Phenotypic Changes in Grain Sorghum Over the Last Five Decades

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a drought‐tolerant crop, and its productivity in rain fed environments has increased since the 1950s. This increase is due to changes in agronomic practices and hybrid improvement. The objective of this study was to determine what aspects of grain sorghum morphology, physiology and water use have changed with hybrid improvement and might have contributed to this yield increase. A 2‐year greenhouse experiment was conducted with one hybrid from each of the past five decades. The hybrids were studied in well‐watered and pre‐ and post‐flowering water deficit conditions. Total water use, transpiration, stomatal conductance and photosynthesis were measured during the growing period. Biomass and biomass components were measured at harvest. There was no consistent change in the leaf physiological parameters resulting from hybrid advancement. In contrast, total water use increased in rate of 8.5 cm³ kg soil^?1 year^?1 from old to new hybrids in the well‐watered treatments. Root biomass also increased in rate of 0.2 g plant^?1 year^?1. Leaf biomass and panicle length also was greater for the newest compared with the older hybrids. Hybrid advancement was related to increase in panicle length but decrease in peduncle length. Results indicated that hybrid development programmes created hybrids with improved drought avoidance, due to better root density of newly released hybrids, or hybrids with better resource use which ultimately increased yield under rain fed conditions.     

Copper‐Induced Oxidative Stress and Responses of the Antioxidant System in Roots of Medicago sativa

The effects of various copper (Cu) concentrations on the antioxidative system in the roots of Medicago sativa were explored. The results indicated that the Cu content of the roots reached a value of 854 μg g^?1 DW at 10 μm Cu and a value of 4415 μg g^?1 DW at 100 μm Cu, suggesting that M. sativa has better ability to tolerate and accumulate Cu than other Cu‐bioaccumulators, and is a potential plant for phytoremediation. Treatment with Cu resulted in a significant increment in the levels of H₂O₂, O₂˙^? and OH˙. The reduced form of ascorbate and glutathione reached a peak at 30 μm Cu, and was followed by a sharp depletion to a lower level than that of the control. In contrast, the levels of the oxidised forms of ascorbate and glutathione showed a progressive increment with increasing Cu concentrations, suggesting that the antioxidant system was unable to cope with Cu stress at higher Cu levels. Under the Cu concentrations tested, the activity of catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6), ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) and glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2) increased at lower Cu concentrations, and then decreased, reaching a maximum at 30 μm of Cu for APX and GR, at 10 μm for CAT, whereas the activities of guaiacol peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7) were gradually increased with increasing Cu concentrations. PAGE analysis of superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.1.5.1.1) revealed that one band is a Mn‐SOD and five bands are identified as Cu, Zn‐SOD, whereas Fe‐SOD isoforms were not found in the roots of alfalfa. Cu at 10–100 μm increased the intensity of constitutive isozymes of CAT, APX and POD, whereas it decreased the intensity of isozymes of glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH, EC 1.1.1.49) significantly. The activities of lipoxygenases (LOX, EC 1.13.11.12) were gradually augmented with increasing Cu concentrations, demonstrating that LOXs are probably involved in production of lipid hydroperoxides and superoxide anion. There was a continuous and pronounced enhancement in the activity of esterase (EST, EC 3.1.1.1) in roots treated with 10–30 Cu μm , whereas EST activity in roots exposed to above 30 μm Cu declined, suggesting that EST plays a protective role under lower Cu concentrations stress.     

QTL analysis of photoperiod sensitivity in common buckwheat by using markers for expressed sequence tags and photoperiod-sensitivity candidate genes

Photoperiod sensitivity is an important trait related to crop adaptation and ecological breeding in common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench). Although photoperiod sensitivity in this species is thought to be controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs), no genes or regions related to photoperiod sensitivity had been identified until now. Here, we identified QTLs controlling photoperiod sensitivity by QTL analysis in a segregating F₄ population (n = 100) derived from a cross of two autogamous lines, 02AL113(Kyukei SC2)LH.self and C0408-0 RP. The F₄ progenies were genotyped with three markers for photoperiod-sensitivity candidate genes, which were identified based on homology to photoperiod-sensitivity genes in Arabidopsis and 76 expressed sequence tag markers. Among the three photoperiod-sensitivity candidate genes (FeCCA1, FeELF3 and FeCOL3) identified in common buckwheat, FeELF3 was associated with photoperiod sensitivity. Two EST regions, Fest_L0606_4 and Fest_L0337_6, were associated with photoperiod sensitivity and explained 20.0% and 14.2% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. For both EST regions, the allele from 02AL113(Kyukei SC2)LH.self led to early flowering. An epistatic interaction was also confirmed between Fest_L0606_4 and Fest_L0337_6. These results demonstrate that photoperiod sensitivity in common buckwheat is controlled by a pathway consisting of photoperiod-sensitivity candidate genes as well as multiple gene action.     

Genetic mapping of bph20(t) and bph21(t) loci conferring brown planthopper resistance to Nilaparvata lugens St?l in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Brown planthopper(BPH) is one of the most serious and destructive insect pests of rice in most rice growing regions of the world. In this study, two major resistance genes against BPH have been identified in an Oryza rufipogon (Griff.) introgression rice line, RBPH54. Inheritance of the BPH resistance in RBPH54 was studied by screening the resistance in parents, F1, F2 and BC1 generations against BPH biotype 2. A population of BC3F2 lines was developed and SSR markers were employed for the gene mapping, and new markers were designed for fine mapping of the resistance genes, while sequence information of BAC/PAC clones was used to construct physical maps of the genes. The results showed that the BPH resistance in RBPH54 was governed by recessive alleles at two loci, tentatively designated as bph20(t) and bph21(t). The locus bph20(t) was fine mapped to the short arm of chromosome 6 about 2.7 cM to the upper marker RM435 and 2.5 cM to lower marker RM540 and in a 2.5 cM region flanked by two new SSR markers BYL7 and BYL8 which were developed in the present study. The other BPH resistance locus bph21(t) was initially mapped to a region 7.9 cM to upper marker RM222 and 4.0 cM to lower marker RM244 on the short arm of chromosome 10. For physical mapping, the bph20(t)-linked markers were landed on BAC/PAC clones of the reference cv., Nipponbare, released by the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project. The bph20(t) locus was physically defined to an interval of about 75 kb with clone P0514G1. Identification and location of these two genes in the present study have diversified the BPH resistance gene pool, which give benefit to the development of resistant rice cultivars, and the linkage PCR-based SSR markers for the bph20(t) and bph21(t) genes would help realize the application of the genes in rice breeding through marker-assisted selection.     

Enhancing Fusarium crown rot resistance of durum wheat by introgressing chromosome segments from hexaploid wheat

Compared with hexaploid wheat, tetraploid durum is more susceptible to Fusarium crown rot (FCR) infection. The feasibility of enhancing FCR resistance in durum wheat by introgressing chromosome segments of hexaploid wheat was investigated by generating and analysing a backcross population derived from a susceptible durum wheat variety ??Bellaroi?? (recurrent parent) and a resistant hexaploid genotype ??CSCR6?? (donor parent). Together with a few scattered segments on various chromosomes, segments of a large section of the donor chromosome 6B showed a significant effect in enhancing FCR resistance in the durum background. However, a known major locus on the donor 3BL conferring high level of resistance to FCR in hexaploid wheat failed to provide any improvement in resistance than that of the genome average once it was introduced into the durum wheat. A small proportion of the backcross population gave similar resistance to the bread wheat variety ??Kennedy??, a level of FCR resistance acceptable to durum growers. These lines share a 4B segment from the hexaploid donor, although the segment was not among those with the largest individual effect across the whole population. These results show that it is feasible to improve FCR resistance of durum wheat by exploiting hexaploid chromosome segments, although resistance loci of the hexaploid wheat may not function properly in durum backgrounds.     

Inheritance and general combining ability studies of detached pod, leaf disc and natural field resistance to Phytophthora palmivora and Phytophthora megakarya in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.)

Black pod is a major disease of cocoa. Knowledge of the inheritance of resistance to black pod would be important in devising strategies to breed resistant varieties. The mode of inheritance of resistance to black pod disease was investigated using leaf disc, detached pod tests and natural field observation in a 6?×?4 factorial and 6?×?6 diallel mating designs analyzed using North Carolina design-II approach and Griffing??s method II model I approach, respectively. The dominant component was smaller than the additive component for pod lesion size, leaf disc scores and natural field infection. Both general combining ability and specific combining ability (SCA) effects influenced the inheritance of pod lesion number and leaf disc scores suggesting that both additive and non-additive (dominance or epistatic) effects influence the inheritance of resistance to black pod disease. However, SCA effect was not significant for pod lesion size and natural field infection suggesting the importance of additive genes in the inheritance of these traits. The higher heritability of leaf disc scores, pod lesion numbers and pod lesion sizes than the heritability of natural field infection which was almost zero, shows the influence of environment on natural field infection and suggests that ranking of resistance of cocoa genotypes need to be done under controlled environmental conditions to observe true resistance levels. Good general combiners, in combination with each other, did not necessarily yield good specific combinations suggesting that parents?? performance cannot be used for selecting superior progenies. The non-significance of reciprocal effects indicates absence of maternal effects or cytoplasmic inheritance in resistance to black pod disease. Recurrent selection procedures and inter-crossing aimed at general combining ability would be more suitable for improvement of black pod disease resistance. Cocoa genotypes with good combining ability for resistance to black pod disease such as T60/887, Pa 150, Sca 6, and Pa7/808, identified in this study could be important parents to form base population for such recurrent selection procedures.     

Craft Orbit Selection by Knowledge Based Neural Network

There are more than one measure devices during the craft launching proceeding, reliable craft orbit measurement selection is important for launching monitor and safety control. This paper proposes a novel orbit selection method by knowledge based neural network, which combines the human knowledge and orbit samples based training together. The false spur orbit data are deleted according the data continuity rule at first, then the difference between orbit data is computed, and at last a neural network is trained to test reliability of each data and select the orbit with high precision among all orbit data. Simulations and experiments show the efficiency and reliability of our method.     

Molecular mapping of a dominant genic male sterility gene Ms in rapeseed (Brassica napus)

Rs1046AB is a genic male sterile two‐type line in rapeseed that has great potential for hybrid seed production. The sterility of this line is conditioned by the interaction of two genes, i.e. the dominant genic male sterility gene (Ms) and the suppressor gene (Rf). The present study was undertaken to identify DNA markers for the Ms locus in a BC₁ population developed from a cross between a male‐sterile plant in Rs1046AB and the fertile canola‐type cultivar ‘Samourai’. Bulked segregant analysis was performed using the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) methodology. From the survey of 480 AFLP primer combinations, five AFLP markers (P10M13₃₅₀, P13M8₄₀₀, P6M6₄₁₀, E7M1₂₃₀ and E3M15₁₀₀) tightly linked to the target gene were identified. Two of them, E3M15₁₀₀ and P6M6₄₁₀, located the closest, at either side of Ms at a distance of 3.7 and 5.9 cM, respectively. The Ms locus was subsequently mapped on linkage group LG10 in the map developed in this laboratory, adding two additional markers weakly linked to it. This suite of markers will be valuable in designing a marker‐assisted genic male sterility three‐line breeding programme.     

Hydro-physical responses of gypseous and non-gypseous soils to livestock grazing in a semi-arid region of NE Spain

Pasture productivity depends on soil hydro-physical properties, which in turn are deeply affected by livestock grazing. However, the comparative response of different soil types, and particularly gypseous soil types, to grazing has hardly been studied before. This paper compares the effect of grazing on the soil hydro-physical properties of silty gypseous (Gy) and non-gypseous (NGy) soils located in a semi-arid region (Middle Ebro Valley, NE, Spain). Two different soil managements were selected: ungrazed natural shrubland (N) and grazed shrubland (GR) soils. The gypsum, CaCO₃ and organic matter content (OM), soil texture, soil bulk density (ρ_b), penetration resistance (PR), saturated sorptivity (S), hydraulic conductivity (K), and the water retention curve (WRC) for undisturbed soil samples from 1 to 10 cm depth soil layer were measured. The ρ_b and PR in NGy soils were significantly higher than those observed in the Gy ones. Soil compaction due to grazing treatment tended to increase ρ_b and decrease the K and S values. While no differences in PR were observed in the Gy soils between grazing treatments, the PR measured in the NGy soils under GR was significantly higher than the corresponding values observed under N. Differences in K and S between GR and N treatments were only significant (p < 0.05) in NGy soils, where K and S values under the N treatment were almost four times greater than the corresponding values measured under GR. Overall, no differences in the WRCs were observed between soil types and grazing treatments. While the WRCs of NGy soils were not significantly affected by the grazing treatment, Gy soils under N treatment present a significantly higher level of soil macropores than under GR treatment. The hydro-physical features of Gy soils tended to be less affected by grazing than those of the NGy soils. These results suggest that livestock grazing, in both Gy and NGy soils, has a negative effect on the physical soil properties, which should be taken into account by land managers of these semi-arid regions where silty gypseous and non-gypseous areas coexist.