Identification of a diverse mini‐core panel of Indian rice germplasm based on genotyping using microsatellite markers

Identification of a small core germplasm set representing the available genetic diversity is essential for its proper evaluation and subsequent utilization in rice improvement programmes. For constituting a small diverse mini‐core panel of Indian rice germplasm, a representative set of 6912 accessions drawn based on their geographic origin from the whole rice germplasm collection available in the National Gene Bank was genotyped using 36 microsatellite markers. Automated fragment analysis of amplicons yielded a total of 435 alleles, with an average 12.4 and range of 3–29 alleles per locus. Polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.08 (RGNMS190) to 0.86 (RM552) with an average of 0.528. Based on genotyping data, a mini‐core consisting of 98 genotypes was identified. Ninety‐four per cent of the alleles present in the core set were present in the mini‐core. The identified small but diverse panel will be useful for further intensive trait‐specific evaluation and utilization in allele mining.     

苦荞厚果壳性状的遗传及其与产量因素的相关性研究

详细介绍了苦荞刚开花朵人工去雄授粉法,并采用该方法以具有薄壳无沟槽特性的小米荞和米荞1号为母本,分别与厚果壳有沟槽的晋荞麦2号、黔苦5号进行有性杂交,成功获得了杂种及其后代F2植株群体。发现小米荞/晋荞麦2号、米荞1号/黔苦5号的杂种植株均表现为父本的厚壳有沟槽、果壳不开裂特性,说明苦荞厚壳有沟槽性状为显性遗传。对其中4个F2群体厚壳和薄壳特性的分离进行统计分析发现,厚壳特性(thick shell,基因符号用T表示)为显性单基因遗传模式,隐性纯合基因型(tt)将表现为薄壳特性。从平均水平看,各F2群体薄壳型植株的千粒重和单株产量极显著低于厚壳型植株。薄壳型苦荞植株的千粒重比厚壳型苦荞低33%~43%,而单株产量低26%~40%。薄壳特性与低千粒重和低单株产量呈极显著的相关性,与株高和株粒数没有明显的相关性。研究还发现,薄壳型植株千粒重变异幅度的最大值可以接近厚壳苦荞的平均水平,而单株产量变幅的最大值可以达到厚壳苦荞平均水平的2倍以上。上述分析表明,通过杂交育种等方法,可使薄壳苦荞的产量接近或达到常规厚壳苦荞水平。     

国内蔓性长豇豆系列品种的抽测与综合评价

通过田间试验对国内31个蔓性长豇豆品种进行重复鉴定。结果表明,约有四分之一的品种质量不合格;约有十分之九的品种不早熟,产量与对照之豇28-2差异不显著,约有二分之一的品种抗病性比对照差。国内虽有众多品种育成,但由于遗传性状的局限性而不能取代老品种之豇28-2。长豇豆虽然是高度自花授粉作物,但忽视选择也极易混杂退化。黑子类品种和柱头外露品种在留种繁殖,更要注意品种间隔离,并要多次进行去杂去劣。     

黔油12号双低杂交油菜制种技术研究Ⅲ.父母本不同行比群体经济性状变化及制种产量

为制定黔油12号大面积制种技术方案,明确黔油12号制种时父母本的适宜行比,试验父母本行比共设1:2、1:4、1:6、1:8、1:10、1:126个处理进行研究.结果表明:(1)因行比不同,单位面积上母本不育株数差异较大,行比1:6和1:8的不育株数较行比1:4的分别多124株和342株,行比1:10和1:12的不育株数比行比1:4的分别多461株和551株;(2)考察距父本行不同距离的母本行的经济性状,以距父本行第一行和第二行的全株有效角较多,距父本三行以上的千粒重高,但每角实粒数减少,单株产量随与父本距离加大而降低;不同行比母本群体经济性状以行比1:2～1:6的全株有效角较多,随行比加大,群体的平均每角实粒数减少,千粒重增加,单株产量逐渐降低.(3)在相同面积条件下,制种产量以行比1:6至1:10为佳,其中1:8的产量居第一位,为51.50kg/667m2;1:10的产量居第二位,为51.23kg/667m2;1:6的产量居第三位,为50.03kg/667m2.     

Evaluation of landrace topcross hybrids of pearl millet for arid zone environments

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) cultivars for marginal, arid environments need to combine the adaptation to stress conditions of indigenous landraces with an improved yield potential and disease resistance, to allow them to both perform well in farmers fields and to meet the requirements for cultivar release. This paper evaluates landrace-based topcross hybrids (adapted landraces crossed on high-yielding male-sterile lines), as a quick and efficient way of achieving this objective. Topcross hybrids showed a consistent increase in biomass production across all test environments, including the harsh arid zone environments. Depending upon the plant type of the male-sterile used to make the hybrid, this was expressed as increased grain yield only, or increased grain and fodder yields. The downy mildew (Sclerospora graminicola) reaction of the topcross hybrids was determined by the reaction of the male-sterile line used, with the resistant male-sterile producing resistant topcross hybrids and vice-versa. Topcrossing adapted landraces on high-yielding male-sterile lines thus provides an opportunity to improve disease resistance and grain and/or fodder yields, with no apparent loss of adaptation to the marginal environments in which the landraces have evolved.ICRISAT Journal Article no. 1575     

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.     

Inheritance of growth vigour and its association with other characters in chickpea

Growth vigour plays an important role in the establishment of a normal crop. The F₂ population of a cross between high‐ and low‐growth vigour varieties of chickpea segregated into 15 high : 1 low growth vigour. The results for recombinant inbred lines and BC1P₂ showed a good fit to the expected 3 : 1 ratio. The results indicated that growth vigour is controlled by two genes with duplicate dominant epistasis. No gene has so far been identified for growth vigour in chickpea. Correlation between growth vigour and other characters showed that high growth vigour had significant negative correlation with days to first flower, days to 50% flowering, days to first pod and days to maturity.