International Crops Research Institute For The Semi-Arid Tropics Research Articles

Genome-wide association analysis for drought tolerance and component traits in groundnut gene pool

The potential production and productivity of groundnuts are limited due to severe drought stress associated with climate change. The current study aimed to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with drought tolerance and component traits for gene introgression and to guide marker-assisted breeding of groundnut varieties. Ninety-nine genetically diverse groundnut genotypes were phenotyped under drought-stressed and non-stressed field conditions in 2018/19 and 2019/20, and using the LeasyScan platform under non-stressed conditions in 2019/20 at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)/India. The samples were genotyped using 48 K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers at the University of Georgia/USA. Phenotypic data was collected on 17 agronomic traits and subjected to statistical analyses. The SNP data were computed, and population structure was inferred using a Bayesian clustering method in Structure version 2.3.4, while linkage disequilibrium was calculated using the GAPIT program in R software. Marker-trait associations were deduced using Tassel 5.2.86. Significant phenotypic variations were recorded for drought tolerance and the assessed agronomic traits. GWAS analysis using PCA + K and Q + K models identified significant SNPs associated with leaf area (1 SNP), leaf area Index (1 SNP), specific leaf area (1 SNP), leaf relative water content (43 SNPs), number of primary branches (1 SNP) and hundred seed weight (1 SNP). Forty-seven and one marker-trait associations were detected under drought-stressed and non-stressed conditions, respectively. The candidate genes and markers identified in the current study are useful for accelerated groundnut breeding targeting drought tolerance and market-preferred traits.

Diversity, conservation and utilization of grain legumes: A potential source for food and nutritional security in Nepal

Grain legumes are precious crops of Nepal in terms of the dietary protein supplement ample concentration of micronutrients, and role in crop intensification and ameliorating soil fertility. About 11% of the cultivated area is occupied by grain legumes that include lentil, chickpea, grasspea, fieldpea, fababean, pigeonpea, soybean, blackgram, horsegram, ricebean, cowpea, and mungbean. About 100 genera and 379 species of legumes are distributed in diverse agroecological zones ranging from terai to the alpine region of Nepal, with growth habits ranging from annual to perennial shrubs. Out of the 379 species of legumes which include grain, vegetable, and forage legumes, 262 are native, and 20 species belonging to the sub-group Papilionacae are used as food legumes. Highest food legume species diversity has been recorded in Macrotyloma (34 spp.), followed by Crotalaria (18 spp.), Vigna (15 spp.), Lathyrus (7 spp.), Vicia (6 spp.), Cajanus (5 spp.), Trigonella (5 spp.) and Phaseolus (4 spp.). Other genus having 1-3 species includes Cicer (3 spp.), Mukuna (3 spp.), Glycine (2 spp.), Canavila (2 spp.), Pisum (2 spp.), Lablab (2 spp.), Pachyrrhizus (1 sp.), Psophocarpus (1 sp.), Lens (1 sp.) and Cyamopsis (1 sp.). Research on grain legumes was initiated in 1976 and a systematic collection of grain legume landraces was done in 1987 by the Grain Legumes Research Program (GLRP). Past collection missions organized in collaboration with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and other institutes have resulted in the collection of 1107 landraces and provided an opportunity for their inclusion in the variety improvement program. National Agricultural Genetic Resources Center (NAGRC) has conserved 2936 landraces of different legumes, 951 landraces have been kept in gene banks of ICARDA center, while GLRP Khajura has active collections of 218 landraces and 627 exotic germplasm of various legume crops. Varietal improvement programs resulted in the development of 51 varieties, while 6 varietes were registered and two varieties were de-notified in food legumes (lentil, chickpea, soybean, cowpea, black gram, mungbean, pigeon pea, rice bean, faba bean, grass pea, and kidney bean).

Low-cost small-scale irrigation for developing an agroforestry system in the semi-arid zone of Niger: case of the apple of the Sahel (Ziziphus mauritiana L.)

Cultivation of the ‘Apple of the Sahel’ (also known as Indian Jujube) is central to the food security, nutrition, and income of rural communities in developing countries like Niger. However, rainfall variability significantly impacts the development of this plant. This study aims to determine the effects of seasonal water regimes on the growth and productivity of the Apple of the Sahel. The trials were conducted in 2020 and 2021 during the rainy and dry seasons at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) experimental site in Sadore, Niamey, Niger. The experiment was arranged in a factorial design with three irrigation doses (D) and three irrigation systems (G) as main and subplot factors, respectively. The sub-subplot factors were irrigation frequencies (F) and growth boosters (B), each with two levels. In the dry season, irrigation dose application significantly (p = 0.001) increased soil volumetric water content (vwc). A similar increase in soil vwc was achieved under small-scale drip irrigation with an application of the same dose of organic material (p = 0.001). The diameter of the Apple of the Sahel trees significantly increased (p = 0.03) under the small-scale drip irrigation systems with 6.72 mm recorded under the two-drip irrigation system (G2) as compared with the manual system (G0). In the dry season, the total fruit harvest of Apple of the Sahel recorded had increased (p = 0.04) under the irrigated system, varying from 112 to 246% depending on the number of drippers, and compared to the manual system. These results highlight that small-scale drip irrigation should be used in combination with appropriate water and fertilizer management to improve water availability and tree yield in agroforestry systems in arid regions such as Niger.

Assessing Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Genotype Yields and Yield Traits with Different Planting Geometries on Broad Bed and Furrows

A field study on “Assessing Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotype yields and yield traits with different planting geometries on broad bed and furrows” was conducted during rabi season of 2022 in the experimental field at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, Telangana. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomised block design with three replications. Total 16 treatment combinations consisted of four planting geometries (P1) 30 × 10 cm, (P2) 15:15 × 10 cm, (P3) 20:20 × 10 cm, (P4) 25:25 × 10 cm and four varieties (V1) Girnar 4, (V2) Girnar 5, (V3) Avtar, (V4) K6. The important findings emerged from this investigation found that groundnut sown at the spacing of (P4) 25:25 × 10 cm recorded significantly higher number of pods plant-1 (33.0), kernels pod-1 (2.0), test weight (38.7 g), shelling percentage (67.1%), pod yield (1792 kg ha-1) followed by (P3) 20:20 × 10 cm, (P4) 30 × 10 cm and (P2) 15:15 × 10 cm. The genotype V2 (Girnar 5) performed best in yield and yield contributing characteristics than other genotypes and it was on par with V1 (Girnar 4). Hence, our results concluded that (P4) 25:25 × 10 cm spacing, performing best with (V2) Girnar 5 and (V1) Girnar 4 varieties.

Genetic Variability for Seed Nutritional Composition in Pearl Millet Genotypes Analyzed by Biplot Method

This study evaluated the chemical composition of pearl millet seeds belonging to different genotypes by biplot analysis. Seeds of 26 different pearl millet populations obtained from ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) within the scope of TÜBİTAK 219O103 run by Şırnak University were used. The seeds were ground and analyzed for their chemical composition, i.e., acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), crude protein (CP), digestible dry matter (DDM) and dry matter intake (DMI) rate. The results revealed that crude protein ratio varied between 11.74-19.24%, whereas ADF ratio differed between 3.44-11.43%. Similarly, NDF ratio varied between 10.23-23.47%, while DDM ratio ranged between 79.98-86.21%. Likewise, DMI ratio differed between 5.11-11.72%. Scatter plot obtained after biplot analysis indicated three different groups based on the analyzed traits. The first group contained DDM and DMI, whereas the second group consisted of ADF and NDF. The protein ratio was in the third group. It was determined that ADF-NDF and DMI-DDM properties were negatively correlated with each other. According to biplot, genotypes ‘A5-13’, ‘A13-6’ and ‘B1-7’ were prominent for ADF -NDF, DMI-DDM, and protein ratio, respectively. Therefore, these genotypes can be used in future studies to induce the desired traits.

Corrigendum

Plant Biotechnology JournalEarly View CorrigendumOpen Access This article corrects the following: Genetic variation in CaTIFY4b contributes to drought adaptation in chickpea Rutwik Barmukh, Manish Roorkiwal, Vanika Garg, Aamir W. Khan, Liam German, Deepa Jaganathan, Annapurna Chitikineni, Jana Kholova, Himabindu Kudapa, Kaliamoorthy Sivasakthi, Srinivasan Samineni, Sandip M. Kale, Pooran M. Gaur, Someswar Rao Sagurthi, Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso, Rajeev K. Varshney, Volume 20Issue 9Plant Biotechnology Journal pages: 1701-1715 First Published online: May 21, 2022 First published: 11 April 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14044AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat In the article “Genetic variation in CaTIFY4b contributes to drought adaptation in chickpea” by Barmukh et al. (2022), the authors wish to add a double affiliation to co-author Jana Kholova, and insert an additional funding grant in the Acknowledgements section. The affiliation of Jana Kholova is as follows: 1Crops Physiology & Modeling, Accelerated Crop Improvement Research Theme, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502324, Telangana, India 2Department of Information Technologies, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Prague, 165 00, Czech Republic In the Acknowledgements section, the additional funding grant is: The Internal grant agency of the Faculty of Economics and Management from the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Life Sciences 4.0 Plus, grant no. 2022B0006. Reference Barmukh, R., Roorkiwal, M., Garg, V., Khan, A.W., German, L., Jaganathan, D., Chitikineni, A. et al. (2022) Genetic variation in CaTIFY4b contributes to drought adaptation in chickpea. Plant Biotechnol. J. 20, 1701– 1715. Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue ReferencesRelatedInformation

Analyzing gender differentials in dietary diversity across urban and peri-urban areas of Hyderabad, India

BackgroundIndia’s recent increase in urbanization alongside with feminization of rural agriculture could increase the existing gender disparities in dietary diversity. With many rural men migrating to urban areas, women have increased domestic burdens as well as productive burdens such as making informed crop production decisions so household members consume a diverse diet. Given the rapid and recent onset of this phenomenon, there is a need to explore gender differentials in diet diversity across urban and rural areas to assess if certain populations are being disproportionately impacted by this trend. There are limited established quantitative studies discussing this gender disparity with respect to urbanization. Therefore, this paper compares dietary diversity among adult men, adult women, adolescent males, and adolescent females in urban and peri-urban locations. The authors also assess if various sociodemographic factors correlate with dietary diversity.MethodsAnalyses were conducted on dietary diversity data collected by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) from selected urban (1108 individuals) and peri-urban (808 individuals) locations of Hyderabad, India. The total sample size of the population is n = 1816: 660 adult males, 662 adult females, 205 adolescent males, and 289 adolescent females.ResultsAdult women and adolescent females have a higher diet disparity between peri-urban and urban areas when compared to adult males and adolescent males. Multivariate analyses followed by post hoc multiple comparisons testing further support that peri-urban adult women consume a less diverse diet compared to their urban counterparts and less than other peri-urban adult men and adolescent women. It was also found that marital status, type of household card owned, and the highest degree of education are statistically significant correlators of an individual’s dietary diversity.ConclusionsGiven that urbanization could negatively impact already vulnerable populations such as peri-urban adult women, who play a key role in children’s nutrition, it is important to provide support to these populations. This paper suggests it is possible to do so through government subsidization of peri-urban farmers to grow more diverse crops, fortifying easily accessible foods with commonly lacking micronutrients, including Vitamin A, folic acid, and iron, market access, and affordable prices.

Analysis of the Effects of Climate Change on Cotton Production in Maharashtra State of India Using Statistical Model and GIS Mapping

Cotton is a prominent cash crop cultivated for fiber, edible oil and oil cake. A global environmental issue, like climate change, alters weather parameters necessary for the healthy growth and development of cotton plants, affecting fiber quality and economic yield. The study aims to illustrate the evidence of climate change in Maharashtra and assess its impact on the production of cotton in this region. The study was conducted in the state of Maharashtra, India. Geographic information system (GIS)-based models were created based on the vector data (geopolitical boundaries of the state of Maharashtra and its districts) and the corresponding raster attributes (meteorological data) to examine the changes in the patterns of distribution of temperature, rainfall and severity of drought (Standardized Precipitation Index-SPI) over the study period (1990 to 2015). Further, a statistical multiple linear regression model was developed using district-wise data on yield and climatic parameters obtained from International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to estimate the relationship between the dependent variable (yield of cotton) and the independent variables (annual rainfall and annual mean temperature). GIS modeling and mapping provide evidence of changes in the spatial distribution of rainfall and temperature. Although the regression analysis seems weak, it is acceptable for natural systems because natural systems are complex and often highly variable, making it difficult to create a perfect model. The multiple linear regression model shows that such changes in climatic parameters have a significant negative impact on the economic yield of cotton.

Importance of solar radiation and the need for improved respect to Sun by Agrometeorologists

Solar radiation refers to energy produced by the Sun, some of which reaches the Earth. This is the primary energy source for most processes in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Solar radiation is of crucial importance inproviding the energy source for photosynthesis. During 1973 to 1977, when I did my Ph.D. in Agroclimatology in the Iowa State University, USA, I conducted the field experiments during 1975 and 1976 on soil-plant-water relations, growth and nutrient uptake patterns of field grown soybeans under water stress at the Western Iowa Experimental Farm, Castana. During these experiments, the solar radiation was measured with a pyranometer sensor mounted on an anodized aluminimum base. Daily solar radiation values were obtained from an LI-500 integrator attached to the pyranometer sensor. The attenuation of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and net radiation (NRAD) in the soybean canopy was determined during the growing season by using vertical profiles of radiation and leaf-area-index values. Once I received my Ph.D., I worked at the Headquarters of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad from 1977 to 1983 and at the ICRISAT Sahelian Center, Niamey, Niger from 1984 to 1996. In several field experiments in ICRISAT, the hourly values of net radiation were obtained through net radiometers mounted above the crop canopies. The growth and interception of PAR in a maize/pigeonpea intercrop and sole maize and sole pigeonpea crops grown in large plots were compared. The productivity of maize, sorghum, pigeonpea and a maize/pigeonpea intercrop in the operational research watersheds was measured in relation to the interception of PAR. In another study, it was shown that different shading ability of the crop canopies was one of the factors which determined the crop/weed competition balance and thus contributed to differential crop productivity observed in different cropping systems. Afterwards, when I worked at the World Meteorological Organization from 1996 to 2016 as the Chief of the Agricultural Meteorology Department, as the Director of the Climate Prediction and Adaptation Branch and as the Acting Secretary of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a lot of work was done on Solar Radiation. Given all the above work on Solar Radiation, I emphasized the need for improved respect to Sun Bhagawan by Agrometeorologists at the end of this article.

Evaluation of Agronomic Characteristics, Disease Incidence, Yield Performance, and Aflatoxin Accumulation among Six Peanut Varieties (Arachis hypogea L.) Grown in Kenya.

Diseases contribute to attainment of less than 50% of the local groundnut potential yield in Kenya. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic characteristics (flowering and germination), disease incidence, yield performance (biomass, harvest index, 100-pod, 100-seed, and total pod weight), and aflatoxin accumulation in six peanut varieties. A field experiment was conducted using four newly improved peanut varieties: CG9, CG7, CG12, and ICGV-SM 90704 (Nsinjiro), and two locally used varieties: Homabay local (control) and 12991, and in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The disease identification followed the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) rating scale and further isolation of fungal contaminants was conducted by a direct plating technique using potato dextrose agar. The aflatoxin levels in the peanuts were determined after harvesting using the ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection (UHPLC-FLD) technique. ICGV-SM 90704 showed the least average disease incidence of 1.31 ± 1.75%, (P < 0.05); the lowest total aflatoxin levels (1.82 ± 1.41 μg kg-1) with a range 0.00-0.85 μg kg-1 for total aflatoxins and a range 0.00-1.24 μg kg-1 for Aflatoxin B1. The locally used varieties (12991 and the control) revealed the highest disease incidence (5.41 ± 8.31% and 7.41 ± 1.88%), respectively. ICGV-SM 90704 was the best performing among all the six varieties with an average total pod weight (9.22 ± 1.19 kg), 100-pod weight (262.93 ± 10.8 g), and biomass of (27.21 ± 5.05 kg) per row. The 12991 variety and the control showed the least total pod weight (1.60 ± 0.28 and 1.50 ± 1.11 kg, respectively) (P = 0.0001). The newly improved varieties showed lower disease rates, low levels of aflatoxins, and higher yields than the locally used varieties.

Downscaling Global Gridded Crop Yield Data Products and Crop Water Productivity Mapping Using Remote Sensing Derived Variables in the South Asia.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42106-022-00223-2.

Development of Temporal Model for Forecasting of Helicoverpa armigera (Noctuidae: Lepidopetra) Using Arima and Artificial Neural Networks.

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Noctuidae: Lepidopetra) is a polyphagous pest of major crops grown in India. To prevent the damage caused by H. armigera farmers rely heavily on insecticides of diverse groups on a regular basis which is not a benign practice, environmentally and economically. To provide more efficient and accurate information on timely application of insecticides, this research was aimed to develop a forecast model to predict population dynamics of pod borer using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). The data used in this study were collected from the randomly installed sex pheromone traps at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Hyderabad. Several ARIMA (p, d, q) (P, D, Q) and ANN models were developed using the historical trap catch data. ARIMA model (1,0,1), (1,0,2) with minimal BIC, RMSE, MAPE, MAE, and MASE values and higher R2 value (0.53) was selected as the best ARIMA fit model, and neural network (7-30-1) was found to be the best fit to predict the catches of male moths of pod borer from September 2021 to August 2023. A comparative analysis performed between the ARIMA and ANN, shows that the ANN based on feed forward neural networks is best suited for effective pest prediction. With the developed ARIMA model, it would be easier to predict H. armigera adult population dynamics round the year and timely intervention of control measures can be followed by appropriate decision-making schedule for insecticide application.

Effect of Different Kinds of Water on Growth, Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Soybean

A field experiment conducted at International Crops Research Institutefor the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India to study the effect of different quality of water on growth, yield and water use efficiency of soybean during rabi 2015-16. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) and replicated fivetimes with three treatments i.e. untreated wastewater, treated wastewater and fresh water. The result of the present study indicate that untreated wastewater affect plant height, leaf area index, dry matter production, number of pod per plant, test weight, seed yield and straw yield significantly. Highest seed yield of soybean was observed in untreated wastewater (22.20 q ha-1) in relation to wastewater and freshwater. Higher value of growth attributes and yield attributes were found in untreated wastewater. Highest water use efficiency of soybean was also recorded in untreated wastewater treatment. This study, it concluded untreated wastewater increased growth attributes, yield attributes and yield and also water use efficiency due to presence of enough amount of nutrient in untreated wastewater and less amount of heavy metal that help to achieve maximum seed yield and water use efficiency in soybean.

Assessment of the genetic diversity and population structure of groundnut germplasm collections using phenotypic traits and SNP markers: Implications for drought tolerance breeding.

Profiling the genetic composition and relationships among groundnut germplasm collections is essential for the breeding of new cultivars. The objectives of this study were to assess the genetic diversity and population structure among 100 improved groundnut genotypes using agronomic traits and high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The genotypes were evaluated for agronomic traits and drought tolerance at the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)/India across two seasons. Ninety-nine of the test genotypes were profiled with 16363 SNP markers. Pod yield per plant (PY), seed yield per plant (SY), and harvest index (HI) were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by genotype × environment interaction effects. Genotypes ICGV 07222, ICGV 06040, ICGV 01260, ICGV 15083, ICGV 10143, ICGV 03042, ICGV 06039, ICGV 14001, ICGV 11380, and ICGV 13200 ranked top in terms of pod yield under both drought-stressed and optimum conditions. PY exhibited a significant (p ≤ 0.05) correlation with SY, HI, and total biomass (TBM) under both test conditions. Based on the principal component (PC) analysis, PY, SY, HSW, shelling percentage (SHP), and HI were allocated in PC 1 and contributed to the maximum variability for yield under the two water regimes. Hence, selecting these traits could be successful for screening groundnut genotypes under drought-stressed and optimum conditions. The model-based population structure analysis grouped the studied genotypes into three sub-populations. Dendrogram for phenotypic and genotypic also grouped the studied 99 genotypes into three heterogeneous clusters. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that 98% of the total genetic variation was attributed to individuals, while only 2% of the total variance was due to variation among the subspecies. The genetic distance between the Spanish bunch and Virginia bunch types ranged from 0.11 to 0.52. The genotypes ICGV 13189, ICGV 95111, ICGV 14421, and ICGV 171007 were selected for further breeding based on their wide genetic divergence. Data presented in this study will guide groundnut cultivar development emphasizing economic traits and adaptation to water-limited agro-ecologies, including in Ethiopia.

Transition From Targeted Breeding to Mainstreaming of Biofortification Traits in Crop Improvement Programs.

Biofortification breeding for three important micronutrients for human health, namely, iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and provitamin A (PVA), has gained momentum in recent years. HarvestPlus, along with its global consortium partners, enhances Fe, Zn, and PVA in staple crops. The strategic and applied research by HarvestPlus is driven by product-based impact pathway that integrates crop breeding, nutrition research, impact assessment, advocacy, and communication to implement country-specific crop delivery plans. Targeted breeding has resulted in 393 biofortified crop varieties by the end of 2020, which have been released or are in testing in 63 countries, potentially benefitting more than 48 million people. Nevertheless, to reach more than a billion people by 2030, future breeding lines that are being distributed by Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centers and submitted by National Agricultural Research System (NARS) to varietal release committees should be biofortified. It is envisaged that the mainstreaming of biofortification traits will be driven by high-throughput micronutrient phenotyping, genomic selection coupled with speed breeding for accelerating genetic gains. It is noteworthy that targeted breeding gradually leads to mainstreaming, as the latter capitalizes on the progress made in the former. Efficacy studies have revealed the nutritional significance of Fe, Zn, and PVA biofortified varieties over non-biofortified ones. Mainstreaming will ensure the integration of biofortified traits into competitive varieties and hybrids developed by private and public sectors. The mainstreaming strategy has just been initiated in select CGIAR centers, namely, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). This review will present the key successes of targeted breeding and its relevance to the mainstreaming approaches to achieve scaling of biofortification to billions sustainably.

Factors Contributing to the Performance of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) – a Study in Medak District of Telangana State

A study was conducted on the performance of FPOs and the factors contributing to performance of FPOs in Medak district of Telangana State, India. Three FPOs were selected randomly from 3 different promoting institutes viz., Suraksha Farmers Producer Company Ltd (SFPCL) promoted by independent research organization Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), Marpalli Kisan Kranthi Producer Company Ltd (MKKPCL) promoted by Vrutti NGO and Siddipet Kisan Agro Farmers Producer Company Ltd (SKAFPCL) promoted by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study with a sample of 90 producer members, covering three FPOs in erstwhile Medak district of Telangana State. From the analysis, it was found that overall performance of FPOs in Medak district was average to poor. The factors viz., education, group leadership, group communication, adherence to rules, group participation, and team spirit had showed positive and significant relationship with performance. The results of regression analysis inferred that all the selected twelve factors put together explained the variation to the extent of 72.47% in the performance of the FPO with leadership of officials and participation of members contributing significantly to the performance of FPOs.

Determination of root system architecture variation of drought adapted sorghum genotypes using high throughput root phenotyping

Sorghum bicolor (L.) is an important cereal crop in Ethiopia primarily growing as food grain crop. In spite of the huge genetic potential, productivity of sorghum is low due to frequency of drought occurrence. Root system architecture influences the amount of water important for maintaining crop yield under moisture stress. This study was conducted with the objective of estimating of genetic variability of 214 sorghum genotypes for root and shoot traits during seedling stage. The experiment was conducted at greenhouse of Horticulture and Plant science Department of Jimma University using randomized complete block design. Analysis of variance showed that highly significant difference among the genotypes (P < 0.01) in all studied traits. Root angle ranged between 14.5° (Acc#23650) and 27.37° (Acc#6723). Root number ranged between 6 and 15, root length between 40 and 72 cm and root to shoot ratio ranged between 0.17 and 0.78. Genotypes from Ethiopian Biodiversity (IBC) and ICRISAT were showed more root angle genetic variations. Similarly for other root system architecture (RSA) traits such as root length, root number and root dry weight, Ethiopian Biodiversity (IBC) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) genotypes showed more genetic diversity than the released varieties. Phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was between 29.19% for leaf area and 13.46% for root length, and genotypic coefficient variation (GCV) was 28.19% for leaf area and 11.94% for root angle. Estimates of broad sense heritability were between 40% for root dry weight and 94.18% for leaf area. Generally the information generated from this study could help to identified promising genotypes with suitable root traits for potential breeding under specific environmental conditions.

Identifying sources of resistance in chickpea to seed rot and seedling damping‐off caused by metalaxyl‐resistant Pythium ultimum

AbstractChickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) has been a globally important source of nutrition for human and animal diets for several thousand years. In the United States, chickpeas are integral components of dryland agriculture systems throughout the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains, but seed rot and preemergent damping‐off of chickpea caused by metalaxyl‐resistant isolates of Pythium ultimum Trow have emerged as diseases of increasing importance in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The objective of this study was to identify sources of resistance to metalaxyl‐resistant P. ultimum in chickpea. Resistance was evaluated based on the emergence of chickpea seedlings from soil artificially infested with the pathogen. Significant differences in emergence were consistently detected between the desi chickpea cultivar ‘Myles’ and the kabuli chickpea cultivar ‘Sierra’. These two cultivars were used as checks to screen two different chickpea mini‐core collections, including a 39‐accession mini‐core collection from the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System and 209 accessions from a chickpea mini‐core collection developed by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). A total of 194 desi accessions and 41 kabuli accessions were significantly more resistant than Sierra, whereas 85 desi accessions identified from the ICRISAT collection were highly resistant to both P. ultimum isolates. Accessions with pigmented seed coats were significantly more resistant than accessions with beige seed coats, which is a characteristic of kabuli chickpeas. Two accessions, W6 25882 and W6 25884, may be especially promising parental materials for improving kabuli cultivars based on their consistent resistant reactions to P. ultimum isolates and higher 100‐seed weight.

Planting Density Affected Dry Matter Production, Partitioning, and Yield in Machine Harvestable Chickpea Genotypes in the Irrigated Ecosystem

The important causes for lack of improvement in production and low chickpea yields are inappropriate crop management, variety-based un-optimized planting density, variety not suitable for machine harvest and losses during harvesting operations. In this study, we hypothesized that increased planting density can compensate for the yield reduction in tall chickpea genotypes by accomodating more plants per unit area than existing genotypes and improving the plant architecture to facilitate mechanical harvesting. We analyzed variations among five genotypes (ICCV-11601, ICCV-11602, ICCV-11603, ICCV-11604 and JG-11) for dry matter production, partitioning, and yields in response to planting densities (33.3–46.6 plants m−2) at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Telangana, India. In general, higher dry matter production and partitioning was observed in the tall/erect genotypes than semi-erect genotype. The higher dry matter was produced by genotype ICCV-11604. In the case of planting density, an increase in planting density from 33.3 to 46.6 plants m−2 decreased the dry matter production and its partitioning in different parts. The normal planting density of 33.3 plants m−2 observed higher dry matter per plant. The interaction of JG-11 × 40% higher density of 46.6 plants m−2 recorded maximum seed yield (3048 kg ha−1). However, the tall genotype ICCV-11604 × 46.6 plants m−2 interaction recorded higher seed yield (2840 kg ha−1) than JG-11 × normal density of 33.3 plants m−2 (2666 kg ha−1). The increase in planting density could compensate for the yield reduction in tall chickpea genotypes and facilitate mechanical harvesting to reduce the drudgery on scarce labour and save time and cost.

Screening of heat‐tolerant Ethiopian chickpea accessions: Assessment of phenological and agromorphological traits and genomic relationships

AbstractA major agronomic challenge for chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) production is temperatures above 35 °C, which causes reduced fertility and seed development. This study was aimed at assessing the phenotypic variation of chickpea genotypes under variable heat stress conditions. Chickpea genotypes were grown in heat‐stressed locations in both Ethiopia and India to assess phenotypic variation for heat tolerance. In addition, genomic relationships among the genotypes were assessed using genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. A total of 121 genotypes were assessed at three field sites in Ethiopia, under heat stress and nonstress conditions, and 57 genotypes were assessed under high‐heat‐stress conditions at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad, India. Data for five phenological and seven agromorphological traits were recorded. The results showed that the chickpea genotypes were severely affected by excessive heat at Hyderabad as compared with those planted under non‐heat‐stress conditions in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. At extremely high temperatures, chickpea plants exhibited reduced floral initiation, arrested seed and pod development, shortened life cycles, and reduced plant height, seed size, grain yield, and yield‐related traits. Across stressed and nonstressed environments, there were highly significant differences among the genotypes for most of the traits (ANOVA, P ≤ .001). Under heat‐stressed environments, DZ‐Cr‐0034 was found to be a highly tolerant, whereas DZ‐Cr‐0026 was found to be a highly sensitive genotype. Genetic relationships among the genotypes were determined using 5,722 SNPs, revealing a single group of Ethiopian genotypes with small number of cultivars showing introgression from Middle Eastern germplasm. This study clearly demonstrated that there is genetic variability in chickpea for heat tolerance that can be harnessed to meet expected shifts towards warmer climatic conditions.