Selection for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phytophthora</Emphasis> field resistance in the F<Subscript>2</Subscript> generation of organic outdoor tomatoes

Tomatoes are the most important vegetable, globally as well as in Germany. Outdoor tomato production is seriously impaired due to increasing infections with evolving late blight (Phytophthora infestans) populations. Within organic agriculture, research is being conducted to develop regionally adapted and open pollinated cultivars of outdoor tomatoes with late blight field resistance. In the present experiment, three crosses, including wild, cocktail, and beefsteak tomatoes, were selected for field resistance against late blight in F₂ at one location per cross. The comparison of positive and negative selection in F₃ revealed the selection of single F₂ plants to be efficient in all three crosses. F₂ selection has proved to be a robust and efficient tool for breeding programs. The correlated response to selection in other traits, including yield, fruit weight, days to maturity, harvest period, and plant height, depended on the cross. It was evident that selection for desired traits combined with field resistance against late blight is promising, even in wide crosses. The most undesired attribute of wild tomatoes is the formation of shoots on leaves and in inflorescences. No correlation was observed between field resistance and shoot formation, allowing the selection of genotypes with improved field resistance and yield, but without morphological disadvantages.     

QTL mapping of sheath blight resistance in a deep-water rice cultivar

Sheath blight, caused by the pathogen Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, is one of the most serious diseases of rice and leads to severe yield loss worldwide. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population consisting of 121 lines was constructed from a cross between HH1B and RSB03, the latter of which is a deep-water rice variety. Five traits were used to evaluate sheath blight resistance, namely disease rating (DR), lesion length (LL), lesion height (LH), relative lesion length [RLL, the ratio of LL to plant height (PH)], and relative LH (RLH, the ratio of LH to PH). Using the RIL population and 123 molecular markers, we identified 28 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the five traits in two environments. These QTLs are located on nine chromosomes and most of them are environment specific. A major QTL for DR (qSBR1) on chromosome 1 was identified with contributions of 12.7% at Shanghai and 42.6% at Hainan, and it collocated with a QTL for PH. The allele at this locus from RSB03 enhances sheath blight resistance and increases PH. Another QTL for DR on chromosome 7 was adjacent to QTLs for heading date (HD) and four other disease traits. RSB03 also carries the resistant allele at this locus and shortens HD. The susceptible parent, HH1B, provides the resistance allele at the locus qSBR8, where QTLs for four other disease traits were identified. QTL mapping results showed that most QTLs for LL, LH, RLL, and RLH are collocated with QTLs for DR. Three QTLs for DR are independent from HD, PH, and four other disease traits, while four QTLs are closely related to HD and PH. Four QTLs for LL, LH, RLL, and RLH are independent from DR, HD, and PH, while there is only one region harboring QTLs for these four traits and HD. Correlation analysis and QTL mapping results indicated that LL, LH, RLL, and RLH might be important indices, like DR, for evaluating the level of resistance to rice sheath blight.     

Varietal difference in physicochemical properties of pigmented rice varieties

The physicochemical properties of pigmented (Midorimochi, Jeokjinjubyeo, and Heukmichalbyeo) and non-pigmented (Hwayoungbyeo) rice varieties were investigated. Starch from non-pigmented rice consisted mainly of large polyhedral granules that were more loosely packed than those of the non-pigmented sample. Pigmented rice showed higher linoleic acid content (36–40%) and hydrolysis rate (63–79%) but lower oleic acid content (35–39%), blue value (0.05–0.17), and viscosity values than the non-pigmented one. Significantly higher mineral content, blue value, and pasting and viscosity values were observed in the Jeokjinjubyeo sample compared to those of the other pigmented rice samples. The Midorimochi variety, on the other hand, exhibited the highest total amino acid (816.82 ng mg⁻¹) and sugar (0.15–3.35 μg g⁻¹) contents and the lowest pasting and viscosity values. No substantial difference in the X-ray diffraction pattern was observed among the samples. Results of this study could serve as baseline information for the quality evaluation of three pigmented rice cultivars and provide a better understanding of their potential uses and food industry applications.     

Estimating canopy cover from color digital camera image of rice field

Canopy cover (CC) is a good predictor variable for plant growth parameters such as leaf area index and aboveground biomass. A nondestructive, low-cost, and convenient method is presented for estimating CC using digital camera image analysis. CC was estimated by the ratio of plant pixels to total pixels of digital camera image of rice field. To determine the criteria for segmenting the rice plant from variable soil background, three mosaic images for rice plant, flooded/bare soil, and algae-infested background were prepared from digital camera images that were taken in various field conditions. An image analysis program was developed in Visual Basic to extract red, green, and blue (RGB) features from the mosaic images, calculate RGB-based color indices, and compute the minimum segmentation error for separating rice plant from background. When judged by the segmentation error, modified excessive green index (MEGI) showed the highest potential for segmenting rice plant from flooded/bare soil background, followed by normalized green (g) and excessive green index (EGI). At the threshold MEGI value of 0.03, the segmentation error was the lowest as 0.13%. Any single index considered was not satisfactory in segmenting rice plant from algae-infested background. However, a discriminant function of 1.2553EGI + 0.01735G − 0.01474B was successful in segmenting rice plant from flooded/bare soil and algaeinfested background with segmentation errors of 0.34 and 1.17%, respectively. CC for four rice varieties from tillering to booting stage was estimated based on the threshold value of MEGI and discriminant function and also manually using commercial software. Both estimates of CC showed good relationship of r² = 0.94, suggesting that a digital camera could be used efficiently for measuring the CC of rice field.     

Progress on characterization of self-incompatibility in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L.

Self-incompatibility (SI) is a widespread mechanism in flowering plants that promotes outbreeding and thereby increases genetic diversity. Recognition specificity in Brassica is achieved by the interaction of the female determinant S-receptor kinase (SRK) and its ligand, the male determinant S-locus protein 11 (SP11). The interaction between SP11 and SRK triggers the signaling cascade in an S-haplotype-specific manner and results in the rejection of self-pollen, but the signal components involved are still not well characterized. S haplotypes are widespread in self-compatible amphidiploid B. napus, and the interaction of heterozygous S haplotypes causes the loss of SI. This review highlights the recent advances made towards understanding the genetic analysis, distribution, and evolution of S haplotypes, the signal factors, and the potential of SI in B. napus hybrid breeding program.     

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.     

DNA profiling and genetic diversity of Korean soybean (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Glycine max</Emphasis> (L.) Merrill) landraces by SSR markers

Approximately 7,000 accessions of Korean soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) landraces, largely composed of three collections, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute’s soybean (KAS), the Korean Crop Experiment Station’s soybean (KLS) and the Korean Agricultural Development and Technology Center’s soybean (KADTC) collections, have been conserved at the Rural Development Administration (RDA) genebank in Korea. The accessions within collections were classified based on their traditional uses such as sauce soybean (SA), sprouted soybean (SP), soybean for cooking with rice (SCR), and OTHERS. A total of 2,758 accessions of Korean soybean landraces were used to profile and to evaluate genetic structure using six SSR loci. A total of 110 alleles were revealed by at the six SSR loci. The number of alleles per SSR locus ranged from 9 to 39 in Satt187 and Satt_074, respectively. The number of alleles ranged from 87 in the KADTC collection to 96 in the KLS collection, and from 63 in the SCR group to 95 in the SP group. Nei’s average genetic diversity ranged from 0.68 to 0.70 across three collections, and 0.64 to 0.69 across the usage groups. The average between-group differentiation (G _st) was 0.9 among collections, and 4.1 among the usage groups. The similar average diversity among three collections implies that the genetic background of the three collections was quite similar or that there were a large number of duplicate accessions in three collections. The selection from the four groups classified based upon usage may be a useful way to select accessions for developing a Korean soybean landrace core collection at the RDA genebank. DNA profile information of accessions will provide indications of redundancies or omissions and aid in managing the soybean collection held at the RDA genebank. The information on diversity analysis could help to enlarge the genetic diversity of materials in breeding programs and could be used to develop a core collection.     

In vitro polyploidisation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helleborus</Emphasis> species

Helleborus species are members of the family of the Ranunculaceae. These popular perennials are all diploids (2n = 2x = 32). This study investigates polyploidy induction by different antimitotic agents. Colchicine, oryzalin and trifluralin were tested in vitro on shoots of Helleborus niger, H. orientalis and H. × nigercors. Furthermore the effect of the antimitotic agents on the viability and the multiplication rate of cultured plantlets were analyzed. Flow cytometry demonstrated that polyploidisation was genotype dependent: using H. niger, tetraploids were obtained using either oryzalin (3 μM) or trifluralin (3 or 10 μM), whereas for H. × nigercors only trifluralin (3 or 10 μM) induced polyploidisation. For H. orientalis neither treatment was effective to produce tetraploids or mixoploids. For these three species, colchicine (100 μM) was ineffective. The polyploidisation events in H. niger and H. × nigercors were confirmed by chromosome counts of mounted nuclei derived from root tips (2n = 4x = 64).     

The use of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vp1</Emphasis> in real time RT-PCR to select for pre-harvest sprouting tolerance in triticale

In spite of the availability of laboratory and field tests there is still a major problem to select pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) tolerant triticale varieties in a reliable, field-independent way. One approach to minimize the influence of environmental conditions and physio-morphological traits on PHS detection is using molecular genetic tools. The ‘viviparous’ Vp1 gene has been repeatedly described to play an important role in dormancy in wheat. A quantitative RT-PCR assay based on the expression of the Vp1 gene has been developed. Specific primers were designed for detecting Vp1 in both wheat and triticale. The expression levels of Vp1 were normalized using reference genes and relatively quantified with the comparative C_t-method. However, the first results indicate that the achieved Vp1 expression levels at 50 days post anthesis are not useful to select for PHS tolerance, both in wheat and triticale. This negative outcome so far is possibly due to the existence of several splicing events or to the late assaying moment in the kernel development, when Vp1 expression is found to be low.     

Genetic and environmental control of dormancy in white-grained wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.)

Grain dormancy in wheat is an important component of resistance to preharvest sprouting and hence an important trait for wheat breeders. The significant influence of environment on the dormancy phenotype makes this trait an obvious target for marker-assisted-selection. Closely related breeding lines, SUN325B and QT7475, containing a major dormancy QTL derived from AUS1408 located on chromosome 4A, but substantially different in dormancy phenotype, were compared with a non-dormant cultivar, Hartog, in a range of controlled environments. As temperature increased, dormancy at harvest-ripeness decreased particularly for QT7475. The dormancy phenotypes of reciprocal F₁ grains involving all possible combinations of Hartog, QT7475 and SUN325B were also compared in two environments with different temperatures. The results were consistent with the presence of QTL in addition to 4A in SUN325B, compared with QT7475, at least one of which was associated with the seed coat. Genetic analysis of a doubled haploid population derived from SUN325B × QT7475 identified a highly significant QTL located on chromosome 3BL, close to the expected position of the mutant allele of the red seed coat colour gene in white-grained wheat, R-B1a. When the lines in the population were grouped according to the parental alleles at marker loci flanking the 3B QTL, the dormancy phenotype frequency distribution for the SUN325B group was shifted towards greater dormancy compared with the QT7475 group. However, significant variation for dormancy phenotype remained within each group. Lines representing the extremes of the range of phenotypes within each group maintained their relative ranking across seven environments consistent with the presence of another unidentified QTL contributing to dormancy in SUN325B.