Breeding Sources Research Articles

MARKER-ASSISTED DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXTRA-LONG GRAIN AND HIGH YIELDING BASMATI RICE LINE WITH SEMI-ERECT AND DENSE PANICLES

In light of the rapidly growing global population, there is an urgent need to develop high-yielding and climateresilient rice varieties. The productivity of traditional basmati cultivars is limiting due to region-specific cultivation, and genetic improvements are direly needed to enhance their productivity without compromising quality attributes. This study aimed to develop high yielding basmati advance line with good quality attributes through a marker-assisted selection approach. A cross was attempted between Basmati 515 and IRBB 66, followed by pedigree selection up to the F5 generation. A uniform recombinant inbred line was identified then backcrossed with PK 1121 Aromatic and again followed by pedigree selection up to BC3F5 for desirable genotype development. Genes pyramiding for aroma (BADEX7-5), dense and erect panicles (DEP1), grain length (FMGS7) and grain width (GW8-indel) were achieved using gene-linked markers. The identified line “BLB 18-5001”, predominately harbored agronomic and quality characteristics of Basmati 515, panicle architecture, and grain dimension traits of IRBB 66 and PK 1121 Aromatic, respectively. The BLB 18-5001 outperformed in thousandgrain weight (28.5 g), grain yield (4.7 t ha-1), average grain length (9.22 mm), and cooked grain length (19.5 mm) compared to parents. A two-year field evaluation revealed superior agronomic and quality attributes of BLB 18-5001, suggesting an unprecedented genetic potential to meet future varietal demands. This study concludes that the BLB 18-5001 line has overcome the negative correlation between grain quality and yield to some extent and is expected to serve as a valuable breeding source to improve basmati productivity to meet the growing
 demand for food.

Pan-genome of Citrullus genus highlights the extent of presence/absence variation during domestication and selection

The rich genetic diversity in Citrullus lanatus and the other six species in the Citrullus genus provides important sources in watermelon breeding. Here, we present the Citrullus genus pan-genome based on the 400 Citrullus genus resequencing data, showing that 477 Mb contigs and 6249 protein-coding genes were absent in the Citrullus lanatus reference genome. In the Citrullus genus pan-genome, there are a total of 8795 (30.5%) genes that exhibit presence/absence variations (PAVs). Presence/absence variation (PAV) analysis showed that a lot of gene PAV were selected during the domestication and improvement, such as 53 favorable genes and 40 unfavorable genes were identified during the C. mucosospermus to C. lanatus landrace domestication. We also identified 661 resistance gene analogs (RGAs) in the Citrullus genus pan-genome, which contains 90 RGAs (89 variable and 1 core gene) located on the pangenome additional contigs. By gene PAV-based GWAS, 8 gene presence/absence variations were found associated with flesh color. Finally, based on the results of gene PAV selection analysis between watermelon populations with different fruit colors, we identified four non-reference candidate genes associated with carotenoid accumulation, which had a significantly higher frequency in the white flesh. These results will provide an important source for watermelon breeding.

Use of unmanned ground vehicle systems in urbanized zones: A study of vector Mosquito surveillance in Kaohsiung.

Dengue fever is a vector-borne disease that has become a serious global public health problem over the past decade. An essential aspect of controlling and preventing mosquito-borne diseases is reduction of mosquito density. Through the process of urbanization, sewers (ditches) have become easy breeding sources of vector mosquitoes. In this study, we, for the first time, used unmanned ground vehicle systems (UGVs) to enter ditches in urban areas to observe vector mosquito ecology. We found traces of vector mosquitoes in ~20.7% of inspected ditches, suggesting that these constitute viable breeding sources of vector mosquitoes in urban areas. We also analyzed the average gravitrap catch of five administrative districts in Kaohsiung city from May to August 2018. The gravitrap indices of Nanzi and Fengshan districts were above the expected average (3.26), indicating that the vector mosquitoes density in these areas is high. Using the UGVs to detect positive ditches within the five districts followed by insecticide application generally yielded good control results. Further improving the high-resolution digital camera and spraying system of the UGVs may be able to effectively and instantly monitor vector mosquitoes and implement spraying controls. This approach may be suitable to solve the complex and difficult task of detecting mosquito breeding sources in urban ditches.

ChIFNα regulates adventitious root development in Lotus japonicus via an auxin-mediated pathway

ABSTRACT Adventitious roots (ARs), developing from non-root tissue, play an important role in some plants. Here, the molecular mechanism of AR differentiation in Lotus japonicus L. (L. japonicus) with the transformed chicken interferon alpha gene (ChIFNα) encoding cytokine was studied. ChIFNα transgenic plants (TP) were identified by GUS staining, PCR, RT-PCR, and ELISA. Up to 0.175 μg/kg rChIFNα was detected in TP2 lines. Expressing rChIFNα promotes AR development by producing longer roots than controls. We found that the effect was enhanced with the auxin precursor IBA treatment in TP. IAA contents, POD, and PPO activities associated with auxin regulation were higher than wild type (WT) in TP and exogenous ChIFNα treatment plants. Transcriptome analysis revealed 48 auxin-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (FDR < 0.05), which expression levels were verified by RT-qPCR analysis. GO enrichment analysis of DEGs also highlighted the auxin pathway. Further analysis found that ChIFNα significantly enhanced auxin synthesis and signaling mainly with up-regulated genes of ALDH, and GH3. Our study reveals that ChIFNα can promote plant AR development by mediating auxin regulation. The findings help explore the role of ChIFNα cytokines and expand animal gene sources for the molecular breeding of growth regulation of forage plants.

Surface wax in the ancestral grapevine Vitis sylvestris correlate with partial resistance to Powdery Mildew

BackgroundPowdery Mildew of Grapevine belongs to the major diseases in viticulture and requires intensive use of fungicides. Genetic introgression of resistance factors from wild grapes from North America and, recently, China, has been successful, but wine made from those varieties is still confronted with low consumer acceptance, due to differences in taste.ResultsThe current work explores the potential of Vitis vinifera sylvestris, the wild ancestor of domesticated Grapevine, with respect to containing Erysiphe necator, the causative agent of Powdery Mildew. Making use of a germplasm collection comprising the entire genetic variability remaining in Germany, we show that there is considerable genetic variation in the formation of leaf surface waxes exceeding wax formation in commercial varieties.ConclusionsHigh wax formation correlates with reduced susceptibility to controlled infection with E. necator linked with perturbations of appressoria formation. We propose V. vinifera sylvestris as novel source for resistance breeding since it is genetically much closer to domesticated grapevine than the hitherto used sources from beyond the species barrier.

Sucrose metabolism analysis in a high sucrose sugarcane mutant clone at a mature stage in contrast to low sucrose parental clone through the transcriptomic approach

BackgroundThe significance of sugarcane as a major crop is due to the production of sucrose and a significant source of ethanol. Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), Sucrose synthase (SuSy), and cell wall invertase (CWIN) genes regulate sucrose metabolism and accumulation in high sucrose sugarcane; such genes are significant for manipulating sucrose content. The current study explored the genes associated with sucrose metabolism and accumulation in a high sucrose sugarcane mutant clone GXB9 compared to its low sucrose parental clone B9.ResultsA total of 100, 262 differentially expressed genes were obtained, and 69, 637 (69.46%) got annotation in public databases COG, GO, KEGG, KOG, Pfam, eggNOG, NR, and Swiss-Prot. The SPS5 gene was significantly up-regulated in the maturing internodes of GXB9 and downregulated in B9. The SuSy and CWIN genes were up-regulated in the immature internodes; however, no expression was found in the maturing internodes of GXB9. The genes involved in trehalose synthesis were downregulated in GXB9 while up-regulated in B9. The cellulose synthase (CeS) genes were significantly up-regulated in the immature internodes than in maturing internodes of GXB9.ConclusionsThe key finding of this research suggests that the SPS5 gene has a predominant role in enhancing the sucrose accumulation ability of GXB9. No expression of SuSy and CWIN genes in maturing internodes and downregulation of trehalose genes in GXB9 may also have contributed to the higher sucrose accumulation in the stalk of high sucrose mutant. The current finding is a source for sugarcane breeding, particularly improving sucrose content.Graphical

Biochemical and Morphological Assessment of Rabi Sorghum Genotypes for Shootfly Resistance

The present investigation was conducted at Sorghum Improvement Project and Department of Biochemistry, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Maharashtra, India during rabi 2019–20 for assessment of rabi sorghum genotypes for shootfly through biochemical perspective. Sorghum is an important food and fodder crop of dry land agriculture. The experimental material consisted of 11 sorghum genotypes viz; RSV 1628, RSV 1023, RSV 1910, RSV 2371, RSV 1945, RSV 1838, RSV 2025, RSV 1918, RSV 1988, RSV 2391, RSV 1941, three varieties viz., Phule Vasudha, Phule Revati, M-35-1, three shootfly resistant checks viz., RSV 1188, IS 18551, RSE 3 and a susceptible check i.e. DJ 6514. The experiments were conducted under pot culture and field conditions at different stages. Resistance against shootfly in sorghum was governed by the physical and chemical genes. The morphological characters like trichome density, oviposition and dead heart percentage and biochemical attributes like polyphenol oxidase, peroxidise and chlorophyll content can be used as marker traits in shootfly resistance breeding programme to broaden the genetic base and increase the levels of resistance to sorghum. The sorghum genotype RSE 3, RSV 1945, RSV 1941, RSV 1188, and RSV 2371 recorded higher polyphenol oxidase activity at 28 DAE as compared to other genotypes. So, these sorghum genotypes are good source for shootfly resistance breeding. The genotype RSE 03, RSV 1941 and RSV 1188 exhibited positive results for shootfly resistance and can be used as donor for shootfly breeding programme.

The eQTL colocalization and transcriptome-wide association study identify potentially causal genes responsible for economic traits in Simmental beef cattle

BackgroundA detailed understanding of genetic variants that affect beef merit helps maximize the efficiency of breeding for improved production merit in beef cattle. To prioritize the putative variants and genes, we ran a comprehensive genome-wide association studies (GWAS) analysis for 21 agronomic traits using imputed whole-genome variants in Simmental beef cattle. Then, we applied expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) mapping between the genotype variants and transcriptome of three tissues (longissimus dorsi muscle, backfat, and liver) in 120 cattle.ResultsWe identified 1,580 association signals for 21 beef agronomic traits using GWAS. We then illuminated 854,498 cis-eQTLs for 6,017 genes and 46,970 trans-eQTLs for 1,903 genes in three tissues and built a synergistic network by integrating transcriptomics with agronomic traits. These cis-eQTLs were preferentially close to the transcription start site and enriched in functional regulatory regions. We observed an average of 43.5% improvement in cis-eQTL discovery using multi-tissue eQTL mapping. Fine-mapping analysis revealed that 111, 192, and 194 variants were most likely to be causative to regulate gene expression in backfat, liver, and muscle, respectively. The transcriptome-wide association studies identified 722 genes significantly associated with 11 agronomic traits. Via the colocalization and Mendelian randomization analyses, we found that eQTLs of several genes were associated with the GWAS signals of agronomic traits in three tissues, which included genes, such as NADSYN1, NDUFS3, LTF and KIFC2 in liver, GRAMD1C, TMTC2 and ZNF613 in backfat, as well as TIGAR, NDUFS3 and L3HYPDH in muscle that could serve as the candidate genes for economic traits.ConclusionsThe extensive atlas of GWAS, eQTL, fine-mapping, and transcriptome-wide association studies aid in the suggestion of potentially functional variants and genes in cattle agronomic traits and will be an invaluable source for genomics and breeding in beef cattle.

Trend of mosquito larval indices over a year in a rural area of Thrissur district, Kerala

Background: Dengue is the most widely distributed viral disease in the world. Outbreak are usually seasonal, peaking during and after rainy seasons. Entomological surveillance is important in determining the factors related to disease transmission in order to prioritize areas and seasons for vector control. The objectives of the study were to determine the larval indices of aedes, assess the seasonal trend in larval indices and determine the major breeding site of Aedes mosquitoes. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted over a period of 12 months from January to December in Thrikkur panchayath area. From the total of seventeen wards, 4 wards are randomly selected and from these, 75 houses are randomly selected. Results: From the surveyed houses 959 wet containers were examined of these 180 were found positive. Wet containers, positive containers and positive houses were more identified during rainy season. The most common site for vector breeding as per the survey was identified to be plastic containers. Aedes was the major species identified. Since the breteau index is between 5 -50, the area studied is considered as moderate risk for epidemics. Conclusions: Results of the study indicated that the vector indices were more during monsoon period. So, control measures need to be adopted with much vigour even during the pre-monsoon and need to continue during the monsoon season also. Plastic containers were a major source of vector breeding and Aedes was the commonest species identified.

Bazı yerel sarımsak genotip ve köy çeşitlerinin soğan sak nematoduna, Ditylenchus dipsaci (Kühn, 1857) Filipjev, 1936 (Rhabditida: Anguinidae) karşı dayanıklılıklarının belirlenmesi

Ditylenchus dipsaci (Kühn, 1857) Filipjev, 1936 (Rhabditida: Anguinidae) is one of the destructive agents of garlic and reduces yield and market value. One of the most practical and eco-friendly methods for nematode management is using resistant varieties. In the study, two endemic garlic species, Allium tuncelianum (Kolman) Ozhatay, Mathew &amp;amp; Siraneci and Allium macrochaetum subsp. macrochaetum Boiss. &amp;amp; Hausskn. (Alliaceae: Amaryllidaceae), 10 mutant and 32 landraces garlic genotypes, Allium sativum L. (Alliaceae: Amaryllidaceae) were investigated for their resistance reactions to D. dipsaci and effect of D. dipsaci on some plant growth parameters. All experiments were conducted at Atatürk Horticultural Central Research Institute in 2019-2020. None of the genotypes was found resistant to D. dipsaci, and reproduction factors, which ranged from 2.6 to 12.7, were grouped from susceptible to highly susceptible. The Tunceli garlic genotype had the lowest reproduction factor (2.6), 36.6% less than the highly susceptible Muğla6 genotype. Alata1, Muğla1, Muğla7 and Kula genotypes had the lowest decrease rate with nematode treatment at least in one of the plant growth parameters. The genotypes that had lower nematode multiplication and displayed better development under nematode infestation in this study are recommended for the field infested with D. dipsaci as sources for garlic breeding.

Characterization of five local varieties of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in east java, Indonesia

Some regions in Indonesia, especially East Java, have abundant local varieties of rice. However, these germplasms have not been optimally developed in plant breeding. Characterization ranked as the first step in plant breeding to identify morphological and agronomic characteristics of the germplasms. This study aims to characterize several local rice varieties in East Java, including ‘Ketan Genjah’ (V1), ‘PIM’ (V2), ‘Pendok’ (V3), ‘Padi Hitam’ (V4), and ‘Padi Merah’ (V5) to point out each strength in several parameters to be used as a potential gene source for plant breeding. The results of this study indicated that the varieties studied have several distinct morphological and agronomic characters with each other. In terms of plant height, leaf length, pithy grain percentage, grain loss percentage, and the weight of 1000 grain, ‘Pendok’ showed superiorities compared to other varieties. In addition, ‘Pendok’ also had the highest yield per clump together with ‘Ketan Genjah’ at 151.32 g and 150.82 g, respectively. ‘PIM’ had the longest panicle length, whereas in terms of number of tillers, ‘Ketan Genjah’, ‘Padi Hitam’, and ‘Padi Merah’ were the highest among the varieties studied.

Investigation of B-atp6-orfH79 distributing in Chinese populations of Oryza rufipogon and analysis of its chimeric structure

BackgroundThe cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) of rice is caused by chimeric mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that is maternally inherited in the majority of multicellular organisms. Wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) has been regarded as the ancestral progenitor of Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.). To investigate the distribution of original CMS source, and explore the origin of gametophytic CMS gene, a total of 427 individuals with seventeen representative populations of O. rufipogon were collected in from Dongxiang of Jiangxi Province to Sanya of Hainan Province, China, for the PCR amplification of atp6, orfH79 and B-atp6-orfH79, respectively.ResultsThe B-atp6-orfH79 and its variants (B-atp6-GSV) were detected in five among seventeen populations (i.e. HK, GZ, PS, TL and YJ) through PCR amplification, which could be divided into three haplotypes, i.e., BH1, BH2, and BH3. The BH2 haplotype was identical to B-atp6-orfH79, while the BH1 and BH3 were the novel haplotypes of B-atp6-GSV. Combined with the high-homology sequences in GenBank, a total of eighteen haplotypes have been revealed, only with ten haplotypes in orfH79 and its variants (GSV) that belong to three species (i.e. O. rufipogon, Oryza nivara and Oryza sativa). Enough haplotypes clearly demonstrated the uniform structural characteristics of the B-atp6-orfH79 as follows: except for the conserved sequence (671 bp) composed of B-atp6 (619 bp) and the downstream followed the B-atp6 (52 bp, DS), and GSV sequence, a rich variable sequence (VS, 176 bp) lies between the DS and GSV with five insertion or deletion and more than 30 single nucleotide polymorphism. Maximum likelihood analysis showed that eighteen haplotypes formed three clades with high support rate. The hierarchical analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated the occurrence of variation among all populations (FST = 1; P < 0.001), which implied that the chimeric structure occurred independently. Three haplotypes (i.e., H1, H2 and H3) were detected by the primer of orfH79, which were identical to the GVS in B-atp6-GVS structure, respectively. All seventeen haplotypes of the orfH79, belonged to six species based on our results and the existing references. Seven existed single nucleotide polymorphism in GSV section can be translated into eleven various amino acid sequences.ConclusionsGenerally, this study, indicating that orfH79 was always accompanied by the B-atp6, not only provide two original CMS sources for rice breeding, but also confirm the uniform structure of B-atp-orfH79, which contribute to revealing the origin of rice gametophytic CMS genes, and the reason about frequent recombination of mitochondrial DNA.

Desiccation tolerance in larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 and Anopheles stephensi Liston, 1901 (Diptera: Culicidae): implications for mosquito control

A laboratory assessment of desiccation tolerance in larval stages of mosquitoes Anopheles stephensi Liston, 1901 (Diptera: Culicidae) and Culex quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 (Diptera: Culicidae) was carried out using five temperature levels and three levels of exposure duration as explanatory variables. The increase in the duration of exposure to desiccation from 15 min to 60 min was noted to result in a substantial increase in water loss (in mg) in mosquito larvae. Similarly, the increase in temperature levels was observed to cause larval mortality and a substantial decrease in the emergence of adults. Both the temperature and the duration of exposure to desiccation were found to be influential factors in determining survival and subsequent emergence of adults. Desiccation is a primary factor in determining the survival of mosquito larvae, particularly in the conditions where habitat permanence is uncertain, e.g., in temporary pools and containers serving as mosquito larval habitats. The results of the present study provide a glimpse into the effects of desiccation at varied temperatures and exposure durations on the successful emergence of adults in mosquitoes Cx. quinquefasciatus and An. stephensi. Although primary, the obtained results show that desiccation can be a probable way of regulating the development of mosquito larvae in conditions where the permanence of the habitat for mosquito larvae is uncertain. Further studies on desiccation tolerance may be carried out using different mosquito species that are adapted to temporary pools and containers as sources for breeding.

Исходные формы земляники садовой для селекции на продуктивност ь и качество плодов

The world assortment of strawberries includes about 15 thousand varieties, lines and shapes. Breeding work continues in various directions, but the priority remains the creation of varieties characterised by high productivity, large-fruited and marketable fruits that meet the requirements of industrial cultivation. It is possible to increase the efficiency of breeding in this direction by finding and using new sources and donors of valuable traits. The aim of the research was to study the characters of productivity and quality of strawberry fruit in order to identify new breeding sources. The research was carried out at the strawberry genetic collection located in the Moscow region, at the Department of Genetics and Breeding of Garden Crops of the Federal Horticultural Centre for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery. The subjects of the study were strawberry plants of 33 varieties of different genetic and geographical origin recommended in the scientific literature for industrial cultivation. The variety samples were studied according to the Program and methodology of variety studies of fruit, berry and nut crops. Microsoft Excel was used for statistical data processing by single-factor analysis of variance and grouping of varieties based on NSR0.5. When studying strawberry varieties grown under field conditions using traditional technology, the highest productivity was noted in the varieties: ‘Rozana Kievskaya’ (431.5 g/bush), ‘Troitskaya’ (392.7 g/bush), ‘Al’fa’ (322.4 g/bush), ‘Irma’ (318.2 g/bush), ‘Kokinskaya Pozdnyaya’ (300.2 g/bush). The sources of large fruit are identified in the varieties: ‘Kokinskaya Pozdnyaya’, ‘Festival’naya Romashka’, ‘Irma’, ‘Arosa’, ‘Troitskaya’, ‘Florence’, ‘Jemma’, ‘Vima Kimberly’, ‘Tsaritsa’, ‘Nelly’, ‘Vityaz’’, ‘Asia’, ‘Selekta’, ‘Сlery’, ‘Vima Zanta’, ‘Urozhaynaya TsGL’, ‘Rozana Kievskaya’, ‘Al’fa’, ‘Alba’, ‘Venta’, ‘Tsarskosel’skaya’, ‘Bryanich’, ‘Borovitskaya’, ‘Tago’. The highest hardness of fruits was observed in the varieties ‘Arosa’ and ‘Vima Kimberly’ varieties. The varieties ‘Kubata’, ‘Nelly’, ‘Florence’, ‘Asia’, ‘Alba’, ‘Irma’, ‘Tago’, and ‘Lakomaya’ showed a high level of the trait. As a result of the study, sources of high potential productivity (“large fruit” and “number of ovaries per bush”) were identified: ‘Rozana Kievskaya’, ‘Troitskaya’, ‘Al’fa’. The varieties ‘Florence’, ‘Vima Kimberly’, ‘Asia’, ‘Arosa’, ‘Irma’, ‘Nelly’ are recommended as sources for fruit quality (“large fruit” and “fruit hardness”).

Study of vegetable beans collection in climatic conditions and selection of promising sources for breeding

During the span of 2018 to 2021, a comprehensive investigation was conducted encompassing the morphobiological and economically significant attributes of 20 distinct samples of vegetable beans. These samples were meticulously gathered through collaborative expeditionary ventures spanning the landscapes of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The interdisciplinary efforts of scientists hailing from the Scientific Research Institute of Plant Genetic Resources and the Rural Development Administration of the Republic of Korea (RDA) culminated in an in-depth analysis of these plant varieties. The outcome of this thorough exploration yielded noteworthy results, highlighting the identification and isolation of four early maturing and five high-yielding samples of vegetable beans. The amalgamation of expertise, fieldwork, and scientific scrutiny brought forth the delineation of these promising bean varieties with traits poised to contribute significantly to agricultural productivity and resilience across the studied regions. The collaborative nature of this endeavor underscores the significance of international cooperation in advancing agricultural innovation and enhancing the cultivation of vital crops.

Genetic diversity of the table beet (&lt;I&gt;Beta&lt;/I&gt; L.) collection at VIR as a potential source for breeding (a review)

This review presents brief information about the history of the table beet (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris var. conditiva Alef.) collection at the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR), its composition, research trends, and significance for domestic breeding. The collection started in 1924 with Vavilov’s collecting activities. Currently, the collection consists of 2512 accessions; the table beet variety is represented by 461 accessions from 45 countries, collected in numerous expeditions, obtained from foreign genebanks through germplasm exchange and seed requests, received from domestic and foreign breeders, plus materials developed by VIR researchers. Table beet is an economically important, high-yielding, ubiquitous crop that has a wide cultivation area and is a valuable biochemical food product with beneficial effects on human health.The information is provided on the genetic diversity of VIR’s table beet collection, including current trends of its study and use in breeding. Characteristics of table beet accessions available in the collection, their morphological features and value, and the names of accessions from different trait groups and genetic sources are described. Presently, 125 cultivars and 38 F1 hybrids of table beet are listed in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation, 70% of which are products of domestic breeding.

Improvement of Anther Culture to integrate Doubled Haploid Technology in Temperate Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Breeding.

Doubled haploid (DH) plant production, such as anther culture (AC), is an effective tool used in modern rice breeding programs. The improved efficient protocols applied can shorten the process of breeding. The effect of combinations of plant growth regulators (2.5 mg/L NAA, 1 mg/L 2,4-D and 0.5 mg/L kinetin; 2 mg/L 2,4-D and 0.5 mg/L BAP) in the induction medium were compared in AC for five rice breeding materials and combinations. Induction of calli ranged from 264.6 ± 67.07 to 468.8 ± 123.2 calli/100 anthers in AC of rice genotypes. Two basal media (MS and N6) and two combinations of growth regulators (1 mg/L NAA, 1 mg/L BAP and 1 mg/L kinetin; 1.5 mg/L BAP, 0.5 mg/L NAA and 0.5 mg/L kinetin) were used as regeneration media. The in vitro green plant production was the highest with the application of the N6NDK induction medium (NAA, 2,4-D and kinetin) and the MS-based regeneration medium (1 mg/L NAA, 1 mg/BAP and 1 mg/L kinetin) in anther culture of the '1009' genotype (95.2 green plantlets/100 anthers). The mean of five genotypes was 24.48 green plantlets/100 anthers for the best treatment. Flow cytometric analyses conducted identified the microspore origin of the haploid calli produced in AC, while the uniformity of spontaneous DH plants was checked in the DH1 and DH2 generations. Spontaneous chromosome doubling ranged from 38.1% to 57.9% (mean 42.1%), depending on the breeding source. The generated and selected DH lines were tested in micro- and small-plot field experiments to identify promising lines for a pedigree breeding program. The improved AC method was integrated in a Hungarian temperate rice pedigree breeding program.

Effect of Cooking Methods on Amphenicols and Metabolites Residues in Livestock and Poultry Meat Spiked Tissues.

Foods of animal origin, as nutritional supplements, are usually consumed after cooking, but residues of amphenicols in fresh raw meat threaten human health. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the effects of boiling, deep-frying and microwave processing under different time conditions on the residue levels of amphenicols and metabolites in livestock and poultry meat. Antibiotic-free pork, beef, lamb and chicken samples were spiked with chloramphenicol (CAP), thiamphenicol (TAP), florfenicol (FF) and florfenicol amine (FFA) standard solutions and made into homogeneous meat blocks. These positive mock meat blocks were processed using three different cooking methods, and the analyses were performed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The results showed that cooking methods, time and food matrices were the main factors influencing the changes in amphenicols and metabolites residues in livestock and poultry meat. With the increase in cooking time, boiling processing was the most effective in reducing the four drug residues in livestock and poultry meat matrices, followed by deep-frying, while microwaving caused an increase in drug residue concentrations. Although boiling and frying processes are effective strategies to reduce amphenicols and metabolites residues in meat, it cannot be assumed that these residues can always decrease to levels that are safe for consumer health, especially when the drug residue concentrations in raw meat are above the maximum residue limits (MRLs). Therefore, it is not reliable to remove residues of amphenicols and metabolites from food by cooking. The solution to the food safety problem of veterinary drug residues must start from the breeding source and accelerate the implementation of antibiotic reduction, antibiotic substitution and antibiotic-free farming.

Mosquito fauna in the urban and rural areas of rubber plantation sectors of Kerala

Among arthropod vectors, mosquitoes are the most important vector that transmit diseases such as Malaria, Filariasis, Chikungunya (CG), Dengue Fever (DF), Yellow Fever, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) etc. Forest fringe associated rubber plantation areas are more prone to the spread of zoonotic diseases to rural and urban areas. In view of this, a study was conducted to assess the species composition and density of mosquitoes in the urban and rural areas of rubber plantation sectors of Kottayam district. Two villages from forest fringe associated rubber plantation areas and two wards from urban areas of Kottayam district were selected for the study. Immature and adult mosquitoes were collected based on WHO standard procedures. A total of 14 mosquito species were recorded in the present study in which five species belong to the Aedeine group. Aedes albopictus was the predominant vector species in the study areas. Aedes albopictus was found to be abundant in the urban areas while Armigeres subalbatus was recorded as the prevalent species in the rural areas. Per man hour density of mosquitoes were found maximum during June and July and density of Aedes albopictus found maximum during the month of May. Water storage containers were observed to be the major breeding habitat for Ae. albopictus in urban areas and discarded or unused rubber latex collection containers were found to be the main breeding source for Ae albopictus in rural areas. Since Aedes transmitted diseases such as dengue and chikungunya are being reported in the study area entomological surveillance and its significance can be used to halt the outbreak as shown in this study.

Prevalence and Species Identification of Calves Eimerosis in Sebeta Town, Oromia Specila Zone, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 to July 2022 with the objectives of estimating the prevalence of coccidiosis, identifying Eimeria species involved, and assessing the associated risk factors in randomly selected 9 kebeles of Sebeta town dairy farms. Three hundred five fecal samples were randomly collected from calves to examine for the presence of Oocyst of Eimeria by floatation technique using saturated salt solution. For positive samples, solution of 2.5% potassium dichromate was added to the feces containing the Ocysts for preservation and identification of the Eimeria species. The overall prevalence of coccidiosis at animal level and herd level was 57.5% (157/305) and 78.7% (48/61) respectively. The most dominant identified Eimeria species were E. zuernii, E. auburnensis and E. canadinensis with the prevalence of 45.22% (71/157), 17.83% (28/157) and 14.01(22/157) respectively. Under host related factor there was statistically significant difference (p&lt;0.05) of sex, breed and fecal consistence with infection of Eimeria species but age, body condition and herd size were not significantly associated (p&gt;0.05) with Eimeria infection. With regard to non-host related factor kebele, barn hygiene, management system, water and feed source was statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) with Eimeria infection. However, house condition and pen type were not significantly associated (p&gt;0.05) with Eimeria infection. By using univariable logistic analysis the risk of getting coccidian infection was observed in kebele, sex, breed, barn hygiene, management, water and feed source, but the risk factors such as; age, body condition, fecal consistency, herd size, house condition and pen type were found to be statistically insignificant for Eimeria infection rate (p&gt;0.05). Indeed, the study revealed that calf coccidiosis is prevalent in dairy farms of Sebeta town. Hence, appropriate disease prevention and control program need to be undertaken to reduce its impact. More ever, we recommend to use PCR diagnostic technique which is more reliable, sensitive and less time-consuming for detection of Eimeria.