Native Genotypes Research Articles

Plant G × Microbial E: Plant Genotype Interaction with Soil Bacterial Community Shapes Rhizosphere Composition During Invasion

It is increasingly recognized that different genetic variants of hosts can uniquely shape their microbiomes. Invasive species often evolve in their introduced ranges, but little is known about the potential for their microbial associations to change during invasion as a result. We asked whether host genotype (G), microbial environment (E), or their interaction (G × E) affected the composition and diversity of host-associated microbiomes in Centaurea solstitialis (yellow starthistle), a Eurasian plant that is known to have evolved novel genotypes and phenotypes and to have altered microbial interactions, in its severe invasion of CA, USA. We conducted an experiment in which native and invading plant genotypes were inoculated with native and invaded range soil microbial communities. We used amplicon sequencing to characterize rhizosphere bacteria in both the experiment and the field soils from which they were derived. We found that native and invading plant genotypes accumulated different microbial associations at the family level in each soil community, often counter to differences in family abundance between soil communities. Root associations with potentially beneficial Streptomycetaceae were particularly interesting, as these were more abundant in the invaded range field soil and accumulated on invading genotypes. We also found that bacterial diversity is higher in invaded soils, but that invading genotypes accumulated a lower diversity of bacteria and unique microbial composition in experimental inoculations, relative to native genotypes. Thus variation in microbial associations of invaders was driven by the interaction of plant G and microbial E, and rhizosphere microbial communities appear to change in composition in response to host evolution during invasion.

Growth and Fecundity of Nonnative Blue Honeysuckle Cultivars: Comparisons with Native and Invasive Congeners in a Maine Field Trial

Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea) is a circumpolar species complex with representatives in Europe, Asia, and North America. Although honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.) from Eurasia have a history of invasiveness in North America, farmers and homeowners are interested in growing nonnative blue honeysuckle hybrids because of their edible blue fruits. To assess whether these cultivars and closely related native blue honeysuckles (Lonicera caerulea subsp. villosa) might have similar growth and fecundity, we planted five nonnative cultivars of blue honeysuckle and five native genotypes in a common garden in Orono, ME, USA, along with invasive red-fruited honeysuckles [Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) and European fly honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum)] for comparison. Rooted cuttings were planted into a field plot in Jun 2016 and fully maintained during the first season; thereafter, maintenance consisted of weeding once annually. Seventy-three percent of native blue honeysuckle plants survived to the end of the study, whereas survival and growth of nonnative cultivars were more robust. In 2021, nonnative cultivars had an average height of 81 cm and width of 86 cm, which were 2.8 times the height and 2.9 times the width of surviving native plants. The estimated canopy volumes of nonnative blue honeysuckles were an average of 20 times those of their native counterparts. The bloom periods of native and nonnative blue honeysuckles overlapped considerably. However, only seven of the 22 living native plants produced fruits in 2021, with an average of three fruits per plant among them. In contrast, nearly all plants of the nonnative cultivars produced fruits, with an average of 616 fruits per plant. In comparison, the red-fruited invasives had an average of 9739 fruits per plant. Native blue honeysuckles produced very few seeds, whereas nonnative cultivars had an average of 13,918 seeds per plant, which was approximately one-fourth the number produced by invasive red-fruited honeysuckles. We concluded that native and nonnative genotypes of blue honeysuckle differ strikingly in survival, growth, and production of fruits and seeds. However, invasive red-fruited honeysuckles grew faster with higher fecundity than nonnative blue honeysuckles in our full-sun landscape. Because bloom times overlapped substantially between native and nonnative blue honeysuckles, the potential for gene flow to occur from planted cultivars into native populations merits consideration. Several possible explanations of differences in performance among blue honeysuckles include hybrid vigor of cultivars or shallow rooting or poor adaptability of native genotypes to the environment of the common-garden trial. Our results, which demonstrated that nonnative blue honeysuckles are likely to be distinct from their native relatives in terms of competitiveness and fecundity, suggest that caution is warranted during the introduction and cultivation of agricultural genotypes.

Interspecific selection in a diverse mycorrhizal symbiosis.

Coevolution describes evolutionary change in which two or more interacting species reciprocally drive each other's evolution, potentially resulting in trait diversification and ecological speciation. Much progress has been made in analysis of its dynamics and consequences, but relatively little is understood about how coevolution works in multispecies interactions, i.e., those with diverse suites of species on one or both sides of an interaction. Interactions among plant hosts and their mutualistic ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) may provide an ecologically unique arena to examine the nature of selection in multispecies interactions. Using native genotypes of Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), we performed a common garden experiment at a field site that contains native stands to investigate selection from ECM fungi on pine traits. We planted seedlings from all five native populations, as well as inter-population crosses to represent intermediate phenotypes/genotypes, and measured seedling traits and ECM fungal traits to evaluate the potential for evolution in the symbiosis. We then combined field estimates of selection gradients with estimates of heritability and genetic variance-covariance matrices for multiple traits of the mutualism to determine which fungal traits drive plant fitness variation. We found evidence that certain fungal operational taxonomic units, families and species-level morphological traits by which ECM fungi acquire and transport nutrients exert selection on plant traits related to growth and allocation patterns. This work represents the first field-based, community-level study measuring multispecific coevolutionary selection in nutritional symbioses.

The Environmental and Genetic Controls of Increment Suggest a Limited Adaptability of Native Populations of Norway Spruce to Weather Extremes

In the Baltics, warming is expected to burden the growth of Norway spruce Picea abies, with weather anomalies/extremes having strong triggering effects, which can be mitigated by tree breeding. Within the region, breeding programmes have been aiming for productivity, yet being conservative, their sustainability depends on the adaptability of native genotypes, which is unclear. The adaptability of genotypes can be assessed through local adaptations and phenotypic plasticity, with the sensitivity of increment depicting the conformity of genotypes and environments. To assess the adaptability of native populations to anticipated climates, local genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity of the weather sensitivity of the radial increment were assessed by the methods of time series analysis and quantitative genetics based on three clonal trials (low-density single-tree plot plantations of grafted clones of native plus trees) representing the local climatic gradient in Latvia. The growth of trees was sensitive to the moisture availability in summer and the thermal regime in winter, yet coinciding anomalies in both were associated with abrupt changes in tree ring width. These environmental effects differed among the clones, indicating genetic controls over the sensitivity of increment, which, however, decreased under a warmer climate, suggesting a limited adaptability of local populations to warming. Still, the weather-growth relationships showed moderate phenotypic plasticity, suggesting some mid-term adaptability. Accordingly, supplementation of breeding populations via assisted gene transfer with the genotypes that are adapted to warmer and drier climates appears crucial.

Towards the establishment of “lagundi” (Vitex trifolia s.l.) reference germplasm from the Philippines: An agro-morphological and phytochemical evaluation of native genotypes

An identified reference germplasm is needed to facilitate the stable sourcing of medicinal plants with correct genotype(s). We aimed to evaluate phytochemical and agro-morphological properties of four pre-selected, genetically stable, and native Vitex trifolia s.l. accessions from the Philippines to provide baseline information and present promising and available genetic materials as standards. Yield and yield components of four V. trifolia s.l. accessions from the Philippine Biorepository Network (PBN) were evaluated using a randomized complete block design in one growing season. Quantification of macromolecules of the dried samples were determined through proximate analysis. Phytochemicals were qualitatively screened while antioxidant activity were evaluated for total phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. PBN 2019–138 had the highest dry yield at 128 ± 21.16 g per plant and showed moderate to high antioxidant activity. Its high biomass throughput was attributed to its higher number of leaves per plant, heavier petiole weight, and high fiber content at 25.29%. PBN 2019–332 exhibited the highest antioxidant activity among all assays but with relatively lower fiber content (24.24%) and lower yield at 60.62 ± 17.63 g per plant. The genotypes varied significantly in 17 out of 29 evaluation parameters. Thirteen traits had moderate to high heritability values, indicating the potential for clonal selection of promising types. Using principal component analysis, we identified PBN 2019–138 as the most promising genotype across the four accessions as it had the highest leaf yield per plant and intermediate antioxidant activity. Thus, the accessions presented can be asexually propagated and used as genotypic standards for subsequent RDE activities centered on the medicinal use of V. trifolia s.l. genotypes.

Methionine sources and genotype affect embryonic intestinal development, antioxidants, tight junctions, and growth-related gene expression in chickens

Methionine (Met) is an essential and first limiting amino acid in the poultry diet that plays a significant role in chicken embryonic development and growth. The present study examined the effect of in ovo injection of DL-Met and L-Met sources and genotypes on chicken embryonic-intestinal development and health. Fertilized eggs of the two genotypes, TETRA-SL layer hybrid (TSL) — commercial layer hybrid and Hungarian Partridge colored hen breed (HPC) — a native genotype, were randomly distributed into four treatments for each genotype. The treatment groups include the following: 1) control non-injected eggs (NoIn); 2) saline-injected (SaIn); 3) DL-Met injected (DLM); and 4) L-Met injected (LM). The in ovo injection was carried out on 17.5 d of embryonic development; after hatching, eight chicks per group were sacrificed, and the jejunum was extracted for analysis. The results showed that both DLM and LM groups had enhanced intestinal development as evidenced by increased villus width, villus height, and villus area (P < 0.05) compared to the control. The DLM group had significantly reduced crypt depth, glutathione (GSH) content, glutathione S-transferase 3 alpha (GST3), occludin (OCLN) gene expression and increased villus height to crypt depth ratio in the TSL genotype than the LM group (P < 0.05). The HPC genotype has overexpressed insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) gene, tricellulin (MD2), occludin (OCLN), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), and GST3 genes than the TSL genotype (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these findings showed that in ovo injection of Met enhanced intestinal development, and function, with genotypes responding differently under normal conditions. Genotypes also influenced the expression of intestinal antioxidants, tight junction, and growth-related genes.

Exploring the Chemical Content of Primula veris L. subsp. veris Wild-Growing Populations along a Climate Gradient: An HPLC-PDA-MS Quality Assessment of Flowers, Leaves and Roots for Sustainable Exploitation

Primula veris (cowslip) is an important medicinal–aromatic plant used traditionally for its expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as a valuable horticultural plant with ornamental value and agroalimentary interest (edible flowers and leaves). With extensive illegal harvesting across northern Greece to date, the long-term survival of Greek cowslip wild-growing populations seems compromised. With the aim to characterize the phytochemical content of locally adapted native genotypes of P. veris subsp. veris, we examined samples from 13 wild-growing populations sourced from 8 mountain areas along a longitudinal gradient of northern Greece. Flowers, leaves, and roots were separately evaluated with HPLC-PDA-MS for their chemical content to select the genotypes associated with the best phytochemical traits. The flowers were found to contain mainly flavonoids, isorhamnetin, quercetin, and kaempferol triglycosides, with varied population contents, generally higher in northwestern population samples with a colder and more humid climate; however, all in line with the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) reports. The leaves were characterized by the prevalence of kaempferol and quercetin triglycosides, being generally higher than that of the flowers. In the roots, saponins were detected in relatively low percentages, and the phenolic glycosides were found up to nearly 2%. The results of this study suggest a potential specificity of the marginal Greek genotypes being at the edge of the species’ native distribution range in Europe and Asia. The phytochemical characterization herein supports the domestication process of Greek native cowslip genotypes. In turn, this may alleviate the overharvesting pressure in wild populations, thus contributing to species conservation and offering an incentive for farmers to sustainably cultivate at local scales well-adapted indigenous genotypes of high value.

Cross-pollination with native genotypes improves fruit set and yield quality of Peruvian cacao

The cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) is a billion-dollar crop species of which the yields are greatly constrained by, amongst others, pollination limitation. Manual pollen supplementation has been proposed to counter pollination deficits, thus improving yield quantity and potentially also quality, as the origin of the pollen can be controlled. In native cacao, low self- and cross-compatibility rates and the interaction with abiotic growth conditions are expected to limit manual pollination benefits. Here we compared supplementation of self-pollen with cross-pollen of five native genotypes selected for their sensorial quality as pollen donors. Simultaneously, we assessed how temperature, relative air humidity and soil water content influenced fruit set and evaluated qualitative differences between pollen-supplemented and open pollinated fruits. Success of manual self-pollination was very low (0.5 %) but increased 3–8-fold in cross-pollination experiments. Cross-pollination success rates depended on the genotype of the pollen donor, irrespective of genetic distance between pollen donor and recipient. Further, seed weight and premium seed content was higher in fruits resulting from pollen-supplemented than from open-pollinated flowers. Fruit set was also affected by the interaction of temperature and relative humidity, but not by soil water content. Together, our findings suggest that reproductive traits of native cacao systems are constrained by genetic compatibility and some abiotic factors. Even though manual pollen supplementation with native genotypes can clearly benefit both fruit quantity and quality, it is labor intensive and hence costly to implement. Natural cross-pollination by planting compatible genotypes selected for sensorial quality could simultaneously avoid high costs and improve fruit quality, potentially resulting in net economic gains for smallholder farmers.

YIELD AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FORAGE AND SILAGE OF NATIVE MAIZE UNDER IRRIGATED SEMI-ARID CONDITIONS

The preservation of native maize allows the selection of genotypes with forage potential in specific regions. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the yield and chemical composition of green forage and silage of 10 native and two commercial maize hybrids with forage potential, under semi-arid conditions with irrigation. Genotypes were grouped according to days to male flowering: early (80 days), intermediate (92 days) and late (111 days). Data were analyzed in a randomized complete block design with four replications (Tukey; α = 0.05). Intermediate and late maize had the greatest height, total dry matter yield (TDMY) and number of leaves (p &lt; 0.05). Late genotypes showed higher values in cob yield and senescent matter (p &lt; 0.05). The genotypes Olotillo × Tuxpeño and Tuxpeño II outperformed the hybrids 2038DK and P3966WP (3.50 and 9.24 Mg ha-1, respectively) in TDMY (14.32 Mg ha-1, on average). Olotillo × Tuxpeño and P3966WP presented similar crude protein values in green forage (81 g kg-1; p &gt; 0.05). However, when ensiled, the hybrid outperformed native corn by 22 % (92 vs. 75 g kg-1; p &lt; 0.05). Late-cycle native maize had the highest cob yields (4.59 Mg ha-1) and after ensiling, the ideal pH (&lt; 3.9) and °Brix (8.5) values. The native genotypes Tuxpeño I, Olotillo × Ratón, Olotillo × Tuxpeño and Tuxpeño II could be used in breeding programs to select materials with potential for forage production and conservation.

INDUCED PASSIVE HEATING ON THE EMERGENCE, EARLY GROWTH AND PHOTOCHEMICAL RESPONSES OF SEEDLINGS OF NATIVE MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) GENOTYPES FROM WARM-DRY, TEMPERATE, AND HOT AND HUMID CLIMATES

The majority of research on the effects of climate change on maize has concentrated on yield, with only a few studies focusing on seedling emergence and growth. Warmer temperatures predicted as a result of climate change will have an impact on seedlings emergence and growth. An experiment was carried out with induced passive heat with the objective of simulating the increase in temperature in emergence, initial growth and photosynthetical parameters of native genotypes of maize from three different agro-ecological zones (warm-dry, temperate, and hot and humid) climates of San Luis Potosí, México. Two different environments, Open Top Chambers (OTC) and control, were used as treatment and two genotypes for each agro-ecological zone were used. A total of 100 seeds were used in a random design with factorial arrangement for each genotype and environment (OTC and control). Abiotic variables (mean daily temperature, minimum and maximum daily temperature and the accumulated heat units) were determined and compared between the two environments and confirmed that the OTC increased temperatures and heat units. The percentage and velocity of seedling emergence and photochemical quenching (qP) were negatively affected by the effect of induced heat while the rate of growth of plants was accelareted and its plant height was increased. These results reveal dependence on the adaptation of the native genotypes. According to seedling emergence and growth, genotypes from less stress conditions (hot and humid (Huasteca)) were most affected while those from places with major variations in temperature condicions (warm-dry and temperate (Altiplano and Media respectively)) were not. We concluded the effect of induced heat diminish the seedling emergence and photochemical quenching while the growth benefited.&#x0D; Keywords: Climate change; Heat; Open top chamber; Temperature; Zea mays seedling

Adaptation des génotypes de luzerne pérenne à l’environnement hors oasien en vue d’améliorer les performances de l’agro-système du sud Tunisien

La sélection de la luzerne dans des zones à fortes contraintes abiotiques a peu progressé dans l’amélioration de la productivité et de la tolérance. La difficulté réside dans l’identification et la caractérisation des paramètres liés à la résistance aux différentes pressions climatiques. Divers processus phénologiques, morphologiques, physiologiques et chimiques sont à l’origine des stratégies d’évitement et de tolérance. Le but de ce travail était d’étudier les divergences morpho-physiologiques et chimiques entre huit génotypes de luzerne pérenne d’origines différentes : 3 génotypes locaux (IRA, Gabès, Chenini) et cinq exotiques (Ameristand, Bami, Prosementi, Tamentit et Tata) ayant montré une grande tolérance au bioclimat aride en dehors de l’oasis. Les résultats obtenus ont permis d’identifier deux groupes de génotypes suffisamment homogènes qui pourraient être considérés comme un patrimoine génétique intéressant pour les critères de sélection choisis. Ce pool pourra être le matériel génétique de départ pour la création de variétés synthétiques adaptées aux conditions arides en dehors des oasis caractérisées par des rendements frais et secs plus élevés (Ameristand, Bami, et Tamentit), avec une excellente tolérance à la salinité (Gabès et IRA).

Molecular Assessment of Established Clonal Propagated Mulberry (Morus nigra L.)

Mulberry (Morus Sp.) is one of the economically important trees cultivated for the tasteful fruits, its several pharmaceutically important chemicals potential, timber, cosmetic and in silk industry for its foliage, also in various molecular breeding applications. The origins of most cultivated mulberry varieties are believed to be in the area of China-Japan and in the Himalaya foothills. and it now has a very wide distribution range in Asia-Europe (from Korea to Spain, including China, India, Central Asia, and Near East); in Africa (North and East Africa) and in America (from the U.S.A. to Argentina, including Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Brazil). In Saudi Arabia, Mulberry grown well and spread in different places such as Taif Province (El Shafa region), Eastern region; Al-Ehsaa Province and some southern areas. Nodal explants of Morus nigra were clonally propagated in vitro for plant regeneration. Auxiliary shoot buds have been promoted in Murashige and Scoog (MS) media in a variety of cultural contexts. The largest number of shoots (13.00 ± 0.47) with an average length of 2.00 ± 0.47 cm was initially obtained from a medium containing 2.0 mg / L N6-benzyladin (BA) and 3% sucrose. Recurrent subcultures provided the highest number of seedlings (approximately 29.30) for excavation after the fourth passage. Seedlings were rooted in 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg / 1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Successfully, about 90% of the plantlets acclimatized. Along with the determination of the genetic variations between three mulberry genotypes including two cultivated accessions (Morus alba) and one wild genotype (M. nigra) utilizing inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Genetic variation and phylogenetic relationship of mulberry germplasm collection have been studied. All ISSR markers used in this study revealed higher genetic diversity in the wild species comparing with cultivated species. ISSR matrices reported that the mean genetic similarity coefficient was 0.7677 for all mulberry genotypes. Although some differences have been observed, much similarity has been obtained in dendrogram topology. Cluster analysis of the ISSR using UPGMA software revealed that wild species were genetically distinct. The correlation coefficients of similarity for the ISSR used are statistically important. The Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCA) for ISSR data also supports its UPGMA clustering. The average number of genetic variations recorded in mulberry genotypes was 0.287±0.096. Dendrogram (Unweighted peer group method analysis) classifies mulberry accessions into two main groups; Admissions collected from the western area of Taif, and the other comprised two sub-clusters including one isolate, i.e., M nigra, a collection from Al shafa. Contains access to another sub-cluster southwest regions of Taif, which belong to Morus nigra wild growing. These accessions of mulberry were found to be genetically similar to north and southwest Taif Province. These results have significant implications for improving the mulberry germ plasma characterization, conservation and investigates of the genetic diversity among the mulberry species grown in Taif governorate and to establish a micro-propagation system as germplasm conservation to preserve the assets of local mulberry and thus develops an easy and effective method to identify native genotypes in a limited space and time frame.

Variability of Meat and Carcass Quality from Worldwide Native Chicken Breeds.

The present research aimed to determine the differential clustering patterns of carcass and meat quality traits in local chicken breeds from around the world and to develop a method to productively characterize minority bird populations. For this, a comprehensive meta-analysis of 91 research documents that dealt with the study of chicken local breeds through the last 20 years was performed. Thirty-nine traits were sorted into the following clusters: weight-related traits, histological properties, pH, color traits, water-holding capacity, texture-related traits, flavor content-related nucleotides, and gross nutrients. Multicollinearity problems reported for pH 72 h post mortem, L* meat 72 h post mortem, a* meat 72 h post mortem, sex, firmness, and chewiness, were thus discarded from further analyses (VIF < 5). Data-mining cross-validation and chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision tree development allowed us to detect similarities across genotypes. Easily collectable trait, such as shear force, muscle fiber diameter, carcass/pieces weight, and pH, presented high explanatory potential of breed variability. Hence, the aforementioned variables must be considered in the experimental methodology of characterization of carcass and meat from native genotypes. This research enables the characterization of local chicken populations to satisfy the needs of specific commercial niches for poultry meat consumers.

Trait differences between and within ranges of an invasive legume species

Novel ecological interactions can drive natural selection in non-native species and trait evolution may increase the likelihood of invasion. We can gain insight into the potential role of evolution in invasion success by comparing traits of successful individuals in the invasive range with the traits of individuals from the native range in order to determine which traits are most likely to allow species to overcome barriers to invasion. Here we used Medicago polymorpha, a non-native legume species from the Mediterranean that has invaded six continents around the world, to quantify differences in life history traits among genotypes collected from the native and invasive range and grown in a common greenhouse environment. We found significant differences in fruit and seed production and biomass allocation between invasive and native range genotypes. Invasive genotypes had greater fecundity, but invested more energy into belowground growth relative to native genotypes. Beyond the variation between ranges, we found additional variation among genotypes within each range in flowering phenology, total biomass, biomass allocation, and fecundity. We found non-linear relationships between some traits and fitness that were much stronger for plants from the invasive range. These trait differences between ranges suggest that stabilizing selection on biomass, resource allocation, and flowering phenology imposed during or after introduction of this species may increase invasion success.

Excelling the progenitors: Breeding for resistance to Dutch elm disease from moderately resistant and susceptible native stock

Under the continuous pressure of Dutch elm disease (DED) in Europe, increasing the genetic diversity of Ulmus minor trees resistant to Ophiostoma novo-ulmi is a priority for the species conservation and reintroduction. In this work we screened 121 U. minor genotypes for resistance to O. novo-ulmi under field experimental conditions. The genotypes had been previously obtained through controlled crosses between two moderately resistant (dams) and one susceptible (sire) genotypes. After two years of artificial inoculations with O. novo-ulmi, transgressive resistance was present but not prevalent, and a moderate relation was found between tree growth and susceptibility. Heritability estimates of DED resistance endorse significant genetic control and higher estimates for experimental blocks with milder symptoms. Three genotypes excelled for their high DED resistance, showing average foliage wilting values below 30% after the two years of inoculations. The genetic fingerprint, leaf phenology and morphology, and ornamental traits of these three genotypes were evaluated to facilitate their identification and use by stakeholders. Nuclear microsatellite profiling displayed unique barcodes for each genotype, ensuring traceability of the plant material. Morphological and phenological traits of the three genotypes are quite similar and fall within the species standards. In base of these results, three new native genotypes are proposed as basic materials for elm reintroduction in Western Europe.

Molecular Authentication, Propagation Trials and Field Establishment of Greek Native Genotypes of Sambucus nigra L. (Caprifoliaceae): Setting the Basis for Domestication and Sustainable Utilization

In the context of sustainable utilisation of valuable but neglected plant resources, a multifaceted study is presented herein for Greek native genotypes of elderberry (Sambucus nigra L., Caprifoliaceae), a species with an appreciated pharmaceutical and nutritional value. At the first phase, fresh plant materials (leaves, softwood cuttings) were collected from nine geographically separated genotypes originating from wild-growing Greek native germplasm of S. nigra. The leaf samples were genetically authenticated using DNA barcoding (ITS2). The next phase included the development of an asexual propagation protocol via cuttings which included screening of the collected genotypes in terms of propagation success, and further experimentation over a two-year period on a prioritised genotype. The propagation results highlighted the importance of external application of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) rooting hormone at levels of 2000–4000 ppm, which consistently presented high rooting rates (100%) of summer softwood, leafy cuttings of apical or sub-apical type. At the same time, rooting quality in terms of root number and length as well as early plant growth after rooting, were improved by external hormone application resulting in high rates of plant survival. This study reports first-time data on multifaceted assessment of Greek native S. nigra genotypes on molecular authentication and asexual propagation, thus ultimately setting the basis for domestication and sustainable utilization of this species.

Reduction of Growth Performance and Behavioral Adaptations in Heat Stressed Modern Genotype and Thai Native Genotype Broilers

Reduction of Growth Performance and Behavioral Adaptations in Heat Stressed Modern Genotype and Thai Native Genotype Broilers

Novel genome characteristics contribute to the invasiveness of Phragmites australis (common reed).

The rapid invasion of the non‐native Phragmites australis (Poaceae, subfamily Arundinoideae) is a major threat to native wetland ecosystems in North America and elsewhere. We describe the first reference genome for P. australis and compare invasive (ssp. australis) and native (ssp. americanus) genotypes collected from replicated populations across the Laurentian Great Lakes to deduce genomic bases driving its invasive success. Here, we report novel genomic features including a Phragmites lineage‐specific whole genome duplication, followed by gene loss and preferential retention of genes associated with transcription factors and regulatory functions in the remaining duplicates. Comparative transcriptomic analyses revealed that genes associated with biotic stress and defence responses were expressed at a higher basal level in invasive genotypes, but native genotypes showed a stronger induction of defence responses when challenged by a fungal endophyte. The reference genome and transcriptomes, combined with previous ecological and environmental data, add to our understanding of mechanisms leading to invasiveness and support the development of novel, genomics‐assisted management approaches for invasive Phragmites.

Multivariate analysis reveals genetic diversity in Paspalum notatum Flügge

The objective of this study was to evaluate 94 Paspalum notatum genotypes over two growing seasons to estimate genetic dissimilarity through agronomic traits and the distance between genotypes. This information is used to create an ideotype from the best averages obtained for the set of characteristics evaluated. Seven apomitic, three sexual, and 81 hybrid genotypes were compared with native genotypes “André da Rocha”, “Bagual”, and cultivar “Pensacola” as controls. There is genetic variability in P. notatum for the studied [...]

Distribution of tiger salamanders in northern Sonora, Mexico: comparison of sampling methods and possible implications for an endangered subspecies

Abstract Many aquatic species in the arid USA-Mexico borderlands region are imperiled, but limited information on distributions and threats often hinders management. To provide information on the distribution of the Western Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium), including the USA-federally endangered Sonoran Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi), we used traditional (seines, dip-nets) and modern (environmental DNA [eDNA]) methods to sample 91 waterbodies in northern Sonora, Mexico, during 2015-2018. The endemic Sonoran Tiger Salamander is threatened by introgressive hybridization and potential replacement by another sub-species of the Western Tiger Salamander, the non-native Barred Tiger Salamander (A. m. mavortium). Based on occupancy models that accounted for imperfect detection, eDNA sampling provided a similar detection probability (0.82 [95% CI: 0.56-0.94]) as seining (0.83 [0.46-0.96]) and much higher detection than dip-netting (0.09 [0.02-0.23]). Volume of water filtered had little effect on detection, possibly because turbid sites had greater densities of salamanders. Salamanders were estimated to occur at 51 sites in 3 river drainages in Sonora. These results indicate tiger salamanders are much more widespread in northern Sonora than previously documented, perhaps aided by changes in land and water management practices. However, because the two subspecies of salamanders cannot be reliably distinguished based on morphology or eDNA methods that are based on mitochondrial DNA, we are uncertain if we detected only native genotypes or if we documented recent invasion of the area by the non-native sub-species. Thus, there is an urgent need for methods to reliably distinguish the subspecies so managers can identify appropriate interventions.