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.     

Can carbon isotope discrimination and ash content predict grain yield and water use efficiency in wheat?

Drought is the main factor affecting crop grain yield. Increasing grain yield under drought and crop water use efficiency (WUE) is essential for enhancing world crop production and food availability. The objective of this study, carried out in India on 20 durum wheat cultivars, under three water regimes (full irrigation, limited irrigation and residual soil moisture) and during two seasons, was to investigate the potential use of plant traits (particularly carbon isotope discrimination, Δ, and ash content, m_a) to predict grain yield and WUE in wheat. WUE components were estimated using a soil water balance model (Budget) allowing comparison of environments in data scarce situations. A highly significant correlation was noted between grain yield and grain Δ across water regimes. However, the associations between grain yield, Δ and m_a were found to depend highly on the water regime and environmental conditions. The association between grain yield and grain Δ was significant under full irrigation in season 1 and under residual soil moisture in season 2. Significant positive correlations were noted in both seasons between grain yield and leaf Δ under residual soil moisture and between grain yield and leaf ash content at anthesis under limited irrigation. A significant correlation was found across environments between grain and leaf Δ and T, the quantity of water transpired during the growth cycle, as estimated by the soil water balance model. T also significantly correlated to grain and leaf m_a. Variation in WUE across environments was driven more by runoff, drainage and soil evaporation than by harvest index and transpiration. The associations between WUE and transpiration, runoff and Δ were negative but not significant. WUE was significantly correlated with leaf and grain m_a at maturity. The study indicates that Δ and m_a can be used as indirect selection criteria for grain yield and suggests that m_a is a good predictor of transpiration, grain yield and WUE across environments. The use of mechanistic models that allows differentiating between cultivars should permit in a next future to analyze the relationships between WUE, Δ and m_a across cultivars and evaluate the possibility to use these traits as predictors of WUE in wheat breeding programs.     

Wild relatives of sorghum as sources of resistance to sorghum shoot fly, Atherigona soccata

The levels of resistance to shoot fly, Atherigona soccata in sorghum germplasm are low to moderate and therefore, we evaluated 17 wild relatives of sorghum under field and greenhouse conditions as an alternate source of genes for resistance to this pest. Thirty-two accessions belonging to Parasorghum , Stiposorghum and Heterosorghum did not suffer any shoot fly damage under multi-choice conditions in the field, while one accession each of Heterosorghum ( Sorghum laxiflorum ) and Chaetosorghum ( S. macrospermum ) suffered very low shoot fly damage. Accessions belonging to S. exstans (TRC 243601), S. stipoideum (TRC 243399) and S. matarankense (TRC 243576) showed absolute non-preference for oviposition under no-choice conditions. Accessions belonging to Heterosorghum , Parasorghum and Stiposorghum were preferred for oviposition, but suffered low deadheart formation. Manual infestation of seedlings with shoot fly eggs did not result in deadheart formation in some of the accessions belonging to S. exstans (TRC 243601), S. stipoideum (TRC 243399), S. matarankense (TRC 243576) and S. purpureosericeum (IS 18944). Larval mortality was recorded in main stems of the Parasorghums . Within section Sorghum , accessions belonging to S. bicolor ssp. verticilliflorum were highly susceptible to shoot fly, as were those of S. halepense . However, a few accessions such as IS 18226 (race arundinaceum ) and IS 14212 ( S. halepense ) resulted in reduced survival and fecundity. Wild relatives of sorghum exhibited very high levels of antibiosis to A. soccata , while only low levels of antibiosis have been observed in the cultivated germplasm. Therefore, wild relatives with different mechanisms of resistance can be used as a source of alternate genes to increase the levels and diversify the basis of resistance to shoot fly, A. soccata .     

Frequency and fertility restoration efficiency of Rf3 and Rf4 genes in Indian rice

Identification of new parental lines is crucial for developing ecology‐specific hybrids with ideal agronomic performance. We screened a total of 570 different ecology‐specific Indian rice varieties for the presence of fertility restorer genes, Rf3 and Rf4 using tightly linked markers DRRM Rf3‐10 and RM6100, respectively. Among these varieties, 13% carried Rf3Rf3/Rf4Rf4, 31% carried rf3rf3/rf4rf4, 6% carried Rf3Rf3/rf4rf4 and remaining 50% carried Rf4Rf4/rf3rf3 allelic combinations. A mini set of 40 varieties with variable allelic combinations of fertility restorer genes were testcrossed with WA and Kalinga‐based CMS lines. All the 80 F₁s were evaluated for spikelet fertility and fertility restoration ability. Rf3Rf3/rf4rf4 genotypes mostly behaved as partial maintainers or partial restorers. In contrast, rf3rf3/Rf4Rf4 genotypes were partial or effective restorers. However, double dominant genotypes showed better fertility restoration than the genotypes containing Rf3 or Rf4 individually. Some of the genotypes showed unexpected restoration pattern implying occurrence of other fertility restorer(s) apart from Rf3 and Rf4. The perfect restorers and maintainers identified in this study can be directly used in hybrid rice breeding.     

增氧对水培棉花生长的影响研究

通过水培试验研究增氧对棉花生长的影响;试验设计3种增氧方式,分别为持续性增氧(Physical continuous oxygen,PCO)、间歇性增氧(Physical oxygen,PO),化学增氧(Chemical oxygen,CO),种棉花不增氧CK,不种棉花不增氧CK0;研究结果表明,不同增氧方式对营养液中溶解氧浓度都有不同程度的提高,表现为PCOPOCOCK;PCO处理对根体积、根系总吸收面积、根活性面积、根系生物量、株高、地上部生物量、氮和钾的吸收量的促进作用均达到显著水平,分别比CK增加了194.62%、261.89%、301.73%、57.15%、22.76%、38.03%、35.27%、84.78%;间歇性增氧PO处理对根系生物量、株高、地上部分生物量的促进作用显著,分别比CK高30.83%、15.65%、21.19%。通过以上结果表明,棉花对氧的需求敏感,不同增氧方式均能在一定程度上促进棉花生长,其中持续性增氧效果尤为突出,特别是对棉花生物量的积累,说明增氧可以提升棉花生长潜力。     

Pigeonpea improvement: An amalgam of breeding and genomic research

In the past five decades, constant research has been directed towards yield improvement in pigeonpea resulting in the deployment of several commercially acceptable cultivars in India. Though, the genesis of hybrid technology, the biggest breakthrough, enigma of stagnant productivity still remains unsolved. To sort this productivity disparity, genomic research along with conventional breeding was successfully initiated at ICRISAT. It endowed ample genomic resource providing insight in the pigeonpea genome combating production constraints in a precise and speedy manner. The availability of the draft genome sequence with a large‐scale marker resource, oriented the research towards trait mapping for flowering time, determinacy, fertility restoration, yield attributing traits and photo‐insensitivity. Defined core and mini‐core collection, still eased the pigeonpea breeding being accessible for existing genetic diversity and developing stress resistance. Modern genomic tools like next‐generation sequencing, genome‐wide selection helping in the appraisal of selection efficiency is leading towards next‐generation breeding, an awaited milestone in pigeonpea genetic enhancement. This paper emphasizes the ongoing genetic improvement in pigeonpea with an amalgam of conventional breeding as well as genomic research.     

Genetics of rate limiting disease reaction to Alternaria solani in Tomato

A study was conducted to understand the genetics of rate limiting disease reaction to Alternaria solani in tomato. The results from χ² analysis and Castle Wright estimation revealed that resistance is an oligogenic character controlled by two to few genes. In general, the results for predominant gene effects reveal that both additive and non-additive effects are involved in the inheritance of early blight resistance. The results for predominant gene effects obtained for various crosses studied are discussed along with their implications for improvement of this trait.     

Rooting behavior of rice cultivars under different planting methods

An experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh in Old Brahmaputra Alluvial Flood Plain (AEZ-9) during December 2005 to May 2006 to examine the root growth of different rice cultivars under various establishment methods. This experiment comprised two sets of treatment (i) three methods of planting viz., dry direct seeding, wet direct seeding and transplanting, and (ii) six rice cultivars, two inbreds viz., BRRI Dhan 28 and BRRI Dhan 29, two hybrids, viz., Aalok 6201 and Sonarbangla 1 and two local improved cultivar viz., Habigonj IV and Habigonj VIII. Cultivars had more remarkable effect on different root parameters i.e. number of roots, root length, root length density, root biomass, root weight ratio and root shoot ratio of hybrid, inbred and local improved rice cultivars than method of planting. BRRI Dhan 28 performed the best for most of the parameters. At harvest, BRRI Dhan 29 showed the best rooting behavior among the cultivars. For both stages hybrid rice cultivars showed intermediate and local improved cultivars performed lower in rooting behavior. Direct seeding method performed better than transplanting method for most of the root parameters but wet direct seeding and dry direct seeding methods were identical. Interaction effect between method of planting and cultivar in most of the root parameters were insignificant. But, BRRI Dhan 28 and BRRI Dhan 29 under wet direct seeding method and Sonarbanngla 1 under transplanting method showed the best rooting performance among the other combinations.     

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。     

番木瓜植株镁钾含量变化与缺钾叶枯病的关系

采用田间调查、采样及其室内分析与田间试验相结合的方法,在低钾而高镁的土壤上,从植株各个部位探索番木瓜植株镁、钾营养变化对其生理性缺钾叶枯症的影响。结果表明,番木瓜叶枯症的发生,除与土壤有效钾缺乏有关外,Mg/K比值过高也是导致该症发生的一个重要原因。发生缺钾叶枯病的番木瓜植株,其根、茎、叶片、叶柄等器官含镁量均明显提高,施用钾肥后不但提高了植株的含K量,而且能抑制番木瓜植株对镁的吸收,从而协调平衡Mg/K比值,生理性缺钾叶枯症得到有效控制。