Agro-morphological Characterization Research Articles

Agro-morphological Characterization of Maize (Zea mays L.) Landraces from Tribal Regions of Kashmir

Agro-morphological Characterization of Maize (Zea mays L.) Landraces from Tribal Regions of Kashmir

Extent and patterns of morphological and molecular genetic diversity and population structure of Nigerian Taro cultivars

BackgroundGenetic diversity is crucial for conservation efforts as well as breeding programs targeted at the development of improved varieties. Taro, a climate-resilient crop, plays a vital role in the nutritional and economic livelihoods of many households in Nigeria, but its yield is very low due to inadequate genetic improvement efforts. A diversity assessment of Nigerian taro is therefore required to create a premise for its improvement in yield, quality and disease tolerance. In this study, the genetic diversity and population structure of 490 taro cultivars comprising two main gene pools: Dasheen (215) and Eddoe (275), collected from farmers and marketers across seven states in Nigeria was assessed using 3047 Diversity Array Technology single nucleotide polymorphism (DArT-SNP) markers. A subset of 114 taro cultivars, comprising 30 Dasheens and 84 Eddoes were further phenotyped using 24 agro-morphological descriptors.ResultsBoth phenotypic and molecular characterization revealed higher genetic diversity among the Eddoes than Dasheens. Estimates of gene flow (Nm = 0.353) revealed intermixing of cultivars among the States of collection, with the highest gene flow occurring between cultivars from Anambra and Ondo states and the lowest between Anambra and Kwara states. Population structure and Ward’s minimum variance hierarchical cluster based on DArT-SNPs identified four groups, one comprising Dasheen and three comprising Eddoe cultivars. Hierarchical clustering based on phenotypic traits delineated three clusters. Variation between gene pools (49%) was higher than within gene pools (32%). Variation among States of collection was high (41%), while variation among individuals within gene pools (18%) and States of collection (19%) was relatively low. Correlation between phenotypic and genotypic diversity assessments was low (r = 0.01), indicating that both approaches were necessary for assessing genetic diversity in taro. However, genotypic assessment provided better information about genetic diversity of the taro cultivars.ConclusionThis is the first study that represented germplasm collection across the major taro growing regions of Nigeria. The findings from this study based on agro-morphological characterization and DArT-SNP genotyping are critical for genetic characterization, conservation and breeding of taro in Nigeria, mainly initiating hybridization between the two genepools after careful assessment of ploidy levels of the accessions collected in this study. This will facilitate in developing improved taro varieties with desirable traits, such as higher yield, better disease resistance, and improved nutritional quality.

Agro-morphological genetic diversity assessment of Amaranthus genotypes from Ethiopia based on qualitative traits

Amaranths are a promising plant in the family of Amaranthaceae because of their nutritional and functional properties, such as their high antioxidant content and dietary fiber content. However, it's being disregarded for several reasons, such as ignorance, a lack of in-depth research, and the plant's long-term genetic growth in Ethiopia, among other factors. In the current work, we described the genetic diversity of 120 amaranth genotypes using qualitative criteria. The experiment, which was configured with an alpha lattice design and duplicated twice, was run for two seasons in 2020 and 2021. Twenty qualitative descriptors were looked for in the gathered data. Among the 20 qualitative variables that were assessed, the chi-square test result indicated the presence of prevailing phenotypic variation. The results of the agro-morphological characterization also revealed a significant amount of variance. The overall mean of the Shannon diversity indices (H') was 0.61. The indices for germination rate, leaf margin, prominence of leaf veins, and the existence of auxiliary inflorescence varied from 0.12 to 0.99. The estimated diversity indices showed more intra-regional diversity (0.66) than inter-regional diversity (0.34), demonstrating the existence of gene flow between growing regions. Shannon–Weaver Diversity Index, ranged from 0.00 for auxiliary inflorescence to 1.94 for leaf coloration, with an overall mean of 19 characters (95%) that were found to have high diversity (> 0.76) while auxiliary inflorescence was invariant. Except for auxiliary inflorescence, all qualitative features showed a lot of variation. Additionally, Amaranthus hybridus L. subsp. cruentus (L.) Theil recorded the greatest Shannon diversity index (0.47) while Amaranthus spinosus L. recorded the lowest (0.00). The hierarchical clustering grouped all the genotypes into three clusters. The first cluster included the most genotypes (58), followed by the second (47), and the third cluster contained the fewest (15). Principal component analysis showed that the first six principal components with eigenvalues greater than one contributed 72% of the variability among genotypes. The study unequivocally demonstrated that, even when the genotypes were grouped into a small number of clusters, there was still enough divergence within the clusters to demonstrate the genotypes of amaranth to have a high genetic diversity. These results indicate that there is substantial genetic diversity among Ethiopian amaranth genotypes, which should be safeguarded and may be utilized in breeding in the future.

Assessment and evaluation of drought tolerance of RILs developed from cross of Rasi and ISM in terms of agro-morphological characterization

Assessment and evaluation of drought tolerance of RILs developed from cross of Rasi and ISM in terms of agro-morphological characterization

Agromorphological Characterization of the Main Sesame Varieties Grown in the Sahelian Zone of Chad

Sesame (<i>Sesamum indicum</i> L.) would be one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. Currently in Chad, its cultivation is in vogue and constitutes one of the priorities of farmers. The objective of this study was to highlight the agronomic and morphological characteristics of two varieties of sesame grown in the Sahelian zone of Chad. The experiment was conducted in open fields in the natural site of Kournari, around thirty kilometers from the capital N'Djamena. The local black seed and white seed S-42 varieties were grown in a randomized Fisher block design with 3 replicates. Plant height, number of leaves, number of capsules, number of seeds per capsule, average seed weight, weight of 1000 seeds, and grain yields per plant were determined. The measured parameters showed that vegetative development is greater in the S-42 variety than in the local variety. While in terms of yield per plant, the local variety is more productive with 33.01 g per plant compared to 20.08 g per plant for the S-42 variety. Plant height had a negative effect on grain yield per plant. It would be interesting to study the characteristics of other varieties in order to identify those which would best respond to the Sahelian climate.

CARACTERIZACIÓN AGROMORFOLÓGICA Y DIVERSIDAD FENOTÍPICA DE LA COLECCIÓN DE GERMOPLASMA DE PALLAR (Phaseolus lunatus L.) DEL INIA, PERÚ

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Pallar (<em>Phaseolus lunatus</em>) is a grain legume of great socioeconomic importance in Peru, which has been domesticated in the past by pre-Hispanic cultures. <strong>Objective:</strong> Carry out the agromorphological characterization of 36 accessions from the Pallar National Collection of the Germplasm Bank of the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (Peru). <strong>Methodology:</strong> 16 qualitative characters and 10 quantitative characters were compared using descriptive analysis, ANOVA and Scott Knott test, correlation, principal components and hierarchical grouping. <strong>Results:</strong> There was a positive correlation between the length of the main stem and the average number of mature pods per plant, average number of seeds per plant, average weight of seeds per plant and average weight of seeds; Likewise, a negative correlation was found between the number of locules per mature pod and the length and average weight of the seeds. <strong>Implications: </strong>The agromorphological characterization of the pallar is necessary for the conservation of genetic resources originating in Peru. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> Phenotypic variability was found among the Pallar accessions; Thus, the existence of three groups was established among the accessions in relation to quantitative characters, highlighting the high values of average number of seeds per plant, seed thickness, number of locules per mature pod, length of the main stem and average number of seeds. mature pods per plant. The promising accession was 14ac with respect to the highest average number of mature pods, average number of seeds and average weight of seeds per plant.</p>

Agro-Morphological Characterization of Rice Varieties in an Irrigated Lowland in the Guinean Savannah Zone of Côte d'Ivoire

Agro-Morphological Characterization of Rice Varieties in an Irrigated Lowland in the Guinean Savannah Zone of Côte d'Ivoire

SOIL PROPERTIES AND AGRONOMIC EVALUATION OF TOMATO LINES (SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM L.) IN THE NORTHWEST REGION OF GABON

The availability of tomato seeds adapted to local production conditions remains one of the major constraints for a sustainable tomato industry in Gabon. An agro-morphological characterization of ten tomato lines enabled us to assess their potential on the soil of the north-western region of Gabon. At this end, the properties of the soil were analyzed on the one hand, then, agronomic parameters of the tomato lineswere assessed on the other. Univariate and multivariate analyses of agronomic data were carried out using R software. Granulometric analysis revealed that the soil had a silty-sandy structure (29% coarse silt, 28.71% coarse sand). The mineralogical composition shows an assimilable phosphorus content of 15.51ppm and concentrations (in meq/100g) of potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium of 0.41, 0.99, 0.32 and 0.60 respectively. For agronomic results, flowering time ranged from 26 to 36 DAS and first harvests from 70 to 84 DAS. Line L1 was the earliest and L9 the latest. For the yield, lines L4 (26.7 t/ha) and L8 (20.5 t/ha) were the most productive. The fruits with the best sizes were those of lines L2 (87.7 g) and L4 (86.6 g). Lines L1, L4, L5 and L8 were the firmest. The various diseases observed were downy mildew, spoon yellows and apical necrosis, with a moderate severity index (23,08 %) for all lines. These results show the agronomic performance of certain tomato lines on the sandy-loam soils of Gabon and for varietal improvement programs to increase tomatoes productivity in Gabon.

Morphological and agronomical characterization of beef type tomato hybrids

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops and agro-morphological characterization has a key role in the development of new varieties. In this study, 228 samples of the tomato hybrid type “Beef” (Solanum lycopersicum L.) were characterized by comparing with 11 standard varieties based on 24 quantitative traits and 2 qualitative traits to reveal the phenotypic diversity by using conventional descriptors proposed by IPGRI (1996) and UPOV (2011). A significant level of variability was found in most of the traits studied among the genotypes in two locations. A high level of broad-sense heritability (H2) was detected for many traits such as the number of fruits, firmness, immature fruit color, stem length up to the first inflorescence, total height, and number of days to the first flowering in both locations. There was a highly significant positive correlation among the color values (L*, a*, b*, c*, h*) but no positive correlation between a* and h*. Number of locule had a positive correlation with fruit width and fruit weight, and a positive correlation was determined between fruit length and pericarp thickness in both locations. While fruit weight had a highly significant negative correlation with the number of fruits and number of flowers, there was a highly significant negative correlation between the number of locules and the fruit length-to-width ratio in both locations. Results of PCA showed that PC1 and PC2 accounted for around 15.6% and 13.7% of total variation and 13.8% and 11.8% of total variation for Location 1 and Location 2, respectively. The first five principal components accounted for around 54.2% of the total variation for Location 1 and 48.2% of the total variation for Location 2. Cluster analysis grouped the 239 genotypes under six cluster groups for Location 1 and seven cluster groups for Location 2. Results of the cluster analysis revealed that Cluster 3 for Location 1 and Cluster 2 for Location 2 had prominent genotypes for some of the agronomically important traits like yield. The results showed that present phenotypic diversity could be useful in the selection of best-performing genotypes, which would be important candidates for the beef red tomato market in the spring season.

Phenotypic characterization of two-row barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ssp. vulgare) germplasm conserved in Osman Tosun Genebank of Türkiye by multivariate analysis model

AbstractBarley is a crucial cereal crop with a diverse genetic heritage that includes landraces-traditionally cultivated variants that have adapted to varying agro-climatic conditions over centuries. Preserving barley landraces in genebanks is of utmost importance for safeguarding genetic diversity and aiding future breeding endeavors.This study aims an agro-morphological characterization of a selected collection of two row barley landraces conserved in the Osman Tosun Genebank. A total of 262 barley accessions were assessed in controlled field conditions to analyze various agro-morphological traits. The study unveiled notable disparities in the morphological traits of the genotypes, specifically in flag leaf anthocyanin, flag leaf sheath wax, spike shape, spike density, lemma color, grain color, lodging tendency, days to 50% flowering, plant height, spike length, spikelet quantity, and thousand grain weight, among other critical agronomical characteristics. To scrutinize the morphological disparities, the research utilized principal component analysis and ascertained that nearly 77.22% of the overall variance was accounted for by the first two principal components. The first four principal components accounted for 90.96% of the total variation, thus indicating significant genetic diversity among genotypes. The results of the cluster analysis revealed the presence of diverse genetic resources within the collection, with distinct groups of genotypes exhibiting similar traits being identified. The results of the agro-morphological characterization are a valuable resource for researchers and breeders, aiding them in making informed decisions regarding the management and application of barley landraces in breeding programs.

Molecular and agro-morphological characterization of new barley genotypes in arid environments

BackgroundGenetic diversity, population structure, agro-morphological traits, and molecular characteristics, are crucial for either preserving genetic resources or developing new cultivars. Due to climate change, water availability for agricultural use is progressively diminishing. This study used 100 molecular markers (25 TRAP, 22 SRAP, 23 ISTR, and 30 SSR). Additionally, 15 morphological characteristics were utilized to evaluate the optimal agronomic traits of 12 different barley genotypes under arid conditions.ResultsSubstantial variations, ranging from significant to highly significant, were observed in the 15 agromorphological parameters evaluated among the 12 genotypes. The KSU-B101 barley genotype demonstrated superior performance in five specific traits: spike number per plant, 100-grain weight, spike number per square meter, harvest index, and grain yield. These results indicate its potential for achieving high yields in arid regions.The Sahrawy barley genotype exhibited the highest values across five parameters, namely leaf area, spike weight per plant, spike length, spike weight per square meter, and biological yield, making it a promising candidate for animal feed. The KSU-B105 genotype exhibited early maturity and a high grain count per spike, which reflects its early maturity and ability to produce a high number of grains per spike. This suggests its suitability for both animal feed and human food in arid areas. Based on marker data, the molecular study found that the similarity coefficients between the barley genotypes ranged from 0.48 to 0.80, with an average of 0.64. The dendrogram constructed from these data revealed three distinct clusters with a similarity coefficient of 0.80. Notably, the correlation between the dendrogram and its similarity matrix was high (0.903), indicating its accuracy in depicting the genetic relationships. The combined analysis revealed a moderate correlation between the morphological and molecular analysis, suggesting alignment between the two characterization methods.ConclusionsThe morphological and molecular analyses of the 12 barley genotypes in this study effectively revealed the varied genetic characteristics of their agro-performance in arid conditions. KSU-B101, Sahrawy, and KSU-B105 have emerged as promising candidates for different agricultural applications in arid regions. Further research on these genotypes could reveal their full potential for breeding programs.

Parataxonomy and diversity of local varieties of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) and macabo (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott) grown in Benin (West Africa)

Taro and macabo are plants with high food, medicinal and economic value, but are under-utilized in Benin. The aim of this study was to identify local varieties of taro and macabo grown in Benin, with their vernacular names, farmers' recognition criteria and distribution. Data were collected between May 2021 and May 2023, through interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. The sample surveyed consisted of 349 taro/macabo producers, distributed in 40 villages belonging to 9 departments. The variables collected concerned producers' socio-demographic characteristics, local appellations, farmers' recognition criteria and the distribution of local varieties of the two species, and were processed by calculating relative citation frequencies and establishing a generalized linear model in R software. In addition, QGIS software was used to represent the distribution of the varieties surveyed. A total of 42 local appellations have been registered to designate all local varieties. Ten local varieties, including six of C. esculenta (V1 to V6) and four of X. sagittifolium (V7 to V10), were identified on the basis of seven (07) farmers' criteria, the main ones being tuber color (41.88 %) and leaf blade color (23.30 %). Local varieties V1, V3, V4 and V5 were the most widespread for C. esculenta, while varieties V7 and V9 were the most widely distributed from the south to the north of the country for X. sagittifolium. The socio-demographic parameters such as age category, occupation and ethnic groups tested had a significant influence (p < 0.05) on the number of local varieties held by growers. Agro-morphological characterization will provide data for the selection of elite varieties.

Agro-morphological characterization and genetic variability assessment of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] germplasm for yield and quality traits

Agro-morphological characterization and genetic variability assessment of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] germplasm for yield and quality traits

Agro-morphological characterization and genotypic diversity of chilli (Capsicum. frutescens) landraces of Bangladesh

Samples of 82 chilli (Capsicum spp.) genotypes grown during the Rabi season of 2016-17 were characterized based on 28 qualitative and 7 quantitative agro-morphological markers. The genotypes were collected and conserved in the Plant Genetic Resources Centre (PGRC) of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI). The Chi-square (χ 2) tests and the Shannon Diversity Index (H´) were used for the genetic diversity study. All the characters under study were distributed independently except cotyledon leaf shapes and leaf pubescence density. The values of H´ of the genotypes varied widely, the maximum values being observed for the cotyledon leaf shape, leaf density, and anthocyanin leaf spot on the fruit. In contrast, the lowest values were recorded for pigmentation of node and leaf color. The estimated coefficient of variation was the highest while it was the lowest for one thousand seed weights. No variation was observed for calyx annular constriction of fruit. Analytical functions of DIVA-GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping localized the accessions into 10 districts and marked the areas of insufficient collection. Accession AMA-248 belonging to Mymensingh was almost round fruit. Accessions RAI-232 and RAI-80 belonging to Chattogram, AMA-335 belonging to Sherpur, AMA-361 belonging to Jamalpur, RAI-80 belonging to Chattogram, and AHI-01 belonging to Jhenaidah were elongated fruit. Germplasms collected from Chattogram showed the maximum variation in traits of cotyledon leaf color and stem color at the seedling transplanting age. The variation observed in different characters could be important characters in selecting parents for breeding programs.

Agro-morphological characterization of Pakistani maize accessions using qualitative and quantitative traits.

Agro-morphological characterizations offer robust and vigorous means for the precise characterization of germplasm to be used in breeding programs. Here, agro-morphological features-based analyses were considered to figure out the genetic variability within 99 maize accessions and five (5) check varieties including Azam, W. Islamabad, Haq Nawaz, Ev-5 and Evr197. A total of 28 important agro-morphological traits were accounted in the field trails at Hazara University Mansehra Pakistan, during spring 2015. The maximum variation was detected in grain weight per cob (53.43), followed by number of kernels per row (38.64) and flag leaf area (cm2), (38.09%). Cluster analysis divided the 99 maize accession with five check varieties of maize accessions into 7 clusters following the hierarchical clustering. Cluster II recorded 29 genotypes with maximum grain yield per cob, and highest flag leaf length, followed by cluster IV. Lowest grain yield per cob was noted for accessions of cluster I. Similarly, cluster VII consisted of accession with the longest cob length. Moreover, the investigations also revealed that the primary constituent among first five principal components with an eigen value about more than 0.98 in relation to 68.75% of the total variants. PCI accounted for 25.53%, PCII contributed 18.31%, and PCIII is 9.88% of the overall morphological variability were significant contributors were grain weight per cob, number of kernel per row, 1000 grain weight. The identification of a significant level of genetic diversity during the present investigation having implications for maize germplasm characterisation, conservation, and breeding programs aiming at developing improvement maize cultivars.

Agromorphological Characterization of Amaranth Accessions

Agromorphological Characterization of Amaranth Accessions

Agro-morphological characterization and diversity assessment of advanced breeding lines of spring rice in the plains of eastern Nepal

Agro-morphological characterization and genetic diversity analysis is pivotal to identify elite genes for further improvement of germplasms. In Spring 2022, 52 spring (Chaite) rice accessions were evaluated for 12 agro-morphological traits in alpha lattice design with two replications under irrigated condition at agronomic farm of Gauradaha Agriculture Campus, Jhapa, Nepal. Results showed the existence of considerable amount of diversity in rice accessions. The first three principal components (PC1, PC2 and PC3) with eigen value greater than one were identified with a total cumulative variation of 95.04% showing that the accessions could be grouped at least into three main varied classes. The accessions were grouped into 5 clusters. The accessions falling in cluster II had the maximum grain yield. The accessions namely Hardinath-1 (4.87 t/ha), IR17A3019 (4.37 t/ha), IR17A2949 (4.12 t/ha) were found to have high yielding accessions. High genetic variability among the rice accessions was found for the traits viz., grain yield, thousand grain weight, length breadth ratio, days to flowering, days to maturity, panicle length, effective tiller per hill and have pertinency in future spring rice breeding programs for the selecting potential parent lines based on those traits.

Genetic diversity and productive potential of starchy corn varieties evaluated in Peruvian highland environments

Corn cultivation is relevant to the province of Tayacaja, a region with the greatest biodiversity in the Huancavelica State, although to date there are no published studies. Phenotypic characterization pursues measuring the genetic diversity of a group of genotypes, using appropriate morphological descriptors. The main objective of this work was to study the agro-morphological characteristics and productive potential of 25 starchy corn varieties, evaluated in four contrasting environments of the province of Tayacaja, Perú, during the crop cycle 2019–2020. For this purpose, 25 plant and ear characteristics were chosen, using principal components (PC) and cluster analysis. The experiments were established in an alpha-lattice design, with three replications, in experimental units of two rows, with 0.20 m between plants and 0.80 m between furrows, 4 m long. The agro-morphological characterization grouped the 25 varieties within 6 well-defined clusters, giving an overview of the existing phenotypic variability among the evaluated starchy corn varieties. The varieties G6, G14, G20, GT3, and G18 were the genotypes with the most outstanding characteristics, which facilitated their separation from the rest of the materials studied. The multivariate analysis brought together representative varieties of certain races, with typical plant and ear characteristics. The study revealed the existence of a good productive and agronomic potential for the development of genetic materials for cancha (toasted kernel grains), choclo (fresh corn), and mote corn production; as well as the presence of anthocyanin in the grain, information that, together with the agro-morphological characterization, could be very useful to enhance gains in the selection process in future genetic improvement work.

Agromorphological Purification of Farmer’s Seeds and Diversity of Corchorus olitorius Linn.

Corchorus olitorius is commonly cultivated by household women for livelihood in Togo. No database has been found for gene bank tractability in Togo. This study aims to contribute to a better knowledge of diversity in C. olitorius from Togo, thereby developing a database information on this neglected crop. Twenty-seven accessions were collected in the 5 ecological regions in Togo, on which experiments were conducted. First experiment was an accession purification in order to access pure genotypes, second experiment was an Agro-morphological characterization to give an identity to each genotype. RCBD design was considered with 3 replications and repeated in two ecological zones in Togo. The results showed accessions A24, A25 and A26 to be of pure source, other accessions were a mixed of genotypes. Qualitative data identified polymorphic characters among the genotypes, leaf margin was serrate (92.31%) or dentate (7.69%), with a Lanceolate or Ovate leaf shape, and a glossy (53.85%) and matte leaf surface (46.15%). Leaf colour were green (53.85%), dark green (38.46%), and light green (7.69%)); branching habits were either predominantly primary (92.31%) or predominantly secondary (7.69%). Five main clusters were structured from quantitative characters. Cluster II comprises only genotype1, which genetic distance is significantly isolated from other genotypes, this could be a good candidate for genetic improvement with genotypes from other clusters. The abstract should be concise and informative.

Agro-morphological Characterization for Evaluation of Potential Upland Red Rice Cultivars in Manipur, India

The present investigation was carried out during the two consecutive kharif seasons of 2020 and 2021 at Tamenglong district, Manipur. The aim of the research was to determine the high-yielding upland red rice cultivars in Manipur. The study materials consisted of twelve red rice cultivars that thrived in upland conditions, sourced from various districts in Manipur. The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design (RBD) with twelve cultivars and three replications. The soil of the experimental field was silty clay loam in nature, having an acidic reaction (pH 3.9), low in available nitrogen (237.96 kg/ha) and available phosphorus (14.8 kg/ha), medium in available potassium (263.66 kg/ha) and high in organic carbon (1.0%). The crop received a total rainfall of 2344.2 mm during the cropping season. The values of growth attributes such as plant height and LAI were found to be maximum in the cultivar Mariumiu kahengbo, and the number of tillers was found to be maximum in the cultivar Chatee. The number of effective tillers was found to be at its maximum in Chatee. The highest grain yield was recorded in the cultivar Chatee. The research findings recommend that farmers focus on cultivating the Chatee cultivar among the studied cultivars.