Germplasm Accessions Research Articles

Genetic background of lily germplasm resources based on SSR markers

To study the genetic background of lily (Lilium spp.) germplasm resources, and accurately evaluate and select excellent germplasm for genetic improvement of lily, we analyzed the genetic background of 62 lily germplasm accessions from 11 provinces of China by using simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers. The results showed that 15 out of 83 pairs of lily SSR primers were polymorphic. A total of 157 allelic loci were amplified, with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 5 to 19 and the average number of effective alleles per locus being 4.162 8. The average observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity were 0.228 2 and 0.694 1, respectively. The average polymorphic information content was 0.678 8. The average Nei's diversity index and Shannon's information index were 0.694 1 and 1.594 9, respectively, indicating that the tested lily germplasm had high genetic diversity. The 62 germplasm accessions were classified into 5 groups by the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) and into 3 groups by the principal component analysis. The two analyses revealed a geographic correlation among different groups. The majority of lily germplasm accessions from the same source tended to cluster together. The population structure analysis classified the lily accessions into 4 populations and 1 mixed population. The above results provide a theoretical basis and genetic resources for the precise identification and breeding of lily germplasm resources.

Morpho-genetic Diversity and Traits’ Relationship in Castor Germplasm

Adequate knowledge of the extent of dissimilarity among germplasm accessions and traits’ relationships are of great importance in active breeding programme. In the present study, genetic diversity and traits’ relationship were assessed among 74 castor germplasm accessions collected at the National Cereals Research Institute Badeggi, Nigeria. The accessions were evaluated on replicated plots of 7.5m2 size, arranged in a randomized complete block design. The data were taken on 20 individual plants, using standard castor descriptors. The results revealed significant variations for all the traits studied among the entries. Phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation estimated showed low environmental effects on the observed variations. High (≥ 70%) broad sense heritability coupled with high (≥ 20%) genetic advance as percentage of mean were observed in all the traits except days to days to first raceme maturity, number of leaf lobes and seed yield. Six cluster groups, with 4 to 38 members, were identified among the accessions. Significant positive correlations were observed between the seed yield and leaf length (0.269*), and spike length (0.972**). The partitioning of the correlations into direct and indirect yield contributors showed positive direct effects for number of internodes to first raceme, spike length and height to first raceme. The findings showed that selection for long spike early accessions could result in constituting a high yielding breeding population. The identified superior accessions could serve as good germplasm sources for castor breeding programme in Nigeria.

Mining genomic regions associated with agronomic and biochemical traits in quinoa through GWAS

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), an Andean crop, is a facultative halophyte food crop recognized globally for its high nutritional value and plasticity to adapt to harsh conditions. We conducted a genome-wide association study on a diverse set of quinoa germplasm accessions. These accessions were evaluated for the following agronomic and biochemical traits: days to 50% flowering (DTF), plant height (PH), panicle length (PL), stem diameter (SD), seed yield (SY), grain diameter (GD), and thousand-grain weight (TGW). These accessions underwent genotyping-by-sequencing using the DNBSeq-G400R platform. Among all evaluated traits, TGW represented maximum broad-sense heritability. Our study revealed average SNP density of ≈ 3.11 SNPs/10 kb for the whole genome, with the lowest and highest on chromosomes Cq1B and Cq9A, respectively. Principal component analysis clustered the quinoa population in three main clusters, one clearly representing lowland Chilean accessions, whereas the other two groups corresponded to germplasm from the highlands of Peru and Bolivia. In our germplasm set, we estimated linkage disequilibrium decay to be ≈ 118.5 kb. Marker-trait analyses revealed major and consistent effect associations for DTF on chromosomes 3A, 4B, 5B, 6A, 7A, 7B and 8B, with phenotypic variance explained (PVE) as high as 19.15%. Nine associations across eight chromosomes were also found for saponin content with 20% PVE by qSPN5A.1. More QTLs were identified for PL and TGW on multiple chromosomal locations. We identified putative candidate genes in the genomic regions associated with DTF and saponin content. The consistent and major-effect genomic associations can be used in fast-tracking quinoa breeding for wider adaptation across marginal environments.

Promoter variations of ClERF1 gene determines flesh firmness in watermelon

BackgroundFlesh firmness is a critical factor that influences fruit storability, shelf-life and consumer’s preference as well. However, less is known about the key genetic factors that are associated with flesh firmness in fresh fruits like watermelon.ResultsIn this study, through bulk segregant analysis (BSA-seq), we identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) that influenced variations in flesh firmness among recombinant inbred lines (RIL) developed from cross between the Citrullus mucosospermus accession ZJU152 with hard-flesh and Citrullus lanatus accession ZJU163 with soft-flesh. Fine mapping and sequence variations analyses revealed that ethylene-responsive factor 1 (ClERF1) was the most likely candidate gene for watermelon flesh firmness. Furthermore, several variations existed in the promoter region between ClERF1 of two parents, and significantly higher expressions of ClERF1 were found in hard-flesh ZJU152 compared with soft-flesh ZJU163 at key developmental stages. DUAL-LUC and GUS assays suggested much stronger promoter activity in ZJU152 over ZJU163. In addition, the kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) genotyping datasets of RIL populations and germplasm accessions further supported ClERF1 as a possible candidate gene for fruit flesh firmness variability and the hard-flesh genotype might only exist in wild species C. mucosospermus. Through yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and dual luciferase assay, we found that ClERF1 could directly bind to the promoters of auxin-responsive protein (ClAux/IAA) and exostosin family protein (ClEXT) and positively regulated their expressions influencing fruit ripening and cell wall biosynthesis.ConclusionsOur results indicate that ClERF1 encoding an ethylene-responsive factor 1 is associated with flesh firmness in watermelon and provide mechanistic insight into the regulation of flesh firmness, and the ClERF1 gene is potentially applicable to the molecular improvement of fruit-flesh firmness by design breeding.

C-terminally encoded peptide-like genes are associated with the development of primary root at qRL16.1 in soybean.

Root architecture traits are belowground traits that harness moisture and nutrients from the soil and are equally important to above-ground traits in crop improvement. In soybean, the root length locus qRL16.1 was previously mapped on chromosome 16. The qRL16.1 has been characterized by transcriptome analysis of roots in near-isogenic lines (NILs), gene expression analysis in a pair of lines contrasting with alleles of qRL16.1, and differential gene expression analysis in germplasm accessions contrasting with root length. Two candidate genes, Glyma.16g108500 and Glyma.16g108700, have shown relatively higher expression in longer root accessions than in shorter rooting accessions. The C-terminal domain of Glyma.16g108500 and Glyma.16g108700 is similar to the conserved domain of C-terminally encoded peptides (CEPs) that regulate root length and nutrient response in Arabidopsis. Two polymorphisms upstream of Glyma.16g108500 showed a significant association with primary root length and total root length traits in a germplasm set. Synthetic peptide assay with predicted CEP variants of Glyma.16g108500 and Glyma.16g108700 demonstrated their positive effect on primary root length. The two genes are root-specific in the early stage of soybean growth and showed differential expression only in the primary root. These genes will be useful for improving soybean to develop a deep and robust root system to withstand low moisture and nutrient regimes.

Evaluation of variation in seedling root architectural traits and their potential association with nitrogen fixation and agronomic traits in field pea accessions

AbstractRoot system architecture (RSA) plays a central role in water and nutrient acquisition in plants. Plasticity and genetic variation in RSA can be used as an adaptive strategy to optimize plant performance under variable environments. We quantified phenotypic variation for seedling RSA among 44 diverse pea (Pisum sativum L.) genotypes, including breeding lines and germplasm accessions, grown under controlled conditions for 14 days using two‐dimensional hydroponic root imaging. Root image analysis revealed significant genotypic variability among the lines for all root traits, namely root length (RL), root diameter (RD), root volume, root surface area, number of tips, network width (NW), network depth (ND), and network convex area. Significant positive correlations were observed among the evaluated root traits, ranging from 0.5 to 0.9. Pea lines were ranked based on estimated means for root traits, with lines E20, F1, and F8 showing high rankings, while E4 and F5 received low rankings for most traits. To associate root traits with nitrogen (N) fixation and field agronomic performance, we performed redundancy analysis (RDA). The quantified root traits accounted for significant variation in the agronomic traits (R2 = ∼30%, p < 0.001). RDA showed a positive association between lodging susceptibility and root system NW and between plant height and root system ND. RD was positively associated with grain yield and N fixation. N fixation was positively associated with the number of lateral roots. The findings of this study indicate that variation for seedling root traits in pea could aid selection for N fixation and other important agronomic traits.

Allele mining for Granule Bound Starch Synthase1 (GBSS1) gene governing amylose content in aromatic rice (Oryza sativa L.) germplasm

The current research investigated sequence polymorphism and allelic variation in the GBSS1 gene responsible for determining the apparent amylose content (AAC) in an aromatic rice germplasm panel. Analysis of 271 germplasm accessions from India revealed a wide range of variation in AAC, from 4.81% (Manipur Black Rice) to 35.88% (IGSR -3-1-5). Re-sequencing and sequence analysis of a representative subset of 28 accessions unveiled a nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.00374, identifying 72 sequence variants. Two novel non-synonymous SNPs were identified: a G/A transition in exon 2, resulting in the substitution of glutamic acid at the 91st position with lysine, and a C/T transition in exon 11, substituting alanine at the 468thposition with valine. Additionally, two previously reported SNPs were validated: A/C in exon 6 (Tyr224Ser) and C/T in exon 10 (Pro415Ser). Furthermore, a 23 bp exon 2 duplication was found in Manipur Black Rice (4.81%), Bhogali Bora (6.20%), and NJ-72 (7.36%), indicating the prevalence of this allele in the very low AAC category (3–9%) in addition to the glutinous or waxy rice category with 0–2% AAC. These findings are significant for manipulating starch content in aromatic rice germplasm.

Evaluating the Impact of Sowing Time on Phenology and Yield Attributes in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Germplasm Accessions under Normal and Late Sown Conditions

Evaluating the Impact of Sowing Time on Phenology and Yield Attributes in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Germplasm Accessions under Normal and Late Sown Conditions

Genotype, environment, and their interaction effects on peanut seed protein, oil, and fatty acid content variability

AbstractProducts from peanut seeds are nutritious for human and/or animal consumption. Peanut seed nutritional quality is determined by the genotype (G) of cultivars or accessions, environmental conditions (E), and their interactions (G × E). To evaluate the effects of genotype, environment, and their interactions on seed nutritional quality, 52 peanut germplasm accessions, which vary in oil content and fatty acid composition, were planted at three locations (Citra, FL; Byron, GA; and Clovis, NM) for 2 years (2017 and 2018). The harvested seeds were analyzed for protein, oil, and fatty acid composition using an N analyzer, nuclear magnetic resonance, and gas chromatography, respectively. Significant effects of accession, FAD2 gene, where FAD is fatty acid desaturase, location, year, and their interactions on the investigated traits were evaluated. The average oil content from accessions grown in Florida (51.1%) or Georgia (50.7%) was significantly higher than those grown in New Mexico (45.8%), whereas the average protein content from accessions grown in Florida (23.2%) was significantly lower than those grown in New Mexico (25.4%) or Georgia (24.8%). This is expected as there is a negative correlation between oil and protein content. After genotyping and classification (A/A, A/W, and G/W) for the FAD2A/FAD2B genes, the nutritional quality variations were further evaluated at the levels of the specific haplotype of FAD2A/FAD2B and explicit environmental index. The average prediction accuracy of seed nutritional quality trait values from the prediction model demonstrated that predicting trait values in new environments is feasible. The results of this study provide insights into the seed nutritional analysis, germplasm evaluation, and peanut breeding, cultivation, and production to peanut breeders, curators, farmers, and product processors.

Exploring host plant resistance in chilli (Capsicum spp) against Southeast Asian thrips (Thripsparvispinus Karny)

Southeast Asian thrips (Thrips parvispinus Karny), poses a significant threat to chilli crop production causing severe economic losses. They feed heavily on leaves, flowers and young fruits causing severe damage to the crop. Exploring host plant resistance is the best ecofriendly management strategy to combat this pest. Large-scale field screening of 481 germplasm accessions, followed by further screening of selected accessions under polyhouse conditions led to identification of fourteen accessions that showed resistance against Southeast Asian thrips. Among the screened accessions, IIHR-B-HP-79 showed the highest level of Southeast Asian thrips resistance with significantly low leaf and fruit damage scores of 0.28 and 0.13, respectively. Further, screening of selected fourteen field resistant accessions was performed through whole plant bio-assay where in four accessions i.e., IIHR-B-HP-79 (C. frutescens), IIHR 4550, IIHR 4501 & IIHR 4410 (C. chinense) showed good level of resistance. Multi-choice leaf disc assay, demonstrated that IIHR-B-HP-79 exhibited a high level of resistance with the lowest percent of scraping damage during both the vegetative (10.98) and flowering stages (15.31). The identified resistant accession IIHR-B-HP-79 (C. frutescens), has the potential to be a valuable genetic resource as donor in breeding for Southeast Asian thrips resistance.

A novel strategy to develop powdery mildew resistant phenotypes and diagnose reaction to Golovinomyces latisporus in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Among the various biotic stresses limiting sunflower productivity, powdery mildew incited by Golovinomyces latisporus has become a serious problem in the tropical regions. Reliable source of resistance has been identified in the diploid annual wild species Helianthus praecox (PRA-1823). Interspecific cross of cultivated sunflower (Acc. PS-2023) with PRA-1823 was advanced to develop interspecific recombinant inbred lines (IRILs) with distinct phenotypic reaction to the pathogen. The IRILs with similar morphology were subjected to molecular analysis by adopting the bulk pooling analysis (BPA) wherein DNA of eight each of susceptible and resistant IRILs were pooled to constitute the respective bulks. Fourteen sunflower specific SSR markers that showed polymorphism between the susceptible and resistant bulk IRILs, discriminated the powdery mildew resistant and susceptible samples as well. The primer ORS 485 was dominant and showed amplification only in the susceptible bulks and accessions and hence, it was converted to a multiplex reaction with actin to overrule the possibility of PCR failure. These 14 primers were successfully validated on IRIL populations and individual plants, a set of 40 breeding lines and 205 germplasm accessions with high susceptibility to the pathogen, 11 Helianthus species and three previously reported sources of resistance to powdery mildew (PM-81, IR-6, TX-16 R). This constitutes the first successful attempt at development of a diagnostic molecular marker set for distinguishing the powdery mildew resistant and susceptible genotypes in sunflower.

Estimate of Genotypic and Phenotypic Correlation and Path Coefficients in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The significant positive correlation of phenotypic and genotypic performance as well as path correlation of crops helps in selection of the superior cultivars. Based upon important significance of these estimates, it was applied in our research. For this an experiment was conducted on different genotypes during crop season of Rabi 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 under normal (non-stressed) or (heat-stressed) conditions. With the aim of to work out direct and indirect effects of different characters on yield. The field experiments were planted comprising 80 germplasm of bread wheat. Therefore, our experimental trials were conducted in 12 environments (E1 to E12), for the identification of superior yielding and stable germplasm accessions possessing heat-stress tolerance. The field experiments were laid out in Augmented Block Design (ABD). Observations were recorded on twenty -six quantitative characters. Grain yield per plant showed significant positive association with Grain weight per spike (0.7998**), followed by Harvest index (0.7768**), Spike bearing tillers per plant (0.6627**), Number of grain per plant (0.658**), Plant biomass (0.5754**), Grain length (0.4203**), Spike length (0.3174**), Number of grain per spike (0.2734 *). And significant negative association with Peduncle length (-0.4282**), Plant waxiness (0.291**), Plant height (-0.258*), Chlorophyll content (-0.254*). Grain yield per plant showed highly significant positive association with spike bearing tillers per plant (0.634**), grain weight per spike (0.662**), number of grain per plant (0.550**), plant biomass (0.465**), number of grain per spike (0.166**), flag leaf area (0.1431*), flag leaf length (0.127*).

Discerning genetic diversity among sunflower germplasm accessions through multivariate analysis

Discerning genetic diversity among sunflower germplasm accessions through multivariate analysis

Screening of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germplasm accessions for tolerance against post-emergence herbicide imazethapyr

In the present study, 200 chickpea genotypes including accessions from the ICRISAT chickpea core collection, ICAR-IARI advanced breeding lines and varieties were screened against imazethapyr (an Acetolactate Synthase inhibiting broad-spectrum herbicide) to identify the source of resistance to the post-emergence herbicide. Wide genetic variations were observed among chickpea genotypes. A total of eight genotypes, viz. ICC 1710, ICC-14061, GL 14054, IPC 10-134, ICCX 130012-B-B-B-B-25, ICC17255, ICCX110067-B-B-B-B 76-B-B, and ICCX110066-B-B-B-B-59-B-B showed tolerance to imazethapyr; hence, they were considered promising. The application of imazethapyr significantly reduced plant height, and 100 seed weight and increased days to 50% flowering and maturity. Plant biomass under herbicide treatment increased most likely due to an increase in the number of secondary branches. Weed control efficiency was 78.58% when imazethapyr applied at 80 g a.i. per ha at 40 days after sowing. Among the tolerant genotypes, IPC 06-77 and ICC 14061 gave the most consistent positive performance for yield and yield attributes under herbicide treatment. The herbicide-tolerant lines identified can be useful resources for undertaking genetic and physiological studies on herbicide tolerance and for the development of herbicide-tolerant cultivars of chickpea.

Detection of two homologous major QTLs and development of diagnostic molecular markers for sucrose content in peanut.

We identified two stable and homologous major QTLs for sucrose content in peanut, and developed breeder-friendly molecular markers for marker-assisted selection breeding. Sucrose content is a crucial quality trait for edible peanuts, and increasing sucrose content is a key breeding objective. However, the genetic basis of sucrose content in peanut remains unclear, and major quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for sucrose content have yet to be identified. In this study, a high-density genetic map was constructed based on whole-genome re-sequencing data from a peanut RIL population. This map consisted of 2,042 bins and 24,142 SNP markers, making it one of the most comprehensive maps to date in terms of marker density. Two major QTLs (qSCA06.2 and qSCB06.2) were identified, explaining 31.41% and 24.13% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. Notably, these two QTLs were located in homologous genomic regions between the A and B subgenomes. The elite allele of qSCA06.2 was exclusive to Valencia-type, while the elite allele of qSCB06.2 existed in other peanut types. Importantly, the distribution of alleles from two homologous QTLs in the RIL population and diverse germplasm accessions consistently demonstrated that only the combination of elite allelic genotypes from both QTLs/genes resulted in a significantly dominant phenotype, accompanied by a substantial increase in sucrose content. The newly developed diagnostic markers for these QTLs were confirmed to be reliable and could facilitate future breeding efforts to enhance sucrose content using marker-assisted selection techniques. Overall, this study highlights the co-regulation of sucrose content by two major homologous QTLs/genes and provides valuable insights into the genetic basis of sucrose in peanuts.

The Phenotypic Diversity of 232 Germplasm Accessions Identifies the Adverse Effects of Flowering Redundancy on Peanut Yield

Peanut is a leguminous crop with an indeterminate growth habit that will continuously flower during the entire reproductive development stage. Flowering redundancy adversely affects the yield and quality of peanut. In this study, eight flowering and five yield-related traits were collected and comprehensively evaluated from a diverse germplasm panel consisting of 232 peanut accessions, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for improving the flowering habit and yield for future peanut breeding efforts. As a result, large phenotypic diversity was observed in 13 traits. Most of the traits suggested high heritability, except high effective flowering duration (HEFD), days to 100% flower cessation (DTC100), and yield per plant (YPP). Days to 90% flower cessation (DTC90), days to DTC100, flowering duration (FD), and low effective flowering duration (LEFD) showed significant negative correlations with 100-seed weight, 100-pod weight, YPP, average weight per pod, and shelling percentage. Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that flowering redundancy traits as well as yield-related traits contributed more to the first three PCs when compared to other traits. This study addresses the lack of peanut flowering phenotypic and genetic diversity and lays the foundation for in-depth research on redundancy-related genes in peanut flowering.

Genotypic Variation in Agronomic Traits and Molecular Markers among Chinese Luobuma (Apocynum spp.) Germplasm Accessions

Apocynum spp., known as Chinese Luobuma species, are perennial herbaceous plants that not only have good ecological characteristics, such as drought resistance, salt resistance, freezing resistance, high-temperature resistance and wind sand resistance, but also have good medicinal and textile value. However, studies on the genetic variation in Chinese Luobuma are rare. In this study, the genotypic variation in the agronomic traits and molecular markers among eight germplasm accessions (referred to as genotypes) of Apocynum spp. was investigated. The accessions were evaluated at two locations in China, Altay and Yuzhong, during a three-year period. Analysis of the variance in yield-related traits revealed significant genotypic variation (p < 0.05) among the eight genotypes at the early flowering and full flowering stages. There were also significant (p < 0.05) genotype × year and genotype × location × year interactions for all the traits except leaf dry weight. In comparison to those evaluated at Yuzhong, the plant height, number of branches, leaf dry weight and stem dry weight at the early flowering stage were greater in Altay, with averages of 991.0 mm, 5.52, 26.41 g and 25.35 g, respectively. There were significant (p < 0.05) differences among genotypes in terms of the quality traits measured at the early and full flowering stages. The crude protein and crude fat content for each genotype at different locations at the early flowering stage in different years ranged from 8.64 to 10.07%. The average flavone (FLA) content was 2.31 mg/100 g. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the G1 genotype in Altay had a higher neutral detergent fiber content and leaf dry weight, and the G2 genotype had a larger stem thickness, branch number and stem-to-leaf ratio. Five DNA sequences, ITS, matK, psbA-trnH, rbcL and trnL-F, were selected for analysis of the molecular variance in Chinese Luobuma. Analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) based on the nuclear DNA sequences and chloroplast DNA sequences showed that most of the variation occurred within species. Our study indicated the significant genetic variation in Chinese Luobuma for future cultivar domestication. Genotypes with high leaf dry weights and many branches are beneficial for tea production, while tall plants with long internode lengths are valuable for the production of hemp.

Probing Behaviour of Brown Planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stal.) in the Resistant Germplasm Accessions

A total of 1110 ENRRD rice germplasm accessions were evaluated for their resistance to brown planthopper, BPH in glass house by adopting internationally accepted standard seed box screening technique and scored on 0-9 scale by following the IRRI method of standard evaluation system for rice. Among 1110 rice germplasm accessions tested, 3 were categorized as Highly resistant, 24 as resistant, 19 as moderately resistant, 192 as moderately susceptible, 509 as susceptible and rest of other 363 genotypes were highly susceptible to BPH. The studies on antixenosis mechanism of resistance for feeding by probing marks revealed that resistant entries, were least preferred by BPH nymphs and adults with more number of probing marks The results indicate that the germplasm accessions viz., IC 343457, IC 300168 and IC 377051 were highly resistant and possess non- preference mechanism of resistance and are not preferred by BPH for feeding. The identified resistant entries can be used in the breeding programmes to develop BPH resistant varieties.

Delineation of genes for a major QTL governing heat stress tolerance in chickpea.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a cool season grain legume experiencing severe yield loss during heat stress due to the intensifying climate changes and its associated gradual increase of mean temperature. Hence, understanding the genetic architecture regulating heat stress tolerance has emerged as an important trait to be addressed for enhancing yield and productivity of chickpea under heat stress. The present study is intended to identify the major genomic region(s) governing heat stress tolerance in chickpea. For this, an integrated genomics-assisted breeding strategy involving NGS-based high-resolution QTL-seq assay, QTL region-specific association analysis and molecular haplotyping was deployed in a population of 206 mapping individuals and a diversity panel of 217 germplasm accessions of chickpea. This combinatorial strategy delineated a major 156.8 kb QTL genomic region, which was subsequently narrowed-down to a functional candidate gene CaHSFA5 and its natural alleles associated strongly with heat stress tolerance in chickpea. Superior natural alleles and haplotypes delineated from the CaHSFA5 gene have functional significance in regulating heat stress tolerance in chickpea. Histochemical staining, interaction studies along with differential expression profiling of CaHSFA5 and ROS scavenging genes suggest a cross talk between CaHSFA5 with ROS homeostasis pertaining to heat stress tolerance in chickpea. Heterologous gene expression followed by heat stress screening further validated the functional significance of CaHSFA5 for heat stress tolerance. The salient outcomes obtained here can have potential to accelerate multiple translational genomic analysis including marker-assisted breeding and gene editing in order to develop high-yielding heat stress tolerant chickpea varieties.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Locally Developed and Imported Dicoccum Wheat (Triticum Dicoccum (Schrank.) Schubl.) Germplasm Lines for Bipolaris Sorokiniana, Spot Blotch Disease Resistance

The importance of genetic resources lies in their pivotal role in improving the quality of crop varieties, particularly in enhancing their resilience to both biological and environmental stresses. One such challenge is Spot blotch (SB), a destructive leaf disease that primarily affects wheat, especially in warm and humid regions, particularly the eastern parts of South Asia, including the eastern Gangetic plains and the Peninsular zone. Developing wheat cultivars with resistance to SB stands out as the most effective strategy for managing this disease. Therefore, the primary objective of the current study was to validate the resistance to SB in one hundred twenty-seven, dicoccum wheat germplasm accessions. This validation process relied on both observable traits and genetic characteristics. The germplasm accessions were obtained from various sources, including the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas in Lebanon, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico, and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico. The evaluation for Spot blotch resistance was conducted in the field under controlled conditions of disease prevalence during the years 2020–21 and 2021–22. The assessment involved two vulnerable control cultivars (DDK-1025 and Sonalika) and two confirmed resistant control cultivars (Chirya-3 and HI-8663). Out of the 127 germplasm accessions tested, forty displayed resistance to SB, confirmed through a specific genetic marker known as Xgwm120. Notably, four accessions – Acc. GPM Dicoccom-IR-76, Acc. GPM Dicoccom-IR-98, Acc. GPM Dicoccom-IR-102, and ICARDA-14-127687 – exhibited even greater resistance than the well-established Spot blotch-resistant genotype, Chirya-3. These promising lines with resistance potential offer significant prospects for wheat breeders dedicated to developing spot blotch resistant wheat lines.