Plant Growth Habit Research Articles

Qualitative and Phenotyping Characterization among Okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] Genotypes

Background: In contrast to field crops, quality is often more essential than yield in vegetable crops. As a result, this research began with the objective of assessing the diversity and novelty of okra genotypes. Methods: A field investigation was carried out at Sivapuri Village, Chidambaram, Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu, India, in the summer of 2020-2021. To match with distinctiveness, uniformity and stability, qualitative data for 18 characters were collected based on vegetative and reproductive characters. Result: Results obtained in this study revealed a high level of variability among the genotypes for the majority of the qualitative traits, except for plant growth habit, branching position, leaf blade colour between veins, fruit type and seed size. The fruit-related characters exhibited a large diversity in the genotypes studied. Mature fruit colour was obtained with 8.3% of yellowish green, 23.3% of green and 68.4% of dark green fruits recorded for genotypes. Based on genetic variation, the ultimate objective of vegetable breeding programmes is to generate new varieties exhibiting elite combinations of many desired qualitative attributes in okra using traditional breeding procedures.

Study of Morphological Qualitative and Quantitative Characterization of Different Traits in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Genotypes

Tomato is classified as a warm-season crop and is characterized by two distinct plant growth habits: determinate and indeterminate. The flowers of tomatoes are typically bisexual and possess both male and female reproductive structures, making them perfect flowers. The stigma of the flower is surrounded by a protective anther cone, which promotes self-pollination. This self-pollination trait in tomato plants facilitates their maintenance breeding, and simple selection methods can be employed to effectively improve the crop. The current investigation involved the characterization of twenty-five tomato germplasm genotypes. The experimental was carried out during rabi season 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 at Horticulture Research Centre, College of Horticulture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut. Seedlings of tomato were transplanted at spacing of 60 x 45 cm in randomized block design with three replications. Data was collected based on eight qualitative traits, namely, plant growth habit, leaf colour, flower colour, fruit size, fruit shape, fruit colour, fruit surface, and stem end fruit shape. The tomato genotypes demonstrated significant variability in all qualitative traits, with the exception of the fruit surface trait. This highlights the importance of focusing on these traits in future crop improvement programs for tomato.

Architectural traits underlie growth form diversity and polycarpic versus monocarpic life histories in Cerberiopsis (Apocynaceae)

Abstract Plant architecture strongly influences plant growth habits, as it determines the arrangement, function and fate of meristems. How architecture could be involved in the monocarpic life history, i.e. dying after flowering, remains poorly investigated. Monocarpy is evident in some species since they are annual or because their single stem flowers apically. However, monocarpy in long-lived branched trees is rare and remains poorly understood. We aim to highlight the architectural features involved in the monocarpic strategy of Cerberiopsis candelabra, a rainforest tree endemic to New Caledonia. We conducted a comparative analysis of the genus, which comprises three species with different growth habits. Twenty plants of each species were studied at different ontogenic stages. We compared their developmental sequence and analysed their processes of growth, branching, flowering and reiteration. We identified a combination of traits that distinguish the species, and we found a syndrome of two architectural features that support the monocarpic strategy in C. candelabra: the synchronous flowering of all terminal meristems and the absence of delayed branching. Flowering in C. candelabra preferentially occurs when the complete architectural sequence is developed, but the plant never shows signs of senescence, suggesting that environmental stresses, such as wind disturbance, could be the main trigger for flowering. The architecture of C. candelabra is suggested to be the most derived in the genus.

Nicho de polen de Melipona crinita Moure y Kerr, 1950 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) en un meliponario de Acre, Brasil: un estudio de caso

Melipona crinita is widely used in meliponiculture for the production of honey, in several places in the Amazon. Thus, the aim of this study was: (i) determine the seasonal characteristics of the pollen collected by M. crinita, regarding the botanical origin; (ii) the growth habit of plants visited by workers and (iii) the contribution of wild and agricultural species in providing pollen for this bee. Our hypotheses were: (i) M. crinita is a generalist species in the use of its pollen sources; (ii) M. crinita adjusts pollen foraging according to flowering variation and (iii) M. crinita visits mainly wild trees and shrubs to collect pollen. The research was carried out from April 2018 to March 2019 in a meliponary located in the rural area of Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil using a colony of M. crinita. The collected samples revealed 46 pollen types, distributed in 25 families and 41 genera of plants. Fabaceae (Mimosoideae) presented a higher frequency of occurrence, FO = 41.67%. The pollen types with the highest frequency of occurrence were: Solanum, FO = 19.72%; Alchornea, FO = 16.13% and Senna, FO = 11.93%, with the least seasonal being: Solanum and Aparisthmium cordatum. From the total plants visited by M. crinita, 71.74% were wild; 28.26% agricultural; 36.96% trees; 34.78% shrubs; 15.22% herbs; 6.52% lianas and 6.52% sub-bushes. Wild trees and shrubs represented 64.80% of all pollen collected by M. crinita. Thus, the conservation of these plants is essential for the successful management of M. crinita in meliponaries

Growth and Productivity of Pigeon Pea Genotypes under Different Plant Geometry and Its Residual Impact on Some Soil Chemical Properties

Field experiments were conducted during the 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons at the research fields of CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute located at Nyankpala in the Guinea savannah agroecology of Ghana. The objective was to test the effect of genotype and plant geometry on the growth and productivity of pigeon pea and its residual effect on some soil chemical properties. The work involved three pigeon pea genotypes (L-2015-2, L-2015-3 and ICP-8863) and four spacing levels; 100 cm x 30 cm, 100 cm x 45 cm, 100 cm x 60 cm and 100 cm x 75 cm. Analysis of variance indicated a significant interaction effect of genotype, year and spacing effect on number of branches per plant, pod length, grain yield, 1000 seed weight and harvest index. Genotype x spacing effect was significant for all traits except the number of seeds per pod. (294.7 cm) whilst genotype L-2015-3 at 100 cm x 60 cm produced the shortest plants (222.9 cm). Genotype L-2015-2 at 100 cm x 60 cm in 2021 had the highest grain yield (2311 kg/ha) whilst genotype ICP8863 at 100 cm x 60 cm in 2020 had the lowest grain yield (391 kg/ha). A post-2020 cropping season soil analysis revealed improvement in key soil chemical properties, explaining the better crop performance in 2021. Genotype L-2015-2 had the highest overall average grain yield (1484 kg/ha) whilst ICP8863 had the lowest overall grain yield. The study indicated that the different genotypes required different spacing for their optimum yield due to differences in plant architecture, growth and branching habit. Spacing had significant influence on plant height, number of leaves at flowering, number of pods per plant and number of seeds per pod which were significantly and positively correlated with grain yield. Therefore, each genotype should be matched with its preferred spacing for optimum growth and maximum grain yield.

Functional structure and interactions within communities composed of cover crops and spontaneous species, along a cropping practices gradient

Inclusion of a cover crop is an interesting way to diversify cropping systems and support ecosystem functions and services impaired by intensified monocultures. However, pure covers are hard to obtain without substantial management, and mixed covers—wherein some spontaneous species coexist with sown cover crops—seem to be a good alternative. Greater insight into factors influencing the composition and density of the spontaneous plant community is needed to achieve relatively good control of the performances of this mixed cover. Here we addressed two questions: 1) How does the functional structure of communities with a highly competitive sown cover crop and/or high initial species diversity differ from the functional structure of communities with the opposite characteristics? 2) Can aboveground species traits explain interactions between cover crops and spontaneous species present in the same community? In a fallowed field in Guadeloupe (West French Indies), we studied communities composed of one sown cover crop species and spontaneous species growing simultaneously in the plot. The study was conducted along two unrelated experimentally-devised gradients resulting from cropping practices: a competitivity gradient of a sown cover crop species and an initial species diversity gradient resulting from an initial soil perturbation induced by the false seedbed technique. These factors (soil tillage modality before cover crop sowing and cover crop species identity) were combined in a split-plot design. Seven and twelve months after cover crop sowing, community species densities and biomasses were assessed. Leaf trait values of the 12 most present species were measured at flowering to describe the functional structure of the community using the community weighted trait means and variances, and a functional diversity index. Our results showed high functional divergence in communities with highly competitive cover crops, which suggests differentiation of functional niches between species, but no clear differences in communities with high and low initial species diversity. We also showed that the studied species were positioned along a gradient from acquisitive to conservative strategies of resource capture and use according to their leaf trait values, regardless of their type (cover crops or spontaneous species), and that cover crop species had higher trait values related to size than spontaneous species. Finally, we demonstrated that interactions between cover crops and spontaneous species could be better explained by the cover crop dynamic height or community biomasses than by the measured aboveground functional traits and that the plant growth habit had a central role. This study shed light on interactions between sown cover crops and spontaneous species, which are pivotal to the design of diversified cropping systems.

Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Leaf N: P: K Stoichiometry in Agroecosystem

Leaf nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) stoichiometry can reflect plant strategies of nutrient allocation, which play key roles in ensuring food security and maintaining nutrient balance in the agroecosystem. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation is an effective and green management measure affecting nutrient uptake and utilization strategies, especially in the agroecosystem. However, the interplay between AMF and leaf nutrient stoichiometry that is important for sustainable agriculture remain underexplored. Therefore, the efficacy of AMF in improving leaf nutrients of host plants in agricultural ecosystems were tested with meta-analysis by 1932 pairs of observations in research publications from 1995 to 2022. Overall analysis showed that AMF inoculation increases leaf N, P, and K by 8.75%, 24.61%, and 13.54%, respectively. Moreover, leaf P: K increased by 11.74% by AMF inocula, but leaf N: P and N: K of host plants decreased by 15.38% and 5.52%, respectively. Furthermore, the AMF effect on leaf nutrient stoichiometry was significantly regulated by species, life cycle, and growth habits of host plants. The prominent efficacy of AMF was higher for leaf P in fruit (30.06%), perennial (30.19%), and woody plants (31.6%) than other groups. Moreover, AMF effects on leaf N: P: K stoichiometry of inoculated crops varied depending on the identity of AMF. The Glomeraceae (especially Rhizophagus genera) increased more leaf P content than other AMF families. Thus, the leaf nutrient of host plants significantly increased by AMF inocula, especially leaf P content in the agroecosystem. The effect of AMF on leaf N: P: K stoichiometry was related to plant species, plant life cycle, plant growth habits, and the identity of AMF. These findings highlight the response of AMF to the strategies of nutrient in host plants and provide a theoretical and applicable way for better crop yield and sustainable agriculture.

Characterisation of Banana Plant Growth Using High-Spatiotemporal-Resolution Multispectral UAV Imagery

The determination of key phenological growth stages of banana plantations, such as flower emergence and plant establishment, is difficult due to the asynchronous growth habit of banana plants. Identifying phenological events assists growers in determining plant maturity, and harvest timing and guides the application of time-specific crop inputs. Currently, phenological monitoring requires repeated manual observations of individual plants’ growth stages, which is highly laborious, time-inefficient, and requires the handling and integration of large field-based data sets. The ability of growers to accurately forecast yield is also compounded by the asynchronous growth of banana plants. Satellite remote sensing has proved effective in monitoring spatial and temporal crop phenology in many broadacre crops. However, for banana crops, very high spatial and temporal resolution imagery is required to enable individual plant level monitoring. Unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV)-based sensing technologies provide a cost-effective solution, with the potential to derive information on health, yield, and growth in a timely, consistent, and quantifiable manner. Our research explores the ability of UAV-derived data to track temporal phenological changes of individual banana plants from follower establishment to harvest. Individual plant crowns were delineated using object-based image analysis, with calculations of canopy height and canopy area producing strong correlations against corresponding ground-based measures of these parameters (R2 of 0.77 and 0.69 respectively). A temporal profile of canopy reflectance and plant morphology for 15 selected banana plants were derived from UAV-captured multispectral data over 21 UAV campaigns. The temporal profile was validated against ground-based determinations of key phenological growth stages. Derived measures of minimum plant height provided the strongest correlations to plant establishment and harvest, whilst interpolated maxima of normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) best indicated flower emergence. For pre-harvest yield forecasting, the Enhanced Vegetation Index 2 provided the strongest relationship (R2 = 0.77) from imagery captured near flower emergence. These findings demonstrate that UAV-based multitemporal crop monitoring of individual banana plants can be used to determine key growing stages of banana plants and offer pre-harvest yield forecasts.

Frequency and spectrum of M2 mutants and genetic variability in cyto-agronomic characteristics of fenugreek induced by caffeine and sodium azide.

Trigonella foenum graecum L. (Fenugreek) is a valuable medicinal plant cultivated for decades for its therapeutic characteristics. Still no pronounced improvement concerning wild form was accomplished as it is a self-pollinating crop. Induced mutagenesis is encouraged as a remarkable tool on this plant to circumvent the genetic bottleneck of cultivated germplasms. As a result, novel allelomorphic combinations for short-term agronomic attributes were developed. Fenugreek cultivar Pusa Early Bunching, selected for the present experiment, was mutagenized with five doses (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%) of caffeine and sodium azide (SA) to evaluate its impact on the qualitative and quantitative traits of M1 and M2 generation conducted in a Complete Randomized Block Design (CRBD), replicated five times during 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, respectively. The frequency of induced phenotypic variations was assessed in M2 progenies, resulting in the identification and isolation of a broad spectrum of mutants with altered phenotypes. Mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency were found to be maximum at lower concentrations of the mutagen treatments and highest in SA, followed by caffeine. Various morphological mutants with modified characters were observed at different concentrations in M2 generation. The spectrum of mutations was wider in SA than in caffeine, as caffeine produced 51 while SA produced 54 individual mutants under seven major categories. The maximum frequency of morphological mutants was associated with leaf, followed by plant size, plant growth habit, pod, seed size, seed shape, and seed color. Morphological and structural variations in the guard cells of stomata and seeds were observed through scanning electron microscopy. The variations created in the economically important traits may enrich the genetic diversity of this plant species. Moreover, these morphological mutants may serve as a source of elite genes in further breeding programs of fenugreek.

Downregulation of barley ferulate 5-hydroxylase dramatically alters straw lignin structure without impact on mechanical properties.

Barley is a major cereal crop for temperate climates, and a diploid genetic model for polyploid wheat. Cereal straw biomass is an attractive source of feedstock for green technologies but lignin, a key determinant of feedstock recalcitrance, complicates bio-conversion processes. However, manipulating lignin content to improve the conversion process could negatively affect agronomic traits. An alternative approach is to manipulate lignin composition which influences the physical and chemical properties of straw. This study validates the function of a barley ferulate 5-hydroxylase gene and demonstrates that its downregulation using the RNA-interference approach substantially impacts lignin composition. We identified five barley genes having putative ferulate 5-hydroxylase activity. Downregulation of HvF5H1 substantially reduced the lignin syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio in straw while the lignin content, straw mechanical properties, plant growth habit, and grain characteristics all remained unaffected. Metabolic profiling revealed significant changes in the abundance of 173 features in the HvF5H1-RNAi lines. The drastic changes in the lignin polymer of transgenic lines highlight the plasticity of barley lignification processes and the associated potential for manipulating and improving lignocellulosic biomass as a feedstock for green technologies. On the other hand, our results highlight some differences between the lignin biosynthetic pathway in barley, a temperate climate grass, and the warm climate grass, rice, and underscore potential diversity in the lignin biosynthetic pathways in grasses.

Study of Growth Rate and Yield Performance of Five Cultivars of Gorgak Melons (Cucumis melo L.) using Morphological Traits in Sar-e-Pol Province, Afghanistan

‌Background: Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is the genetically most diverse and the economically most important species of the genus Cucumis grown around the globe. The species occupies the third world rank of production quantity. Melons demonstrate high morphological and phonological polymorphisms in a flower type and leaf shape, plant growth habits, and fruits morphology traits i.e., fruit size, fruit shape, fruit texture, fruit color, and fruit flavor. The Afghani melon has a great reputation in local and regional markets and meets the majority of consumers desires. In Sar-e Pol province of Afghanistan, a particular of melon, the Gorgak melons, are widely grown for commercial purposes. The cultivation of the Gorgaks in dry and semi-dry regions has a better production by high quality and quantity. Materials and Methods: The experiment was carried out in Gangalbagh Research Station of Sar-e Pol province employing a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with two replications. Findings: Gorgak cultivars demonstrated the highest morphological, growth and yield diversity, mainly for fruit traits. The diversity may be attributing mostly to positive or negative selection. Based on observation it is known that the stem color (RHS 143B), number of mean stem, number of lateral stems, stem length, bio products, germination percentage and 50 % germination there were no significant differences between cultivars. Gorgak safeed derived stem color characters from Gorgak seya and Gorgak sabz derived from Gorgak ablaq. Adjacent ranges can undergo shifts, in color due to factors, such as fluctuations, in light intensity or the absence of specific nutrients. Conclusion: Gorgaks have different phenotypic characters from each other on different morphological characters. Gorgak seya, Gorgak sabz and Gorgak ablaq exhibits diversity with its characters displaying a remarkable level of stability.

Characterization in F1 generation of Kabuli, Desi and wild Cicer genotypes for plant traits

It is important to understand the magnitude of the changes in variation created by the crossbreeding of cultivated chickpea varieties with a narrow genetic base, desi and kabuli types, and C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum, which are closely related species to cultivated chickpeas. The study was conducted at Dicle University, Agriculture of Faculty, Diyarbakir, Turkiye, in 2023. The experiment laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Desi ? kabuli, kabuli ? kabuli and kabuli ? wild Cicer F1 crosses and their parents were evaluated to estimate the heterosis, heterobeltiosis, potence ratios and heritability for the days to first flowering, leave traits, plant height, number of nodes per plant, flower and foliage color, anthocyanin pigmentation and plant growth habit. The differences among genotypes were significant for all these traits. The magnitude of heterosis was differed between traits and crosses. For days to first flowering, heterosis for early crosses ranged from -2.56% to -7.13%. Azkan (lately) ? C. reticulatum (medium early) (-14.06%) had the highest negative heterobeltiosis for days to first flowering. The high heritability was estimated for days to first flowering, days from emergence to podded, and days from flowering to podded. The estimated values of potence ratios in most F1 crosses were negative for the number of days to first flowering. In crosses between the white-flowered parents Azkan, Gokce, ILC 533, ILC 1929 and ILC 482 and the pink-flowered parents JG 11, ICCV 96029, ICCV 03107, Black and wild Cicer species the F1s were pink. When the white-flowered the kabuli parents to the pink-flowered the desi parents were crossed, the F1s showed the anthocyanin pigmentation on various plant parts.

The non-native flora of Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve, Canada

A checklist of alien plants of Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada is presented for the first time. By way of field surveys and herbarium research, 121 alien taxa (22.1% of the regional flora) were recorded. The most species rich families are Poaceae (24 taxa, 19.8%) and Asteraceae (22, 18.2%). Species richness is about evenly distributed across genera with Rumex, Artemisia and Poa (each contains 3 taxa or 2.5%) making up those with the greatest number of species. Concerning plant growth habits, the two dominant groups are forbs (94 taxa, 77.7%) and graminoids (23 taxa, 19%). Regarding habitat preferences, most alien plants occur in natural and seminatural habitats (48 taxa, 39.7%), ruderal places (43 taxa, 35.5%) and agricultural lands (30 taxa, 24.8%). In relation to the state of spread, invasive (63 taxa, 52%) and naturalised (48 taxa, 39.7%) species prevail. In terms of geographical origin, most alien plants are native to Eurasia–Africa (49 taxa, 40.5%) and Eurasia (34 taxa, 28.1%). The biosphere reserve is increasingly being invaded by alien plants whose introduction and distributions can be explained by intense agricultural pressure which resulted in extensive habitat alteration and proliferation of invasive species. URL: https://www.upjs.sk/pracoviska/botanicka-zahrada/odborne-aktivity/contents-abstracts/

Vicia faba - Past, Present and Future Breeding Perspectives in Romania

Vicia faba is one of the oldest vegetables in the world, recognized as a valuable protein-rich food and with high adaptability to grow in all climatic conditions, but despite this, in Romania is an underutilized crop, with few studies conducted so far. This study aims to explore past, present and future breeding perspectives on faba bean. In this study, ten accessions of Vicia faba were grown in the Research Field of Vegetable Research Development Station (VRDS) Buzau, Romania. Ten synthetic varieties have been studied to determine the amount of realized heterosis expressed in higher yield and yield stability. In terms of seed size, seven accessions belong to V. faba var. major, while the others fit to the minor group. The plant growth habit was semi-determinate for six accessions, while four had determinate habit. In terms of yield component, the accessions A1 and A7 had the highest yield. The assessments concluded to a great variability between studied accessions and the results might be useful in the future breeding programs.

Inheritance of seed weight and growth habit in 10 intercross chickpea (Cicer arietinum) nested association mapping populations

AbstractObjective of investigationChickpea is a major global food legume for which seed weight and plant growth habit are important yield and harvestability components for plant breeding. This study tested seed weight and plant growth habit inheritance and identified quantitative trait loci (QTL).Experimental materialA 10 nested association mapping (NAM) populations of chickpea were created from crosses between ‘Gokce’, a cultivar and wild crop relative accessions of Cicer reticulatum and Cicer echinospermum. Families were then developed to the F2:4 generation.Method of investigationA 10 families were grown at the Field Experiment Station, Harran University near Şanlıurfa, Turkey during 2019.Data collectionA 100‐seed weight and prostrate or erect growth habit was scored in the field. Two families were genotyped for 60 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP).Result and conclusionsA 100‐seed weight showed polygenic control, and three QTLs were found. Growth habit was controlled by one or two QTLs. The two traits were significantly correlated for five populations. The crop wild relatives of chickpea contain variations at novel loci affecting seed weight compared to the literature.

A Novel Beta-Glucosidase Gene for Plant Type Was Identified by Genome-Wide Association Study and Gene Co-Expression Analysis in Widespread Bermudagrass.

Bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) is one of the most widely distributed warm-season grasses globally. The growth habits and plant type of bermudagrass are strongly associated with the applied purpose of the landscape, livestock, and eco-remediation. Therefore, persistent efforts are made to investigate the genetic basis of plant type and growth habits of bermudagrass. Here, we dissect the genetic diversity of 91 wild bermudagrass resources by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) combined with weighted gene co-expression analysis (WGCNA). This work is based on the RNA-seq data and the genome of African bermudagrass (Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt Davy). Sixteen reliable single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in transcribed regions were identified to be associated with the plant height and IAA content in diverse bermudagrass by GWAS. The integration of the results from WGCNA indicates that beta-glucosidase 31 (CdBGLU31) is a candidate gene underlying a G/A SNP signal. Furthermore, both qRT-PCR and correlation coefficient analyses indicate that CdBGLU31 might play a comprehensive role in plant height and IAA biosynthesis and signal. In addition, we observe lower plant height in Arabidopsis bglu11 mutants (homologs of CdBGLU31). It uncovers the breeding selection history of different plant types from diverse bermudagrass and provides new insights into the molecular function of CdBGLU31 both in plant types and in IAA biosynthetic pathways.

An Assessment of Water and Soil Losses in Pastures of The Brazilian Savanna Using Simulated Rainfall

Pastures occupy a large part of Brazilian national territory, being of heterogeneous characteristics and varying in climate, fertility, and management. Water erosion, generated by the action of rainfall, is a principal source of soil depletion. These soils exhibit distinct behaviors spatially and temporally. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the water and soil losses in a pasture of the Cerrado region during two periods of the year (winter and summer) with the aim of understanding the hydro-geomorphological dynamic of the pastures in question. A rainfall simulator was calibrated at 64.34 mm/h, to replicate similar intensities to those of the study region, for 30 minutes (32.17 mm) over four erosion plots. Overall, the plots presented low water and sediment losses, with the largest runoff volumes in the summer and the highest erosion rates in winter. These results are connected to seasonal climate variations expressed in the region, which are reflected in the plant growth habits, generating alterations in the structural quality of the pastures. It follows that the return of the rainy season (winter-summer transition) represents a critical phase for the triggering of the erosive process.

Characterization of indigenous phalsa (Grewia subinequalis) genotypes using morphological traits and ISSR markers

BackgroundPhalsa (Grewia subinequalis L.) is a commercial and nutritionally important berry fruit. It is cultivated in Pakistan as a minor fruit crop without any variety characterization. Therefore, the objective of to assess genetic diversity through ISSR markers and morphological features of wild phalsa genotypes collected from different parts of Punjab, Pakistan. MethodsMorphological characteristics such as plant height, stem circumference, growth habit, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, leaf color and leaf apex shape showed high variation among genotypes. ResultsAmong the twenty inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) primers, UBC-812 exhibited the highest PIC values of (0.485) and Dj (0.389) compared to other primers, which considered it better for the identification of phalsa genotypes and prediction of diversity. Moreover, the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean cluster analysis divided the sampled genotypes into five clusters (clusters A-E) based on morphological analysis, while molecular data divided the genotypes into eight clusters (clusters A-H). ConclusionThis study confirmed the high diversity in wild populations especially 'O1P2” and “O7P3” genotypes, with both DNA-based and morphological descriptors that depict their potential use for future phalsa breeding programs.

Multivariate analysis of eshnan (Seidlitzia rosmarinus Boiss.) based on morphological characterizations.

Seidlitzia rosmarinus Boiss. has been identified as one of the potential species that could be used for rehabilitating degraded desert rangelands and salt-affected soils due to its high salinity resistance and soil-stabilizing ability. Morphological variation of 144 accessions of this species from 14 regions of the Isfahan province, Iran was investigated. The accessions studied were significantly different in terms of the traits recorded. Three forms of plant growth habit were observed, including spreading bush, erect bush, and shrub. The range of leaf dimensions was as follows: terminal leaf length: 1.57-7.22 mm, terminal leaf width: 0.91-3.34 mm, basal leaf length: 11.84-45.27 mm, and basal leaf width: 1.32-4.18 mm. Fruit diameter (with wings) ranged from 0.19 to 12.91 mm, and 100-fruits dry weight varied between 0.11 and 0.76 g. A dendrogram created using Euclidean distances and the Ward's method revealed two main clusters. The obtained data revealed the morphological diversity within the studied populations. The reason for such a high diversity can be explained by a low probability of gene flow among the studied accessions. This is the first report on the application of morphological characteristics in the evaluation of the phenotypic variation of S. rosmarinus. This study presented a high phenotypic diversity of S. rosmarinus germplasm that could provide useful information for conservation and selection of cross-parents in breeding.

Morphological characterisation of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) germplasm collections: A basis for crop improvement

Bambara groundnut is one of the underutilised legume crops adapted to Sub-Saharan Africa's harsh, semi-arid tropical regions, providing nutrition and cash income among resource-poor farmers. A field study comprising 25 Bambara groundnut accessions was carried out during the 2018/2019 cropping season at the Crop Science Experimental Field, University of Namibia-Ogongo Campus, to characterise the accessions using qualitative traits. The experimental design used was an alpha lattice with three replications. Based on the visual observation techniques, the results showed morphological variation among the genotypes. The Bambara groundnut germplasm studied showed high phenotypic variations. The germplasm had a high proportion of the bunch-type growth habit (44% accessions), oval leaflet shape (64%), sparse hairiness (56%), and absence of eye pattern colour (70%). Also, cluster analysis grouped the accessions into five super classes. Shanon-Wennier index indicated a significant level of diversity among the Bambara groundnut accessions for most traits studied, with plant growth habits having the highest index of 2.15, followed by for pod colour (1.45) and seed eye pattern colour (1.22). These results may be useful in formulating national Bambara groundnut breeding programs in semi-arid Sub-Saharan African regions. However, molecular analysis is required to determine the genetic variations among the accessions.