Length Grain Research Articles

Pollen morphology reveals genetic diversity between some superior sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) genotypes; an opportunity for expanding breeding possibilities

AbstractPreservation of the genetic diversity of sour cherry in Iran is imperative for the development of improved cultivars tailored to specific ecological conditions. Addressing gaps in research concerning ecological adaptation, resource management and international collaboration related to sour cherry genetic resources in Iran is essential. Bridging these research lacunae can facilitate the implementation of sustainable cultivation practices, optimize production systems and enhance the global utilization of sour cherry genetic diversity. A comprehensive analysis of the morphology and ultrastructure of pollen grains from ten native sour cherry genotypes in Iran was conducted over a two-year period using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The examination revealed that all pollen grains were unipolar, radially symmetrical and tricolpate. The length and width of pollen grains varied among genotypes, with lengths ranging from 42.17 to 57.57 μm and widths from 20.28 to 28.13 μm. Furthermore, all genotypes exhibited prolate pollen grains, with differing colpus lengths. Examination of pollen exine revealed striate shapes with varying numbers of ridges, ranging from 18.5 to 8.5 furrows per 50 m2. The horizontal area of pollen grains varied from 333.28 to 1491.69 μm. Polar perspective analysis showed considerable variation in the distance between mesocolpium endpoints. Sour cherry displays significant genetic diversity in Iran, and the application of SEM has proven instrumental in characterizing this diversity. This understanding will aid in further breeding research aimed at enhancing sour cherry varieties and their adaptation to specific ecological conditions.

GL5.2, a Quantitative Trait Locus for Rice Grain Shape, Encodes a RING-Type E3 Ubiquitin Ligase.

Grain weight and grain shape are important traits that determine rice grain yield and quality. Mining more quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that control grain weight and shape will help to further improve the molecular regulatory network of rice grain development and provide gene resources for high-yield and high-quality rice varieties. In the present study, a QTL for grain length (GL) and grain width (GW), qGL5.2, was firstly fine-mapped into a 21.4 kb region using two sets of near-isogenic lines (NILs) derived from the indica rice cross Teqing (TQ) and IRBB52. In the NIL populations, the GL and ratio of grain length to grain width (RLW) of the IRBB52 homozygous lines increased by 0.16-0.20% and 0.27-0.39% compared with the TQ homozygous lines, but GW decreased by 0.19-0.75%. Then, by analyzing the grain weight and grain shape of the knock-out mutant, it was determined that the annotation gene Os05g0551000 encoded a RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase, which was the cause gene of qGL5.2. The results show that GL and RLW increased by 2.44-5.48% and 4.19-10.70%, but GW decreased by 1.69-4.70% compared with the recipient. Based on the parental sequence analysis and haplotype analysis, one InDel variation located at -1489 in the promoter region was likely to be the functional site of qGL5.2. In addition, we also found that the Hap 5 (IRBB52-type) increased significantly in grain length and grain weight compared with other haplotypes, indicating that the Hap 5 can potentially be used in rice breeding to improve grain yield and quality.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of laser-arc hybrid welded high-strength aluminum alloy through beam oscillation

High-frequency beam oscillation and synchronous wire-powder feeding were adopted for the laser-arc hybrid welding of a 2219-T6 high-strength aluminum alloy. Increasing the beam oscillation frequency from 0 to 250 Hz not only reduced the weld porosity from 2.64% to 0.16% but also promoted the transformation of columnar dendrites to fine equiaxed grains. In addition, the content of precipitated Al2CuMg increased with the refined size of the weld microstructure. The length of the columnar grains and the diameter of the equiaxed grains in the weld center were reduced by 40% and 50%, respectively. Owing to these improvements, the weld microhardness increased and became more uniform, and the variance decreased by 74%. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the welded joint reached 238.5 MPa and 4.3%, respectively, which were 26.5% and 105% higher than those of the non-oscillating hybrid weld, respectively. The weld tensile strength and the proportion of the area of the pore were negatively correlated. The porosity and microcracks of the welded joints were the main factors affecting the tensile strength of welded joints.

Dissection and Fine-Mapping of Two QTL Controlling Grain Size Linked in a 515.6-kb Region on Chromosome 10 of Rice.

Grain size is a primary determinant of grain weight, which is one of the three essential components of rice grain yield. Mining the genes that control grain size plays an important role in analyzing the regulation mechanism of grain size and improving grain appearance quality. In this study, two closely linked quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling grain size, were dissected and fine-mapped in a 515.6-kb region on the long arm of chromosome 10 by using six near isogenic line populations. One of them, qGS10.2, which controlled 1000 grain weight (TGW) and grain width (GW), was delimited into a 68.1-kb region containing 14 annotated genes. The Teqing allele increased TGW and GW by 0.17 g and 0.011 mm with the R2 of 12.7% and 11.8%, respectively. The other one, qGL10.2, which controlled grain length (GL), was delimited into a 137.3-kb region containing 22 annotated genes. The IRBB52 allele increased GL by 0.018 mm with the R2 of 6.8%. Identification of these two QTL provides candidate regions for cloning of grain size genes.

Genetic analysis of yield components in buckwheat using high-throughput sequencing analysis and wild resource populations.

Fagopyrum tataricum, an important medicinal and edible crop, possesses significant agricultural and economic value. However, the development of buckwheat varieties and yields has been hindered by the delayed breeding progress despite the abundant material resources in China. Current research indicates that quantitative trait loci (QTLs) play a crucial role in controlling plant seed type and yield. To address these limitations, this study constructed recombinant inbred lines (RILs) utilizing both cultivated species and wild buckwheat as raw materials. In total, 84,521 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers were identified through Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) technology, and high-resolution and high-density SNP genetic maps were developed, which had significant value for QTL mapping, gene cloning and comparative mapping of buckwheat. In this study, we successfully identified 5 QTLs related to thousand grain weight (TGW), 9 for grain length (GL), and 1 for grain width (GW) by combining seed type and TGW data from 202 RIL populations in four different environments, within which one co-located QTL for TGW were discovered on the first chromosome. Transcriptome analysis during different grain development stages revealed 59 significant expression differences between the two materials, which can serve as candidate genes for further investigation into the regulation of grain weight and yield enhancement. The mapped major loci controlling TGW, GL and GW will be valuable for gene cloning and reveal the mechanism underlying grain development and marker-assisted selection in Tartary buckwheat.

Nuskoisporites dulhuntyi from the Cisuralian and Lopingian of the Southern Alps: A morphological comparison between dispersed and in situ prepollen

Nuskoisporites dulhuntyi is considered one of the biostratigraphic marker species for the Lopingian of Europe. A morphological comparison between Kungurian (Cisuralian) and Wuchiapingian (Lopingian) Nuskoisporites dulhuntyi prepollen (dispersed from five outcrops and in situ from one cone) from the Southern Alps has been carried out. Dispersed Nuskoisporites dulhuntyi prepollen grains from the Kungurian (Cisuralian) of the Athesian Volcanic District (AVD) and the Wuchiapingian (Lopingian) of Bletterbach have been compared with the in situ prepollen grains isolated from an Ortiseia cone of the Bletterbach outcrop. Using light microscopy, we measured overall size, central body size, and laesurae length of the prepollen grains revealing significant overlaps in morphological characteristics between the different assemblages. The main difference is the bigger size of the in situ pollen grains in comparison with the dispersed ones, but a significant overlap is still observed. This implies that the prepollen grains from the Kungurian sedimentary successions of the Athesian Volcanic District can be assigned confidentially to the dispersed prepollen species Nuskoisporites dulhuntyi and hence, represent the so far oldest record of this taxon, extending the species range from the Guadalupian back to the late Cisuralian.

Identification of medium‐grain rice based on GS3, a gene linked to rice grain size

Previous studies have used molecular markers associated with the GS3 gene to differentiate between short and long rice. However, there are three classifications of grain size: long, short, and medium. The identification of medium‐grain rice using these markers linked to the GS3 gene is yet to be confirmed. Hence, this study aimed to identify medium‐grain rice through phenotyping and genotyping. Grain characteristics including grain length (GL), grain width (GW), and the length‐to‐width ratio (GL/GW) were measured using SmartGrain software. The genotype was then amplified with the GS3 gene‐linked DRR‐GL (double round‐robin for grain length) molecular marker. The results revealed that medium‐grain rice, as identified by the DRR‐GL marker, exhibited DNA bands at the position of 150 bp. These bands differed from those observed in long‐grain rice, but they were consistent with those found in short‐grain rice. The genotypic results further indicated that PCR products obtained with the DRR‐GL marker in medium‐grain rice accounted for 86.8% of the phenotypic variation in grain size. This study provides fundamental genetic insights into the identification of medium‐grain rice and contributes to optimizing effects on rice breeding related to grain size.

Discovering New QTNs and Candidate Genes Associated with Rice-Grain-Related Traits within a Collection of Northeast Core Set and Rice Landraces.

Grain-related traits are pivotal in rice cultivation, influencing yield and consumer preference. The complex inheritance of these traits, involving multiple alleles contributing to their expression, poses challenges in breeding. To address these challenges, a multi-locus genome-wide association study (ML-GWAS) utilizing 35,286 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was conducted. Our study utilized an association panel comprising 483 rice genotypes sourced from a northeast core set and a landraces set collected from various regions in India. Forty quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) were identified, associated with four grain-related traits: grain length (GL), grain width (GW), grain aroma (Aro), and length-width ratio (LWR). Notably, 16 QTNs were simultaneously identified using two ML-GWAS methods, distributed across multiple chromosomes. Nearly 258 genes were found near the 16 significant QTNs. Gene annotation study revealed that sixty of these genes exhibited elevated expression levels in specific tissues and were implicated in pathways influencing grain quality. Gene ontology (GO), trait ontology (TO), and enrichment analysis pinpointed 60 candidate genes (CGs) enriched in relevant GO terms. Among them, LOC_Os05g06470, LOC_Os06g06080, LOC_Os08g43470, and LOC_Os03g53110 were confirmed as key contributors to GL, GW, Aro, and LWR. Insights from QTNs and CGs illuminate rice trait regulation and genetic connections, offering potential targets for future studies.

Unveiling Drought-Resilient Latin American Popcorn Lines through Agronomic and Physiological Evaluation.

Water stress can lead to physiological and morphological damage, affecting the growth and development of popcorn. The objective of this study was to identify the yield potential of 43 popcorn lines derived from a Latin American germplasm collection, based on agronomic and physiological traits, under full irrigation (WW) and water deficit conditions (WS), aiming to select superior germplasm. The evaluated agronomic traits included the ear length and diameter, number of grains per row (NGR) and rows per ear (NRE), grain yield (GY), popping expansion (EC), volume of expanded popcorn per hectare (VP), grain length (GL), width, and thickness. The physiological traits included the chlorophyll, anthocyanin, and flavonoid content in the leaves. The genetic variability and distinct behavior among the lines for all the agronomic traits under WW and WS conditions were observed. When comparing the water conditions, line L292 had the highest mean for the GY, and line L688 had the highest mean for the EC, highlighting them as the most drought-tolerant lines. A water deficit reduced the leaf greenness but increased the anthocyanin content as an adaptive response. The GY trait showed positive correlations with the VP, NGR, and GL under both water conditions, making the latter useful for indirect selection and thus of great interest for plant breeding targeting the simultaneous improvement of these traits.

Evaluation of Some Popular Rice Varieties of Bangladesh for Physical and Cooking Quality Properties

Rice is the primary staple meal in many parts of the world. Therefore, both consumers and producers must pay close attention to the physical and cooking characteristics of grains. The present study was conducted to evaluate the physical and cooking quality characters in twenty popular Bangladeshi boro rice genotypes along with one japonica rice genotype. A high degree of significant variation was observed for all the characters studied. Genotypes BRRI dhan55, BR16, BRRI dhan57, BINA dhan-6 and BINA dhan-14 has the maximum length of grain before cooking (L1). BRRI dhan36, BRRI dhan57, BRRI dhan55 and BINA dhan-6 were the best performer in terms of grain length after cooking (L2). BRRI dhan57 and BRRI hybrid dhan1 were best for width of grain before cooking (W1). BRRI dhan57, BRRI dhan29 and BRRI dhan36 were exhibited minimum width of grain after cooking (W2). Yukihikari, BRRI hybrid dhan3 and BRRI dhan36 were best for grain elongation ratio. Highest grain length/width ratio before cooking (L1/W1) was observed in genotype BRRI dhan57, BRRI hybrid dhan1 and BINA dhan-14. The highest grain length/width ratio after cooking (L2/W2) was recorded in genotype BRRI dhan57 and BRRI dhan36. Best genotype for percent water uptake (WU %) after cooking was BRRI dhan28 (180%). The best genotypes for solid in cooking water (SCW) were BRRI dhan36 (0.897%), BRRI dhan28 (0.956%), Yukihikari (1.043%) and BRRI dhan29 (1.048%), respectively. The prominent performer genotypes for CT were BRRI dhan58 (18.38 minutes) followed by BR 14 (19.12 minutes), BRRI dhan28 (20.00 minutes) and BRRI dhan57 (19.82 minutes). Best genotypes for amylase content (AC) BRRI dhan28 (24.93%), BRRI dhan55 (24.91%), BRRI dhan59 (24.90%). Most of the rice genotypes had found low cooking time (GT) except BRRI dhan57, BRRI dhan59, Yukihikari which shows intermediate gelatinization temperature (GT). The comparative information about physical and cooking qualities of rice might be used as reference to develop high grain quality rice cultivars in future. Res. Agric. Livest. Fish. Vol. 11, No. 1, April 2024: 35-45

QTL Mapping for Agronomic Important Traits in Well-Adapted Wheat Cultivars

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important food crops worldwide and provides the staple food for 40% of the world’s population. Increasing wheat production has become an important goal to ensure global food security. The grain yield of wheat is a complex trait that is usually influenced by multiple agronomically important traits. Thus, the genetic dissection and discovery of quantitative trait loci (QTL) of wheat-yield-related traits are very important to develop high-yield cultivars to improve wheat production. To analyze the genetic basis and discover genes controlling important agronomic traits in wheat, a recombinant inbred lines (RILs) population consisting of 180 RILs derived from a cross between Xinong822 (XN822) and Yannong999 (YN999), two well-adapted cultivars, was used to map QTL for plant height (PH), spike number per spike (SNS), spike length (SL), grain number per spike (GNS), spike number per plant (SN), 1000- grain weight (TGW), grain length (GL), grain width (GW), length/width of grain (GL/GW), perimeter of grain (Peri), and surface area of grains (Sur) in three environments. A total of 64 QTL were detected and distributed on all wheat chromosomes except 3A and 5A. The identified QTL individually explained 2.24–38.24% of the phenotypic variation, with LOD scores ranging from 2.5 to 29. Nine of these QTL were detected in multiple environments, and seven QTL were associated with more than one trait. Additionally, Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) assays for five major QTL QSns-1A.2 (PVE = 6.82), QPh-2D.1 (PVE = 37.81), QSl-2D (PVE = 38.24), QTgw-4B (PVE = 8.78), and QGns-4D (PVE = 13.54) were developed and validated in the population. The identified QTL and linked markers are highly valuable in improving wheat yield through marker-assisted breeding, and the large-effect QTL can be fine-mapped for further QTL cloning of yield-related traits in wheat.

Evaluation of Spring Season Local and Improved Rice Genotypes on Growth, Yield, and Yield Attributing Characters in Gorkha District, Nepal

Rice cultivation faces challenges related to varietal selection, limiting the potential yield of spring rice crops. This study was conducted in the Rice Zone of Gorkha, Nepal during the spring season of 2022 with aim to evaluate the growth, yield, and yield attributing characters of different rice genotypes. The study hypothesized that significant differences exist among different rice genotypes in terms of their growth, yield, and yield attributing characters. The experiment employed a one-factor randomized complete block design (RCBD) with seven genotypes, including local varieties (Hardinath Hybrid 1, Chaite-5, CH 45, Salijudi) and pipeline genotypes (IR16L1919, IR10N118, IR86515), and replicated three times. Results indicated significant variations among genotypes in response to similar growing conditions and nutrient availability. Notably, CH 45 exhibited the highest plant height (113.50 cm), while IR16L1619 demonstrated the longest panicle length (28.56 cm) and the highest number of effective tillers (23.10). IR16L1619 also displayed the highest number of leaves (97.27 leaves) and leaf area index (8.00). Chaite-5 had the longest flag leaf (33.13 cm), while IR16L1619 recorded the highest panicle length (28.56 cm) and number of grains per panicle (270.10). Salijudi exhibited the lowest sterility percentage (7.52 %), and CH 45 displayed the highest thousand grain weight (26.40). Moreover, IR16L1619 demonstrated superior performance in terms of grain yield (8.19 t/ha), straw yield (7.12 t/ha), and biological yield (15.25 t/ha). The findings underscored the genotype-specific responses to environmental conditions, highlighting the importance of tailored varietal selection for optimal productivity.

High-Throughput Phenotyping: Application in Maize Breeding

In breeding programs, the demand for high-throughput phenotyping is substantial as it serves as a crucial tool for enhancing technological sophistication and efficiency. This advanced approach to phenotyping enables the rapid and precise measurement of complex traits. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the correlation between vegetation indices (VIs) and grain yield and to identify the optimal timing for accurately estimating yield. Furthermore, this study aims to employ photographic quantification to measure the characteristics of corn ears and establish their correlation with corn grain yield. Ten corn hybrids were evaluated in a Complete Randomized Block (CRB) design with three replications across three locations. Vegetation and green leaf area indices were estimated throughout the growing cycle using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and were subsequently correlated with grain yield. The experiments consistently exhibited high levels of experimental quality across different locations, characterized by both high accuracy and low coefficients of variation. The experimental quality was consistently significant across all sites, with accuracy ranging from 79.07% to 95.94%. UAV flights conducted at the beginning of the crop cycle revealed a positive correlation between grain yield and the evaluated vegetation indices. However, a positive correlation with yield was observed at the V5 vegetative growth stage in Lavras and Ijaci, as well as at the V8 stage in Nazareno. In terms of corn ear phenotyping, the regression coefficients for ear width, length, and total number of grains (TNG) were 0.92, 0.88, and 0.62, respectively, demonstrating a strong association with manual measurements. The use of imaging for ear phenotyping is promising as a method for measuring corn components. It also enables the identification of the optimal timing to accurately estimate corn grain yield, leading to advancements in the agricultural imaging sector by streamlining the process of estimating corn production.

Fine Mapping of Five Grain Size QTLs Which Affect Grain Yield and Quality in Rice.

Grain size is a quantitative trait with a complex genetic mechanism, characterized by the combination of grain length (GL), grain width (GW), length to width ration (LWR), and grain thickness (GT). In this study, we conducted quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis to investigate the genetic basis of grain size using BC1F2 and BC1F2:3 populations derived from two indica lines, Guangzhan 63-4S (GZ63-4S) and TGMS29 (core germplasm number W240). A total of twenty-four QTLs for grain size were identified, among which, three QTLs (qGW1, qGW7, and qGW12) controlling GL and two QTLs (qGW5 and qGL9) controlling GW were validated and subsequently fine mapped to regions ranging from 128 kb to 624 kb. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis and expression analysis revealed that qGW7 influences cell expansion, while qGL9 affects cell division. Conversely, qGW1, qGW5, and qGW12 promoted both cell division and expansion. Furthermore, negative correlations were observed between grain yield and quality for both qGW7 and qGW12. Nevertheless, qGW5 exhibited the potential to enhance quality without compromising yield. Importantly, we identified two promising QTLs, qGW1 and qGL9, which simultaneously improved both grain yield and quality. In summary, our results laid the foundation for cloning these five QTLs and provided valuable resources for breeding rice varieties with high yield and superior quality.

Soil and Foliar Application of Zn and Fe Impact on Growth, Grain Yield and Seed Quality of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

A field experiment was conducted in kharif season of 2021-22 at Village Nuapur, Tal. Sadar, Dist.Balasore, (Odisha) through Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry College of Agriculture, Badnapur, VNMKV, Parbhani, with an objective to study the Soil and foliar application of zinc and iron impact on growth, grain yield and seed quality of rice (Oryza sativa L.).The treatment were tested in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 4 replications i.e., T1-RDF, T2-RDF+Nano Zn(0.5% foliar spray at 30 DAS ) , T3-RDF+Nano Fe (0.5% foliar spray at 30 DAS) , T4-RDF + Nano Fe+Nano Zn(0.5% foliar spray at 30 DAS) , T5- RDF + ZnSO4 (25 kg ha-1 soil application),T6-RDF+FeSO4(25 kg ha-1 soil application), T7-RDF+ZnSO4+FeSO4(25 kg ha-1 soil application).The result emerged out clearly indicated the significantly higher plant height (128.2 cm) was noted at harvest stage with treatment T7: RDF+ZnSO4+FeSO4 (25 kg ha-1 soil application) among all treatments. Significantly higher number of tillers plants-1 (16.5), effective tillers per square meter (337), panicle length (31.2cm) and number of grains per panicle (188) maximum grain and straw yield of rice (47.9 and 62.5 q ha-1) at harvest stage were recorded in T4 : RDF+ Nano Fe + Nano Zn (0.5%foliar spray at 30 DAS. In grain quality the maximum test weight (24.2g), highest starch content (86.4%) was obtained with treatment T4: RDF + Nano Fe + Nano Zn(0.5%foliar spray at 30 DAS).

Genome-wide QTL mapping for agronomic traits in the winter wheat cultivar Pindong 34 based on 90K SNP array.

Agronomic traits are key components of wheat yield. Exploitation of the major underlying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) can improve the yield potential in wheat breeding. In this study, we constructed a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population from Mingxian 169 (MX169) and Pindong 34 (PD34) to determine the QTLs for grain length (GL), grain width (GW), grain length-to-width ratio (LWR), plant height (PH), spike length (SL), grain number per spike (GNS), and the thousand grain weight (TGW) across four environments using wheat 90K SNP array. A QTL associated with TGW, i.e., QTGWpd.swust-6BS, was identified on chromosome 6B, which explained approximately 14.1%-16.2% of the phenotypic variation. In addition, eight QTLs associated with GL were detected across six chromosomes in four different test environments. These were QGLpd.swust-1BL, QGLpd.swust-2BL, QGLpd.swust-3BL.1, QGLpd.swust-3BL.2, QGLpd.swust-5DL, QGLpd.swust-6AL, QGLpd.swust-6DL.1, and QGLpd.swust-6DL.2. They accounted for 9.0%-21.3% of the phenotypic variation. Two QTLs, namely, QGWpd.swust-3BS and QGWpd.swust-6DL, were detected for GW on chromosomes 3B and 6D, respectively. These QTLs explained 12.8%-14.6% and 10.8%-15.2% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. In addition, two QTLs, i.e., QLWRpd.swust-7AS.1 and QLWRpd.swust-7AS.2, were detected on chromosome 7A for the grain LWR, which explained 10.9%-11.6% and 11.6%-11.2% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. Another QTL, named QGNSpd-swust-6DS, was discovered on chromosome 6D, which determines the GNS and which accounted for 11.4%-13.8% of the phenotypic variation. Furthermore, five QTLs associated with PH were mapped on chromosomes 2D, 3A, 5A, 6B, and 7B. These QTLs were QPHpd.swust-2DL, QPHpd.swust-3AL, QPHpd.swust-5AL, QPHpd.swust-6BL, and QPHpd.swust-7BS, which accounted for 11.3%-19.3% of the phenotypic variation. Lastly, a QTL named QSLpd.swust-3AL, conferring SL, was detected on chromosome 3A and explained 16.1%-17.6% of the phenotypic variation. All of these QTLs were defined within the physical interval of the Chinese spring reference genome. The findings of this study have significant implications for the development of fine genetic maps, for genomic breeding, and for marker-assisted selection to enhance wheat grain yield.

Genome-wide association studies reveal novel loci for grain size in two-rowed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

SNP-based and InDel-based GWAS on multi-environment data identified genomic regions associated with barley grain size. Barley yield and quality are greatly influenced by grain size. Improving barley grain size in breeding programs requires knowledge of genetic loci and alleles in germplasm resources. In this study, a collection of 334 worldwide two-rowed barley accessions with extensive genetic diversity was evaluated for grain size including grain length (GL), grain width (GW), and thousand-grain weight (TGW) across six independent field trials. Significant differences were observed in genotype and environments for all measured traits. SNP- and InDel-based GWAS were applied to dissect the genetic architecture of grain size with an SLAF-seq strategy. Two approaches using the FarmCPU model revealed 38 significant marker-trait associations (MTAs) with PVE ranging from 0.01% to 20.68%. Among these MTAs, five were on genomic regions where no previously reported QTL for grain size. Superior alleles of TGW-associated SNP233060 and GL-associated InDel11006 exhibited significantly higher levels of phenotype. The significant MTAs could be used in marker-assisted selection breeding.

Response of Wheat to Farmyard Manure and Zinc Application in a Vertisol of Central India

Zinc (Zn) deficiency is one of the major global nutrition concerns, particularly in regions where diets are cereal dominant. About 50% of soils poor in zinc have resulted in zinc deficiency in cereal grains. Farmyard manure (FYM) with Zn application is the way to meet the Zn needs of crops and to raise the Zn content of grain that is ultimately consumed by people. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted at the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry of JNKVV, Jabalpur, in the Rabi season of 2020-2021 with three levels of FYM (0, 5.0, and 10 t ha-1) and three levels of zinc (0, 5 and 10 kg Zn ha-1) through ZnSO4.7H2O in a completely randomized design (CRD). Results revealed that the addition of 5 t FYM ha-1 + 10 kg Zn ha-1 produced significantly better results for the plant height compared to the control. The combined application of 10 t FYM ha-1 + 10 kg Zn ha-1 showed the highest SPAD (Soil Plant Analysis Development) meter reading at 21 DAS (Days after sowing), but it was the highest at the sole application of 10 t FYM ha-1 at 45 DAS. Significant enhancements in spike length (7.65 cm), weight and number of grains per spike (23.90), and DMP of 7.12 g pot-1 were recorded with the 5 kg Zn ha-1 sole application. However, the highest grain weight (2.50 g pot-1) was recorded with 5 t FYM ha-1 + 5 kg Zn ha-1, which was on par with 5 t FYM ha-1, 5 kg Zn ha-1, and 10 t FYM ha-1+10 kg Zn ha-1. The highest Zn content (48.95 mg kg-1) in wheat grain was recorded with 10 kg Zn ha-1, followed by 5 t FYM ha-1 + 10 kg Zn ha-1 (44.45 mg kg-1). The highest Zn uptake of 99.53 µg pot-1 by grain of wheat was recorded with 5 t FYM ha-1 + 5 kg Zn ha-1, which was significantly superior to all the treatments but on par with 5 kg Zn ha-1 (98.82 µg pot-1). Combined application of 5 t FYM ha-1 +10 kg Zn ha-1 maintain extractable zinc in soil as compared to control.

Identification of Superior Haplotypes and Haplotype Combinations for Grain Size- and Weight-Related Genes for Breeding Applications in Rice (Oryza sativa L.).

The identification of superior haplotypes and haplotype combinations is essential for haplotype-based breeding (HBB), which provides selection targets for genomics-assisted breeding. In this study, genotypes of 42 functional genes in rice were analyzed by targeted capture sequencing in a panel of 180 Indica rice accessions. In total, 69 SNPs/Indels in seven genes were detected to be associated with grain length (GL), grain width (GW), ratio of grain length-width (L/W) and thousand-grain weight (TGW) using candidate gene-based association analysis, including BG1 and GS3 for GL, GW5 for GW, BG1 and GW5 for L/W, and AET1, SNAC1, qTGW3, DHD1 and GW5 for TGW. Furthermore, two haplotypes were identified for each of the seven genes according to these associated SNPs/Indels, and the amount of genetic variation explained by different haplotypes ranged from 3.24% to 27.66%. Additionally, three, three and eight haplotype combinations for GL, L/W and TGW explained 25.38%, 5.5% and 22.49% of the total genetic variation for each trait, respectively. Further analysis showed that Minghui63 had the superior haplotype combination Haplotype Combination 4 (HC4) for TGW. The most interesting finding was that some widely used restorer lines derived from Minghui63 also have the superior haplotype combination HC4, and our breeding varieties and lines using the haplotype-specific marker panel also confirmed that the TGW of the lines was much higher than that of their sister lines without HC4, suggesting that TGW-HC4 is the superior haplotype combination for TGW and can be utilized in rice breeding.

KERAGAAN GENOTIPE MUTAN BAAS SELEM GENERASI KEDUA (M2) HASIL IRADIASI SINAR GAMMA

Research aims to determine changes in genotype characters that appear in the second generation Baas Selem (Oryza sativa L.) mutant (M2) resulting from gamma irradiation. This research was conducted from May to September 2021 in Nyur Lembang Village, Narmada District, West Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara using an Expansion Randomized Block Design (RAK). The treatments used were 26 treatments consisting of 24 mutant plant genotypes and 2 control plants were tested using analysis of variance at the 5% level, then the significant results were tested further using the partition design RAK model. If there is a significant difference between the treatments, a follow-up test is carried out using the BNT test at the 5% level. Based on the results of a one-way analysis of variance for the characters tested from the 26 treatments (24 mutant plant lines namely G23, G87, G46, G65, G15, G34, G39, G5, G61, G54, G22, G74, G41, G72, G85 , G82, G39, G7, G141, G75, G62, G42, G81, and G21, 1 Baas Selem parent and 1 comparison variety, Inpago Unram, showed differences in genotypic characters on parameters of panicle length and number of empty grain per panicles.
 Keywords: Genotype Performance; Black Rice (Baas Selem), mutation induction