Cultivar Groups Research Articles

Plastid Phylogenomics of Paeonia and the Evolution of Ten Flower Types in Tree Peony.

Paeonia suffruticosa Andr., a member of Paeoniaceae, is native to China. In its 1600 years' cultivation, more than 2000 cultivars for different purposes (ornamental, medicinal and oil use) have been inbred. However, there are still some controversies regarding the provenance of tree peony cultivars and the phylogenetic relationships between and within different cultivar groups. In this study, plastid genome sequencing was performed on 10 representative tree peony cultivars corresponding to 10 different flower types. Structure and comparative analyses of the plastid genomes showed that the total lengths of the chloroplast genome of the 10 cultivars ranged from 152,153 to 152,385 bp and encoded 84-88 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNAs and 31-40 tRNAs. The number of simple sequence repeats and interspersed repeat sequences of the 10 cultivars ranged from 65-68 and 40-42, respectively. Plastid phylogenetic relationships of Paeonia species/cultivars were reconstructed incorporating data from our newly sequenced plastid genomes and 15 published species, and results showed that subsect. Vaginatae was the closest relative to the central plains cultivar group with robust support, and that it may be involved in the formation of the group. Paeonia ostii was recovered as a successive sister group to this lineage. Additionally, eleven morphological characteristics of flowers were mapped to the phylogenetic skeleton to reconstruct the evolutionary trajectory of flower architecture in Paeoniaceae.

CORRELATION ANALYSIS AND CROSS-PRINT BETWEEN THE SEVERAL CHARACTERS OF LOCAL GOGO RICE CULTIVARS (Oryza sativa L.)

The relationship between several characters of yields is very important for developing effective selection criteria. The total correlation between the result character and the result component may be misleading as a result of its relationship with other characters. Separating the total correlation into direct and indirect effects provides a more significant explanation of the cause of the relationship between dependent variables such as yield and independent variables such as yield components. This study aims to determine several traits that can be used to make selections indirectly and directly to increase the yield of upland rice. This research has been carried out on agricultural land in the village of Tamarenja (Kalama), Sindue District, Donggala Regency. Starting from August to December 2019, using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with seven genotypic cultivars and three groups of cultivars so that there were twenty one experimental plots. The results showed that the number of leaves, leaf length, number of tillers, number of productive tillers, flowering age, thickness of seeds and weight of 1000 grains had a positive and significant correlation to yield. Flowering age, 1000 grain weight, and number of tillers are some of the characteristics that have a high direct effect and significant correlation to upland rice yield.

Diversity of Polish Oat Cultivars with a Glance at Breeding History and Perspectives

During 120 years of Polish breeding of oats (Avena sativa L.), dozens of new varieties have been developed. This study was undertaken to investigate the diversity and population structure of 72 Polish oat cultivars released since 1893. The analysis was based on pedigree data as well as ISSR and REMAP marker polymorphisms. The ancestry of common oat cultivars was traced back to 124 cultivars, breeding lines, and landraces. The five most common progenitors were ‘Markische Landsorte’, ‘selection from Ligowo oat’, ‘Fransk Svarthavre’, ‘Blanche de Siberie’, and ‘selection from Schleswig-Holstein landrace’. We found that at least one of them was present in 78% of analysed objects. The studied cultivars were assigned to four groups according to the period of their breeding (before 1945, 1945–1969, 1970–2000, and after 2000) and six groups according to the breeding company (Strzelce Plant Breeding Company, DANKO Plant Breeding, Station of Plant Breeding in Rogaczewo, Małopolska Plant Breeding Company, Station of Plant Breeding in Borów, and other). A decrease in observed heterozygosity within the groups was observed only in the postwar period (1945–1969). As a result of breeders’ efforts and extensive crosses with foreign materials initiated in 1970 and 1980, new alleles were provided to the oat gene pool. The highest number of new varieties came from the Strzelce and DANKO breeding companies. There were no significant differences between modern cultivars derived from different breeding companies. However, very early breeding centres functioning before 1945 had significantly different materials from the modern ones. The population genetic structure of the studied group of cultivars appeared to be quite simple. It was shown that their genetic makeup consisted of two or three distinct gene pools, depending on the method of polymorphism assessment. The performed research proved that Polish oat breeding using traditional breeding methods—such as selection or intraspecific and interspecific crosses—although focused on improving yield and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress, did not significantly narrow the oat gene pool and has been releasing cultivars that are competitive in the European market.

Aluminum tolerance and micronutrient content in the grain of oat cultivars with different levels of breeding improvement from the VIR collection

Background. Soil toxicity of Al is associated with severe changes in plant root morphology that limit the uptake of water and mineral nutrients. Long-term exposure to Al results in deficiencies in some important nutrients, such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Thus, the joint study of plant resistance to the effects of Al and the accumulation of micronutrients in the oat grain is relevant.Materials and methods. Thirty oat accessions of Russian and French origin from the VIR collection served as the research material. They were represented by cultivars with different levels of breeding improvement: landraces (early 1920s), cultivars developed by primitive breeding (1920–1930s), and modern improved cultivars.Results. Oat cultivars with different breeding improvement levels demonstrated significant differences in the content of micronutrients and aluminum tolerance. Among the studied accessions, landraces and modern improved cultivars showed a tendency towards medium or high Al tolerance, the group of primitive cultivars from Russia had the lowest Al tolerance, while primitive cultivars from France demonstrated the highest average resistance (0.5–1.9).Conclusion. The content of Fe and Zn was influenced by the geographic origin of genotypes. The concentrations of different micronutrients positively correlated with each other. Strong correlations were recorded between the contents of Zn and Fe (r = 0.81), and between Zn and Mg (r = 0.75). There was a positive correlation between the content of micronutrients and the resistance to crown rust (0.38 to 0.50). High content of the studied set of micronutrients was registered in such improved cultivars from France as the naked ‘Avoine Nue Renne’, ‘Chantilly’, ‘Negrita’ and ‘Noire de Michamps’, plus the Russian improved naked cultivar ‘Gavrosh’. Among them, ‘Chantilly’ was distinguished for its yield, and the naked ‘Gavrosh ‘for its high tolerance to aluminum.

DIVERGÊNCIA GENÉTICA E SELEÇÃO DE CULTIVARES DE FEIJÃO BASEADA EM ARQUITETURA DE PLANTA E PRODUTIVIDADE

ABSTRACT The characterization of genetic divergence in common bean cultivars for various traits related to plant architecture and grain yield is unprecedented. This study proposes to determine whether common bean cultivars of different grain types differ for 12 traits of plant architecture and grain yield; examine the correlations between these traits; analyze the genetic divergence of these cultivars; and select superior cultivars for these traits. A total of 22 common bean cultivars with the grains types most produced in Brazil were evaluated in two growing seasons. Plant architecture was analyzed based on 12 traits, and grain yield was determined at maturity. Significant genotype and genotype × environment interaction effects were obtained, indicating the existence of genetic variability for all evaluated traits. Several plant architecture traits were correlated, but none was highly correlated with grain yield. Firstand second-internode lengths are more important in differentiating common bean cultivars. Principal component and Tocher’s analyses resulted in the formation of four and seven groups of cultivars, respectively. Both methods are efficient in analyzing genetic divergence; however, Tocher's method is more informative. Cultivars BRS Campeiro, SCS 205 - Riqueza, BRS Esteio, IAC Imperador and Guapo Brilhante have a high grain yield potential, but only BRS Campeiro, BRS Esteio and Guapo Brilhante have upright plant architecture.

Winter Tolerance Potential of Genetically Diverse Sugarcane Clones under Subtropical Climate of Northern India

The low temperature (LT) conditions that prevail during winter in subtropical regions of India drastically affect the growth and yield of sugarcane. To identify low-temperature-tolerant agronomical acceptable genotypes for immediate deployment as donor parents in the subtropical sugarcane breeding program, 34 sugarcane clones belonging to 7 genetically diverse groups were evaluated under three crop environments, viz., spring planting, winter ratoon and spring ratoon, during 2015–2016 and 2016–2017. In the winter ratoon crop, commercial cane sugar and cane yield were reduced, whereas sucrose % was increased over the spring planted crop and the spring ratoon crop. The wild species and introgressed hybrid groups showed improvement for yield and quality traits in the winter ratoon crop, whereas commercial and near commercial groups showed reduction for these traits over the plant and spring ratoon crops. The tropical cultivars group was the poorest performer irrespective of the traits and crops. Yield per se under a stress environment was adjudged as the best selection criteria. For classification of sugarcane clones according to their low temperature tolerance, an index named winter tolerance index (WTI) is proposed which takes into account the winter sprouting index (WSI), winter growth and yield per se of the winter ratoon crop. The WTI had significant positive association with WSI, cane yield, millable cane population and cane length. As per the WTI ratings, the wild species of Saccharum complex and introgressed hybrid groups were rated as excellent WT clones. Subtropical commercial or advanced generation groups were poor WT clones, and tropical commercial cultivars group were winter sensitive clones. Clones such as AS04-635, AS04-1687, IK76-48, GU07-2276, IND00-1040, IND00-1038 and IND00-1039 had excellent tolerance, and GU07-3849, AS04-245, Co 0238, AS04-2097 and GU07-3774 had good WTI scores. The variety, Co 0238, may be continued for cultivation under LT regions with prophylactic measurers for red rot, while other clones listed above may be utilized in subtropical breeding programs.

Identification and Spatial Distribution of Bioactive Compounds in Seeds Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. by Laser Microscopy and Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

The research presents a comparative metabolomic study of extracts of Vigna unguiculata seed samples from the collection of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources. Analyzed samples related to different areas of use in agricultural production, belonging to different cultivar groups sesquipedalis (vegetable accessions) and unguiculata (grain accessions). Metabolome analysis was performed by liquid chromatography combined with ion trap mass spectrometry. Substances were localized in seeds using confocal and laser microscopy. As a result, 49 bioactive compounds were identified: flavonols, flavones, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanidin, phenolic acids, amino acids, monocarboxylic acids, aminobenzoic acids, fatty acids, lignans, carotenoid, sapogenins, steroids, etc. Steroidal alkaloids were identified in V. unguiculata seeds for the first time. The seed coat (palisade epidermis and parenchyma) is the richest in phenolic compounds. Comparison of seeds of varieties of different directions of use in terms of the number of bioactive substances identified revealed a significant superiority of vegetable accessions over grain ones in this indicator, 36 compounds were found in samples from cultivar group sesquipedalis, and 24 in unguiculata. The greatest variety of bioactive compounds was found in the vegetable accession k-640 from China.

Dynamics of the average fruit weight and the ratio of stone to pulp in the cherry fruit grown in the south of the steppe zone of Ukraine

The main indicator that determines the competitiveness of cherry fruits is the average weight of the fruit and the ratio of stone to pulp, so the study of cherry fruits of different cultivars according to these qualitative indicators is relevant. The popularity of cherries among consumers is due to the high taste qualities of fruits with an attractive appearance, as well as the early ripening period. The purpose of the research was to study the average fruit weight and stone weight of 33 cherry cultivars of three ripening periods, both introduced varieties and those included in the State Register of plant cultivars suitable for distribution in Ukraine, and to select varieties and variety samples that have scientific and practical value for studied parameters. The determination of the average weight of the fruit, the weight of the stone and their ratio of the stone to the pulp in cherry fruits was carried out in the period of consumer ripeness. Selection and preparation of samples for analysis was carried out according to DSTU ISO 874-2002. The average weight of the fruit in cherry fruits grown in the conditions of the Southern Steppe zone of Ukraine was 8.41 grams, the average stone weight was 0.56 grams. The fruits of the late ripening cherry group had the optimal fruit mass (7.27–12.18 g). The varieties ‘Svit Erliz’ and ‘Rubinova Rannia’ turned out to be the most stable with the minimum coefficients of variation according to the studied parameters in terms of the early maturing cultivars in terms of fruit weight and stone weight. Among the group of medium-ripening varieties, the most stable fruit and stone mass were the fruits of the cultivars ‘Temp’ and ‘Vinka’. In the group of cultivars with a late ripening period, the smallest variability of fruit mass and stone content was recorded in the cultivar ‘Regina’. It was established that the weather conditions of the research years had a dominant influence on the formation of fruit mass in all groups of cultivars. Varietal features had a dominant influence on the weight of the bone. The results of the research will be interesting for industrial and amateur horticulture in Ukraine

Greenhouse gas emissions and financial analysis of rice paddy production scenarios in northern Iran

Adopting environmentally and economically sustainable rice production systems is essential to achieve better results in terms of yield, financial profitability and eco-efficiency. This study compares the GHG emissions and the financial analysis (based on both costs and gross return and some financial indicators) in eight rice paddy production systems in northern Iran, under the combination of three factors: two water irrigation sources (groundwater by wells and surface water by rivers), two groups of rice cultivars (low- and high-yielding), and two transplanting methods (traditional and mechanical). The average total GHG emissions were 117.6% higher in groundwater than surface water systems, 12.4% higher in mechanical than traditional systems and 20.8% higher in high-yielding than low-yielding rice cultivars. The highest GHG share in groundwater systems was as average for electricity (52.2%), while in surface water systems was diesel fuel (51.0%). The best option for higher and more profitable yields among the studied rice production scenarios was the use of the surface water source for irrigation that, however, implies a higher water use. Considering irrigation water productivity, traditional cultivation and high-yielding rice cultivars coupled with irrigation from the surface water source could be preferred. In terms of yield profitability, that is summarized by the benefit/cost ratio and the productivity index, the best combination is irrigation with surface water, mechanical cultivation and high-yielding cultivars (1.99 and 1.36 kg US$−1, respectively). However, net return in relation to global warming potential (GWP) indicated that irrigation with surface water source systems, traditional cultivation and high-yielding rice cultivars proved more eco-efficient. Therefore, policies should give priority to surface water use and high-yielding cultivation.

Self-Incompatibility in Apricot: Identifying Pollination Requirements to Optimize Fruit Production.

In recent years, an important renewal of apricot cultivars is taking place worldwide, with the introduction of many new releases. Self-incompatible genotypes tolerant to the sharka disease caused by the plum pox virus (PPV), which can severely reduce fruit production and quality, are being used as parents in most breeding programs. As a result, the self-incompatibility trait present in most of those accessions can be transmitted to the offspring, leading to the release of new self-incompatible cultivars. This situation can considerably affect apricot management, since pollination requirements were traditionally not considered in this crop and information is lacking for many cultivars. Thus, the objective of this work was to determine the pollination requirements of a group of new apricot cultivars by molecular identification of the S-alleles through PCR amplification of RNase and SFB regions with different primer combinations. The S-genotype of 66 apricot cultivars is reported, 41 for the first time. Forty-nine cultivars were considered self-compatible and 12 self-incompatible, which were allocated in their corresponding incompatibility groups. Additionally, the available information was reviewed and added to the new results obtained, resulting in a compilation of the pollination requirements of 235 apricot cultivars. This information will allow an efficient selection of parents in apricot breeding programs, the proper design of new orchards, and the identification and solution of production problems associated with a lack of fruit set in established orchards. The diversity at the S-locus observed in the cultivars developed in breeding programs indicates a possible genetic bottleneck due to the use of a reduced number of parents.

Genetic Pool of the Cultivated Pear Tree (Pyrus spp.) in the Canary Islands (Spain), Studied Using SSR Molecular Markers

The Canary Islands have an enormous richness of crops and varieties, many of them traditional or local, selected for decades by farmers based on the most desirable characteristics. Pear trees were introduced to the Canary Islands presumably in the first years after their Conquest in the 15th century, reaching a high degree of diversification. In this study, to determine the genetic identity of the genus Pyrus in the Canary Islands for conservation purposes, 266 pear accessions from the islands of Tenerife, La Palma and Gran Canaria were characterized with 18 SSRs, in addition to 190 genotypes from Galicia, Asturias, wild and commercial varieties as references to detect possible synonyms, genetic relationships and the possible genetic structure. We identified 310 unique genotypes, both diploid and putative triploid, 120 of them present only in the Canary Islands (39%, with 50% clonality). The population structure of the genotypes was analyzed by STRUCTURE 2.3.4 software (Pritchard Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA). The dendrogram, by using the Jaccard coefficient and principal component analysis (PCoA), separated the analyzed genotypes into stable groups. One of these groups was formed only by Canarian varieties present at lower altitudes, showing adaptation to low chilling requirements with a significant positive correlation (0.432, p < 0.01). This first study of the pear germplasm in the Canary Islands reflects the importance of the group of local cultivars and their need for conservation given they are adapted to their peculiar climatic conditions and have a low number of chill units.

Multi-Information Model for Large-Flowered Chrysanthemum Cultivar Recognition and Classification.

The traditional Chinese large-flowered chrysanthemum is one of the cultivar groups of chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum × morifolium Ramat.) with great morphological variation based on many cultivars. Some experts have established several large-flowered chrysanthemum classification systems by using the method of comparative morphology. However, for many cultivars, accurate recognition and classification are still a problem. Combined with the comparative morphological traits of selected samples, we proposed a multi-information model based on deep learning to recognize and classify large-flowered chrysanthemum. In this study, we collected the images of 213 large-flowered chrysanthemum cultivars in two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019. Based on the 2018 dataset, we constructed a multi-information classification model using non-pre-trained ResNet18 as the backbone network. The model achieves 70.62% top-5 test accuracy for the 2019 dataset. We explored the ability of image features to represent the characteristics of large-flowered chrysanthemum. The affinity propagation (AP) clustering shows that the features are sufficient to discriminate flower colors. The principal component analysis (PCA) shows the petal type has a better interpretation than the flower type. The training sample processing, model training scheme, and learning rate adjustment method affected the convergence and generalization of the model. The non-pre-trained model overcomes the problem of focusing on texture by ignoring colors with the ImageNet pre-trained model. These results lay a foundation for the automated recognition and classification of large-flowered chrysanthemum cultivars based on image classification.

THE PRESENCE OF GENETIC VARIABILITY IN GRAPE VARIETIES

222 cultivated (Vitis vinifera) and 22 wild (V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris) grape accessions were analysed for genetic diversity and differentiation at eight microsatellite loci. A total of 94 alleles were detected, with extensive polymorphism among the accessions. Multivariate relationships among accessions revealed 16 genetic groups structured into three clusters, supporting the classical eco-geographic grouping of grape cultivars: occidentalis, pontica and orientalis.

Identification and recovery of localVitis viniferaL. cultivars collected in ancient vineyards in different locations of Argentina

Background and Aims These last years, minor cultivars have gained attention as they provide an opportunity to offer original products in a global market and to combat global warming. Recent evidence brought to light the existing diversity within the group of autochthonous cultivars from Argentina and other South American countries, commonly known as criollas. The objective was to prospect, rescue and identify grapevine phenotypes recovered in ancient vineyards as putative criollas, in the western provinces of Argentina. Methods and Results We collected 60 samples in 11 locations. Their identity and pedigree were analysed through nuclear simple sequence repeat (nSSR) markers. The 60 samples were grouped in 45 different genotypes, 19 of them corresponding to previously registered cultivars, while 26 were new genotypes, with no correspondence in international databases. The majority (18) of the 26 new genotypes were related with the criollas group while other genotypes presented a totally different genetic profile and its origin remains to be elucidated. Conclusions The diversity within the South American cultivars is higher than previously thought. Ancient vineyards, located in isolated valleys, are reservoirs of minor cultivars, and growers have played a key role in maintaining and conserving them. Significance of the Study This genetic diversity constitutes a valuable tool to explore alternatives for diversification and adaptation to climate change.

Is the volatile compounds profile a suitable tool for authentication of virgin olive oils (Olea europaea L.) according to cultivars? A study by using HS-SPME-GC-MS and chemometrics

Sensory characteristics of Virgin Olive Oil (VOO) strongly influence consumer preferences. These characteristics are also affected by the varietal origin of the olives used for producing the oils, and consequently a reliable approach is strongly required to authenticate the varietal origin of VOO. However, an approach is still missing to differentiate VOOs of the most worldwide spread cultivars, thus protecting consumers and producers from frauds. The aim of this research was to propose chemometric models for discriminating monocultivar virgin olive oils of nine widespread cultivars. 72 volatile compounds of 320 monocultivar samples from 4 crop seasons and several geographic areas were quantitated by a validated HS-SPME-GC-MS method. The VOCs able to discriminate among cultivars were selected through ANOVA: most of them belonged to the lipoxygenase pathway. A PLS-DA model was successfully validated, with percentages of correct classification up to 95.9% after external validation. Three clusters of cultivars were then defined using Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering and Correlation Analysis. LDA and PLS-DA models correctly classified 94% of samples in the three clusters. The results indicated that the volatile profile of samples of diverse cultivars are not completely independent from each other, and that specific groups of cultivars showed strong similarities not given by the geographic origin. Overall, this study will contribute to protect from frauds and to valorize monocultivar extra virgin olive oils.

Chrysanthemum species used as food and medicine: Understanding quality differences on the global market

BackgroundChrysanthemum flowers [Ch. x morifolium (Ramat.) Hemsl. and Ch. indicum L.] are a globally used and pharmacologically interesting botanical drug, however, with variable product quality. ObjectiveWe aim at understanding the chemical variability of primary material available commercially based on different origins and associated quality problems like contamination with heavy metals. This needs to be assessed in the context of the current regulations for this botanical drug and associated problems. Material and Methods15 C. indicum L. and 50 C. x morifolium (Ramat.) Hemsl., including a range of geographical cultivars recognized in China, samples from the USA, Europe and China were analyzed using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) to compare their general chemical profile. Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to quantify heavy metal contamination. ResultsThe: HPTLC fingerprints of C. indicum samples are clearly distinguishable from C. x morifolium. Fingerprints of samples from the same cultivars collected from markets in different countries (USA and China) show different patterns. Large variance of fingerprints within each cultivar group was observed. The heavy metal analysis showed excessive amounts of some harmful heavy metal in some commercial products with excessive cadmium being the most frequent problem. ConclusionsThe Chinese medicinal cultivars vary. Differences between samples sourced from the USA and China might be ascribable to geographical factors (e.g. soil composition), degradation during transport/storage or adulteration, but geographical differences should also be taken into account. Importantly, a much more detailed definition of the drug are needed for better quality control. In addition, with continuous contamination problem observed, a more widespread regulation is an essential requirement for better quality.

Tracking Changes in the Spring Barley Gene Pool in Poland during 120 Years of Breeding.

This study was undertaken to investigate the diversity and population structure of 83 spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars, which corresponded to 120 years of this crop’s breeding in Poland. The analysis was based on 11,655 DArTseq-derived SNPs evenly distributed across seven barley chromosomes. Five groups were assigned in the studied cultivars according to the period of their breeding. A decrease in observed heterozygosity within the groups was noted along with the progress in breeding, with a simultaneous increase in the inbreeding coefficient value. As a result of breeding, some of the unique allelic variation present in old cultivars was lost, but crosses with foreign materials also provided new alleles to the barley gene pool. It is important to mention that the above changes affected different chromosomes to varying degrees. The internal variability of the cultivars ranged from 0.011 to 0.236. Internal uniformity was lowest among the oldest cultivars, although some highly homogeneous ones were found among them. This is probably an effect of genetic drift or selection during their multiplications and regenerations in the period from breeding to the time of analysis. The population genetic structure of the studied group of cultivars appears to be quite complex. It was shown that their genetic makeup consists of as many as eleven distinct gene pools. The analysis also showed traces of directed selection on chromosomes 3H and 5H. Detailed data analysis confirmed the presence of duplicates for 11 cultivars. The performed research will allow both improvement of the management of barley genetic resources in the gene bank and the reuse of this rich and forgotten variability in breeding programs and research.

Starch Degradation and Sucrose Accumulation of Lily Bulbs after Cold Storage.

Functional lilies are a group of edible lily cultivars with great potential for landscape application. Low-temperature storage can significantly improve their taste, but the knowledge of this process is largely unknown. In this study, we used the functional lilies ‘Fly Shaohua’ and ‘Fly Tiancheng’ as materials. Through physiological observation and transcriptome analysis during the bulbs’ cold storage, it was found that the starch degradation and sucrose accumulation in bulbs contributed to taste improvement. After 60 d of cold storage, the sucrose accumulation was highest and the starch content was lower in the bulbs, suggesting this time-point was optimal for consumption. Accompanying the fluctuation of sucrose content during cold storage, the enzyme activities of sucrose phosphate synthase and sucrose synthase for sucrose synthesis were increased. Transcriptome analysis showed that many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway, which might promote the conversion of starch to sucrose in bulbs. In addition, the DEGs involved in dormancy and stress response were also determined during cold storage, which might explain the decreased sucrose accumulation with extended storage time over 60 d due to the energy consumption for dormancy release. Taken together, our results indicated sucrose accumulation was a main factor in the taste improvement of lily bulbs after cold storage, which is attributable to the different gene expression of starch and sucrose metabolism pathways in this process.

Establishment of specific DRIS standards for mango cultivars Tommy Atkins, Kent and Keitt compared to generic standards in the Sub-Middle São Francisco Valley

The Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) is a promising diagnostic method in the nutritional assessment of commercial crops. The aim of this work was to establish and compare specific DRIS nutritional standards for Tommy Atkins, Kent and Keitt mango tree, as well as for the group of cultivars in the sub-Middle São Francisco Valley, Brazil. The study was carried out in commercial orchards of Tommy Atkins, Kent and Keitt cultivars, in the Sub-Middle São Francisco Valley. To form the database, leaf samples were collected in the pre-flowering, where the nutritional contents were determined. DRIS norms were established and together with the data of productivity and nutritional contents of the subpopulations of high and low productivity were compared by the t test. The contents of S and micronutrients showed greater variability. The nutritional contents of the high-productivity subpopulation were less distorted. The nutrients P, K, Mg, S, Mn and Zn for Tommy, K for Kent, N for Keitt and P, K and S for the set of cultivars were higher in the high productivity subpopulation. The specific norms for each cultivar were more consistent and could serve as a reference for nutritional diagnostics of the mango tree in the region.

Turkish durum wheat conserved ex‐situ and in situ unveils a new hotspot of unexplored genetic diversity

AbstractDurum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) is the 10th most cultivated crop and is a vital food source for human consumption. Genetic diversity in durum wheat is still an unexplored subject, and gene banks are filled with accessions waiting to be screened. Here, four different groups of durum wheat, Turkish and foreign cultivars, and in situ and ex situ landraces were evaluated for population structure and genetic diversity. A collection of 129 durum wheat accessions were genotyped, with a total of 6,357 markers (SilicoDArT, SNP [single‐nucleotide polymorphism], and simple sequence repeats [SSRs]). The highest mean allele number per marker (1.562) was obtained with SNP markers in ex situ landraces; the lowest mean allele number per marker (0.788) was obtained with SSR markers in the foreign cultivars. The minimum percentage of polymorphic loci was 38.70% observed with SSR markers in foreign cultivars; the maximum was 76.20% in SilicoDArT markers in ex situ landraces. According to Neighbor‐Joining analyses, the studied collection was divided into groups of cultivars and landraces, with some level of admixtures. Structure and principal coordinate analysis obtained distinct clusters for ex situ landraces and foreign cultivars, supported by Neighbor‐Joining analysis. A significant level of intergroup and intragroup variation was observed, and Turkish ex situ landraces were found as the most diverse and distinct group in the collection. Turkish landraces may be a promising source of novel allelic diversity that can be used in durum wheat breeding worldwide.