Parental Varieties Research Articles

Contribution of genes related to grain number (Gn1a and WFP) introgressed into NERICA 1 to grain yield under tropical highland conditions in central Kenya

ABSTRACT In Kenya and many other African countries, improving rice productivity is vital for future food security. To improve rice productivity in Kenya, near-isogenic lines (NIL) were developed by introducing Gn1a and WFP, genes that function to increase grain number per panicle by increasing secondary and primary rachis-branches, into NERICA 1, a registered variety in Kenya. The aim of this study was to determine whether the introduction of these genes has the potential to improve rice productivity under tropical highland conditions in central Kenya. Field experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 at a lowland rice field in Mwea, Kenya, under different nitrogen fertilization conditions using three lines of NERICA 1 introgressed with Gn1a and/or WFP (NIL-Gn1a, NIL-WFP, and NIL-Gn1a+WFP) and their recurrent parents, NERICA 1. Two years of field experiments revealed that the introgression lines enhanced grain yield by increasing the number of primary and secondary rachis-branches and the number of grains per panicle. Gn1a and WFP showed additive effects and the introgression of both genes alleviated the negative effects on yield components observed in the introgressed lines, resulting in higher grain yield. Sufficient nitrogen fertilization was required to increase yield in the single-gene introgression lines. However, the line with both Gn1a and WFP achieved reasonable yields even under low fertilizer conditions in Mwea, Kenya. As these introgression lines have similar growing characteristics to their parent variety, they are expected to contribute to increased rice production in Kenya and similar environments in sub-Saharan Africa.

Effect of NAM-1 genes on the protein content in grain and productivity indices in common wheat lines with foreign genetic material introgressions in the conditions of Belarus.

Modern varieties of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) bred mainly for high productivity are often of low grain quality. The identification of NAM-1 alleles associated with high grain protein content in wheat relatives has enhanced the significance of distant hybridization for the nutritional value of T. aestivum L. grain. In this work we aimed to study the allelic polymorphism of the NAM-A1 and NAM-B1 genes in wheat introgression lines and their parental forms and evaluate the effects of various NAM-1 variants on the grain protein content and productivity traits in the field conditions of Belarus. We studied parental varieties of spring common wheat, the accessions of tetraploid and hexaploid species of the genus Triticum and 22 introgression lines obtained using them (2017-2021 vegetation periods). Full-length NAM-A1 nucleotide sequences of T. dicoccoides k-5199, T. dicoccum k-45926, T. kiharae, and T. spelta k-1731 accessions were established and registered with the international molecular database GenBank. Six combinations of NAM-A1/B1 alleles were identified in the accessions studied and their frequency of occurrence varied from 40 to 3 %. The cumulative contribution of NAM-A1 and NAM-B1 genes to the variability of economically important wheat traits ranged from 8-10 % (grain weight per plant and thousand kernel weight) to up to 72 % (grain protein content). For most of the traits studied, the proportion of variability determined by weather conditions was small (1.57-18.48 %). It was shown that, regardless of weather conditions, the presence of a functional NAM-B1 allele ensures a high level of grain protein content; at the same time, it does not significantly decrease thousand kernel weight. The genotypes combining the NAM- A1d haplotype and a functional NAM-B1 allele demonstrated high levels of productivity and grain protein content. The results obtained demonstrate the effective introgression of a functional NAM-В1 allele of related species increasing the nutritional value of common wheat.

Foliar functional and genetic variation in a keystone Hawaiian tree species estimated through spectroscopy

Imaging spectroscopy has the potential to map closely related plant taxa at landscape scales. Although spectral investigations at the leaf and canopy levels have revealed relationships between phylogeny and reflectance, understanding how spectra differ across, and are inherited from, genotypes of a single species has received less attention. We used a common-garden population of four varieties of the keystone canopy tree, Metrosideros polymorpha, from Hawaii Island and four F1-hybrid genotypes derived from controlled crosses to determine if reflectance spectra discriminate sympatric, conspecific varieties of this species and their hybrids. With a single exception, pairwise comparisons of leaf reflectance patterns successfully distinguished varieties of M. polymorpha on Hawaii Island as well as populations of the same variety from different islands. Further, spectral variability within a single variety from Hawaii Island and the older island of Oahu was greater than that observed among the four varieties on Hawaii Island. F1 hybrids most frequently displayed leaf spectral patterns intermediate to those of their parent taxa. Spectral reflectance patterns distinguished each of two of the hybrid genotypes from one of their parent varieties, indicating that classifying hybrids may be possible, particularly if sample sizes are increased. This work quantifies a baseline in spectral variability for an endemic Hawaiian tree species and advances the use of imaging spectroscopy in biodiversity studies at the genetic level.

The use of ditransitive constructions among L1 Lugbarati speakers of English in Uganda: A preliminary study

One of the important features of structural nativization of L2 varieties of English is how their grammar converges with and/or diverges from their parent variety, usually, British English. Building on Isingoma (2016, 2021a), this study is set out to augment discourse on verb complementational profile in Ugandan English, focusing on ditransitive constructions. Using naturalistic data from semi-structured interviews involving 50 participants from L1 Lugbarati (a Central Sudanic language) speakers of English, the study shows that the Prepositional Phrase Construction (PPC) involving goal verbs is preferred over the Double Object Construction (DOC) configuration. Moreover, our data did not have a single incidence of benefactive DOCs. Substrate influence from Lugbarati, among others, appears to be a contributing factor, given that DOCs are rare in this language, as they are constrained by the semantic criterion of ‘prior possession’ of the theme/patient by the recipient/beneficiary referent. The findings thus show that Isingoma’s (2016) monolithic generalizations about this phenomenon are debatable, as he indicates that the DOC is overwhelmingly acceptable with goal verbs in Ugandan English and that the particularities observed in ditransitive constructions in the variety are influenced by Bantu languages (where the DOC is the norm). Likewise, the assertion that Ugandans ubiquitously use the non-canonical PPC configuration for benefactive verbs (Isingoma, 2016) does not hold for L1 Lugbarati speakers of English, as the configuration was manifestly sporadic in our data, as opposed to the canonical PPC. The current study thus underscores the fact that there is substantial interspeaker variability in Ugandan English along ethnolinguistic lines (cf. Isingoma & Meierkord, 2022).

Segregation of a number of quantitative traits in the rice hybrid F<sub>2</sub> ‘Khao Hlan On × Kontakt’

The current paper has presented the study results of the hybrid population of the second generation ‘Khao Hlan On × Kontakt’. The variety ‘Khao Hlan On’ is late-maturing, small-grained, fast-growing, of tall height, resistant to lodging, the variety ‘Kontakt’ is early-maturing, medium-grained, of low height, resistant to lodging. The purpose of the study was to analyze the inheritance of the main quantitative traits in the rice hybrid F2 ‘Khao Hlan On × Kontakt’ and select the best forms for breeding. In the course of genetic analysis, there have been determined the features of traits’ inheritance that affect productivity; there have been selected the best plants with an average height, with vertical panicles and mean grain weight. The study was carried out on the fields of the EP “Proletarskoe” (the Rostov Region) in 2022. For all the studied traits, there have been established the monogenic differences between the parental varieties. According to plant height, there was a partial domination of the lower values of the trait (hp = –0.22). According to panicle length, there was a partial negative dominance of the trait (hp = –0.35). According to the trait ‘number of spikelets per panicle’, there was a partial dominance of a smaller value of the trait (hp = –0.19). According to 1000-grain weight, there was a partial negative dominance (hp = –0.26). There have been selected the best morphotype F2 forms, which according to our earlier study, differed in optimal plant height, panicle length, number of spikelets per panicle, and 1000-grain weight.

New spring barley variety ‘Rafael’ adapted to the conditions of the Central region

The purpose of the current study was to identify and present the most economically valuable features of the new spring barley variety ‘Rafael’ in the conditions of the Central region. There was developed a new spring barley variety ‘Rafael’ based on the Governmental task of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Research Center “Nemchinovka”, (FRC “Nemchinovka” (Moscow Region)) No. 0608-2019-0011 and the Institute of Seed Production and Agrotechnologies, a branch of the FSBSI “Federal Research Agro-engineering Center VIM” (ISPA, a branch of FSBSI FRAEC VIM (Ryazan region)) No. 0581-2019-0021. In 2020–2021 the variety was tested in the State Variety Testing. In 2022, the variety was included in the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation and approved for use in the Central (3) and Volga-Vyatka (4) regions. The code of the variety is 8057530. There was received the patent No. 12254. Breeding number 35/1-09 h 662 was obtained when crossing the lodging-resistant variety ‘Ksanadu’ and the breeding lines 27/13-78 h 34 (‘Moskovsky 121 x Highproli’), identified from the genetic collection according to a complex resistance to helminthosporiasis of barley and soil drought. The analysis of long-term data (2014–2019) has shown that under various agrometeorological conditions of the environmental trials, the variety was characterized by improved productivity in comparison with the standard variety ‘Yaromir ‘and varieties of earlier breeding. In the experimental crop rotation FRC “Nemchinovka” exceeded the mean value of productivity on 0.44 t/ha, the productivity increase was on 0.68 t/ha more than that of the standard variety, and on 1.08 t/ha more than that of the parental variety ‘Ksanadu’. In the fields, the ISPA, a branch of FSBSI FRAEC VIM exceeded the standard variety on 0.09 t/ha, providing a mean productivity of 6.85 t/ha. The maximum value of the indicator of the variety stability level (PSSS = 141.6%) has characterized a high degree of variety adaptation to various environmental conditions. The economic efficiency calculation has shown an increased profitability of the new variety on 17.0–20.8% compared to the widespread varieties. The introduction of this variety into production can significantly improve and stabilize gross barley productivity in the Central and Volga-Vyatka regions of Russia, increase profitability of enterprises and provide the feed industry with domestic raw materials.

Estimation of mean performance of parents and their hybrids for yield related traits in Gossypium hirsutum L.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an important fiber crop and plays an important role in Pakistan's economy as a cash crop. Cotton crop is cultivated primarily for fiber. The main objective of all cotton breeders is the production of a new variety with high yield and fiber quality. The current experiment was be conducted in the research area of Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. Crosses were made of four varieties AGC-999, IR-3701, VH-37 and AS-01 by full Diallel mating design in the greenhouse during winter season. Evaluation of 12 crosses and 4 parental varieties were proceeded in the field during Kharif season of 2019 under RCBD (Randomized completely blocked Design) design with three replications. The data for agronomic characters and yield related traits as plant height, number of branches, number of bolls, number of nodes, seed cotton yield, ginning out turn, seed index and lint index was recorded. Mean data of seed cotton yield for all the genotypes indicated that the parent AS-01 provided the maximum yield (93.73 grams) among the parents while AGC-999 × IR-3701 had the maximum yield (82 grams) among the crosses. While VH-37, VH-37 × AS-01 and AS—01 × AGC-999 had the minimum value among parents and crosses respectively. These genotypes

Profiles of Volatile Compounds from Seven New Hybrid Families Obtained by Crossings on Noir de Bourgogne Cultivar and Other Blackcurrant Varieties.

Berries of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) are popular for their strong and complex aroma and their benefits for health. In Burgundy (France), the most famous blackcurrant cultivar is the "Noir de Bourgogne". A blackcurrant breeding program was conducted to obtain new varieties, more resistant to infections and climate changes. The cultivar "Noir de Bourgogne" was crossed with seven other varieties in order to create a hybrid with good agronomic properties and organoleptic properties close to the ones of "Noir de Bourgogne". Several hybrids were created, and their aromatic profiles studied. Berries of eight cultivars, among which Noir de Bourgogne and hybrids resulting from crossings, were harvested during the summer of 2020. Volatile compounds of berries were analyzed by HS-SPME-GC-MS, and principal component analysis (PCA) was used as the most useful chemometric technique. The profiles in volatile compounds of hybrids were either different from those of the two parental varieties or close to that of varieties other than Bourgogne black. In all cases, the overall aroma strength of the hybrid did not equal that of the Noir de Bourgogne cultivar.

Response of Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. Durum) to direct and indirect selection under semi-arid conditions in Algeria

In arid and semi-arid areas, drought is an important abiotic factor that limits Durum wheat production. Identifying genotypes tolerant to drought is a challenge for plant breeders. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of direct and indirect selection on Durum wheat under rain-fed conditions in the high plains of Sétif, Algeria. Four parental varieties (Ofanto, MBB, Mrb5, Waha), three crosses (Ofanto/MBB, Ofanto/Mrb5, Ofanto/Waha) representing the F5, F6, and F7 populations, and one cultivar (Bousselm, control) were cultivated. Pheno-morpho-physiological traits were measured at the heading stage and yield and its components at grain maturity. Our results showed that the response to direct selection was reflected in a significant increase in grain yield, economic yield, and number of spikes, suggesting that grain yield may be improved using one of these characteristics as the selection criterion. Selection by canopy temperature was affected by a significant decrease in the drought susceptibility index (-11.3 %), making it possible to obtain abiotic stress-resistant lines. The study of the relationships between F5, F6, and F7 populations has shown that grain yield, economic yield, and plant height correlate with each generation, indicating no effect of genotype-environment interaction, unlike others. Late selection revealed eight meaningful lines (L1, L8, L14, L28, L32, L35, L36, and L40) in the selection process, maintaining high production throughout different cropping seasons. These successful lines were selected based on traits related to productivity: Gr.YLD, Ec.YLD, NS. These characters provide the same information as breeding programs, according to our results.

An enhanced network of energy metabolism, lysine acetylation, and growth-promoting protein accumulation is associated with heterosis in elite hybrid rice

Heterosis refers to the superior performance of a hybrid compared with its parental lines. Although several genetic and molecular models have been proposed to explain heterosis, it remains unclear how hybrid cells integrate complementary gene expression or activity to drive heterotic growth. In this work, we show that accumulation of growth-promoting and energy metabolism proteins, enhanced energy metabolism activities, and increased protein lysine acetylation were associated with superior growth of the panicle meristem in the elite hybrid rice Shanyou 63 relative to its parental varieties. Metabolism of nuclear/cytosolic acetyl-coenzyme A was also enhanced in the hybrid, which paralleled increases in histone H3 acetylation to selectively target the expression of growth-promoting and metabolic genes. Lysine acetylation of cellular proteins, including TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN complex 1, ribosomal proteins, and energy metabolism enzymes, was also augmented and/or remodeled to modulate their activities. The data indicate that an enhanced network of energy-producing metabolic activity and growth-promoting histone acetylation/gene expression in the hybrid could contribute to its superior growth rate and may constitute a model to explain heterosis.

Estimation of Correlation and Path Association in Hexaploid Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with the Feasibility of Developing F1 Hybrid in Half Diallel Mating Design

The present study was carried out at Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib’s Experimental Farm, Department of Agriculture, Punjab during2019-20, and 2020-21. The experimental material consisted of six parental varieties (HD 1981, PBW 343, CPAN 3004, RAJ 2184, PBW154, and PBW 65) collected from the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) New Delhi, India and their 15 F1s obtainedfrom half diallel mating design were grown in Randomized Block Design. The association studies among different characters showedthat grain yield per plant had a significant positive correlation with no. of grain per plant, that can be successfully used for the geneticimprovement of seed yield in bread wheat.

Yodai - a new variety of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.)

The biological performance of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) hybrid lines [LHL (BGE027129 ? LA5108), LHL-2 (BGE025277 ? LA5108) and LHL-3 (LA5108 ? BGE027129]) and their parental components (BGE027129, BGE025277 and LA5108 varieties) were studied in a three-year field experiment. Biometric analysis of each variety and line was done for main quantitative traits and phenological stages and periods. The height of the plants at the technological maturity of the grain reached 46 cm. The vegetation period has an average duration of 93 days. New variety Yodai was created, which was obtained by multiple individual selection from the cross BGE027129 ? LA5108 (line LHL). The new variety ripens 4-5 days before the varieties BGE027129 and LA5108. On average, 13 well-fed pods per plant were formed with a total of 22 normally developed seeds. The seeds were medium-large with a white seed coat, with a flat oval shape. The seed productivity (4.41 g/plant) exceeds the average of the parental varieties (3.80 g/plant). The weight of 1000 seeds was about 172 g. The crude protein content was 23.85%. In addition, the variety has good resistance to cracking of the pods. It is drought tolerant and weakly attacked by diseases and enemies. In 2022, by the decision of the Expert Commission at the Executive Agency for Variety Testing, Field Inspection and Seed Control, Bulgaria (appointed by order RD-10-1/14.01.2022) and by order No. RD-14-3 of 02.03.2022, the Yodai variety was recognized as new and original.

Avaliação de progênies de uvas de mesa e correlações entre apirenia e outras características agronômicas

Abstract The aim of the present study was to identify grape parent varieties that lead to greater frequency of seedless genotypes in the progenies and to understand the relationships between the seedless trait and other fruit traits. A group of 200 hybrids (F1) originating from 38 crosses among cultivars of Vitis vinifera L. and interspecific hybrids were evaluated in Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil, over six consecutive crop seasons (2018 to 2021). The progenies were placed in three classes based on seedlessness: completely seedless (class 1), seed traces or soft seeds (class 2), and with seeds (class 3). The mean dry matter of the seeds in each class was 0 mg, 2.3 mg, and 25.7 mg respectively, which corresponded to 40 genotypes (20%) in class 1, 52 genotypes (26%) in class 2, and 108 (54%) in class 3. The interspecific cross ‘BRS Isis’ and ‘Marroo Seedless’ stood out through favoring high frequency of seedless individuals in the progeny (47.5%). The traits associated with berry size (length, diameter, and weight) had high positive correlations with each other. The results obtained make an important contribution for table grape breeding aiming at the development of new table grape cultivars.

Priority technologies for developing new highly productive varieties of spring bread wheat in the Middle Urals

The study has been carried out at the FSBSI «Ural Federal Agrarian Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences» on the fields of the Krasnoufimsk Breeding Center in 2019–2021. The purpose was to develop new highly productive varieties of spring bread wheat adapted to the climatic conditions of the Middle Urals using parental forms with high breeding indices in hybridization. There has been given a characteristic of the earlymaturing variety ‘Ekstra’ and middle-early maturing ‘Nitsa’ and their parents, namely, ‘Omskaya 35’ and ‘Iren’, ‘Ekaterina’ and ‘Krasnoufimskaya 100’, according to such breeding indices as Mexican, Canadian, Poltava, attraction, productivity, potential head productivity, intensity, micro-distribution, linear head density, grain filling. There has been shown that the productivity advantage of the variety ‘Ekstra’ over the variety ‘Iren’ was 0.37 t/ha (11.1 %) and over thevariety ‘Omskaya 35’ it was 0.31 t/ha (9.1 %). The variety ‘Ekstra’ has combined the high values of six breeding indices from the middle maturing variety ‘Omskaya 35’ and exceeded both parents in the studied indices. The productivity advantage of the variety ‘Nitsa’ was 0.52 t/ha (19.2 %) over the variety ‘Ekaterina’ and over the variety ‘Krasnoufimskaya 100’ it was 0.40 t/ha (14.2 %). It has combined the high values of four indices from the variety ‘Ekaterina’, six from the variety ‘Krasnoufimskaya 100’ and significantly exceeded the parental varieties according to such indices as Poltava, Mexican, microdistribution, attraction, grain filling, intensity. There has been identified a high positive correlation between grain productivity and attraction indices (r = 0.761) and Mexican (r = 0.864), an average positive correlation between indices of intensity (r = 0.601), potential head productivity (r = 0.507), grain filling (r = 0.333). The results have showed that involving parents with high values of breeding indices into hybridization could contribute to the development of new highly productive varieties of spring wheat.

The study of the efficiency of anther culture <i>in vitro</i> of bread wheat varieties and hybrids <i>(Triticum aestivum L.)</i>

Anther culture is the most effective and not technically complex tool for obtaining double wheat haploids. The current study is devoted to the research of the influence of the genotype and concentration of the growth regulator 2.4-D on the efficiency of androgenesis in vitro of spring bread wheat. The purpose of the study was to estimate the efficiency of the anther culture of hybrids of the first and second generation and their parental varieties and to study its dependence on different concentrations of the growth regulator 2.4-D. There has been carried out the estimation of the traits of the F1hybrids, the F2population, and the parental varieties ‘Obskaya 2’ and ‘Novosibirskaya 15’ when 2.4-D was added to the induction medium at a concentration of 1 and 2 mg/l. There has been established that the F2population and the parental variety ‘Novosibirskaya 15’ are characterized by the largest indicators. The average values were significantly surpassed by the F2population in the traits ‘number of productive anthers per 100 anthers’ and ‘number of all regenerants per 100 anthers’ at 1 mg/l of 2.4-D. The variety ‘Novosibirskaya 15’ surpassed the average values in traits ‘number of sprouts per 100 anthers’ and ‘number of all regenerants per 100 sprouts’ at 2 mg /l of 2.4-D. The trial has shown that the best responsiveness of the anther culture for the studied genotypes was when the growth regulator 2.4-D was added to the induction medium at a concentration of 1 mg/l. The variety ‘Novosibirskaya 15’ has been characterized by good responsiveness in anther culturein vitroand could be used as a donor of valuable alleles in wheat breeding programs using DH technologies.

Splitting analysis of the second-generation rice hybrid ‘Bakhus x Kontakt’

The current paper has presented the study results of the second-generation hybrid population of ‘Bakhus x Kontakt’ combination. The variety ‘Bakhus’ is large-kernelled, vigorously growing, tall, unresistant to lodging, the variety ‘Kontakt is short, resistant to lodging, medium-kernelled. The purpose of the study was to analyze the inheritance of a number of quantitative traits in the F2 rice hybrid ‘Bakhus x Kontakt’ and select the best plants for the further breeding process. In the process of hybridological analysis, there have been established the patterns of inheritance of the main quantitative traits affecting productivity, there have been identified the best undersized forms, in which there were formed compact erect panicles and large kernels, and there has been selected the source material for breeding work. The study was carried out on the plots of OP «Proletarskoe» in the Rostov region in 2019–2021. The crossing was carried out in 2019, F1 was reproduced in 2020, F2 rice plants were grown in 2021. There has been found that according to ‘plant height’ there was a partial dominance of lower trait values and allelic differences in parental varieties for one pair of genes. There was no dominance according to ‘panicle length’; there were found digenic differences in the initial varieties. According to the trait ‘number of spikelets in a panicle’, there was a dominance of large values and positive transgression. According to spikelet length in F2 hybrids, there was a wide variation of the trait within the variability of parental varieties from 6.8 to 11.0 mm. there was no dominance. There was noted a digenic splitting in a ratio of 1:4:6:4:1. According to 1000-kernel weight, there has been identified a monohybrid splitting of 3:1. There were selected the best morphotype F2 forms, which differed in optimal plant height, long panicles, their increased kernel percentage and 1000-kernel weight.

Cold Hardiness of Prunus mume ‘Xiang Ruibai’ and Its Parents Based on Biological Indexes and Physical Parameters

Low temperature is a primary factor limiting the distribution of Prunus mume. In order to produce a variety that has both cold tolerance and the characteristic fragrance of true mume, previous researchers crossbred a strong-tolerance variety apricot mei, P. mume ‘DF’ (‘Dan Fenghou’) and the weak-tolerance variety of true mume, P. mume ‘BY’ (‘Beijing Yudie’). They gained an offspring variety named P. mume ‘XR’ (‘Xiang Ruibai’), but its cold tolerance is unknown at this point. Here, three varieties (XR, BY, and DF) were selected as the materials, and different low-temperature treatments were used, with temperature as the only variable. Conventional biological methods, such as ion leakage rate, different tissues, and plant viability statistics, were used, as well as an innovative use of infrared engineering and moisture monitoring for dynamic observation of the water-to-ice process in tissues. The results were as follows: DF cold tolerance was the highest, followed by XR and then BY. The LT50 of XR was increased by 6 °C after five days of cold priming at 4 °C, which indicated a stronger cold acclimation ability than the parent varieties. The XR variety enhanced the antioxidant capacity by increasing SOD and POD enzyme activities during low temperature treatment, thus enhancing the cold tolerance. The antioxidant enzyme genes PmSOD3, PmPOD2, PmPOD19, and PmPOD22 had important regulatory roles in XR’s cold acclimation process.

Genofondul prunului și rezultatele utilizării lui

A review of the data of special literature in the domain of creating new varieties by breeding methods and rational use of the plum gene pool in different countries of the world is carried out. Information on the resistance of varietal and hybrid plum stock to major diseases when are used different parent varieties are presented. The results of the creation of new varieties of plum are presented. It has been established that the best results of the breeding of plums in the conditions of the Republic of Moldova are obtained when using highly adapted to the growing conditions, as well as local and long-cultivated plum varieties on the territory of the republic. As a result of many years of research, the zoned assortment of plums of the country includes 29 varieties, including 15 bred in the Public Institution Scientific and Practical Institute of Horticulture, Viticulture and Food Technologies.

INTERVARIETAL CROSSES, AN ALTERNATIVE FOR INCREASING YELLOW MAIZE (Zea mays L.) PRODUCTION IN VARIABLE ENVIRONMENTS

In Mexico, maize (Zea mays L.) is grown under rainfed conditions within immensurable number of variable environments that limit production. To cope with these adversities, genotypes of different genetic constitution have been generated, such as intervarietal crosses; however, knowledge of the yield potential of those crosses in variable environments is limited. The objective of the study was to determine the yield potential of intervarietal crosses of yellow maize in environments of high-valley lands in central Mexico, as well as the components that influence yield under the hypothesis that intervarietal crosses are equal in yield to conventional hybrids. Crosses, open-pollinated parental varieties and commercial controls were evaluated in a randomized complete block design. Fifteen agronomic variables and yield components were measured. A combined analysis of variance and comparison of means (Tukey, p ≤ 0.05) were applied, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated. The analysis of variance detected statistical differences in all the factors of variation in most of the evaluated variables. The intervarietal crosses performed statistically equal to the controls but superior to the parents. The crosses excelled in ear diameter and ear length, total weight of grains in the ear, 100-grain weight, grain length, grain width, plant height, ear height, shelling corn coefficient and prolificacy index. In 23 crosses, the genotype × environment interaction effect was not significant. Intervarietal crosses have yield potential compared to conventional hybrids. Ear and grain traits had the greatest influence on yield. Intervarietal crosses represent an alternative to increase yield and production of yellow maize in the high-valley lands of central Mexico.

Productivity and grain nutritional value traits in wheat genotypes with different NAM-B1 gene allelic variations

The identification of a functional NAM-B1 allele associated with a high content of grain protein and essential microelements in wheat relatives increased the distant hybridization significance for bread wheat nutritional value. The allelic polymorphism of the NAM-B1 gene in 22 wheat lines with a genetic material of T. dicoccoides, T. dicoccum, T. spelta, T. kiharаe and their parental forms and the effects of NAM-B1 gene allelic variations on the content of grain protein and essential microelements and productivity traits (vegetation period 2017–2021) were evaluated. The functional NAM-B1 allele was identified only in the samples of wheat relatives among the parental forms. All parental varieties and most of introgressive lines (77.3 %) had a non-functional allele. The genotypes with the functional NAM-B1 allele were characterized by a higher plant height and tillering, but by lower spike productivity compared to the non-functional allele genotypes. The presence of the functional NAM-B1 allele provided a high level of grain protein and zinc content and never decreased significantly a thousand-kernel weight across all studied environments. The functional NAM-B1 allele introgression could be a resource for improving the grain wheat nutritional value.