Plant Growth Habit Research Articles

Physicochemical Diversity Among Barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) Fruits from Eastern Anatolia

Wild edible fruits have been gaining much interest more recently because of their better biochemical content and widely use in ethno medicine treating common disease such as cold, fever and other medicinal claims are now supported with sound scientific evidences. In this study, diversity of some important physicochemical characteristics (plant growth habit, fruit shape, fruit color, fruit weight, pulp ratio, soluble solid content, total phenolics, total anthocyanin, antioxidant activity, sugars, organic acids) of fruits from fourteen promising barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) selections grown in Erzurum province in Turkey were investigated. Significant differences were observed between the studied genotypes for most of the physicochemical parameters. Fruit weight and pulp ratio were found between 0.102 (25ERZ5) and 0.342 g (25ERZ7) and 60.81% (25ERZ2) and 75.41% (25ERZ11). Total phenolic and anthocyanin content ranged from 2281 (25ERZ5) to 3462 (25ERZ7) as mg GAE per liter fruit juice and 360 to 874 mg as cyanidin-3-glucoside per liter fruit juice. Glucose and fructose were found to be dominant sugars in all barberry accessions analyzed.

Principal Component Analysis with Quantitative Traits in Extant Cotton Varieties (Gossypium Hirsutum L.) and Parental Lines for Diversity

The experimental material consisted of 101 extant varieties and parental lines characterized for morphological traits under Distinctiveness Uniformity and Stability (DUS) testing at CICR, Regional Station, Coimbatore, India. Twenty one quantitative traits were taken for observation. The data were utilised to estimate substantial variation and relationship within the extant varieties and to identify the best performing genotypes. Analysis of variance for quantitative traits, in diverse line, showed sizable amount of variability. The highest variation was found for vigour index, plant height, germination per cent, fibre maturity, yield per plant, plant stand, fibre uniformity and ginning per cent when mean performance genotypes were considered. Seed cotton yield showed significantly positive correlation with boll number plant-1 (0.95), boll weight-1 (0.53), lint weight (0.50), fibre length (0.27), plant growth habit (0.26), plant height (0.23) and seed index (0.21). Principal component analysis showed the extend of variation by components 1 to 8 that exhibited Eigen value >1. Cluster analysis based on various morphological traits assorted 101 extant varieties of cotton into three main clusters. Dendrogram arrived based on hierarchal clustering, grouped genotypes based on their morphological traits rather than the geography of origin.

Effect of morphological trait variance on plant yield in different Trigonella foenum-graecum L. varieties

Trigonella's rich biochemistry globally signifies it as a medicinal herb. India is the largest producer and exporter of Trigonella seeds. Its products are used on a large scale as raw material preparation of food and are also used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry especially for steroid hormones synthesis. Therefore, to meet global production requirements, superior trait varieties are in constant demand. In the present investigation, seeds of ninety T. foenum-graecum L. varieties from and around the most productive Trigonella belt in India were collected. The varieties procured from the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana were employed to study nine quantitative and nine qualitative traits. These traits include plant height, pods per plant, seeds per pod, yield per plant, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, days to field emergence, pod length, branches per plant, plant growth habit, leaf margin, leaf margin pigmentation, leaf tip, number of pods per axis, seed color, seed size, seed luster and plant category. The numerical data obtained was subjected to analysis of variance, genotypic and phenotypic variance, heritability, path coefficient analysis, genetic advance, coefficient of variance and analysis of variance, covariance, multivariate analysis and cluster analysis. Traits profoundly contributing towards yield were traced as growth habit, flowering date, branches, and pods per plant and seeds per pod. Path coefficient analysis revealed that seeds per pod had highest positive impact on yield per plant followed by pods per plant, branches per plant, plant height and days to 50% flowering. Therefore, it is concluded that high heritability estimates would be of great significance for breeding programs to attain superior varieties on the basis of phenotypic performance.

Intraspecific tetraploid hybrids of Paspalum notatum: agronomic evaluation of segregating progeny

For many decades, animal production in southern Brazil has been based on native forage grasses. Paspalum notatum Flugge (bahiagrass) is one of the most frequently used native grass in southern Brazil. The native germplasm of P. notatum is tetraploid and displays apomictic reproduction; hence, chromosome doubling of sexual diploid accessions is required to facilitate hybridization. The main goal of this study was to evaluate forage production and other agronomical evaluation of P. notatum intraspecific hybrids in order to obtain new varieties that could be registered and/or protected and launched as new cultivars in the future. Three tetraploid sexual genotypes were crossed with the ecotypes Bagual and Andre da Rocha. Biomass production (leaf, stem, and inflorescence fractions), plant growth habit, plant height, number of tillers, and frost damage were evaluated in the resulting hybrids. The general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were calculated for the six families generated. We evaluated 196 hybrids and the most productive yielded 42 % more total dry mass than the most productive parent (ecotype Bagual), and Bagual production was seven-fold higher than that of cultivar ‘Pensacola’. The highest GCA values were observed for Bagual and Q4205. No correlation was observed between leaf coloration and the frost effect or regrowth in the following winter. Similarly, no correlation between plant growth habit and dry mass production was observed. The reproduction mode of the most productive hybrids are currently being analyzed in larger plots to identify apomictic and sexual genotypes for future registration and protection.

A SNP-based association analysis for plant growth habit in worldwide cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) Germplasm

Cowpea is a legume widely grown in Africa, North, Central and South America, and Asia. The cowpea plant growth habits consist of erect, semi-prostrate, and prostrate types. Developing a cultivar while considering plant growth habit is essential within a breeding program since the need for a particular growth habit is region-specific, and significantly depends on the end user preference. Some cowpea growers might prefer erect types over semi-prostrate and prostrate types, while others would chose prostrate types, which provide more leaves for feed supplies to livestock. However, very little is known regarding the genetics of plant growth habit in cowpea to assist plant breeders in developing suitable cowpea cultivars having the desired growth habit plus the other required features. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to conduct an association mapping for cowpea growth habit, and to identify SNP markers associated with this trait. A total of 487 cowpea genotypes were evaluated for growth habit and a total of 1031 SNPs postulated from genotyping-by-sequencing to conduct association analysis study for cowpea growth habit. Our results showed that: (1) significant differences in cowpea growth habit were identified between countries, (2) the cowpea erect-type was prevalent, and (3) ten SNP markers, C35060651_729, C35061339_799, C35062457_1855, C35072764_1384, C35080248_2355, Scaffold2771_4351, Scaffold29522_3213, Scaffold35913_2678, Scaffold53560_188, and Scaffold58098_4297, were significantly associated with cowpea growth habit. These results could be used for enhancing marker-assisted selection (MAS) in breeding programs aimed at developing cowpea cultivars having a particular growth habit.

Plant growth, steviol glycosides and nutrient uptake as affected by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and phosphorous fertilization in Stevia rebaudiana Bert

The increasing demand for products based from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (both leaves and purified steviol glycosides) makes of interest the research on sustainable production systems, in order to guarantee secure availability and high quality of agricultural raw materials. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis represents an interesting tool for increasing crop production and quality, especially thanks to improved nutrient absorption, particularly phosphorus (P). In the present study, Stevia rebaudiana Bert. plants were exposed to different levels of P fertilization (0, 25 and 50mg P2O5kg−1 soil) with or without Rhizoglomus irregulare inoculation, in order to evaluate root colonization, plant growth and productive parameters, steviol glycosides (SVglys) yield, as well as nitrogen (N) and P concentrations and uptake. A nutrient balance was also carried out and the nutrient use efficiency was evaluated. Stevia roots were highly colonized by Rhizoglomus irregulare, especially in the absence of P fertilization. During the whole vegetative growth, the AMF symbiosis, in association with the P supply, benefitted stevia growth, especially with regard to leaf dry biomass production and SVglys yield. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis was able to modify the growth habit of stevia plants, with increased branching and a reduced plant height. At the end of the vegetative growth, mycorrhizal plants reached the highest leaf dry yield, together with the highest SVglys production. The application of 25mg P2O5kg−1 soil in association with AMF symbiosis seemed to be the most effective treatment in improving stevia SVglys yield and P uptake together with P nutrient use efficiency.

Relative Susceptibility Among Arborvitae Cultivars to Arborvitae Leafminer, Argyresthia thuiella (Lepidoptera: Argyresthiidae)

Eighteen Thuja species and cultivars were evaluated for ovipositional preference for, and relative susceptibility to, feeding by the arborvitae leafminer. Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz Midget’ and ‘Hoopesii’ were least susceptible; T. occidentalis cultivars 'Gracilis', 'Holmstrup', 'Spiralis', and 'Techny', and T. plicata 'Fastigiata', were intermediate in susceptibility; Thuja occidentalis cultivars 'Aurea', 'Douglasii Aurea', 'Globosa', 'Hetz Wintergreen', 'Smaragd', 'Umbraculifera', 'Wagneri', 'Wareana,' and 'Waxen', and species T. occidentalis, and T. plicata, were highly susceptible to ALM feeding. Short trees suffered significantly less feeding compared to tall trees, with number of infested branch tips (IBTs) increasing with tree height. Short trees (<4 m) had significantly more feeding damage in the upper canopy zone and tall trees (>4 m) had greater damage in the lower and middle zones. Trees with very dense canopies had significantly fewer IBTs compared to trees with sparse, medium, and dense canopies, with IBTs decreasing as canopy density increased. There were no significant associations between number of IBTs and canopy aspect. Plant height, growth habit, and canopy zone and density appear to influence infestation levels and possibly ovipositional preference. These findings suggest some important ALM management guidelines for the nursery and landscape industries.

Fine mapping of the Brassica napus Bnsdt1 gene associated with determinate growth habit

The newly discovered determinate plant growth habit of Brassica napus is a potential trait that might contribute to the genetic improvement of rapeseed. Brassica napus is an important species of rapeseed and has an indeterminate growth habit. However, a determinate inflorescence strain (4769) has been discovered among doubled haploid (DH) lines obtained from a spring B. napus×winter B. napus cross. We assessed the effect of the determinate growth habit on agronomic traits. The results showed that determinacy is beneficial for reducing plant height and flowering time, advancing maturity and maintaining productivity. We also investigated the inheritance of determinacy. A genetic analysis revealed that the phenotype of the determinate trait is controlled by one recessive gene, Bnsdt1. Mapping of the Bnsdt1 gene was subsequently conducted in BC1 and BC3 populations derived from combination 2014×4769. The results showed that the Bnsdt1 gene could be delimited to a region of approximately 220kb, between 16,627 and 16,847kb on A10. Within the target region, whole-genome re-sequencing identified two candidate regions (16,628-16,641 and 16,739-16,794kb) of approximately 68kb. A Blast analysis of the two candidate intervals found that BnaA10g26300D/GSBRNA2T00136426001 (BnTFL1) is homologous to the TFL1 gene of A. thaliana. Subsequently, quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR revealed that BnTFL1 was specifically expressed in the shoot apex. Collectively, the results of expression analysis provide preliminary evidence that BnTFL1 is a candidate gene for the inflorescence trait in 4769.

Genetic diversity of a Paspalum notatum Flügge germplasm collection

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity among accessions of Paspalum notatum based on morphological marker traits and identify those morphological traits that contribute most to the variability among accessions. Fifty-three accessions were evaluated for the following traits: length, width, color, and pubescence of sheath; length, width, insertion angle, color of midrib, and pubescence of leaves; number, length, and angle of racemes; length of flowering stems; and plant growth habit (erect or prostrate). Multivariate analysis [...]

USA National Phenology Network's volunteer-contributed observations yield predictive models of phenological transitions.

PurposeIn support of science and society, the USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) maintains a rapidly growing, continental-scale, species-rich dataset of plant and animal phenology observations that with over 10 million records is the largest such database in the United States. The aim of this study was to explore the potential that exists in the broad and rich volunteer-collected dataset maintained by the USA-NPN for constructing models predicting the timing of phenological transition across species’ ranges within the continental United States. Contributed voluntarily by professional and citizen scientists, these opportunistically collected observations are characterized by spatial clustering, inconsistent spatial and temporal sampling, and short temporal depth (2009-present). Whether data exhibiting such limitations can be used to develop predictive models appropriate for use across large geographic regions has not yet been explored.MethodsWe constructed predictive models for phenophases that are the most abundant in the database and also relevant to management applications for all species with available data, regardless of plant growth habit, location, geographic extent, or temporal depth of the observations. We implemented a very basic model formulation—thermal time models with a fixed start date.ResultsSufficient data were available to construct 107 individual species × phenophase models. Remarkably, given the limited temporal depth of this dataset and the simple modeling approach used, fifteen of these models (14%) met our criteria for model fit and error. The majority of these models represented the “breaking leaf buds” and “leaves” phenophases and represented shrub or tree growth forms. Accumulated growing degree day (GDD) thresholds that emerged ranged from 454 GDDs (Amelanchier canadensis-breaking leaf buds) to 1,300 GDDs (Prunus serotina-open flowers). Such candidate thermal time thresholds can be used to produce real-time and short-term forecast maps of the timing of these phenophase transition. In addition, many of the candidate models that emerged were suitable for use across the majority of the species’ geographic ranges. Real-time and forecast maps of phenophase transitions could support a wide range of natural resource management applications, including invasive plant management, issuing asthma and allergy alerts, and anticipating frost damage for crops in vulnerable states.ImplicationsOur finding that several viable thermal time threshold models that work across the majority of the species ranges could be constructed from the USA-NPN database provides clear evidence that great potential exists this dataset to develop more enhanced predictive models for additional species and phenophases. Further, the candidate models that emerged have immediate utility for supporting a wide range of management applications.

Genetic dissection of plant growth habit in chickpea.

A combinatorial genomics-assisted breeding strategy encompassing association analysis, genetic mapping and expression profiling is found most promising for quantitative dissection of complex traits in crop plants. The present study employed GWAS (genome-wide association study) using 24,405 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) obtained with genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) of 92 sequenced desi and kabuli accessions of chickpea. This identified eight significant genomic loci associated with erect (E)/semi-erect (SE) vs. spreading (S)/semi-spreading (SS)/prostrate (P) plant growth habit (PGH) trait differentiation regardless of diverse desi and kabuli genetic backgrounds of chickpea. These associated SNPs in combination explained 23.8% phenotypic variation for PGH in chickpea. Five PGH-associated genes were validated successfully in E/SE and SS/S/P PGH-bearing parental accessions and homozygous individuals of three intra- and interspecific RIL (recombinant inbred line) mapping populations as well as 12 contrasting desi and kabuli chickpea germplasm accessions by selective genotyping through Sequenom MassARRAY. The shoot apical, inflorescence and floral meristems-specific expression, including upregulation (seven-fold) of five PGH-associated genes especially in germplasm accessions and homozygous RIL mapping individuals contrasting with E/SE PGH traits was apparent. Collectively, this integrated genomic strategy delineated diverse non-synonymous SNPs from five candidate genes with strong allelic effects on PGH trait variation in chickpea. Of these, two vernalization-responsive non-synonymous SNP alleles carrying SNF2 protein-coding gene and B3 transcription factor associated with PGH traits were found to be the most promising in chickpea. The SNP allelic variants associated with E/SE/SS/S PGH trait differentiation were exclusively present in all cultivated desi and kabuli chickpea accessions while wild species/accessions belonging to primary, secondary and tertiary gene pools mostly contained prostrate PGH-associated SNP alleles. This indicates strong adaptive natural/artificial selection pressure (Tajima's D 3.15 to 4.57) on PGH-associated target genomic loci during chickpea domestication. These vital leads thus have potential to decipher complex transcriptional regulatory gene function of PGH trait differentiation and for understanding the selective sweep-based PGH trait evolution and domestication pattern in cultivated and wild chickpea accessions adapted to diverse agroclimatic conditions. Collectively, the essential inputs generated will be of profound use in marker-assisted genetic enhancement to develop cultivars with desirable plant architecture of erect growth habit types in chickpea.

Identification and Biological Characteristics of Ryegrass (Loliumspp.) Accessions in Arkansas

Italian ryegrass is a major weed problem in wheat production worldwide. Field studies were conducted at Fayetteville, AR, to assess morphological characteristics of ryegrass accessions from Arkansas and differences among otherLoliumspp.: Italian, rigid, poison, and perennial ryegrass. Plant height, plant growth habit, plant stem color, and node color were recorded every 2 wk until maturity. The number of tillers per plant, spikes per plant, and seeds per plant were recorded at maturity. All ryegrass accessions from Arkansas were identified as Italian ryegrass, which had erect to prostrate growth habit, green to red stem color, green to red nodes, glume (10 mm) shorter than spikelet (19 mm), and medium seed size (5 to 7 mm) with 1 to 3 mm awns. However, significant variability in morphological characteristics was found among Arkansas ryegrass accessions. WhenLoliumspecies at the seedling stage (1- to 2-wk-old plants) were compared, poison ryegrass was characterized as having a large main-stem diameter and wide droopy leaves, whereas perennial ryegrass exhibited a short and a very narrow leaf blade. These two can be distinguished from Italian and rigid ryegrass, which have leaf blades wider than perennial ryegrass but narrower than poison ryegrass. Italian and rigid ryegrass are difficult to distinguish at the seedling stage but are distinct at the reproductive stage. At maturity, Italian ryegrass and poison ryegrass seeds are awned, but perennial and rigid ryegrass seeds are awnless. Poison ryegrass awns were at least 4-fold longer than Italian ryegrass awns. Perennial ryegrass flowered 3 wk later than the other species. Poison ryegrass glumes were longer than the spikelets, whereas Italian ryegrass glumes were shorter than the spikelets. Morphological traits indicate that some Italian ryegrass populations are potentially more competitive and more fecund than others.

Phenotypic diversity of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)accessions in the Philippines for utilization

An increasing trend of soybean production and consumption has been seen in the Philippines. To assess the potential of the soybean germplasm for utilization, diversity of the Philippine soybean collection was established. High diversity was marked on 17 out of 29 qualitative characters, which include plant growth habit, leaf blistering and flower standard color. Phenotypic diversity indices (H’) of 92 soybean accessions averaged at 0.62. This aside, traits identical to a variety of soybean with superior characters were all present in the soybean germplasm collection. Using simple matching similarity coefficient, cluster analysis separated the different accessions into 12 distinct clusters at 62% similarity. Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA) showed that two independent components accounted for 35.36% of the total variation of the qualitative morphological characters. Factor loadings for each component showed the morphological characters, such as pubescence color, flower wing color, and seed coat color, that were contributing to the high projections in the two principal components. Accessions with vigorous seedlings were also observed. With the marked trait diversity, the soybean collection could be potentially used directly and for breeding purposes. Consequently, to uncover further the potential of our genetic resources at hand, the remaining germplasm accessions at NPGRL should be characterized and evaluated

Simplifying the prediction of phenology with the DSSAT-CROPGRO-soybean model based on relative maturity group and determinacy

The use of crop models can be limited by the need to calibrate cultivar coefficients across a sufficiently wide range of environments. The DSSAT-CROPGRO-Soybean crop simulation model considers different temperature and photoperiod sensitivities during different crop developmental stages and/or for different cultivars. The use of generic phenology coefficients specific for a range of maturity groups (MGs) could allow accurate predictions of main developmental stages in soybean without requiring calibration. Phenology data collected in 2012 and 2013 from an irrigated regional planting-date experiment with maturity group (MG) 3 to 6 cultivars and latitudes from 30.6 to 38.9°N, were used to calibrate cultivar coefficients across all the environments. A set of generic coefficients were generated based on relative maturity group (rMG) and plant growth habit. Predictions of main developmental stages in the subsequent growing season (2014) using generic coefficients were similar to predictions based on calibrated coefficients, with a RMSE across all cultivars <8days. Several calibrations of cultivar coefficients were conducted testing different hypotheses of sensitivity to temperature and photoperiod in the model. Surprisingly, after the calibration, the model predicted with similar RMSEs the day of R1, first R5 seed, and R7 under the different hypothesis of model sensitivity to photoperiod and temperature. Therefore, the use of an optimization tool for calibration across several site x year x planting dates was efficient to obtain cultivar coefficients that minimized error in prediction, but did not provide meaningful insight regarding the mechanistic function of temperature and photoperiod coefficients describing phenology prediction.

Hydroponic culturing upregulates sucrose and glutamine metabolism by enhancing their utilization via intermediates of aerobic pathway in wheat

Two wheat genotypes were grown in hydroponic culture, containing 4 mM KNO3, NH4Cl and NH4NO3. Activities of N metabolizing enzymes, aminotransferases, carbohydrate and TCA cycle enzymes were analyzed along with protein, amino acid, N, sugar content and growth parameters in shoot and root. After 12 days, the size of shoot and root system decreased significantly when plants were supplied with NH4Cl as exclusive N source. Under NH4NO3 growth parameters, N and carbon metabolism were elevated as compared to NH4Cl but less than KNO3 source indicating inhibition of NH4+ toxicity by NO3− uptake. Our results suggested that GDH, aminotransferases and PEPC play an important role in ammonium detoxification by its incorporation into amino acids. Thus, the morphologic differences among plants growing in NH4+ or NO3− nutrition confirm the hypothesis that N source determines the growth habit of plant in wheat by modulating the endogenous levels of protein and sugar content.

Introduced Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) invades the genome of native populations in vulnerable heathland habitats.

Cytisus scoparius is a global invasive species that affects local flora and fauna at the intercontinental level. Its natural distribution spans across Europe, but seeds have also been moved among countries, mixing plants of native and non-native genetic origins. Hybridization between the introduced and native gene pool is likely to threaten both the native gene pool and the local flora. In this study, we address the potential threat of invasive C.scoparius to local gene pools in vulnerable heathlands. We used nuclear single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers together with plastid SSR and indel markers to investigate the level and direction of gene flow between invasive and native heathland C.scoparius. Analyses of population structures confirmed the presence of two gene pools: one native and the other invasive. The nuclear genome of the native types was highly introgressed with the invasive genome, and we observed advanced-generation hybrids, suggesting that hybridization has been occurring for several generations. There is asymmetrical gene flow from the invasive to the native gene pool, which can be attributed to higher fecundity in the invasive individuals, measured by the number of flowers and seed pods. Strong spatial genetic structure in plastid markers and weaker structure in nuclear markers suggest that seeds spread over relatively short distances and that gene flow over longer distances is mainly facilitated by pollen dispersal. We further show that the growth habits of heathland plants become more vigorous with increased introgression from the invaders. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to future management of invading C.scoparius.

Improving plant biomass estimation in the field using partial least squares regression and ridge regression

Estimating primary productivity over time is challenging for plant ecologists. The most accurate biomass measurements require destructive sampling and weighing. This is often not possible for manipulative studies that involve repeated measures over time, or for studies in protected areas. Estimates of aboveground plant biomass using allometric equations or linear regression on single plant traits have been used, but tend to have poor predictability both within and across systems, or are limited to specific plant taxa. Here we estimate aboveground plant biomass using multiple collinear plant traits to generate a standard curve specific to the site of interest. Partial least squares regression (PLS) and ridge regression (RR), addressing predictor collinearity, are robust, highly accurate statistical methods to estimate plant biomass across gross differences in plant morphology and growth habit.

DUS characterization and diversity assessment in pearl millet inbreds

Plant morphological characters are universally undisputed descriptors applied for testing Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) of crop varieties. In the present study, 49 inbred lines of pearl millet evaluated for 29 morphological traits using DUS descriptors revealed significant variation among the inbreds for different characters. Most of the qualitative characters revealed considerable variation except for the traits like spike exertion, node pubescence, inter node pigmentation, leaf sheath pubescence, anther color, glume pigmentation and plant growth habit. Large variation among inbreds were found for the quantitative traits like days to 50% flowering (40.33 - 58.55 days), leaf blade length (33.53 -72.13 cm), spike length (13.60 - 24.60 cm), number of productive tillers/plant (1.60 - 9.57), plant height (115.60 - 160.87 cm), 1000 grain weight (4.35 - 14.80 g), dry fodder yield/plant (57.74-84.37 g), green fodder yield/plant (192.34-517.53 g) and grain yield/plant (21.20 - 48.47 g). Dendrogram constructed on the basis of established quantitative characters among the individuals delineated 49 inbreds into six major clusters indicating ample diversity. The comprehensive morphological characterization of the lines with enormous diversity will facilitate their selection during pearl millet breeding programme and also provide documentation to protect them from any possible infringement.

Characterization and Evaluation of Ridge Gourd [Luffa acutangula(Roxb.) L.] Germplasm

Fifty one ridge gourd germplasm were evaluated for yield and qualitative traits during 2011–14. There were significant differences among the germplasm for all the 11 quantitative and nine out of 22 qualitative parameters studied. Regarding plant growth habit, 34 had long vines, 16 had medium long vines and only one germplasm, IC92618 had short vines. Fifteen germplasm lines recorded dark green fruit skin colour, 33 had green coloured fruits and only three germplasm had light green coloured fruits, hence this variability can be exploited for developing green and dark green coloured varieties which are very much preferred in different markets. With respect to fruit taste, 29 lines had normal fruit taste, 18 lines were sweet and four lines, viz., IC92625, IC92685, IIHR-17 and IIHR-51 had bitter fruits. Among the germplasm evaluated, IC20404 (5.2 and 41.3) showed earliness in terms of node number as well as days for appearance of first female flower followed by IC23259 (6.0 and 41.2). Arka Sumeet and Co-1 recorded highest fruit length and fruit weight which are the important yield contributing fruit parameters. IIHR-21 recorded the highest mean value for fruit yield per vine (2.8 kg) followed by IIHR-6 (2.6 kg). This variability present among the germplasm evaluated for yield and quality parameters can be effectively utilized for the improvement of ridge gourd, with IIHR-6 and IIHR-21, the most promising germplasm as common parents and ‘Arka Sumeet’ and ‘CO-1’ as partners to develop character specific hybrids with maximum yield potential.

MORPHOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION OF SOME WHEAT VARIETIES AND ITS CROSSES.

The field experiments were conducted out during 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons at the Experimental Station Farm of Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt to evaluate the morphological (quantitative and qualitative) characteristics for identifying 5 genotypes of wheat and their F1 single crosses. The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV, 2012 was used to evaluate the genetic purity of wheat genotypes and their F1 single crosses) technique was used to evaluate the genetic purity of wheat genotypes and their F1 single crosses. The aim of these experiments was to evaluate the morphological (quantitative and qualitative) characteristics for identifying 5 genotypes of wheat and their F1 single crosses. The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants The obtained results showed that the five studied wheat genotypes i.e. P1(Gemmiza 7), P2 (Sakha 93), P3 (Giza 168), P4 (Gemmiza 9) and P5 (Sids 13) were significantly differed in flag leaf length, flag leaf area, plant height, stem diameter and the length of the bare region. Spike length, spike weight, number of spikelets/spike, number of grains/spike, grains weight/spike, 1000– grain weight and biological yield/plant Coleoptile coloration with anthocyanin, plant growth habit, spike color, spike density, awns length at tip of spike, glume beak length, grain coloration with phenol and grain color for the five identified wheat genotypes and their F1 crosses were recorded.the aime the studay significantly