A Comparative of Molecular Characteristics of some Genera of the Brassiceae Tribe (Brassicaceae) Growing in Northern Iraq

Introduction Knowledge on germination ecology of weeds in response to salinity and drought stresses can help to predict weeds population dynamics in the future. Among the family of weeds, the weeds of Brassicaceae family include many important species that contaminate crops and orchards. In addition to the presence of weeds, salinity and drought are also considered as limiting factors in agricultural production. Due to the increase in salinity and drought stresses in agricultural fields, it can be significant expansion and contamination of Brassicaceae weeds, because Physiological dormancy, abundant seed production and emergence at different time, leads to be persistent for long-term in soil. Therefore, the aim of this research was to compare the characteristics of seed germination of four weeds Brassicaceae family to salinity and drought stresses. Materials and methods In order to investigate the effects of salinity (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350 and 400 Mm) and drought stress (0, -0.2, -0.4, -0.6, -0.8, -1 and -1.2 MPa) on seed germination four Brassicaceae family weeds (Rocket (Eruca sativa), Hoary Mustard (Hirschfeldia incana), Wild Mustard (Sinapis arvensis) and Treacle Mustard (Erysimum repandum), two experiments as factorial based on completely randomized design (CRD) were conducted at agricultural sciences and natural resources university of Khuzestan in 2019 with three replications. Optimum Temperature for germination were selected 25°C for Rocket, Hoary Mustard, Wild Mustard and 15°C for Treacle Mustard. Duration of test for two experiments was considered 15 days. Criterion for germination was length radicle 2-3 mm. Results and discussion By increasing drought stress, germination, vigour index and germination rate were decreased and no germination was observed in drought stress of -1.2 MPa. 50% reduction for germination in four weeds Rocket, Hoary Mustard, Wild Mustard and Treacle Mustard were estimated in -1, -0.49, -0.76 and – 0.41 MPa of drought stress respectively. Drought stress required to reduce 50% of germination rate for Rocket, Hoary Mustard, Wild Mustard and Treacle Mustard were estimated -0.85, -0.35, -0.28 and 0.22 MPa respectively.The vigour index of Wild Mustard in conditions without drought stress treatment was more than other weeds. Rocket and Hoary Mustard were introduced as resistant and Wild Mustard was introduced as sensitive to salinity. The salinity required to reduce 50% of germination for Rocket, Hoary Mustard, Wild Mustard and Treacle Mustard were predicted 267, 162, 39 and 46 mM, while 50% reduction for germination rate were 174, 142, 27, 44 Mm respectively. By increasing salinity and drought stresses, mean germination time was increased and maximum mean germination time belonged to Treacle Mustard and the reason for this increase was the lag phase of germination. Germination rate in four weeds was more affected by salinity and drought stresses than germination percentage. Generally the germination rate of Treacle Mustard was much less than other weeds. So that the maximum germination rate of Treacle Mustard was 5 seed/day in control treatment while in Rocket Hoary Mustard, Wild Mustard were more than 30 seed /day. Conclusions According to the results, in saline lands, the spread of two weeds Rocket and Hoary Mustard is more expected and in the conditions of drought stress and in rainfed agriculture, presence of Rocket is more evident than Wild Mustard.

Background and AimsPlant survival under extreme drought events has been associated with xylem vulnerability to embolism (the disruption of water transport due to air bubbles in conduits). Despite the ecological and economic importance of herbaceous species, studies focusing on hydraulic failure in herbs remain scarce. Here, we assess the vulnerability to embolism and anatomical adaptations in stems of seven herbaceous Brassicaceae species occurring in different vegetation zones of the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, and merged them with a similar hydraulic–anatomical data set for herbaceous Asteraceae from Tenerife.MethodsMeasurements of vulnerability to xylem embolism using the in situ flow centrifuge technique along with light and transmission electron microscope observations were performed in stems of the herbaceous species. We also assessed the link between embolism resistance vs. mean annual precipitation and anatomical stem characters.Key ResultsThe herbaceous species show a 2-fold variation in stem P50 from –2.1 MPa to –4.9 MPa. Within Hirschfeldia incana and Sisymbrium orientale, there is also a significant stem P50 difference between populations growing in contrasting environments. Variation in stem P50 is mainly explained by mean annual precipitation as well as by the variation in the degree of woodiness (calculated as the proportion of lignified area per total stem area) and to a lesser extent by the thickness of intervessel pit membranes. Moreover, mean annual precipitation explains the total variance in embolism resistance and stem anatomical traits.ConclusionsThe degree of woodiness and thickness of intervessel pit membranes are good predictors of embolism resistance in the herbaceous Brassicaceae and Asteraceae species studied. Differences in mean annual precipitation across the sampling sites affect embolism resistance and stem anatomical characters, both being important characters determining survival and distribution of the herbaceous eudicots.

New sources of resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum for crucifer crops

The false chinch bug (Nysius raphanus) is an insect with piercing and sucking mouth parts. They primarily feed on mustards from the family Brassicaceae including the London rocket (Sisymbrium irio), Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), and shining pepper weed (Lepidium nitidum). They are well-known to the agricultural world but they are less known to the pest management professionals (PMPs) and the urban community as a whole. On May 30th, 2023, we received a request from a resident in Jurupa Valley - California, about a massive bug infestation in a street block coming from an unmanaged adjacent lot. The bugs were coming from dying weeds next door which were identified as the shortpod mustard (Hirschfeldia incana), an invasive plant native to the Mediterranean region. In this article, the false chinch bug incident in Southern California will be reported, described, and potential solutions will be discussed.

Eight provinces of Iran were surveyed during 2003–2008 to find Brassicaceae reservoir weed hosts of Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV). A total of 532 weed samples were collected from plants with virus-like symptoms. The samples were tested for the presence of TuMV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using specific antibodies. Among those tested, 340 samples (64%) were found to be infected with TuMV. Rapistrum rugosum, Sisymberium loeselii, S. irio and Hirschfeldia incana were identified as the Brassicaceae weed hosts of TuMV, and the former two plant species were found to be the most important weed hosts for the virus in Iran. The full-length sequences of the genomic RNAs of IRN TRa6 and IRN SS5 isolates from R. rugosum and S. loeselii were determined. No evidence of recombination was found in both isolates using different recombination-detecting programmes. Phylogenetic analyses of the weed isolates with representative isolates from the world showed that the IRN TRa6 and IRN SS5 isolates fell into an ancestral basal-Brassica group. This study shows for the first time the wide distribution and phylogenetic relationships of TuMV from weeds in the mid-Eurasia of Iran.

Se presenta información adicional sobre la distribución de varias especies exóticas de Brassicaceae de reciente introducción en el centro de México. Se registran tres poblaciones de Thlaspi arvense L. y de Sinapis alba L. Las especies Diplotaxis muralis (L.) DC., Hirschfeldia incana (L.) Lagrèze-Fossat y Brassica tournefortii Gouan, conocidas previamente del norte de México, ahora están naturalizadas y al parecer en expansión en varias localidades en el centro del país. Rapistrum rugosum (L.) All., Cardamine hirsuta L., Lepidium latifolium L. y Lepidium draba L. (= Cardaria draba (L.) Desv.) están extendiéndose en el Valle de México y algunas regiones vecinas.

The study of natural variations in photosynthesis in the Brassicaceae family offers the possibility of identifying mechanisms to enhance photosynthetic efficiency in crop plants. Indeed, this family, and particularly its tribe Brassiceae, has been shown to harbor species that have a higher-than-expected photosynthetic efficiency, possibly as a result of a complex evolutionary history. Over the past two decades, methods have been developed to measure photosynthetic efficiency based on chlorophyll fluorescence. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements are performed with special cameras, such as the FluorCams, which can be included in robotic systems to create high-throughput phenotyping platforms. While these platforms have so far demonstrated high efficiency in measuring small model species like Arabidopsis thaliana, they have the drawback of limited adaptability to accommodate different plant sizes. As a result, the range of species that can be analyzed is restricted. This chapter presents our approach to analyze the photosynthetic parameters: ϕPSII and Fv/Fm for a panel of Brassicaceae species, including a high-photosynthesis species, Hirschfeldia incana, and the adaptations to the phenotyping platform that are required to accommodate this varied group of plants.

In 2011, patches of lodged plants of Helianthus annuus (commercial sunflower) with stem lesions were observed in a commercial crop at Kingsthorpe, Queensland, Australia. Several species of Diaporthe were consistently isolated from the lesions. Diaporthe novem was identified by DNA sequence analysis. In following surveys, Diaporthe novem was found to be associated with other crop species including Cicer arietinum (chickpea), Glycine max (soybean), Lupinus alba (lupin), Sorghum bicolor (sorghum) Vicia faba (faba bean) and Vigna radiata (mungbean), and with the weed species Datura stramonium (common thornapple), Helianthus annuus (wild-type sunflower), Malva parviflora (small flowered mallow), Rapistrum rugosum (turnip weed), Sambucus gaudichaudiana (wild elderberry), Sisymbrium orientale (indian hedge mustard), Sonchus oleraceus (sowthistle), Verbena sp., Vicia sativa (common vetch), and Xanthium strumarium (noogoora burr). In pathogenicity tests, isolates of D. novem from sunflower were highly virulent when re-inoculated on commercial sunflower varieties. This study has identified D. novem as a frequent cause of stem canker of sunflower in the eastern cropping areas of Australia, and extends the known host range of D. novem.

Karrikinolide (KAR(1)) is a smoke-derived chemical that can trigger seeds to germinate. A potential application for KAR(1) is for synchronizing the germination of weed seeds, thereby enhancing the efficiency of weed control efforts. Yet not all species germinate readily with KAR(1), and it is not known whether seemingly non-responsive species can be induced to respond. Here a major agronomic weed family, the Brassicaceae, is used to test the hypothesis that a stimulatory response to KAR(1) may be present in physiologically dormant seeds but may not be expressed under all circumstances. Seeds of eight Brassicaceae weed species (Brassica tournefortii, Raphanus raphanistrum, Sisymbrium orientale, S. erysimoides, Rapistrum rugosum, Lepidium africanum, Heliophila pusilla and Carrichtera annua) were tested for their response to 1 µm KAR(1) when freshly collected and following simulated and natural dormancy alleviation, which included wet-dry cycling, dry after-ripening, cold and warm stratification and a 2 year seed burial trial. Seven of the eight Brassicaceae species tested were stimulated to germinate with KAR(1) when the seeds were fresh, and the remaining species became responsive to KAR(1) following wet-dry cycling and dry after-ripening. Light influenced the germination response of seeds to KAR(1), with the majority of species germinating better in darkness. Germination with and without KAR(1) fluctuated seasonally throughout the seed burial trial. KAR(1) responses are more complex than simply stating whether a species is responsive or non-responsive; light and temperature conditions, dormancy state and seed lot all influence the sensitivity of seeds to KAR(1), and a response to KAR(1) can be induced. Three response types for generalizing KAR(1) responses are proposed, namely inherent, inducible and undetected. Given that responses to KAR(1) were either inherent or inducible in all 15 seed lots included in this study, the Brassicaceae may be an ideal target for future application of KAR(1) in weed management.

Lead (Pb) contamination is a widespread environmental problem due to its toxicity to living organisms. Hirschfeldia incana L., a member of the Brassicaceae family, commonly found in the Mediterranean regions, is characterized by its ability to tolerate and accumulate Pb in soils and hydroponic cultures. This plant has been reported as an excellent model to assess the response of plants to Pb. However, the lack of genomic data for H. incana hinders research at the molecular level. In the present study, we carried out RNA deep transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) of H. incana under two conditions, control without Pb(NO3)2 and treatment with 100 µM of Pb(NO3)2 for 15 days. A total of 797.83 million reads were generated using Illumina sequencing technology. We assembled 77,491 transcript sequences with an average length of 959 bp and N50 of 1330 bp. Sequence similarity analyses and annotation of these transcripts were performed against the Arabidopsis thaliana nr protein database, Gene Ontology (GO), and KEGG databases. As a result, 13,046 GO terms and 138 KEGG maps were created. Under Pb stress, 577 and 270 genes were differentially expressed in roots and aboveground parts, respectively. Detailed elucidation of regulation of metal transporters, transcription factors (TFs), and plant hormone genes described the role of actors that allow the plant to fine-tune Pb stress responses. Our study revealed that several genes related to jasmonic acid biosynthesis and alpha-linoleic acid were upregulated, suggesting these components’ implication in Hirschfeldia incana L responses to Pb stress. This study provides data for further genomic analyses of the biological and molecular mechanisms leading to Pb tolerance and accumulation in Hirschfeldia incana L.

The Brassiceae tribe encompasses many economically important crops and exhibits high intraspecific and interspecific phenotypic variation. After a shared whole-genome triplication (WGT) event (Br-α, ~15.9 million years ago), differential lineage diversification and genomic changes contributed to an array of divergence in morphology, biochemistry, and physiology underlying photosynthesis-related traits. Here, the C3 species Hirschfeldia incana is studied as it displays high photosynthetic rates under high-light conditions. Our aim was to elucidate the evolution that gave rise to the genome of H. incana and its high-photosynthesis traits. We reconstructed a chromosome-level genome assembly for H. incana (Nijmegen, v2.0) using nanopore and chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) technologies, with 409Mb in size and an N50 of 52Mb (a 10× improvement over the previously published scaffold-level v1.0 assembly). The updated assembly and annotation was subsequently employed to investigate the WGT history of H. incana in a comparative phylogenomic framework from the Brassiceae ancestral genomic blocks and related diploidized crops. Hirschfeldia incana (x=7) shares extensive genome collinearity with Raphanus sativus (x=9). These two species share some commonalities with Brassica rapa and B. oleracea (A genome, x=10 and C genome, x=9, respectively) and other similarities with B. nigra (B genome, x=8). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that H. incana and R. sativus form a monophyletic clade in between the Brassica A/C and B genomes. We postulate that H. incana and R. sativus genomes are results of hybridization or introgression of the Brassica A/C and B genome types. Our results might explain the discrepancy observed in published studies regarding phylogenetic placement of H. incana and R. sativus in relation to the "Triangle of U" species. Expression analysis of WGT retained gene copies revealed sub-genome expression divergence, likely due to neo- or sub-functionalization. Finally, we highlighted genes associated with physio-biochemical-anatomical adaptive changes observed in H. incana which likely facilitate its high-photosynthesis traits under high light. The improved H. incana genome assembly, annotation and results presented in this work will be a valuable resource for future research to unravel the genetic basis of its ability to maintain a high photosynthetic efficiency in high-light conditions and thereby improve photosynthesis for enhanced agricultural production.

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), has taken on added importance as a pest of cotton in the Cotton Belt after successful eradication efforts for the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman). Because the Southern Blacklands region of Central Texas is in advanced stages of boll weevil eradication, blooming weeds and selected row crops were sampled during a 3-yr study to determine lygus species composition and associated temporal host plants. L. lineolaris was the sole lygus species in the region. Thirteen previously unreported host plants were identified for L. lineolaris, of which 69% supported reproduction. Rapistrum rugosum L. Allioni and Ratibida columnifera (Nuttall) Wooton and Standley were primary weed hosts during the early season (17 March to 31 May). Conyza canadensis L. Cronquist variety canadensis and Ambrosia trifida L. were primary weed hosts during the midseason (1 June to 14 August) and late-season (15 August to 30 November), respectively. Sisymbrium irio L. and Lamium amplexicaule L. sustained L. lineolaris populations during the overwintering period (1 December to 16 March). The proportion of females and numbers of nymphs found in R. rugosum, C. canadensis, A. trifida, and S. irio suggests these weeds supported reproductive adults during the early, mid-, and late season and overwintering period, respectively. Medicago sativa L. was the leading crop host for L. lineolaris; Glycine max L. Merrill did not yield L. lineolaris. Few L. lineolaris were collected in Gossypium hirsutum L. These results provide a more comprehensive assessment of host plants contributing to L. lineolaris populations in central Texas.

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), has taken on added importance as a pest of cotton in the Cotton Belt after successful eradication efforts for the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman). Because the Southern Blacklands region of Central Texas is in advanced stages of boll weevil eradication, blooming weeds and selected row crops were sampled during a 3-yr study to determine lygus species composition and associated temporal host plants. L. lineolaris was the sole lygus species in the region. Thirteen previously unreported host plants were identified for L. lineolaris, of which 69% supported reproduction. Rapistrum rugosum L. Allioni and Ratibida columnifera (Nuttall) Wooton and Standley were primary weed hosts during the early season (17 March to 31 May). Conyza canadensis L. Cronquist variety canadensis and Ambrosia trifida L. were primary weed hosts during the midseason (1 June to 14 August) and late-season (15 August to 30 November), respectively. Sisymbrium irio L. and Lamium amplexicaule L. sustained L. lineolaris populations during the overwintering period (1 December to 16 March). The proportion of females and numbers of nymphs found in R. rugosum, C. canadensis, A. trifida, and S. irio suggests these weeds supported reproductive adults during the early, mid-, and late season and overwintering period, respectively. Medicago sativa L. was the leading crop host for L. lineolaris; Glycine max L. Merrill did not yield L. lineolaris. Few L. lineolaris were collected in Gossypium hirsutum L. These results provide a more comprehensive assessment of host plants contributing to L. lineolaris populations in central Texas.

Cytological studies have been carried out on 12 species of Brassicaceae Burn. on population basis from different geographical areas of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh in the Western Himalayas. Variable chromosome reports for Barbaraea intermedia (n = 16), Cardamine loxostemonoides (n = 8), Nasturtium officinale (n = 8), Sisymbrium orientale (n = 14) on world-wide basis have been added to the previous reports of these species. The chromosome numbers in seven species as Barbaraea intermedia (n = 8), B. vulgaris (n = 8), Capsella bursa-pastoris (n = 8), Descuriania sophia (n = 10), Rorippa islandica (n = 8), Sisymbrium strictum (n = 7) and Thlaspi alpestre (n = 7) have been worked out for the first time from India. The meiotic course in the populations of seven species such as Barbaraea intermedia, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Coronopus didymus, Descuriania sophia, Nasturtium officinale, Sisymbrium orientale and S. strictum varies from normal to abnormal while all the populations of two species Barbaraea vulgaris and Sisymbrium irio show abnormal meiotic course. Meiotic abnormalities are in the form of cytomixis, chromosomal stickiness, unoriented bivalents, inter-bivalent connections, formation of laggards and bridges, all resulting into abnormal microsporogenesis. Heterogenous sized fertile pollen grains and reduced reproductive potentialities have invariably been observed in all the meiotically abnormal populations. However, the meiotic course in all the populations of Cardamine loxostemonoides, Rorippa islandica and Thalspi alpestre is found to be normal with high pollen fertility.

Chloroplast DNA restriction site data was used to assess relationships among 41 taxa of the subtribes Raphaninae and Cakilinae (tribe Brassiceae, Brassicaceae). A total of 456 restriction site mutations was observed, with 237 (52%) being phylogenetically informative. Cladistic analysis, based on Wagner parsimony analysis, indicated four major clades: (i) CAKILE, (ii) CRAMBE, (iii) NIGRA lineage, and (iv) RAPA-OLERACEA lineage. The CAKILE clade was divided into two lineages: (i) Cakile, Erucaria (including Reboudia), and Didesmus (previously assigned by Schulz to the Raphaninae) and (ii) Crambella (previously assigned by Schulz to the Raphaninae). The Raphaninae as currently circumscribed is polyphyletic in origin. The cpDNA data supported separate subtribal status for Crambe (Raphaninae) and indicated two major lineages corresponding to sect. Dendrocrambe and the combined sections Crambe and Leptocrambe. Enarthrocarpus arcuatus, Enarthrocarpus lyratus, Morisia monanthos, Raphanus raphanistrum, Raphanus sativus, and Rapistrum perenne were included in the RAPA-OLERACEA lineage of subtribe Brassicinae. Ceratocnemum rapistroides, Cordylocarpus muricatus, Guiraoa arvensis, Hemicrambe fruticulosa, Kremeriella cordylocarpus, Muricaria prostrata, Otocarpus virgatus, Raffenaldia primuloides, and Rapistrum rugosum were included in the NIGRA lineage of subtribe Brassicinae. Key words: Brassicinae, Raphaninae, Cakilinae, chloroplast DNA restriction site variation, molecular systematics.