High Yield Potential Research Articles

Okra: Breeding and Genomics

Okra is an important vegetable crop cultivated throughout the tropical and subtropical parts of the world and in the warmer regions of the temperate zones. Its commercial cultivation is distributed exclusively across the various developing countries in Asia and Africa. The commonly cultivated okra is reported to a tetraploid species and has a very large and complex genome which hampers its speedy genetic improvement utilizing modern omics technology. Breeding methodologies suitable for self-pollinated crops have been often utilized for the genetic improvement of okra such as plant introduction, pure line selection, hybridization followed by selection, mutation breeding and heterosis breeding. Pedigree selection and heterosis breeding has been used by okra breeders which resulted in the development of lots of varieties and hybrids in India. In modern-day okra breeding along with high yield potential, multiple tolerance to YVMV, OELCV, sucking pest and borer, easy to harvest, dark green fruit color and ideal plant type are the major target traits. During the last few decades, different public sector institutions has developed and released as many as 33 improved varieties/hybrids for the benefit of the farming community across the country. Few of these varieties/hybrids have already made a noteworthy impact in okra production in India. This article reviewed the current status of okra breeding including genetic resources, cytogenetic relationship, breeding objectives, varietal development, resistance breeding, biotechnological intervention and its future improvement strategies.

Economic and biological characteristic of the new winter triticale variety Georg

The article presents the main methods and study of a new variety of winter triticale Georg. Selection work was carried out at the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Organization “Federal Center of Agriculture Research of the South-East Region”. The variety was bred by the method of intervarietal hybridization within the Triticale genus, followed by a single selection from the hybrid F2Aquarius/ADP-2//Modus. The characteristic of the variety according to the most important economically valuable traits are given in comparison with the varieties Zubr and Valentin 90 admitted for cultivation in the Nizhnevolzhsky region. The direction of grain use is grain fodder. Variety - ferrugineum. According to the competitive variety testing the grain yield of the new variety was 6.2 t/ha, which significantly exceeds the Zubr variety by 1,9 t/ha and the Valentin 90 variety by 1.5 t/ha. In terms of "mass of 1000 grains", the Georg variety is inferior to both standards. The variety is distinguished by a higher productive bushiness in comparison with the standards - 465 pcs/m2, in the varieties Zubr and Valentin 90 - 344 and 307 pcs/m2, respectively. The variety is resistant to lodging. The height of the straw of the plants of the variety is 110.7 cm and does not differ from that of the Valentin 90 variety, but is lower in comparison with the Zubr variety by an average of 21.3 cm. The full-scale weight of the Georg grain is 732g/l. This indicator is lower than that of the Zubr variety by 9g/l and higher than that of the Valentin 90 variety by 31.3g/l. The grain germination index of the new variety and standards did not differ and indicated their susceptibility to pre-harvest grain germination. There were no significant differences in protein content between varieties. The volume of SDS-sedimentation in cv. Georg is lower than in cv. Valentin 90 by 6.7 ml and does not differ statistically significantly from cv. Zubr. According to the indicator “bread volume, cm3/100 g of flour”, the new variety and standards did not differ. The variety is approved for cultivation in the 7th (Middle Volga) region of the state register of the Russian Federation. The main advantages of the Georg variety are a high potential grain yield and resistance to lodging, due to the reduced plant height.

Новый сорт горчицы сарептской яровой Дюна

The new mustard cultivar Dyuna was developed by a method of multiple individual selection of elite plants from an interspecific hybrid combination of a brown mustard cultivar Rosinka and a spring rapeseed BN-2254 using self-pollination. The main features of the cultivar are brown color of seed coat and high content of essential oil – about 0.76%. The new cultivar is characterized with high potential yield, which exceeds the standard variety by 0.22 t/ha. Cultivation of the cultivar Dyuna allows obtaining raw material with increased contents of antioxidants and phytoncides to produce wide diversity of condiments, most particularly popular and spiciest Dijon mustard that requires for dark mustard seeds with high content of essential oil.

GENOTYPE X ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION AND GRAIN YIELD STABILITY OF HYBRID POPCORNS EVALUATED IN DIFFERENT CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF TURKEY

The research was conducted to determine the grain yield and stability of popcorn hybrids grown in four different climatic conditions in 2016 and 2017 growing seasons. The experiments were carried out in 8x8 lattice design with three replications using 59 candidate popcorn hybrids and 5 commercial standard varieties. Mean popcorn yields of genotypes in Izmir, Isparta, Samsun, Çankırı/Amasya locations for 2016 and 2017 were 5.40-5.51 t ha-1 and 5.41-6.12 t ha-1, 5.74-5.75 t ha-1 and 5.49-5.11 t ha-1, respectively. The results indicated that 2015-31, 2016-31, 2016-51 and 2015-59 popcorn lines had high yield potential. The stability analysis based on the b, r2 and S2d values showed that 2015-22, 2015-28 and 2015-102 genotypes are the most stable hybrid lines determined in the first year. In the second year, the 2016-5, 2016-52, 2016-59 and 2016-6 genotypes come to the fore with the high adaptation ability.

Endophytic fungi: versatile partners for pest biocontrol, growth promotion, and climate change resilience in plants

Plant-associated endophytic fungi (EFs) are emerging as a promising solution to advancing modern agriculture and fostering environmental sustainability, especially in the face of climate change scenarios. These fungi, either naturally residing in plants or introduced through artificial inoculation techniques, improve agricultural production due to their various roles in protecting and supporting host plants. The majority of EFs serve as natural biocontrol agents for a variety of agricultural pests, such as insects, phytopathogens, nematodes, and weeds. Notably, EFs produce secondary metabolites, trigger immune responses, modify plant defense gene expression, confer host plant resistance and/or tolerance, and regulate pest growth, populations, and survival to combat agricultural pests. Beyond controlling pests, EFs promote optimal plant growth, development, and resilience by aiding in the synthesis of vital compounds such as phytohormones and bioactive metabolites, nutrient acquisition, and fortifying plants against environmental stresses and climatic changes. Moreover, the mostly nonpathogenic nature of EFs, coupled with their high yield potential, environmental safety, and cost effectiveness, positions them as eco-friendly and economically viable alternatives to synthetic agrochemicals amidst rapid climate change scenarios. As a result, the promising horizon of EFs in agricultural production necessitates interdisciplinary study and microbial modulation approaches to optimize symbiotic plant-EF relationships and their potential for improved productivity. This review provides current and comprehensive insights into the practical applications and multifaceted benefits of EFs in pest management, plant growth promotion, and climate change resilience for future agricultural production improvements. The analysis reveals the potential of developing EFs into innovative bioformulations such as biofertilizers, biostimulants, and biopesticides, thereby paving the way for their integration into a sustainable and more resilient future agricultural system.

The Formation of Water Stress Resistant Soybean Varieties From Genotypes Resulted From Genetic Mutation Between the Second Generation Mutant With High Result Potentials

The aim of the study was to obtain second generation mutant lines (M2) from three gene-mutated soybean seeds, namely M2 Anjasmoro, M2 Argomulyo and M2 Dena-1 which are tolerant to drought stress, water saturation stress and high yield potential. The research was carried out in the Maros district, South Sulawesi, July-November 2022, arranged in a split plot design. The main plot is the application of water consisting of three levels, namely selection of drought stress (C1), selection of water saturation stress (C2) and selection of optimum conditions (C3). Subplots are three second generation soybean seeds resulting from gene mutations (M2), namely: M2 Anjasmoro, M2 Argomulyo and M2 Dena-1. The results showed that the best plant agronomic characters for growth and production factors were M2 Anjasmoro for water saturation stress treatment and M2 Argomulyo and M2 Dena-1 for drought stress treatment. The fastest harvesting age was obtained from the combination of drought stress and M2 Argomulyo, namely 79 days and not significantly different from the combination of drought stress and M2 Dena-1, namely 79.34 days, but significantly different from the other treatment combinations. The production obtained from the seeds resulting from the second generation of gene mutations has begun to show a difference between those given the mutation treatment and their parents, where the combination of water saturation stress and M2 Anjasmoro gave the highest production of 3.20 tonnes/ha higher than the production of its parents which only reached 2. .03-2.25 tonnes/ha. Generation M2 Argomulyo seeds were the longest surviving seeds to recovery from drought stress (38 days), in the sense that M2 Argomulyo seeds were more resistant to drought stress than the other two generations of seeds, namely M2 Anjasmoro (36 days) and M2 Dena-1 (37 days). Meanwhile, the resistance to water saturation was shown by M2 Dena-1 generation seeds, namely 40.67 days, followed by M2 Argomulyo 29.67 days and M2 Anjasmoro 27.33 days.

Engineering a synthetic energy-efficient formaldehyde assimilation cycle in Escherichia coli

One-carbon (C1) substrates, such as methanol or formate, are attractive feedstocks for circular bioeconomy. These substrates are typically converted into formaldehyde, serving as the entry point into metabolism. Here, we design an erythrulose monophosphate (EuMP) cycle for formaldehyde assimilation, leveraging a promiscuous dihydroxyacetone phosphate dependent aldolase as key enzyme. In silico modeling reveals that the cycle is highly energy-efficient, holding the potential for high bioproduct yields. Dissecting the EuMP into four modules, we use a stepwise strategy to demonstrate in vivo feasibility of the modules in E. coli sensor strains with sarcosine as formaldehyde source. From adaptive laboratory evolution for module integration, we identify key mutations enabling the accommodation of the EuMP reactions with endogenous metabolism. Overall, our study demonstrates the proof-of-concept for a highly efficient, new-to-nature formaldehyde assimilation pathway, opening a way for the development of a methylotrophic platform for a C1-fueled bioeconomy in the future.

Gender, rainfall endowment, and farmers’ heterogeneity in wheat trait preferences in Ethiopia

Wheat is a vital cereal crop for smallholders in Ethiopia. Despite over fifty years of research on wheat varietal development, consideration of gendered trait preferences in developing target product profiles for wheat breeding is limited. To address this gap, our study used sex-disaggregated survey data and historical rainfall trends from the major wheat-growing regions in Ethiopia. The findings indicated heterogeneity in trait preferences based on gender and rainfall endowment. Men respondents tended to prefer wheat traits with high straw yield and disease-resistance potential, while women showed a greater appreciation for wheat traits related to good taste and cooking quality. Farmers in high rainfall areas seemed to prioritize high straw yield and disease resistance traits, while those in low rainfall areas valued good adaptation traits more highly. Most of the correlation coefficients among the preferred traits were positive, indicating that farmers seek wheat varieties with traits that serve multiple purposes. Understanding men’s and women’s preferences and incorporating them in breeding and seed systems could contribute to the development of more targeted and effective wheat varieties that meet the diverse needs of men and women farmers in Ethiopia.

Screening the Soybean Varietal Lines for Selecting High-Yielding and Better Agronomic Traits Producing lines

Soybean (Glycine max), an economically significant legume originating from East Asia, serves as a valuable source of protein and oil globally. In Pakistan, soybean is considered a non-conventional oilseed crop, with successful cultivation possible during both the spring and summer seasons. The careful selection of appropriate varieties is a primary concern for soybean growers in the country. Therefore, experiments were conducted utilizing the newly developed varietal line in the agroecological zone of Tandojam to select the most suitable and adaptable varieties. A total of forty-six newly developed varietal lines, which have not yet been released, were evaluated alongside four released varieties (Ajmeri, Faisal, Jack, and Rawal) that are already being cultivated in various regions of the country. The field experiments were carried out at the experimental area of the Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA) in Tando Jam during the spring and summer seasons of 2018. Agronomic traits were recorded for each variety, and weather data were obtained from the Pakistan Meteorological Department. All agricultural practices were followed. The results indicate significant variations among the genotypes for all evaluated characteristics. Based on grain production, NIBGE32 exhibited the highest performance, achieving a notable yield of 22g during the summer season, which was 30% higher than the yield of the top-performing control variety, Faisal. Other newly developed varietal lines, namely NIBGE 18, NIBGE 8, NIBGE 45, and NIBGE 41, also demonstrated promising high-yield potential. These varieties displayed comparatively superior growth and yield outcomes. Germination percentage significantly vary in the spring and summer season (Mann-Whitney U =7925, P<0.01); whereas days to maturity, plant height, leaf area, lowest pod height, 100-grain weight, biological yield, seed weight per plant, were not significantly different in two seasons. This suggests a potential for these varietal lines to be cultivated in both seasons. This research endeavours to offer valuable insights and recommendations to farmers and policymakers, aiming to augment soybean production and advance agricultural sustainability in the region of Sindh.

Development of High Oil Yielding Niger Variety for Gujarat State

Deveolpment of high oil yielding Niger variety GNNIG-4 was done by mass selection from mutated population of RCR-317 (15kr) after subjecting the population to various evaluation trials. The present high yielding Niger cultivar is suitable for kharif /late kharif season in Gujarat as sole or intercrop. It has greenish purple stem colour with more oil content (37.77%) and oil yield (205 kg/ha). It has medium maturity (127 days) with bold seed size (4.08 gm/1000 seed). The variety is resistant to Alternaria and Cercospora leaf spot and also resistant to leaf eating catrepillar and semilooper under field condition. In various multilocation and coordinated trials, the genotype NMBP-1907 consistently recorded best performance over the checks. Under rainfed conditions the genotype gave 543 kg/ha seed yield which was 43.65, 34.07 and 41.40 per cent higher than the check varieties GN-2, GNNIG-3 and IGPN-2004-1. With high yield potential, medium maturity, resistance to diseases and pest, high oil, the Niger variety NMBP-1907 was identified for release and notified in 2021 under the name “GNNIG-4” for Kharif rainfed conditionof Gujarat State.

Advanced Mutant Line Developed from Fatemadhan Shows Salinity Tolerance at both Seedling and Reproductive Stages

The generation of high-yielding rice mutants and their assessment under salt stress offers a great possibility to isolate salt tolerant line(s) with desired trait of interest. Two separate experiments were conducted at the seedling and reproductive stages of rice to assess the level of salinity tolerance of few advanced high-yielding rice mutants. In the first experiment, rice seedlings were grown under hydroponic conditions and 14-day-old seedlings were subjected to salt stress (EC=10 dS/m; 7 days). Salt stress caused significant reduction in root and shoot length and biomass and leaf chlorophyll content; however, a little reduction was found in the mutant Line-1. In contrast, a sharp increase in shoot Na+/K+ ratio was found in all the genotypes except, Binadhan-10, FL-478 and the mutant Line-1, which exhibited little increased ratio. The second experiment involved exposure of plant to salt stress (EC=10 dS/m) for three weeks at the late booting stage in a sizable plastic tub filled with field soil. Salt stress resulted in a significant decrease in yield and yield attributing traits in all the genotypes except Binadhan-10. Grain yield per panicle was found significantly positive correlation with panicle length, the number of filled grains per panicle, and 100-seed weight under both control and salt stress conditions. Based on the studied traits and stress tolerance indices, Binadhan-10 and mutant Line-1 categorized as salt tolerant and rest of the genotypes were categorized as susceptible, which is also evident from the biplot of principal component analysis. Considering the results from both of the experiments, mutant Line-1 was found tolerant genotype at both seedling and reproductive stage. However, further studies are required to determine the genetic issues controlling the salinity tolerance in mutant Line-1 and the high-yield potential of mutant Line-65 under control condition in a way to develop salt tolerant and high-yielding rice varieties, respectively.

Pengaruh Densitas dan Viskositas terhadap Sudut Injeksi Biodiesel Jatropha-Jagung (1:4 dan 4:1)

Biodiesel has attracted attention as an alternative fuel in efforts to reduce emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. Among various potential sources for biodiesel production, jatropha and corn oil have stood out due to their availability and high yield potential. However, each has unique characteristics that affect their performance as fuels. Jatropha oil has relatively high viscosity, while corn oil is generally used as a food ingredient. This study aimed to explore the potential of combining jatropha and corn biodiesel in different proportions and its impact on fuel characteristics and diesel engine spray injection. Both types of oil were processed into biodiesel through esterification and transesterification processes. Subsequently, biodiesel mixtures were created in ratios of 1:4 and 4:1. Each mixture was then varied with diesel to produce B5, B10, B15, B20, B25, B30, B35, and B40. Each sample was tested for its physical properties such as density and viscosity, and injection spray angle. The results of this study indicated that the density and viscosity values of the 1:4 jatropha-corn biodiesel mixture were lower than those of the 4:1 jatropha-corn biodiesel mixture. There was a significant relationship between viscosity and density with the injection angle. The higher the density and viscosity, the narrower the injection angle.

Effects of Low Light after Heading on the Yield of Direct Seeding Rice and Its Physiological Response Mechanism.

As a photophilous plant, rice is susceptible to low-light stress during its growth. The Sichuan Basin is a typical low-light rice-producing area. In this study, eight rice varieties with different shade tolerances were studied from 2021 to 2022. The physiological adaptability and yield formation characteristics of rice were studied with respect to photosynthetic physiological characteristics and dry matter accumulation characteristics, and the response mechanism of rice to low light stress was revealed. The results showed that the shading treatment significantly increased the chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll contents in the leaves of direct-seeded rice after heading, and the total chlorophyll content increased by 1.68-29.70%. Nitrate reductase (NR) activity first increased and then decreased under each treatment, and the shading treatment reduced the NR activity of direct-seeded rice. Compared to the control treatment, the peroxidase (POD) activity of each variety increased from 7 to 24 d after the shading treatment. The transketolase (TK) activity in direct-seeded hybrid rice increased under low light stress. Compared with the control, shading treatment significantly reduced the aboveground dry matter, grain number per panicle, and seed setting rate of direct-seeded rice at the full heading stage and maturity stage, thus reducing the yield of direct-seeded rice by 26.10-34.11%. However, under the shading treatment, Zhenliangyou 2018 and Jingliangyou 534 maintained higher chlorophyll content and related enzyme activities, accumulated more photosynthetic products, and reduced yield. In general, Zhenliangyou 2018 and Jingliangyou 534 still had a yield of 7.06-8.33 t·hm-2 under low light. It indicated that Zhenliangyou 2018 and Jingliangyou 534 had better stability and stronger tolerance to weak light stress and had a higher yield potential in weak light areas such as Sichuan.

Development of Mungbean Genotypes for Shattering Tolerance and Correlation Analysis with Biochemical and Morphological Factors Governing Pre Harvest Sprouting

Background: Most of the mungbean genotypes are prone to shattering. The indeterminate flowering habit of this crop leads to a spread of flowering and pod maturity on a single plant over the entire reproductive phase. Consequently, pods which develop at the earliest flower may shatter prior to 100% pod maturity. Sometimes losses due to pre-harvest sprouting will be as high as 60-70%. High yielding varieties developed/identified in recent years, despite their high yield potential, could not increase/stabilize the yields of this crop due to lack of resistance to pre-harvest sprouting. Therefore, an attempt was essentially made to develop tolerant varieties to pre-harvest sprouting in the current investigation. Methods: The F2 (Healthy and well dried) seeds derived from the crosses DGGV-2 ´ Pant Moong-1 were irradiated with 60 kR gamma rays for the creation of desirable variability. The gamma rays irradiated seeds were sown in during kharif-2017 along with their respective checks to grow the F2M1 generation. Further advanced to F2M2. The individual plants were critically observed at maturity for morphological traits viz., small pod beak length and angle, thick pod wall and hard seededness that determine the tolerance to PHS. The mutant lines were compared with the parental lines viz., shattering tolerant variety Pant Moong-1 as well as susceptible variety DGGV2. The putative mutants selected and tagged in F2M2 and the seeds were harvested separately and forwarded to develop the F2M3 mutant population (1000 plants) in summer-2018. The seeds from F2M3 generation were harvested on individual plant basis and were sown. 806 progenies were sown in augmented design along with the checks in each block during kharif 2019. Thus from the population of 24812 such derived plants, genotypes with small pod beak and angle, thick pod wall, hard seededness and higher epicuticular wax and lignin content were isolated in F2M3 and F2M4. Further a total of 49 advanced breeding lines along with a known shattering susceptible check were studied for the morphometric and biochemical parameters governing the pre harvest sprouting. Result: Lower PHS was recorded in DGGV-79 (0.02%), DGGV-125 (0.02%) and DGGV 195 (0.91%). Higher phenol content was recorded in DGGV-125 (9.43 mg GA eq /g) and DGGV-79 (9.37 mg GA eq /g). Higher lignin content was recorded in DGGV-125 (6.42 mg/g) and DGGV-79 (6.10 mg GA eq /g). Further correlation analysis revealed that negative correlation of PHS was observed for epicuticular wax (r= -0.983), phenol (r= -0.892), lignin content (r= -0.981) and hard seed percentage (r= -0.942). Significant negative correlation was observed between PHS and pod wall thickness (r= -0.570). Pod beak length recorded highly significant positive correlation (r= 0.911) to PHS. Genotypes with inherent tolerance to seed shattering hold a promise to minimize yield losses due to viviparous germination.

Drought-tolerant indigenous crops decline in the face of climate change: A political agroecology account from south-eastern Senegal

In south-eastern Senegal, Bassari farmers have historically cultivated and consumed a wide diversity of varieties of sorghum, fonio, and Bambara groundnut, most of which thrive in poor soils, are nutritious, and withstand drought. These crops are now on the verge of disappearance from the fields of the Bassari despite their potential fit in the predicted drier climate in the area. To understand why, we explore the intertwining between the local dynamics of crop diversity and socio-economic changes at local, national, and regional scales. We draw upon the critical reading of secondary sources and field data, analyzed through the lens of political agroecology. The abandonment of traditional Bassari crops can be explained by government and international policies that interact with cultural trends and household-level factors. Colonial and post-colonial agricultural policies and research priorities have promoted the expansion of exotic crops with market value or high yield potential (e.g., peanut, cotton, rice, horticultural crops), failing to value indigenous crop diversity. These policies, together with market forces and historical legacies, have intersected with outmigration, dietary changes, decreases in community social capital, and gender-dynamics, favouring the switch from drought-tolerant traditional crops to more water-demanding exotic crops. We then consider what the interplay between social dynamics and crop diversity means under climate change. Our results suggest that current trends in crop diversity might threaten climate resilience in the long-term. Drawing on political agroecology, we discuss potential avenues to support the capacity of Bassari farmers to practice agriculture in a drier climate. We argue that in order to increase the climate resilience of smallholder farmers it is necessary not only to consider the cross-scale processes and multiple dimensions of power that affect crop diversity but also to reconsider research and policy priorities in favour of drought-tolerant indigenous crops.

A novel Effective Panicle Number per Plant 4 haplotype enhances grain yield by coordinating panicle number and grain number in rice

Increasing effective panicle number per plant (EPN) is one approach to increase yield potential in rice. However, molecular mechanisms underlying EPN remain unclear. In this study, we integrated map-based cloning and genome-wide association analysis to identify the EPN4 gene, which is allelic to NARROW LEAF1 (NAL1). Overexpression lines containing the Teqing allele (TQ) of EPN4 had significantly increased EPN. NIL-EPN4TQ in japonica (geng) cultivar Lemont (LT) exhibited significantly improved EPN but decreased grain number and flag leaf size relative to LT. Haplotype analysis indicated that accessions with EPN4-1 had medium EPN, medium grain number, and medium grain weight, but had the highest grain yield among seven haplotypes, indicating that EPN4-1 is an elite haplotype of EPN4 for positive coordination of the three components of grain yield. Furthermore, accessions carrying the combination of EPN4-1 and haplotype GNP1-6 of GNP1 for grain number per panicle showed higher grain yield than those with other allele combinations. Therefore, pyramiding of EPN4-1 and GNP1-6 could be a preferred approach to obtain high yield potential in breeding.

Genetic Variability of Yield and Some Agronomical Traits of Promising Wheat Genotypes by R Project “Metan Package”

Abstract Plant breeders have to employ strategies and techniques to produce new improved wheat cultivars to increase productivity to meet the needs of the growing population. Therefore, they have to develop a new cultivar for adaptation to a new environment and new management practices. One of the most important criteria plant breeders should focus on is the exploitation of genotype × environment interaction (GEI). Thus, this study aimed to assess the variability of 24 wheat genotypes growing in different seasons by using the R software “Metan Package”. Moreover, the study estimates the stability parameters and finally highlights the winning genotypes across seasons. Field experiments were conducted across three consecutive seasons specifically 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 and at different locations. The assessment was done on traits such as plant height [cm], flag leaf area [cm2], chlorophyll index [SPAD], spike number [spike/m2], fertility ratio [%], grain number [grain/spike], grain weight [g], and yield [kg/ha]. Results indicated different performances of wheat genotypes in certain environments as well as across the three environments included in this study. Winner genotypes such as G-20, G-10, G-30, G-4, and IRAQ were selected according to their stability and high grain yield potential. It can be concluded that the use of the Multi-Environment Trail Analysis-METAN package is powerful for detecting promising wheat genotypes with high and stable yields across different environments and under various climate change conditions. Furthermore, it can be recommended that wheat performance needs to be assessed across very wide geographical locations.

Evaluation of proximate analysis and yield production of watermelon in Lampung, Indonesia

Abstract. Wahyudi A, Sari MF, Rajamin I, Arsri M. 2023. Evaluation of proximate analysis and yield production of watermelon in Lampung, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 6010-6015. The breeding of watermelon plants is carried out to produce new superior varieties. This study aimed to test the moisture, fat, carbohydrate, ash, and vitamin contents, and the yield potential of a hybrid watermelon line (F1). The materials used were 6 hybrid watermelon and 2 commercial lines as control varieties. A randomized block design was adopted in this study and was analyzed by LSD test, dendrogram, and proximate analysis. The result showed that the 6 hybrid watermelon lines had high yield potential. Furthermore, the moisture content of the fruit of the WM 2110-1204 lines (92.24%) was higher than other lines. Proximate data analysis showed that the WM 2110-0616 line had a higher ash content (0.16%), and the carbohydrate content of the fruit of the WM 2110-0806 line (3.64%) was also higher. The vitamin C-vitamin content of the fruit of the WM 2110-0308 line (0.36 mg.g-1) was higher, while the 4 watermelon lines, namely WM 2110-0308, WM 2110-204, WM 2110-0806, and WM 2110-1606 had advantages in terms of skin color and striation, fruit sweetness level and weight. In a dendrogram analysis, qualitative characters were divided into two clusters, with clusters I and II containing 8 and 1 lines, respectively.

Flower/testa colour associations with grain yield, quality and tolerance to seed weevil in grass pea phenotypes

AbstractGrass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is considered an orphan/underutilised grain legume with high yield and nutritive potential. It is variable in flower and seed coat (testa) colour and this variation could possibly be used as a biomarker in phenotypic selection for yield and quality traits. Three phenotypes differing in flower/testa colour (white flower‐white to creamy testa and white hilum [TWHW], slightly blue banner and wing colouration‐white to creamy testa and coloured halo around hilum [TWHC] and blue banner and wing colouration‐spotted testa and coloured halo around hilum [TSHC]) were tested over two growing seasons, under rainfed, Mediterranean conditions. They differed only in the number of seeds per pod; the phenotype TWHW had the lowest number (2.2 seeds pod−1). The seed yield per plant (SY) was highly correlated with the number of pods per plant and was higher under wetter and warmer conditions during the reproductive period (April–May). The three phenotypes showed no difference in tolerance against bruchid (Bruchus tristiculus) infection (F2,8 = 0.14, p > .05), which was higher in the most productive growing season (6.44%, F1,4 = 14.8, p < .05). In the phenotype TWHW, three seed classes (intact, bruchid‐damaged, parasitoid‐damaged seeds) were tested for SY, quality traits and tolerance to bruchids. Though insect damaged seeds showed significant reduction in emergence rates (from −57% up to −91%), there were no differences in SY (19.11–24.53 g plant−1, F2,8 = 0.86, p > .05) and yield components (seeds per pod, 1000‐seed weight, number of pods per plant). However, seeds of plants derived from parasitoid‐damaged seeds had higher concentration of the neurotoxin ODAP (4.92 mg g−1, F2,8 = 8.76, p < .01). On the other hand, seeds of plants derived from bruchid‐damaged seeds showed higher percentage of damaged seeds by the endoparasitoid Triaspis thoracica (2.25% vs. 0.67%–1.00%, F2,8 = 5.47, p < .05). Concluding, flower and testa colour cannot be used as biomarkers of seed yield and quality in grass pea, but it seemed that a tripartite interaction (grass pea–bruchid–endoparasitoid) may occur that affects ODAP concentration and the susceptibility of seeds to insect damages.

Yield and quality traits of wheat and rapeseed in response to source-sink ratio and heat stress in post-flowering

The probability of occurrence of high temperatures and cloudiness events increases during the post-flowering period of temperate crops in the southern cone of South America. Several studies have evaluated the effect of high temperature or shading on wheat and rapeseed, but little is known about the impact of the combined effect of both stresses on the yield and grain quality of these crops during the post-flowering phase. This study aims to analyze the sensitivity and stability of wheat and rapeseed grain yield and quality in response to shading, high temperature and the combined stresses during post-flowering in two contrasting environments. Field experiments were carried out using the same wheat and rapeseed genotypes in environments with high (Valdivia, Chile) and medium (Buenos Aires, Argentina) yield potential. The treatments consisted of i) control, ii) shading stress, iii) heat stress and iv) combined shading and heat stress during the central hours of day. Portable chambers were placed on the plots at 7–10 days from anthesis in wheat and 14 days from the beginning of flowering in rapeseed, throughout 10 days. Grain yield was significantly reduced for the combined stress in wheat (−46%) and rapeseed (−39%) in Buenos Aires, but there were no differences between treatments in any crop in Valdivia. Combined stress in rapeseed produced a trade-off between grain number (−40%) and grain thousand weight (+43%) in Valdivia, while grain thousand weight was penalized (−25%) in Buenos Aires. For wheat there were no differences in grain protein in both locations, while for rapeseed protein increased due to the combined stress in Buenos Aires (+15%), no effects were recorded for grain oil in either location. Our results showed a high stability of grain weight in rapeseed to single and combined environmental stresses, with better environmental conditions during grain filling.