions with a specific model.     

Ideotype breeding for submergence tolerance and cooking quality by marker-assisted selection in rice

Submergence tolerance and jasmine-like cooking quality are desirable for rice varieties grown in rainfed and irrigated lowland ecosystems in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia. Hybridization between varieties IR57514 and Kao Dawk Mali 105 (KDML105) was initiated with the goal of producing an ideotype that combines submergence tolerance and jasmine-like cooking quality. Through the single seed descent (SSD) method, a large population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was developed, and we demonstrated the potential of using marker-assisted selection (MAS) in the identification of the ideotype from the offspring. Four markers, R10783Indel, Waxy, Aromarker and GT11, were used to select the favored alleles of the Sub1, Wx, badh2 and SSIIa loci, respectively. The ideotype was classified into two groups: ideotype1 (ID1), carrying the Sub1^IR, badh2^KD, Wx^KD and SSIIa^KD alleles and consisting of 66 RILs and ideotype2 (ID2), carrying the Sub1^IR, badh2^KD, Wx^KD and SSIIa^IR alleles and consisting of 31 RILs. Submergence tolerance, cooking quality, grain quality and agronomic characteristics of the IDs were evaluated and compared with those of the parents. All of the ID1 lines exhibited submergence tolerance and jasmine-like cooking quality and displayed a low amylose content, a fragrance and a high alkali spreading value, whereas the ID2s showed the same characteristics as ID1, except for a low alkali spreading value, which was inherited from IR57514. A wide range of agronomic characteristics was observed in both of the ID groups, and some of the IDs were superior in the yield component, as compared to their parents. This study provides further support that the precision of markers used in MAS can enhance the development of ideotypes in rice.     

Diet selection of dry and lactating beef cows grazing extensive pastures in late autumn

The diet selection, made by twelve dry and twelve lactating spring‐calving Salers beef cows at the end of the grazing season on an extensively grazed natural mountain pasture in central France, was compared. Sward structure, selection bites, daily grazing time and digestibility of the diet were measured in mid‐October (P₁) and mid‐November (P₂). Live weights were measured twice monthly throughout the experiment. Daily milk production was assessed in the week before the grazing behaviour measurements. Lactating cows grazed more selectively than dry cows: they took more bites on green patches (0·20 vs. 0·13 of total bites, P < 0·01; Jacob's selectivity index: 0·13 vs. ?0·25, P < 0·001), which is consistent with the higher overall nitrogen concentration in faeces (18·1 vs. 17·3 g kg^?1 DM, P < 0·05). Lactating cows tended to slightly increase their daily grazing time compared with dry cows (on average 9·9 vs. 9·5 h, P = 0·07) and grazed faster in mid‐November (74 vs. 69 bites min^?1, P < 0·05). The lactating cows lost more live weight (?24 vs. ?12 kg cow^?1, P < 0·05) between P₁ and P₂. A positive correlation was found between consumption of green patches by lactating cows and their daily milk production in P₂ (r = 0·574, P = 0·05), whereas no correlation occurred between individual milk production and liveweight loss. Dry cows were less selective, which supports management practices that promote the use of cows with low requirements on extensively grazed pastures in late season.     

向日葵耐盐性比较及耐盐生理指标选择 )

植于蛭石中的3个向日葵品种用0% (CK) 、0. 3%和0. 9% NaCl Hoagland溶液胁迫处理, 20d和40d分别 测定各种指标。结果表明,DK119较以色列H1和陇葵杂1号具有较强的耐盐性; 0. 3% NaCl和短时间(20d)处理, 向日葵的叶面积和膜透性相对值可作为评价植株耐盐性的指标,处理时间延长至40d,膜透性相对值失去对植株耐 盐性评价的意义;脯氨酸含量、叶绿素含量和光合速率亦不能作为评价植株耐盐性指标;当NaCl浓度为0. 9%时, 任何指标都失去评价意义。     

粳稻杂种早期世代产量性状选择效果研究

通过对6个粳稻杂交组合F2代6个产量性状的遗传相关、遗传参数、通径分析及选择指数的研究,结果表明:在早期世代对每穗粒数、有效穗数、单穗重及单株谷重进行综合选择,对产量的遗传进展有较好的效果。     

Cyhalofop application timing and adjuvant selection for Echinochloa crus-galli control in rice

Field experiments were conducted in Stuttgart, Arkansas, in 2007 and 2008 to evaluate cyhalofop application timing and adjuvant selection for Echinochloa crus-galli L. Beauv. (barnyardgrass) control in drill-seeded rice. In the application timing experiment, cyhalofop was applied at 1 d prior to flooding (PREFL) and at 7, 14, and 21 d post-flood (POSTFL) as single (314 g a.i./ha) or sequential application (first application at 314 g a.i./ha followed by a second application 14 days later at 213 g a.i./ha). In the adjuvant study, the adjuvants evaluated were non-ionic surfactant (NIS) at 0.25% v/v, crop oil concentrate (COC) at 1% v/v, methylated seed oil (MSO) at 1% v/v, 28% urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) at 2.5% v/v, combination of NIS or COC or MSO with UAN, a proprietary blend of MSO/organosilicone (OSL)/UAN at 2.5% v/v, and MSO/OSL/UAN applied with NIS or COC. All adjuvants applied with cyhalofop (314 g a.i./ha at 14 d after flood establishment) resulted in E. crus-galli control and rice yields comparable to cyhalofop alone. In 2007, a single application of cyhalofop controlled E. crus-galli 98–100% by the end of the season, except in the 14-d POSTFL timing (90%). In 2008, E. crus-galli plants were more robust, and control was inconsistent and less than in 2007 (10–91%). At the PREFL timing, sequential applications were needed to improve end-of-season E. crus-galli control. The 7-d POSTFL timing was one of the best single application timings for increased E. crus-galli control and rice yield. Delaying the cyhalofop application to 21-d POSTFL resulted in unacceptable E. crus-galli control of 10 and 46% with single and sequential programs, respectively. Average rice yield was reduced almost three-fold when the first cyhalofop application was at 21-d POSTFL compared with 7-d POSTFL.     

不同栽培方式有机茶园土壤微生物群落组成、活性及脲酶活性比较

对湖南长沙县金井茶场24年生双行条植、密植有机茶园,分别进行了土壤养分含量、微生物类群数量及活性、脲酶活性测定分析。结果表明:密植有机茶园土壤有机质、速效氮、速效磷、速效钾、全氮含量明显提高,土壤霉菌、放线菌、芽孢杆菌、好气性自生固氮菌、嫌气性自生固氮菌、好气性纤维素分解菌数量增加,土壤微生物活性碳、呼吸作用、氨化作用及脲酶活性增强。说明按照现代有机农业生产规程管理,茶园合理密植能够促进有机茶园土壤良性循环,有利于活性土壤的形成。     

玉米株高和穗位高QTL定位和全基因组选择探究

以郑58和B73为亲本构建的F₂群体,基于玉米48k液相探针捕获技术对株高和穗位高进行QTL定位和全基因组选择探究。结果表明,检测到20个株高的QTL,单个QTL的表型贡献率为2.13%～31.67%;检测到18个穗位高的QTL,单个QTL的表型贡献率为1.20%～27.49%,在4号染色体上的bin4.09区间发现存在1个同时控制株高和穗位高的主效QTL。通过改变训练群体大小和标记数目,用R语言软件的rrBLUP包对株高和穗位高进行全基因组选择,结果发现,株高和穗位高的预测精度分别为0.79和0.76。预测精度随着训练群体大小的增大而增加,当训练群体大小为50%时即可获得相对较高的预测精度。预测精度会随着标记数目的增加而增大,当标记数目为500时即可获得相对较高的预测精度。     

Susceptibility of Brazilian populations of Diatraea saccharalis to Cry1Ab and response to selection for resistance

The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), is a key pest of sugarcane and other grasses, which is a current focus of research aiming to develop transgenically resistant genotypes. However, the current susceptibility of Brazilian populations of the sugarcane borer to Bt toxins is unknown. Laboratory assays were carried out to characterize the susceptibility of sugarcane borer to the Bt toxin Cry1Ab and to select a resistant strain for additional studies on Cry1Ab resistance. Susceptibility was characterized by exposing neonates of different Brazilian colonies of sugarcane borer to different concentrations in meridic diet using surface application of Cry1Ab toxin. Selection for Cry1Ab resistance was carried out by exposing neonates to Cry1Ab-expressing maize (MON 810). The resistance of the borer populations to Cry1Ab was variable with LC₅₀ and EC₅₀ values reaching about 30-fold. The larvae responded positively to Cry1Ab selection exhibiting a 55-fold increase in resistance after four generations. This suggests the suitability of using leaves containing Bt-expressing genes for selection and the existence of variability of Bt-resistance in populations of the sugarcane borer.     

Participatory variety development for sorghum in Burkina Faso: Farmers’ selection and farmers’ criteria

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the staple crop of Burkina Faso in West Africa where guinea race landraces are grown in low-input cropping systems. National and international breeding programs have had little success in disseminating modern varieties based on high yield potential caudatum or kafir race breeding materials, mostly introduced from other countries. It has been argued that the breeding objectives were not sufficiently oriented towards the farmers’ needs and preferences, and that they did not target the prevailing growing conditions of Burkina Faso. The objectives of the present article are (i) to identify and examine farmers’ selection criteria for sorghum varieties in the Centre-West of Burkina Faso, (ii) to compare these criteria with the breeder's agronomic observations and standard practices, and (iii) to show how the criteria of both farmers and breeders can be effectively integrated into the early stages of a pedigree breeding program. These objectives take into consideration gender differentiation, consistency of selection criteria and the interrelationship of measured quantitative traits, as well as the impact of these traits and criteria on the final selection. The present paper is based on a pedigree breeding program that was carried out over three years (2001–2003) in two villages of Burkina Faso. Options for integrating farmers’ selection expertise with that of the breeders’ were examined. Participatory selection was initiated with 53 F3/F4 progenies in field trials managed by farmers using rating and voting exercises. The breeders measured and analysed the agronomic data while the farmers evaluated a large number of progenies by means of their three most important selection criteria and a general appreciation. Farmers’ initial choices remained consistent in the selection exercises (voting) performed in subsequent years. The farmers’ methods for defining traits turned out to be more multivariate than the breeders’ formal understanding of these same traits. This was especially so for the criteria of grain quality, earliness, and productivity for which the farmers’ definition encompasses factors such as flour yield and stability across environments. However, rating results between farmer groups were variable. A disagreement between female and male ratings was especially found for the grain quality traits. The results clearly show that farmers can effectively select for traits on the basis of progeny and single plants while pursuing specific agronomic aims such as adaption. Subsequent yield improvement schemes will thus be more efficient in terms of selection intensity related to grain yield. The study is showing the way for breeders to adjust their selection criteria to suit the basic needs of small-scale farmer in semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa.     

辐射花粉诱导木薯无融合生殖及鉴定研究

花粉诱导是获得无融合生殖的一个重要途径。本试验采用辐射花粉对雌花授粉进行木薯无融合生殖活体诱导,获得了由~(60)Coγ射线辐射花粉诱导的孢子体无融合生殖种质。结果表明:~(60)Coγ射线辐射花粉诱导木薯无融合生殖的途径是有效的,且辐射剂量及品种的选择对木薯无融合生殖诱导具一定的影响。本次试验共收获23株植株,通过对诱导子代的细胞学及共显性EST-SSR分子标记检测,显示其23株诱导子代为杂合二倍体;进一步采用SRAP分子标记对各子代的异质杂合性或同质杂合性鉴定,发现2株为SC5遗传同质体。     

SSR和SNP标记在玉米分子标记辅助背景选择中的应用比较

利用SSR和SNP两种标记对H2321/J076/J076的BC1F1代群体进行分子标记辅助背景选择,比较两种标记在分子标记辅助背景选择上的应用效果。经筛选表明,40对SSR引物中在回交亲本间具有多态性的引物有6对。利用多态性引物对BC1代群体进行毛细管电泳检测结果表明,157个单株轮回亲本背景回复率在50%~100%,背景回复率为100%的单株有1株,背景回复率91.67%的单株有14株。利用Maize SNP3072芯片分析后发现,104个多态性SNP位点可以将157株个体进行精细排序,背景回复率在51.92%~93.75%。比较SSR和SNP标记的背景选择结果,两种标记呈中等程度相关。在回交早代将SSR和SNP标记结合使用进行背景选择,可以实现大群体严选择,提高选择效率。     

对中日感官审评茶叶方法与特点的比较和思考

本文比较了中国与日本茶叶感官审评的方法与特点，指出了两国在感官审评茶叶方面的相似与不同之处，从而在名优茶的冲泡时间，评判茶叶质量各因子所占的比重等方面提出了见解。     

油茶良种选育研究进展

油茶是我国重要的木本油料植物,其良种选育历史悠久,且与产量和经济效益密切相关。本文对油茶常规育种、新技术育种等研究成果进行了分析。     

Comparison of methods for measuring leaf and tuber water potentials in potatoes

Comparative methods for measuring water potential in leaves and tubers of potatoes (Solarium tuberosum L., var. Russet Burbank) are described. For leaves drier than -3 bars, the pressure chamber gave estimates of water potential which were zero to three bars drier than potentials measured using thermocouple psychrometers. Pressure chamber readings ranged ±2.5 bars from psychrometer value for leaves wetter than -3 bars; the psychrometer measurement usually was drier than the pressure chamber when leaves were sampled in the evening. With tubers, water potential measurements usingin situ psychrometers and the pressure chamber agreed to within one bar,except in tubers drier than -7 bars, where there were discrepancies of± 2.5 bars. However, if the interval between psychrometer insertion and water potential measurement were longer than 24 hours, serious errors arose in the psychrometer measurements, apparently from suberization of tissues surrounding the psychrometers which prevented vapor equilibrium. Pressure chamber measurements of tubers also were compared with tuber water potentials determined from the weight changes of tuber samples immersed in graded sucrose osmotica. For tubers wetter than -5 bars, the osmotica method gave drier estimates than the pressure chamber; for tubers drier than -5 bars the reverse occurred. Causes for these discrepancies are discussed.