A new yam bean (Pachyrhizus spp.) interspecific hybrid

The yam bean (Pachyrhizus spp.) is a legume tuber / root crop locally grown in Central America, South America and Asia. The tuber is usually consumed raw for its refreshing taste and high moisture content. A recently found P. tuberosus type from a small ecogeographic region in the tropical lowlands of Peru has a high tuber dry matter content and this so-called Chuin-Type is consumed like manioc. This study was conducted to determine the possibility to use the Chuin-Type as a source to incorporate high dry matter into the remaining yam bean gene pool. Three P. tuberosus (Chuin) accessions were crossed with 15 P. ahipa accessions from the Andean highlands resulting in six successful interspecific hybridisations. Successful crosses were confirmed by morphological and agronomical traits as well as multivariate statistics. All hybrid plants were fertile and vigorous. Owing to the fertility and vigour of interspecific hybrids it is assumed that a hybrid between P. tuberosus and P. ahipa might already evolved in the area of origin and that interspecific hybridisation is appropriate to improve the tuber dry matter content in the yam bean which might give the crop new forms of food and processing use.     

Effect of glucose in removal of microcystin-LR by viable commercial probiotic strains and strains isolated from dadih fermented milk

The removal of the cyanobacterial peptide toxin microcystin-LR at 4 and 37 degrees C by six commercial probiotic strains and Lactobacillus plantarum strains IS-10506 and IS-20506 isolated from dadih, Indonesian traditional fermented milk, was assessed in this study. The aim was to evaluate the main factors influencing the viability and metabolic activity of the probiotic strains, as well as their capacity to remove microcystin-LR. Both L. plantarum strains isolated from dadih, as well as Bifidobacterium lactis strains Bb12 and 420, were shown to be more resistant, and >85% remained viable in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution for 48 h of incubation at either temperature, while the viability of the other four commercial bacteria decreased markedly over time. The effect of glucose on viability and removal of toxin was shown to be a strain-specific and strain-dependent property, but in general, the efficiency of microcystin-LR removal increased when glucose was added to the solution. A maximum removal of 95% was observed for L. plantarum strain IS-20506 (37 degrees C, 10 (11) colony-forming units mL(-1)) with 1-2% glucose supplementation and 75% in PBS alone.     

Soil crusting and infiltration on steep slopes in northern Thailand

Predicting the rate at which rain infiltrates on steep slopes is very uncertain. There is no consistent information in the literature. We have therefore related infiltrability to slope gradient under field conditions by experimenting on a gravelly loamy soil occupying the upper half of a cultivated convex hill in northern Thailand. Fifteen 1 m × 1 m plots with slope gradients ranging from 16 to 63% were established, and simulated rain was allowed to fall on them at controlled rates and for fixed times. We obtained the following results. The surface fell 0.4–7.2 mm due to compaction and soil loss. The proportions of crust (0–40%) and embedded gravel (10–60%), the runoff coefficient (0.05–0.78 mm mm^?1), the mean sediment concentrations (0–5.6 g l^?1), and soil detachment (10–313 g m^?2) were more pronounced on the gentle slopes than on the steep ones. The steady final infiltration rate (1–107 mm hour^?1) increased sharply with increasing slope gradient. Microaggregates tended to behave like sand and become tightly packed on gentle slopes (packing crust). These results suggest that the vertical component of kinetic energy, which is greater on gentle slopes, has a dominant role. Nevertheless, the differences in compaction and in sediment concentration could not be ascribed to the vertical component of kinetic energy alone. On steep slopes the horizontal component of the kinetic energy is transformed into shear stress, hampering the development of crusts so that water can still infiltrate. On steeper slopes, the water film was thinner, thereby limiting the role of splash. We conclude that the relationship between slope gradient and infiltrability depends on the nature of the soil and must be examined in the light of surface crusting processes.     

Interspecific hybridization between Coffea arabica L. and tetraploid C. canephora P. Ex Fr. II. Meiosis in F1 hybrids and back crosses to C. Arabica

Summary Melosis was studied in Coffea arabica, in induced tetraploid C. canephora, in their F₁ hybrid (arabusta hybrid) and in backcross generations of the hybrid with C. arabica as recurrent parent. Irregularities were observed, consisting of univalents (especially in the arabusta hybrid), multivalents (especially in tetraploid C. canephora) and uneven distribution of chromosomes at first anaphase. Chromosome distribution was improved by backcrossing. Meiotic irregularities wer negatively correlated with pollen fertility.     

Breeding the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) for resistance to bean common mosaic virus: alternatives to backcrossing

A series of field experiments was undertaken in order to determine whether resistance to bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) could be incorporated into genotypes of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) suitable for cultivation in Zimbabwe without recourse to backcrossing. Six inbred genotypes carrying the resistance-conferring alleles at the loci I and Bc-3 were crossed with five locally-adapted inbred genotypes. The first experiment comprised F₃ progeny rows, each derived from a single unselected F₂ plant, the second, F₃ bulks selected for resistance, and the third, a comparison of selected and unselected F₂-derived F₄ lines. The number of days to flowering and to maturity, the incidence of mosaic and necrosis symptoms, seed yield and seed size were recorded. There was evidence that late flowering and maturity were associated with BCMV resistance in some crosses, though not strongly enough to present an obstacle to plant breeding. The incidence of virus symptoms and seed yield were influenced by genetic factors additional to the major resistance genes, and variation in seed yield was present not only between bulk populations of crosses, but also between single-row plots of lines within crosses. This indicates that early-generation selection for yield in the presence of BCMV, even among progeny selected for BCMV-resistace, is likely to be effective. However, the variation in yield among F₄ lines was least in the highest-yielding crosses, which may represent a limit to successful selection for yield. Seed size was partly under additive genetic control, but there was also evidence of non-allelic interactions. There was no association between large seed size, preferred by consumers, and susceptibility to BCMV in the progeny, indicating that the association between these characters in the parent lines is fortuitous and will not present an obstacle to plant breeding. It is noted that a considerable amount of useful genetic information can be obtained without recourse to elaborate crossing schemes, provided that unselected progeny are included in experiments as controls. The evidence presented indicates that resistance to BCMV can be combined with appropriate values of maturity date, yield and seed size without the need for backcrossing.     

Genetic variation in cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) populations for mottle virus resistance

Summary Highly significant and continuous variation in the degree of injury due to cocksfoot mottle virus (CfMV) infection was found among clones of 7 cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) populations, taken at random among surviving plants in 9 year old swards. Broad sense heritabilities for CfMV injury ranged from 0.52 to 0.91 within populations, and genotypic correlations between CfMV injury and total DM-yield ranged from –0.46 to –0.88. The relationship between CfMV injury and DM-yield could be described by a second degree curve. CfMV injury was to some extent genotypically correlated in the positive direction with crude protein content and digestibility, and negatively with crude fiber content, especially in the first cut. Artificial infection of plants from the original populations with CfMV in a simulated sward experiment, did not reveal any significant differences between populations in tolerance towards CfMV infection. Infection caused a 54.5% increase in the number of dead plants per plot, relative to uninfected plots, but only a 4.5% reduction in dry matter yield. There is a clear tendency that synthetic populations selected for high yield are less tolerant towards CfMV infection than unselected or low yielding populations. The resistance found in these cocksfoot populations is a sort of tolerance, and the results indicate that the level of tolerance can be increased by selection.     

The association of sexuality with plant traits and tuber yield in white yam

Summary One 3-to 5-year clonal and two recent seedling-derived populations of white yam cultivars were grown and studied for the association of sex, flowering intensity, number of fruits and seed yield with vegetative characters and tuber yield. Yield was lowest in non-flowering plants and increased in the following order: male, monoecious and female plants; with females yielding almost twice as much as the non-flowering plants. The plants produced from small tuber setts, with higher leaf virus infection, low plant leafiness either had low flowering intensity, fewer fruits and seeds or even failed to flower. The sequence and timing of vegetative and reproductive processes in relation to the difference in yield between male and female plants is discussed. There is a strong indication that the intensity of flowering and fruiting is lower in plants from previous vegetative propagation compared to recent seedling-serived clones.     

Resistance to barley yellow-dwarf-virus disease in derivatives of crosses between hexaploid wheat and species of Lophopyrum (Triticeae; Poaceae)

Among the wheatgrasses that are possible sources of genetic resistance for wheat to barley yellow-dwarf-virus disease (BYD) are those that have been commonly subsumed under the name Agropyron elongatum (Host) P. Beauv. Two of these wheatgrass species are the diploid Lophopymm elongatum (Host) Á. Löve (2n = 2x = 14) and the decaploid L. ponticum (Podp.) Á. Löve (2n = 10x = 70). These two species, the addition and substitution lines of L. elongatum chromosomes in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and derivatives of hybrids between hexaploid wheat and L. ponticum, were screened for resistance to BYD, as defined by visual symptoms in field-grown plants. The two species, an amphiploid derived from L. elongatumבChinese Spring’ wheat, and the derivatives involving L. ponticum chromosomes were all highly resistant. The substitution and addition lines of L. elongatum chromosomes in ‘Chinese Spring’ revealed that the genetic control of resistance in L. elongatum must be complex, with more than one critical locus involved. Chromosomes 2E and 5E are involved and there are lesser contributions to resistance from the remaining wheatgrass chromosomes. One highly resistant derivative was determined to have only three pairs of L. ponticum chromosomes. It has a wheat-like morphology and shows promise for further characterization.     

Estimating the pleiotropic effect of the jointless-2 gene on the processing and agronomic traits of tomato by using near-isogenic lines

Two near-isogenic lines of the processing tomato cv. ‘IPA-5’, pheno-typically distinct from each other only in terms of the presence or absence of a jointless fruit pedicel, were used to estimate pleiotropic effects of the recessive gene j-2 on 15 processing and agronomic parameters. Total yield, total yield of mature fruit, total yield of green fruit, total number of fruit, total number of mature fruit, total number of green fruit, mean weight of mature fruit, mean weight of green fruit, mean weight of mature plus green fruit, soluble solids, fruit colour, pH, titratable acidity, sugar: acid ratio, and fruit firmness were compared in jointed (J-2/J-2) and jointless pedicel (J-2/J-2) lines. Statistically significant differences were detected between both isolines for the following parameters: total number of fruit, total yield, total yield of green fruit, and total number of green fruit. In all cases, smaller values were observed in the isoline with the genetic constitution J-2/J-2. These data reinforce the view that they j-2 gene may cause, in some specific tomato backgrounds, significant yield constraints. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that this gene cannot exert any important pleiotropic influence on any of the processing characteristics evaluated.