Oat Lines Research Articles

Position Validation of the Dwarfing Gene Dw6 in Oat (Avena sativa L.) and Its Correlated Effects on Agronomic Traits.

An F6:8 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the cross between WAOAT2132 (Dw6) and Caracas along with the two parents were used to evaluate the genetic effects of Dw6 dwarfing gene on plant height and other agronomic traits in oat (Avena sativa L.) across three environments, and develop closely linked markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) for Dw6. The two parents differed in all investigated agronomic traits except for the number of whorls. The RIL lines showed a bimodal distribution for plant height in all three tested environments, supporting the height of this population was controlled by a single gene. Dw6 significantly reduced plant height (37.66∼44.29%) and panicle length (13.99∼22.10%) but without compromising the coleoptile length which was often positively associated with the reduced stature caused by dwarfing genes. Dw6 has also strong negative effects on hundred kernel weight (14.00∼29.55%), and kernel length (4.21∼9.47%), whereas the effects of Dw6 on the kernel width were not uniform across three environments. By contrast, lines with Dw6 produced more productive tillers (10.11∼10.53%) than lines without Dw6. All these together suggested the potential yield penalty associated with Dw6 might be partially due to the decrease of kernel weight which is attributed largely to the reduction of kernel length. Eighty-one simple sequence repeat (SSR) primer pairs from chromosome 6D were tested, five of them were polymorphic in two parents and in two contrasting bulks, confirming the 6D location of Dw6. By using the five polymorphic markers, Dw6 was mapped to an interval of 1.0 cM flanked by markers SSR83 and SSR120. Caution should be applied in using this information since maker order conflicts were observed. The close linkages of these two markers to Dw6 were further validated in a range of oat lines. The newly developed markers will provide a solid basis for future efforts both in the identification of Dw6 in oat germplasm and in the determination of the nature of the gene through positional cloning.

Improving Genomic Prediction for Seed Quality Traits in Oat (Avena sativa L.) Using Trait-Specific Relationship Matrices.

The observable phenotype is the manifestation of information that is passed along different organization levels (transcriptional, translational, and metabolic) of a biological system. The widespread use of various omic technologies (RNA-sequencing, metabolomics, etc.) has provided plant genetics and breeders with a wealth of information on pertinent intermediate molecular processes that may help explain variation in conventional traits such as yield, seed quality, and fitness, among others. A major challenge is effectively using these data to help predict the genetic merit of new, unobserved individuals for conventional agronomic traits. Trait-specific genomic relationship matrices (TGRMs) model the relationships between individuals using genome-wide markers (SNPs) and place greater emphasis on markers that most relevant to the trait compared to conventional genomic relationship matrices. Given that these approaches define relationships based on putative causal loci, it is expected that these approaches should improve predictions for related traits. In this study we evaluated the use of TGRMs to accommodate information on intermediate molecular phenotypes (referred to as endophenotypes) and to predict an agronomic trait, total lipid content, in oat seed. Nine fatty acids were quantified in a panel of 336 oat lines. Marker effects were estimated for each endophenotype, and were used to construct TGRMs. A multikernel TRGM model (MK-TRGM-BLUP) was used to predict total seed lipid content in an independent panel of 210 oat lines. The MK-TRGM-BLUP approach significantly improved predictions for total lipid content when compared to a conventional genomic BLUP (gBLUP) approach. Given that the MK-TGRM-BLUP approach leverages information on the nine fatty acids to predict genetic values for total lipid content in unobserved individuals, we compared the MK-TGRM-BLUP approach to a multi-trait gBLUP (MT-gBLUP) approach that jointly fits phenotypes for fatty acids and total lipid content. The MK-TGRM-BLUP approach significantly outperformed MT-gBLUP. Collectively, these results highlight the utility of using TGRM to accommodate information on endophenotypes and improve genomic prediction for a conventional agronomic trait.

Creation of source breeding material of oat with high bioenergy indicators and variety ‘Denka’ on its basis

The purpose of the study was to create a source breeding material and a variety of oat with high productivity, resistance to fungal diseases and high energy performance.
 Research methods. Field, laboratory, analytical and statistical.
 Results. When creating a new source breeding of oat, we used an individual offspring of hybrid material obtained as a result of long-term hybridization. According to the results of studies of five oat lines, breeding numbers of 12–5, 437–99, and 570–6 were selected, which have high grain yield of 5.3–6.4 t/ha, oil content of 4.2–6.1%, protein content of 10.7–15.6% and estimated energy yield from 243.6 / 1023.1 to 349.7 / 1469.0 kcal/kJ. The affection of the oat sowing lines by flying smut averaged 8–9 points and the crown rust 7–9 points. Line 12–5 had an average yield of 6.30 t/ha, which exceeded the average group standard by plant height by 4 cm, shorter vegetation period by 13 days, resistance to smut by 2 points, to rust by 1 point, lodging and shedding of grain by 0.5–1.5 points, low husk share of 23.1%, weight of 1000 grains 35.2 g under contrasting weather conditions. The line of oat ‘Denka was transferred to the State Scientific and Technical Expertise, where it was found that the growing season averaged 92 days, plant height 81–90 cm, resistance to lodging 8.5 points, high resistance to fungal diseases (8.5–9.0 points) and drought (9 points), grain yield was 4.31 (Polissia) and 4.80 t/ha (Forest-Steppe), respectively that by 0.99 and 1.25 t/ha exceeded the average yield of varieties.
 Conclusions. The lines of oat by plant height, panicle length, 1000 grains weight, grain nature, resistance to fungal diseases, productivity, quality, energy value were created. The ‘Denka’ oat cultivar had an average yield of 4.31 (Polissia) and 4.80 t/ha (ForestSteppe), which, respectively, exceeded the average yield of the varieties resistant to flying smut by 0.99 and 1.25 t/ha, respectively. The variety is listed in the Register of Plant Varieties of Ukraine Suitable for Distribution in the Forest-Steppe and Polissia since 2018.

Deciphering the dynamic gene expression patterns of pollen abortion in a male sterile line of Avena sativa through transcriptome analysis at different developmental stages

BackgroundMale sterility (MS) has important applications in hybrid seed production, and the abortion of anthers has been observed in many plant species. While most studies have focused on the genetic factors affecting male sterility, the dynamic gene expression patterns of pollen abortion in male sterile lines have not been fully elucidated. In addition, there is still no hybrid oat that is commercially planted due to the lack of a suitable system of male sterility for hybrid breeding.ResultsIn this study, we cultivated a male sterile oat line and a near-isogenic line by crossbreeding to elucidate the expression patterns of genes that may be involved in sterility. The first reported CA male sterile (CAMS) oat line was used for cross-testing and hybridization experiments and was confirmed to exhibit a type of nuclear sterility controlled by recessive genes. Oat stamens of two lines were sampled at four different developmental stages separately. Paired-end RNA sequencing was performed for each sample and generated 252.84 Gb sequences. There were 295,462 unigenes annotated in public databases in all samples, and we compared the histological characteristics and transcriptomes of oat stamens from the two oat lines at different developmental stages. Our results demonstrate that the sterility of the male sterile oat line occurs in the early stage of stamen development and is primarily attributable to abnormal meiosis and the excessive accumulation of superoxide.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to decipher the dynamic expression profiles of pollen abortion CAMS and CA male fertile (CAMF) oat lines, which may represent a valuable resource for further studies attempting to understand pollen abortion and anther development in oats.

Promising varieties of spring glumaceous oat of the mowing and grain-mowing directions, adapted to the natural and climatic conditions of the Volga-Vyatka region

The results of the study of 12 varieties and promising lines of glumaceous oat in the competitive variety testing of the FASC of the North-East (Kirov region) in the period from 2018 to 2020 are presented. The purpose of the research is to assess the productivity, ecological plasticity and stability of the genotypes of glumaceous oat for feed and universal use in the conditions of the Volga-Vyatka region. The dependences of grain yield and dry matter harvesting on the state of agro-climatic resources (HTC), temperature and precipitation are established. The contrasting weather conditions during the years of research allowed to conduct the most complete assessment of the studied genotypes. The most favorable conditions for the formation of a high yield of green mass of oat were formed in 2020 (Ij=3.76), grain - in 2019 (Ij=1.35). The average degree of positive dependence of green mass yield on the height of oat plants was revealed (r=0.51). The variety of the high-intensity type of the universal direction Medved, promising lines of the mowing direction (178h13 and 245h14) are distinguished.

Agronomic stability of varieties and breeding lines of oats of the Far Eastern selection in the conditions of the Middle Amur Region

Agronomic stability of varieties and breeding lines of oats of the Far Eastern selection in the conditions of the Middle Amur Region

АДАПТИВНЫЕ СВОЙСТВА НОВЫХ СОРТОВ ОВСА В УСЛОВИЯХ СРЕДНЕВОЛЖСКОГО РЕГИОНА

The research was conducted in 2016-2020 in the Ulyanovsk region. The aim was to assess the yield and genotype-environment interaction of varieties and promising lines of spring oats in the Middle Volga region. The source material was 9 varieties and 4 promising lines of oats created in the Ulyanovsk RAS. Contrasting moisture and temperature conditions provided differentiation of the studied material by yield and level of adaptability. Two-factor dispersion analysis revealed significant differences between genotypes in yield, media, and their interaction. The highest average yield among filmy varieties was formed by the Dragun variety (42.7 c/ha), the lowest by Vsadnik (37.0 c/ha). Naked varieties Azil and Griva showed the same yield (24.3 c / ha). The share of influence of environmental conditions (years) was 51.6%, varieties-33.8%. According to GGE biplot analysis, 2016, 2017, and 2020 were characterized by a high differentiating ability, while 2018 was the most representative. A rank assessment based on six adaptive criteria (regression coefficient (bi), stability index (S2 j), coefficient of variation (Vc), Martynov ultrastability (Hi), ultrastability (Hom) and selection value of the variety (Sc) V.V. Khangildin revealed the advantage of Grum (17), Dragun (22), Konkur (18), and Kenter (24) varieties, while Troika (64) had the lowest rank. Evaluation and ranking of genotypes by average yield and stability in different environments using GGE biplot analysis relative to the “ideal” genotype showed that the highest average yield was in the Dragun variety, which also has high stability, and practically corresponds to the «ideal» genotype. Next are the lines 479/11, 549/15, and the varieties Grum and Konkur, which are close to the « ideal» genotype. Less stable is the 537/15 line, which produced yields less than expected in 2016, 2018 and 2019 environments and more in 2017 and 2020. Biplot analysis of the yield of film varieties confirmed the results of the rank assessment for adaptability parameters, adjusting the location in the group of the best varieties.

Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals the Genetic Architecture of Seed Vigor in Oats.

Seed vigor is crucial for crop early establishment in the field and is particularly important for forage crop production. Oat (Avena sativa L.) is a nutritious food crop and also a valuable forage crop. However, little is known about the genetics of seed vigor in oats. To investigate seed vigor-related traits and their genetic architecture in oats, we developed an easy-to-implement image-based phenotyping pipeline and applied it to 650 elite oat lines from the Collaborative Oat Research Enterprise (CORE). Root number, root surface area, and shoot length were measured in two replicates. Variables such as growth rate were derived. Using a genome-wide association (GWA) approach, we identified 34 and 16 unique loci associated with root traits and shoot traits, respectively, which corresponded to 41 and 16 unique SNPs at a false discovery rate < 0.1. Nine root-associated loci were organized into four sets of homeologous regions, while nine shoot-associated loci were organized into three sets of homeologous regions. The context sequences of five trait-associated markers matched to the sequences of rice, Brachypodium and maize (E-value < 10−10), including three markers matched to known gene models with potential involvement in seed vigor. These were a glucuronosyltransferase, a mitochondrial carrier protein domain containing protein, and an iron-sulfur cluster protein. This study presents the first GWA study on oat seed vigor and data of this study can provide guidelines and foundation for further investigations.

Characterization and antioxidant activity of avenanthramides from selected oat lines developed by mutagenesis technique

From a mutagenized oat population, produced by ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis, hulled grains from 17 lines with elevated avenanthramide (AVN) content were selected and their AVN structures, concentrations and antioxidant potentials were determined by HPLC-MS2 and HPLC equipped with an on-line ABTS+ antioxidant detection system. The data obtained showed qualitative and quantitative differences in the synthesis of AVNs in the different lines, with a total AVN concentration up to 227.5 µg/g oat seed flour in the highest line, compared with 78.2 µg/g seed in the commercial line, SW Belinda. In total, 25 different AVNs were identified with avenanthramide B structures being among the most abundant, and AVN C structures having the highest antioxidant activity. The findings indicate the potential of oat mutagenesis in combination with a high precision biochemical selection method for the generation of stable mutagenized lines with a high concentration of total and/or individual AVNs in the oat seed grain.

A comparative study of the growth and physiological parameters of two oat (Avena sativa L.) lines under salinity stress

ABSTRACT Salinity degrades the environment, reducing the productive capacity of affected land. This presents a significant challenge in agriculture; however, different crops are known to vary in their tolerance to salt stress. This study investigated the tolerance of two oat (Avena sativa L.) lines, Baiyan2 and Mengnongda1, to salinity stress. Oat lines were subjected to salt treatments (100 mM NaCl) for a two-week period and growth and physiological parameters of the two lines were compared. Salinity did not appear to affect the leaf and root dry weight of Baiyan2. In contrast, the leaf and root dry weight of Mengnongda1 showed a reduction of 42% and 35%, respectively. Additionally, leaf osmotic potential was higher in salt-treated Baiyan2 than in treated Mengnongda1 in all plant organs, suggesting that Baiyan2 is able to maintain better water status in saline conditions. Xylem proline concentration, sheath proline concentration, and proline contribution to sheath osmotic potential were also higher in salt-treated Baiyan2 than in treated Mengnongda1. Results also showed that salt-treated Baiyan2 retained similar levels of root potassium (K+) when compared to control plants, indicating that Baiyan2 has the capacity to maintain ionic homeostasis in root tissues in saline conditions. Contrastingly, salt-treated Mengnongdal seedlings showed a reduction of 34.3% in root K+. The sodium (Na+) and K+ contributions to leaf osmotic potential were also higher in Baiyan2 than in Mengnongda1 under saline conditions, indicating that leaf Na+ and K+ may have a beneficial role in leaf growth of Baiyan2. Our findings suggest that Baiyan2 may have a physiological mechanism that confers a higher salinity tolerance. Accordingly, the Baiyan2 oat line may constitute an important source of germplasm for developing salinity tolerance in oats.

Differences in Physiological Responses of Two Oat (Avena nuda L.) Lines to Sodic-Alkalinity in the Vegetative Stage

Sodic-alkalinity is a more seriously limiting factor in agricultural productivity than salinity. Oat (Avena nuda) is a salt-tolerant crop species and is therefore useful in studying the physiological responses of cereals to alkalinity. We evaluated the differential effects of sodic-alkalinity on two naked oat lines, Caoyou1 and Yanke1. Seedlings of the two lines were exposed to 50 mM alkaline salt mixture of NaHCO3 and Na2CO3 (18:1 molar ratio; pH 8.5) for 2 weeks in a soil environment. Sodic-alkalinity exposure led the assimilation of abundant Na+ at similar concentrations in the organs of both lines. However, Caoyou1 showed much stronger growth than Yanke1, exhibiting a higher dry weight, total leaf area, and shoot height under sodic-alkalinity. Further analysis showed that Caoyou1 was more sodic-alkalinity tolerance than Yanke1. This was firstly because of differences in the oxidative stress defense mechanisms in leaves of the two lines. Antioxidant enzyme activities were either slightly elevated (catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaiacol peroxidase (GP), glutathione reductase (GR)) or unaltered (superoxide dismutase (SOD)) in Caoyou1 leaves, but some enzyme (SOD, GPOX, GR) activities were significantly reduced in Yanke1. AnAPX1 transcript levels significantly increased in Caoyou1 under sodic-alkalinity conditions compared with Yanke1, indicating its better antioxidant capacity. Secondly, the related parameters of Mg2+ concentration, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) activity, and AnPEPC transcript levels in the leaves showed significantly higher values in Caoyou1 compared with Yanke1. This demonstrated the effective utilization by Caoyou1 of accumulated HCO3− in the irreversible reaction from phosphoenolpyruvate to oxaloacetate to produce inorganic phosphorus, which was elevated in Caoyou1 leaves under alkalinity stress. Overall, the results demonstrated that the greater sodic-alkalinity tolerance of Caoyou1 is the result of: (1) maintained antioxidant enzyme activities; and (2) a higher capacity for the phosphoenolpyruvate to oxaloacetate reactions, as shown by the higher PEPC activity, Mg2+ concentration, and total phosphorus concentration in its leaves, despite the lower soil pH.

Localization of the Stem Rust Resistance Gene Pg2 to Linkage Group Mrg20 in Cultivated Oat (Avena sativa).

Stem rust is an important disease of cultivated oat (Avena sativa) caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. avenae. In North America, host resistance is the primary strategy to control this disease and is conferred by a relatively small number of resistance genes. Pg2 is a widely deployed stem rust resistance gene that originates from cultivated oat. Oat breeders wish to develop cultivars with multiple Pg genes to slow the breakdown of single gene resistance, and often require DNA markers suited for marker-assisted selection. Our objectives were to (i) construct high density linkage maps for a major oat stem rust resistance gene using three biparental mapping populations, (ii) develop Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) assays for Pg2-linked single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and (iii) test the prediction accuracy of those markers with a diverse panel of spring oat lines and cultivars. Genotyping-by-sequencing SNP markers linked to Pg2 were identified in an AC Morgan/CDC Morrison recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. Pg2-linked SNPs were then analyzed in an AC Morgan/RL815 F2 population and an AC Morgan/CDC Dancer RIL population. Linkage analysis identified a common location for Pg2 in all three populations on linkage group Mrg20 of the oat consensus genetic map. The most predictive markers were identified and converted to KASP assays for use in oat breeding programs. When used in combination, the KASP assays for the SNP loci avgbs2_126549.1.46 and avgbs_cluster_23819.1.27 were highly predictive of Pg2 status in panel of 54 oat breeding lines and cultivars.

Genetic diversity and genome-wide association analysis in Chinese hulless oat germplasm.

Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)-derived molecular markers reveal the distinct genetic population structure and relatively narrow genetic diversity of Chinese hulless oat landraces. Four markers linked to the naked grain gene (N1) are identified by genome-wide association study (GWAS). Interest in hulless oat (Avena sativa ssp. nuda), a variant of common oat (A. sativa) domesticated in Western Asia, has increased in recent years due to its free-threshing attribute and its domestication history. However, the genetic diversity and population structure of hulless oat, as well as the genetic mechanism of hullessness, are poorly understood. In this study, the genetic diversity and population structure of a worldwide sample of 805 oat lines including 186 hulless oats were investigated using genotyping-by-sequencing. Population structure analyses showed a strong genetic differentiation between hulless landraces vs other oat lines, including the modern hulless cultivars. The distinct subpopulation stratification of hulless landraces and their low genetic diversity suggests that a domestication bottleneck existed in hulless landraces. Additionally, low genetic diversity within European oats and strong differentiation between the spring oats and southern origin oat lines revealed by previous studies were also observed in this study. Genomic regions contributing to these genetic differentiations suggest that genetic loci related to growth habit and stress resistance may have been under intense selection, rather than the hulless-related genomic regions. Genome-wide association analysis detected four markers that were highly associated with hullessness. Three of these were mapped on linkage group Mrg21 at a genetic position between 195.7 and 212.1cM, providing robust evidence that the dominant N1 locus located on Mrg21 is the single major factor controlling this trait.

Yerel Yulaf (Avena sativa L.) Genotiplerinin Eskişehir Koşullarında Tane Verimi ve Bazı Kalite Özellikleri

Geçit Kuşağı Tarımsal Araştırma Enstitüsü Müdürlüğü (GKTAEM)‘ndeki yulaf ıslah çalışmaları 1929 yılından beri sürdürülmektedir. Bu çalışma kapsamında, bölge koşullarına uyumlu yerel yulaf hatlarından verimi ve kalitesi yüksek olanların seçilerek, yeni çeşit olarak tescil ettirilmesi hedeflenmiştir. Denemeler, 2017-2018 üretim yılında Eskişehir GKTAEM Merkez ve Hamidiye yerleşkelerinde yağmura bağımlı koşullarda yürütülmüş olup, bu çalışmada, ülkenin değişik yerlerinden toplanan 19 yerel hat ile standart olarak Checota, Kahraman, Kırklar, Yeniçeri ve Sebat çeşitleri kullanılmıştır. Bu araştırmada genotiplerde tane verimi (TV), bin tane ağırlığı (BTA), bitki boyu (BB), yatma değeri (YD), salkım çıkarma süresi (SÇS) gibi çeşitli agro-morfolojik özelliklerinin yanı sıra tane protein oranı (TPO) ve beta glukan oranı (BG), asit deterjan lif (ADF) ve nötral deterjan lif (NDF) değerleri incelenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgulara göre, ADF ve NDF değerleri dışındaki parametrelerde genotipler arası farklılıklar istatistiksel olarak önemli bulunmuş olup, TV (2,31 – 3,58 t ha-1) değerleri arasında ortalama olarak 2,93 t ha-1 hesaplanmış; genotiplerdeki BTA (25,5 – 37,1 g) arasında bulunmuş; BB ise (83,3 – 130,2 cm) olarak belirlenmiş; YD (%1 – 57) şeklinde notlanmış; SÇS (126,0 – 141,0 gün) şeklinde saptanmış; BG (%3,29 – 5,16) arasında değişmiş; TPO (%13,4 – 15,9) arasında olmuş; ADF ve NDF oranları sırayla, (%16,4 – 19,4) ile (%30,8 – 38,8) arasında belirlenmiştir. Buna göre, G13, G16, G19, G21, G22 ve G23 yerel yulaf hatlarının hedeflenen agro-morfolojik ve kalite özellikleri bakımından yeterli oldukları anlaşılarak ilgili ıslah programında bir üst kademeye aktarılması sağlanmıştır.

The Screening of Resistance against Meloidogyne graminicola in Oats

Including pest resistance elements against the major local concern is naturally important in the breeding process. Oat (Avena sativa L.) has been recently reintroduced into Taiwan as a winter alternative forage crop, and its agronomic performance has been evaluated at different locations in the country. This study examined the resistance to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne graminicola, in four oat (Avena sativa L.) breeding lines of mass planting potential for winter in Taiwan. The host attraction level to the nematode, and the penetration and reproduction ability of nematode towards host roots were evaluated by chemotaxis assay, root staining assay, root galling, and nematode extraction. Based on the gall index (GI) and multiplication factor (R), the resistance of each oat line was evaluated. At 24 h postinoculation, second-stage juvenile (J2) nematodes appeared most attracted by oat breeding lines UFRGS136104-3 and UFRGS136119-2. The number of J2s successfully penetrated into the two breeding lines were also high. However, at 40 days postinoculation, observation of the oats in the newly developed culture bag nematode-inoculation system revealed that the amount of root galls and 2nd generation nematodes were significantly higher in line LA08085BS-T2 than in other lines. In sum, oat breeding line UFRGS136104-3 was highly resistant to M. graminicola by inhibiting the gall formation and nematode reproduction, while UFRGS136106-3 and UFRGS136119-2 showed relatively weak resistance and oat line LA08085BS-T2 would be a moderately susceptible host to M. graminicola, with high numbers of root gall formation. The outcome of this study provides ground information for nematode-resistant oat cultivar breeding.

Mycobiota in Mycobiota in the grain of the oat breeding lines produced in 2019 in competitive variety trials on the fields of Nemchinovka Federal Research Center, Moscow Provincepetitive variety trials on the fields of Nemchinovka Federal Research Center, Moscow Province

Background. The requirement for high-quality oat grain for food production leads to the need for studying the resistance of this cereal crop to harmful diseases and for the development of new productive cultivars.Materials and methods. A comparative characterization was performed among the breeding lines of naked oats from Nemchinovka Federal Research Center according to the parameters of microbiological purity of grain. The mycological method was applied for the analysis of infection in the oat grain, and fungal species composition was identified. The DNA amount of toxin-producing species from genus Fusarium Link in the grain was detected using the real-time PCR, and the amount of mycotoxins was measured by the enzyme immunoassay.Results. The fungi of Alternaria Nees, Fusarium, Cladosporium Link, Cochliobolus Drechsler, Epicoccum Link were associated with oat grain. Uniquely high infection of the grain by F. langsethiae Torp &amp; Nirenberg (14%) was found under the natural conditions of the Central Region of Russia. The differences revealed among the analyzed breeding lines and cultivars in the DNA amount of F. langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides Sherb. were from 1.3×10-4 to 7.2×10-3 pg/ng in the total DNA, and from 5 to 1230 μg/kg in the content of T-2/ HT-2 toxins.Conclusion. All naked oat breeding lines were relatively resistant to Fusarium infection and proved the best as regards the mycotoxin contamination of the grain against the reference hulled cultivar ‘Yakov’. In the competitive variety trials, three lines – 66h2618, 54h2476 and 70h2613 – were characterized as relatively resistant to Fusarium disease, compared with the naked oat reference ‘Vyatsky golozerny’.

Genetic diversity in exotic oat germplasm &amp; resistance against barley yellow dwarf virus

Oat (Avena sativa L.) is an important fodder crop of Pakistan, though with low productivity. The present study was conducted to evaluate the performance and genetic diversity of exotic oat germplasm, with emphasis on cereal yellow dwarf virus resistance. A total of 16 exotic line (introduced from Aarhus University Denmark) and 1 local line (provided by The University of Agriculture Peshawar), were grown during the season 2017–18 in Completely Randomized Block Design with three replications across two locations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa i.e., Peshawar and Kohat. Field testing enabled to collect the data on BYDV incidence, BYDV severity, aphid infestation, plant height, leaf area, panicle length, panicle weight, spikelets per panicle, 1000 grain weight (g), grain yield (g), biological yield (g) and harvest index (%). Prevalence of BYDV was variable across location and over time. Six weeks data showed high disease pressure at Peshawar (85%), with SA-O-01 genotype having AUDPC value of 95%. Almost all the varieties showed less tolerance towards the Aphids attack. Line SA-O-15 showed the maximum 1000 grain weight (42.6 g) at Kohat, while SA-O-4 showed the maximum 1000 grain weight (60.7 g) at Peshawar. Line SA-O-05 (3634 g per (0.9 m2) plot) gave the maximum biological yield at Kohat station, while Line SA-O-01 gave the maximum biological yield (2517 g) at Peshawar. Mean grain yield for Kohat was recorded 0.155 g per (0.9 m2) plot while for Peshawar it was 0.231 g per (0.9 m2) plot. At Kohat line SA-O-10 produced the maximum grain yield (0.229 g), while line SA-O-12 produced the maximum grain yield at Peshawar (0.288 g). Molecular genotyping with a set of 4 RAPD primers revealed substantial diversity among17 oat lines. A total of 23 loci were amplified showing a high level of variations and polymorphism among the proposed lines. The maximum number of loci was recorded for GLA-04 (8), while the minimum number of loci was recorded for GLD-18 (4). Among the tested RAPD primers the maximum gene diversity (0.529) was recorded for loci GLA-03B230, GLA-04B130, GLA-04B300, GLB-05B150 and GLA-18B100 while the minimum (0.118) genetic diversity was recorded for loci GLA-03B600, GLB-05B330 and GLA-18B500. A clear divergence was found between most of the exotic oat lines. The observed genetic diversity in exotic oat germplasm and its resistance towards Barley Yellow Dwarf virus could be useful for oat genetic improvement and broadening the genetic background of cultivated oat germplasm.

Domestication of &lt;i&gt;Avena magna&lt;/i&gt; Murphy et Terrell: a wild tetraploid oat species endemic of Morocco

Avena magna Murphy et Terrell (2n = 4x = 28), a tetraploid oat species endemic of Morocco, has a high groat protein content (more than 20%), good resistance to diseases and good adaptability to the Mediterranean edaphic and climate conditions. Moreover, this taxon is morphologically similar to the hexaploid oat species A. sativa and promising for interspecific crosses with A. sativa in order to transfer the domestication syndrome into it. Four hybridization cycles employing four accessions of A. magna and five Moroccan hexaploid oat cultivars of A. sativa were accomplished to domesticate A. magna. Morphological characterization and cytogenetic analysis of derivative hybrid seeds were made to determine their ploidy level and select the seeds with 2n = 28. The overall combinations yielded 81 hybrid plants with 2n varying from 28 to 29, with 58% having 2n = 28, and pollen fertility over 85%. However, 27 hybrids yielded a seed set ranging from 20 to 80%. Selected hybrid plants were subjected to pedigree selection in the field until they reached the 8th generation and assessed for agronomic performance. Three domesticated lines of tetraploid oat A. magna were selected for their good disease resistance. Analysis of groat protein content in the selected hybrids using the Kjeldahl method showed that it was 2 to 3% higher than in their parents.

Occurrence and pathogenicity of Puccinia coronata var avenae f. sp. avenae on oat in South Africa

Crown rust, caused by Puccinia coronata Corda var. avenae f. sp. avenae (Urban & Marková) (Pca), can negatively impact oat (Avena sativa L.) production in South Africa and little is known about pathogenic variability and cultivar response. Pca infected leaves were obtained from oat trial plots, commercial fields and wild oat (Avena spp.) during the 2016 and 2017 growing seasons for race analysis. Uncharacterised collections from 1998 to 2005 were also included. Single pustule isolates were derived from field collections and used for race typing on 16 international differential lines. Six races were identified from 88 isolates pathotyped with race JBLL originating from wild oat samples, SGLL, SQPL and SSTL from commercial oat samples and SBLL+ from both wild and commercial oat samples. Isolates collected in 1998 typed as races SBLL and SBLL+ and the 2005 isolates as race SQPL. Race SBLL was not detected in the 2016 and 2017 samples with SBLL+ being dominant during 2016–17. This is the first report of South African races with virulence for the resistance genes Pc38, Pc58 and Pc59. Seedling infection types of 70 additional oat lines and cultivars to the described races showed incompatible phenotypes for 27 entries. Field data revealed moderate to high levels of adult plant resistance for a few cultivars to races SBLL+ and SSTL. Genetic analysis of 31 isolates, including two USA control isolates, revealed three genetic lineages. No apparent correlation was observed among year of collection, geographic origin, phenotype and genotype of isolates except for race JBLL that originated from wild oat collections in the Western Cape.

Evaluation of agronomic performance and exploratory genome‐wide association study of a diverse oat panel for forage use in Taiwan

AbstractOats (Avena sativa L.) produce not only the well‐known highly nutritious grain, but valuable forage. In Taiwan, imported oat hay is a popular forage with the dairy cattle industry. However, local forage oat breeding and production have been virtually absent. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the forage performance of oats in Taiwan in order to assess their potential for local oat production. We have introduced 178 oat accessions from 18 breeding programs across North and South America. These breeding lines were evaluated in Northern Taiwan (Taipei) and Southern Taiwan (Hengchun) between autumn 2016 and spring 2017. Early maturing lines reached the flowering stage after ca. 70 or ca. 90 days after sowing in Hengchun and Taipei, respectively, while 49 and 159 lines remained vegetative throughout the growing season in Hengchun and Taipei, respectively. On average, plant height was taller in Taipei than in Hengchun (99.8 vs. 53.2 cm), while dry matter yield per plot was higher in Hengchun than in Taipei (596 vs. 388.4 g/Plot). Maturity and dry matter differences may be related to the differences in daily effective sunlight between locations. Using 1,164 genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we explored the population structure and the genetic architecture of traits of interest within a subset of 73 oat lines. No obvious sub‐populations were observed, which reflected the frequent material exchanges among oat breeders. Fifty‐three loci were associated with days to flowering, plant height and dry matter yield; and 12 of them overlapped with loci identified in previous work. The data and results of this study lay the foundations and provide guidelines for further forage oat breeding work in Taiwan.